These episodes transcend regular TV. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable episodes of television that attracted our attention in a big way. Major spoilers to follow.
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00:00There were no survivors.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable episodes
00:07of television that attracted our attention in a big way.
00:10Major spoilers to follow.
00:11He made up his mind ten minutes ago.
00:16Number 10.
00:17Who goes there?
00:18True Detective
00:19If people weren't paying attention to True Detective before, they certainly were after
00:22this.
00:23Who goes there is the fourth episode of the first season, following Rust as he infiltrates
00:34the Iron Crusaders to get the location of Reggie Ledoux.
00:37The entire episode is a masterclass in pacing and tension building, and it flies by thanks
00:46to some terrific writing.
00:47But it's best known for the climactic raid sequence, which was shot in a single take
00:51and choreographed to absolute perfection.
00:54It's a brilliant piece of filmmaking unlike anything seen on TV at the time, and it rightfully
01:04earned Cary Joji Fukunaga the Emmy for Outstanding Directing.
01:18Number 9.
01:19The Day Will Come When You Won't Be
01:20The Walking Dead
01:23Sometimes going hard can be a good thing, and sometimes filmmakers go a little too hard.
01:30That might have been the case with The Day Will Come When You Won't Be, the infamous
01:34episode that saw the bloody deaths of Glenn and Abraham.
01:38While The Walking Dead had long been regarded for its violence, this scene was simply too
01:42much for many viewers.
01:52Fans and critics alike argued that it crossed a line with the death's painfully prolonged
01:55and extraordinarily graphic.
01:57The show may have veered too far into the realm of sensationalism, betraying good storytelling
02:01for sickening displays.
02:11Number 8.
02:12The Constant, Lost
02:19Widely regarded as one of the best episodes in TV history, The Constant is universally
02:23acclaimed for its unique narrative structure, emotional depth, and the seamless blending
02:27of science fiction and romance.
02:32An adventure unlike any other, viewers are whisked from one set piece to the next as
02:43they follow Desmond Hume as he attempts to find his constant, an anchor for his mental
02:47stability which is affected by time traveling.
02:50The episode masterfully interweaves different timelines, creating a poignant and thrilling
02:54story that culminates in a deeply moving phone call between Desmond and his constant, Penny.
03:12It's an ambitious episode of television, edited and written with expert precision, and leaving
03:16us in puddles of tears every single time.
03:30Number 7.
03:31Everyone's Waiting, Six Feet Under
03:32Oh, and speaking of puddles of tears, how about Everyone's Waiting?
03:40The title alone is enough to make us well up.
03:42Six Feet Under was a show entirely about death, dealing with it, accepting it, fighting it,
03:46and absolutely stuck the landing, as Everyone's Waiting is considered one of the best finales
03:50in television history.
03:55It's a profound and emotional resolution of the show's themes, but it also provides
03:58satisfying closure to the numerous narrative arcs that had been building across five seasons.
04:03The final montage is a work of art, showing how every member of the family died, and offering
04:22a thoughtful meditation on mortality in four simple minutes.
04:34Number 6.
04:35Fishes, The Bear
04:43While ostensibly about a Chicago restaurant, The Bear is really about grief, generational
04:47trauma, and family dysfunction.
04:48You know, fun things like that.
04:51All those themes are encapsulated perfectly in season two's Fishes, which recounts a
04:55particularly painful Christmas in the Brizado household.
05:05While it contains some much-needed moments of levity, Fishes is an hour-long exercise
05:09in simmering tension.
05:14The show's traumatic themes are deeply explored, and its unique style of kinetic filmmaking
05:18is on full display.
05:19Much of the acclaim has, deservedly, gone to Jamie Lee Curtis, whose performance as
05:23Donna is uncomfortably breathtaking.
05:40For many, this episode hit a little too close to home, and Donna reminded them of people
05:44they'd rather forget.
05:45Number 5.
05:46Why We Fight, Band of Brothers
05:59One could certainly argue that all ten episodes of Band of Brothers went hard, offering us
06:03cinematic production values that are rarely seen on TV.
06:06But the episode that went the hardest is undoubtedly Why We Fight, a.k.a. the Holocaust
06:10episode.
06:24Easy Company enters Nazi Germany and stumbles across the Kaufering concentration camp.
06:29What they see inside stuns them into a brief moment of disbelief before reminding them
06:33of the values of fighting.
06:37It's an extraordinary, if haunting, episode of television, displaying nightmarish horrors
06:45and bringing one of the darkest moments in human history to startling life.
06:48It's not easy viewing, but it is necessary.
06:59Number 4.
07:00Connor's Wedding, Succession
07:07Despite the title, Connor's Wedding is not a happy affair.
07:09In fact, it's pretty darn depressing.
07:17Logan collapses offscreen, which in itself was a shocking and unexpected creative decision
07:22that was widely acclaimed.
07:23But that event is only used to get to the meat of the episode, and that's the reactions
07:27of his children.
07:41We follow the four kids as they process the news and slowly come to the realization that
07:45their fathers died.
07:46The entire episode is a masterclass in acting, with everyone bringing their A-games and turning
07:57these otherwise unsympathetic characters into human beings processing the death of a father.
08:02Connor's Wedding is a remarkable achievement, not just in terms of filmmaking, but also
08:06in thematic explorations and narrative curveballs.
08:18Number 3.
08:19Pine Barrens, The Sopranos
08:23One of the most influential shows in history did a ton of things that were considered revolutionary,
08:27like moving away from the main narrative to watch Chris and Pauly eat ketchup packets.
08:43Coming in the tail end of season 3, Pine Barrens detours from the building story and gives
08:48viewers a bottle episode with Chris and Pauly getting lost in the New Jersey woods.
08:55It was a daring creative risk, but one that paid off beautifully with a unique atmosphere,
09:03a fun storyline, and plenty of dark humor.
09:06Additionally, the ambiguity surrounding the fate of the Russian leaves viewers with a
09:10lasting sense of intrigue that never really goes away.
09:13Only The Sopranos could do an episode like this and get away with it.
09:32Number 2.
09:33Reigns of Castamere, Game of Thrones
09:45How about that red wedding?
09:47Battle of the Bastards set the record in terms of cinematic production values, but it was
09:50the Reigns of Castamere that left viewers crying on the floor like a hungry toddler.
09:55We know, we saw the reaction videos.
10:02The entire episode is wonderful, but it's famous for the ending, in which the Starks
10:06are ruthlessly slaughtered at the Twins.
10:08It's not so much the graphic violence that pushed boundaries, but the brave narrative
10:12rugpull.
10:13Killing off major characters in such a fashion is virtually unheard of, let alone the series
10:17protagonists.
10:27And here we thought Robb was going to triumph.
10:29Well, Game of Thrones, you got us good.
10:37Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:40Party.
10:41God of Light.
10:42Twin Peaks.
10:43One of the most terrifying and experimental episodes of television ever produced.
11:04The Suitcase.
11:05Mad Men.
11:06A really enjoyable masterclass in writing and acting.
11:17Mizumono.
11:18Hannibal.
11:19A bloody, brilliant, and visually stunning explosion of simmering tension.
11:34Two Cathedrals.
11:35The West Wing.
11:36An exceptionally written episode that went places TV never went before.
11:54Long Long Time.
11:55The Last of Us.
11:56An emotionally rewarding mini-movie about love, death, and undying commitment.
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12:39The show didn't end here, but it was certainly the climax, wrapping up most of the major
12:43storylines and leaving viewers thoroughly satisfied, if not thoroughly depressed.
13:02As the title implies, Ozymandias is where all of Walt's chickens come to roost and
13:07his empire collapses into dust.
13:09Hank dies, Jesse's taken captive, his money's stolen, and he's forced to abandon his family
13:13and go on the run with a new identity.
13:19These were the moments that everyone was waiting for, the moments that had been slowly building
13:23throughout five seasons and dozens of hours.
13:25It went hard, and unlike Ozymandias, it only solidified the television empire that was
13:29breaking bad.
13:39Can you think of any other episodes that really ran with it?
13:42Let us know in the comments below!