My Favorite Episodes of TV

This is a list of my favorite episodes of TV. I’m probably forgetting a couple of shows that I have seen (remember, I haven’t seen everything), but they’ll come to me when they come to me.

A quick note about this list: iconic is not the same as incredible. There are a bunch of episodes that I would say have a memorable image or a hilarious joke, but remember thinking are mediocre in most other ways. They are not on this list.

Anyway, here it is. The shows are listed in alphabetical order. My favorite episode of the show is marked with an asterisk.

American Horror Story – I have so much to say about this show. But, since I’m only doing great episodes right now, I’ll keep it brief. There’s only one season of this show worth talking about – Asylum. While this is, for some reason, a controversial stance, it’s also the only season of this wildly inconsistent anthology show that makes an emotional and terrifying impact on the viewer, while still indulging is absurdity. “The Name Game” is one such absurd episode, but you’d be hard pressed to convince me that it doesn’t work within the framework of Asylum. This season manages to take all of the wild elements of Ryan Murphy’s brain and unite them into a mostly coherent story – something the other seasons don’t capitalize on.

• 2.05: I Am Anne Frank: Part Two
• 2.08: Unholy Night
• *2.10: The Name Game
• 2.12: Continuum
• 2.13: Madness Ends

American Crime Story – The People v. O.J. Simpson is brilliant. The show focuses on the people involved in O.J.’s trial wonderfully, with all of the actors turning is great performances, while keeping a fine eye on broader social situation the trial put the country in.

• 1.05: The Race Card
• *1.06: Marcia, Marcia, Marcia
• 1.10: The Verdict

The Americans – What’s wonderful about this show is that it can be multiple things at once. Both a portrait of an ~American~ family and a tense spy thriller, it pulls off both of its elements incredibly well. It’s a show that understands the importance of relationships, whether they be loving or otherwise, so the best episodes naturally are centered around how Philip and Elizabeth’s marriage impacts (and is impacted by) the work they do.

• 1.06: Trust Me
• 1.13: The Colonel
• 2.08: New Car
• 2.13: Echo
• 3.09: Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?
• 3.13: 8-Mar-83
• 4.04: Chloramphenicol
• 4.07: Travel Agents
• *4.08: The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears
• 5.01: Amber Waves
• 5.10: Darkroom
• 5.11: Dyatkovo
• 5.13: The Soviet Division
• 6.07: Harvest
• 6.08: The Summit
• 6.09: Jennings, Elizabeth
• 6.10: START

American Vandal – It’s a pity that this mockumentary only lasted 2 seasons when it showed how versatile the format could be. The setup for both seasons is extraordinarily outrageous, but ultimately feel understandable once all the cards/players are revealed. It understands being a teenager in America better than people give it credit for and reaches higher heights than such a topic might suggest. It’s definitely worth it to check this out.

• 1.06: Gag Order
• 1.08: Clean Up
• *2.08: The Dump

Arrested Development – There are so many jokes in each episode, it can be hard to keep track of them all. There aren’t a ton of episodes that stick out as great, but that’s because the running gags (most of which never fail to inspire a laugh) are so well done.

• 1.10: Pier Pressure
• 2.04: Good Grief
• 2.11: Out on a Limb
• 2.13: Motherboy XXX
• *3.03: Forget-Me-Now
• 3.04: Notapusy
• 3.12: Exit Strategy
• 3.13: Development Arrested

Arrow ­– At its best, Arrow turns personal strife into the catalyst for superheroics. Though the flashbacks are mostly a drag, they’re sometimes the show’s best narrative tools and the best episodes find a way to integrate the action of the past into the main storyline. It won’t surprise anyone to know that Arrow is not particularly deep, but it still pulls off resonant storytelling.

• *1.23: Sacrifice
• 2.23: Unthinkable
• 3.18: Public Enemy
• 5.09: What We Leave Behind
• 5.23: Lian Yu

Barry – I believe that every episode of Barry is brilliant – it consistently handles the line between comedy and tragedy unnervingly well – making it one of my favorite shows. These episodes are the best of the bunch, showcasing Bill Hader’s phenomenal performance.

• *1.07: Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going
• 1.08: Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth
• 2.05: ronny/lily
• 2.07: The Audition
• 2.08: berkman > block

Big Little Lies – Every woman in this show turns in a fantastic performance in each episode, but the writing is only stellar in the season 1 finale, which pulses with dread and terror, culminating in a shocking act of violence. It’s a more than worthy payoff to the trashy/catty murder mystery.

*1.07: You Get What You Need

Black Mirror – Before “Black Mirror” became what it is today, it was a really smart take on the worst aspects of humanity. The need for security in relationships and self take center stage in all of the great episodes, but some are much less hokey than others. A lot of the later seasons get caught up in the gimmick, but there are some great moments early in the series.

• 1.01: The National Anthem
• 2.01: Be Right Back
• 3.01: Nosedive
• 3.04: San Junipero
• *4.04: Hang the DJ

Bojack Horseman – Like Barry, Bojack Horseman is a comedic look at the life of an actor that is often just as depressing as it is funny. The best episodes tackle the darkness in its protagonists’ lives (especially those of Bojack and Princess Carolyn) head on with humor and heart. Frequently, they’re also accompanied by brilliant framing device that breaks the traditional form of television, which pushes Bojack into the upper echelons of inspired and clever television.

• 1.07: Say Anything
• 1.11: Downer Ending
• 2.07: Hank After Dark
• 3.04: Fish Out of Water
• 3.09: Best Thing That Ever Happened
• 3.10: It’s You
• 3.11: That’s Too Much, Man!
• 3.12: That Went Well
• 4.02: The Old Sugarman Place
• 4.09: Ruthie
• *4.11: Time’s Arrow
• 5.02: The Dog Days Are Over
• 5.06: Free Churro
• 5.11: The Showstopper
• 6.06: The Face of Depression
• 6.07: A Quick One, While He’s Away
• 6.15: The View from Halfway Down
• 6.16: Nice While It Lasted

Breaking Bad – Even if you don’t know what this show is, you know what this show is. It made a remarkable splash by the time its final season aired and it’s been hailed as one of the greatest shows ever created since then. It’s easy to write all that off as overblown sentiment, but there is truly so much to love here.

• 1.01: Pilot
• 1.03: And the Bag’s in the River
• 2.02: Grilled
• 2.06: Peekaboo
• 2.12: Phoenix
• 2.13: ABQ
• 3.07: One Minute
• 3.13: Full Measure
• 4.01: Box Cutter
• 4.08: Hermanos
• 4.11: Crawl Space
• *4.13: Face Off
• 5.05: Dead Freight
• 5.08: Gliding All Over
• 5.11: Confessions
• 5.13: To’hajiilee
• 5.14: Ozymandias

Chernobyl – A brilliant miniseries in every way. It’s both political and personal, but more than that, it is perfectly powerful.

All Episodes

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Despite the show’s weirdness, it’s a starkly compelling look at mental health and the way society views romance. The music gets less and less interesting as the show goes on and the show never really recovers after Greg leaves in season 2, but it still manages to capture a lot of interesting topics.

• 1.01: Josh Just Happens to Live Here!
• *1.04: I’m Going on a Date with Josh’s Friend!
• 1.11: That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!
• 1.14: Josh is Going to Hawaii!
• 1.15: Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!
• 1.18: Paula Needs to Get Over Josh!
• 2.03: All Signs Point to Josh… Or Is It Josh’s Friend?
• 2.04: When Will Josh and His Friend Leave Me Alone?
• 3.04: Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend is Crazy.

Dark – This show shares a lot of similarities with the other Netflix sci-fi staple, Stranger Things, but I’m more partial to this one. It can definitely be pretty heavy handed, but it is so enjoyable to work out all of the mysterious ways the main cast is connected to each other. Shockingly, it’s not even that difficult to keep track of who is related to who even though there are so many characters across multiple different timelines. It goes to show how incredibly clear this show is, anchored by stellar production design and fantastic performances.

• 1.01: Secrets
• 1.03: Past and Present
• 1.06: Sic Mundus Creatus Est
• 1.08: As You Sow, So You Shall Reap
• 1.10: Alpha and Omega
• 2.01: Beginnings and Endings
• 2.04: The Travelers
• *2.06: An Endless Cycle
• 2.07: The White Devil
• 2.08: Endings and Beginnings
• 3.01: Deja-vu
• 3.05: Life and Death
• 3.08: The Paradise

The Flash – The Flash is best enjoyed when ramping up the Reverse-Flash plot in the show’s first season. It handles all aspects of the mystery surrounding him so well, providing just enough clues to push forward a viewer’s understanding while believably keeping its characters in the dark.

• 1.09: The Man in the Yellow Suit
• *1.15: Out of Time
• 1.17: Tricksters

Friday Night Lights – This frequently formulaic show feels like nothing else I’ve ever seen. A lot of that has to do with how full Dillon, Texas is rendered. Each episode makes an active effort to expand its audience’s understanding of its setting and how the culture there informs the way people who live there feel. All they’ve got is football. All they’ve got is each other. And damn if it isn’t inspiring television.

• 1.01: Pilot
• 1.10: It’s Different for Girls
• 1.20: Mud Bowl
• 1.22: State
• 3.04: Hello, Goodbye
• 3.12: Underdogs
• 4.05: The Son
• 4.13: Thanksgiving
• 5.05: Kingdom
• 5.12: Texas Whatever
• *5.13: Always

Friends – This is probably one of the nicest shows on television. Not only are the six actors great, but the writing keeps them all extremely lovable. Each relationship has something special about it, which keeps things fresh, even in some of the later seasons.

• 1.07: The One with the Blackout
• 2.14: The One with the Prom Video
• 3.02: The One where No One’s Ready
• 3.16: The One with the Morning After
• *4.12: The One with the Embryos
• 4.23: The One with Ross’s Wedding
• 5.14: The One where Everybody Finds Out
• 6.09: The One where Ross Got High
• 6.24: The One with the Proposal
• 7.11: The One with All the Cheesecakes
• 8.02: The One with the Red Sweater
• 10:17: The Last One

Game of Thrones – Game of Thrones was a great show in the early going because of the way it subverted expectations of various fantasy tropes. By the time season 4 rolled around, the show started to expertly mix personal grievances with political machinations, leading to great moments like Joffrey’s death, Tyrion’s trial, Cersei’s walk of shame, and, a full season later, her vicious revenge. Then there’s “Hardhome,” which showcases the series’ frequently wonderful direction, even though the threat it sets up ends up being disappointing at best.

• 1.09: Baelor
• 2.09: Blackwater
• 3.09: The Rains of Castamere
• 4.02: The Lion and the Rose
• 4.06: The Laws of Gods and Men
• *4.10: The Children
• 5.08: Hardhome
• 5.10: Mother’s Mercy
• 6.10: The Winds of Winter

The Good Place ­– Both funny and insightful, The Good Place is a great look at morality and personal growth. The best episodes focus on the way the show’s world works and Eleanor’s character development. There are a lot of great performers involved here, but Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, and D’Arcy Carden do next level work.

• 1.01: Everything is Fine
• 1.07: The Eternal Shriek
• 1.13: Michael’s Gambit
• 2.01: Everything is Great!
• 2.11: Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent
• 2.12: The Burrito
• *2.13: Somewhere Else
• 3.05: Jeremy Bearimy
• 3.08: The Worst Possible Use of Free Will
• 3.10: Janet(s)
• 4.02: A Girl from Arizona (Part 2)
• 4.07: Help is Other People
• 4.08: The Funeral to End All Funerals
• 4.09: The Answer
• 4.13: Whenever You’re Ready

The Leftovers – No one watches The Leftovers. Like seriously – nobody has seen it. And that’s such a shame, because it’s a truly brilliantly constructed show. To be fair, the first season has some pretty low lows (it also has incredibly high highs), but the second and third seasons are strong across the board. It certainly doesn’t appeal to everyone, but the show’s willingness to be odd and not provide any explanations to some of its most ponderous questions creates such a uniquely satisfying viewing experience. Carrie Coon also gives the performance of a lifetime, which helps.

• 1.03: Two Boats and a Helicopter
• 1.06: Guest
• 1.09: The Garveys at Their Best
• 2.01: Axis Mundi
• 2.03: Off Ramp
• 2.06: Lens
• 2.08: International Assassin
• 3.04: G’Day Melbourne
• 3.06: Certified
• *3.08: The Book of Nora

Mad Men – Yes, most of the characters are sexist, racist, and homophobic. The show, however, is not. Although it loves to frequently remind the viewer that it takes place in a different time, its politics are actually pretty progressive. Besides that, the show pulls off an incredible balance of maintaining a perfect veneer while showing all of the nastiness that lurks beneath. The constant tension between what we want to be true and what is actually true is frequently gutting. Ads are fake, but the show knows that branding is real.

• 1.01: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
• 1.06: Babylon
• 1.08: The Hobo Code
• 1.12: Nixon vs. Kennedy
• *1.13: The Wheel
• 2.04: Three Sundays
• 2.11: The Jet Set
• 2.13: Meditations in an Emergency
• 3.06: Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency
• 3.11: The Gypsy and the Hobo
• 3.13: Shut the Door. Have a Seat
• 4.01: Public Relations
• 4.07: The Suitcase
• 4.09: The Beautiful Girls
• 5.05: Far Away Places
• 5.06: At the Codfish Ball
• 5.10: The Other Woman
• 6.05: For Immediate Release
• 6.12: In Care Of
• 7.06: The Strategy
• 7.07: Waterloo
• 7.10: The Forecast
• 7.12: Lost Horizon
• 7.13: The Milk and Honey Route
• *7.14: Person to Person

Mr. Robot – Oh boy. Simultaneously way too moody for its own good and perfectly capturing the neoliberal aesthetic in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse, this show feels of a moment. As the later seasons get more convoluted, the quality becomes a little more even, but is overall a little less powerful. Still, it’s under appreciated for how much it contributes.

• 1.06: eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er.asf
• 1.08: eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v
• 1.09: eps1.8_m1rr01ng.qt
• 2.07: eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme
• 2.10: eps2.8_h1dden-pr0cess.axx
• 3.02: eps3.1_undo.gz
• 3.05: eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00
• 3.06: eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc
• 3.07: eps3.6_fredrick+tanya.chk

The Office – There’s too many episodes of this show for that many to stick out as exemplary, but it wins goodwill for being remarkably consistent for seven full seasons. The best episodes deal with outlandish situations that manage to feel truthful to the characters. And if “Dinner Party” is one of the best episodes of TV ever created, I don’t know what it. (to be edited)

• 1.02: Diversity Day
• * 4.13: Dinner Party
• 4.18: Goodbye, Toby
• 5.14: Stress Relief
• 6.12: Scott’s Tots
• 7.22: Goodbye, Michael
• 9.24: Finale

Schitt’s Creek – If I’m being completely honest, I did not like this show at first. I thought the first few episodes were hokey and unconvincing, stemming from some underwritten scripts. Now, I can’t even fathom not loving this enormously lovable comedy. Watching the members of the Rose family grow and mature ends up being so fun and so heart-warming, that it’s easy to forget that the initial premise was having the family shit on all of the small-town people they encountered. Some storylines are consistently flat, but watching Catherine O’Hara act circles around pretty much every comedienne on TV will never get old.

• 2.02: Family Dinner
• 2.09: Moira’s Nudes
• 2.13: Happy Anniversary
• 3.12: Friends & Family
• 3.13: Grad Night
• 4.05: RIP Moira Rose
• *4.06: Open Mic
• 4.07: The Barbecue
• 4.12: Singles Week
• 5.01: The Crowening
• 5.13: The Hike
• 5.14: Life is a Cabaret
• 6.05: The Premiere
• 6.07: Moira Rosé (literally only here for the title pun)
• 6.08: The Presidential Suite

Sharp Objects – If you’re looking for good direction, you can’t beat Sharp Objects. Jean Marc-Vallee knocks this out of the park, as do the three main female actresses (Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Eliza Scanlen). It’s certainly not for everyone though – it deals with a ton of triggering events and is hard to watch even without having had the same traumatic experiences.

• 1.01: Vanish
• 1.03: Fix
• 1.04: Ripe
• *1.05: Closer
• 1.07: Falling
• 1.08: Milk

Silicon Valley – Silicon Valley has a way with finales. They’re often some of the most spectacularly desperate episodes of TV ever and bring out the best of its incredible cast, especially its supporting players.

• *1.10: Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency
• 2.10: Two Days of the Condor
• 3.10: The Uptick
• 5.10: Fifty-One Percent

Stranger Things – Riding a healthy wave of 80’s nostalgia, Stranger Things is an easily lovable sci-fi show. It’s never particularly deep, but the continuing theme of growing up is always handled nicely.

• 1.03: Holly, Jolly
• 1.08: The Upside Down
• 2.06: The Spy
• 2.08: The Mind Flayer
• 2.09: The Gate
• 3.04: The Sauna Test
• *3.08: The Battle of Starcourt

True Detective– The first season of this show could work so well on the strength of the performer’s acting alone. But the directing is also top level and the writing balances many plates effortlessly. The other seasons … don’t compare (especially season 2).

• 1.04: Who Goes There
• *1.05: The Secret Fate of All Life
• 1.08: Form and Void

Veep – When Selina goes too far, Veep is just right. The absurdity of this take on American politics got unfortunately more and more accurate as the show’s run continued, but that never dulled this comedy’s edge. Julia Louis Dreyfus gives probably the best comedic performance ever put to screen in this show, and it’s worth watching just because of that. Selina and her staff are awful and should not be in power, but they’re always likeable enough that we want them to get what they want. The finale is also impeccable, bringing the series to a pitch perfect close.

• 1.03: Catherine
• 2.08: First Response
• 2.09: Running
• 3.07: Special Relationship
• *4.05: Convention
• 4.09: Testimony
• 4.10: Election Night
• 5.04: Mother
• 5.09: Kissing Your Sister
• 5.10: Inauguration
• 6.07: Blurb
• 7.07: Veep

Watchmen – Somehow, this miniseries manages to be both awesomely fun and deadly serious. In the course of eight episodes, it takes you on a wild journey through the American themes of race relations, Vietnam, and political corruption while finding time to explore grander, more general topics like trauma, power, responsibility, and love. Regina Hall kills it every time she’s on screen, but Tim Blake Nelson is also a standout. Great performances, great writing, kick-ass fight choreography, and a fantastic score. A truly impressive show.

• 1.01: It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice
• *1.05: Little Fear of Lightning
• 1.06: This Extraordinary Being
• 1.08: A God Walks into Abar