50 Of The Best TV Episodes Of All Time That Are Real Masterpieces of Screencraft

hambone10 said:
"Chernobyl - Vichnaya Pamyat."

LysWritesNow replied:
"'...they mistakenly sent the one good man. For God's sakes Boris, you were the one who mattered the most.'

Not the best line of that episode, but definitely in the top."

chiksahlube replied:
"'Everyone in this circle will be dead in 5 years.'

We're in that circle...

silently nods in resignation."

Commenter replied:
"It’s difficult for me to pick a 'best episode' from Chernobyl because in my mind it’s possibly the best television ever made from start to finish. Pacing is fast and there’s literally not a wasted shot in the entire series.

Open Wide, O Earth is my honorable mention episode just for the inclusion of the firefighters. Full-blown body horror that hits even harder because it’s based on stuff that actually happened. The show has lots of excellent horror sequences but the firefighters arc definitely stands out as the most memorable to me."

thatHadron said:
"Dr. Who - Blink"

kiravicars replied:
"Also the Van Gogh episode."

icookfood42 replied:
"Van Gogh, and The Angels Take Manhattan...

I cry. Every. Time. I watch them to make myself cry when I feel like I need an emotional release."

Doit2it42 said:
"The Inner Light - Star Trek TNG."

RandyTravesty replied:
"Another from TNG: The Measure of a Man."

Commenter replied:
"So much this. What a great story. Can you imagine bearing the sole responsibility of telling the story of an extinct people. Then Picard playing the flute melody at the end. So well done."

AlderWynn said:
"Season 4 finale of House."

Dyssomniac replied:
"There's so many solid episodes in the first five seasons. One Day, One Room; Three Stories; House's Head/Wilson's Heart; Both Sides Now."

Commenter replied:
"House's Head/Wilson's Heart are phenomenal. I still remember being blown away by the reveal at the end of House's flashback. 'What's my necklace made of?'"

TallExternal4085 said:
"The Germans: Fawlty Towers."

lurgi replied:
"Yes you did. You invaded Poland."

Arch_Stanton1862 replied:
"Would you like to drink something before the war?"

InfamousBrad said:
"M*A*S*H, 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.'

Man, I can count on the fingers of one hand all of the Very Special Episodes of any comedy series that aren't trash, but this one, right here, the series finale, will suck the air right out of your lungs at least twice and every shock in it is entirely earned."

Jinjoz replied:
"Definitely one of the most impactful episodes in that show.

The one that really sticks with me is Period of Adjustment. It's the episode after Radar leaves and everyone trying to adjust to him being gone.

BJs breakdown at the end, how he has been gone for his daughters entire life, how Radar got to see her before he did, it makes my eyes water just thinking about it."

hillmanation said:
"Firefly - 'Out of Gas.' Really gives you an idea of how much Mal cares about his crew, and how much Serenity means to him."

Left4DayZ1 replied:
"The way the oxygen rushes into the ship when those pirates show up was such a great touch. Mal is literally hit with a wind of salvation before having it stripped away."

Ours_is_the_Fury_95 said:
"Game of Thrones - The Rains of Castamere."

moneymoneymoneymonay replied:
"Other than that, how was the wedding?"

2donuts4elephants replied:
"This was the most shocking episode of the entire series. It's the one that cemented in my mind that this is a show where NO ONE has impenetrable plot armor.

But my choice for best episode of a TV series ever is Battle of the Bastards. Action packed and Ramsay Bolton finally gets what's coming to him."

Polls-from-a-Cadet said:
"I Love Lucy…. The chocolate assembly line episode (I didn’t see it listed.)"

immortalbeloved replied:
"That one and the vitameatavegemin commercial kill me to this day!"

djdeatheater said:

"Dinner Party from The Office."

 

omegafivethreefive replied:

"The plasma tv scene made me cry laughing."

 

flannalypearce replied:

"The TV being the size of a picture frame and Jan like o-ing from her assistants sh*tty CD put me in ORBIT every time. Dear god."

ToxyWoxy said:
"Futurama 'Luck of the fryrish.' Makes me cry every time. 'Here lies Phillip Jay Fry. Named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.'"

theCourtofJames replied:
"Everyone always mentions Jurassic Bark but I personally think that Luck of the Fryish is slightly better.

It's a bit more complex, when I first watched it I didn't see the brother twist coming, it really got me choked up and tearful."

drstattik replied:
"'Jurassic Bark' does this for me - uncontrolled crying every time. Not sure any other animated sitcom has ever done this for me."

stillaredcirca1848 said:
"The final episode of The Good Place is remarkable. I can't even think about it with all the feelings coming up. The whole show is amazing and should be watched by everyone."

dont_disturb_the_cat replied:
"Maybe even better than the last episode of the show is the last episode of the first season, with its big reveal. It sets up the thesis for the show itself, and teaches the first of the show's most valuable and defining lessons."

Charlie24601 replied:
"Jason just wandering around for centuries like a monk just made it for me. I love him so much.

P.S. BORTLES!"

AtlJayhawk said:
"Hush from Buffy."

draggar replied:
"Hush and Once More With Feeling are two of the best episodes in the series, even up there as some of the best episodes of all TV. Both buck trends that naysayers said couldn't be done well - and they did both well."

metarinka said:
"The scrubs episode with Brendan Frasier. I didn't know a 22 min show could make me cry."

GatorChamp44 replied:
"Dr. Cox....where do you think we are?"

responsiblefornothin replied:
"I still tear up a little just thinking about it. God that show was 8 seasons of perfection."

Purple-Dragonfly1736 said:

"'The Work outing' - The IT crowd is probably some of the most clever and funny writing I’ve ever seen in a TV show."

 

01infinite replied:

"That part where she turns around and Moss is behind the bar is incredible."

Just-Background-5447 said:
"Ozymandias - Breaking Bad

I was stunned by it..."

miir2 replied:
"So many Breaking Bad episodes to choose from.

Personally, I thought Face Off was pretty f*cking great."

Caldebraun replied:
"Not only was it a great hour of dramatic tv, it was the episode that paid off five seasons' worth of building tension. It answered the question 'how will all of this go wrong, what will his downfall look like?' and was executed brilliantly."

jiwjh380 said:
"Tales of Ba Sing Se from Avatar The Last Airbender. Specifically Irohs story."

canisaureaux replied:
"That one and Appa's Lost Days both make me cry to this day, no matter how many times I've seen them. Hell, just hearing the opening notes to Leaves From The Vine will do it.

ATLA was definitely one of the best cartoons of that era, if not all time, in my opinion."

LordBaranof said:
"Seinfeld - 'The Contest.'"

marmosetohmarmoset replied:
"My mom talks about watching this episode live. She called her friend immediately after and was just like 'uh, did that just actually happen? Was that really on television??'

Seems pretty tame today but it was a big deal when it aired."

"The Twilight Zone episode Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices... to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill... and suspicion can destroy... and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own —for the children and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone.

Will the real Martian please stand up is also a classic.

Incident on a small island, to be believed or disbelieved. However, if a sour-faced dandy named Ross or a big, good-natured counterman who handles a spatula as if he'd been born with one in his mouth, – if either of these two entities walk onto your premises, you'd better hold their hands – all three of them – or check the color of their eyes – all three of them. The gentlemen in question might try to pull you in – to The Twilight Zone."

slobaum said:
"Community S3:E4 'Remedial Chaos Theory'

Even if you don't know it, you'd know the gifs."

ReflexImprov replied:
"This is the greatest half hour of television ever. It's kind of a miracle that they pulled it off. Not a wasted second."

blitzbom replied:
"I remember watching that the first time and thinking 'This is something special.'"