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The Best Episodes Written By Jonathan Nolan

Every TV Episode Written by Jonathan Nolan Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    undefined Season 5 Episode 13 - return 0
    9.6/10(45 votes)

    #1 - return 0

    S5:E13

    Finch, Reese, Fusco and Shaw embark on one last mission to prevent Samaritan from destroying The Machine and cementing its hold over mankind.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  2. undefined Season 1 Episode 23 - Firewall
    9.2/10(29 votes)

    #2 - Firewall

    S1:E23

    As the clock ticks down, Reese winds up trapped with his POI in the most heavily surveilled part of the city, forced to rely on the help of Finch, Carter and Fusco to fend off the FBI, corrupt cops and a slew of old foes.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  3. undefined Season 3 Episode 10 - The Devil's Share
    9.2/10(42 votes)

    #3 - The Devil's Share

    S3:E10

    As the POI team seeks justice for Carter’s murder, Finch realizes one of his team members may go one step too far in order to end the war with HR. Also, The Machine gives out the number for NYPD Officer Patrick Simmons, one of the crime organization’s key players.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  4. undefined Season 1 Episode 10 - The Bicameral Mind
    9.1/10(203 votes)

    #4 - The Bicameral Mind

    S1:E10

    Ford unveils his vision for a bold new narrative. Enlightened by Bernard and the Man in Black, Dolores comes to terms with who she is. Maeve sets her liberation plan in motion as Westworld faces a major upheaval.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  5. undefined Season 1 Episode 7 - Trompe L'Oeil
    8.8/10(174 votes)

    #5 - Trompe L'Oeil

    S1:E7

    With Theresa's assistance, Charlotte Hale aims to expose dangerous flaws in Ford's creations. William, Dolores and Lawrence journey into treacherous terrain. Maeve delivers an ultimatum to Lutz and Sylvester. With his back to the wall, Bernard considers his next move.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  6. undefined Season 2 Episode 22 - God Mode
    8.8/10(32 votes)

    #6 - God Mode

    S2:E22

    Finch and Reese team up with unexpected allies as they race to fix the machine; as Detective Carter tries to apprehend Cal Beecher's murderer, she finds herself up against HR -- a criminal organization.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  7. undefined Season 2 Episode 16 - Relevance
    8.6/10(29 votes)

    #7 - Relevance

    S2:E16

    A lethal government operative who tracks and stops terrorist threats before they occur finds herself on the run – and the new focus of Reese and Finch's attention. However, their pursuit proves to be their most formidable when they discover that her remarkable skill set equals their own.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  8. undefined Season 2 Episode 1 - The Contingency
    8.5/10(28 votes)

    #8 - The Contingency

    S2:E1

    With Finch missing – kidnapped by his hacker nemesis, Root, Reese enlists Detectives Carter and Fusco to get his friend back, Meanwhile, The Machine never sleeps, disseminating a new number to Reese.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  9. undefined Season 1 Episode 1 - The Original
    8.4/10(237 votes)

    #9 - The Original

    S1:E1

    As another day of fantasy plays out in Westworld — a vast, remote park where guests pay top dollar to share wild-west adventures with android "hosts" — top programmer Bernard Lowe alerts park founder Dr. Robert Ford about incidents of aberrant behavior cropping up in some recently re-coded hosts. Meanwhile, in the Westworld town of Sweetwater, a rancher’s daughter named Dolores encounters a gunslinger named Teddy in the street — but their predictable narrative is upended by the appearance of a ruthless Man in Black and, later, by a supporting host’s unscripted encounter with an artifact of the outside world.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  10. undefined Season 1 Episode 6 - The Adversary
    8.3/10(163 votes)

    #10 - The Adversary

    S1:E6

    Elsie discovers a possible source of sabotage, while Bernard searches for clues to anomalies in a sector thought to be abandoned. Theresa questions Ford's leadership while Lee encounters a new arrival at Westworld. The Man in Black and Teddy run afoul of a Union garrison in their attempt to cross a border.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  11. undefined Season 2 Episode 4 - The Riddle of the Sphinx
    8.3/10(122 votes)

    #11 - The Riddle of the Sphinx

    S2:E4

    Is this now? If you're looking forward, you're looking in the wrong direction. The Man in Black offers to lead the way and Delos gets a visitor. Who is James Delos? Or, perhaps more accurately, what is James Delos, the figure at the center of Delos' secret project.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  12. undefined Season 1 Episode 21 - Many Happy Returns
    8.2/10(24 votes)

    #12 - Many Happy Returns

    S1:E21

    Finch gives Reese his birthday off so that his partner doesn't have to face a Number that is tied to Reese's past.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  13. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - Chestnut
    8.1/10(198 votes)

    #13 - Chestnut

    S1:E2

    A pair of guests, first-timer William and repeat visitor Logan, arrive at Westworld with different expectations and agendas. Bernard and Quality Assurance head Theresa Cullen debate whether a recent host anomaly is contagious. Meanwhile, behavior engineer Elsie Hughes tweaks the emotions of Maeve, a madam in Sweetwater's brothel, in order to avoid a recall. Cocky programmer Lee Sizemore pitches his latest narrative to the team, but Dr. Ford has other ideas. The Man in Black conscripts a condemned man, Lawrence, to help him uncover Westworld's deepest secrets.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  14. undefined Season 1 Episode 4 - Dissonance Theory
    8.1/10(175 votes)

    #14 - Dissonance Theory

    S1:E4

    Dolores joins William and Logan on a bounty hunt in the badlands. The Man in Black, with Lawrence in tow, finds a critical clue in his search to unlock the maze. Dr. Ford and Theresa discuss the future of the park. Maeve is troubled by a recurring vision.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  15. undefined Season 2 Episode 10 - The Passenger
    7.9/10(112 votes)

    #15 - The Passenger

    S2:E10

    Hosts and humans converge at the Valley Beyond. This is the end. We will win.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  16. undefined Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    7.8/10(40 votes)

    #16 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    When the social security number of a young prosecutor comes up, Reese and Finch work together to figure out if their person of interest is the victim or perpetrator.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  17. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - Ghosts
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    #17 - Ghosts

    S1:E2

    Reese and Finch question the machine's reliability when they are asked to investigate a teenager who was killed years earlier; Finch remembers the origin of the machine.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  18. undefined Season 2 Episode 2 - Reunion
    7.7/10(120 votes)

    #18 - Reunion

    S2:E2

    Why don't we start at the beginning? Dolores remembers she's been to the outside world, William makes a bold business venture, and Maeve begins her quest for her daughter. Someone's always watching.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  19. undefined Season 3 Episode 1 - Parce Domine
    7.4/10(100 votes)

    #19 - Parce Domine

    S3:E1

    Dolores sets out to find the architect of the Rehoboam; Bernard tries to blend in; Ex-soldier Caleb tries to find his way in neo-Los Angeles.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  20. undefined Season 3 Episode 5 - Genre
    7.2/10(81 votes)

    #20 - Genre

    S3:E5

    Serac's past is revealed; Dolores pressures Liam for access to Rehoboam; Caleb is dosed with an unusual party drug.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  21. undefined Season 3 Episode 8 - Crisis Theory
    7.0/10(82 votes)

    #21 - Crisis Theory

    S3:E8

    Dolores true intentions are revealed; Bernard confronts a ghost from his past; Maeve is conflicted; Serac's voice is dominant; Caleb's role is revealed; and William faces an unexpected villain.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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  22. undefined Season 4 Episode 8 - Que Será, Será
    6.5/10(42 votes)

    #22 - Que Será, Será

    S4:E8

    Like what I've done with the place? (I just cranked it to expert level.).

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Jonathan Nolan

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Jonathan Nolan Ratings Summary

"return 0" is the best rated episode written by Jonathan Nolan. It scored 9.6/10 based on 45 votes. It was directed by N/A. It aired on 6/21/2016 and is rated 0.4 points higher than their second-best episode, "Firewall".