Top 10 Modern Episodes That Defined Television
#10: “Everyone’s Waiting” “Six Feet Under” (2001-05)
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There are series finales, and then there’s “Everyone’s Waiting.” “Six Feet Under” was a special show all along, but its finale is considered one of the best of all time. Unlike every other episode in the show’s history, the show begins with not a death, but a birth. Brenda gives birth to her daughter Willa at the beginning of the episode while still struggling with her partner Nate’s death. The show offers healing for both of them and all the Fisher clan, but it’s the final montage that gets us. We get to see what the future has in store for everybody in the Fisher family, including their deaths. It’s a gorgeously bittersweet way to end the show.
#9: “Happy Ending” “Schitt’s Creek” (2015-20)
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When it came to ending this show, “Schitt’s Creek” decided to go with a classic - a wedding! But there’s a lot more to be said about the finale of this beloved sitcom, even if David and Patrick’s wedding is one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen. The episode gives closure to all of our favorite characters, whether it be Alexis moving on from Ted, or Johnny and Moira moving back to California. The episode centers around the wedding between our two favorite boys, but that wedding is also a way to bring all of our favorite characters together for one last time. Plus, it made us wish that Moira was real so she could officiate our wedding.
#8: “Teddy Perkins” “Atlanta” (2016-22)
From the moment it started in 2016, “Atlanta” was one of the most interesting shows to hit television. But “Teddy Perkins” might be its most outrageous episode ever. The episode takes a sharp turn from “Atlanta’s” more comic sensibilities and turns into something more horror-adjacent. In the episode, Darius, played by Lakeith Stanfield, goes to a stranger’s house to pick up a prized piano once owned by a famous musician. He meets a strange man named Teddy Perkins, played by Donald Glover in pasty make-up. What unfolds from there is frightening, a little funny, and exhilarating. We don’t know what goes on in Glover’s mind, but we’d like to find out.
#7: “The Suitcase” “Mad Men” (2007-15)
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Who knew coming up with an advertising campaign for a suitcase company could make such riveting television? This episode of “Mad Men” is widely considered one of the show’s best, and one of the best episodes of television ever. It centers around the two most important characters on the show, Don and Peggy, as they struggle to meet a deadline for an important client. What starts out as a professional endeavor, however, ends up becoming personal. Throughout the episode, Peggy and Don learn they have more in common than they realized, bonding them together in a way they never expected. It’s not romantic, but something far more spiritual and intimate.
#6: “The One with the Embryos” “Friends” (1994-2004)
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It’s rare you get a sitcom episode with one of the funniest storylines ever and also one of the most heartwarming. But “Friends” did that with “The One with the Embryos.” The title comes from Phoebe’s attempts to get pregnant so she can be a surrogate for her brother and his wife. But the meat of the episode really has to do with an unforgettable competition between the boys and the girls. Monica and Rachel decide to go up against Chandler and Joey in a battle of who knows each other best. The prize? Monica and Rachel’s apartment. The trivia game is an iconic part of “Friends” history.
#5: “Two Cathedrals” “The West Wing” (1999-2006)
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If there’s one thing Aaron Sorkin knows how to do, it’s write a memorable speech. And President Bartlet’s plea to God at the end of “Two Cathedrals” is one of his best. This episode of “The West Wing” follows Bartlet in the lead up to the funeral of his personal secretary, Mrs. Landingham. At the same time, Bartlet is dealing with questions about his own health and the fact that he has multiple sclerosis. It’s an incredibly emotional episode in myriad ways, and derives much of its power from an absolutely dynamite performance from Martin Sheen.
#4: “The Constant” “Lost” (2004-10)
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Time travel is always a tricky thing for any television show to get into. But “Lost” understood that as much as we care about the mechanics of everything, that’s not really the most important part. As long as you get the emotion right, things will be fine. “The Constant” centers around Desmond Hume, who finds himself unstuck in time. As his mind travels back and forth from 1996 to 2004, he struggles to find the one thing that can center him, his constant. As it turns out, love is the strongest force, and Desmond’s constant ends up being his on and off again partner, Penny. The final phone call between them is stunning.
#3: “Battle of the Bastards” “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
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When it comes to production values (and budget), there’s no episode of television that has stunned quite like “Battle of the Bastards.” By the time the sixth season of “Game of Thrones” rolled around, we knew to expect stunning visuals. But the battle between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton took our breath away. The image of Jon Snow standing in front of a slew of charging horses alone was enough for us, but the episode just grew from there. Besides the amazing look of the battle, “Battle of the Bastards” is also emotionally satisfying. It gives Sansa her due, and lets us finally return to Winterfell.
#2: “Ozymandias” “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
Throughout “Breaking Bad,” Walter White never quite had the strength to admit to himself just how badly he had broken. But in the third-to-last episode of the series, that all changed for good. “Ozymandias” is a stunning piece of television, focusing not only on Walt’s psyche but also the breakdown of all the important relationships in his life. Whether it be Walt and Jesse, Walt and Skyler, or Walt and Hank, nearly every important dynamic gets a moment to shine. And what ends up happening on our screens left us gobsmacked. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Long, Long Time,” “The Last of Us” (2023-) Sometimes A Love Story is All You Need at the End of the World “Connor’s Wedding,” “Succession” (2018-23) The Titan Fell and We Were Riveted “Previously On,” “WandaVision” (2021) What is Grief, if Not Love Persevering? “Chicanery,” “Better Call Saul” (2015-22) We Couldn’t Turn Our Eyes Away From Bob Odenkirk “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” “Euphoria” (2019-) This is Zendaya at Her Finest
#1: “Long Term Parking” “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
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Listen, we could have filled this list up with episodes from “The Sopranos.” “Pine Barrens” and Christopher and Paulie’s antics very nearly took the top spot. But our hearts were left shattered after the masterful devastation of “Long Term Parking.” This far into “The Sopranos’” run, Adriana was really the only truly innocent character left. That doesn’t mean she hadn’t made bad decisions, but she was really the only person you could justify rooting for. Watching her almost get away, only to be murdered by the people she had once called friends is one of the most terrible things we’ve ever seen on television. But, it’s also the culmination of years of careful storytelling. If we missed any of your favorite episodes in the modern television age, let us know in the comments below!