18 of the best TV episodes of 2022 to date

Whilst there are still a number of months left in 2022, and there’s already been an overwhelming amount of great television this year. A must-watch show drops nearly every week, and with those must-watch shows come must-watch episodes.

Since there’s been so much TV this year, it makes sense that there’s also been a bumper crop of excellent episodes. We’ve picked our 18 favorites, from nail-biting finales to laugh-out-loud adventures to vomit-inducing farewells. Here, in no particular order, at the 18 best TV episodes of 2022 (so far).

1. Severance Season 1, episode 9, “The We We Are”

Apple TV+’s new mysterious workplace thriller, Severance, debuted one of the most compelling first seasons in TV history. But the ninth and final episode of Season 1, “The We We Are,” dialed the show’s suspense, intrigue, and meticulously crafted tension up to 11.

Fans finally got to see some of their favorite Innies in the outside world, and performances from the entire cast — especially Adam Scott (Mark), Britt Lower (Helly), John Turturro (Irving), and Patricia Arquette — were masterful. The episode featured stunning cinematography, a stressful score, and constantly shifting storylines that led to a major cliffhanger — and left fans with a slew of new questions. I can’t remember the last time I compulsively paused to check how much time was left in an episode or screamed at my screen, and I anxiously await Season 2.

2. Euphoria Season 2, episode 5, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird”

Season 2 of Euphoria was a cultural juggernaut. Despite its many, many flaws, it inspired new memes and even hooked people who had never seen a single episode. In a season full of uneven storylines and frustrating writing, one episode stands out as an all-time series high. That episode is “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” Rue’s (Zendaya) nightmarish odyssey through drug withdrawal.

This is Euphoria at its best: focused, tightly paced, and genuinely terrifying. Zendaya continues to prove why she won an Emmy, as Rue argues with her family, blows up Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) friendship, and hits rock bottom at a drug dealer’s house. If you’re going to watch any episode of Euphoria, make it this one.

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3. Our Flag Means Death Season 1, episode 5, “The Best Revenge is Dressing Well”

At first glance, David Jenkins and Taika Waititi’s Our Flag Means Death appears to be a tender and silly comedy about woefully unequipped pirate captain Stede Bonnet and his misfit crew — but first glances are often deceiving.

After a few episodes of seaworthy shenanigans, Stede crosses paths with the dread pirate Blackbeard and…takes him to a dinner party. A fancy dinner party. What follows is a compressed comedy of manners that contrasts the violent aggression of Blackbeard with the passive aggression of the upper crust. By the end of the episode, the envy and distant admiration that kept Stede and Blackbeard from viewing each other as real human beings have dissipated, leaving room for the two pirate captains to forge a new and beautiful relationship.

4. This Is Us Season 6, episode 17, “The Train”

While the This Is Us series finale was a genuinely satisfying goodbye, Season 6’s penultimate episode was undoubtedly the standout. “The Train” bid farewell to the Pearson matriarch, Rebecca, played by Mandy Moore. And before the episode aired Moore revealed that she actually threw up after reading the script. After watching, we totally get why.

In addition to ushering in the end of an era and showing a merciless string of emotional scenes, “The Train” features one of the most uniquely beautiful, and deeply poignant on-screen depictions of transitioning from life to death. I almost threw up 26 times while watching. I’m fine!

5. Stranger Things Season 4, episode 4, “Dear Billy

Is “Dear Billy” the best Stranger Things episode ever? Quite possibly! It’s certainly the best episode of Stranger Things 4 so far, and it’s all thanks to a gut-wrenching storyline centering Max (Sadie Sink). Max’s grief over losing her brother Billy makes her the next target of Vecna, the Upside Down’s newest bad guy. So, we spend much of the episode worried that we’ll lose her for good.

“Dear Billy” intertwines the sadness of Max saying farewell to her friends and family with a chilling Silence of the Lambs homage that sees Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Robin (Maya Hawke) visit Victor Creel (Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund). What they learn leads us to Stranger Things‘ most moving (and most epic) sequence yet, involving Max’s memories of her friends, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” and Sink giving it her all. I’m still emotional thinking about it! That’s the power of a good episode (and a good song).

6. The Afterparty Season 1, episode 3, “Yaspe

It’s hard to pick just one stand-out episode of Apple TV+’s excellent and highly conceptual whodunit, The Afterparty. The finale is a winner because All Is Revealed, of course, but the unique format that ties the single-character focus in every episode to Hollywood genre conventions that eflect each star’s  makes them all strong contenders in their own ways. Yet, “Yasper” still stands out.

The show’s third episode, devoted to Ben Schwartz’s fast-talking content creator is, fittingly, a musical. The Hamiltonian brilliance of “Two Shots” gets things off to a great start. But it’s Schwartz’s performance that stands out the most. His portrayal of the utterly self-obsessed Yasper is perfect, elevated even further by catchy melodies and a clue-ridden set design. The Afterparty‘s whodunit feels downright effortless by the time the season wraps up, but “Yasper” sells the premise better than any other episode that precedes or follows. (opens in a new tab)

7. Moon Knight Season 1, episode 2, “Summon the Suit”

It’s always a big moment when the superhero costume makes its first appearance in any Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure. Moon Knight on Disney+ raises the stakes for those reveals with a shocking one-two punch of super-suits for Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector and Steven Grant.

After a slow introduction to both sides of the caracter in the series premiere, “Summon the Suit” dives in hard with big answers to dangling questions and clearer looks at the story’s main players, including Ethan Hawke’s villainous Arthur Harrow and May Calamawy’s Layla El-Faouly. But it’s really the end we all remember best, right? A normal-looking Steven leaps out a window to escape Harrow. But when he lands, he’s a man transformed: Don’t call him Moon Knight; it’s Mr. Knight.

8. Barry Season 3, episode 6, “710N”

It’s hard to know if “710N” would even exist without the unforgettable second season “bottle” episode about a martial arts pro and his uncannily skilled kid daughter. But the two half-hour slices of story sure feel like they’re spiritually linked.

Forget about the subplots. Bill Hader’s Barry Berkman carries this one, along with a gang of gun-toting motocross pros who are out for revenge. There’s not a whole lot of talking in “710N,” just a lot of gorgeous cinematography and the kind of editing that pushes viewers right to the edge of their seats. There’s plenty of magic in Barry‘s characters, but it’s also one of the most thoughtfully and consciously cinematic shows on HBO’s roster. (opens in a new tab)

9. The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1, episode 2, “The Terror of Tal’Dorei – Part 2”

When you watch The Legend of Vox Machina, you feel like you’re witnessing a killer Dungeons and Dragons campaign come to life — and you are! The adult fantasy cartoon is based on Critical Role’s first live-streamed Dungeons and Dragons campaign. While the show delves deep into the excellent Briarwood arc in its later episodes, I want to shout out Vox Machina‘s second installment for delivering half an hour of pure Dungeons and Dragons fun. There’s a mystery to solve, a betrayal to uncover, and a charismatic shopkeeper to befriend. Plus, it all ends with a totally radical, extra badass, hype-fulfilling dragon boss fight. This episode is where the show, and its band of ragtag mercenaries, really clicks, setting us up for more epic action down the road. (opens in a new tab)

10. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7, episode 2, “Snatch Game”

After the fiasco that was RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14’s Snatch Game, the staple Drag Race challenge needed a RuDemption in a big way. Enter All Stars 7, the All Winners season, which delivered not one, but two, riotous Snatch Games. Highlights include the sheer brilliance of Jinkx Monsoon’s Judy Garland impression (which is hands-down the best Snatch Game performance of all time), the physicality of Trinity the Tuck’s take on Leslie Jordan, and Raja’s flawless transformations into the puppet Madame and Diana Vreeland.

Between legendary queens bringing their A-game, genuinely fun challenges, and a refreshing rule change, this episode helped cement All Stars 7 as one of Drag Race‘s best installments yet.

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11. Abbott Elementary Season 1, episode 11, “Desking”

There are so many great episodes of Quinta Brunson’s phenomenal Abbott Elementary that it’s hard to choose our favorite. That being said,we’re going to give the gold star to “Desking.” It’s a delightful whodunnit that sees the teachers of Abbott band together to find out who’s responsible for bringing the viral “desking” trend to school.

Between meeting Jacob’s (Chris Perfetti) boyfriend and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) getting some sound life advice, this is an episode that expands and deepens the characters we’ve grown to know and love. What takes it over the edge is Barbara’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) glorious delivery of the line, “Sweet baby Jesus and the grown one too, my desks have been desked!” Emmys, take note! (opens in a new tab)

12. Hacks Season 2, episode 4, “The Captain’s Wife”

Hacks Season 2 asks us: What do you get when you put Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) on a lesbian cruise? And the answer, unsurprisingly, is hilarity. Also chaos.

Deborah and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) have very different experiences while on the boat — sorry, ship. But they also have a pretty compelling conversation about queerness, male attention, and more. We also see Deborah’s narcissism rise to new heights… and then crash spectacularly in one of the show’s most uncomfortably funny scenes yet.(opens in a new tab)

13. Pachinko Season 1, episode 4, “Chapter Four”

Based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel, Pachinko unfolds the entrancing multi-generational saga of a Korean family, who emigrated from their homeland to Japan, facing extreme poverty, overt racism, and political upheavals. The first season centers on matriarch Kim Sunja, following her through her youth, adulthood, and old age. Yet it is her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) who steals focus in “Chapter Four,” in part because he seems to hit his climax at the halfway mark of Season 1.

Growing up in a very different world than his grandmother did, Solomon carries immense privilege and generational insensitivities behind his cocky grin. After trying to opportunistically use Sunja as a bargaining chip in a big real estate gambit, the hot-shot businessman is faced with a make-or-break moment in his career, and remarkably, he chooses break. This defining — and personally devastating moment — sends him running from his office building, shedding his tie and suit jacket, rushing into the rain and then the embrace of buskers covering a song from The Cure. Much like the enchanting opening title sequence that blends despair and defiant delight, this moment is soul-shakingly profound. And it’s just the beginning of Solomon’s story.(opens in a new tab)

14. Shining Girls, Season 1, episode 8, “30”

Imagine the ghoulish love child of Sliding Doors and Zodiac, and you’ll get the gist of this mini-series adaptation of Lauren Beukes’s 2013 crime novel. Created by Silka Luisa, Shining Girls centers on Kirby Mazrachi (Elisabeth Moss), an archivist whose reality has been shifting without warning — ever since she was viciously attacked and left for dead in 1980s Chicago. One moment, she’s living with her mom, the next she’s married to a co-worker she barely knows. She doesn’t understand why this is happening but is certain it connects to a stalking serial killer (Jamie Bell), who’s been targeting fantastic women across decades.

Featuring graphic violence, time travel twists, and harrowing revelations, Shining Girls can be a tough watch. But its finale episode makes it all worthwhile. Luisa smartly buttons up the mysteries of these murders, their un-aging perpetrator, and what it means to become disentangled on a molecular level. More than answers, however, this finale gives poetic justice to its villain and hard-won empowerment to its harried heroine. Which, considering how Kirby’s quest to be believed plays like the most extreme version of a violence victim’s experience speaking out, is darkly and deeply satisfying. (opens in a new tab)

15. Bridgerton Season 2, episode 7, “Harmony”

When Bridgerton Season 2 made it past the series midpoint without any on-screen sex or even kissing, people were ready to riot. “Where is the sex?” they asked, “the first one was hot because it had the sex!” Those people missed the point.

Season 1 followed the sexy tropes of a recognizable bodice-ripper, but Season 2 drew inspiration from Bollywood romance. The tension between Kate and Anthony is the sexy part of Bridgerton Season 2, which makes every near-miss kiss as charged as the one they finally get in episode 7. You know, the one where they finally bang and Kate goes into a sex coma (sort of). Without the withholding and longing between Kate and Anthony all season, their sex scene wouldn’t have meant as much — or been anywhere near as satisfying. Wink.

16. Atlanta Season 3, episode 1, “Three Slaps”

After four years, Atlanta is finally back in our lives, rolling up with a Season 3 premiere that felt like reconnecting with an old friend. A lot has changed in the real world since we last left Earn and Paper Boi, but creator Donald Glover immerses us back into the show’s world like no time has passed at all.

In a demonstration of fearlessness, the premiere, titled “Three Slaps,” doesn’t even involve any of the main characters. Instead, it takes viewers down a reality-bending journey, straddling fiction and non-fiction. From start to finish, the bottle episode leans into what critics are calling the new age of Black surrealism or renaissance of Afro-surrealism in entertainment.

The opening scene begins with a dream-like vignette that tells the ultimate American ghost story: how our souls are collectively haunted by a buried legacy of white supremacy. Then we meet the main protagonist, Loquareeous (Christopher Farrar), a young Black boy whose story is clearly inspired by the IRL true crime case of the Hart family.

We won’t say more to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that Atlanta‘s approach to true crime reclaims much of the genre’s worst blind spots. Namely, it provides much-needed counter-programming to its obsession with dead white ladies. By re-centering the Black kids victimized by two “progressive” white women’s savior complex (which also often fuels the true-crime craze), the show sheds light on how Karens can be some of the worst perpetrators of social violence. Like the best of Atlanta, it holds up a funhouse mirror to reflect American society, revealing the harsh but true reality of who we really are. (opens in a new tab)

17. Peacemaker Season 1, episode 4, “The Choad Less Traveled”

Two years ago no one would have expected a The Suicide Squad spinoff about John Cena’s Peacemaker would have been one of the better superhero(ish) shows on TV. But it’s 2022, and really, nothing should surprise us these days.

Episode 4 stands out for a humanizing misadventure that sends Peacemaker’s adoring sidekick Vigilante to prison, solely to exact punishment on Peacemaker’s white supremacist father for causing his best friend’s childhood trauma. The wiry, glassy-eyed Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) initially seems to be entirely unhinged. But the sheer devastation on his face when he realizes he’s made things worse puts the reckless killer’s hero-worship of Peacemaker into a new light — and officially brings him on to Peacemaker’s team for the rest of the season. (opens in a new tab)

18. Survivor Season 42, episode 8, “Game of Chicken”

The best Survivor episodes are defined by singular moments. In Season 33, it was Zeke Smith’s thoughtful response after another competitor outed him as transgender. And in Season 42’s ninth episode, “Game of Chicken,” it was Drea and Maryanne, who spoke eloquently about their Blackness in the context of systemic racism, while vocally refusing to weaponize their identities for gameplay purposes.

The sweeping social experiment we call Survivor shines brightest when the interpersonal relationships between players come to organically reflect our modern life. “Game of Chicken” is perhaps the best example of that to date in the show’s 22-year history.