Rolling Stone has put together, with a large contribution from their noted TV critic Alan Sepinwall, a nice, comprehensive list of the 100 greatest single episodes of TV, stretching from The Honeymooners to This year’s Fargo S4 finale, and ranked in greatness order (not chronological). It’s a pretty interesting list with many obvious choices, and thankfully very few series finales (which I have long-thought were over-rated episodes of TV). There are a few surprises and a couple of head-scratchers (GoT in particular has a weird choice selected). The only rule seems to be just one episode per series. Beware of series spoilers (and in a few cases, spoilers for other series). If it’s a show you haven’t finished watching yet, I’d skip the write up on that given episode.

I saw that a Leftovers episode was in the top five. Unusual.

It's a magnificent episode. A HUGE departure (in every way) from everything that came before it. An episode I watched with no advance fanfare that I just said "Holy shit" when it was over. I had the same reaction with their selection for BoJack.

Yeah, that is a bizarre choice for Game of Thrones when you have episodes like "Baelor," "Blackwater," and "The Rains of Castamere" to choose from.

Also too bad we didn't see Babylon 5 represented, which has a decent share of brilliant episodes ("The Coming of Shadows," "The Long Twilight Struggle," "Severed Dreams") and Deep Space Nine ("The Visitor," "In the Pale Moonlight").

It's all subjective and no more definitive than if I was choosing the list myself ... which would include numerous Trailer Park Boys, SCTV, The Flintstones, Fawlty Towers, and Charlie's Angels (season 1) episodes, btw.

I can’t imagine an iconic single SCTV episode.

I would have liked to include The Vat of Acid Episode episode from Rick & Morty. That’s another episode that totally caught me off guard and blew me away.

Glad to see both NewsRadio and It's Always Sunny getting mentioned. Neither episodes picked are my favorite but theyre definitely top tier. They got the #1 right at least.

I'll give you one ...

Episode #83: The Moral Majority
- Sponsors (Sunbright laundry detergent)
- The "Merv Griffith" Show
- Mrs. Falbo's Tiny Town
- The National Midnight Star
- Doorway To Hell w/ Lin Ye Tang
- Doctor Tongue's 3D House of Stewardesses
- Critics Corner with Bill Needle
- The Gerry Todd Show (Michael McDonald 'Ride Like The Wind' studio arrival video)
- Floyd Robertson's return from Rolling Hills Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center

The episode won a well deserved Emmy award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music program.

Okay, I’ve seen the Michael McDonald skit and it’s pretty great.

Alan Sepinwall's opinions are better than yours. That does not make the list definitive, but it makes his list-making endeavor more valuable than one that would come from any layman.

WKRP in Cincinnati's S1 'Turkeys Away' should be in that list.

Where's Jurassic Bark?

Papa's got a brand new excuse should have been top 10, easily.

Six Feet Under finale should be higher just from the final scene alone.

I'd also put on that list:

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs
The Simpsons: 22 Short Films About Springfield

Nice to see You're The Worst on the list. I miss that show.

When I think of Seinfeld, LOST, and Everybody Loves Raymond episodes, I immediately think of the 3 episodes that are on the list.

I haven't read much of his stuff since he moved to Rolling Stone, but The Leftovers and Breaking Bad were always 2 shows that Sepinwall would mention whenever he could. The entire second season was phenomenal so it deserves to be up there and that episode was great.

I'm surprised he didn't have a Sopranos episode higher.

I like Alan Sepinwall but this has to be the most ridiculous statement I've read in quite some time, Dooku, and you've had some doozies over the years. My layman's opinion, of course.

Well spotted, sir.



Who the hell is Alan Sepinwall anyways? LOL. Lists like this are, well, 100% subjective. My top ones would be any and all South Park episodes that offend people. .

He's, by far, the most influential television critic working today. LOL.
He's also written several books including excellent ones on the Sopranos and Breaking Bad.

Like most here, he's a guy who watches a shit-ton of television shows and has opinions on them.

This. Especially for those of us who didn't read the books.

Rolling Stone? so is the number one slot the VMA show where Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift? I am still shocked Rolling Stone didn't name Kanye best guitarist of all time.

The Red Wedding is another that was a superior episode. heart wrenching, but applicable.

Have to agree, it's the show's high mark of several long-running storylines as GOT slowly goes downhill from there. Iconic when people think of GOT.