While the pilot of a TV show is the natural place to start, for some titles, there is a much better episode to begin with. For many, there is an episode of a particular show that is widely believed to be a better point to start watching, whether that’s through introducing a new viewer or during a rewatch. These are often TV episodes that define their show forever and can be considered an alternative pilot or simply a good story that contains enough exposition to explain the themes and characters, especially to someone who has never seen it before.
This doesn’t mean that the pilot is bad, however. In fact, even some of the best TV shows of all time have an episode like this. For long-running TV shows, it’s not unusual for earlier seasons to be a little flat or for them to need improvement, so an episode like this is an amazing way to ensure new audiences aren’t put off. Whether you are a long-time lover of a show or a first-timer, these TV show episodes are the perfect point to start your viewing journey.
10 Parks And Recreation
Episode You Should Start With: The Master Plan – Season 2, Episode 23
Parks and Recreation is undoubtedly a TV show where season 1 is the worst. While there are still plenty of laughs and moments that are integral to setting up the characters, there is a better alternative pilot. The season 2 episode “The Master Plan” introduces Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger, two crucial characters who impact the rest of the show. Ben eventually becomes Leslie’s husband, and Chris also ends up with Ann, and he fathers her two children.
Ben and Chris are massively important figures in the Parks and Recreation cast, and it’s weird to remember that they aren’t in the show from the pilot. The first two installments of the show paints Leslie in a very different light compared to how she is by the finale, and this is mainly because of Mark. Chris and Ben arrive in the episode after Ann rejects Mark’s proposal, and they immediately dominate the screen. Because of their strong presence, it’s easy to forget about Mark Brendanawicz until he leaves Parks and Recreation.
9 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Episode You Should Start With: Charlie Gets Crippled – Season 2, Episode 1
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is another TV show that takes some time to find its feet, and season 1 is famously known for being so skippable during rewatches. However, the long-running TV show truly cements itself as such a prominent title when Frank Reynolds joins the cast. Dennis and Dee’s father is a fantastic character, and he only gets better when his dynamic with each member of the gang develops. Although it turns out that Frank isn’t the biological father of his twins, he continues to spend time with them and becomes the group’s financier, funding their ridiculous escapades.
The season 2 episode “Charlie Gets Crippled” is a much better pilot and an It’s Always Sunny episode recommended to new viewers. Frank’s decision to give up a life of luxury to rot with the gang is a fascinating premise, and it’s a brilliant setup for not just the characters, but also the show overall. Between Frank embracing a new lifestyle with Mac and Charlie’s help and Dee and Dennis’ quest to get welfare, “Charlie Gets Crippled” is a perfect episode that encapsulates the aura of the show altogether.
8 The Office
Episode You Should Start With: Halloween – Season 2, Episode 5
The US remake of The Office mimics much of the UK’s version in season 1, and while it isn’t bad, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. However, the show does later slip into its own groove, and the season 2 episode “Halloween” is a great alternative beginning. “Halloween” offers the same important plot details that the pilot provides: Michael Scott being a wacky boss who is panicking about downsizing, frustrating Jim and Pam moments, Dwight being irritating, and a general overview of the staff of Dunder Mifflin Scranton.
All of these factors are the core of The Office’s earlier seasons, and “Halloween” gives audiences the same information as the pilot that is needed to understand what the show is about. It explains the relationships between the various characters, including the strain between Michael and Jan, as well as how each of them feels about Michael as their manager. There are plenty of great introductory episodes of The Office in season 2 and beyond, but “Halloween” establishes the rules of the show’s world perfectly.
7 Black Mirror
Episode You Should Start With: Nosedive – Season 3, Episode 1
Black Mirror is one of the best anthology TV shows of the 2010s, but the pilot doesn’t exemplify the true themes and message of the rest of it. Every episode of Black Mirror is a new story with fresh faces, but the first, “The National Anthem,” is the least dystopian of the lot. Black Mirror is best known for using elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and psychological horror. While some of the best episodes of Black Mirror are an ideal place to start watching the show, “Nosedive” is an excellent candidate.
“Nosedive” stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Lacie, a young woman who lives in a world dictated by a social media ranking system. Although this episode is less bleak than other Black Mirror stories, the ironic humor in “Nosedive” fantastically represents what Black Mirror is supposed to be. Lacie’s struggle to raise her rating in society in order to move up in the world is intriguingly representative of the real world. The use of technology and how it can be abused is also a major part of Black Mirror, and the power of Lacie’s eye implants highlights this.
6 Bob’s Burgers
Episode You Should Start With: Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks – Season 3, Episode 7
The Bob’s Burgers pilot amazingly establishes the characters and backstory, but because it uses a floating timeline like Marvel and other animated titles, the first episode isn’t needed to set up the show. Not every episode provides enough context to first-time viewers, but “Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks” does. From the first few minutes, anyone can understand who the Bob’s Burgers characters are. For example, Tina’s increasing anxiety over everything and Bob and Jimmy Pesto’s rivalry are both established in the first scene.
While there is a focus on Bob and Tina in “Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks,” the episode is also a great way to introduce the rest of the Belcher family. Tina uses Gene’s keyboard to save the day, which is hinted at throughout the episode, but it also shows that his musical talents are a key part of his character. As usual, Louise is far from helpful and provides a comical narration throughout, and Linda’s wacky behavior and inability to keep a secret are also established.
Episode You Should Start With: Remedial Chaos Theory – Season 3, Episode 4
Community season 3’s “Remedial Chaos Theory” is the perfect example of a TV show episode that, upon watching the episode, it’s immediately obvious which archetype each character fits in. Abed’s absurd concept that rolling a die creates separate timelines is a brilliant idea for an episode. Although there are similarities in the seven different time streams, the absence of one member of the group causes all manner of hilarity, but it is also an extraordinary way to highlight the significance of each of the characters in Community.
“Remedial Chaos Theory” explains to viewers that Jeff is the leader, Annie is a doe-eyed hopeful, Shirley struggles to step out of the housewife box, Abed is obsessed with TV and movies, Pierce is out of touch, Troy wants to be seen as a grown-up, and Britta is yet to find her true purpose. While a lot happens before this that impacts the overall storyline, “Remedial Chaos Theory” is still a good episode to engage first-time audiences. Community’s darkest timeline is a complicated part of the show, but it also produces a fantastic character study of the group.
4 Monk
Episode You Should Start With: Mr. Monk And The T.V. Star – Season 2, Episode 12
Monk is a great detective TV show for those who like Sherlock that uses comedy and suspense to create a fabulous and bingeworthy watch. Monk’s pilot introduces the titular character and immediately throws him into an investigation, which makes it easy for other episodes to serve as an alternative starting point. The two most important elements of Adrian Monk’s characterization are that he has obsessive compulsive disorder and that his colleagues at the San Francisco Police Department find him difficult, and both of these qualities are abundantly clear in the season 2 episode “Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star.”
“Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star” is one of Monk‘s best episodes because it contains some of the funniest moments of the show. It is a brilliantly meta episode of Monk, and the mystery surrounding the death of the ex-wife of a hit crime TV show shows Adrian Monk at his finest. The most comical scene is when Monk fills in for a crew member and realizes he’s perfect for the role. The overall mystery of the episode is also intricately detailed and ridiculously clever, and it gives viewers a solid overview of the show and characters.
3 Doctor Who (2005 Reboot)
Episode You Should Start With: Dalek – Season 1, Episode 6
While Doctor Who is a show that requires context and understanding to fully engage with, there is an episode from the post-2005 reboot that serves as a good alternative pilot than “Rose.” The season 1 episode “Dalek” provides vital details about the overall lore of the show, past and present. It’s not unusual for the first episode of a season to introduce Doctor Who’s best companions to audiences, especially as the story of the week is typically told through their eyes. However, “Dalek” contains exposition that quickly teaches audiences a lot about the Time War.
Doctor Who’s Time War is a massive part of the show’s modern era. The devastating loss of Gallifrey and the Time Lords plays a significant part in the Ninth Doctor’s characterization and attitude to the universe. This episode is also the first time that the iconic Doctor Who villains appear. The Daleks are a staple of the show, and the Doctor’s heartwrenching and angry response to just one of them explains just how much pain they put on his hearts.
2 Peep Show
Episode You Should Start With: Dance Class – Season 2, Episode 7
One of Peep Show’s best episodes, “Dance Class,” is a bit controversial at times, but it is one that introduces its characters to first-time watchers fantastically. It sets up relevant information about their personal lives that recurrently pop up throughout the early seasons, such as Mark’s feelings for Sophie and Jez’s love for the taboo. “Dance Class” introduces Nancy, Jez’s girlfriend and eventual wife, and her role in the show constantly highlights just how absurd he is. But most importantly, the episode demonstrates the glaring differences between Jez and Mark.
Jez embraces the “Rainbow Rhythms” dance class with ease, whereas Mark hates it. His nervous sweating as he tries to impress Sophie with his dancing is easily one of the funniest moments in the entire show, but it is also an amazing way to showcase Mark’s quest for his “one” in Peep Show. Jez’s ridiculous relationship with Nancy, which includes partaking in weird sexual practices, also conveys how he has no interest in the norm.
1 BoJack Horseman
Episode You Should Start With: The Telescope – Season 1, Episode 8
BoJack Horseman’s pilot is stellar, but there is a later episode in season 1 that is also worth watching first. “The Telescope” puts BoJack Horseman on a dark path by forcing the titular character to reflect on his past, specifically how his title of the superstar lead of Horsin’ Around is only because of his old friend, Herb. BoJack Horseman is mainly about the ex-sitcom actor’s battle with mental health and how being a prominent Hollywood figure has changed him. Through the power of flashbacks, “The Telescope” shows the events that turn BoJack this way.
“The Telescope” includes a realistic lesson from BoJack Horseman that viewers can relate to. BoJack learns that allowing Herb to be fired because of his sexuality is one of his many terrible choices, no matter how he tries to justify it. Because of this groundbreaking moment, which shifts BoJack’s psyche and outlook on life going forward, “The Telescope” is an ideal episode to start with. After this, he makes himself consider the consequences of his actions, although it doesn’t always make a difference. “The Telescope” gives more of BoJack’s backstory than the pilot does, making it a great starting point.