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The Best Episodes Directed By Brian Knappenberger

Every TV Episode Directed by Brian Knappenberger Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    undefined Season 1 Episode 6 - Empire Is Untenable
    9.7/10(3 votes)

    S1:E6

    The USSR's grasp on Eastern Europe weakens as the Berlin Wall comes down and the Communist Party mounts a coup against a prominent Soviet Union leader.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  2. undefined Season 1 Episode 1 - The Sun Came Up Tremendous
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E1

    During World War II, the US begins to work on a top-secret project that results in the atomic bombings on Japan — and a global conflict lasting decades.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  3. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - Poisoning the Soil
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E2

    As communism takes off in Russia and China, Joseph Stalin begins his ruthless reign and the Soviet Union enters an era of terror.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  4. undefined Season 1 Episode 3 - Institutional Insanity
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E3

    Preparing for war against the Soviet Union, the US starts to test thermonuclear weapons. The CIA forms and interferes with global politics.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  5. undefined Season 1 Episode 4 - The Wall
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E4

    The US and Soviet Union get caught in a nuclear arms race. A wall divides Berlin. John F. Kennedy looks for a peaceful solution after a crisis in Cuba.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  6. undefined Season 1 Episode 5 - War Games
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E5

    With both sides planning for the worst-case scenario, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev find common ground. Tragedy strikes after a nuclear disaster.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  7. undefined Season 1 Episode 8 - Moscow Will Not Be Silent
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E8

    Russia struggles to find a national identity as Vladimir Putin comes to power. With the Cold War in the rearview, a war on terror begins.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  8. undefined Season 1 Episode 9 - We Are Not Dead Yet
    9.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E9

    Russia invades Georgia and Ukraine, putting Putin under intense scrutiny. While disinformation thrives, threats of nuclear war persist.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  9. undefined Season 1 Episode 7 - The End of History
    9.0/10(3 votes)

    S1:E7

    A new Russian leader emerges, and the republics seek independence. As the Soviet Union dissolves, several powers sign a landmark treaty on nuclear arms.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  10. undefined Season 1 Episode 1 - The System Was Blinking Red
    7.4/10(12 votes)

    S1:E1

    Interviews and chilling archival recordings chronicle the chaos that unfolded during the 9/11 attacks, whose origins can be traced to the 1980s.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  11. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - A Place of Danger
    7.4/10(11 votes)

    S1:E2

    Survivors recount the horrors they endured on 9/11. Immediately after the attacks, George W. Bush begins charting America's aggressive military response.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  12. undefined Season 1 Episode 4 - The Good War
    7.4/10(10 votes)

    S1:E4

    With no cohesive strategy, the war in Afghanistan squanders early successes and backfires, fueling disillusionment, corruption and a Taliban resurgence.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  13. undefined Season 1 Episode 3 - The Dark Side
    7.3/10(11 votes)

    S1:E3

    Learning the hijackers benefitted from gaps in US intelligence, the White House justifies a secret surveillance program and "enhanced interrogation."

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  14. undefined Season 1 Episode 5 - Graveyard of Empires
    7.2/10(11 votes)

    S1:E5

    After two decades, the US aims to end its longest-ever war, but its withdrawal threatens to plunge Afghanistan back into repressive, bloody violence.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  15. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - Civil War
    6.7/10(3 votes)

    S1:E2

    Vietnamese soldiers recall the origins of their brutal conflict across the 17th parallel. The US Civil Rights Movement inspires a new wave of activists.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  16. undefined Season 1 Episode 5 - The End of the Road
    6.7/10(3 votes)

    S1:E5

    "In the end, the human toll is enormous." The legacy of the war extends far beyond the fall of Saigon. History repeats itself in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  17. undefined Season 1 Episode 1 - America Goes to War
    5.6/10(6 votes)

    S1:E1

    As Cold War tensions escalate, the US secretly enters the fight against North Vietnam, while widespread protests spark intense unrest in South Vietnam.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  18. undefined Season 1 Episode 3 - Life Is Cheap
    5.0/10(2 votes)

    S1:E3

    The Tet Offensive shatters the myth that American victory is at hand. Firsthand witnesses and survivors recall the horror of the Mỹ Lai massacre.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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  19. undefined Season 1 Episode 4 - Why Are We Even Here?
    5.0/10(2 votes)

    S1:E4

    As Nixon and Kissinger secretly enact a ruthless bombing campaign, US veterans speak out against the war. The Kent State shootings outrage millions.

    Director:Brian Knappenberger
    Writer:N/A

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Brian Knappenberger Ratings Summary

"Empire Is Untenable" is the best rated episode directed by Brian Knappenberger. It scored 9.7/10 from 3 votes. It was written by N/A. It aired on March 12, 2024. It is rated 0.2 points higher than their second-best episode, "The Sun Came Up Tremendous".