An index of tropes regarding different episodes of any television series, or installments of any other kind of media series.
Also see Seasons. Not to be confused with the British sitcom of the same name.
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Character-centered episodes
Episodes focusing on specific character(s), or on their personality traits.
- Birthday Episode: Where a character's birthday is celebrated.
- Ageless Birthday Episode: Same as above, except without any visible increase in age.
- The Bus Came Back: A long gone character comes back.
- Cheer Up Episode: One character is down in the dumps, and the other characters attempt to make them happier.
- A Day in the Limelight: A secondary character shifts into the narrative focus for one episode.
- Lower-Deck Episode: Minor supporting characters shift into spotlight for one episode.
- Villain Episode: The antagonist shifts into the spotlight as a temporary Villain Protagonist.
- Embarrassment Plot: A character deals with being embarrassed.
- Feud Episode: The characters spend the episode arguing and fighting with each other over some petty dispute.
- Gender-Separated Ensemble Episode: The ensemble cast is split by gender for one episode, with their separate plots.
- Girl's Night Out Episode: The female characters shift into exclusive spotlight for one episode. May be related to the above.
- How Dad Met Mom: The backstory of how two parents first met.
- New Baby Episode: A baby is born or adopted.
- Obsessive Hobby Episode: A character becomes obsessed with something and must either give it up or learn moderation.
- Origins Episode: The origin of a previously introduced character is explained.
- "Walk on the Wild Side" Episode: The responsible character becomes wild and spontaneous.
- Welcome Episode: The POV character is introduced to an established character group.
- "What Do They Fear?" Episode: The characters try to discover each other's deepest fears.
- With a Foot on the Bus: It looks like a character might leave, but they don't.
Contest/game/sport episodes
Episodes where the main cast participates in sports or other kinds of games and contests.
- Baseball Episode: The characters train for and participate in a baseball game.
- Bowling for Ratings: The characters go bowling or join a bowling league.
- The Boxing Episode: The characters train for, participate in, or attend a boxing match.
- Evasive Fight-Thread Episode: The characters compete in some discipline but the outcome is never revealed.
- Fishing Episode: The characters go fishing of course.
- "Jar of Jellybeans" Contest: The characters guess, measure or count for a contest to determine how much of something is in a container.
- Mini-Golf Episode: The characters visit a mini-golf course- competition ensues.
- The Olympics: The characters partake in the Olympics, whether a local version or the real deal.
- Paintball Episode: The characters train for and participate in a paintball game.
- Pet Contest Episode: The characters train their pets to participate in a pet contest.
- RPG Episode: The characters play a role-playing game for most of the episode.
- Town Contest Episode: The characters participate in a town-wide contest in some discipline.
Genre shift episodes
The show switches genres for one episode, but keeps the main cast.
- Alternate Reality Episode: The actors play different characters in an Alternate Universe.
- Cowboy Episode: An episode which has a plot and setting styled after The Western (or related sub-genres, like New Old West or Space Western).
- Fairy Tale Episode: The characters reenact a (parody of a) famous Fairy Tale.
- Beanstalk Parody: An episode that parodies the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
- Storybook Episode: The characters are cast as fairy tale archetypes.
- Heist Episode: A caper-style episode where the characters have to plan a robbery.
- Musical Episode: The characters all have to sing and dance in musical numbers throughout the episode.
- Mystery Episode: An episode where the characters try to solve a crime or another mystery.
- Noir Episode: An episode shot in the style of film noir. Black-and-white visuals and first-person narrations are usually mandatory.
- Parody Episode: A comedic episode that spoofs some other work or genre.
- Sitcom Homage Episode: An episode which spoofs a classic sitcom show.
- Pirate Episode: The characters act like (or become) pirates in this episode.
- Rhyming Episode: The characters are cast in a story where they rhyme all the time.
- Superhero Episode: The characters gain superpowers (or at least flashy superhero costumes) and fight crime.
Illness episodes
Episodes where members of the main cast fall ill or are injured.
- Amnesia Episode: Someone loses their memory. Hilarity may or may not ensue.
- Chickenpox Episode: A character gets the chickenpox.
- Contamination Situation: Characters are exposed to a potentially deadly pathogen that infects them.
- The Dentist Episode: A character has to visit the dentist.
- The Fat Episode: A character suddenly gains (and soon loses) weight for an episode.
- Fever Dream Episode: A character is sick and has bad trips the entire episode.
- Flea Episode: A character has fleas. Itchiness ensues.
- Injured Limb Episode: A character injures their limb.
- Insomnia Episode: A character is unable to sleep for unknown reasons for one episode.
- Lice Episode: An episode features people getting lice.
- Loose Tooth Episode: A character, usually a young child, has a loose tooth.
- Lost Voice Plot: A character loses their voice (whether by disease, magic, or just straining it), and they must get it back.
- Plague Episode: Several characters catch a disease one by one.
- Ruptured Appendix: A character develops appendicitis and, usually, requires emergency surgery.
- Sick Episode: One or more characters fall ill and the others tend to them.
- Single-Episode Handicap: A character is handicapped for an episode.
- The Tonsillitis Episode: A character has tonsillitis.
(Non-)continuity episodes
Episodes important (or completely irrelevant) to the show's overall continuity.
- Bizarro Episode: Episode without any connection to the prior or following continuity.
- Breather Episode: Light-hearted episode wedged in-between emotionally taxing ones.
- Crossover: Episode that mixes in characters and settings from another series.
- Crossover Finale: When the final episode is also a crossover with another show.
- Vacation Crossover: A crossover episode where characters meet because one or both parties are on vacation; otherwise, the run-in is unlikely due to them living in vastly different places.
- Grand Finale: The epicly definitive conclusion of a whole series.
- Astral Finale: When the series finale is also a Space Episode.
- Dénouement Episode: Series finale episode that cleans up loose ends after the main story arc is concluded.
- Killer Finale: One or more main character(s) die in the final episode.
- Series Fauxnale: Episode produced as a grand finale for the series that didn't end after it.
- Stock Series Finales: Common plots often used in final episodes of shows.
- Stock Sitcom Grand Finale: Common plots for ending a sitcom series.
- Wedding Finale: When the series finale is also a Wedding Episode, often featuring one of the protagonists marrying their love interest.
- Innocuously Important Episode: Episode that subtly sets up the future story arc.
- Non-Indicative First Episode: First episode whose contents don't reflect the rest of the show adequately.
- The One Where Everyone Dies: An episode where most or all of the characters die, but the deaths are undone by the end.
- Pilot: An episode or short film made to launch a new series; a prototype of a series premiere.
- Failed Pilot Episode: An index for pilots that were never made into full shows.
- Poorly-Disguised Pilot: An episode introducing new characters or a storyline for a potential Spin-Off series.
- Premiere: The first official episode of a series, which may or may not overlap with the pilot episode.
- Recap Episode: Episode that sums up previous story developments.
- Season Finale: The last episode of a season, and (usually) of a seasonal story arc.
- Sequel Episode: Episode that continues the storyline of a much earlier one.
- Standalone Episode: Episode that can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the series.
- Filler: A standalone episode produced solely to postpone advancing the main story arc. Adaptations may use it to avoid running out of source material.
- Synchronous Episodes: Several consecutively broadcast episodes take place at the same time in-story.
- Unexpectedly Dark Episode: Episode that is dark for a light-hearted show, but doesn't leave an impact on the show.
- Very Special Episode: Episode in an otherwise lighthearted series in which the characters deal with serious real-life issues.
- Wham Episode: Episode produced to surprise or shock the viewers.
- Mid-Season Twist: A Wham Episode that happens midway through the season.
- Whole Episode Flashback: Episode consisting mainly of one long flashback to past events.
Production trivia episodes
Episodes notable for unusual format or production details.
- Banned Episode: An episode that was removed from the air, whether by the TV networks or national censors.
- Bonus Episode: Episode that never aired but was added to the retail version.
- Bottle Episode: Low-budget episode to preserve production expenses for later.
- Clip Show: Episode (usually a form of Recap Episode) that is largely made up of actual clips from earlier episodes.
- Episode Zero: The Beginning: Episode with a zero in the title to show it's a prequel.
- Extra-Long Episode: Episode that is longer than usual for the show, season, or format.
- In Memoriam: Episode dedicated to a person who passed away recently in real life.
- Live Episode: Episode that is shot and broadcast in real time.
- Missing Episode: An episode which is missing from most broadcasts and retail versions.
- The Movie: A feature film directly based on a TV series, which is basically an extra-long special episode for that show.
- Multi-Part Episode: Episode split into several parts for broadcast.
- No-Dialogue Episode: Episode without any spoken lines.
- One-Paragraph Chapter: A chapter with only one paragraph.
- Three-Dimensional Episode: Episode produced to be watched with 3-D glasses on.
- Title Drop Chapter: A chapter that drops the title of the overall work.
- Unfinished Episode: An episode that never gets finished or made.
- Un-Installment: The series skips a number in its episode/installment progression.
- Vignette Episode: Episode composed of several vignettes.
- Webisode: Episode only available on the internet.
Significant date episodes
Episodes that revolve around what the characters do (or not) to celebrate culturally significant dates, especially holidays.
- April Fools' Plot: It's April Fools' Day, and everyone is having fun with hoaxes, jokes, and pranks.
- Christmas Episode: It's Christmas, and everyone is having fun in the name of Santa and/or Jesus. May feature Yet Another Christmas Carol.
- Earth Day Episode: The cast celebrates Earth Day.
- Easter Episode: It's Easter, and the cast is celebrating by having egg hunts.
- Election Day Episode: It's an election day, and everyone is voting for their preferred candidates in a campaign for (political) office.
- Festival Episode: It's festival season, and the Japanese are having fun.
- Founding Day: It's the anniversary of when our homeland was founded, and everyone's celebrating with a patriotic mood.
- Halloween Episode: It's Halloween, and everybody is partying or trick-or-treating in costumes. But there's always something spookier happening...
- Hanukkah Episode: It's Hanukkah, and the Jews are having fun.
- New Year Has Come: The current calendar year is ending, and another new one is beginning. Time for some fireworks!
- Out of Holiday Episode: It's a significant date episode, but transmitted well beyond the appropriate holiday season.
- St. Patrick's Day Episode: It's St. Patrick's Day, and everyone's partying while acting as stereotypically Irish as they can (regardless of actual ethnic heritage).
- Thanksgiving Episode: It's Thanksgiving Day, and all the relatives are arguing over the dinner table.
- Valentine's Day Episode: It's Valentine's Day, and everybody is feeling lovesick (even if they're single).
Unusual activity episodes
Episodes where members of the main cast engage in unusual (for them) activities.
- Amateur Film-Making Plot: The cast takes up amateur film-making.
- Ballet Episode: One or more characters either try their hand at ballet or go to the ballet.
- Door-to-Door Episode: The characters go on a fundraising drive.
- Dress-Up Episode: The modern protagonists of the work in question suddenly and inexplicably need to dress as if it's the Victorian Era.
- Episode Tagline: A particular line is said a lot during an episode.
- Firefighting Episode: A character or the entire cast join the fire department for an episode.
- First Day of School Episode: A character starts to attend a new year of school.
- Fundraiser Carnival: The characters organize a fundraiser carnival.
- Guinness Episode: The characters attempt to break a world record (or several); usually, Hilarity Ensues.
- "Last Day of School" Plot: A character attends the last day of their school year.
- Library Episode: Characters go to the library.
- Pro Wrestling Episode: The characters train for, participate in, or attend a wrestling match.
- School Play: The characters prepare for and/or perform a play for class.
- Wedding Episode: The characters attend a wedding.
Unusual location episodes
Episode where the main cast goes to places they don't usually hang out at.
- Barbershop Episode: An episode where the characters go to the barbershop to get a haircut and/or shave.
- Beach Episode: The characters go to a beach.
- Boot Camp Episode: The characters receive military training.
- Camping Episode: The characters go camping.
- Casino Episode: The characters go to a casino.
- Circus Episode: The characters get involved with a circus for an episode.
- Concert Episode: The characters see a (usually rock) concert together.
- Courtroom Episode: The characters are involved in a court case.
- Cruise Episode: The characters go on a cruise.
- Detention Episode: The characters go to a detention room in school.
- Episode on a Plane: The characters take a plane to somewhere and spend most of the episode on board.
- Grocery Store Episode: The characters go shopping for food and other goods.
- Hot Springs Episode: The characters go to the hot springs.
- Movie-Theater Episode: The characters go watch a film at the local cinema.
- Picnic Episode: The characters go on a picnic.
- Prison Episode: The characters go to prison.
- Real World Episode: The characters come from their fictional world to the "real" one for an episode.
- Road Trip Plot: The characters go on a road trip. AKA "Road Trip Episode".
- The Show Goes Hollywood: The characters go to Hollywood.
- Ski-Resort Episode: The characters go to a ski resort.
- Space Episode: The characters go to outer space.
- Vacation Episode: The characters go on a vacation.
- Viva Las Vegas!: The characters go to Vegas for an episode.
Unusual situation episodes
Episodes where the main cast is placed into unusual situations.
- Alien Episode: The characters encounter extraterrestrial beings visiting Earth, who may be either hostile or friendly.
- Baby Morph Episode: One or more characters is transformed into a baby and the others must take care of them.
- Babysitting Episode: The characters have to babysit some kid.
- Big Disaster Plot: The characters are involved in or have to deal with a major disaster.
- Big Storm Episode: There's a big storm. The characters have to work around it.
- Broke Episode: The characters are broke and must make ends meet somehow.
- Cryptid Episode: The characters go and search for some kind of mysterious mythical creature.
- Diet Episode: The characters start dieting for one episode.
- Documentary Episode: A journalist makes a documentary about the characters and their occupation.
- Dream Episode: A character experiences weird dreams while sleeping.
- Driving Test: The character takes their tests to earn their driver's licence.
- Episode of the Dead: The characters struggle to defend themselves against a temporary Zombie Apocalypse.
- "Everyone Is Gone" Episode: One character must deal with the rest of the cast being missing.
- Glitch Episode: A robot or other machine goes haywire for an episode.
- Lemonade Stand Plot: One or more characters starts their own lemonade stand.
- New Job Episode: A character changes jobs for an episode.
- Paranormal Episode: The characters find themselves dealing with a (seemingly) paranormal/supernatural situation, when they live in an otherwise mundane setting.
- Parents for a Day: The characters raise a baby who leaves by the end of the episode.
- Pest Episode: The characters have a mouse, rat, or other pest in their house and spend most of the episode trying to catch it.
- Power Outage Plot: The electricity stops working.
- "Rear Window" Homage: A character forced to sit around in their bedroom ends up recreating the plot of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window.
- Restaurant-Owning Episode: A character operates an eatery for an episode.
- Second Episode Morning: A character has to deal with the strange events that happened in the first episode.
- Society-on-Edge Episode: The characters have to deal with how volatile and unstable the setting has recently become.
- Strike Episode: The characters go on strike at their job.
- Superstition Episode: A character does something considered unlucky and has bad luck for the rest of the episode.
- "Stuck at the Airport" Plot: The airport is Snowed-In and the flight's been cancelled. Or was it some kind of terrorist attack?
- Time Travel Episode: The characters go back and/or forth through time.
- Toilet Training Plot: The characters attempt to toilet-train another character (usually a small child).
- Torture Chamber Episode: A character spends the episode being tortured.
- Treasure Hunt Episode: The characters look for treasure.
- Vampire Episode: The characters encounter bloodsucking monsters, and must be careful not to get bitten and infected with vampirism.
- Vegetarian for a Day: Characters go vegetarian for the episode and then go back to their normal eating habits by the end.
