20 episodes from popular TV series that everyone skips

If one were to do a rewatch of Seinfeld, a few episodes would earn a place on the can-skip list. One of these would be “The Dog” which, as its title implies, basically focuses on Jerry and a very annoying dog. This is one of those episodes that is, truly, about nothing, and it’s easy to see why it would become so irritating even for fans of the show. Nothing of note really happens in it and, as a result, it ends up becoming far more irritating than entertaining.

Lost is one of those shows that is, by definition, a bit meandering, and it relishes the chance to puzzle viewers. Even by that standard, however, “Stranger in a Strange Land” is widely regarded by fans as one that can easily be skipped. It doesn’t do much of anything to advance the larger plot of the season or the show, and it essentially a background story to Jack’s tattoos. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it hardly makes for gripping TV.

The Simpsons has obviously produced its fair share of sub-par episodes over the course of its long run, but most would agree that “The Principal and the Pauper” is the one even a purist would skip. It’s one of those episodes that is truly a betrayal of both the character of Principal Skinner and of the audience. One can’t help but wonder just what was going through the writers’ minds when they decided on this piece of retconning, but it’s definitely an episode that’s better forgotten.

Starz’s Outlander is an undeniable phenomenon, and it has many resonant and powerful episodes. Some, though, are just too difficult to watch. Anyone who’s seen “Wentworth Prison,” for example, does not need to see Jamie assaulted and brutalized by Jack Randall more than once. It’s perfectly acceptable to just skip this episode and move on to the next one which, though difficult in its own way, is more about the aftermath of Jamie’s ordeal than forcing the viewer to experience it with him.

This particular episode of BoJack is one of the most difficult to watch, in part because it involves the main character doing something self-destructive even for him. If it was possible for a viewer to die of secondhand embarrassment from a fictional character, this episode would almost certainly be a killer for sensitive viewers. It’s an undeniably great episode of the show as a whole, but it’s still one that some might choose to skip, if for no other reason than out of self-preservation.

The final season of the beloved Parks and Recreation definitely showcases so much of what makes the series a classic, but it has a few bumps here and there. The series in which Andy hosts the final episode of his show is a case in point. It’s not that it’s bad, necessarily, but it just never quite achieves the heights of what the show is capable of doing at its best. Just as importantly, skipping it doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the final season as a whole.

Schitt’s Creek is the epitome of feel-good TV, which is what makes “Roadkill” such a strange episode. As its title implies, much of the action centers around Moira and Johnny as they have to deal with the fallout of accidentally hitting a cat. It’s a morbid episode, and this part of it is, quite frankly, not funny. The David and Alexis plots are also a bit clunky and, as a result, the episode becomes one that just doesn’t quite measure up to the high standards set by the rest of the series.

Abbott Elementary shows that there’s still life in the sitcom, and there’s no episode that can be said to be truly bad. That said, “Art Teacher” from the first season tends to be one that a lot of viewers skip, and it’s easy to see why. Janine’s friend Sahar is not one of the series’ best one-off characters, and she goes too far in being irritating. One can’t help but be grateful that she doesn’t really make any other appearances in the show. This, perhaps more than anything else, shows that she just wasn’t the right fit.

Few shows have been as influential as The Twilight Zone, and many of its best episodes continue to be hard-hitting. However, there are a few duds, and arguably the most skippable is “The Bard,” which focuses on a writer who brings Shakespeare back to life. It’s supposed to be an allegory, but it doesn’t work particularly well. In addition to this, it’s also a very long episode, and this in turn throws all of its other numerous faults into very sharp relief. Definitely an episode made to be skipped.

If there’s one show that delights in being in poor taste, it’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While its sense of humor is always caustic, there’s one episode that’s genuinely difficult to rewatch, and that’s “A Cricket’s Tale.” In some ways it’s very funny, and David Hornsby gives his usual terrific performance as Cricket. However, the episode puts the character through so much abject misery that it really does take an iron constitution to watch it repeatedly. It’s thus the perfect episode to skip altogether.

Few shows are quite as much of a comfort watch as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. However, there are still a few episodes of the show that aren’t worthy of a rewatch. “Bachelor/ette Party,” for example, is a bit of a frustrating episode, particularly since Boyle acts even more clingy than usual, planning a bachelor party for Jake that’s more in line with what he wants than what Jake wants. It’s still funny, of course, but it’s just a bit heavy-handed and repetitive compared to the show at its best. 

For the most part, Downton Abbey manages to be quite consistent when it comes to the quality of its episodes. However, the sixth episode of the fourth season introduces a burn victim who claims to be the long-missing heir Patrick, only for him to disappear by the end of the episode. It’s one of those storylines that’s introduced and then resolved within the span of a single episode, which almost begs the question of why include it at all. It can easily be skipped and one wouldn’t lose track of what happens in the rest of the season.

This particular episode of The Office has proven to be quite divisive, and it’s easy to see why. The focus on Michael’s failure to reward a group of students is, to put it mildly, very mean-spirited, and it’s up to the individual viewer to determine whether it goes over the line. Regardless, it’s an episode that is easily skipped, particularly since there are many other episodes of the show that do a better job of threading the needle of bitterness and comedy.

When one is dealing with a show as long-running as Friends, it’s inevitable that a few episodes are going to be worth skipping. “The One with the Memorial Service” is more than a little cringe, and it certainly brings out the worst in both Chandler and Ross. It’s one of those episodes which just doesn’t show the characters or the show as a whole at their best, and it’s one that can be skipped without really undermining one’s appreciation for the show or the season as a whole.

Few episodes of an animated series are quite as devastating as “Jurassic Park” of Futurama, and no one who has seen it can forget the final image of the dog Seymour patiently waiting for years for Fry to return. In this case, the desire to skip comes not from the fact that the episode is bad. Instead, it comes from the fact that many people just don’t have it in them to watch a poor dog gradually decline as he waits without hope for his owner to return.

Black Mirror has been rightly celebrated for its ability to grapple with technology and the way it impacts both the present and the future. However, it has a few episodes that are less than spectacular, including and especially “Mazey Day.” It's strange enough to see a werewolf episode in a show like this one and, though the episode seems to be making some bit of commentary about the ubiquity of technology in the lives of celebrities, it ends up being a lackluster horror short rather than the series we expect.

Breaking Bad might be one of the best shows of the 21st century, but it still has a few episodes that are easy to skip. “Fly” is arguably the best example of this, as it spends a distressing amount of time on Walt and Jesse’s efforts to capture said insect. It’s a classic bottle episode, and it’s not necessarily bad. However, it does lack the sort of tension one has come to expect of a show like Breaking Bad, so it’s easy to see why so many people would be willing to skip it.

Ted Lasso is the very definition of a comfort show, and while there’s no episode that’s truly bad, it has to be said that there are some that even diehard fans usually skip. “Beard After Hours,” for example, is notable for the fact that it focuses entirely on Coach Beard and what he does after practice. While it’s fun to spend time with a character who usually sort of just appears in the background, it’s disconnected enough from the main narrative thrust of the story that it’s easy to skip.

Stranger Things is the type of show that grabs hold of one and doesn’t let go. However, there were a few episodes that can easily be skipped. “The Lost Sister” from the second season, for example, really does feel disconnected from the larger story, even if it does give Eleven some time on her own. More to the point, it actually takes until midway through the final season for there to be a real resolution to the Kali storyline, which makes this episode skippable without losing too much of the plot.

Although The Golden Girls remains a beloved sitcom and has many legions of fans, there’s one episode that consistently proves to be the least popular. “Empty Nests” is actually a backdoor pilot, and as such the fab foursome only make token appearances. While both Paula Dooley and the legendary Rita Moreno give great performances, and while the episode would eventually be retooled into the hit sitcom Empty Nest, this remains one of the few Golden Girls episodes that almost everyone skips during a rewatch.