As someone who watches a lot of TV, I have developed high standards over the years for what I consider a good show or episode. I constantly find myself wanting more from what I’m watching — more drama, more comedy, more emotional attachment to the characters. From everything I have seen, there are just an elite few episodes that I think are truly perfect, and I would not change a thing about. Whether they are nostalgic, creatively directed, or just simply great entertainment, these are the TV episodes that I consider perfect. *Spoilers ahead!*
“nationals 90210”: ‘Dance moms’
Though most of my list will be from sitcoms and scripted shows, I have to give credit where credit is due to reality TV. Growing up in competitive dance, Dance Moms was one of my favorite childhood shows, and no other episode comes close to the season two finale, “Nationals 90210.” The stakes are high, the stage is set, and the girls are competing for national titles that have been hyped up all season long. There is tons of drama in rehearsals, from Abby making Nia, Kendall, and Chloe compete for a solo, to Paige being made a human prop in the group dance, tasked with sitting still on stage the entire number. The final performances are among the show’s most iconic, from the dramatic group number “The Last Text,” to Maddie, Mackenzie, Chloe, and Brooke giving it their all in their solos. The ending is cinematic, with the group dance beating the Abby Lee Dance Company’s biggest rivals and most importantly, the ever-underestimated Chloe beating out the favorite, Maddie, for the junior national title. The ending is entirely satisfying, and you can’t help but smile watching it.
“north mammon”: ‘Criminal Minds’
Choosing just one perfect episode from one of my favorite shows seemed impossible, but this season two episode always stuck out to me. This episode is definitely more psychological and less overtly violent than the rest of the series, and it constantly keeps you guessing. The main premise of the episode is that three high school girls are abducted and held in a basement, and their captor tells them they can only leave once they kill one of their friends. The girls start as a united group, but they slowly start to break down and turn on each other as they are deprived of food and water. Between the scenes of the girls grappling with their captivity, we see the FBI investigating in the small town while the girls’ parents start to lose it as well. The parents grew up with one another, and the stress of their daughters’ abduction makes them turn against each other, passing blame and airing out dirty laundry. The ending is shocking, as we see only two girls emerging from the basement, and not the two you would expect. Even though it was from so early in the show, this episode still stands out as one of the best of the whole series.
“My motherboard, my self”: ‘Sex and the city’
This is another show that was difficult to narrow down to just one perfect episode, but “My Motherboard, My Self,” has to be my pick for Sex and the City. This episode follows Carrie freaking out as her computer breaks down while she’s writing her latest column, and when Aidan tries to comfort her, she lashes out. However, the real heart of the episode centers around Miranda, who travels home to Philadelphia when her mother has a heart attack and ultimately passes away. This is pretty heavy for such a lighthearted show, but I think it is very well done. We still get plenty of comedic relief from Carrie trying to get her computer fixed, Samantha worrying she lost her ability to orgasm, and Charlotte becoming the ultimate type A funeral coordinator.
There is a heartbreaking scene of Miranda shopping, and as she fights with the overbearing retail employee, she suddenly breaks down, realizing she will never fight with her mother again. In my opinion, the best parts of the episode come from the funeral itself. Samantha finally breaks down and cries, apologizing to Miranda for not being sympathetic, Carrie accompanies Miranda down the aisle so she is not alone, and we find out that both Aidan and Steve came all the way to the funeral to show their support. I end up crying at this episode every time, and I think it is a very earnest depiction of friendship, loyalty, and grief.
“connection lost”: ‘Modern Family’
From the already iconic show that is Modern Family, this has to be one of the most iconic episodes. This episode is shown entirely from the perspective of Claire’s laptop while she sits in the airport, communicating with her family through video calls, text messages, and social media. The episode has the classic wit and misunderstandings you would expect from a sitcom episode; Gloria gives Luke a mohawk, Cam incessantly nags Claire to get him airport popcorn, and most importantly, everyone thinks Hailey eloped and married Andy in Vegas. Claire goes through a range of emotions in the episode, reminiscing on a recent fight with Hailey and feeling like she has lost her little girl forever. The small details are what set this episode over the top as one of the best ever. My favorite is how Claire rushes to order a birthday gift for Mitch as she is on the phone with him, pretending one is already in the mail. The ultimate reveal that Hailey was never in Vegas and has in fact been sleeping in the house all day is the perfect end to a perfect episode. The sheer creativity of the format blows me away every time and I could watch it again and again, noticing something new each time.
“Last hurrah”: ‘The Summer I turned Pretty’
As a Conrad Fisher stan forced to watch all of the Jeremiah content in season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty, this episode gave me everything I needed. It has everyone back in Cousins, celebrating Belly and Jeremiah’s bachelor/bachelorette parties. In this episode, all the drama and tension that has been building comes to a head, and we get numerous dramatic moments. Belly finally discovers that it was Conrad who convinced her mom to come to her bridal shower, despite her disapproval of the rushed marriage, and confronts him about it. Conrad admits he never took credit for it and just wants Belly to have everything she ever wanted for her special day, sending Belly into a spiral of emotions. After the perfect needle drop of “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana Grande plays over Belly’s memories of Conrad as she dances in the club, Belly breaks down to Taylor, finally admitting that the wedding is nothing like she wanted and when she pictured her perfect wedding, she only ever pictured Conrad. Conrad also finds out that Jeremiah cheated on Belly and finally decides to express his feelings to Belly. In an epically dramatic fight on the beach, Conrad has a beautiful monologue and puts his heart on the line, only to be emotionally shut down by Belly. The episode ends with Conrad alone on the dock and Belly slipping into bed with Taylor instead of Jeremiah, making it clear she is conflicted by the events of the night. Watching this episode when it first dropped was truly an emotional rollercoaster and I definitely consider it one of the highlights of the whole series.
Honorable Mentions
I ran through my absolute favorites, but here are some episodes I love that didn’t quite make the cut:
- “Dinner Party”: The Office
- “Born Free”: Dexter
- “Testimony”: Veep
- “Flu Season”: Parks and Recreation
Everyone has different standards for what constitutes a truly perfect episode of TV, these are just the ones that meet mine. I like to laugh, get invested in a story, and most importantly, be entertained. If you haven’t seen any of these episodes before, I highly recommend you check them out!