We live in a world where new TV shows are being released almost daily – some good, some not so good. There’s no end of good TV to enjoy, but what if good doesn’t just cut it? What if you want the best?
We’ve listed some of the highest-rated TV episodes ever to grace our screens below, from drugs to dragons to Titans.
Source: Pexels
Note that this isn’t a collection of personal favorites or even a suggestion that these should be considered the best TV episodes in the world. That is a short list of some of the best episodes from a ranking based on the vote of the public and critics, so take it with a pinch of salt. And remember, critic ratings don’t always mean everything: George Lucas’ A New Hope has been deemed an uninteresting failure upon its first review, PIA reports. The colossal global fanbase that exists 45 years after its inception might have something to say about that. Nevertheless, here are some of the highest-rated TV episodes of all time – spoilers ahead!
Breaking Bad – Ozymandias
Ozymandias is the 14th and 3rd from the last episode of the final season of one of the greatest TV shows ever created. Following a chemistry teacher’s retirement after he gets cancer, Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White becoming a criminal drug lord. In what is essentially the entire show’s climax, Walter’s double life eventually falls apart, Jesse is taken captive, and his brother-in-law Hank is killed in front of his eyes. It was even labeled “the greatest hour of TV ever produced” in a review by Screenrant!
Attack on Titan – Midnight Sun
In what is widely acclaimed as the best anime out there, Attack on Titan is filled with incredible writing, shocking violence, and heart-wrenching emotion from start to finish – this episode is no different. This episode re-joins Eren and the gang after suffering some heavy losses in the battle against the Titans. Eren stands, speechless, over the sizzling body of his nearly dead childhood best friend while his superior, Levi, refuses to give him the Titan injection that would save his life. In an intense clash over whether Armin or the army commander Erwin should receive the injection, Eren eventually wins over, and Armin is revived in Titan form, eating his predecessor Bertholdt. The tension created by producers is incredible and is just another reason why this show is deemed ‘the best’ in a recent piece by CBR.
Source: Pexels
Game of Thrones – The Rains of Castamere
Famously known as the red wedding, every GoT fan will remember where they were and what they thought when they watched this episode. In what was one of the most unexpected, savage curveballs of all time, a significant portion of the show’s main characters is brutally killed off on a wedding day that was supposed to be filled with celebrations. I recall watching the credits roll with my jaw on the floor after this episode, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one – another piece of great TV.
We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to good TV, but these three shows are really up there with some of the best TV about; there is some basis to their incredibly high ratings, even if it shouldn’t be considered the be all and end all of a show’s quality. Plenty of other fantastic shows are out there, but this article has covered just a few of the highest-rated ones – get stuck in!