30 Highest-Rated TV Episodes on IMDb, Ranked (original) (raw)
Updated Mar 25, 2026, 5:24 AM EDT
Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.
A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.
Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.
Warning: There are spoilers ahead!
A good episode of television can be a way of telling stories as thrilling and absorbing as any other. Great episodes are usually grand events where the show's narrative reaches a pinnacle, making them memorable to fans of the show and creating an impactful cultural legacy.
From Breaking Bad to Attack on Titan, only a select few shows have been able to achieve a nearly perfect score on IMDb. These best TV episodes of all time can be exciting, emotional, fun, or often all of those things at once. Whether they're riveting crime sagas or profound dramas, they are impressive achievements that prove the true power of television.
30 "Ozymandias" — 'Breaking Bad' (2008–2013)
IMDb Rating: 9.5/10 – Season 5, Episode 14
Walter White, mouth agape looking shocked in a scene from Ozymandias, Breaking Bad.
Image via AMC
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! For the longest time, Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias" was well-known as the only episode of television with a flawless 10/10 rating on IMDb. That changed recently, after a retaliatory review bombing war between fans of Breaking Bad and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But even in spite of it no longer having a perfect rating, most people who have seen it would agree that "Ozymandias" is still the greatest TV episode in history.
It's no exaggeration to call this the biggest masterpiece that the small screen has ever been graced with. It's composed of nail-biting set piece after nail-biting set piece, brilliantly directed by Rian Johnson. Every scene is crafted to perfection and written so magnificently that it truly feels like every story beat and character arc of the show has been leading up to this moment. Without a doubt, "Ozymandias" is worthy of its fame.
29 "The Sign" — 'Bluey' (2018–Present)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 3, Episode 49
The Heelers eat in an empty house in Bluey's "The Sign."
Image via ABC Kids
It's no coincidence that, despite being a show aimed at toddlers, Bluey is far and away one of the highest-rated TV shows on IMDb. It's also not just because the little ones love it. It's because this revolutionary children's show appeals just as much to grown-ups as it does to kids, dealing with complex and surprisingly mature topics in ways subtle enough that they'll go over children's heads, but clear enough that parents won't be able to miss them. That's exactly why "The Sign" is as highly rated on IMDb as it is.
It was the show's first special episode, and also the longest, at 28 minutes. That was no coincidence, as it was produced as a test drive for a potential feature-film adaptation. It's an emotional roller coaster of an episode that will remind every adult about their first time moving away from their childhood home, guaranteeing no dry eyes left in the house. It's episodes like this one that make Bluey one of the best animated shows of the 2010s.
28 "Mizumono" — 'Hannibal' (2013–2015)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 2, Episode 13
Image via NBC
Hannibal is a show so dark and shockingly violent that it's anyone's guess how it was ever allowed to air on network television. Whatever the case, it's one of the crime shows with the best finales, but it's actually its season two finale that's the show's highest-rated episode on IMDb. Indeed, "Mizumono" is one of the most flawless episodes of television that has ever aired on cable.
It's an obscenely dark, shocking, and twisty masterpiece of an episode that never holds back, and that's exactly why IMDb reviewers love it so much. They praise the disturbing gore, the powerhouse performances, and the phenomenal writing, placing "Mizumono" right up there with The Silence of the Lambs as the greatest piece of Hannibal media of all time.
27 "Finale" — 'The Office' (2005–2013)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 9, Episode 23
Steve Carell as Michael Scott in 'The Office' series finale.
Image via NBC
The Office was the kind of game-changing sitcom that redefined the genre forever. Its last couple of seasons, admittedly, were full of pitfalls and problems, but something that no fan of the show has ever complained about is the series finale, which is easily the show's highest-rated episode on IMDb. Indeed, sitcoms have never seen a better ending than The Office's "Finale."
The episode doesn't take all that many risks, but it never needs to. It's proof that a series finale that builds itself on a foundation of pure, heartfelt fan service and hitting every satisfying beat that fans could expect can not only work, but be an absolute masterpiece. It's a hilarious episode, as most of The Office is, but it's also far and away the show's most tear-jerking episode.
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 1, Episode 23
Joel McHale as Jeff in the "Modern Warfare" episode of 'Community.'
Image via NBC
Community is another one of the greatest, most groundbreaking, and most iconic sitcoms of the 21st century. Fans knew from the very moment the first season started that they were in for what would surely become one of the best shows about college ever aired on network television, but particularly after "Modern Warfare" aired, there was no room left for doubt that that was the case.
It's rare for a show's highest-rated episode to come from its first season, but that's just how special "Modern Warfare" is. It pays homage to action films like Die Hard, The Matrix, and Battle Royale in all sorts of inspired and hilarious ways, and fans on IMDb love how it dials up its already high-concept premise up to 11 in a way that only a show like Community could have achieved.
25 "Blink" — 'Doctor Who' (2005–Present)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 3, Episode 10
10th Doctor with a phone machine next to Martha Jones in 'Doctor Who'
Image via BBC
There are plenty of great sci-fi shows over five seasons long, but Doctor Who isn't just that: It's the single longest-running sci-fi TV series in history, as it has been on the air since 1963. The original version of the show hit a hiatus in 1989; however, the show wouldn't come back until the 2005 revival. Full of fresh ideas and delightfully inventive material, New Who was a blast of fun throughout (almost) all of its run, but never was it better than with "Blink."
It's a Doctor-lite episode, meaning that it's an episode where the time-traveling protagonist has a relatively limited role. Instead, "Blink" is about Sally Sparrow (played by pre-Oscar Carey Mulligan) trying to avoid the Weeping Angels, violent aliens that turn to stone only when they're being watched. It's an exquisitely original high-premise story that results in one of the scariest, most atmospheric, and most entertaining episodes of sci-fi television in history.
24 "Connor's Wedding" — 'Succession' (2018–2023)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 4, Episode 3
A wedding with very few attendees against a city backdrop with a cloudy sky in Succession Season 4.
Image via HBO
Since the moment it started airing in and up until the day it ended, Succession was hyped up as one of the best shows on modern television. "Connor's Wedding" sees the main characters reacting to a grim twist of fate, and it's one of the numerous episodes that prove that Succession's fame is well earned.
"Connor's Wedding" sets the stage for one of the most surprising and fascinating final seasons in any TV show ever. A true event that paralyzed the internet and sent viewers into a frenzy, the episode succeeded with a story that's every bit as arresting as it is wonderfully directed, written, and acted, as well as offering one of television's best weddings ever.
23 "Vichnaya Pamyat" — 'Chernobyl' (2019)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 1, Episode 5
Jared Harris as Valery Legosov speaks at a symposium with an audience behind in Chernobyl.
Image via HBO
The HBO miniseries Chernobyl is nothing short of one of the greatest in the history of the medium. Each of the show's five episodes is amazing, and thus highly rated on IMDb, but there's one that stands clearly above the rest: "Vichnaya Pamyat" (Ukrainian for "Memory Eternal"), the miniseries' monumental final episode.
On IMDb, reviewers called the episode "the pinnacle of television." It's not just a fantastic episode in its own right, with terrific production qualities and titanic performances, but also the perfect way to conclude such a bleak story. Reserving the portrayal of what led to the infamous explosion for the finale was certainly a risky creative choice, but it paid off handsomely. "Vichnaya Pamyat" feels like a horror thriller just as much as it feels like a celebration of the ordinary heroes who responded to the disaster.
22 "Saul Gone" 'Better Call Saul' (2015–2022)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 6, Episode 13
Saul Goodman stands with his finger pointed in court in Better Call Saul.
Image via AMC
It's quite a challenge to bring any show to a satisfying close, and another to bring to a close not just a show as exceptional as Better Call Saul, but the entire _Breaking Bad_universe? That's one gargantuan task, yet "Saul Gone" delivered. Simultaneously subversive and rewarding, it's a brilliant conclusion to the story of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk).
Aside from being home to Better Call Saul's single best quote, "Saul Gone" is a masterpiece for all manner of other reasons, all of which IMDb reviewers were happy to list when talking about the series finale. Mentioning the poetic subtlety of the finale, the hugely powerful way Jimmy's arc comes to a close, and the tremendous quality of the writing for the episode, fans were happy to call this one of the greatest episodes of television they'd ever seen.
21 "Chapter 16: The Rescue" – 'The Mandalorian' (2019–Present)
IMDb Rating: 9.8/10 – Season 2, Episode 8
Luke Skywalker exits an elevator with his lightsaber drawn in the second season finale of The Mandalorian.
Image via Lucasfilm
It's hard to believe that a transmedia franchise as massively successful and long-running as Star Wars had never had a live-action show before The Mandalorian came out in 2019. The show took the world by storm, and while its latest season is typically agreed to be relatively weak, the second one is typically agreed to be the best.
This exceptional second season concludes with "Chapter 16" of the series, titled "The Rescue." Filled with hugely exciting yet carefully realized fan service, emotionally riveting moments, the culmination of several character arcs, and a deeply moving ending, "The Rescue" isn't just Star Wars television at its best, but television in general at its best, period.