Small screen masterpieces: The 20 best TV episodes of the 21st century
Once upon a time, Hollywood looked down at the grey television box in the corner of everyone’s living room. Small-screen offerings were indeed nothing special when they were popularised in the 1950s, with light sitcoms like I Love Lucy ruling the industry alongside news broadcasts and throwaway comedies. There was harmony between cinema and TV, with a vast difference in quality between the two mediums.
This steadily changed, however, as the new millennium neared closer and the quality of TV sets began to improve. Indeed, by the dawn of the 1990s, if you were willing to pay the money, you could have a pretty well-kitted-out living room, and TV studios began matching their content to fill the needs of the consumer who wanted bigger and better shows for their marvellous home cinemas.
Donning themselves as producers of box office television, the arrival of HBO significantly changed the makeup of the entertainment industry, with early hits like Oz, The Sopranos and Six Feet Under having such high production value that they felt more like cinema rather than a mere television show. Suddenly, the value of high-quality TV sky-rocketed with the small screen content of the 21st century, rivalling the feats of cinema for the first time ever.
Offering writers more time and space to flesh out their characters and intricate tales, modern television has produced some of the finest motion picture tales ever told. Distilling 24 years into just 20 entries is, therefore, no easy task, with our list of the 20 best TV episodes of the 21st century extracting just one iconic instalment from influential stories by the likes of Cary Joji Fukunaga, Trey Parker and Shane Meadows.
The 20 best TV episodes of the 21st century:
20. ‘Training’ – The Office (Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, 2001)
Sitcoms seem to be one of British television’s finest specialities, dished up with plenty of sarcasm and a side of self-loathing. From The Inbetweeners and Peep Show to The IT Crowd and Chewing Gum, British comedy has continued to flourish in the 21st century. It felt like The Office, which emerged in 2001, led the charge for the new century with Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook and Lucy Davis starring as a quirky group of office staff.
‘Training’, the fourth episode of season one, sees a man named Rowan come into the office to give a training session. Of course, David Brent’s eccentricities clash with Rowan, leading to some hilarious moments, such as the hotel complaint role-play sequence. Meanwhile, Tim tries to ask Dawn out for a drink, mistakenly thinking that she’s finally single. While The Office is championed for how its style influenced small-screen comedy, this episode reminds us of how utterly hilarious it was at the very same time.
19. ‘Gli Immortali’ – Gomorrah (Stefano Sollima, 2014)
Based on the book of the same name by Roberto Saviano, Gomorrah is undoubtedly one of modern television’s most underrated series. Telling the story of a man who tries to force his power on a crime syndicate, Gomorrah was championed for its authenticity and brutality, telling an intense tale that weaved together the stories of several compelling characters, from Salvatore Esposito’s Genny to Cristiana Dell’Anna’s Patrizia.
With a number of memorable episodes, little can match the quality of the season one finale, ‘Gli Immortali’, when Genny uncovers Ciro’s betrayal and sparks a war amongst the clan in the process. Quite simply a riveting piece of drama, few episodes of television can match the violence and sheer word-perfect finale of Gomorrah.
18. ‘Long, Long Time’ – The Last of Us (Peter Hoar, 2023)
Blazing a new trail for video game adaptations, The Last of Us opted to set its post-apocalyptic trappings and infected creatures to one side in favour of telling a tender, heart-wrenching and ultimately gut-punching love story that spanned more than two decades.
A staggering showcase for Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as Bill and Frank, ‘Long, Long Time’ follows the pair as they meet right at the end of the world, forming a long-lasting relationship as achingly relatable as anything to be found on the small screen despite The Last of Us being a blockbuster-sized TV series based on a console property. Sure, it was a show about zombies, but this episode illustrated the showrunners and performers had more than enough in the tank to deliver top-tier prestige drama.
17. ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’ – South Park (Trey Parker, 2006)
South Park has spent more than a quarter of a century mercilessly skewering the latest happenings in the pop culture and/or socio-political spheres, but never has it been done any better than ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’. In the episode, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny become far too invested in World of Warcraft, eventually morphing into gelatinous blobs who dedicate their lives to ensuring the player who keeps killing everyone has their reign of terror brought to an end.
Expertly incinerating the encroaching obsession with online avatars, forsaking the real world for an idealised online existence, and the pitfalls that come with spending so much time at the computer there’s not even a second for literally anything else, ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’ is South Park at its absolute peak.
16. ‘The Entire History of You’ – Black Mirror (Brian Welsh, 2011)
Whenever a new series of Black Mirror comes around on Netflix, viewers flock to its arrival thanks to its deft analysis of society’s relationship with technology. This is thanks to the excellent writing of Charlie Brooker as well as guest collaborators like Jesse Armstrong, who penned arguably the greatest-ever episode of the dystopian sci-fi show, 2011’s ‘The Entire History of You’.
Set in a very near future, the story is set in a world where memories can be recorded and played back to oneself through a chip embedded in the brain. Liam is just one of many people caught up in this reality, with the paranoid soul using the chip to reinforce his own insecurities about his job and marriage. It’s one of Black Mirror’s simplest episodes, as well as its most effective, speaking directly to how technology can complicate our lives rather than provide solace while providing the show with some of its most disturbing imagery.
15. ‘Finding Frances’ – Nathan for You (Nathan Fielder, 2017)
Modern comedy has been championed by a number of pioneers, with Nathan Fielder being just one of many, creating The Rehearsal for HBO and The Curse for Showtime, two of TV’s most innovative modern projects. His meta-style of humour peaked in his beloved mockumentary Nathan for You, however, with the peculiar oddity of ‘Finding Frances’ exemplifying his knack for comedy and deft ability to create poignancy out of nowhere.
In the season finale of the fourth series of the show, Fielder helps a Bill Gates impersonator find his former lover, with the feature-length episode perfectly tying up exactly what makes the comedian such a beloved treasure of comedy. A hilariously weird buddy road trip movie, Fielder’s tale is also consistently unpredictable, taking you to such surprising emotional depths that you’ll find yourself ruminating about love, loss and ageing.
14. ‘Part 8’ – Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)
25 years on from the end of Twin Peaks’ second season, David Lynch brought back many of the same characters – and created new ones – for The Return. The first two seasons were highly coveted, generating a cult following, spawning a prequel movie, Fire Walk With Me, and even a book, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, by Lynch’s daughter, Jennifer Lynch. When a third season was announced, fans were ecstatic, and what Lynch delivered was possibly the most Lynchian thing he could’ve ever made.
The third season sees Agent Dale Cooper’s evil doppelganger still causing havoc, and he even inhabits an insurance man named Dougie Jones. There are plenty of live performances, bizarre, nonsensical moments, and even the addition of actors like Laura Dern, Matthew Lillard and Naomi Watts. Yet ‘Part 8’ is easily the greatest instalment and one of the most spectacular things Lynch has ever done. Stunningly shot in black and white, there are plenty of visually impressive moments, such as an atomic bomb sequence which takes viewers on a psychedelic tour of human hell. It’s a haunting and breathtaking piece of television which feels like a culmination of Lynch’s work.
13. ‘The Constant’ – Lost (Jack Bender, 2008)
Although the sci-fi show continued becoming more unwieldy and nonsensical the longer it went on, ‘The Constant’ perfected the often-maddening formula that Lost had bet the farm on, by combining temporal shenanigans and unanswered mysteries with real human drama.
With Henry Ian Cusick’s Desmond and Naveen Andrews’ Sayid being transported to a freighter, turbulence causes the former’s consciousness to slip back and forward in time between 1996 and 2004, adding multiple layers onto Desmond as a character through means, motivation, and backstory while also filling in several notable gaps in the Lost mythology. Rooting the far-flung concept of time travel and psychological dissonance in a doomed romance that may yet have a happy ending, it was the best example of everything Lost was and wanted to be at the apex of its popularity, a watermark the show would never reach again.
12. ‘The Rains Of Castamere’ – Game of Thrones (David Nutter, 2013)
Throughout its airtime, HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on the acclaimed novels by George R. R. Martin, often delivered shocking twists, cliffhangers and set pieces to keep its audiences captivated across eight seasons. As far as the most harrowing episodes of the series go, though, it’s hard to look beyond the ninth episode of season three, ‘The Rains of Castamere’.
The episode saw the tension between the Houses Stark and Lannister bubble over to breaking point, and the infamous Red Wedding scene remains one of the most memorable moments in modern television history. As Robb Stark and his army celebrate Edmure Tully’s and Roslin Frey’s wedding, a sequence of sheer brutality unfolds. Robb, his mother Catelyn, his wife Talisa and several of his most loyal men are massacred by the Boltons and the Freys, which has significant consequences across all of the Seven Kingdoms. Several moments in Game of Thrones left mouths agape, but ‘The Rains of Castamere’ was easily the most shocking.
11. ‘Wedding’ – Peep Show (Becky Martin, 2007)
While Americans can make a mean drama series, nothing can quite compare to the British comedy track record. The volume and quality is simply staggering, but overall, Peep Show must come out on top as the greatest comedy series that the country has ever produced. It leads with a strong narrative, innovative point-of-view filming style, and so much cringe-worthy content that you’ll want to bite your own tongue off to relieve the tension.
On the topic of tension and cringe-worthy tales, the sixth episode of season four is the programme’s peak. We see the true essence of Mark and Jeremy’s disparate characters as the former consigns himself to a “loveless husk of a marriage” for the sake of living life by the book, while Jeremy tries his darndest to hold in a very desperate urge to urinate. Superhans also flits through one of his greatest appearances, setting out in a puddle of his own vomit and ending by stealing Nancy away from Jeremy. It’s the very best of Peep Show in all its finery, speaking to just how pathetic we humans can be if we never rise to face our challenges.
10. ‘International Assassin’ – The Leftovers (Craig Zobel, 2015)
Fans of The Leftovers have been singing the TV show’s praises ever since 2015, but for whatever reason, the mainstream simply isn’t all that interested in listening. This is likely because the fantasy concept sounds like it should be some sort of low-budget sci-fi show destined for the bargain bin, telling the story of a world left to deal with the fallout after 2% of the global population mysteriously disappears.
But, there’s so much more to this show than its mere concept, having an emotional depth that few other series can match, with this being represented most aptly in season two, episode eight, ‘Internal Assassin’. A baffling piece of drama that combines the very best elements of the show, ‘International Assassin’ is an ambitious concept pulled off with neat atmospheric tension. You’d be hard-pressed to find another piece of drama quite as gripping anywhere else on this list.
9. ‘Everyone’s Waiting’ – Six Feet Under (Alan Ball, 2005)
The HBO show Six Feet Under, created by Alan Ball, ran for five seasons in the early 2000s and explores the lives of a family of funeral directors, questioning what being faced with death on a daily basis does to a person. The family is made up of actors Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall and Lauren Ambrose, with several other supporting actors playing romantic or business partners, like Freddy Rodriguez and Rachel Griffiths.
Darkly comic and oftentimes very moving, the show’s final episode, ‘Everyone’s Waiting’ made audiences sob. After years of getting to know these characters nearly inside out, Ball wrapped up their story nicely – albeit rather emotionally. The characters navigate both new life and grief, and it feels bittersweet watching them adapt and accept life’s simultaneous joys and tragedies. Then, as Sia’s ‘Breathe Me’ plays, a montage of the characters, revealing when and how they all die in the future, rounds off the episode, leaving not a dry eye in the room. It’s a brutal watch but apt for a series that makes you view death in an entirely different light.
8. ‘Form and Void’ – True Detective (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2014)
For many of us, the first season of True Detective was the pinnacle of contemporary television. An absolute masterstroke from Nic Pizzolatto, it was in the eighth and final instalment, ‘Form and Void,’ when all the different strands and minutiae already set out were seamlessly woven into an explosive finale. Featuring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in two of their finest career performances, the nail-biting episode saw Rust and Marty finally solve the murder of Dora Lange and the other corresponding unresolved crimes.
Comprised of immense dramatic verve from the entire cast, flawless writing and cinematography, the cerebral and somewhat metaphysical nature of the series was taken to new heights here, with the concepts of ‘good and evil’ and ‘light and darkness’ analysed in a genuinely authentic, and indeed scintillating manner. Pushing crime drama to new heights, there’s no wonder that the ensuing seasons failed to reach the summit, given the grandeur of the inaugural outing. Given the disappointment of 2024’s reboot, there has never been a better time to assert that Pizzolatto should return and bring the darkness back in his characteristic and full-bodied manner.
7. ‘Middle Ground’ – The Wire (Joe Chappelle, 2004)
Widely considered one of the best TV shows ever made, HBO’s The Wire told of the battle between law enforcement and criminal enterprise in Baltimore, Maryland. Tension runs throughout each of the show’s five seasons, but in the penultimate episode of season three, events reach a simmering and unforgettable crescendo. An internal conflict between two competing drug lords of Baltimore, Avon Barksdale and Marlo Stanfield, rages on, and the lines between loyalty and deception are blurred. Meanwhile, Idris Elba’s character, Stringer Bell, meets his maker in one of the most shocking departures in the history of contemporary television.
Stringer himself has been caught up in a problematic allegiance with Avon, and when it’s revealed that his friend has ordained his tragic fate, Michael K. Williams’ Omar is sent to dispatch the powerful crime boss. There’s a beautiful moment in the episode where Stringer accepts his fate and openly receives Omar’s fatal bullets in one of the most poignant pieces of The Wire’s overall puzzle.
6. ‘Autumn’ – This Is England ’90 (Shane Meadows, 2015)
Back in 2006, Shane Meadows gave British cinema one of its greatest movies in the shape of This is England, a coming-of-age drama that spoke to the troubles that Thatcherism brought to the disaffected youth of the country. Although the film was a masterpiece, Meadows took the brave decision to follow it up with a number of TV series that continued the tales of the beloved central characters.
This Is England ’90 was the third of such celebrated series, with ‘Autumn’, the penultimate episode of the show, being the culmination of years of incredible writing from Meadows. Such is represented by the 20-minute dinner scene in which Lol tells her close friends and family that she killed her father. It’s drama in its rawest form, and if this list charted the best TV scenes, the centrepiece of ‘Autumn’ would be in the top spot.
5. ‘Why We Fight’ – Band of Brothers (David Frankel, Mikael Salomon, 2001)
The epic grandeur of modern cinema was made off the back of several iconic TV shows made around the turn of the new millennium, with Band of Brothers being one such programme. Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the show chronicled the true story of the Easy Company from their deployment to fight in WWII all the way to the end of the world-changing conflict.
‘Why We Fight’ is the penultimate episode in the mini-series and takes the soldiers through Germany, where they come into contact with an abandoned concentration camp that remains full of desperate prisoners. A heart-wrenching and sobering episode that speaks to the brutality of war and the humanity that is lost through the process of conflict, ‘Why We Fight’ is one of TV’s hardest-hitting episodes.
4. ‘Ego Death’ – I May Destroy You (Michaela Coel, Sam Miller, 2020)
Those who saw the extraordinary Michaela Coel drama I May Destroy You upon its release in a Covid-hit world bore witness to one of British television’s greatest modern masterpieces. Written, directed and starring Coel, the series was an exploration of sexual consent in contemporary society, with Coel drawing from her own tragic experiences to craft a truly compelling piece of drama.
The finale of the show has us believe that Coel’s Arabella will confront the person who sexually assaulted her. However, the episode plays out far differently, being more of a psychological expression of the conflicting ways she interprets the event. Speaking to the delicate and nuanced feelings of fear, anger and obsession that can spark following such an assault, ‘Ego Death’ is an incredibly brave and honest piece of drama.
3. ‘Connor’s Wedding’ – Succession (Mark Mylod, 2023)
Recency bias may indeed exist, but there’s no looking past the fact that the blind-siding episode, ‘Connor’s Wedding’, in the final season of HBO’s Succession, is a work of the highest order. Somehow making a show about intricate business decisions entirely watchable, Succession is a triumph thanks to the sharp scripts from Jesse Armstrong that sprinkled comedy over the top of several deplorable individuals.
After battling with their father for the leadership of the family’s media conglomerate, the final season of the show was supposed to feature the showdown between the boisterous children wishing to take the company in a new direction and the industry stalwart who wished to sell off years of family history. Yet, Armstrong didn’t give fans the satisfaction of such a showdown, killing Logan Roy off-screen in an ingeniously audacious move.
Positioning us with the warring children, it’s difficult to know whether Roy has, indeed, died or if he’s pulling off yet another sneaky power move. But, as the episode unfolds, the characters unravel, revealing their true selves beneath their steely exterior, marking ‘Connor’s Wedding’ as the very peak of the show’s supremacy.
2. ‘Ozymandias’ – Breaking Bad (Rian Johnson, 2013)
As one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Breaking Bad has plenty of episodes that can comfortably sit amongst the finest moments in small screen history, but it’s hard to look past ‘Ozymandias’ as the most devastating instalment by far.
A culmination of Walt’s double life coming back to haunt him, he desperately pleads for Hank’s life in exchange for every single penny he’s made from his drug manufacturing operations, only for the realisation to strike him that there was never any chance his brother-in-law was getting out of the desert alive.
Individually focusing on each arc of Breaking Bad‘s key players before zeroing in on the immediate aftermath of Hank’s death, Walt’s outing as a criminal mastermind, and the revelations that shatter the extended White family apart, ‘Ozymandias’ was the finest hour for a show that was almost defined by them.
1. ‘Pine Barrens’ – The Sopranos (Steve Buscemi, 2001)
The Sopranos‘ brilliance primarily comes from combining several elements of what we love about television. Widely considered one of the best TV shows ever made, David Chase’s iconic crime series mixed family drama, moments of sheer violence, conspiracy and even a fair share of humour. That is why it earned the top spot on our list.
The best episode of The Sopranos and our choice for the best TV episode of the 21st century is one that fearlessly fuses such elements. The 11th episode of season three delivers a darkly comic turn on the relationship between Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie Gaultieri while trapped in the desolate wilderness of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
The pair shift between arguments and moments of camaraderie as they wait in their van in the cold for the break of day. Humour runs about as the supposed wiseguys’ deepest insecurities and vulnerabilities are exposed, showing that The Sopranos was often at its best when it wasn’t taking itself too seriously. This was a truly classic moment of television and will never be forgotten, highlighting what The Sopranos was remarkably good at above all else: characterisation.
