100 best TV episodes of all time
Watching TV is one of America’s favorite pastimes. According to a 2024 Nielsen report, 125 million United States households—or about 97% of the country—have at least one television screen, and the average viewer spends about three hours per day watching their favorite shows. While these numbers are certainly impressive, they wouldn’t allow the typical viewer to make even a small dent in the millions of episodes available for their viewing pleasure.
So, where does one start? Maybe by checking out some of 2025’s top-rated TV episodes so far, like the heartbreaking “Dexter: Resurrection” episode “Touched by an Ángel,” which features the death of a beloved character; the hilarious fifth episode of “The Paper,” a showcase for star Sabrina Impacciatore; or the “Alien: Earth” episode “In Space, No One…,” which earned praise for its homages to the original film.
If none of those appeal, you can take a look at this list of the 100 best episodes of TV of all time, which feature some of the most memorable moments ever seen on the small screen—from the epic battle sequences of “Warrior” to the heart-wrenching emotional scenes of “The Office” and “BoJack Horseman.”
Stacker compiled data on all English-language TV episodes with over 2,500 votes on IMDb and ranked them according to IMDb user ratings. Data includes anime shows dubbed in English. Ties were broken by the number of votes. In the interest of maintaining a diverse list and reducing the dominance some shows might have had over the list (“Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Person of Interest” in particular), shows have been capped at five episodes.
The episodes on this list, beloved by both fans and critics, feature epic love stories, nail-biting cliffhangers, moments that became memes, and send-offs of your favorite heroes and villains. You’ll find a wide range of genres, including animation and anime, sitcoms, fantasies, dramas, and thrillers.
The data, as of June 2024, includes 100 episodes from 55 different shows. Sit back, grab a snack, and get your remote ready. After reading this list, you’ll want to go into full-fledged binge mode.
#100. Arcane – ‘The Base Violence Necessary for Change’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, Episode 3
– Years on air: 2021-2024
This Netflix series, which adapts the video game League of Legends, has won acclaim for its elaborate fantasy world-building that merges sci-fi steampunk with esoteric lore. By the third episode, the main characters, sisters Vi and Jinx, are separated again, caught up in factions warring over arcane magic and crystals. As the title promises, the episode ends with intense violence, with traumatic and tragic deaths that have earth-shattering consequences in the subsequent plotlines.
#99. Spartacus – ‘Kill Them All’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2010-2013
In the Season 1 finale of the historical gladiator drama, the enslaved fighters finally launch the rebellion that will land them in the history books. The A.V. Club praised how the episode perfectly married an action-heavy plot with the complex emotional journeys of its many characters.
#98. Supernatural – ‘Changing Channels’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 5, Episode 8
– Years on air: 2005-2020
In this mid-series episode, the recurring villain the Trickster throws Sam and Dean into an alternate universe where they’re characters in a variety of other TV series. Some of the shows that the episode spoofs include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “CSI: Miami,” and the classic sitcom “Three’s Company.”
#97. House – ‘Broken’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 6, Episode 1
– Years on air: 2004-2012
The sixth season opens with House as a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Notably, guest star Lin-Manuel Miranda portrays his roommate, years before his megahit musical “Hamilton” debuted on Broadway.
#96. The Last Kingdom – ‘Episode #5.10’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 5, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2015-2022
This Viking history show adapts Bernard Cornwell’s “The Saxon Stories” novels, which take place in early medieval England as warring sects duke it out for control. The series finale features more epic battles and a temporary truce, setting up the subsequent Netflix movie sequel “Seven Kings Must Die.”
#95. The Boys – ‘Herogasm’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, Episode 6
– Years on air: 2019-present
“The Boys” follows superheroes, known as Supes, who were created by Vought International, a nefarious corporation. Vought uses the Supes as exploited employees in this critique of late-stage capitalism. In this episode, viewers follow the Supes to the 70th anniversary of “Herogasm,” an annual adult festival. “Herogasm” features one of the series’ most controversial moments, involving an octopus and The Deep, an Aquaman-like character on the show.
#94. Dark – ‘Das Paradies’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, Episode 8
– Years on air: 2017-2020
Netflix’s grim time-travel series grips audiences through its complex timelines as families are caught up in the mysteries of missing children and the local wormhole beneath a nuclear plant. In the series finale “Das Paradies,” the intertwined timelines reveal more about the origins of time travel, the various worlds it creates, and which ones survive or perish.
#93. The Wire – ‘Middle Ground’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, Episode 11
– Years on air: 2002-2008
The first episode of “The Wire” to be nominated for an Emmy Award, “Middle Ground” centers around the final dissolution of the relationship between Avon and Stringer. The episode is also notable for being the favorite of George Pelecanos, a producer and longtime writer for the show who penned the episode.
#92. South Park – ‘Scott Tenorman Must Die’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 5, Episode 4
– Years on air: 1997-present
Cartman plans to get his revenge on an older schoolmate named Scott Tenorman after the senior plays a dirty trick on him and cons him out of some money in this episode of the animated adult series. According to creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the episode was a real turning point in the series in terms of how they decided to tell stories and the tone they wanted to take.
#91. Friends – ‘The Last One’
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 10, Episode 17
– Years on air: 1994-2004
One of the most-watched television episodes of all time, the roughly hour-long series finale of the sitcom “Friends” culminated with the six pals moving out of their New York apartment and heading to Central Perk together one final time. Audiences were kept on the edge of their seats, wondering whether Rachel and Ross (Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer) would finally declare their love for each other or be separated by a job relocation to Paris.
#90. Steven Universe – ‘Change Your Mind’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 28
– Years on air: 2013-2019
This award-winning animated series won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming and is acclaimed for its rich and complex portrayal of queer themes and issues. Created by Rebecca Sugar, the fantasy series follows a young boy, Steven, who helps save the world as he develops his superpowers. In the epic series finale, Steven rises to the challenge as he tries to reunite with the Crystal Gems.
#89. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Old Friends Not Forgotten’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 7, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2008-2020
When Ahsoka reaches out to Obi-Wan and Anakin, the trio is faced with an important decision: Should they defend Coruscant or help Ahsoka pursue Maul on Mandalore? The opening title sequence is different for this episode because it features an arrangement of the “Star Wars” theme by John Williams instead of the standard arrangement by Kevin Kiner.
#88. Barry – ‘ronny/lily’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2018-2023
Barry has an unexpected encounter with surprising consequences in this Season 2 episode, which won two Emmy Awards: one for sound editing and one for sound mixing. It was nominated for four additional Emmys. By far the biggest standout performer in the episode was Jessie Giacomazzi, who portrayed the eponymous child character Lily.
#87. Better Call Saul – ‘Bagman’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 8
– Years on air: 2015-2022
The highly-rated episode places the major characters of Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut in mortal danger, stranding them in the New Mexico desert. “Bagman” also distinguishes itself as one of the episodes closest in tone and style to its parent show “Breaking Bad.” Co-creator Vince Gilligan, who directed the episode, described the desert shoot as “pure hell.”
#86. Lucifer – ‘A Devil of My Word’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 24
– Years on air: 2016-2021
After a shocking death, Lucifer and company do their best to find the killer. Fox aired two more episodes in Season 3 but ultimately canceled the series. Much to the delight of its loyal fans, Netflix picked the series up after Fox dropped it.
#85. Adventure Time – ‘Come Along With Me’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 10, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2010-2018
In the aftermath of the Great Gum War, Finn and his dog Jake, a talking shape-shifter, go on magical adventures in the land Ooo in the extremely distant future. The series finale was the length of four regular episodes and featured extreme showdowns in a nightmare realm in its hand-drawn visual style. The finale follows a future timeline and resolves storylines throughout the charming and often emotional series.
#84. Mr. Robot – ‘409 Conflict’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2015-2019
With Elliot unstable, Darlene and Mr. Robot attempt to get all of the Deus Group members in one place. The episode references the Robert Zemeckis film “Back to the Future Part II.” The show frequently mentions the movie throughout several episodes.
#83. Mr. Robot – ‘405 Method Not Allowed’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2015-2019
This holiday episode takes place on Christmas and finds Elliot and Darlene on the run. In a pop culture nod, security guards watch the 1988 movie “Die Hard.” The episode contains virtually no dialogue.
#82. Atlanta – ‘Teddy Perkins’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 6
– Years on air: 2016-2022
“Atlanta” is known for its original style and creative storytelling. Donald Glover writes, directs, produces, and stars in the series set amid four friends and the music scene in Atlanta. In the acclaimed episode “Teddy Perkins,” Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) picks up an antique piano from an eerie mansion and meets the macabre Teddy Perkins as situations veer into surreal, chilling horror.
#81. Mr. Robot – ‘eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2015-2019
As chaos erupts at E-Corp Headquarters, Elliot tries to intervene. One of the most technically advanced episodes of the series, this one looked like one continuous, commercial-free long take.
#80. This Is Us – ‘Super Bowl Sunday’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 14
– Years on air: 2016-2022
The drama “This is Us” follows two timelines, one where the Pearson siblings are children and another as adults. The series reveals early on that dad Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) has passed, but doesn’t reveal how until the “Super Bowl Sunday” episode. The gut-wrenching episode features a house fire and Jack’s heroics seem to keep him safe except for a devastating surprise.
#79. The Americans – ‘START’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2013-2018
Set during the 1980s Cold War, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys play Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, Russian spies who pose as average, suburban Americans in this show that merges domestic drama with espionage thrills. In the series finale, Elizabeth and Philip’s double life is discovered by an FBI agent who is the couple’s neighbor and friend as the series comes to its somber conclusion.
#78. Game of Thrones – ‘The Spoils of War’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 7, Episode 4
– Years on air: 2011-2019
The shortest episode in the series with a runtime of 50 minutes sees Arya return to Winterfell in a reunion that includes all of the surviving Stark children. Cinematographer Rob McLachlan and director Matt Shakman looked to war movies like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Apocalypse Now” for inspiration on how to approach the episode’s epic Loot Train battle scene.
#77. Westworld – ‘The Bicameral Mind’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 1, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2016-2022
The first season finale of the HBO sci-fi western thriller received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. At 90 minutes, the episode was two minutes longer than the 1973 Michael Crichton movie on which the series is based. Maeve, Dolores, and the rest of the cast experience major shifts in this episode, setting the stage for season two.
#76. Suits – ‘Faith’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2011-2019
Louis and Jessica get into a power struggle with Daniel Hardman and Jack Soloff, while Harvey and Mike are faced with important decisions and seek guidance from others. This Season 5 midseason finale is filled with flashbacks.
#75. Person of Interest – ‘The Day the World Went Away’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2011-2016
In this episode, Finch’s cover is blown, which sets a series of deadly events in motion. The Nine Inch Nails song this episode is named after plays at the episode’s end.
#74. Person of Interest – ‘YHWH’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 22
– Years on air: 2011-2016
The title of the season finale refers to God’s name as it was revealed to Moses, as four Hebrew consonants. The episode features Root and Finch as they attempt to save the Machine.
#73. Game of Thrones – ‘The Door’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2011-2019
“The Door” finds Sansa under the protection of Brienne of Tarth, while Arya undergoes more intense training as she becomes a stealth killer under Jaqen’s tutelage. Bran wargs his way to revelations about the children of the forest and the origin of the White Walkers, while the helpful Hodor recites a heavily quoted sequence that explains how he got his name.
#72. Hannibal – ‘The Wrath of the Lamb’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2013-2015
In this epic series finale, Will and Hannibal team up to beat a common enemy. The haunting song “Love Crime” featured in the final episode was written by Siouxsie Sioux, who came out of retirement to write it for the show.
#71. Person of Interest – ‘The Devil’s Share’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2011-2016
The opening montage features Johnny Cash’s rendition of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt.” In the 10th episode of Season 3, the team seeks justice for the murder of one of their own. The episode also features several flashbacks, each featuring a major character.
#70. X-Men ’97 – ‘Remember It’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 1, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2024-present
A string of intriguing plots—including a love triangle between Gambit, Rogue, and Magneto, political machinations on the mutant nation of Genova, and secrets threatening to spill over—come together seamlessly in this animated superhero series. “X-Men” fans love the cameos made by some of the more fringe mutants as well as older recurring characters, though they found the heartbreaking ending traumatizing.
#69. Young Justice – ‘Summit’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 19
– Years on air: 2010-2023
Set in the DC Comics universe, this young adult animated series is packed with newly reimagined teen superheroes, including Nightwing, Bumblebee, Blue Beetle, Batgirl, and others. In “Summit,” the characters come together in a cavern to negotiate the fate of Earth in an episode filled with reversals and surprises after Black Manta’s dying son releases a hologram with a jarring message for the group.
#68. Spartacus – ‘Victory’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2010-2013
In the series finale, Spartacus and his rebel crew battle the Romans for their freedom. The episode’s final credits listed the names of virtually every character and actor who ever appeared in the series, including original lead actor Andy Whitfield, who passed away from cancer after the first season aired.
#67. Breaking Bad – ‘Dead Freight’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2008-2013
“Dead Freight” features a nail-biting train heist in an episode that brims with nonstop suspense and reversals. Walter, Mike, and Jesse confront Madigral exec Lydia in the basement of an abandoned building, coming close to a deadly decision before joining forces. The episode also opens and closes with a child riding his bike through the desert, giving this episode an unforgettably devastating tone.
#66. This Is Us – ‘The Train’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 17
– Years on air: 2016-2022
“This Is Us” is known for its emotionally ruthless melodrama as it tells the story of the Pearson siblings as both adults and kids. “The Train” returns to the events of the night of Jack’s death, first revealed in Season 2, giving more context. This episode features a tear-jerking passing of a main character. Viewers should have tissues on hand.
#65. Grey’s Anatomy – ‘Sanctuary’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 23
– Years on air: 2005-present
Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital—the fictional location of Shonda Rhimes’ hit medical drama—erupts into pandemonium during part one of the Season 6 finale. An active shooter, the disgruntled husband of a lost patient, terrorizes convalescents and staff. Amid the chaos of several vital characters becoming victims, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) reveals she’s pregnant.
#64. Grey’s Anatomy – ‘Death and All His Friends’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 24
– Years on air: 2005-present
Part two of the Season 6 finale resumes with the continuation of a cliffhanger with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) suffering from a gunshot wound as an active shooter continues terrorizing hospital staff and patients. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), pregnant with her and Derek’s child, undergoes extraordinary loss as the characters reel from the violence.
#63. Supernatural – ‘Swan Song’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 22
– Years on air: 2005-2020
When the apocalypse looms, the Winchester brothers realize they need to make some important and difficult decisions. This season finale was originally intended to be the series finale, as the show’s creator Eric Kripke only imagined five seasons. Much to the delight of fans, writer Sera Gamble took over as showrunner to continue the series.
#62. Mad Men – ‘The Suitcase’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 7
– Years on air: 2007-2015
Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) breaks up with her boyfriend over the phone in a spectacularly awkward sequence as he sits in a restaurant with her angry mom and family. Peggy and ad exec Don Draper (Jon Hamm), carry this dramatic episode that takes place on Peggy’s birthday and features both characters breaking down in rage and grief, showing their fraught bond.
#61. Sons of Anarchy – ‘NS’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2008-2014
Charlie Hunnam plays Jax in the motorcycle gang melodrama with Shakespearean plotlines of double-crossing and betrayal set in Charming, a fictional California town. Season 3’s epic finale features surprise reversals and suspense, building to a jaw-dropping conclusion.
#60. Succession – ‘All the Bells Say’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2018-2023
The Season 3 finale pulls the ultra-affluent Roy siblings to Tuscany for their mother’s posh wedding, setting everyone’s emotional breaking points in extravagant vacation villas and lavish locales. Their billionaire dad Logan (Brian Cox) schemes against his own kids, who each vie for control of the family company and fortune in ways that are more about their inner child than the money.
#59. Mad Men – ‘Shut the Door. Have a Seat’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2007-2015
The Season 3 finale, titled “Shut the Door. Have a Seat,” sees several of the show’s main characters receiving some life-changing news. The biggest of these pronouncements is Betty’s declaration that she’s (finally) divorcing Don.
#58. Castlevania – ‘The Endings’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2017-2021
Stunning animation and biting revenge make up this adult-oriented series based on a video game of the same name. In “Castlevania,” Dracula is bent on avenging the murder of his wife by annihilating an entire community with an army of demons. The series’ penultimate episode has Trevor, a monster hunter trying to stop Dracula, fighting an epic battle with Death itself.
#57. Scrubs – ‘My Finale: Part 2’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 8, Episode 19
– Years on air: 2001-2010
In the second part of the Season 8 finale, the series narrator J.D. (Zach Braff) completes his final day at the hospital. It’s a sentimental episode filled with J.D.’s remembrances and hopes for the future. It was intended as the series finale, but the show continued for one more season without many of its original characters.
#56. The Office – ‘Stress Relief’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2005-2013
This episode featuring a fire alarm, a heart attack, and an office roast won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. It was also the most-watched episode of the series, with a viewership of 22.9 million, airing directly after Super Bowl XLIII.
#55. The Shield – ‘Family Meeting’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 7, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2002-2008
In the series finale of this crime drama, audiences find out the fates of corrupt cop Vic Mackey, his wife Corrine, and his partners Detectives Ronnie and Shane. Fans should note that while the episode occasionally airs as two parts for reruns, it originally ran as one 80-minute chapter, designed to give audiences the sort of closure they crave.
#54. Better Call Saul – ‘Point and Shoot’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 8
– Years on air: 2015-2022
The final season of this spinoff returns from hiatus with this epically tense episode that ends with two major characters in the same grave under the concrete of the elaborate meth lab featured in “Breaking Bad.” Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) taunts Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk). He forces one to make a kill while the other waits with him. Salamanca’s instructions for an “idiot-proof” murder make up the episode’s title: just “point and shoot.”
#53. Better Call Saul – ‘Rock and Hard Place’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 3
– Years on air: 2015-2022
Early in the final season of AMC’s hit thriller, audiences discover the fate of Nacho, played by Michael Mando. Nacho forms a bond with Mike (Jonathan Banks) that grows throughout the series as the two gangsters share an understanding of their brutal world. The episode belongs to Nacho who manages heroics amid devastating circumstances.
#52. House – ‘Wilson’s Heart’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 16
– Years on air: 2004-2012
In the final episode of the two-part season finale, House figures out what happened to Amber on the bus and why she is not responding to treatment. Playing on a popular television death trope, everyone is torn up when a character dies, including the audience and House, even though no one was really crazy about said character. It is proof that an amazing and heart-wrenching death scene is worth its weight in television gold.
#51. Succession – ‘This Is Not for Tears’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2018-2023
In Season 2’s finale, the billionaire Roy family and their entourage of underlings take to their yacht for a Mediterranean cruise, where they strategize how to deal with their cruise company’s sexual misconduct scandals. Betrayals amp up as characters scheme about whose head should roll, culminating in a viciously dramatic surprise revelation on live television by wayward son Kendall (Jeremy Strong).
#50. Warrior – ‘Enter the Dragon’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2019-2023
“Warrior” was a martial arts drama based on a concept from Bruce Lee and produced by his daughter, Shannon Lee. With a title that references one of Lee’s greatest films, this episode sees a major war erupt in San Francisco’s Chinatown and wraps up several of the season’s major storylines.
#49. Lost – ‘Through the Looking Glass’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 22
– Years on air: 2004-2010
With so much happening on the mysterious island in this episode, fans look for plot holes to this day. The image of Charlie raising a hand with the words “Not Penny’s Boat” written in black marker as the water rises around him—and the revelation that the future Jack and Kate have somehow made it off the island—make this not only one of the best episodes of the series but one of the greatest finales.
#48. Lost – ‘The Constant’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2004-2010
Another brilliant episode, “The Constant,” was also dubbed the best episode of the century by The Ringer and the best episode of 2008 by Time magazine. The story follows Desmond as he jumps back and forth between 1996 and present-day 2004. Only a phone call can break the loop between past and present and prove that Penny is Desmond’s true constant.
#47. The West Wing – ‘Two Cathedrals’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 22
– Years on air: 1999-2006
The Emmy award-winning second season of “The West Wing” ends on a cliffhanger about whether President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) will run for a second term after revealing he has MS to the American people. It’s an emotional episode that includes the funeral of a beloved character, multiple flashbacks, a looming storm, an international crisis, and the rousing, inspired speeches that made the series famous.
#46. SpongeBob SquarePants – ‘The Secret Box/Band Geeks’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, Episode 15
– Years on air: 1999-present
Nickelodeon’s popular animated series set in the undersea world of Bikini Bottom premiered in 1999 and is still going strong. The series’ characters, including SpongeBob, the titular sea sponge, and his pal Patrick, a starfish, have spawned innumerable memes that capture the hilarious absurdity of life. In the first segment, SpongeBob wants to know what’s in Patrick’s secret box. In the second, Squidward aims to start a marching band.
#45. The Sopranos – ‘Pine Barrens’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 11
– Years on air: 1999-2007
In an episode directed by Steve Buscemi, trouble comes for the Jersey mob crew when Chris and Paulie take over collections for a sick Silvio and—bada bing, bada boom—things get a bit out of hand. The dynamic duo tries to dump a body, gets lost in the woods, and nearly freezes to death. Meanwhile, Tony confesses to Dr. Melfi that he’s been seeing one of her patients and admits things aren’t going well.
#44. The Sopranos – ‘Long Term Parking’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 12
– Years on air: 1999-2007
Many critics have argued that the greatest thing about this episode of “The Sopranos” is the way it shows how much mob affiliations can impact every aspect of a person’s life. From health (Adriana is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis) to relationships (Tony and Carmela’s marriage is still struggling, and Tony and Tony B.’s sort-of partnership crosses to a point of no return), there’s nothing safe once organized crime is invited in.
#43. Scrubs – ‘My Screwup’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, Episode 14
– Years on air: 2001-2010
Donald Faison plays Turk, a surgeon, and Zach Braff plays J.D., his doctor bestie, in this hospital-set sitcom filled with slapstick antics and sound effect gags as their attending doctor (John C. McGinley) torments them. In “My Screwup,” Turk shaves his mustache to find a talking, animated mole. Brendan Fraser guest stars as Ben, a cancer patient, providing the show with an emotional sequence that reveals that character’s fate.
#42. Friends – ‘The One Where Everybody Finds Out’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 14
– Years on air: 1994-2004
“They don’t know that we know they know we know.” This befuddling tongue-twister of a line uttered by a smiling Phoebe Buffay signals the beginning of the end for Monica and Chandler’s months-long hidden love affair. It isn’t all laughs, though. By episode’s end, Ross gives his blessing to his best friend and baby sister.
#41. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 24
– Years on air: 1990-1996
Will Smith plays the Fresh Prince in this iconic ’90s sitcom that catapulted the young rapper to stardom and includes a famous emotional scene that later became a meme. In this famous episode, Ben Vereen plays Will’s long lost dad, Lou, who shows up to try and reconcile with the son he abandoned. Will’s wealthy aunt and uncle are not amused when Will wants to leave with the man.
#40. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘The Body’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, Episode 16
– Years on air: 1997-2003
In one of the saddest episodes of the series, Buffy and her crew struggle with an unexpected and very personal tragedy. Show creator Joss Whedon believes the episode is the best thing he’s done—and maybe the best thing he will ever do.
#39. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘Once More, with Feeling’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, Episode 7
– Years on air: 1997-2003
Before “Riverdale” gave us its musical television episodes, there was “Buffy.” “Once More, With Feeling” has the longest runtime of any episode in the series and finds the residents of Sunnydale bursting into song and dance—and sometimes into flames. Under the influence of a diabolical dancing and singing demon, Sunnydale residents reveal their darkest secrets through song.
#38. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘Hush’
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, Episode 10
– Years on air: 1997-2003
Buffy and the Scoobies, her loyal band of ragtag sidekicks, battle bobblehead floating ghouls called The Gentlemen in this fan-favorite episode. Wearing suits and demented smiles, the demons steal voices and fans’ (and Sunnydale residents’) hearts without making a peep, as the 44-minute episode is carried out in near silence. The cast admitted it was one of the hardest episodes to make because show creator Joss Whedon’s direction was so precise.
#37. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Shattered’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, Episode 11
– Years on air: 2008-2020
An Order 66 is declared, interrupting Ahsoka’s trip to see the Jedi Council in the next-to-last episode of the series. For fans, it’s all been leading up to this. A pivotal scene in the episode features audio from the 2005 movie “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.”
#36. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘The Phantom Apprentice’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2008-2020
On Mandalore, Ahsoka, backed by Republic clones, confronts Maul. This episode marks a first in the show’s history with the episode’s events unfolding in real-time to a “Star Wars” film.
#35. Chernobyl – ‘Vichnaya Pamyat’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 1, Episode 5
– Years on air: 2019
In the final episode of the critically acclaimed miniseries, the truth about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster comes out. Winning the most BAFTA awards for any series ever as of 2020, the show also won 10 Emmy awards, including Outstanding Limited Series.
#34. BoJack Horseman – ‘Free Churro’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 5, Episode 6
– Years on air: 2014-2020
Essentially a 30-minute monologue, “Free Churro” sees BoJack attempting to deliver the eulogy at his mother’s funeral. It’s an emotional ride, not only because his mother is dead, but also because their relationship was an incredibly complicated one as his mother was both abusive and neglectful throughout his childhood. Will Arnett, who voices BoJack, is the only voice actor to perform in the Emmy-nominated episode.
#33. BoJack Horseman – ‘Time’s Arrow’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, Episode 11
– Years on air: 2014-2020
One of several flashback episodes in the series, this one deals with the history of BoJack’s parents, Beatrice Sugarman, a socialite, and Butterscotch Horseman, a writer. It also features Matthew Broderick in another turn as BoJack’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Sugarman. Interestingly, all the voice actors who play Beatrice’s family (including Broderick, Jane Krakowski, and Lin-Manuel Miranda) are Tony Award winners.
#32. Regular Show – ‘A Regular Epic Final Battle’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 8, Episode 27
– Years on air: 2010-2017
Mark Hamill provides the voice for Skips in this kicky animated comedy about park groundskeepers, a blue jay, and a raccoon, who fend off work as much as possible, which leads to various existential, supernatural adventures. The series finale makes references to pop culture and various moments in the series in its signature inventive style.
#31. Rick and Morty – ‘The Ricklantis Mixup’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, Episode 7
– Years on air: 2013-present
IndieWire described this episode of “Rick and Morty” as the show being “at the height of its power, delivering zaniness and gut-punch existentialism with equal fury and glee.” In the episode, while Rick and Morty are on an off-screen adventure to Atlantis, audiences are treated to a glimpse of what life is like at The Citadel (the fortress where alternate-reality versions of the two main characters all live). While the episode is laugh-out-loud funny as you’d expect, it also has a lot to say about how the decisions made by leadership impact all those under them.
#30. Person of Interest – ‘Return 0’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 5, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2011-2016
In the final episode of the series, Finch and the Machine share a moment, while one character makes the ultimate sacrifice. The dark series ends on a relatively optimistic note. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Chancellor Agard called the series finale “a pathos-filled and near-perfect end that focused on the show’s relationships.”
#29. Gravity Falls – ‘Not What He Seems’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, Episode 11
– Years on air: 2012-2016
In this charming Disney animated series, Dipper and Mabel travel to Gravity Falls, a town boasting paranormal activity where their Grunkle Stan owns a tourist attraction. In this episode, Stan makes a doomsday device that opens a portal. After he gets arrested for stealing toxic waste, his twin brother Stanford Pines emerges from the portal after 30 years, revealing many secrets and mysteries.
#28. Person of Interest – ‘If-Then-Else’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, Episode 11
– Years on air: 2011-2016
In this midseason episode, Samaritan carries out an aggressive cyberattack against the stock exchange. The team is forced to stop what could become a global economic disaster. “If-Then-Else,” the episode’s title, refers to a conditional statement featured in computer programming languages.
#27. Hannibal – ‘Mizumono’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2013-2015
In the season finale, Will makes his decision, while Jack tries to capture Hannibal. An interesting scene following the credits left fans with questions for the following season.
#26. The Office – ‘Finale’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 9, Episode 23
– Years on air: 2005-2013
Series creator Greg Daniels came up with the idea for the series finale during Season 3. He envisioned a reunion show in line with the post-competition shows that followed the reality series “Survivor.” In the finale, Dunder Mifflin employees gather for a panel discussion about the documentary they participated in, then attend Dwight and Angela’s wedding.
#25. Breaking Bad – ‘To’hajiilee’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 5, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2008-2013
Walter and Jesse turn on each other in this Season 5 episode, making the episode’s name all the more meaningful. To’hajiilee is the Navajo reservation where Walter not only buried his money but where he and Jesse first cooked meth in the pilot episode.
#24. Community – ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, Episode 4
– Years on air: 2009-2015
At Abed and Troy’s housewarming party, several alternate realities play out. These realities come into play in later episodes of the show in various ways. For this episode, the writers drew inspiration from shows like “The Simpsons,” “Star Trek,” and “The X-Files.”
#23. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars – ‘Snatch Game’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, Episode 2
– Years on air: 2012-present
“Snatch Game” plays on the classic game show “Match Game,” where contestants on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” impersonate celebrities and then play the updated game show version. This “All Stars” episode from a season of all previous “Drag Race” winners features drag queens competing as bizarre puppet Madame, Natasha Lyonne, Satan, Prince, and Mike Tyson, plus a show-stealing Judy Garland impersonation by the season’s winner Jinkx Monsoon.
#22. The Office – ‘Goodbye, Michael’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, Episode 21
– Years on air: 2005-2013
The office prepares to say goodbye to Michael in this emotional episode. This was the last time Steve Carell would appear on the show, with the exception of his return for the series finale two years later. The final scene Carrell shot was the one where Michael says goodbye to Jim.
#21. Community – ‘Modern Warfare’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 1, Episode 23
– Years on air: 2009-2015
Jeff and Britta’s sexual tension cannot be denied nor ignored by the study group, and a friendly game of paintball gets out of hand. The episode itself is a homage to action-adventure films and the first of many featuring paintball.
#20. Dexter – ‘The Getaway’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, Episode 12
– Years on air: 2006-2013
The season finale contained a shocking revelation for one major character and a difficult end for another. John Lithgow won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Arthur Mitchell in the fourth season of the critically acclaimed show.
#19. The Mandalorian – ‘Chapter 16: The Rescue’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, Episode 8
– Years on air: 2019-present
The second season’s finale episode features a rousing rescue sequence set aboard an Imperial Cruiser transporting the famously adorable young Jedi, Grogu. The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) makes a brave play, with help from friends, to retrieve Grogu from Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in an episode that culminates with a showdown on the ship’s bridge and an epic, surprise arrival from one of the franchise’s emblematic characters.
#18. House – ‘House’s Head’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, Episode 15
– Years on air: 2004-2012
There’s a mystery in House’s head, and only he can figure it out. Involved in a bus accident, he believes one of the victims is dying, but not from the crash. In an interesting cameo, Fred Durst of the band Limp Bizkit plays a bartender.
#17. Avatar: The Last Airbender – ‘Sozin’s Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, Episode 20
– Years on air: 2005-2008
The penultimate series finale episode ends with a cliffhanger as the hero Aang faces certain death. The popular animated series spawned a multimedia franchise, including comics, books, and a live-action movie in 2010. Inspired by anime style, the Avatar universe divides civilization into warring nations based on earth, air, fire, and water benders who telepathically control the power of the elements.
#16. Better Call Saul – ‘Saul Gone’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 6, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2015-2022
The series finale of the acclaimed “Breaking Bad” spinoff finally offers closure, however bleak, about what happens to the conman lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), transformed from Jimmy McGill, and his ex-wife Kim (Rhea Seehorn). The show uses color cinematography to signal flashbacks while black and white convey the present day.
#15. Mr. Robot – ‘Hello, Elliot’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2015-2019
In the second part of the series finale, fans and Elliot finally discover the truth. The first half of the two-part finale marked the first time the Styx song “Mr. Roboto” was used in the series. It accompanied the main title sequence.
#14. Doctor Who – ‘Blink’
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2005-2022
With the Doctor and Martha trapped in 1969, Sally Sparrow must decipher a series of cryptic messages. The critically acclaimed episode also features a pop culture reference to “Scooby-Doo.”
#13. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Victory and Death’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 7, Episode 12
– Years on air: 2008-2020
Rex and Ahsoka struggle to survive in the series finale. For Slate, Marissa Martinelli wrote: “It’s the ending that ‘The Clone Wars’ always deserved, and a dignified close to an era of ‘Star Wars’ that wasn’t always so dignified.“
#12. Mr. Robot – ‘407 Proxy Authentication Required’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 4, Episode 7
– Years on air: 2015-2019
Though not done under the best circumstances, Krista helps Elliot make a startling realization about his past. This episode had a slightly longer runtime of 56 minutes and ran commercial-free.
#11. Game of Thrones – ‘The Winds of Winter’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, Episode 10
– Years on air: 2011-2019
This season six finale features an unbelievable, extended vengeance sequence and a major revelation about an important character. Online fan reactions proved just how shocked fans were by the bloody episode.
#10. Game of Thrones – ‘Battle of the B*******’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2011-2019
This episode has not only been called the best in the “Game of Thrones” series but also in television history, which explains its near-perfect rating on IMDb. Two major action sequences take place in the next-to-last episode of Season 6, one of them featuring Daenerys going after her enemies.
#9. Breaking Bad – ‘Felina’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 5, Episode 16
– Years on air: 2008-2013
The series finale saw record-breaking viewership and was the most-watched episode of the entire series with 10.3 million viewers. In it, Walter White returns to Albuquerque to tie things up with old enemies and his family. The title “Felina” is an anagram for “finale.”
#8. Game of Thrones – ‘The Rains of Castamere’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 3, Episode 9
– Years on air: 2011-2019
A wedding becomes the setting for one of the most shocking episodes of the series. Coldplay drummer Will Champion makes a cameo as one of the wedding musicians. The episode received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
#7. Succession – ‘Connor’s Wedding’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 4, Episode 3
– Years on air: 2018-2023
This episode of “Succession” won not one, but two Primetime Emmy awards: one for writing and one for directing. The drama follows the surprise death of patriarch Logan Roy and the resulting fallout, both personally for his children and professionally for the family business. Critics dubbed the episode an “instant classic,” with additional praise going to the new direction for the show’s final season.
#6. Breaking Bad – ‘Face Off’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 4, Episode 13
– Years on air: 2008-2013
Voted by Rolling Stone as one of the best TV shows of all time, it isn’t difficult to understand the high praise for “Breaking Bad” watching this Season 4 finale. Featuring a final face-off between Walter White and one of his enemies and questions for Jesse Pinkman on how he knew about the poisoning of Brock, this episode offers a final twist that proves Walter has hit the point of no return. Fans of the show will never look at a simple backyard lily of the valley in the same way.
#5. Better Call Saul – ‘Plan and Execution’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, Episode 7
– Years on air: 2015-2022
The midseason finale of the acclaimed “Breaking Bad” prequel focuses on Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) spend the season in elaborate schemes to ruin the respected lawyer’s reputation. Howard finally reaches his breaking point and confronts the couple at their apartment with deadly consequences.
#4. Avatar: The Last Airbender – ‘Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 3, Episode 21
– Years on air: 2005-2008
The series finale finds Aang facing some of the greatest challenges of his life. This episode provides a satisfying ending to the animated series and segues nicely to the sequel series, “The Legend of Korra.”
#3. BoJack Horseman – ‘The View from Halfway Down’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, Episode 15
– Years on air: 2014-2020
The penultimate episode of the series features the return of actor Zach Braff, who shows up as a butler. BoJack has a recurring dream where he is attending a dinner party. The episode was arguably one of the darkest and saddest of the series.
#2. Six Feet Under – ‘Everyone’s Waiting’
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 5, Episode 12
– Years on air: 2001-2005
This series finale made several best television series finale lists, including USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. The Fisher clan’s story is tied up not only in the present but in the future, using a flash-forward technique in an extended, seven-minute montage that reveals the death of all the show’s main characters. Given that every show opened with death, it seemed a fitting end that it should close with it.
#1. Breaking Bad – ‘Ozymandias’
– IMDb user rating: 10
– Season 5, Episode 14
– Years on air: 2008-2013
One character goes on the run, while another is taken hostage. This critically acclaimed episode has been called one of television’s best episodes. Show creator Vince Gilligan said the episode was “the best episode we ever had or ever will have.”
Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Additional writing by Madison Troyer. Story editing by Chris Compendio. Copy editing by Lois Hince. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
