From Mad Men’s “The Suitcase” to Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias,” a lot of the greatest TV episodes of all time aired in the 2010s. The Golden Age of Television began in 1999 with the premiere of The Sopranos, but it didn’t hit its peak until the 2010s. In a post-Breaking Bad world, the TV industry exploded with literary storytelling, cinematic visuals, and theatrical performances.
In some of the 2010s’ best TV episodes, The Walking Dead delivered blockbuster spectacle on the small screen, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made the one-take gimmick work long before Adolescence, and Curb Your Enthusiasm distilled the conflict between Israel and Palestine into a chicken restaurant. These are the decade’s crowning television achievements.
Bob Day Afternoon
Bob’s Burgers Season 2, Episode 2
Bob’s Burgers started to find its uniquely laid-back, weirdly wholesome voice in the early season 2 episode “Bob Day Afternoon,” in which Bob is taken hostage by a bank robber across the street from the restaurant. This episode perfectly combines a heightened comic premise with relatably mundane everyday situations, and Bob’s love for his family is central to this wacky caper.
Watchmen Episode 6
Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen sequel series perfectly recaptured the original comic’s powerful blend of superhero spectacle and harrowing historical commentary. In the sixth episode, Lindelof told the origin story of Hooded Justice, a minor character from the graphic novel, through a horrifying alternate-history depiction of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It’s the epitome of Lindelof’s distinctive vision of the Watchmen universe.
Charlie Work
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 10, Episode 4
The one-take gimmick doesn’t always work, but It’s Always Sunny’s “Charlie Work” episode exemplifies how to use that gimmick to enhance a narrative and bolster a gag. We see how Paddy’s Pub has survived safety inspections for so many years by following Charlie’s painstaking cover-up process in real time. It’s a hilarious half-hour of situation comedy, but it’s also just a great bit of filmmaking.
The Bent-Neck Lady
The Haunting Of Hill House Episode 5
Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House is the perfect marriage of family drama and supernatural horror. The fifth episode, filling in the backstory of recently deceased Nell, encapsulates that marriage of genres. Nell’s life is a heartbreaking tragedy, marked by the persistent presence of a ghost with a bent neck. The ending that connects Nell to the ghost is both a jaw-dropping twist and an emotional gut-punch.
Fish Out Of Water
BoJack Horseman Season 3, Episode 4
Television is typically a dialogue-driven medium, but BoJack Horseman’s season 3 episode “Fish Out of Water” plays like a silent film. BoJack goes to an underwater film festival to promote Secretariat and ends up reuniting a baby seahorse with its family. This beautiful little story is told entirely through visuals, set against the gorgeous undersea backdrops.
International Assassin
The Leftovers Season 2, Episode 8
Up until season 2’s “International Assassin,” The Leftovers portrayed a grounded, sobering view of the worldwide post-apocalyptic psyche. But it radically departed from that style in “International Assassin,” which sees Kevin Garvey navigating the hereafter to remove the ghost of Guilty Remnant leader Patti Levin from his mind. The episode is as thematically rich as it is wonderfully surreal.
Ronny/Lily
Barry Season 2, Episode 5
If David Lynch or the Coen brothers had made an action movie, it might’ve looked something like the unforgettable standalone Barry episode “ronny/lily.” Bill Hader’s twisted sense of humor is on full display throughout this deliriously funny, deeply disturbing half-hour of Barry Berkman contending with stab wounds, PTSD visions, and a superhuman father-daughter kung fu duo.
White Bear
Black Mirror Season 2, Episode 2
Before it was a global mega-hit on Netflix, Black Mirror was a cult favorite, quietly airing on Channel 4. The episode that turned it from a promising new anthology show into a must-see masterpiece was season 2’s “White Bear.” It’s a compelling mystery that builds to a thrilling final twist, and a chilling dystopian tale exploring the horrors of mob mentality and eye-for-an-eye punishment.
Palestinian Chicken
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 8, Episode 3
Larry David reduced the complexities of the conflict between Israel and Palestine to a hot new chicken restaurant in Los Angeles in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s season 8 episode “Palestinian Chicken.” Larry has to weigh his Jewish identity against how much he likes the Palestinian chefs’ chicken. It’s a perfect example of Curb’s unique brand of satire.
The Ricklantis Mixup
Rick & Morty Season 3, Episode 7
Rick and Morty pivoted away from the titular duo to the Citadel that houses their many multiversal variants in season 3’s “The Ricklantis Mixup.” The episode uses a sprawling metropolis full of Ricks and Mortys for a The Wire-esque study of institutional corruption. We meet crooked cops, working-class heroes, and self-serving politicians in this well-rounded portrait of the American city.
