# The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 19, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823 "2018-11-19T22:04:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/1 "2018-11-19T22:04:27Z")
I like Bill Simmons and I like his site, the Ringer. However, some months ago they ranked [the 100 best TV episodes of the 2000’s](http://besttv.theringer.com/) and I hate it. They imposed a one episode per show rule, which is fine because otherwise you get the entire run of the Sopranos. But the rankings, wow. They are awful.
While I can appreciate there is an episode of Jeopardy!, there are entirely way too many reality TV shows included. And honestly, they didn’t even get the best reality TV episodes. The Joe Schmo Show season one finale and the series premier of Tool Academy are the greatest episodes of reality TV, no question. Neither is on the list.
The Walking Dead episode is #100. Futurama “The Devil’s Hands are Idle Play Things” is ludicrously low on the list. There are so many problems, these are just a couple. I also have a big problem with the #1 episode on their list.
Anyway, check it out for yourself and gripe about it or agree with it here.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/2 "2018-11-19T22:30:12Z")
Of those 100 I have seen 5. And I’m severely lacking in the series I’ve seen.
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### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/3 "2018-11-19T23:07:21Z")
I agree with _South Park_ Ninja Weapons episode. That was a good one.
_Futurama_’s Robot Hands episode was pretty good.
I give the listmaker kudos for including a _The Price is Right_ installment. That’s a twist on listing I wouldn’t have thought of.
Otherwise, yeah, I’m not watching that stuff. I would say I’m not watching that shit, but
the _Breaking Bad_ fans will go nuts.
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### Author:  [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/4 "2018-11-19T23:18:45Z")
The link is on the fritz for me but can I presume that “the 100 best TV episodes of the 2000’s” actually means “the best episode from 100 US TV shows of the 2000s”, like the rest of the world doesn’t have TV?
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/5 "2018-11-19T23:27:36Z")
not sure I can get behind a list like this that does not include an episode from “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Middle”
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### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/6 "2018-11-20T00:37:34Z")
I don’t care about the rankings that much, but this stuff should be categorised. Brilliant dramatic works like _Ozymandias_, _International Assassin_, _Pine Barrens_, and _Middle Ground_ don’t belong in a list with game shows and cartoons.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/7 "2018-11-20T00:57:22Z")
I don’t hate the list, though I hate parts of it. I would say the best episodes this century are:
LOST - The Constant (included)
Fringe - Marionette (not included and none from the show)
Battlestar Galactica - Daybreak (included)
Outlander - Faith (not included and none from the show)
Leftovers - International Assassin (included)
Black Mirror - White Christmas (not included but does include another episode)
Arrested Development - Pier Pressure(not included but does include another episode)
Vikings - All His Angels (not included and none from the show)
The Expanse\* - Home (not included and none from the show)
Twin Peaks - The Return: Episode 8 (included)
Avatar the Last Airbender - Sozin’s Comet (not included and none from the show)
South Park - Trapped in the Closet (not included but does include another episode)
\*most stunning is total absence of Expanse. Shocking.
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/8 "2018-11-20T02:43:47Z")
I was going to mention “The Constant”, but they did, and at number one, no less. Also personal faves are “Frasier: The Ski Lodge” (like a “Three’s Company” episode for smart people.) “Magnum P.I.: Did You See the Sunrise?” And the Barney Miller brownie episode.
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/9 "2018-11-20T03:28:59Z")
I remember seeing 14 of these and there are another 3 that I might in theory have seen (because I sometimes watched the show but don’t remember.)
They got their _Community_ episode wrong–they should have picked [_Epidemiology_](https://tv.avclub.com/community-epidemiology-1798166414) (which legitimately belongs on an “all times best episodes” list.)
The _BSG_ should be [_Exodus_ part II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus_(Battlestar_Galactica)).
The _Bojack Horseman_ might be right unless it should be _Free Churro_.
I don’t know which _Buffy_ I would pick as best of the series (since they picked _Once More With Feeling_) but I’m leaning more towards _The Body_.
They got the _Firefly_ episode right.
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### Author:  [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/10 "2018-11-20T04:31:18Z")
I’ve got to vehemently disagree with “Good Times with Weapons” as a “best episode” for South Park. Maybe it’s enjoyable if you’re a fan if Anime, but it’s way too full of Anime inside jokes to work for many of us. They have so many great episodes with universal appeal. “Casa Bonita” or “Marjorine” are two alternates that are well-deserving of this spot.
The list’s selection for Futurama is definitely solid, it’s not my personal favorite, but it’s a great episode. Ditto for Lost.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/11 "2018-11-20T05:06:11Z")
Should be about 90% PBS, a few _Chappell Show_, some _Drunk History_ and maybe “other”.
But what do I know? I don’t even have the Internet Jimmy to open the link.
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### Author:  [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/12 "2018-11-20T05:07:27Z")
100% agree that Pier Pressure should have been the Arrested Development episode.
I cannot accept that an episode of Lost is #1 of the 2000s. And while I get the love for The Constant, for me it’s gotta be the season 3 finale with flash forwards when we learn Jack and Kate got off the island.
How the Black Mirror episode wasn’t San Junipero I can’t understand.
Jersey Shore in the top 15 and The O.C. in the top 10 also crazy for me. The True Detective episode is way, way too high. Higher than the Sopranis episode? Nah.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/13 "2018-11-20T11:56:42Z")
Link doesn’t work for me (tried two browsers) – Did they pick a Babylon 5 episode?
Brian
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/14 "2018-11-20T12:19:06Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#):
>
> The link is on the fritz for me but can I presume that “the 100 best TV episodes of the 2000’s” actually means “the best episode from 100 US TV shows of the 2000s”, like the rest of the world doesn’t have TV?
Not quite. It’s ‘the 100 best episodes from English language shows that are shown in the US’…about 1/10 of the list is British.
> [@N9IWP](#):
>
> Link doesn’t work for me (tried two browsers) – Did they pick a Babylon 5 episode?
Babylon 5 ran from 1994 to 1998, rather outside the scope of a ‘best of the 2000s’ list.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/15 "2018-11-20T13:12:35Z")
Egad, what a non-functional page.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/16 "2018-11-20T14:40:50Z")
The absence of Archer disqualifies the entire list.
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### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/17 "2018-11-20T14:56:05Z")
“Devil’s Hands” isn’t even the best Futurama episode. I glanced at the rest. Another ho hum clickbait list, though at least the author does try to defend the choices. I’ll give 'em that.
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### Author:  [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/18 "2018-11-20T15:41:05Z")
They listed Sponge Bob’s _Band Geeks_ in the list which I greatly endorse. Takes me back to the days of watching the show with my young son.
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### Author:  [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/19 "2018-11-20T16:02:30Z")
Hmm, I’ve opened the link in a couple browsers with no issue. Wonder what the problem is.
Bill Simmons, the CEO of The Ringer, admitted he let his staff get too carried away on this list. One episode they admitted they missed kind of flies under the radar but its importance can’t be understated. In terms of importance, it may very well deserve a top 10 ranking. That is the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro. And I guess you have to put that night’s WWF Monday Night Raw as a companion.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-best-tv-episodes-of-the-century/824823/20 "2018-11-20T17:24:21Z")
The best episode of _The Sopranos_ was “College”. It was the first episode that really featured a head-on collision of Tony’s two worlds, and the lengths he had to go to keep them separate; it’s also about the internal struggles of Meadow and Carmela as well. It’s our first true glimpse into who these people really are. “Pine Barrens” was a good episode, but it was just a sideshow.
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