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The Best Episodes of Transparent

Every episode of Transparent ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Transparent!

Binge this in 20h 38m•Peaking at 8.5/10

An LA family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Transparent Season 3 Episode 8 - If I Were a Bell
    8.5/10(375 votes)

    S3:E8

    Boyle Heights, 1958. 12 year old Maura's femininity causes a clash between her mother Rose and her grandparents, Haim and Yetta. Across town, 12 year old Shelly quits the school play and stops eating but won't tell anyone why. Flash forward to 1966, where 21 year olds Mort and Shelly carry on a secret affair.

    Director:Andrea Arnold
    Writer:Yona Speidel

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  2. Transparent Season 2 Episode 9 - Man on the Land
    8.4/10(497 votes)

    S2:E9

    Maura makes a new friend and has a rude awakening at the music festival; Sarah experiences liberation from an unlikely source; Ali makes an unexpected journey to the past.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

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  3. Transparent Season 2 Episode 10 - Grey Green Brown & Copper
    8.4/10(452 votes)

    S2:E10

    Maura reconciles with her lineage, both past and present; Ali talks to Leslie about her academic future; Josh looks to Buzz as a father figure; Sarah tries to tie up loose ends.

    Director:Andrea Arnold
    Writers:Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster

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  4. Transparent Season 3 Episode 10 - Exciting and New
    8.4/10(345 votes)

    S3:E10

    The Pfeffermans escape their problems on land by taking a cruise together. Though the clan spends most of the cruise apart - venturing on their own journeys of self discovery - they ultimately find themselves coming together at the Seder that almost wasn't.

    Director:Marta Cunningham
    Writers:Faith Soloway, Joey Soloway

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  5. Transparent Season 1 Episode 10 - Why Do We Cover the Mirrors?
    8.3/10(520 votes)

    S1:E10

    A funeral brings all the Pfeffermans together and reunites them with their past - Shelley and Maura with old friends, Sarah with her ex, and Josh with his teenage babysitter - who brings a 17-year-old boy. Just when they thought there were no more secrets, the family busts out a few more.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Joey Soloway

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  6. Transparent Season 1 Episode 7 - Symbolic Exemplar
    8.2/10(561 votes)

    S1:E7

    Josh goes on a date with Rabbi Raquel while Ali explores her feminine side with a TA from Gender Studies class. The kids turn out for Maura's performance in a talent show, but her delight quickly turns to dejection.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Faith Soloway

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Transparent

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  7. Transparent Season 2 Episode 1 - Kina Hora
    8.2/10(504 votes)

    S2:E1

    Sarah and Tammy are getting married, while Maura and Ali are visited by ghosts from the past and Josh and Rabbi Raquel can't hide their big news.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Joey Soloway

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  8. Transparent Season 1 Episode 8 - Best New Girl
    8.1/10(511 votes)

    S1:E8

    In a flashback, Mort escapes with friend Mark (Bradley Whitford) to a cross-dressing retreat in the woods, and becomes captivated with a very accepting woman named Connie (Michaela Watkins). Left alone after cancelling her Bat Mitzvah, 13-year-old Ali finds trouble with an older man at the beach.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

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  9. Transparent Season 3 Episode 5 - Oh Holy Night
    8.0/10(300 votes)

    S3:E5

    The Pfefferman family gathers at Hineni to support Sarah's alternative spiritual endeavor. After the news of a close friend's untimely passing, a distressed Josh leans on Raquel for support. Ali ends the night by witnessing the pitfalls of Leslie's prejudices.

    Director:Stacie Passon
    Writers:Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue

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  10. Transparent Season 1 Episode 4 - Moppa
    7.9/10(526 votes)

    S1:E4

    Maura finally comes out to Ali, and they join Sarah on a field trip to the mall - where they all get rude lessons in womanhood. Josh is forced to confront his past thanks to questions from Syd (Carrie Brownstein) about his longtime relationship with Rita.

    Director:Nisha Ganatra
    Writers:Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue

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  11. Transparent Season 1 Episode 6 - The Wilderness
    7.9/10(492 votes)

    S1:E6

    As they struggle to come to terms with Maura, Josh looks for answers from a rabbi named Raquel (Kathryn Hahn), and Ali looks for answers in a Gender Studies class with Syd. Sarah is left to answer questions from her own kids, who meet Maura for the first time.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

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  12. Transparent Season 2 Episode 2 - Flicky-Flicky Thump-Thump
    7.9/10(398 votes)

    S2:E2

    Josh has a pool party for his new band, but he and his siblings are caught off-guard when Maura and Shelly arrive together; Ali reconnects with an old friend; Sarah finds her past catching up with her.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writers:Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster

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  13. Transparent Season 2 Episode 5 - Mee-Maw
    7.9/10(356 votes)

    S2:E5

    Davina and Shea inspire Maura to re-imagine her past; Colton's adopted family visits, leaving Josh facing a touch decision; Ali finds herself more drawn to Leslie; Sarah tries visiting a life coach.

    Director:Stacie Passon
    Writer:Yona Speidel

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  14. Transparent Season 3 Episode 1 - Elizah
    7.9/10(352 votes)

    S3:E1

    While working at an LGBT suicide hotline, Maura receives a distressing call from a young trans woman, Elizah. Afraid that Elizah will hurt herself, Maura goes on an odyssey through South Central LA to find the troubled teen and lands herself in the hospital.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

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  15. Transparent Season 3 Episode 3 - To Sardines and Back
    7.9/10(481 votes)

    S3:E3

    Relationships are tested as the Pfefferman family gather for Maura's birthday. Sarah confronts Buzzy on temple board politics and Maura makes a big announcement, experiencing pushback from both Vicki and Shelly. The night culminates in a game of Sardines, forcing tense situations into tight spaces.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writers:Faith Soloway, Joey Soloway

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  16. Transparent Season 1 Episode 5 - Wedge
    7.8/10(505 votes)

    S1:E5

    When Shelly's husband Ed goes missing, Sarah, Josh and Ali set out to find him, and instead find themselves lost in their past. Ali can no longer keep Maura's secret from Josh, which sends him into a tailspin. When Maura runs into a Pfefferman family friend she takes a stand for her new identity.

    Director:Nisha Ganatra
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

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  17. Transparent Season 1 Episode 9 - Looking Up
    7.8/10(463 votes)

    S1:E9

    Maura finds solace with ex-wife Shelly, and the two hatch a plot to help Ed realize his wishes. Sarah spends time with her ex-husband and begins to question their breakup, while Raquel finally breaks through to Josh. And when the entire family is summoned to Shelly's, they are in for a few surprises.

    Director:Nisha Ganatra
    Writers:Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue

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  18. Transparent Season 2 Episode 7 - The Book of Life
    7.8/10(341 votes)

    S2:E7

    On Yom Kippur, Sarah tries to make amends with Tammy; Maura tries to communicate with Davina; Josh tries to make peace with Raquel; Ali and Syd host a break-the-fast party.

    Director:Jim Frohna
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

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  19. Transparent Season 3 Episode 6 - The Open Road
    7.8/10(303 votes)

    S3:E6

    Josh hits the road with an unlikely copilot, stirring up some undeniable chemistry along the way. Back at home, Shelly becomes wary of Buzzy's outlandish spending while Ali sees God during a nitrous induced trip at the dentist's office.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

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  20. Transparent Season 3 Episode 7 - Life Sucks and Then You Die
    7.8/10(289 votes)

    S3:E7

    Josh arrives in Overland Park and delivers difficult news to Colton. Sarah oversteps her boundaries with Raquel, putting the Hineni Seder in danger. A tough conversation with Bryna brings up some big issues between Maura and Vicki.

    Director:Shira Piven
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

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  21. Transparent Season 4 Episode 8 - Desert Eagle
    7.8/10(219 votes)

    S4:E8

    Maura yearns to forge a new relationship but finds the connection strained. Ali is drawn to rejoin her family. Out in the vast desert Josh tries his hand at shooting a gun, leaving Shelly rattled.

    Director:Andrea Arnold
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

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  22. Transparent Season 4 Episode 4 - Cool Guy
    7.7/10(223 votes)

    S4:E4

    Maura and Ali uncover new truths about their family. Shelly gets bold in her improv class. Sparks fly between Sarah, Lila, and Len and they set off to hatch a plan. Josh is haunted by the past.

    Director:Sarah Gavron
    Writer:Gabe Liedman

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  23. Transparent Season 1 Episode 2 - The Letting Go
    7.6/10(625 votes)

    S1:E2

    Maura embraces her new journey, but nothing about life as a woman is easy -- making friends, finding a new community, and above all, coming out to her children. Sarah introduces her husband (Rob Huebel) to her ex-girlfriend Tammy (Melora Hardin). Josh pays a visit to his ex-babysitter Rita, as Ali gets closer to her trainer.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Joey Soloway

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  24. Transparent Season 2 Episode 4 - Cherry Blossoms
    7.6/10(356 votes)

    S2:E4

    Josh's bonding with Colton comes at a price; Sarah feels more like an outsider than ever following a disastrous school gala; a visit to Grandma Rose leaves Ali and Syd with questions; Maura searches for autonomy.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Arabella Anderson

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  25. Transparent Season 2 Episode 8 - Oscillate
    7.6/10(346 votes)

    S2:E8

    Maura learns more about the trans experience; Josh heads down a reckless path; Ali and Sarah take Maura to the Idyllwild Wimmin's Music Festival.

    Director:Andrea Arnold
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

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Best Episodes Summary

"If I Were a Bell" is the best rated episode of "Transparent". It scored 8.5/10 based on 375 votes. Directed by Andrea Arnold and written by Yona Speidel, it aired on 9/23/2016. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Man on the Land".