Usually, TV episodes are building blocks, written as chapters contributing to a larger season-long story but then there are TV shows which have these unique, stand-alone TV episodes. It’s basically that sometimes, showrunners decide to go for a bottle episode — an episode that stands on its own, and it’s watchable whether or not you’ve seen the rest of the show. These episodes can be anything. A flashback. A dream sequence. Or the show may shift its entire focus to a character it was never about before.
The key is to make the narrative stand on its own two feet. That’s why classic bottle episodes like “The Fly” from Breaking Bad wouldn’t make this list. The best thing about it is that the housefly is a metaphor for everything else going on in the series, and it’s truly comprehensible only to those who have watched the show. We will also not be considering anthology shows like Black Mirror or Nathan for You, where each episode has its own self-contained premise. So, with that said, here are our picks for the five greatest stand-alone TV episodes of all time.
1. “The Bent-Neck Lady” — The Haunting of Hill House
The first five episodes of The Haunting of Hill House are each focused on one of the Crain children, telling the same story but from five different perspectives. Episode 5, “The Bent-Neck Lady”, therefore, focuses on the youngest sibling, Nell (Victoria Pedretti and Violet McGraw). We find that ever since she was six, Nell has been haunted by a creepy ghost lady with a broken neck. But as she gets older and away from the Hill House, she stops seeing the ghost. That is, until one fateful night when the Bent-Neck Lady suddenly reappears.
The episode is an excellent hour-long horror movie in its own right, filled with a dreary atmosphere, terrifying imagery, and a whole lot of jump scares. But what truly elevates it and makes it our #1 pick on this list is the twist ending. It’s the kind of gut-punch ending that’ll leave you speechless, heartbroken, and wanting to watch the whole thing all over again.
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2. “Fishes” — The Bear
The Bear, Season 2, Episode 6, “Fishes”, takes a break from the restaurant drama and throws us five years into the past for a chaotic Christmas dinner with the Barzatto family. This episode also introduces a bunch of new faces, with guest stars like Jon Bernthal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Paulson. However, what starts off as a fun Christmas dinner soon starts to show cracks of what it’s like growing up in a broken, alcoholic household.
The repressed anger. The fragile calm that’ll break with one wrong thing said aloud. The screaming. The chaos. The guilt trips. The self-pitying monologues. The utter demolition of a family. “Fishes” paints a brutally honest picture of a family reunion gone terribly wrong, making it our #2 pick and a must-watch even for those unfamiliar with the series.
3. “Long, Long Time” — The Last of Us
The Last of Us, Season 1, Episode 3, “Long, Long Time” has been hailed as the most impressive episode in the series and one of the greatest episodes of modern television. And the stand-alone TV episode totally deserves the hype. Instead of focusing on Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), “Long, Long Time” introduces us to two brand-new characters. First up is Bill (Nick Offerman), a loner who’s been prepping for the end of the world all by himself. But one day, Frank (Murray Bartlett) gets caught in one of Bill’s traps, and instead of offing him, Bill decides to share his food with Frank. This one decision changes both of their lives for the next 16 years.
What follows is a modern-day Shakespearean love story where two guys who couldn’t be more different end up falling for each other. They grow old together as the world around them turns to hell. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking episode that’ll tug at your heartstrings and stick with you long after the credits roll.
4. “Three Slaps” — Atlanta
Atlanta, Season 3, Episode 1, “Three Slaps”, operates as a stand-alone dream sequence. This episode features entirely new characters and a narrative completely separate from the show’s main storyline. “Three Slaps” centers around Loquareeous (Christopher Farrar), a young African American boy who’s taken away from his home and made to go live with two nightmarish foster moms.
The episode exposes how the American foster care system can fail its children and the toxicity of white saviors. What makes the episode all the more depressing is the fact that it’s based on the awful true story of Jennifer and Sarah Hart, who killed their six adopted children by driving off a cliff and so we had to rank it on #4.
5. “ronny/lily” — Barry
Last but not least on our list, Barry, Season 2, Episode 5, “ronny/lily” sees the hitman-turned-actor assigned to a new mission: take out a seemingly ordinary guy named Ronny (Daniel Bernhardt). But when Barry (Bill Hader) gets to Ronny’s place, he realizes that his target is a skilled martial artist. The rest of the episode turns into 30 minutes of pure psychedelic action that Barry’s known for. There’s hardly any dialogue, just one great fight scene after another.
And it isn’t your typical amped-up Hollywood action with quick cuts and perfectly choreographed blocks either. Barry and Ronnie quickly get tired, their movements becoming sloppy and desperate as the fight spills from room to room in one single take. And that is just the Ronny part of the episode. Wait till you meet his feral, unhinged daughter, Lily (Jessie Giacomazzi). You’d likely also want to check out these 20 most-watched TV episodes of all-time.
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