What distinguishes TV storytelling from its cinematic counterpart, as Rolling Stone Magazine emphasizes, is the format of individual episodes. Whether we’re binge-watching or savoring episodes one by one, we experience our favorite series in discrete segments, and the medium truly excels when it embraces this episodic nature. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the enjoyment of a series often comes as much from the individual episodes as from the overall arc. Few pop-culture experiences rival the thrill of a favorite show delivering a standout episode, whether through a daring departure from the norm or an exceptionally well-executed take on its familiar formula.
However, the episodic structure of TV can lead to inherent inconsistency. Even the most acclaimed dramas, like The Sopranos, have their share of missteps, such as the much-criticized Columbus Day episode. Conversely, shows that may not receive widespread acclaim can occasionally produce episodes that rival the best work of more celebrated series, proving that greatness can emerge from unexpected places.
In compiling Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest TV episodes of all time, the publication aimed to highlight both iconic moments from classic series and exceptional episodes from less prominent shows that exceeded expectations. Spanning from the 1950s to the present, this list focuses exclusively on narrative dramas and comedies, intentionally leaving out news, reality TV, sketch comedy, and talk shows. While the Rolling Stone Magazine list predominantly features American series, it also includes a few standout international entries. (Look out for Doctor Who at #82)
Although some two-part episodes are represented, Rolling Stone Magazine’s selections primarily showcase standalone instalments, celebrating the unique power of individual episodes within the broader TV landscape.
Fargo, “Bisquik” (Season 5, Episode 10)
The Cosby Show, “Theo’s Holiday” (Season 2, Episode 22)
South Park, “Scott Tenorman Must Die” (Season 5, Episode 4)
You’re the Worst, “There Is Not Currently a Problem” (Season 2, Episode 7)
In Treatment, “Alex: Week Eight” (Season 1, Episode 37)
Bob’s Burgers, “Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks” (Season 3, Episode 7)
Enlightened, “Consider Helen” (Season 1, Episode 9)
Maude, “Maude’s Dilemma” (Season 1, Episodes 9 & 10)
Scrubs, “My Screw Up” (Season 3, Episode 14)
Watchmen, “This Extraordinary Being” (Episode 6)
The Golden Girls, “Mrs. George Devereaux” (Season 6, Episode 9)
SpongeBob SquarePants, “Pizza Delivery” (Season 1, Episode 5)
Roseanne, “War and Peace” (Season 5, Episode 14)
The Dick Van Dyke Show, “Never Bathe on Saturday” (Season 4, Episode 27)
Black Mirror, “San Junipero” (Season 3, Episode 4)
Sex and the City, “My Motherboard, My Self” (Season 4, Episode 8)
Broad City, “Knockoffs” (Season 2, Episode 4)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” (Season 4, Episode 24)
Doctor Who, “Blink” (Season 3, Episode 10)
Alias, “Truth Be Told” (Season 1, Episode 1)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, “Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom” (Season 2, Episode 4)
Grey’s Anatomy, “It’s the End of the World/As We Know It” (Season 2, Episodes 16 & 17)
Girls, “American Bitch” (Season 6, Episode 3)
Everybody Loves Raymond, “Baggage” (Season 7, Episode 22)
King of the Hill, “Bobby Goes Nuts” (Season 6, Episode 1)
Insecure, “High-Like” (Season 3, Episode 5)
Game of Thrones, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (Season 8, Episode 2)
The Good Place, “Michael’s Gambit” (Season 1, Episode 13)
Star Trek, “City on the Edge of Forever” (Season 1, Episode 28)
My So-Called Life, “Pilot” (Episode 1)
Master of None, “Thanksgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)
For All Mankind, “The Grey” (Season 2, Episode 10)
St. Elsewhere, “Time Heals” (Season 4, Episodes 17 & 18)
Larry Sanders, “Flip” (Season 6, Episode 12)
Orange Is the New Black, “Toast Can’t Never Be Bread Again” (Season 4, Episode 13)
The Andy Griffith Show, “Opie the Birdman” (Season 4, Episode 1)
Good Times, “The I.Q. Test” (Season 2, Episode 7)
Moonlighting, “Atomic Shakespeare” (Season 3, Episode 7)
Severance, “The We We Are” (Season 1, Episode 9)
Review With Forrest MacNeil, “Pancakes, Divorce, Pancakes” (Season 1, Episode 3)
Homeland, “Q&A” (Season 2, Episode 5)
China Beach, “Hello Goodbye” (Season 4, Episode 16)
The Jeffersons, “Sorry, Wrong Meeting” (Season 7, Episode 14)
What We Do in the Shadows, “On the Run” (Season 2, Episode 6)
Friday Night Lights, “Mud Bowl” (Season 1, Episode 20)
Better Things, “Batceañera” (Season 4, Episode 9)
The Honeymooners, “The Man From Space” (Episode 14)
Six Feet Under, “Everyone’s Waiting” (Season 5, Episode 12)
Columbo, “Etude in Black” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Friends, “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” (Season 5, Episode 14)
The Last of Us, “Long Long Time” (Season 1, Episode 3)
Justified, “Bloody Harlan” (Season 2, Episode 13)
All in the Family, “The Draft Dodger” (Season 7, Episode 15)
Veep, “Testimony” (Season 4, Episode 9)
Taxi, “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey” (Season 2, Episode 3)
Barry, “ronny/lily” (Season 2, Episode 5)
How I Met Your Mother, “Slap Bet” (Season 2, Episode 9)
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “The Inner Light” (Season 5, Episode 25)
black-ish, “Hope” (Season 2, Episode 16)
Hill Street Blues, “Trial By Fury” (Season 3, Episode 1)
The Office, “The Dundies” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Lost, “The Constant” (Season 4, Episode 5)
The Bear, “Forks” (Season 2, Episode 7)
Freaks and Geeks, “Discos and Dragons” (Episode 18)
30 Rock, “Apollo Apollo” (Season 3, Episode 16)
The X-Files, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” (Season 3, Episode 4)
NewsRadio, “Arcade” (Season 3, Episode 4)
The West Wing, “Two Cathedrals” (Season 2, Episode 22)
Reservation Dogs, “Mabel” (Season 2, Episode 4)
Deadwood, “Sold Under Sin” (Season 1, Episode 12)
Parks and Recreation, “Flu Season” (Season 3, Episode 2)
Arrested Development, “Good Grief” (Season 2, Episode 4)
Battlestar Galactica, “33” (Season 1, Episode 1)
Frasier, “The Ski Lodge” (Season 5, Episode 14)
BoJack Horseman, “Fish Out of Water” (Season 3, Episode 4)
Homicide: Life on the Street, “Three Men and Adena” (Season 1, Episode 6)
Fleabag, “Episode 1” (Season 2, Episode 1)
MAS*H, “Abyssinia, Henry” (Season 3, Episode 24)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “The Body” (Season 5, Episode 16)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Mister Softee” (Season 8, Episode 9)
The Americans, “The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears” (Season 4, Episode 8)
I Love Lucy, “Job Switching” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Better Call Saul, “Fun and Games” (Season 6, Episode 9)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Chuckles Bites the Dust” (Season 6, Episode 7)
ER, “Love’s Labor Lost” (Season 1, Episode 19)
Community, “Remedial Chaos Theory” (Season 3, Episode 4)
Succession, “Connor’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episode 3)
Twin Peaks, “Northwest Passage” (Season 1, Episode 1)
The Wire, “Middle Ground” (Season 3, Episode 11)
The Twilight Zone, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (Season 1, Episode 22)
Atlanta, “Teddy Perkins” (Season 2, Episode 6)
The Shield, “Family Meeting” (Season 7, Episode 13)
Roots, “Part II” (TV Series, 1977)
Cheers, “Showdown, Part 2” (Season 1, Episode 22)
Mad Men, “The Suitcase” (Season 4, Episode 7)
Seinfeld, “The Contest” (Season 4, Episode 10)
The Sopranos, “College” (Season 1, Episode 5)
The Leftovers, “International Assassin” (Season 2, Episode 8)
The Simpsons, “Last Exit to Springfield” (Season 4, Episode 17)
Breaking Bad, “Ozymandias” (Season 5, Episode 14)
