20 Best TV Episodes Of 2017

7. The Handmaid's Tale - Late

Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, based on a 1985 book, felt painfully relevant in 2017. While it was largely faithful to the source material, the TV format offered the chance to expand the scope beyond the point-of-view of Offred. Nowhere was that opportunity used better, or more horrifically, than in Late.

Elisabeth Moss shines, as always, in an agonising hour of television. In flashback, we see Gilead's takeover of the United States, which happens not with one big bang but in a much quieter and scarier way. In the present, Offred is punished for the 'crime' of not being pregnant. Moss conveys so much with just her face, and does a superb job of selling the confusion and then fear of her character, while Yvonne Strahovsk rises to the challenge of channeling Serena Joy's more menacing side.

The star of Late, though, is Alexis Bledel. Not known for showing much range beyond a variation on Rory Gilmore, she excels here in a wordless performance, as unspeakable acts are committed against her. The final moments, in particular, are among the most technically brilliant, unforgettable, and downright horrendous of the year, the sort that will haunt you long past the credits, and one hell of an artistic achievement from Bledel, writer Bruce Miller, and director Reed Morano.