From the Desert Comes a Stranger shifts away from Boba Fett to follow the Mandalorian checking in on Grogu as he trains with Luke Skywalker. The episode sidelines its title character, which frustrated some fans, but it makes up for it with big Star Wars cameos. With Luke, Ahsoka, and Cad Bane all appearing, it became one of the most talked-about chapters of the season. | © Disney
Unfinished Business pauses Battlestar Galactica’s larger story to stage boxing matches between the crew. The fights give characters a chance to vent buried tensions, with Apollo and Starbuck’s match standing out as flashbacks reveal the roots of their feud. It may skip the usual Cylon drama and space battles, but fans value it for the raw emotion packed into the ring. | © Sky One
Cooperative Calligraphy traps the Greendale Seven in the study room as they tear each other apart over Annie’s missing pen. What starts as a simple search spirals into accusations, stripping down, and absurd arguments that touch on everything from sex to religion. It’s peak Community, a bottle episode that’s both hilarious and surprisingly revealing about the group’s dynamics. | © Sony Pictures Television
Leslie & Ron locks the two Parks Department leaders in a room until they finally hash out their falling-out. Leslie’s over-the-top tactics to get Ron talking like water splashes, post-it stamps, and a chaotic Billy Joel singalong deliver some of the show’s funniest bits. By the end, their friendship is back on track, giving fans the heartfelt resolution they wanted. | © NBCUniversal
Stranger in a Strange Land takes a detour to show how Jack got his tattoos through flashbacks to a past relationship. The episode doesn’t touch the bigger mysteries of Lost, which frustrated many fans at the time. Even so, it gave the show a breather from its mounting tension and showed a different side of its lead character. | © ABC
Winterfell kicks off Game of Thrones’ final season with long-awaited reunions and uneasy alliances as Jon Snow and Daenerys arrive in the North. Most of the episode is about characters crossing paths again after years apart, from Jon and Arya to Theon and Yara. While light on action, it delivers big emotional payoffs and sets up Jon’s shocking discovery about his Targaryen lineage. | © HBO
Honeydew slows The Bear down as Marcus heads to Copenhagen to learn under Luca, played by Will Poulter. The episode trades the show’s usual chaos for a calmer, more hopeful tone, focusing on growth and craft instead of conflict. It may not push the story forward, but it gives season 2 a crucial layer of optimism that reshapes the series’ outlook. | © Hulu
Here’s Not Here steps away from the main group to show how Morgan went from broken and violent to calm and centered. His time with Eastman, a stranger who teaches him aikido and a new way to see the world, reshapes his entire outlook. The episode may be a detour, but it’s one of the most powerful character studies in The Walking Dead. | © AMC
The Prisoner pulls Mando into a heist with an old partner that quickly goes sideways when the crew turns on him. Trapped on a New Republic prison ship, he has to outsmart his betrayers and fight his way to survival. Though it doesn’t push the main story forward, fans remember it for slick action and the debut of Bill Burr’s Migs Mayfeld. | © Disney
Fish Out of Water sends BoJack to an underwater film festival, where a broken communication device leaves him silent for the entire episode. What could have been a gimmick turns into one of the show’s most creative and heartfelt stories, as BoJack helps reunite a baby seahorse with its father. Stripped of dialogue, the episode shows just how strong the animation and storytelling are on their own. | © Netflix
Trouble Don’t Last Always slows Euphoria to a quiet diner conversation between Rue and her sponsor Ali. The episode doesn’t move the plot forward, but it digs deep into themes of addiction, recovery, and accountability. Fans praise it as one of the show’s most raw and honest hours, proving that dialogue alone can carry the emotional weight. | © HBO
Pine Barrens strands Christopher and Paulie in the snowy New Jersey woods after a botched attempt to get rid of a Russian mobster. What starts as a simple cleanup spirals into a darkly funny survival misadventure, with the two bickering as they get more lost and desperate. It barely touches the main story, but fans love it for how perfectly it captures The Sopranos’ mix of comedy and menace. | © HBO
The Suitcase keeps the focus on Don and Peggy as they clash, bond, and trade some of the show’s sharpest dialogue during one long night at the office. The episode doesn’t push the larger plot forward, but it distills everything that makes Mad Men work: ambition, sacrifice, and the messy overlap between work and life. It’s also remembered for one of Don’s most cutting lines: “That’s what the money’s for!” | © Lionsgate Television
Long, Long Time shifts away from Joel and Ellie to tell the story of Bill, a hardened survivor who finds unexpected love with Frank. What could have been a simple side plot turns into one of the most moving hours of TV, showing tenderness in the middle of an apocalypse. Even if it only sets up a car for the main characters, fans see it as essential to the show’s bigger themes of love and connection. | © HBO
The Fly slows Breaking Bad to a crawl, trapping Walt and Jesse in the lab with nothing but a stray fly and their own demons. Walt’s obsession with killing it turns into a metaphor for the guilt he carries, especially over Jane’s death. It’s a divisive episode, but many fans see it as one of the show’s strongest character studies. | © Sony Pictures Television
Not every TV episode pushes the main story forward, but some stand out for doing something unforgettable. These so-called “filler” episodes break from the plot yet end up becoming fan favorites. Here are 15 times a detour turned into some of the best television around.
