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Network: HBO.

Episodes: 48 (half-hour).

Seasons: Four.

TV show dates: July 28, 2017 — October 9, 2020.

Series status: Ended.

Performers include: Hugo Armstrong, Davie-Blue, Melonie Diaz, Jay Duplass, Veronica Falcon, Adam Foster, Ellen Geer, Keir Gilchrist, Philip Baker Hall, Sarah Hay, Poorna Jagannathan, Orlando Jones, Ethan Kent, Gavin Kent, Amy Landecker, Konstantin Lavysh, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Keta Meggett, Natalie Morgan, Ross Partridge, Karan Soni, Dendrie Taylor, Tony Todd, Will Tranfo, James Van Der Beek, Mae Whitman, and Nat Wolff.

TV show description:

An anthology series from Mark Duplass and his brother Jay, who also acts in the program, the Room 104 TV show centers on the continuing action, in a single room in an American motel.

“Room 104” comes to an end this week after a four-year run unlike any other in TV history. Its anthology framework wasn’t new, its roster of writers and directors included plenty of experienced TV vets, and many of these episodes had foundations in genres that have been on screens for decades.

Over 48 episodes, what this show did have was Room 104 itself, a drab four-wall set — and a blank canvas for anyone lucky enough to get the chance to play inside. Whether the storytellers that came through used that vague premise as an experiment, a challenge, or a chance to tell a story that could only exist within those confines, each new chapter was worth watching to see which path it took.

In fact, even though we’ve explained why we picked the 10 episodes below as some of the show’s best, it’s almost worth going in without...

Network: HBO. Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: July 28, 2017 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Hugo Armstrong, Davie-Blue, Melonie Diaz, Jay Duplass, Veronica Falcon, Adam Foster, Ellen Geer, Keir Gilchrist, Philip Baker Hall, Sarah Hay, Poorna Jagannathan, Orlando Jones, Ethan Kent, Gavin Kent, Amy Landecker, Konstantin Lavysh, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Keta Meggett, Natalie Morgan, Ross Partridge, Karan Soni, Dendrie Taylor, Tony Todd, Will Tranfo, James Van Der Beek, Mae Whitman and Nat Wolff. TV show description: An anthology series from Mark Duplass and his brother Jay, who also acts in the program, the Room 104 TV show centers on the continuing action, in a single room in an American motel.

[Editor’s Note: The below interview and analysis includes spoilers for “Room 104,” Episode 1, “Ralphie.”]

“Room 104” welcomed guests with an absolutely wild first episode, setting a high bar for the season to come (but one they do meet).

In “Ralphie,” a single father (Ross Partridge) leaves his adolescent son, Ralph (Ethan Kent), with a babysitter, Meg (Melonie Diaz), while he goes out on a date. The job seems simple enough: Feed the kid, get him in bed at a reasonable hour, and expect the dad to return relatively early. Granted, Meg wasn’t explicitly instructed not to strangle Ralph to death, but she also wasn’t warned of an evil, identical twin brother named Ralphie who terrorizes them both.

…if that’s what happened. Thanks to a few well-placed clues as to Meg’s mental state, including a lack of references, as well as the creepy vibes of the room itself, it’s plausible she might have imagined the whole thing. Ralph could have...

[Editor’s Note: This article is presented in partnership with HBO in support of Room 104, which premieres onJuly 28 at 11:30 p.m. Et.]

“Room 104” isn’t like anything else you’ll see on television this year. The new half-hour, genre-bending HBO series features a number of unique facets, but they all relate back, in one way or another, to the creative minds of Mark and Jay Duplass.

The writers, producers, directors, and actors known for breakout independent films like “The Puffy Chair” and “Cyrus” as well as award-winning television like “Togetherness” and “Transparent” have come together to create the latest exciting original series on the Home Box Office network.

Set in a single room in your typical American motel chain, each week tells a different story and all 12 episodes of Season 1 were produced by the Duplass Brothers. The tone, characters, and era can all change week-to-week, and viewers should be ready for drama, comedy, horror, and at the start of each new entry. What unites each story is the common search for...