The Best TV Episodes

We are living in the Golden era of television. Since the year 2000, television has evolved dramatically. The rise of cable networks resulted in a period of more innovation, quality and quantity, which has since been surpassed by the arrival of streaming services. TV has become the primary source of entertainment for the majority of the population since the introduction of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Disney Plus. Previously the thought of a network airing a complete season on a single day was unthinkable. Episodes aired week after week, sometimes back to back, and so on – until streaming services showed their willingness to take a different path. With the knowledge that television is undergoing yet another revolution, and that the medium’s limits and definitions may alter yet again, it seems appropriate to reflect on the past.

With that said, let’s directly jump into the very best chapters of television the medium had to offer.

Note: I’ve considered only one episode per a TV show to make the list more diverse.

The Winds of Winter, Game of Thrones (Season 6, Episode 10)

IMDb Rating: 9.9

Written by: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss

Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik

Air date: June 26, 2016

This is an all-timer. This episode is Game of Thrones at its very best. It offers everything a fan wished for, a shocking yet satisfying end to one of the best seasons of the show.

International Assassin, The Leftovers (Season 2, Episode 8)

IMDb Rating: 9.6

Written by: Damon Lindelof, Nick Cuse

Directed by: Craig Zobel

Air date: November 22, 2015

International Assassin is the most polarizing episode of the most polarizing show, a stress test of an episode that pushes the show’s concept and expands its universe in ways that not everyone will appreciate and that makes it so special and unique.

Chicanery, Better Call Saul (Season 3, Episode 5)

IMDb Rating: 9.7

Written by: Gordon Smith

Directed by: Daniel Sackheim

Air date: May 8, 2017

A standout episode of the show as it stages a bittersweet showdown. This episode marks the climax of a seasons-long power play between Chuck and Jimmy. This episode is a relatively simple installment on a plot level. But it’s the character interactions, as well as the show’s willingness to bring out the worst in these characters and pit them against each other, that have us hooked. This is one of the defining TV episodes you’ll come across on television today.

407 Proxy Authentication Required, Mr. Robot (Season 4, Episode 7)

IMDb Rating: 9.9

Written by and Directed by: Sam Esmail

Air date: November 17, 2019

If there was ever an episode that defined a series, then this is the one. The episode that finally revealed the origin of the titular character. A riveting hour of television, you feel like the characters when you complete the episode, but you embrace every second of it because this is how good television should feel: thrilling, horrifying, and a little bit nauseating.

The Suitcase, Mad Men (Season 4, Episode 7)

IMDb Rating: 9.7

Written by: Matthew Weiner

Directed by: Jennifer Getzinger

Air date: September 5, 2010

The Suitcase says so much with so little, without a visual or narrative trick in sight. And in doing so, it defines a show and sets a high bar for the next decade of television, and most likely the next decade after that. The Suitcase is the one of the best episodes because it tells the show’s story in miniature: flawed, difficult, and damaged characters finding salvation in their job, though not enough to save them from themselves.

Start, The Americans (Season 6, Episode 10)

IMDb Rating: 9.8

Written by: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

Directed by: Chris Long

Air date: May 30, 2018

Perhaps the most overlooked episode in the list. The series finale of The Americans is a subdued, sublime, and utterly tragic send-off to one of television’s best shows. It delivered a wondrous wallop that crackled with sadness and urgency. The episode is a fascinating flight full of heartbreaking decisions and unexpected swerves.

If-Then-Else, Person of Interest (Season 4, Episode 11)

IMDb Rating: 9.9                             

Written by: Denise Thé

Directed by: Chris Fisher

Air date: January 6, 2015

Person of Interest’s never-ending ability to deliver mind-blowing episodes is what makes it one of the best tv shows. And the episode If-Then-Else does exactly the same. Smart, action-filled chapter with a powerfully sad and meaningful conclusion. As the main plot of the show is about the relationship between humans and machine, this episode in particular dig deeper in to that. This episode is about what it means to be a machine, but it’s also about what it means to be human.

Final Grades, The Wire (Season 4, Episode 13)

IMDb Rating: 9.5

Written by: David Simon, Ed Burns

Directed by: Ernest Dickerson

Air date: December 10, 2006

The Wire’s fourth season came to a close with a mega-episode that alternated between periods of crushing despair and sparks of hope and optimism. Watching this episode was like putting down a fantastic book, one that had provided knowledge, excitement, a view into another world, and consistent brilliance with character development throughout the season.

ronny/lily, Barry (Season 2, Episode 5)

IMDb Rating: 9.8

Written by: Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Taofik Kolade

Directed by: Bill Hader

Air date: April 28, 2019

Perhaps the most recent episode on the list. It was released during the same weekend when Game of Thrones most awaited episode The Long Night and Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame came. But somehow this episode of Barry impressed me the most when it comes to action sequences and storytelling. The episode is an absolute knockout it’s suspenseful, surreal, and darkly hilarious.

Pine Barrens, The Sopranos (Season 3, Episode 11)

IMDb Rating: 9.7

Written by: Tim Van Patten, Terence Winter

Directed by: Steve Buscemi

Air date: May 6, 2001

The oldest episode on the list but the one that defined television forever. A distinctly self-contained short story. The episode is a classic example of the show’s unpredictability and surprisingly humorous tone. It’s basically a cross between an anti-buddy comedy and a nightmare; it’s funny, absurd, and horrifying all at the same time.

The View From Halfway Down, BoJack Horseman (Season 6, Episode 15)

IMDb Rating: 9.9

Written by: Alison Tafel

Directed by: Amy Winfrey

Air date: January 31, 2020

The only animated episode in the list. The episode is a depressing perspective on the inevitability of death. Although this is an adult cartoon, one of the things that make it wonderful is that the writers put a lot of effort into crafting strong writing and a great tale that does credit to all of the characters and the result can be seen in this episode.

Ozymandias, Breaking Bad (Season 5, Episode 14)

IMDb Rating: 10

Written by: Moira Walley-Beckett

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Air date: September 15, 2013

Do you ever watch something where you are so emotionally invested by the characters, setting and story that when it’s over, you can’t help but sit and contemplate what you just watched? Exactly felt the same after watching this episode. Ozymandias is perhaps the most gut-wrenching, twisted, horrific, well-planned episode ever made. This episode is Breaking Bad storytelling at its finest. It’s completely flawless. Not surprising that it is the highest-rated episode in the history of television.