As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve seen on the big and small screen. Over the next few days, I’ll be giving some of my picks in a wide variety of categories. Up today, it’s the best episodes of TV I saw in 2025.

Before I dive into the top 10, I thought I’d give a couple honorable mentions. These were episodes I liked that just didn’t quite make the cut.

• “The Price,” Episode 2.06 The Last of Us: We lost Joel in episode 2, but his arc really ends with this sweet flashback that, for me, is the best of the series so far.
• “The Day,” Episode 1.07 Paradise: This was another flashback, this time showing us how the world ended. It was an epic hour of television.
• “Crossroads,” Episode 2.09 Nobody Wants This: This is one of the shorter episodes of the season, but it packs an emotional wallop.

No. 10: “The Gap,” Episode 1.07 Pluribus
About: This is one of the newer shows on this list. This episode really took things in an interesting direction as we follow our two different survivors, Carol and Manousos, as they try to reconcile this world. Most of it is really engaging, but it’s the emotional wallop of the ending that worked best for me.

No. 9: “A Still Small Voice,” Episode 1.07 Task
About: This was the finale of the first season of Task. At the time, I thought it was the finale of the whole thing. It would have worked for either. There is good action, resolution, and a final few minutes to breathe with these characters. It was beautiful work from Mark Ruffalo.

No. 8: “Sorcerer,” Episode 5.04 Stranger Things
About: This was the capstone to Volume One of the final season. We don’t yet know how it ends, but this was a pretty excellent episode. It had some huge reveals, and I really liked the arc for Will in this one.

No. 7: “My Controls,” Episode 2.06 The Rehearsal
About: It’s not every day that someone becomes a fully certified commercial airline pilot for a TV show. That is what Nathan Fielder did, and this finale to his second season was a masterpiece.

No. 6: “A Dream and a Memory,” Episode 2.07 1923
About: This is how it all ends for the second Yellowstone prequel. It’s an emotional and action-packed episode. It was one of the show’s longest and certainly its most beautiful. It’s heart-breaking, but it was a great episode of television and a fitting end to the journey.

No. 5: “Bears,” Episode 4.07 The Bear
About: This was the longest episode of the year and was jam-packed with guest stars. That can often feel like too much, but this show knows how to utilize all its tools. It’s an epic wedding episode, and it features some of the most profound emotional beats of the midpoint in the story.

No. 4: “Who Are You?,” Episode 2.08 Andor
About: There are a lot of ways you could go with Andor, but for me this was the standout episode. It’s brutal as we inhabit a world where the Empire is pushing people to the brink of destruction. There are painful, violent ends for some of our characters, but I simply couldn’t look away.

No. 3: “2 p.m.,” Episode 1.08 The Pitt
About: This was the show of the year for me, and it had a lot of powerful episodes. This one that takes place near the midpoint best exemplifies the highs of the show. We have a great arc celebrating the history of the area in the same episode where the doctors aren’t able to save a young drowning victim, creating an emotionally devastating moment. It was a powerful hour.

No. 2: “Woe’s Hollow,” Episode 2.04 Severance
About: I liked the second season of Severance, and there were some good things to say about the conclusion. But this middle episode—taking place on location and featuring some huge moments and revelations—was a masterpiece. The look was incredible, and the story was deeply moving. It’s a great achievement.

No. 1: “Goodbye,” Episode 4.10 The Bear
About: This is the finale of the season. It could well have served as the finale for the show. It’s a beautiful showcase for Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. It also has a lovely moment for Abby Elliott. It’s quiet, intimate, and perfection. It hit like an emotional sledgehammer and was the best episode I saw this year.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.