19 Best TV Episodes of 2023
While TV looked a little different in 2023 with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there have been more than a few great episodes of television this year.
There have been episodes that shockingly killed off a major character early on in the season (like with Succession) and featured an almost unbelievable lineup of guest stars for a holiday gathering (The Bear). The Other Two delivered a play like no other in what ended up being its final season. Action took center stage on shows like One Piece and Warrior. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delivered a first in the franchise. And Barry went out on a memorable note.
Below, the TV Insider team shares their selections for some of the best TV episodes of 2023 (listed in alphabetical order). Scroll down to see which ones made the list, and let us know your favorites in the comments section. (And don’t forget to check out our picks for the “best of” this year for shows and performances.)
“wow,” Barry (Season 4 Episode 8)
We said goodbye to Barry, both the show and the character, this year with “wow.” The final season of Barry reminded viewers again and again how repellent Barry (Bill Hader, who also wrote and directed this episode) could truly be, from trapping his new family in a bleak life of hiding and fear to his cavalier attitude towards the lives of others. Any likeability he had had in previous seasons was gone.
The series could only have one possible end [spoiler]: Barry’s death, but it’s what came after that made the finale one of the best episodes of the year. After Barry is killed by his former mentor Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), who has come out of hiding to prevent a gratuitous and sensational movie being made about Barry, the series flashes forward several years, for the second time this season. Barry’s wife Sally (a superb Sarah Goldberg) is a successful and, from what we can tell, relatively happy high school drama teacher. Their son John (Jaeden Martell) is a teenager now. In a dark final twist, John goes to a friend’s house to clandestinely watch the movie made about his father’s–and his own–life. In it, Barry’s the hero, Gene Cousineau was the mastermind, and Sally and John were the uncomplicated loves of Barry’s life. John smiles a small, beatific smile at the screen, and the series ends with the note that Barry was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. The man we’ve spent 4 seasons learning to despise died a hero, and his son, who we watched emotionally torture, believes it. It’s a frustrating, slightly unsatisfying ending, but Barry was never interested in being satisfying. It was interested in subverting expectations and telling the most honest story possible. It was a perfect ending for a deeply imperfect character. —Leah Williams
“Fishes,” The Bear (Season 2 Episode 6)
The stellar lineup of guest stars in this flashback episode is almost too good to believe as the Berzattos (and friends and family) gather on Christmas for the Feast of the Seven Fishes: Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, Gillian Jacobs, Sarah Paulson, and John Mulaney join Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jon Bernthal, Abby Elliott, and Oliver Platt, with each getting at least one moment to shine.
It’s over an hour, but that extra-long runtime is needed to properly capture the drama and chaos that unfolds and give each character, relationship, and conversation the time it deserves. And not one minute is wasted because from the moment the festivities begin inside, the episode moves from room to room and just never stops. It all culminates in a tension-filled fight between Michael (Bernthal) and Uncle Lee (Odenkirk), but forks being thrown is somehow not the wildest thing to happen. That honor goes to the shock Donna (Curtis) delivers after her verbal response to being asked if she’s OK.
The episode itself is almost simple in its design — a family together for the holidays — but it’s so nuanced, well-acted, and well-written that it becomes a showcase for the cast and show. —Meredith Jacobs
"Forks," The Bear (Season 2 Episode 7)
This episode of The Bear was so wholesome and exciting to watch. Richie is known for having his outlandish opinions and being stubborn to change, so this episode allowed us to see his growth when he realizes he has to relinquish the sense of control. Carmi (Jeremy Allen White) sends Cousin aka Richie (Ebon Moss Bachrach) to stage at a three-Michelin star restaurant. He thinks he’ll be thrown into the day-to-day flow but is assigned to polish forks. Bachrach does such a good job as making Richie’s frustration visceral for viewers but after being spoken to he understands that everyone has purpose. The camera work gets you involved in his daily routine and you see how it slowly evolves his work ethic and approach to his personal life. He began to grasp the process that even doing something small or slightly insignificant but doing it great fits into the larger scale of it all. He understood the respect and intention that the staff put into every shift and he took that back to “The Bear.”
This episode made me so emotional because it’s something that can be applied to any person of any field. Going to work with an intention to not only better yourself but your team can motivate someone each day. His drive to be better and soak up knowledge pushed him to beat his alarm clock as the days went on. He listens, learns, asks questions and applies the skills he obtains. It made me think about how I can apply that same ideology to my own life. There’s one thing I won’t leave home without and will put into everything and that’s “purpose,” chef. —Ennica Jacob
“Do as I Say, Not as I do,” Bupkis (Season 1 Episode 2)
Between King Of Staten Island, his standup, and the tabloids, by the time Bupkis was announced, it seemed as though we already knew what there was to know about Pete Davidson. However, the second episode of the Peacock series sold us.
Bupkis is a deeply personal show about fame, grief, and family (which, more often than not, includes your closest friends). Bupkis sees Pete, playing a fictionalized version of himself, navigate the world of fame while still remaining true to his Staten Island roots, as well as grappling with the grief and mental health struggles he’s dealt with since he was a child. In real life, Davidson’s father was a fireman who died on 9/11. The second episode of Bupkis is about his family attending a wedding just 2 weeks later. His uncle Tommy (Bobby Cannavale) is marrying into the family, and spends a lot of his own wedding and reception trying, sometimes clumsily, but completely earnestly, to be there for tiny Pete. When the wedding photographer tries to get a family photo and demands Pete smile, Tommy says, “His dad died last week. Take the picture.” Back in the present day, Pete tries to be there for his uncle as an adult and a peer, giving him a space to express himself and letting him recklessly drive Pete’s expensive car.
It’s an incredibly moving and funny episode. Cannavale is excellent, as is Edie Falco as Pete’s struggling mom and Joe Pesci as Pete’s loving yet curmugeonly grandfather. Though Bupkis is fictionalized, the characters feel incredibly real, as does their grief. If you decide to watch an episode of Bupkis, make it this one. —Leah Williams
“Wild Blue Yonder,” Doctor Who (Second 60th Anniversary Special)
This standout hour allows David Tennant and Catherine Tate both to shine — as The Doctor and Donna Noble and the Not-Things looking like them. After Donna spilled coffee into the TARDIS console, the two end up at the edge of the universe, stranded after the H.A.D.S. (Hostile Action Displacement System) switches back on and the TARDIS flees imminent danger. Not only is it The Doctor and Donna at their best — the banter, her making fun of his “Allons-y” — and without the concern of her mind burning up, but there’s time for emotional moments from each as well.
Following “The Star Beast,” Tennant continues to play the devastating rage and quiet heartbreak of The Doctor’s losses (then, the thought of losing Donna as he had to activate the Time Lord memories dormant inside her, and this time, because of Not-Donna bringing up that Gallifrey isn’t his home and the Flux). And Tate brilliantly brings across the anguish and acceptance of her character facing her likely death, when The Doctor at first takes the wrong Donna on board the TARDIS upon its return just as the spaceship they landed on is about to explode to destroy the Not-Things. He, of course, returns in time, but both are visibly haunted by the experience after (pictured above).
There is time for a couple light-hearted moments, particularly when it comes to the two meeting (Sir — spoilers!) Isaac Newton (Nathaniel Curtis), whom they later agree was hot, and the change of “gravity” to “mavity” that sticks after he mishears them. And of course Bernard Cribbins’ last scene as Donna’s granddad, Wilf, and his joy at seeing not only The Doctor (and that particular face) but also Donna with her memories back, is as welcome as it is bittersweet. —Meredith Jacobs
“Insolubilia,” Fargo (Season 5 Episode 4)
At this point in Year 5 of the FX anthology, Minnesota housewife Dot’s (Juno Temple) lies are catching up to her in a big and spooky way on Halloween night. After escaping her kidnappers at the start of the season, Dot faces a more malicious attack when her abusive first husband Roy’s (Jon Hamm) son, Gator (Joe Keery) comes hunting for her with masked cohorts. Unbeknownst to her would-be attackers, Dot has booby-trapped her home this time around as her current husband Wayne (David Rysdahl) and their daughter Scotty (Sienna King) hide in the attic while her house of horrors unfolds downstairs. Ultimately, the ordeal turns into a devastating fire that takes the Lyon family’s home, symbolizing the loss of Dot’s carefully curated second life. It’s a heart-pounding hour of TV that reminds you just how good the small screen can be (*Note: Even better episodes remain on the horizon). —Meaghan Darwish
“Every Day,” Good Omens (Season 2 Episode 6)
What better way to cap off a devilishly good season than with a romantic, exciting, and heartbreaking finale? Neil Gaiman‘s Good Omens gathers angels from Heaven, demons from Hell, and mortals from Whickber Street in Aziraphale’s (Michael Sheen) bookshop, and not only does the truth about Gabriel’s (Jon Hamm) amnesia come out, but it also ends with an angel and a demon running off together… just not the ones we expect (though we didn’t hate it!). Sadly, Aziraphale and Crowley’s (David Tennant) emotional conversation and kiss (one of the best scenes of the series, with terrific performances from Sheen and Tennant) as well as a promotion from Heaven has them ending the season apart rather than as an “us.”
Also, after failed rom-com attempts from Aziraphale and Crowley to play matchmaker for Maggie (Maggie Service) and Nina (Nina Sosanya), the women don’t get together — a healthy decision on the coffee shop owner’s part, given her previous relationship, and a swerve from what might be expected.
The episode does everything a good finale should: wraps up some loose ends and leaves off on a cliffhanger that has us begging for the third season ASAP. —Meredith Jacobs
"Long, Long Time," The Last of Us (Season 1 Episode 3)
One of the best episodes of the year came early in 2023, setting the bar high for the rest of the 2023-24 TV season. “Long, Long Time” stars Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as unlikely lovers who carve out an isolated paradise in the aftermath of the apocalypse. We see them fall in love, the first spark igniting when Offerman’s Bill sings the Linda Ronstadt song that gives the episode its title to Bartlett’s Frank. The Last of Us is all about holding onto love and believing it’s worthwhile despite the terrors of the world telling you the opposite. The Episode 3 flashback was the first time this world showed us love was possible in this grimmest of landscapes. And the performances from Offerman and Bartlett throughout the decades of Bill and Frank’s life together would make the coldest of hearts thaw.
It’s also a damn near perfect example of why shows should take creative liberties with its source material: We meet Bill after Frank has already died in The Last of Us game, and we don’t get as much backstory. HBO’s adaptation expands their tale in a way game lovers didn’t know they needed, most notably changing the ending to make Bill and Frank die together. That massive veer from the source material was so well executed, it’s arguably a better ending than the original. Few shows can betray the original story and walk away victorious in the eyes of the viewers. The Last of Us defied the odds here. We’re still thinking about the scene with the strawberries. —Kelli Boyle
“Book of Calvin,” Lessons in Chemistry (Season 1 Episode 7)
For readers of Bonnie Garmus’ book upon which the show is based, Calvin Evans’ (Lewis Pullman) death did not come as a shock like it did while I was viewing the Apple TV+ series. Watching Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) cope with his loss is painfully heartbreaking, but this installment really throws into focus his undying devotion to her and better outlines his past. Along with depicting his childhood in an orphanage, viewers also see the pen-pal relationship between Calvin and one-time lecture attendee, Reverend Wakely (Patrick Walker) unfold over the years. It turns out Wakely had a direct impact on Calvin’s pursuit of Elizabeth, so when the Reverend learns of her Madeline’s (Alice Halsey) connection to his late friend, it proves that not everything in life has a scientific explanation. Using the letters Wakely still has in his possession, Elizabeth and Madeline work to unravel Calvin’s history by visiting his old school/orphanage where, despite being met with resistance, find a promising lead in their mission. —Meaghan Darwish
"The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King," One Piece (Season 14 Episode 1062)
Although the year is filled to the brim with stellar 10 out of 10 episodes that are very hard to choose from, we’ve got to give One Piece‘s “Episode of the Year” to Zoro vs. King. Although Gear 5 broke the internet, many were expecting a show out for the occasion like none-other. However, the fight between the Straw Hat’s vice-captain Zoro and Kaido’s right-hand man King elevated the source material in a way nobody expected. Toei Animation took a fight with limited action and crafted a combat sequence that will go down in history. The animation was at its peak; the choice in impact frame and liberties made it a moment that surpassed its manga counterpart and truly put Zoro’s seal on the Wano Arc as his arc. —Isaac Rouse
“The Curse of the Seafaring Life,” Our Flag Means Death (Season 2 Episode 5)
It’s a difficult decision to select a favorite episode from Our Flag Means Death’s fantastic second season. While there are some beautiful moments in “Calypso’s Birthday,” and an epic mermaid fantasy sequence in “The Innkeeper,” it’s “The Curse of the Seafaring Life” that really stands out for me. After reconciling, Stede (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) do their best to reassure the crew of their stability. While Stede leads a raid, Blackbeard spends the episode wearing a rice sack onesie and cat collar so the bell will alert crew members to his presence. There is so much to enjoy as Stede takes lessons from former foe Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill) and causes a superstitious stir when he nabs a red coat from a supposedly cursed ship. Meanwhile, Blackbeard explores some much-needed quiet time and reflection during a fishing adventure with Fang (David Fane). Add in some great crew moments for Frenchie (Joel Fry), Roach (Samba Schutte), Oluwande (Samson Kayo), and Jim (Vico Ortiz), and you have a winning combination. But rounding it all out is a romantic moment on deck for Stede and Blackbeard which mirrors a scene from Season 1, in which the line, “You wear fine things well,” is reprised. —Meaghan Darwish
"Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play," The Other Two (Season 3 Episode 5)
The Other Two Season 3 Episode 5, “Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play,” sees our favorite insufferable brother-sister duo trapped at an endless, days-long production of 8 Gay Men With AIDS: A Poem in Many Hours. Everyone in the audience feels an obligation to keep coming back to the theater without complaining. It’s important, after all! Plus, Cary, played by Drew Tarver, has a new method acting boyfriend starring in the play. Heléne Yorke’s Brooke has to stay because she’s committed to “doing good” and leaving the “industry.”
It’s a stacked episode; from a pitch-perfect Romeo + Juliet homage to Kiernan Shipka and Lukas Gage guest starring as themselves, every moment of this episode is a delight. —Leah Williams
"KSGY-95 Prizewinner’s Luau," Party Down (Season 3 Episode 4)
Party Down came back this year, and we at TV Insider couldn’t be happier about it. The entire third season is hilarious, not missing a beat even 13 years after the last season aired. New cast members like Jennifer Garner, Tyrel Jackson Williams, and Zoe Chao were integrated seamlessly (and hilariously) into the existing cast.
Episode 4, “KSGY-95 Prizewinner’s Luau” is excellent. The team of caterers take shrooms while catering an event full of dads who think they’ve won tickets to a Jimmy Buffett concert, but it’s actually a sting operation targeting men who owe child support. Williams shines as a wannabe influencer who has taken way, way too many hallucinogens. Martin Starr is great as always, as Roman gets roped into helping with the sting and feels inspired to complete his magnum opus. Ken Marino as Ron is desperate to be included in the operation. Plus, it features guest stars Judy Reyes and Bobby Moynihan. This episode has Party Down’s classic mix of sharp, funny, and pathetic. —Leah Williams
"Deer Lady," Reservation Dogs (Season 3 Episode 3)
Along with being one of TV’s most underrated series, Reservation Dogs continued to deliver stunning episodes in its third and final season, primarily with the installment, “Deer Lady.” Teased as an origin story for Kaniehtiio Horn‘s Deer Lady, the episode also serves as an important history lesson for viewers unfamiliar with the reality of Native American boarding schools in the United States. Set in two different timelines, the episode depicts Deer Lady’s childhood through a series of flashbacks at one of these establishments which stripped children away from their families and forced them to assimilate by making them speak English and let go of their Indigenous traditions.
Meanwhile, in the present timeline, Deer Lady crosses paths with Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) who, like her, is on a journey of his own. Petrified that he’ll be one of her victims, Deer Lady reassures Bear that he’s nothing like the human wolves she targets. Those human wolves are seen in the form of nuns and other school workers during the flashbacks, speaking in garbled gibberish resembling a foreign language to give viewers a terrifying taste of what the abused Indigenous youth went through. A young Deer Lady’s friendship with one of the school’s victims serves as the primary plot in the flashbacks, motivating her actions in the present-day setting. It’s a horrifying and beautifully crafted episode that deserves every ounce of praise possible. —Meaghan Darwish
"Prometheus" Snowfall (Season 6 Episode 10)
It would be easy to give fans of Snowfall a villainous protagonist in Franklin (Damson Idris) the way oh so many popular shows like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and others have. But it bravely does the opposite, going against the grain of fan expectations to showcase the reality of Franklin’s story: he’s a money-hungry, crack-dealing sociopath whose life decisions and karma finally caught with him. In many ways, this episode mirrors Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias,” right down to the title of the episode being based on a Greek figure. It showcases our antiheroes’ drug empire crashing down alongside all the cherished relationships they were in the game for in the first place. We see our protagonists at their very lowest, and their worst fears actually realized. Except in the case of Snowfall, it was the series finale, and there’s no redemption in Franklin’s sordid future. —Isaac Rouse
“Subspace Rhapsody,” Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 2 Episode 9)
It’s only fitting that the most fun and entertaining Paramount+ Star Trek series is the one to deliver a first in the franchise’s long history: a musical! From the first song (a “Status Report” in verse) to the grand finale (“We Are One,” with the whole crew to solve the problem that has become a real threat), the episode is filled with catchy songs.
The majority of the cast gets standout moments. Rebecca Romijn’s Una delivers advice to both Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in song. La’an (Christina Chong) belts out an emotional ballad while thinking of what could have been with Kirk. Pike (Anson Mount) has a “Private Conversation” with Batel (Melanie Scrofano) in front of everyone. Chapel’s (Jess Bush) fellowship acceptance has her looking to the future (“I’m Ready”) and Spock (Ethan Peck) getting introspective (“I’m the X”). And Uhura’s “Keep Us Connected” was a culmination of her arc and the pressure she put on herself.
Musical episodes are particularly tough because they have to get the audience to buy into the conceit; Strange New Worlds not only gives a logical reason for it, but it also has the crew express their confusion from the moment the first note plays. Not only is the final result a soundtrack you’ll want to listen to over and over, but it also makes for a fantastic (and fantastical) hour of television. Plus, there are dancing Klingons (featuring Bruce Horak!). —Meredith Jacobs
"Connor's Wedding," Succession (Season 4 Episode 3)
Any good viewer would have recognized in the Season 4 premiere that Roy family patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) wasn’t going to make it out of the final chapter alive, but no one expected it to be so early on in the season. For an episode hinting at a big moment for (true eldest) son Connor (Alan Ruck), the wedding quickly turned into a chaotic flurry of phone calls as Logan’s team reached out to tell Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) that their father was dying before their eyes aboard a chartered flight.
Stuck on the ground on board a boat for Connor’s nuptials, the trio of siblings go through several stages of grief in real-time as they are forced to cope with the fact that the largest force in their lives is extinguishing. It’s both heartbreakingly painful to watch and tragic on another level due to the fact that the siblings had had a blowout fight with their dad the evening before Connor’s wedding. The shock factor is something most twists on TV today can hardly achieve, and the performances for the hour alone surely locked in a potential Emmy win or two, making this a tough episode to beat among the 2023 crop. —Meaghan Darwish
"You Know When You’re Losing a Fight," Warrior (Season 3 Episode 8)
Max’s series, Warrior, is in its third season and isn’t letting up on the action. Episode 8 centers on the wedding of Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) and Li Yong (Joe Taslim) that brings the Hop Wei and Long Zii tongs together. Even though it’s supposed to be a joyous event, there’s many narrative undertones that depict all the separate characters and how their interests connect due to obligations or personal motives. Watching the dynamic between Mai Ling and Li Yong crumble bit by bit is what makes it so intriguing. With Mai Ling knowing the elders want to replace her has the head of the tong and has her head on the most elegant of swivels during her wedding. Li Yong thinks he has got it handled with the elders, Mai Ling makes sure by having them killed that same night. It showed the ruthlessness of Mai Ling along with her willingness to treat Li Yong with respect, to an extent. Her lying caused Yi Yong’s mentor, Kong Pak (Mark Dacascos) to come to kill her himself. Resulting in us watching someone fight someone he admires out of the love and obligated loyalty to his wife.
The physical and emotional toll on Li Yong’s face and seeing Mai Ling realize what her actions have done leaves you torn. You instantly know that this is something they can’t come back from and weaken the tong. The tension was so good you were compelled to make predictions of what can possibly come next. With the finale around the corner, I’m on edge with what the cliffhanger will be. —Ennica Jacob
"Urgent Care," What We Do In the Shadows (Season 5 Episode 6)
After Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) sustains a gnarly ankle injury while learning to fly, a result of Laszlo’s (Matt Berry) scientific investigation into his botched vampire transition, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is forced to take him to familiar urgent care. Meanwhile, Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) nearly starves to death because wild stories from his past make him the most interesting man in the world. (No one remembers the Alamo better than Colin Robinson: He was there with ex-boyfriend Davy Crockett, and he has the knife to prove it.) As Nandor (Kavyan Novak) tries to help him feed, Colin Robinson’s foot gets run over by a car driven by John Slattery, who proves to be un-drainable because he finds Colin’s accent just too fascinating.
“Urgent Care” gives excellent subplots to every character while hurling the main plot forward with high stakes and series-best scenes for a long-running bit. The vampires have always treated their human familiars like pets. To that end, making a familiar urgent care that’s really just a horrific, dilapidated veterinary office is an inspired idea. The vampire doctors suggest euthanizing familiars over twisted ankles. Volunteers like Kristen Schaal’s Guide feed the caged humans raw chicken while saying things like, “I mean, who rescued who, right?” On top of it all, Nadja learns Guillermo’s secret. Does Nadja save Guillermo from certain death because Nandor should have the honor or because she (along with the other vampire roommates) are increasingly incapable of denying their love for him?
The episode’s pace is relentless, showcases Guillén’s comedic talents through Guillermo’s strengthening powers and his medicated stupor, and it reveals a previously unknown Energy Vampire skill. Just as Colin Robinson can drain the life out of anybody, he can restore it. Every joke in “Urgent Care” is all hits, no misses for every character. And if you’re theorizing that Guillermo will end up with Nandor as one of the beloved members of the vampire family, this episode (and Season 5 at large) sneakily lays the groundwork for that to be addressed in the sixth and final season. —Kelli Boyle
