The 2020s are already halfway over, and during that time, we’ve witnessed huge box office hits, multiple shows destined to become cult classics, and some spectacular episodes of TV. These TV episodes span a wide range of genres, from epic fantasies to dystopian dramas. They also cover different mediums, time periods, and entirely unique worlds. But the one thing they share in common is that they are undeniably masterpieces.
With standout performances and creative plot twists, these episodes have so much to offer, and they’re destined to stay with viewers long into the 2030s and beyond.
So, here’s a look at 10 of the greatest TV episodes of the 2020s.
“Where I Really Come From”
‘Invincible’ Season 1, Episode 8
Following Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun), a half-Viltrumite half-human, Invincible initially seemed like a typical superhero story. However, it was soon revealed that his father, Nolan (J.K. Simmons), aka Omni-Man, wasn’t as heroic as he appeared. In the appropriately titled episode, “Where I Really Come From,” Mark learned more about his father’s origins, including that he had been sent by the other Viltrumites to conquer Earth. Toward the middle of the episode, Mark and Nolan faced off in a bloody battle, leading to the deaths of hundreds of innocents and a battered and broken-hearted Mark.
An Origin and an Ending
“Where I Really Come From” ended on a somewhat optimistic note, but the episode forever changed how Mark saw his father. It also established the Viltrumite threat that would come to haunt Mark in the following seasons, making viewers question whether Mark’s heritage might also control his destiny.
“The Red Dragon and the Gold”
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 4
A prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon centered on the brewing war between the Greens and the Blacks. In “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” tensions came to a head at Rook’s Rest when Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) attacked with her dragon, Meleys, only for Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his own dragon, Sunfyre, to literally return fire. As the two fought, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) appeared on Vhagar, commanding the dragon to attack both Rhaenys and his brother. In the end, Rhaenys and Meleys were killed, Aegon was terribly wounded, and the fate of the seven kingdoms remained even more uncertain.
Everything Fans Wanted
“The Red Dragon and the Gold” gave viewers exactly what they wanted: high stakes, betrayal, and dragons fighting mid-air. This doesn’t even get into the drama at Harrenhall or the battle taking place by land. Simply put, “The Red Dragon and the Gold” is a golden example of House of the Dragon at its best.
“Whenever You’re Ready”
‘The Good Place’ Season 4, Episode 13
The Good Place starred Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, a recently deceased, not-so-great person who somehow wound up in the Good Place—or did she? As the series progressed, Eleanor began to realize that she was actually in the Bad Place, and it became her mission to show that people can change and grow. By the series’ finale, “Whenever You’re Ready,” she’d proven that humans were capable of earning their spot in the Good Place. Now a Good Place member herself, all that was left was for her and her friends to reach fulfillment and move on.
More Than Good
The last episode of The Good Place is great, delivering everything a series’ finale should. It’s funny, emotional, and poignant, completing every character’s arc in a way that was simultaneously satisfactory and bittersweet.
“Long, Long Time”
‘The Last of Us’ Season 1, Episode 3
Based on the video game, The Last of Us Season 1 took place during an apocalypse caused by a fungus that turned people into zombie-like Clickers. Survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) was just trying to make it through each day when he learned of a possibly immune child named Ellie (Bella Ramsey). After some convincing, Ellie’s own survival became priority number one, with Joel determined to find the Fireflies and have them develop a cure. But Ellie and Joel weren’t always the stars of the show, and in episode 3, the cameras instead turned toward two background characters and their love story.
A Bittersweet Tearjerker
Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) both appear in The Last of Us game, but their story in the show is markedly different. In the game, Frank is already dead, and his last words to Bill, via letter, are that he hated his guts. In the show, the viewer gets to see the highs and lows of their relationship, including how they met, how Bill was almost killed protecting Frank, and how Frank eventually came down with a debilitating medical condition. While it can be argued that the pair get a happy ending, it’s undeniably a tearjerker, too.
“Gganbu”
‘Squid Game’ Season 1, Episode 6
Player 456, aka Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), was a gambler with a losing streak who was in desperate need of money. He joined a game that promised huge rewards, not realizing that he was putting his life up as collateral. As the games intensified, he befriended Player 001, Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su), an older man who helped Gi-hun through the other games. By episode 6, “Gganbu,” the two were essentially family, which made the reveal that only one of them could survive the latest game, Marbles, especially horrific.
A Winning Episode
Although the core of “Gganbu” was Gi-hun and Il-nam’s game, side stories involving the other players’ games were just as hard-hitting. From Sang-Woo (Park Hae-soo) betraying Ali (Anupam Tripathi) to Ji-yeong’s (Lee Yoo-mi) noble sacrifice, every moment was sadder than the last, and on a rewatch, the tragedy is only greater.
“Arrivederci”
‘The White Lotus’ Season 2, Episode 7
Taking place in Sicily, Season 2 of The White Lotus built upon the themes of wealth and sex that made Season 1 so great. It also brought back fan-favorite Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) and her now-husband, Greg, who had to leave the trip early, much to Tanya’s disappointment. However, as the season developed, Greg’s behavior grew even more suspicious, and as fans said “Arrivederci” to the season, Tanya sadly said farewell as well.
Hits All the Right Notes
This episode has some of Tanya’s best quotes, which is really saying something, since every line in the series is a winner. It also marked a huge shift in Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Harper’s (Aubrey Plaza) relationship and offered a hopeful ending for Mia (Beatrice Grannò) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco). Basically, the episode has some hilarious moments, some distressing scenes, and overall keeps your attention from start to finish.
“The We We Are”
‘Severance’ Season 1, Episode 9
What if you could separate your work-life from your home-life, literally? That was essentially the premise of Severance Season 1, where “Severed” workers would live one life above ground and one life beneath it, completely unable to remember the events that their Innie or Outie went through. This was great for the Outies, who got all the benefits of their off-time without ever needing to set foot in their office. But it wasn’t so great for the Outies, which is why they hijacked their bodies in Season 1 and tried to make a daring escape.
Surprising and Suspenseful
“The We We Are” is one of those endings where you don’t know what’s going to happen next—and neither do the characters. Watching each of the Innies adapt to their Outie’s life was fascinating, especially when it came to Helly Eagen (Britt Lower). Plus, it was hard not to root for Irving (John Turturro) as he looked for Burt (Christopher Walken), even though it wasn’t part of his mission, and the final few scenes were exactly what a good season finale needs to make a viewer invested in Season 2.
“Qui”
‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2, Episode 6
After a girls’ soccer team became stranded in the Wilderness, everything quickly devolved into Lord of the Flies. Each episode, hunger and fear caused the girls to descend even more into madness, with them eventually resorting to cannibalism in order to stay alive. During the episode “Qui,” one of the girls, Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), watched in horror as her newborn was devoured by her teammates, only to soon learn a truth that was somehow even worse: her baby had died at birth.
Incredible Acting
Shauna’s grief is a gut punch throughout this episode, and the jumps to the present-day just make everything that more intense. In this future timeline, the girls meet at Lottie’s (Simone Kessell) commune, setting the stage for a major confrontation to come. In short, this episode delivers gripping emotion, superb acting, and high-stakes, all culminating in an experience that is equal parts suspenseful and heartbreaking.
“Connor’s Wedding”
‘Succession’ Season 4, Episode 3
When the Roy family patriarch, Logan (Brian Cox) began having health problems, it set off a power struggle among his children. Each of them was determined to gain control of Waystar RoyCo, a global media conglomerate owned by their father. Come Season 4, Logan would die aboard his private jet on the day that his oldest son, Connor (Alan Ruck), was getting married. A huge shock to audiences, his death would leave his children grieving and viewers wondering what was going to happen next.
Standout Episode
“Connor’s Wedding” shook audiences, not just because of Logan’s death, but because of the way it unfolded off-screen. Whether or not he was actually dead remained uncertain throughout most of the episode, and his family’s reaction to hearing the news was both realistic and devastating. For a family defined by its rivalries, the episode surprisingly and deftly highlighted their connection and the importance of togetherness in the face of unexpected loss.
“The View from Halfway Down”
‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 6, Episode 15
Centered on an ex-sitcom star, BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) followed a self-destructive horse as he desperately clung to his former glory. Most episodes involved him making a bad decision that ultimately backfired, hurting him and those closest to him. In the episode “The View from Halfway Down,” he found himself in a dream surrounded by dead friends and family members. One by one, they began acting out important events from their lives and deaths before disappearing, leading BoJack to realize the horrifying truth: he wasn’t asleep. He was drowning.
A Viewing Must
The message and visuals of “The View from Halfway Down” stick with you, creating a dark feeling that’s hard to shake. Plus, at the time, it was uncertain whether BoJack had survived, making the episode especially hard-hitting as it appeared to be his last. Scary, thought-provoking, and unique, “The View from Halfway Down” is perfect from start to finish, and it will undoubtedly go down as a masterpiece of the 2020s.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
