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The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century (2018)

The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century

2025 Ringer Preseason Fantasy Football Rankings

2025 Ringer Fantasy Football Rankings

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The Ringer

At the turn of the 20th century, television began to morph into a new, more expansive medium. NBC’s stranglehold on comedy loosened, giving way to more varied perspectives and formats. On HBO, The Sopranos entered its second season, and would go on to not only create the blueprint for prestige TV, but redefine dramatic television and champion the kind of antihero who would dominate the rest of the decade. Then, eight months into the new millennium, 51.7 million people watched the season finale of Survivor, ushering in a boom of reality TV.

TV has changed a great deal since 2000. The expansion of cable networks led to an increase in experimentation, quality, and quantity that has since been eclipsed by the advent of streaming, to the point that the monoculture experience of that Survivor finale is almost entirely obsolete. With the understanding that television is going through yet another revolution, and that the boundaries and definitions of the medium could change yet again, it feels like the right time to look back at the past 18 years and determine the 100 best episodes of TV since 2000—the ones that stunned and entertained more than any others, and in turn made television what it is today. For those of us at The Ringer, this meant assembling a list that not only recognizes the best of prestige TV but also encapsulates everything that television has to offer: drama, comedy, variety, reality, game shows, and lifestyle-focused programming.

To come up with a list of the 100 best episodes, the entire Ringer staff was asked to submit their favorite episodes of the century. The list was then assembled with those submissions in mind, and with one stipulation—that only one episode per show could make the cut. The result is a list of 100 episodes of TV that covers the medium’s vast variety of genres and recognizes the wealth of greatness delivered on the small screen for the last two decades. Without further ado, here are The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century. —Andrew Gruttadaro

In Season 2’s Michelle MacLaren–directed midseason finale, Shane goes full Punisher after learning that Hershel has quarantined the county’s walker population in his barn. Meanwhile, a not-yet-ruthless Rick, eager to be a good guest, lamely insists that the farm is still safe. Also, Glenn and Maggie make out.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? It might be the series’s most iconic moment: As Shane and other soon-to-be-killed-off characters (this show did you dirty, T-Dog) silently contemplate the carnage in the wake of what one producer called “Barn-ageddon,” a girlish groan emerges from inside. It’s soon followed by its source, Sophia (Madison Lintz), who’d been missing since the season’s first episode. Carol’s undead daughter emerges from the barn and totters toward the group slowly enough for MacLaren to capture reaction shots from everyone. Even Punisher Shane seems paralyzed by the depressing sight, so Rick—who seconds earlier was all set to help Hershel add to the barn’s walker count—strides forward and does to Sophia what he did to the young walker he put down in the pilot. Although in retrospect the significance of the ex-lawman’s conversion to Team Post-Apocalypse is undercut by the countless resolutions Rick makes and breaks in subsequent seasons, it was powerful at the time.

What is the best behind-the-scenes anecdote about this episode? According to effects artist Greg Nicotero on AMC’s Talking Dead, MacLaren shot two endings for the episode: one in which Sophia looked like a zombie, and one in which she looked like her old self, reflecting the way that her former companions still wanted to see her. A blend of both might have worked well—maybe MacLaren could have faked the audience out by hiding Sophia’s true nature until after Rick pulled the trigger—but that approach would have detracted from the initial reveal. Not to mention that in most cases, it’s probably wise not to risk any confusion about why a protagonist is killing a kid. —Ben Lindbergh

Drama

Character Death

The Walking Dead S2 E7

<h2>&#8220;Pretty Much Dead Already&#8221;</h2>

Netflix

Moriarty attempts to steal the Crown Jewels and gets himself caught, detained, tried, and—mysteriously—acquitted, despite all evidence, including Sherlock’s testimony, weighing against him. Upon his release, Moriarty sets out to ruin Sherlock’s life.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? Moriarty unexpectedly killing himself in the episode’s final minutes, thus throwing Sherlock—and the viewer—into a logistical panic regarding the episode’s solution. Moriarty’s suicide precipitates the season finale’s notorious cliffhanger, in which Sherlock swan dives off the roof of St. Bartholomew.

Who stole the episode, and why? Andrew Scott—as Moriarty, he’s doing the maximally flamboyant version of the Joker’s and Raoul Silva’s get-caught schemes from The Dark Knight and Skyfall, respectively. From stealing the Crown Jewels to shoving a gun in his own mouth, he makes a great spectacle of himself while making a mockery of Sherlock. The show has struggled with villains ever since, and the show’s third-season finale, “His Last Vow,” simply remixed “The Reichenbach Fall” for Sherlock’s end game with the vengeful mogul Charles Augustus Magnussen. —Justin Charity

Season Finale

Sherlock S2 E3

<h2>&#8220;The Reichenbach Fall&#8221;</h2>

Hulu

When it’s spring break in Laguna Beach, you go to Cabo, the magical land of drama and underage drinking. With Kristin and Stephen broken up, L.C. sees an opportunity. Kristin, meanwhile, acts like a completely normal single girl, while Stephen has a breakdown and vigorously slut-shames her for it.

What is the most memorable line from this episode? “What happens in Cabo stays in Cabo.” It’s a line that so efficiently lays down the rules of spring breaks across the globe—one that is so good that seemingly everyone in the Laguna Beach cast says it at least once in a 26-minute span.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? “Iconic” might be the wrong word, but Stephen’s freakout over seeing Kristin dancing on a bar is at least one of the most memorable scenes in reality TV history. Shockingly (at least on rewatch), the show depicts Kristin—a teenage girl with free will, unbound by any commitments—as the villain, and Stephen as the hero, as he shouts “Slut!” across a Mexican bar like a sentient Twitter egg. The framing of Laguna Beach certainly hasn’t aged well, but they should still get some credit for, <a href="https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2016214/rs_600x334-160314124659-600.kristin-cavallari-stephen-colletti-laguna-beach.31416.jpg?fit=inside%7C900:auto&amp;output-quality=90">in one shot alone</a>, showing us such a clear depiction of toxic masculinity before the phrase was even popularized. —Andrew Gruttadaro

Reality TV

Laguna Beach S1 E5

<h2>“What Happens in Cabo”</h2>

Paramount+

Queen Elizabeth II is crowned in an elaborate recreation of the real 1953 coronation—featuring Handel, scepters, and hundreds of extras in fur-lined robes. Meanwhile, her uncle and husband both have tantrums about not being king, which puts Elizabeth in the impossible position of trying to balance public duty and personal life. Queens: They can’t have it all.

Who stole the episode, and why? Elizabeth is on the back foot, as she would put it, for a majority of this episode, trying to manage the childish behavior of the men around her. It’s not a setup for capital-A acting; Claire Foy spends a majority of her time in reaction mode, looking anxious and overwhelmed. But she is rewarded for her patience with the Anointing—the climactic scene of both the episode and the coronation ceremony (as we learn in a flashback featuring Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, played by Jared Harris). Foy does not say a single word for the last 10 minutes of “Smoke and Mirrors,” and you could not point to a single change in her physical behavior. Yet her transformation, while just sitting silently on a throne, is astounding. One minute she is a reluctant young woman, and the next, she’s a face on a stamp. It’s like she’s not even acting at all.

What is the best behind-the-scenes anecdote about this episode? Netflix reportedly spent around $7 million per episode of The Crown, and costume designer Michele Clapton recreated every single outfit in the Abbey for “Smoke and Mirrors.” But the “holy oil” for the Anointing? <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/06/the-crown-queen-elizabeth-coronation">It’s olive oil from Tesco</a>. —Amanda Dobbins

The Crown S1 E5

<h2>&#8220;Smoke and Mirrors&#8221;</h2>

This should have been the Weeds series finale: a logical and satisfying end to Nancy Botwin’s relatively innocuous career as a suburban mom turned drug dealer in which she commits arson as a means of leaving her old life behind. It would have been perfect.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? In the penultimate scene, Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin talks to her dead husband, Judah, one final time. Jeffrey Dean Morgan had a recurring role as the infallible husband and father, and his specter was a mounting problem in Season 3; the benevolent ghost had to be exorcised. Before torching her house and thus fully ending her life as a dissatisfied suburban mother, she tells Judah, “If you’re still here, I tried.” This scene typified the glory days of Weeds, a phrase uttered probably only by people with direct connections to the production. It harnessed the thrill of watching Parker play a messy but effective criminal. The path of destruction on Weeds was merrier and brighter than on most other drug crime shows, but that was the point. Even neophyte drug dealers from the Lululemon set have to deal with consequences.

Who stole the episode, and why? The show should also have ended with the Season 3 finale because it was Romany Malco’s last episode. He became better known as one of Steve Carell’s coworkers in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but he was also Nancy’s hot supplier whom she occasionally slept with. They did not bid each other farewell with steamy sex in a grow room, but rather with an adult conversation in which they realize they don’t have much in common beyond their illicit vocation. Malco’s Conrad was the most charming of Nancy’s many love interests, and one of the show’s truest adults among a sea of grownups pretending to be them. —Juliet Litman

Weeds S3 E15

<h2>&#8220;Go&#8221;</h2>

Prime Video

The spaceship Serenity is disabled while deep in space, leaving the crew with limited oxygen. Mal orders everyone to leave, while he stays behind in case someone hears their distress signal. As Mal nears death, the episode is interspersed with a series of delirious flashbacks he’s experiencing, showing how the crew came together.

Who stole the episode, and why? It’s no secret that the heart and soul of Firefly is the ship, and the final flashback in “Out of Gas” shows the moment Mal first laid eyes on Serenity. He couldn’t look away, and neither could the audience.

What is the most memorable line from this episode? Mal: Let me show you the rest. And … and try to see past what she is, and onto what she can be.

Mal: Freedom is what. —Kate Halliwell

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Firefly S1 E5

<h2>&#8220;Out of Gas&#8221;</h2>

Celebrating Drew Carey’s 10th anniversary as Price Is Right host, the show raised the stakes, awarding contestants $10,000 if they hit a dollar on the wheel and $25,000 if they hit a dollar again on their additional spin. In a sequence of sheer madness and impossible chance, three people hit a dollar five times in a row, and a record-setting $80,000 was given out.

What is the most memorable line of this episode? “We’ve given away $80,000 just on this wheel spin,” Carey says in a fit of laughter, partially stunned and perhaps partially considering if this could bankrupt the show.

Who stole the episode, and why? The wheel itself? The odds of hitting the dollar five times in a row are apparently <a href="https://twitter.com/dianagram/status/911268271864860672">1 in 3.2 million</a>, and the stakes were already raised to begin with. We talk about impossible-to-beat sports records—Cal Ripken’s consecutive games played, Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points—but barring an extreme rewriting of the Price Is Right rules, the odds of this moment being topped are nearly impossible. —Miles Surrey

Live Tapings

The Price Is Right S46 E5

<h2>“Episode 46.5”</h2>

How’s that for a happy ending? After successfully rescuing his daughter from terrorists and foiling an assassination plot, Jack Bauer gets to the end of the longest day of his life (one of many to come), only to find out that his ex, Nina Myers, is a double agent. In the final seconds of the episode, we find out that Nina has murdered Jack’s wife, Teri.

How did this episode influence the future of TV? 24 paved the way for shows like Game of Thrones. There had been twists in television before, but 24 weaponized them. Audiences generally came to television to be comforted, knowing that everything would eventually work out. 24 was an assault on the senses, and the final episode of the first season changed what we thought the rules of mainstream TV entertainment were. The hero might “win,” but at great personal cost.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? Teri Bauer noticing the blood on the floor in the tech room with Nina. It’s a wrap for you, sis. —Chris Ryan

24 S1 E24

<h2>“11:00 P.M &#8211; 12:00 A.M.”</h2>

Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan!) discovers that the Doctor, a time-traveling Gallifreyan stuck in the past, has left a series of messages in her DVD collection warning her about the Weeping Angels, monsters who appear frozen in angelic statue when looked upon but who attack in an instant if you even blink. Hence the episode title.

What is the best behind-the-scenes anecdote about this episode? The episode falls into a category of “Doctor-lite” scripts for the BBC series, in which the Doctor is relegated to what amounts to a guest-starring role in someone else’s story. (Imagine an episode of Curb that focuses on Marty Funkhouser and features Larry David via Skype.) “Blink” allowed showrunner Russell T. Davies to work on two episodes simultaneously: one prominently featuring the Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and CGI effects, and “Blink,” which barely featured the protagonists and whose main villains were statues with spooky lighting.

How did this episode influence the future of TV? Doctor Who has been on the air in various forms since 1963 and, like Batman, has a rogues’ gallery of recurring villains. The show has been criticized for playing those hits too often—every season has to have some appearance by the plunger-armed murderous BBQ smokers known as the Daleks—so the creation of a new and rather frightening adversary in the Weeping Angels was noteworthy. They made six other appearances and played a pivotal role in the departure of Doctor companions Amy and Rory, who—spoiler—blinked. —Rubie Edmondson

Doctor Who S3 E10

<h2>“Blink”</h2>

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-americanidol-charity/idol-gives-back-60-million-inspires-thousands-idUSN2539322220070427?pageNumber=2">“‘Idol’ gives back $60 million, inspires thousands”</a> is the perfect backhand-compliment headline for this celebrity-stuffed April 2007 charity telethon, which on its first night veered awesomely from the sublime (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r5oCu7JRR8">Annie Lennox</a> all dominated) to the ridiculous (Celine Dion <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HtPG6eMIo">duetted with a digitally reanimated Elvis</a>).

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? The likes of Josh Groban, Green Day, Fergie, and Earth, Wind &amp; Fire all did their best, but split this honor between Idol’s two most iconic singers. Of the live performances, Clarkson and Jeff Beck’s searing version of Patty Griffin’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shTQ5UTbfsM">“Up to the Mountain”</a> got the most spontaneous mid-wail applause. And the montage of Underwood’s teary-eyed humanitarian trip to Africa, scored to her casually bombastic cover of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstLRWHgD2Q">“I’ll Stand by You,”</a> best underscores the flamboyant pageantry of it all. Just ignore all the <a href="https://vimeo.com/147147997">corny-celebrity</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj5VI9KEpbM">attempts at</a>  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjoYbaMr78s">comedy</a>, OK?

What is the most memorable line from the episode? “Prepare to be startled!” chirped Ryan Seacrest, introducing the Celine-Elvis thing. The act of even trying to prepare for that debacle only left you further unprepared. —Rob Harvilla

American Idol S6 E33

<h2>“Idol Gives Back 2007”</h2>

“First touch: life.” So narrator Jim Dale says of protagonist Ned’s costly ability to revive the dead, and so we say of this gone-too-soon gem of a series, which in its first hour established itself as a vibrant and quirkily unconventional whodunit that’s so much more: a portrait of love, loss, and longing.

Who stole the episode, and why? Lee Pace’s Ned and Anna Friel’s Chuck are the beating heart and charged skin of Pushing Daisies, but from the moment Chi McBride’s Emerson Cod and Kristin Chenoweth’s Olive Snook raise an eyebrow and an embarrassing masturbation admission, respectively, it’s abundantly apparent that Bryan Fuller’s creation will draw an extra surge of power from the interplay between the leads and their sidekicks. How better to show us what Ned craves with Chuck than by injecting such liveliness and oddity into every one of his interactions with both his partner and neighbor?

Every scene of Pushing Daisies crackles with brightness and shine, a candy shell covering the pain; more often than not, in the pilot and beyond, McBride and Chenoweth are the ones layering on that coating.

What is the most memorable line from this episode? “Well, I suppose dying’s as good an excuse as any to start living.” We mere mortals might not be able to relate to Chuck’s particular existential state when she says this, as no one reading this—to the best of my knowledge—has ever been murdered aboard a cruise ship while smuggling a briefcase of plaster (actually gold) monkeys, only to be raised from the grave by the touch of a childhood neighbor/first kisser, who happens to be able to bring people back to life, with some fine print attached. But surely we can all relate to the sentiment, and to that particularly debilitating sensation of feeling like we’re watching our own lives melt away. —Mallory Rubin

Pilot Episode

Pushing Daisies S1 E1

<h2>&#8220;Pie-lette&#8221;</h2>

HBO Max

The contestants complete a silly challenge (do cockney accents next to Boris Kodjoe) and pose for an uncomfortable photo shoot (pillow fight with a male model while being sprayed with feathers). But the true stuff of memes goes down when Tyra eliminates underdog model Tiffany Richardson, Richardson responds flippantly, and Tyra just snaps.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? If you’re a citizen of the internet it’s probably already playing on loop in your head: the typically composed Tyra, in a black tube-top dress, standing before two girls onstage, her fiery red hair bouncing as she screams, “I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU. HOW DARE YOU?”

The scene has since been chopped apart and memed to no end, becoming a go-to mode of expression in online vernacular. An episode of Family Guy even memorably portrayed Tyra as a model who, mid-angry speech, transforms into a lizard and swallows a contestant.

What is the best behind-the-scenes anecdote about this episode? In a BuzzFeed News <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/michaelblackmon/we-were-rooting-for-you-we-were-all-rooting-for-you?utm_term=.qcG3evaNe#.hlq2GrMBG">feature</a> published in 2017, Richardson alleged that Tyra also took digs at her socioeconomic status, yelling, “You can go back to your house and sleep on your mattress on the floor with your baby,” but that line was edited out of the episode. Richardson also revealed that Tyra and her mother, Carolyn London, later visited her in her hotel room to smooth things over. Immediately after that meeting, which Richardson says left her feeling “juiced up,” producers filmed an exit interview to capture a more hopeful resolution to the conflict. —Alyssa Bereznak

America&#8217;s Next Top Model S4 E7

<h2>“The Girl Who Pushes Tyra Over the Edge”</h2>

Public pranks—like a pantsless cop being handcuffed to a street light—hilariously fill the segments between Eric Andre’s wild interviews. The main event is James Van Der Beek’s attempt to get through an interview while sitting next to bad clones of himself, all while T-Pain scats nearby.

Who stole the episode, and why? The last bit of the episode features a segment called "Cook Like a Pro,” which features comedian Rory Scovel. Things do not go well for Chef Rory: The segment starts with him breaking apart an artichoke while slowly undergoing a severe crisis of confidence over God’s existence. The crisis grows stronger, and after breaking glass on his head and hands, a bloodied Chef Rory begins to cry as T-Pain sings a very dramatic and beautiful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner."

How did this episode influence the future of TV? Let's be honest: This episode probably set television back a few years. Eric Andre is exceptional at taking typical TV tropes, warping them with his incredibly weird mind, and releasing a product that seems familiar up until you see someone vomiting on a table and then eating it. Andre’s comedy shocks viewers and forces them to sit through ridiculously uncomfortable moments, but if you're able to muster the courage to watch the whole thing, you’ll be rewarded with hearty laughs and memories that will (maybe unfortunately) last forever. No one has tried the things Eric Andre has tried on TV, which in a way makes his show low-key influential. —Sean Yoo

Comedy

The Eric Andre Show S2 E5

<h2>&#8220;James Van Der Beek/Steve-O&#8221;</h2>

In the show’s original series finale, Fry wants to learn an instrument to impress his love interest, Leela. But his human hands suck, and he can’t play well, so he makes a literal deal with the (robot) devil to replace his hands with robot hands, and in a twist, ends up with the Robot Devil’s hands.

Who stole this episode, and why? The Robot Devil. He’s such a perfect character for the retro-futurism of Futurama’s New New York, and his scheming brings out some of the best comedy in so many of the other characters.

What is the best behind-the-scenes anecdote about this episode? In Futurama’s run on Fox, the network rarely committed to renewing the series. So this episode, the Season 5 finale, was produced under the assumption that it might be the series finale. As such, it includes almost every character in the series, begins to wrap up the Fry-Leela will-they-or-won’t-they story line, and has a perfect, meta kicker about the state of Futurama: Leela saying to Fry, about the opera he composed for her, “I want to hear how it ends.” —Riley McAtee

Futurama S5 E16

<h2>&#8220;The Devil&#8217;s Hands Are Idle Playthings&#8221;</h2>

Nadiya Hussain not only impressed the judges by winning a classic GBBO final—she transformed a baking competition into an overcoming-the-odds tearjerker on par with any Pixar movie. Who knew that mille-feuilles could be so inspirational?

Who stole the episode, and why? Nadiya, who whipped up delicious iced buns, a technically sound mille-feuille (hell yeah, custard slices), and a showstopping wedding cake adorned with jewels she wore on her wedding day. More than that, she offered a glimpse into how it feels to realize one’s potential.

One of GBBO’s primary appeals, at least when compared to its cooking or baking show counterparts, is that it tends to provide a relatively stress-free viewing experience: The baking takes place in a white tent in the middle of an idyllic countryside. The contestants pull for one another, and the producers often cut away to footage of rabbits, birds, and deer. The judges’ names—and you can’t make this up—are Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. All of this is soothing.

But Nadiya’s victory felt different. It didn’t feel like a reprieve from reality; it felt like watching sports. Nadiya slowly gained confidence as the season went on, and by the time she was waiting alongside fellow finalists Tamal Ray and Ian Cumming for the verdict, it was clear she’d come into her own. Reality TV is at its best when it feels, well, real. Getting to see Nadiya break free of her personal limitations was a genuine thrill.

What is the most memorable line from this episode? “I’m never going to put boundaries on myself ever again. I’m never going to say I can’t do it. I’m never going to say maybe. I’m never going to say ‘I don’t think I can.’ I can. And I will.” —Nadiya Hussain, a hero —Ben Glicksman

The Great British Bake Off S6 E10

<h2>&#8220;Series 6, Episode 10: The Final&#8221;</h2>

Somehow, the Oprah cameo is only the third most important thing to happen in this hour of television, because it also features (a) the now-famous cleanout of Kim Kardashian’s closet by one Kanye West and (b) a deeply intimate family therapy session in which Kim, Kris Jenner, and therapist Dr. Nicki make Rob Kardashian cry. (The business dispute over Rob’s forthcoming sock line Arthur George is the fourth most important thing on this episode.)

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? It is truly jarring, now, with a full knowledge of the tabloid ups and downs and more downs to come, to watch Kanye West remake Kim Kardashian to his specific visual standards. The scene confirms every negative suspicion one might have about their relationship, and also illustrates the remarkable extent to which Kardashian’s appearance, both sartorially and physically, has changed in the last six years. I cannot believe Kris Jenner has not scrubbed this from the internet. It is riveting to watch.

How did this episode influence the future of TV? Kardashian episodes always involve family squabbles, but some themes are solidified in this episode: Kim as the solo star (with help from Kanye), Rob as the outcast, the sisters as future makeup moguls, Kris as the business mind. This is the configuration that would lead the Kardashians to take over every major media platform — TV included — for the next decade. Blame it on Dr. Nicki. —Amanda Dobbins

Keeping Up With the Kardashians S7 E15

<h2>“Kardashian Therapy: Part 1”</h2>

Peacock

Andrew Gruttadaro

Salads on 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', Ranked

Long-unseen Police Academy star Steve Guttenberg, living quite nicely it seems, hosts a birthday party in his home, and the Party Down catering crew works the affair. Quickly, the party devolves into an impromptu writing workshop.

Who stole the episode, and why? Guttenberg, duh. The Gute’s most memorable role this century, prior to this, was a recurring spot on Party Down cocreator Rob Thomas’s beloved Veronica Mars. On that show, he played against type as a ruthless millionaire. Here, he’s a blithely pretentious (rich guy) artiste. That’s range!

What is the most memorable line from this episode? Steve Guttenberg: Have you ever had anything produced?

Roman DeBeers: Yeah, we wrote I Am Legend. I just work catering to keep in touch with the common man. —Sean Fennessey

Party Down S2 E5

<h2>&#8220;Steven Guttenberg&#8217;s Birthday&#8221;</h2>

Kurt tries out for football after his father catches him dancing to “Single Ladies,” which he claims is a training exercise for the team. He comes out to his father at the end of the episode. Quinn admits to Finn that she’s pregnant, and Will’s wife, Terri, reveals that she’s been faking a pregnancy of her own.

What is the most memorable line from the episode? “Hi, I'm Kurt Hummel and I'll be auditioning for the role of kicker.”

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? Many aspects of Glee have not aged well, but the show never went wrong by throwing Lea Michele on a stage and letting her sing her heart out. This episode’s cover of Celine Dion’s “Taking Chances” was a prime example of Glee taking a cult-classic song and endearing it to a new generation through some good old-fashioned belting. —Kate Halliwell

Glee S1 E4

<h2>“Preggers”</h2>

Over the course of several Thanksgivings, from childhood to adulthood, we see Denise become open about her sexuality, then come out to her family, and then bring girlfriends over for the holiday.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? At the very end of the episode, Denise’s mother (who was not especially excited to learn that her daughter is a lesbian) shares a tender moment with Denise’s girlfriend. It’s really very touching and inspired.

How did this episode influence the future of TV? I’m not so sure that it influenced TV as much as it was indicative of the type of television we’ve gotten over the past few years, but placing Denise at the center of the episode (when the series is about Dev) was a really smart and good way to play it. (You see it in shows now like The Affair, and we’ve seen it on a bigger scale in shows past like on The Wire, where you could argue that Jimmy McNulty was the star of the show in Season 1 and then extremely not the star of the show in Season 2.) —Shea Serrano

Master of None S2 E8

<h2>&#8220;Thanksgiving&#8221;</h2>

When a slightly nerdy couple from Nebraska moves to Spain, a perfect crystallization of the House Hunters formula emerges: The two are unable to compromise, and they passive-aggressively bicker so much that they are barely able to choose a new apartment.

What is the episode’s most iconic moment? Easily the ending, when, after a full episode of back-and-forth arguing, Charles and Sandy each refuse to choose an apartment, ceding the decision to each other until the episode resembles a Saturday Night Live skit. Part of the (possibly twisted) joy of watching House Hunters and House Hunters International is schadenfreude from witnessing a couple get reduced to rubble by the stress of buying a new house; “Kendo and a PhD in Barcelona” is that schadenfreude amplified to the nth degree—the dialogue between Charles and Sandy is so fierce, so sharp, and so subtly mean that it’s impossible to watch without crying-laughing.

What is the most memorable line from this episode? Charles: I could put my office and study here.

Sandy: So, you’ll be here and I’ll be there and—

Charles [far too quickly]: And you’ll be quiet. —Andrew Gruttadaro

THE 100 BEST EPISODES of the Century