As we near the end of 2025, there are plenty of TV shows that have added to the specialness of this year through their incredible stories, performances and production quality. It seems like every year has its fair share of fantastic TV shows with many episodes being praised for their talent, memorable moments, and shocking plot twists. For those of us who enjoy looking at the past year, one way to do that is by looking at episodes of different TV shows that got very high ratings from viewers and critics.As always, there are literally hundreds of TV episodes available through many different sources each year. Some TV shows get a lot more visibility than others, and occasionally, just one single episode from a specific TV show will become embedded into popular culture.This year, many episodes are considered by either viewers or critics to be the best of 2025 based on either viewer ratings or critic selections. These ratings can either be from sites where you score or rate shows, such as IMDb or from professional movie reviewers. Today, let us have a look at the five episodes from 2025 that were rated as the very best by many viewers and critics.Five most talked about TV episodes from different TV shows in 2025One of the episodes that received a lot of buzz this year was from the TV show Andor, Season 2, Episode 8, "Who Are You?" This particular episode was praised for not only its engaging storylines but also for connecting with viewers through the emotions behind them. As part of an ongoing science-fiction drama series set in the Star Wars universe, a number of reviewers and fans alike characterized this episode as one of the best performances of the series to date.Another highly rated episode this year was Severance Season 2, Episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo" for its emotional context and excellent performances by the actors. The Severance series takes a unique view on work vs. life and has consistently produced high-quality episodes that resonate with audiences, and this episode excellently illustrates that point.Another of the best reviewed episodes was from a horror TV show called It: Welcome to Derry. The episode "The Black Spot" was well-balanced with horror scares and compelling storytelling. It has become one of the best-known episodes for genre television in the year 2025.Sci-fi/fantasy also made its mark in the form of the television series Pluribus. It premiered with the episode "We Are Us." The series combined sci-fi with drama and featured performances that were of high quality. This episode was well received by critics.The final episode that made it to many top 5 lists is The Wheel Of Time’s episode "The Road To The Spear." The episode mixed emotion with grand storytelling, enabling this episode to be among the most successful fantasy episodes of 2025.Why were these episodes rated so highly?There are many things that can make a TV show episode stand out. For some episodes, it is the acting that touches people's hearts. For others, it is the way the story goes in a direction that viewers did not expect. In the case of Andor, "Who Are You?", it was the emotional weight and the way it built up events over several seasons. This payoff made many fans think back to the journey of these characters and react strongly.For Severance "Chikhai Bardo," it was the unique mix of feelings and ideas about identity and memory that connected with viewers. Many people talk about how certain character moments helped make this episode feel important.The horror episode from the TV show It: Welcome to Derry made people talk because it did not just rely on jump scares. Instead, it used atmosphere and story tension to create fear, which many horror fans appreciated.With Pluribus, the storytelling was a fresh take on aliens and human reaction. Critics and fans alike noted that the opening episode, "We is Us" drew them into a larger world they wanted to explore more.Finally, The Wheel of Time brought together strong fantasy action with deep character moments in "The Road to the Spear," which helped it earn praise beyond its usual fan base and brought new viewers to the show.These episodes show that different types of stories can be great in their own ways. Some focus on deep themes, some on scares, some on characters, and some on expansive worlds. What they share is that many people felt moved or impressed after watching them.