17 Of The Best Episodes That Have Ever Been Made In The History Of Television

"'Remedial Chaos Theory' from Community is the greatest half hour of television ever. It's kind of a miracle that they pulled it off. Not a wasted second."

Recently, redditor u/stevenpost asked the internet, "What's the greatest episode of a TV show ever made?" People shared the most memorable TV episodes of all time, and honestly, you'll want to add these to your watch list. Here are some of the surprising results:

Warning: Some spoilers ahead!

1. "The Bent-Neck Lady" from The Haunting of Hill House (Season 1, Episode 5).

Netflix

"'The Bent-Neck Lady' was so terrifying, and then once you know the backstory, it changes tone immediately. That’s one of the greatest horror shows/movies ever — especially because once it’s over, the terror doesn’t linger, it becomes bittersweet."

—u/civilityman

"It can be viewed as a stand-alone horror film without you having to watch the series."

—u/snoebro

Here's a clip from the episode:

Netflix / Via youtube.com

2. "Chicanery" from Better Call Saul (Season 3, Episode 5).

AMC

"Michael McKean's performance was incredible. Just an amazing character and a wonderful actor."

—u/D6Desperados

Here's a clip from the episode:

AMC / Via youtube.com

3. "Marge vs. the Monorail" from The Simpsons (Season 4, Episode 12).

Fox

"Like 60% of all my Simpsons quotes come from that episode: 'Batman’s a scientist.' 'The cosmic ballet goes on.' 'I shouldn’t have stopped for that haircut.' 'I call the big one Bitey.' 'A town with money's a little like the mule with a spinning wheel.' 'I like the way Snrub thinks!' And so on."

—u/losergeekorwhatver

"Conan O’Brien actually wrote this episode. One of my favorites."

—u/Shaunananalalanahey

Here's a clip from the episode:

Fox / Via youtube.com

4. "On the Run" from What We Do in the Shadows (Season 2, Episode 6).

FX

"I wasn't sold on this episode's stupid, looney-toony premise until he popped that toothpick out — and Mark Hamill uttered that colossal line... Boy, it escalates quickly. I was instantly scream-laughing."

—u/ActuallyYeah

Here's a clip from the episode:

FX / Via youtube.com

5. "The Inner Light" from Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 25).

Paramount Domestic Television

"The way Sir Patrick Stewart acts once he comes back from his experience gets me every time. The intricacies of the emotional trauma you see in his face from living a life that wasn't real but felt so real to him is moving and powerful. When he pulls out the flute at the end of the episode, it just wrecks me."

—u/Weak_Dancer

Here's a clip from the episode:

Paramount Domestic Television / Via youtube.com

6. "The We We Are" from Severance (Season 1, Episode 9).

Apple TV+

"The last episode. Wow, what a ride."

—u/Jeebuslovesme

"The ending was extraordinarily satisfying. I was glad they didn’t leave it at an awkward cliffhanger."

—u/freakyfreakerson

Here's a clip from the episode:

Apple TV+ / Via youtube.com

7. "Who Goes There" from True Detective (Season 1, Episode 4).

HBO

"'Who Goes There' is a serious adrenaline ride. Great episode from a fantastic show."

—u/Smoque_

"I personally believe that True Detective Season 1 is the greatest season of television ever made. I’ve never been gripped by a show the way I was with that. I watched the entire season in one sitting."

—u/kakapoopoopeepeeshir

Here's a clip from the episode:

HBO / Via youtube.com

8. "Remedial Chaos Theory" from Community (Season 3, Episode 4).

NBC / Via reddit.com

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

—u/slobaum

"This is the greatest half hour of television ever. It's kind of a miracle that they pulled it off. Not a wasted second. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put out the bowl of toilet olives for my fancy party."

—u/ReflexImprov

Here's a clip from the episode:

NBC / Via youtube.com

9. "Blink" from Doctor Who (Season 3, Episode 10).

BBC

"Phenomenal episode, and probably one of the few where Dr. Who gets very little airtime, but it's incredibly well written. It gives you horror and dread while also a good connection with the characters and a whole bunch of feels. Perhaps one of my favorite episodes ever written."

—u/TruthBeaver

Here's a clip from the episode:

BBC / Via youtube.com

10. "The Fight" from Parks and Recreation (Season 3, Episode 13).

NBC / Peacock

"I literally made lifelong friends with someone because of this episode. Back in the day, you could just make Facebook pages willy-nilly, and I thought it would be hilarious to friend-request someone named 'Janet Snakehole' after this episode aired; fast-forward however many years later, and we still talk all the time online and exchange Christmas gifts and stuff."

—u/goblyn79

"When I see a drunk person, I'll still say, 'Give me another snork juice!'"

—u/Ssutuanjoe

Here's a clip from the episode:

NBC / Peacock / Via youtube.com

11. "Everyone's Waiting" from Six Feet Under (Season 5, Episode 12).

HBO

"I get choked up every time I watch Peter Krause set off the absolutely astonishing final sequence by whispering to Lauren Ambrose, 'You can't take a picture of this. It's already gone.' Just perfect."

—u/NYPDSurveillanceVan

Here's a clip from the episode:

HBO / Via youtube.com

12. "Why We Fight" from Band of Brothers (Episode 9).

HBO

"I don't think there was a bad episode in the whole show, but that one...it just rips your heart out."

—u/bstyledevi

"It's funny because you know what's coming, and you think you're ready for it. And then it gets to the part where the soldiers walk out of the woods into that clearing, and you aren't ready for it."

—u/staxofmax

Here's a clip from the episode:

HBO / Via youtube.com

13. "The Luck of the Fryrish" from Futurama (Season 3, Episode 4).

Fox

"Makes me cry every time. 'Here lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.'"

—u/ToxyWoxy

"Everyone always talks about 'Jurassic Bark,' but the episodes about each of Fry’s family members hit so much harder. Most of us are going to reach a point in our lives where our parents have passed away, and there’s going to be so much you want to tell your mother about but can’t, or where we remember the first time our dad gave us a taste of beer, and you felt the love of a parent even if you never quite expressed it properly in words. And if you’ve lost a sibling, damn, the twist in 'The Luck of the Fryrish' is a sucker punch."

—u/Kombatwombat02

Here's a clip from the episode:

Fox / Via youtube.com

14. “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” from The Twilight Zone (Season 1, Episode 33).

CBS

"'Maple Street' is absolutely classic, and it was my introduction to The Twilight Zone. My eighth-grade English teacher showed it to us, talking about the symbolism and the irony at the end that it both is and isn't monsters that are causing the problems; aliens are technically to blame for the technology suddenly not working on a single street, but it's the people and their own fear that cause all the actual damage. It's such a good episode with a cool premise, message, and simply amazing closing narration. I really gotta do a Twilight Zone marathon again one of these days. I used to watch it all the time."

—u/Isaac_Chade

Here's a clip from the episode:

CBS / Via youtube.com

15. "Hush" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 4, Episode 10).

The WB

"'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."

—u/draggar

Here's a clip from the episode:

The WB / Via youtube.com

16. "I Remember You" from Adventure Time (Season 4, Episode 25).

Cartoon Network

"A ton of world building and character backstory, some really great songs, and a heart-wrenching story — all in under 10 minutes. Plus, it contains my favorite quote from the whole series: 'Bad biscuits make the baker broke, bro.' Just pure chef's kiss."

—u/andydivide

Here's a clip from the episode:

Cartoon Network / Via youtube.com

And finally...

17. "My Screw Up" from Scrubs (Season 3, Episode 14).

NBC

"That ending legitimately took my feet out from under me. I’m usually really good at seeing twists like that from a mile away. But when he walked away from J.D. at the end and Ben had disappeared, and you pan out to see the tombstones, I was floored. They played that entire episode perfectly. That’s my favorite thing about Scrubs. It was a very silly comedy series but still had the capacity to get really, really deep sometimes. Those are the best kinds of shows: the shows that can legitimately do both, and do it well."

—u/WingedShadow83

Here's a clip from the episode:

NBC / Via youtube.com

Which TV episodes would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.