10 Experimental TV Episodes You NEED To See

Not all experimental episodes are a result of inspiration so much as necessity, as was the case with The Blacklist's seventh season finale, "The Kazanjian Brothers."

The episode was being shot when Hollywood was shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the majority of the season having already been aired, the decision was made not to delay the finale's broadcast but generate the missing footage through animation instead.

And so, previsualisation studio Proof was hired to create 20 minutes of comic book-style animation to plug the gaps, while the cast members all recorded their dialogue from their own homes.

It's also the only episode in the series to break the fourth wall, as both the cast and crew directly address the audience at the beginning and end.

While the episode itself received relatively mixed reviews for its writing and animation, it is nevertheless a fascinating and unique example of creatives pivoting in an especially tricky situation - and for that if nothing else, it absolutely merits watching.