100 best TV episodes of all time
High Bridge Productions
100 best TV episodes of all time
Bryan Cranston sitting on the pavement watching an explosion.
What makes a great episode of television? Watching TV is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and the best episodes feature some of the most memorable moments ever seen on the small screen—from epic battle sequences to heart-wrenching emotional scenes.
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’ve 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 to 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 November 2022, includes 100 episodes from 56 different shows. Sit back, grab a snack, and get your remote ready. After reading Stacker’s list, you’ll want to go into full-fledged binge mode.
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Amazon Studios
#100. Invincible – ‘Where I Really Come From’
A superhero with bloodshot eyes throwing a punch.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, episode 8
– Director(s): William Ruzicka
– Air date: April 30, 2021
In the season finale, superhero Invincible, aka high schooler Mark (voiced by Steven Yeun) learns the truth about his powers and their origins. In this acclaimed adult animated series based on the comic series, Nolan, Invincible’s dad, reveals his true identity and the real plans he has for his hero son.
Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions
#99. Friends – ‘The Last One’
Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer talking in an apartment.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 10, episode 17
– Director(s): Kevin Bright
– Air date: May 6, 2004
One of the most-watched television episodes of all time, the sitcom “Friends” series finale was an hour long and 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.
Riot Games
#98. Arcane – ‘The Monster You Created’
An animation of a girl with short blue hair.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, episode 9
– Director(s): Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
– Air date: Nov. 20, 2021
In the first season finale of this adult animated action show based on the League of Legends game universe, the drama between sisters Vi and Jinx comes to a head. The pair spend the season on different sides of a violent rebellion in this series acclaimed for its stunning visual design and emotionally compelling characters.
Riot Games
#97. Arcane – ‘The Base Violence Necessary for Change’
Two guys floating in a blue space facing each other.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, episode 3
– Director(s): Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
– Air date: Nov. 6, 2021
This Netflix series 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.
Green Portal Productions
#96. Rick and Morty – ‘The Rickshank Rickdemption’
A cartoon of a man with spikey gray hair and an alien in a suit getting fast food at a drive-thru.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, episode 1
– Director(s): Juan Jose Meza-Leon
– Air date: April 1, 2017
The season three opener finds Rick planning his escape from the Galactic Federation, a high-security prison, while Morty and Summer remain back on Earth. The episode title is a play on the 1994 movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” which focuses on a character trying to escape prison.
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W&B Television
#95. Dark – ‘Das Paradies’
A young man and woman crouched down with bright particles surrounding them.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, episode 8
– Director(s): Baran bo Odar
– Air date: June 27, 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 survive or perish.
American Movie Classics (AMC)
#94. The Walking Dead – ‘Too Far Gone’
Andrew Lincoln, looking very beat up, holding onto a boy wearing a cowboy hat.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 4, episode 8
– Director(s): Ernest R. Dickerson
– Air date: Dec. 1, 2013
In this midseason finale, one of the series’ most complex villains, The Governor, attempts to take the prison from Rick. Chaos, death, and destruction ensue, leaving viewers reeling and waiting for the second half of an epic season.
American Movie Classics (AMC)
#93. The Walking Dead – ‘No Sanctuary’
Andrew Lincoln and several others next to a train car surrounded by zombies.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 5, episode 1
– Director(s): Greg Nicotero
– Air date: Oct. 12, 2014
This ratings record-breaker season opener finds Rick and friends still stuck in a box, attempting to get away from the demented inhabitants of Terminus. Carol, not only a survivor of the zombie apocalypse but of domestic abuse as well, continues to prove just what a boss she is by saving the whole crew.
Parliament of Owls
#92. True Detective – ‘Who Goes There’
A police detective wearing a blue button down shirt and tie at a desk.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, episode 4
– Director(s): Cary Joji Fukunaga
– Air date: Feb. 9, 2014
This Emmy-winning episode features Detective Cohle returning to a dark, drug-addled world when the search for Reggie Ledoux leads him to a motorcycle gang, the Iron Crusaders. The episode ends with a dramatic and critically lauded six-minute tracking shot.
Amazon Studios
#91. The Boys – ‘Herogasm’
Two superheroes, one with an american flag cape and the other with a shield, facing eath other in the hallway of a destroyed building
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 3, episode 6
– Director(s): Nelson Cragg
– Air date: June 24, 2022
“The Boys” follows superheroes, known as Supes, who were created by Vought International, an evil corporation. They use 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 mass orgy event. “Herogasm” features one of the series’ most controversial scenes: an octopus performing oral sex with The Deep, an Aquaman-like character on the show.
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American Movie Classics (AMC)
#90. The Walking Dead – ‘No Way Out’
Two men with motorcycles on the road, one off the bike pointing.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 6, episode 9
– Director(s): Greg Nicotero
– Air date: Feb. 14, 2016
In this midseason premiere, Daryl takes on the Saviors, Rick leads the crew through a pack of walkers, and Glenn attempts to rescue Maggie. Tragedy gets the Alexandrians to finally fight back.
21 Laps Entertainment
#89. Stranger Things – ‘Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab’
Millie Bobby Brown, in a hospital gown, cries to a young man in a white coat.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 4, episode 7
– Director(s): Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
– Air date: May 27, 2022
“Stranger Things” delves into 1980s nostalgia that’s both whimsical and scary. Tweens become enmeshed in supernatural situations and shadowy government bureaucracies. In this epic episode, the gulag prisoners face off against a monstrous Demogorgon in a grisly and frightening sequence.
Hartswood Films
#88. Sherlock – ‘The Reichenbach Fall’
A woman holding up a card to Benedict Cumberbatch.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 2, episode 3
– Director(s): Toby Haynes
– Air date: May 20, 2012
The final episode of season two opens with a shocking declaration from Watson and a flashback. Sherlock’s archenemy, Moriarty, attempts to set him up and make him look bad at an already precarious time for the investigator.
Sister Pictures
#87. Chernobyl – ‘Please Remain Calm’
Jared Harris sitting in a chair.
– IMDb user rating: 9.6
– Season 1, episode 2
– Director(s): Johan Renck
– Air date: May 13, 2019
In the aftermath of the explosion, scientist Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) begins to investigate. This marks the first appearance of Watson in the series. Khomyuk was not based on a real person but rather a composite of many Soviet scientists who worked on the Chernobyl disaster.
Zaftig Films
#86. This Is Us – ‘The Train’
A group of people standing in a line looking sad.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 17
– Director(s): Ken Olin
– Air date: May 17, 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 dad Jack’s death, first revealed in season two, giving more context. This episode features a tear-jerking passing of a main character. Tissues recommended.
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NBC Productions
#85. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse’
Will Smith reaching out to a man in a denim jacket.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 24
– Director(s): Shelley Jensen
– Air date: May 9, 1994
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 last 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.
John Wells Productions
#84. The West Wing – ‘Two Cathedrals’
Martin Sheen in front of the presidential podium.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, episode 22
– Director(s): Thomas Schlamme
– Air date: May 16, 2001
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.
Powerhouse Animation Studios
#83. Castlevania – ‘The Endings’
Three warriors running with a shield.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 9
– Director(s): Sam Deats
– Air date: May 13, 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.
Shondaland
#82. Grey’s Anatomy – ‘Sanctuary’
A man in a brown jacket pointing a gun.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 23
– Director(s): Stephen Cragg
– Air date: May 20, 2010
Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital (the fictional location of Shonda Rhimes’ hit medical drama) erupts into pandemonium during part one of the sixth season 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.
DC Comics
#81. Young Justice – ‘Summit’
An animation of a woman with a sword.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, episode 19
– Director(s): Tim Divar
– Air date: March 9, 2013
Set in the DC Comics universe, this 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.
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Frederator Studios
#80. Adventure Time – ‘Come Along With Me’
A red creature with a square head rises up into the sky.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 10, episode 13
– Director(s): Diana Lafyatis, Cole Sanchez
– Air date: Sept. 3, 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.
Shondaland
#79. Grey’s Anatomy – ‘Death and All His Friends’
A man pointing a gun at a nurse in a hospital.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 24
– Director(s): Rob Corn
– Air date: May 20, 2010
Part two of the sixth season 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.
Nickelodeon Animation Studios
#78. SpongeBob SquarePants – ‘The Secret Box/Band Geeks’
SpongeBob SquarePants holding a brown box.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, episode 15
– Director(s): Walt Dohrn and Paul Tibbitt (“The Secret Box”), Aaron Springer (“Band Geeks”)
– Air date: Sept. 7, 2001
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.
Cartoon Network Studios
#77. Steven Universe – ‘Change Your Mind’
Cartoon characters sit by the ocean at nigth with a big moon and a lighthouse above.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 28
– Director(s): Joseph D. Johnston, Kat Morris
– Air date: Jan. 21, 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 season five finale, Steven rises to the challenge.
Amblin Television
#76. The Americans – ‘START’
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on a train together.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 10
– Director(s): Chris Long
– Air date: May 30, 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.
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Doozer
#75. Scrubs – ‘My Finale: Part 2’
John C. McGinley in a white doctor coat.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 8, episode 19
– Director(s): Bill Lawrence
– Air date: May 6, 2009
In the second part of the eighth season 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.
Carnival Film & Television
#74. The Last Kingdom – ‘Episode #5.10’
Rows of soldiers on a battlefield.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 10
– Director(s): Jon East
– Air date: March 9, 2022
This Viking history show adapts Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels that 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 upcoming Netflix movie, “Seven Kings Must Die.”
Doozer
#73. Scrubs – ‘My Screwup’
John C. McGinley, Tara Reid, Zach Braff, and Christa Miller seated in rows of people in all black.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 14
– Director(s): Chris Koch
– Air date: Feb. 24, 2004
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.
Lionsgate Television
#72. Mad Men – ‘The Suitcase’
Elisabeth Moss and Jon Hamm sitting at a diner together.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 7
– Director(s): Jennifer Getzinger
– Air date: Sept. 5, 2010
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 ( John 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.
SutterInk
#71. Sons of Anarchy – ‘NS’
Four men on motorcycles in a row wearing Sons of Anarchy jackets.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 13
– Director(s): Kurt Sutter
– Air date: Nov. 30, 2010
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 three’s epic finale features surprise reversals and suspense as it builds to a jaw-dropping conclusion.
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Rhode Island Ave. Productions
#70. This Is Us – ‘Super Bowl Sunday’
A man wearing an apron and holding a remote sits on a couch next to a girl with people looking on behind the couch.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, episode 14
– Director(s): Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
– Air date: Feb. 4, 2018
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.
Bad Robot
#69. Person of Interest – ‘The Devil’s Share’
A man and two women point guns at the same target.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 10
– Director(s): Chris Fisher
– Air date: Nov. 26, 2013
The opening montage features Johnny Cash’s rendition of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt.” In the 10th episode of the third season, the team seeks justice for the murder of one of their own. The episode also features several flashbacks, each featuring a major character.
Bad Robot
#68. Person of Interest – ‘The Day the World Went Away’
Two women wearing all black in the street point guns at someone.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 10
– Director(s): Frederick E.O. Toye
– Air date: May 31, 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.
Mutant Enemy
#67. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘The Body’
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan, wearing pink and red, sit on the couch together.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 16
– Director(s): Joss Whedon
– Air date: Feb. 27, 2001
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.
Bad Robot
#66. Person of Interest – ‘YHWH’
A woman holding a large gun hides while sparks fly.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 22
– Director(s): Chris Fisher
– Air date: May 5, 2015
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.
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Mutant Enemy
#65. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘Hush’
Sarah Michelle Gellar.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 10
– Director(s): Joss Whedon
– Air date: Dec. 14, 1999
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.
FX Productions
#64. Atlanta – ‘Teddy Perkins’
A man in a red plaid shirt and tan corduroy jacket sits in a throne-like chair.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 2, episode 6
– Director(s): Hiro Murai
– Air date: April 5, 2018
“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 as situations veer into surreal, chilling horror.
Starz Originals
#63. Spartacus – ‘Victory’
A man wearing armor screams in front of lines of people hiding behind shields and holding weapons.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 10
– Director(s): Rick Jacobson
– Air date: April 12, 2013
In the series finale, Spartacus and his rebel crew battle the Romans for their freedom. Known for its unique credits, the show didn’t disappoint. The episode’s final credits listed the names of virtually every character and actor who ever appeared in the series.
Bad Hat Harry Productions
#62. House – ‘Broken’
Hugh Laurie sits on a piano bench with a woman.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 1
– Director(s): Katie Jacobs
– Air date: Sept. 21, 2009
The sixth season opens with House as a patient in a psychiatric hospital. His roommate at the hospital is played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the megahit Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
Bad Hat Harry Productions
#61. House – ‘Wilson’s Heart’
Robert Sean Leonard stands with his hands clasped together.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 16
– Director(s): Katie Jacobs
– Air date: May 19, 2008
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.
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Universal Cable Productions
#60. Suits – ‘Faith’
A man in a suit stands in an office with his hand on the back of an empty desk chair.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 10
– Director(s): Anton Cropper
– Air date: August 26, 2015
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 five summer finale is filled with flashbacks.
Mutant Enemy
#59. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘Once More, with Feeling’
Sarah Michelle Gellar standing with arms crossed in front of a group of people.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 7
– Director(s): Joss Whedon
– Air date: Nov. 6, 2001
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.
The Walt Disney Company
#58. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Old Friends Not Forgotten’
An animation of a group of storm troopers running and firing weapons.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 7, episode 9
– Director(s): Saul Ruiz
– Air date: April 17, 2020
When Ahsoka reaches out to Obi-Wan and Anakin, they are 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.
Wonderland Sound and Vision
#57. Supernatural – ‘Swan Song’
Two men stand near crosses in the ground, one grabbing the other by the collar.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 22
– Director(s): Steve Boyum
– Air date: May 13, 2010
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 (the show’s creator only imagined five seasons). Much to the delight of fans, its showrunner Sera Gamble took over to continue the series.
Warner Bros. Television
#56. Friends – ‘The One Where Everybody Finds Out’
Lisa Kudrow in an orange furry coat looking surprised.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 14
– Director(s): Michael Lembeck
– Air date: Feb. 11, 1999
“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.
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Chase Films
#55. The Sopranos – ‘Pine Barrens’
Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico walking in the snow with injuries.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 11
– Director(s): Steve Buscemi
– Air date: May 6, 2001
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.
Bad Robot
#54. Lost – ‘Through the Looking Glass’
Two men stand looking shocked with a door and a small porthole window between them.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 22
– Director(s): Jack Bender
– Air date: May 23, 2007
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.
Anonymous Content
#53. Mr. Robot – ‘eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00’
A man in a black hoodie gets in another man’s face, who is seated.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 5
– Director(s): Sam Esmail
– Air date: Nov. 8, 2017
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.
Bad Robot
#52. Lost – ‘The Constant’
Two men stand in a room, looking disheveled.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 5
– Director(s): Jack Bender
– Air date: Feb. 28, 2008
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.
Anonymous Content
#51. Mr. Robot – ‘405 Method Not Allowed’
A man in a black hoodie stands next to a woman in an elevator.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 5
– Director(s): Sam Esmail
– Air date: Nov. 3, 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.
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Anonymous Content
#50. Mr. Robot – ‘409 Conflict’
A woman shops for clothing in a fur-lined coat and black beanie.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 4, episode 9
– Director(s): Sam Esmail
– Air date: Dec. 1, 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 movie is mentioned frequently throughout the show.
Deedle-Dee Productions
#49. The Office – ‘Stress Relief’
John Krasinski, Ed Helms and Jenna Fischer look at a laptop showing a video of a woman in a bubble bath.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 13
– Director(s): Jeffrey Blitz
– Air date: Feb. 1, 2009
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.
Dino De Laurentiis Company
#48. Hannibal – ‘The Wrath of the Lamb’
Mads Mikkelsen in a straighjacket with a mask being placed on his face.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 13
– Director(s): Michael Rymer
– Air date: August 29, 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.
Aggressive Mediocrity
#47. Lucifer – ‘A Devil of My Word’
A man in a suit stands on a rooftoop balcony overlooking the valley.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 3, episode 24
– Director(s): Eagle Egilsson
– Air date: May 14, 2018
After a shocking death, Lucifer and company do their best to find the killer. Fox would air two more episodes in season three but ultimately canceled the series. Much to the delight of its loyal fans, Netflix picked the series up after Fox dropped it.
High Bridge Productions
#46. Better Call Saul – ‘Bagman’
Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks sitting in the blazing sun.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 8
– Director(s): Vince Gilligan
– Air date: April 6, 2020
The highly rated episode places two major characters in mortal danger. “Bagman” also distinguishes itself as the episode that is the closest in tone and style to “Breaking Bad.”
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High Bridge Productions
#45. Better Call Saul – ‘Rock and Hard Place’
Two identical men in suits and cowboy boots stand with a man in a wheelchair in between them in the desert.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 3
– Director(s): Gordon Smith
– Air date: April 25, 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.
Bad Robot
#44. Westworld – ‘The Bicameral Mind’
Evan Rachel Wood and Ed Harris, in western wear, walk in a graveyard.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 1, episode 10
– Director(s): Jonathan Nolan
– Air date: Dec. 4, 2016
The final episode of the first season 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 Foster experience major shifts in this episode, setting the stage for season two.
High Bridge Productions
#43. Breaking Bad – ‘Dead Freight’
Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Jesse Plemons pump something from a truck in the desert.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 5, episode 5
– Director(s): George Mastras
– Air date: August 12, 2012
“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.
Home Box Office (HBO)
#42. Game of Thrones – ‘The Door’
A girl and a tree creature stand together.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 6, episode 5
– Director(s): Jack Bender
– Air date: May 22, 2016
“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 gets caught in a heavily memed sequence that explains how he got his name.
Home Box Office (HBO)
#41. Game of Thrones – ‘The Spoils of War’
A giant dragon in a battle with people with fire in the background.
– IMDb user rating: 9.7
– Season 7, episode 4
– Director(s): Matt Shakman
– Air date: August 6, 2017
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.
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World of Wonder Productions
#40. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars – ‘Snatch Game’
RuPaul, wearing a short purple wig and shiny gown, onstage.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, episode 2
– Director(s): Nick Murray
– Air date: May 20, 2022
“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.
Disney Television Animation
#39. Gravity Falls – ‘Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls’
A cartoon of a boy in the forest.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 20
– Director(s): Stephen Sandoval
– Air date: Feb. 15, 2016
The conclusion to the three-part second season finale finds survivors of the ongoing Gravity Falls apocalypse rummaging through the mystery shack for parts. They hope to build a giant robot that can defeat monsters from other dimensions. Disney’s popular animated series features unique concepts and quirky antagonists that appeal to audiences of all ages.
Cartoon Network Studios
#38. Regular Show – ‘A Regular Epic Final Battle’
A man with a giant round head stands in a battle arena.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 8, episode 27
– Director(s): Calvin Wong
– Air date: Jan. 16, 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.
Disney Television Animation
#37. Gravity Falls – ‘Not What He Seems’
A man getting arrested outside of a mystery shack by men dressed in all black.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 11
– Director(s): Stephen Sandoval
– Air date: March 9, 2015
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.
Nickelodeon Animation Studios
#36. Avatar: The Last Airbender – ‘Sozin’s Comet: Into the Inferno’
An animation of a person shooting a blue lightening bolt from their fingertips.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, episode 20
– Director(s): Joaquim Dos Santos
– Air date: July 19, 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.
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Gary Sanchez Productions
#35. Succession – ‘This Is Not for Tears’
Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook relaxing on a yacht.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 10
– Director(s): Mark Mylod
– Air date: Oct. 13, 2019
In season two’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).
Bad Hat Harry Productions
#34. House – ‘House’s Head’
Hugh Laurie standing at a door in a black leather jacket.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, episode 15
– Director(s): Greg Yaitanes
– Air date: May 12, 2008
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.
Gary Sanchez Productions
#33. Succession – ‘All the Bells Say’
Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook in a living room talking.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, episode 9
– Director(s): Mark Mylod
– Air date: Dec. 12, 2021
The season three 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.
Bad Robot
#32. Person of Interest – ‘Return 0’
A group of people standing together, some looking up.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 5, episode 13
– Director(s): Chris Fisher
– Air date: June 21, 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.”
ShadowMachine
#31. BoJack Horseman – ‘Time’s Arrow’
A cartoon of a horse in an apron talking to a baby horse and a woman horse on a couch.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, episode 11
– Director(s): Aaron Long
– Air date: Sept. 8, 2017
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.
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Alec Berg Productions
#30. Barry – ‘ronny/lily’
Bill Hader holding a gun with blood on his face.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 5
– Director(s): Bill Hader
– Air date: April 28, 2019
Barry has an unexpected encounter with surprising consequences in this season two episode, which won two Emmy awards: one for sound editing and one for sound mixing. It was nominated for four additional Emmys.
Krasnoff Foster Productions
#29. Community – ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’
Joel McHale and a group of people sit around a table with their fingers on their noses.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, episode 4
– Director(s): Jeff Melman
– Air date: Oct. 13, 2011
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.”
Krasnoff Foster Productions
#28. Community – ‘Modern Warfare’
Ken Jeong holding two gold guns in the air.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 1, episode 23
– Director(s): Justin Lin
– Air date: May 6, 2010
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.
Bad Robot
#27. Person of Interest – ‘If-Then-Else’
A woman hands something to a man in a suit in a boiler room.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, episode 11
– Director(s): Chris Fisher
– Air date: Jan. 6, 2015
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.
Aniplex
#26. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – ‘Hinokami’
An animation of a character fighting with a sword in a cloud of red.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 1, episode 19
– Director(s): Haruo Sotozaki, Toshiyuki Shirai
– Air date: August 10, 2019
“Demon Slayer” follows a teen boy who returns home from a trip to town to find his entire family slain, except for his sister, who is slowly becoming a demon. Imaginative art direction dramatizes family bonds and traumas as the boy is asked to give up his sister. In “Hinokami,” a family of Spider Demons wreaks havoc on Mount Natagumo.
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John Goldwyn Productions
#25. Dexter – ‘The Getaway’
Michael C. Hall standing in an office in front of a wall of blood spatter prints.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, episode 12
– Director(s): Steve Shill
– Air date: Dec. 13, 2009
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.
Deedle-Dee Productions
#24. The Office – ‘Goodbye, Michael’
Steve Carell hands a burlap object to another man in an office.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 7, episode 21
– Director(s): Paul Feig
– Air date: April 28, 2011
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.
Anonymous Content
#23. Mr. Robot – ‘Hello, Elliot’
Rami Malek looks in the mirror, wearing a tuxedo, with Christian Slater next to him.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 4, episode 13
– Director(s): Sam Esmail
– Air date: Dec. 22, 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.
Deedle-Dee Productions
#22. The Office – ‘Finale’
The cast of The Office stands together looking at a computer screen.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 9, episode 23
– Director(s): Ken Kwapis
– Air date: May 16, 2013
Series creator Greg Daniels came up with the idea for the series finale during season three. 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.
Dino De Laurentiis Company
#21. Hannibal – ‘Mizumono’
Mads Mikkelsen chops raw meat on a kitchen island covered in vegetables.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 13
– Director(s): David Slade
– Air date: May 23, 2014
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.
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BBC Wales
#20. Doctor Who – ‘Blink’
A worried girl.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 3, episode 10
– Director(s): Hettie Macdonald
– Air date: June 9, 2007
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.”
AMC
#19. Better Call Saul – ‘Point and Shoot’
A man pointing a gun and a video camera at another man.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 6, episode 8
– Director(s): Vince Gilligan
– Air date: July 11, 2022
The finale 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 Saul (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.”
AMC
#18. Better Call Saul – ‘Saul Gone’
Bob Odenkirk in a t-shirt and shorts in a dark room sitting on a bed.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 6, episode 13
– Director(s): Peter Gould
– Air date: August 15, 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.
High Bridge Productions
#17. Breaking Bad – ‘To’hajiilee’
Bryan Cranston on a cell phone in the desert with a gun.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 5, episode 13
– Director(s): Michelle MacLaren
– Air date: Sept. 8, 2013
Walter and Jesse turn on each other in this season five 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.
Golem Creations
#16. The Mandalorian – ‘Chapter 16: The Rescue’
A tiny baby green creature with big eyes on a spaceship.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 2, episode 8
– Director(s): Peyton Reed
– Air date: Dec. 18, 2020
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.
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Sister Pictures
#15. Chernobyl – ‘Vichnaya Pamyat’
Jared Harris in a suit.
– IMDb user rating: 9.8
– Season 1, episode 5
– Director(s): Johan Renck
– Air date: June 3, 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.
Home Box Office (HBO)
#14. Six Feet Under – ‘Everyone’s Waiting’
James Cromwell, Lauren Ambrose and Michael C. Hall stand by Frances Conroy’s hospital bed.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 5, episode 12
– Director(s): Alan Ball
– Air date: August 21, 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.
Nickelodeon Animation Studios
#13. Avatar: The Last Airbender – ‘Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang’
An animation of a character with an arrown down his forehead.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 3, episode 21
– Director(s): Joaquim Dos Santos
– Air date: July 19, 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.”
The Walt Disney Company
#12. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Shattered’
An animation of two women in dark armor.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 7, episode 11
– Director(s): Saul Ruiz
– Air date: May 1, 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.”
The Walt Disney Company
#11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘The Phantom Apprentice’
An animation of a woman fighting with a sword and helmet.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 7, episode 10
– Director(s): Nathaniel Villanueva
– Air date: April 24, 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.
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The Walt Disney Company
#10. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Victory and Death’
An animation of a character in a gray cloak looking at helmets on sticks.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 7, episode 12
– Director(s): Nathaniel Villanueva
– Air date: May 4, 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.“
ShadowMachine
#9. BoJack Horseman – ‘The View from Halfway Down’
A cartoon of a horse talking to a drawing of half of a man.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, episode 15
– Director(s): Amy Winfrey
– Air date: Jan. 31, 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.
Anonymous Content
#8. Mr. Robot – ‘407 Proxy Authentication Required’
Rami Malek looking surprised.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 4, episode 7
– Director(s): Sam Esmail
– Air date: Nov. 17, 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.
American Movie Classics (AMC)
#7. Better Call Saul – ‘Plan and Execution’
Bob Odenkirk sitting on a park bench with a briefcase and a package.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, episode 7
– Director(s): Thomas Schnauz
– Air date: May 23, 2022
The midseason finale of the acclaimed “Breaking Bad” prequel focuses on Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Saul (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.
High Bridge Productions
#6. Breaking Bad – ‘Face Off’
Bryan Cranston and Bob Odenkirk standing in front of a stucco building.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 4, episode 13
– Director(s): Vince Gilligan
– Air date: Oct. 9, 2011
Voted by TV Guide as one of the best shows of 2011, it isn’t difficult to understand the high praise for “Breaking Bad” watching this season four 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.
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Home Box Office (HBO)
#5. Game of Thrones – ‘The Rains of Castamere’
A woman at a table standing up in shock.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 3, episode 9
– Director(s): David Nutter
– Air date: June 2, 2013
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.
High Bridge Productions
#4. Breaking Bad – ‘Felina’
Bryan Cranston kneeling next to a car with a open truck surrounded by guns and tools.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 5, episode 16
– Director(s): Vince Gilligan
– Air date: Sept. 29, 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.”
Home Box Office (HBO)
#3. Game of Thrones – ‘The Winds of Winter’
Lena Headey with short hair and a crown sitting on a throne.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, episode 10
– Director(s): Miguel Sapochnik
– Air date: June 26, 2016
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.
Home Box Office (HBO)
#2. Game of Thrones – ‘Battle of the Bastards’
Kit Harington, in a sea of people in battle, looking up.
– IMDb user rating: 9.9
– Season 6, episode 9
– Director(s): Miguel Sapochnik
– Air date: June 19, 2016
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 six, one of them featuring Daenerys going after her enemies.
High Bridge Productions
#1. Breaking Bad – ‘Ozymandias’
Bryan Cranston in a dirty jacket outside at night.
– IMDb user rating: 10.0
– Season 5, episode 14
– Director(s): Rian Johnson
– Air date: Sept. 15, 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.”
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