◆ Entertainment
10 Marvel TV Episodes Considered Masterpieces
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By
Adam Holmes
Published May 4, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots.
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Marvel has been present in the television space since The Marvel Super Heroes_ premiered in 1966. 60 years later, the comic book company has not only delivered many more animated TV shows, but a sizable amount of live-action programming as well. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, in particular, has been a big driver of this, giving fans plenty of small-screen adventures to follow along with in this shared universe in the interim periods between movie releases.
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Amidst all these Marvel TV shows, however, are a handful of episodes that are the cream of the crop. These are the ones that the majority of these shows’ respective fanbases, as well as many critics in certain instances, agree are exceptional. Of that select group, there are 10 Marvel TV episodes that stand out as masterpieces and deserve heaping amounts of praise.
X-Men ’97 - “Remember It”
Season 1, Episode 5
Marvel Studios Animation
X-Men ’97_ season 1 marked its halfway point with devastation that took the latter half of the season into darker territory and shocked many fans. This stemmed from the Sentinels killing thousands in Genosha, with Magneto and Gambit being among the casualties. Even before that, “Remember It” was breaking hearts by showing Gambit and Rogue breaking up.
Even though it was later revealed that Bastion transported Magneto away from Genosha, that in no way detracted from the emotional heaviness of “Remember It.” X-Men ’97 had already proven effective at exploring adult themes in a way that was palatable to younger viewers, just like X-Men: The Animated Series did in the 1990s.
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However, “Remember It” transitioned X-Men ’97_ into a show truly on par with adult TV programming. The Sentinels’ attack changed the series’ status quo in a destructive way, hammering home with the loss of both Magneto and Gambit in just a few minutes. The episode hit hard, but in the best way possible.
Loki - “Glorious Purpose”
Season 1, Episode 1
_ Loki arrested by TVA in Loki season 2
Considering how Marvel Studios concluded the main Loki’s story in Avengers: Infinity War_, it was surely a daunting task to make a TV show based on a younger variant of him. After all, this was a post-The Avengers Loki who escaped custody from the Battle of New York with the Tesseract and is nowhere near embarking on a redemptive journey.
However, the first “Glorious Purpose” episode did a tremendous job getting fans to sympathize with this version of Loki. Tom Hiddleston nailed showing the character’s regret upon learning what happened to his main counterpart. It was an effective start to a different kind of redemption arc for such a beloved character.
This was balanced by “Glorious Purpose” opening up a new, time travel-focused corner of the MCU through the TVA and pairing Loki with Owen Wilson’s Mobius. All these elements combined into "Glorious Purpose" being one of the strongest premiere episodes for an MCU show.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - “As I Have Always Been”
Season 7, Episode 9
_ ABC
In the last stretch of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._’s final season, “As I Have Always Been” trapped its protagonists in a time loop, with Daisy and Coulson being the only ones aware of what was happening. What made the time loop story stand out from others was its notable balance of both humor and drama.
Watching Daisy and Coulson go through numerous loops that end in comedically violent confrontations was unquestionably entertaining. At the same time, “As I Have Always Been” wisely didn’t get bogged down with the mechanics of the time loop. Instead, it firmly focused on its reality-threatening stakes and the personal revelations that came from it.
Then “As I Have Always Been” stuck the landing with the death of Chronicom ally Enoch. The episode handled it in a manner that was both heartbreaking and didn’t feel tonally jarring from the prior humorous elements. It was impressive that_ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._ pulled this off before concluding.
Agatha All Along - “Mother Maiden Crone”
Season 1, Episode 9
_ Kathryn Hahn wearing a cloak as Agatha in Agatha All Along
Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness was WandaVision_’s breakout character, so it wasn’t surprising when Marvel decided to give the character her own spinoff series. What made Agatha All Along tricky, however, was depicting Agatha as a protagonist, yet making sure her conniving and manipulative nature remained intact.
No episode of the 2024 series did this better than _Agatha All Along'_s two-episode ending, specifically “Mother Maiden Crone." Viewers became more sympathetic towards Agatha upon learning about what happened to her son, Scratch. At the same time, it was easy to hate her upon seeing how long she had been stealing fellow witches’ magic, particularly through the Witches Road con.
Whether or not Hahn reprises Agatha Harkness in the MCU again, “Mother Maiden Crone” accomplished its job of fully pulling back the curtain on this character. She’s now just as transparent on that front as she was in her ghostly form. Fans went down the Witches Road, and the journey was well worth it.
Daredevil - “Blindsided”
Season 3, Episode 4
_ Marvel Studios
Daredevil_ was never lacking in action-packed moments, and the show especially stood out with its continuous shot hallway fight sequences. Daredevil season 3’s standout scene came in “Blindsided,” when a civilian-dressed Matt Murdock fought off inmates and guards while trying to escape a prison.
Not only was this the longest of Daredevil’s hallway fight sequences, but it was also the most thrilling to watch unfold. The performances, choreography, and cinematography meld together to form one of Matt’s stressful moments. It practically felt like the pandemonium was being emitted from the screen.
All this alone would be enough to make “Blindsided” one of the best Daredevil episodes. On top of that, though, this installment was bolstered by Foggy’s decision to run for district attorney and Fisk beginning his scheme to manipulate Dex. So it's no wonder this remains one of the high points of Daredevil’s three-season run.
Jessica Jones - “AKA WWJD?”
Season 1, Episode 8
_ Marvel Studios
You won’t find any shortage of fans who still think that David Tennant’s Kilgrave is one of its best Marvel villains. He was a vile human being who used his ability to get whatever he wanted and hurt whomever he wanted. So that made it all the more admirable that the Jessica Jones_ episode “AKA WWJD?” tried to steer him in a better direction.
The episode had some of Jessica Jones’ best writing, with Krysten Ritter’s title character trying to convince Kilgrave to start doing good with his mind control powers. The fact that there was a point where it was conceivable that it could happen was an amazing feat. That also made it all the more impactful when Kilgrave returned to his detestable ways.
While “AKA WWJD?” also had some action-heavy moments to enjoy, it shined the brightest through its character exploration. We still hated Kilgrave by the end of the episode, but at least we gained a better understanding of his motivations and got a taste of what could have been had he continued to help people rather than harm them.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series - “The Alien Costume Saga: Part 2”
Season 1, Episode 9
_ Marvel
Although “The Alien Costume Saga” was one of Spider-Man: The Animated Series_’ three-parters, it was the middle episode that especially stood out. That portion of the story saw Peter Parker learning that his black costume was actually an alien symbiote. It went on to bond with Eddie Brock, and Venom was born.
It’s hardly surprising this show introduced Venom so early, considering how popular he’d become following his comics debut six years earlier. However, what made part two of “The Alien Costume Saga” wasn't the inclusion of the villain, as he only appeared at the very end.
Instead, the middle half of this _Spider-Man: The Animated Serie_s three-parter deftly balanced the transition of black-suited Peter to Venom’s emergence with exciting action and game-changing reveals. One could argue it’s still the best way Venom’s origin has been handled outside the comics.
Wonder Man - “Doorman”
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Season 1, Episode 4
_ Doorman reaching into a portal in Wonder Man
It’s ironic that “Doorman” was the best episode of Wonder Man_’s first season, considering that Simon Williams, the lead character, barely appeared in it. Instead, the episode revealed the background of why superpowered people aren’t allowed to work in the entertainment industry.
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So while “Doorman” effectively revealed the full rationale behind why Simon has to keep his powers hidden while trying to make it big in Hollywood, that wasn’t what made it great. Rather, it was through showing the tragic rise and fall of DeMarr “Doorman” Davis stemming from gaining those phasing and teleportation powers.
Even though he appeared in just the one Wonder Man_ episode, DeMarr’s arc was arguably just as compelling as Simon Williams’ story. Within a roughly half-hour time frame, “Doorman” functioned amazingly as both a standalone episode highlighting the dangers of fame and as a key narrative piece of the wider Wonder Man picture.
WandaVision - “On A Very Special Episode…”
Season 1, Episode 5
_ Marvel Studios
It was only a matter of time before Vision started to realize that something was amiss in WandaVision_. That time finally came in “On A Very Special Episode…,” which received a lot of attention at the time for the surprise appearance of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff. Alas, he ended up just being Ralph Bohner, but that’s not important.
Instead, “On A Very Special Episode…” stood out as one of the best Marvel TV episodes for how it conveyed the true horror of what Wanda did to Westview. It was chilling to watch Vision learn about how the town's inhabitants were being mind-controlled, then confront Wanda about it.
Plus, like the previous episodes, this one wonderfully channeled the feel of sitcom eras long past. That 1980s and early 1990s TV nostalgia, combined with the reveal of more unsettling aspects of Wanda’s reality, made for a tense yet captivating watch. It was WandaVision at its finest.
Luke Cage - “The Main Ingredient”
Season 2, Episode 10
_ Marvel Studios
It’s no secret that Iron Fist_ wasn’t nearly as well-received as the other Marvel Netflix shows, and Finn Jones’ take on Danny Rand wasn’t received much more positively in The Defenders. That made it all the more pleasantly surprising when Iron Fist appeared in the Luke Cage episode “The Main Ingredient” and was handled much more faithfully.
The Luke Cage season 2 episode finally delivered the partnership between Mike Colter’s title protagonist and Danny Rand that best channeled the Heroes for Hire vibe from the comics. The show’s writers nailed the fun dynamic between these two that was missing from their previous team-up.
That wasn't the only way “The Main Ingredient” impressed, however, as the episode also saw Mariah Dillard falling further into darkness and completely embracing her criminal heritage. That one-two punch made this Luke Cage season 2’s best episode and one of the best within the Marvel** TV lineup to date.