15 Of The Best Valentine's Day TV Episodes Ever
As someone who loves love AND loves television, I must say that there is no greater combination of things than a Valentine's Day episode. So, in my effort to spread the gospel of this too-often-overlooked art form, I've rounded up — in no particular order! — a list of the 15 best you can stream right now for the holiday.
1.The Baby-Sitters Club: “Mary Anne and the Great Romance” (Season 2, Episode 5)
If you’re hoping for a Valentine’s Day episode for a family watch party, stop at “Mary Anne and the Great Romance.” Netflix’s adaptation of the children’s book series that likely informed a majority of our childhoods' takes on this adorable V-Day storyline in stride. Mary Anne and Dawn are positive that their parents (who are dating) are going to announce their engagement, but instead, Mary Anne’s dad has a lot to say about buttered croissants. Luckily, there’s still some big romantic gestures happening this Valentine’s Day. Logan finally asks Mary Anne to be his girlfriend, and it’s appropriately adorable. Except being a girlfriend ends up being a bit more than Mary Anne had bargained for, including hanging out in this super-weird couples-only lounge at Stoneybrook Middle School. Now that she’s otherwise engaged, Mary Anne doesn’t get an invite to the Baby-Sitters Club’s Galentine’s Day party (shoutout to Leslie Knope). Shaken up by all the weirdness, Mary Anne resorts to telling her father about Logan in hopes that he’ll forbid her from going on her first date. But instead, Richard has prepared note cards for the occasion, and admits he strategized with his therapist over how best to handle the situation. All this builds into a terrible first date for Mary Anne, that, rest assured, still ends in a heartwarming love fest for everyone involved. Now, as Sharon so expertly suggested at Mary Anne and Logan's accidental group first date, let's all go around and share our love languages!
Watch it on Netflix.
2.The Office: “Blood Drive” (Season 5, Episode 18)
Michael meets the love of his life at the office park blood drive, and then naturally passes out from the sight of his own blood. When he wakes, she’s gone, but just as Cinderella once left a shoe, Michael's princess leaves a glove behind. Still heartbroken over Holly, he decides to throw “a lonely hearts convention” in hopes that the mystery blood drive girl will show up. Meanwhile, a newly engaged Jim and Pam grab lunch with Phyllis and Bob Vance (of Vance Refrigeration), and it ends up being almost indescribably awkward. Phyllis and Bob disappear into the restaurant bathroom together long enough for the food to arrive, and then go cold… “Blood Drive” has just the right amount of V-Day centric plot while still staying true to The Office’s core: cringe-inducing humor that somehow leaves you sympathetic for everyone involved.
Watch it on Peacock for free.
3.Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: “Lupercalia” (Season 2, Episode 3)
It’s Valentine’s Day in the human world, and "Lupercalia" in Sabrina’s world. The witchy, sexed-up version of the Hallmark holiday involves extravagant courting rituals, painting your partner with blood and milk for some reason, and a giant hunt (orgy) in the forest. Nick and Sabrina, still unsure of where their relationship stands, are in an awkward spot for this lusty day. Nick offers to just skip the festivities entirely to watch scary movies with Sabrina, and this surprisingly lame gesture compels her to, instead, agree to participate fully in the holiday — as long as the pair are exclusive, of course. This episode has everything: sexy maypole dancing, burgeoning young love, Nick murdering his deranged familiar (his ex-demon bestie sworn to protect him — literally the closest thing to family he has left) for his not-yet-official new girlfriend. We also get a really tender coming-out moment between Theo and his dad, the inevitable coupling up of Harvey and Roz, and a marriage proposal for the sex-positive icon Zelda Spellman. All of which takes a backseat to the X-rated supernatural love fest that only a show as absurd as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina could do so well.
Watch it on Netflix.
4.Parks and Recreation: “Operation Ann” (Season 4, Episode 14)
You might guess that nothing could top Parks and Recreation’s utterly game-changing “Galentine’s Day” episode from Season 2, or perhaps even the “Galentine’s Day” episode from Season 6, but “Operation Ann” officially takes the waffle. Leslie throws her usual Galentine’s Day extravaganza, and Ann is seeming noticeably down about not having a man in her life (this episode is actually the catalyst for Ann Perkins’ terrible arc about trying to find herself through dating a wide range of men, before deciding basically out of the blue to have a baby — but I digress). Leslie hatches a plot to set Ann up at the most romantic place in Pawnee, the senior citizen’s Valentine’s Day dance. Chris is heartbrokenly DJing said dance, bringing everyone down with music about suicidal monks. Jerry/Garry/Larry accidentally hires a male escort, and April shows her softer side by setting up Ann and Tom — which, in hindsight, may have actually been an act of malice. Also Leslie’s intense scavenger hunt that she sets up for Ben gives us one of the most iconic character-development moments for the beloved Ron Swanson: He just loves solving puzzles. “Operation Ann” has friendship, romance, and Leslie calling Pizza Hut to desperately ask how cute the delivery guy is. What more could you want?
Watch it on Peacock with a Premium Membership.
5.Community: “Early 21st Century Romanticism” (Season 2, Episode 15)
The study group is in a fight over what to do about Pierce's apparent painkiller addiction, but also about Canadian rock treasure Barenaked Ladies. Troy and Abed are both in love with the school librarian, so they decide to take her on a joint date to the Valentine’s Day dance and let her choose between them. Meanwhile Britta’s new bestie is a lesbian — or so she thinks. Turns out the very heterosexual Paige thinks Britta is the lesbian in this new, obnoxiously transactional friendship. The pair won't figure this miscommunication out until midway through their intense, fedora-laden game of V-Day dance chicken. Jeff skips the dance after the group's fight and gets coerced into hosting Professor Duncan to watch the soccer game. Chang invites himself over and for some reason is allowed in, only to invite half the school over for a big party against Jeff’s knowledge. The evening ends with Jeff sending the heartfelt group text that his friends all deserve, and unintentionally inviting Chang to live with him. It's one of Community's earlier theme episodes, and they don't go too crazy with the plot, making it an easy watch that refreshingly requires no prior knowledge of cult classic films or season-long inside jokes. It’s an all-around great jumping-in point for a Community rewatch, which I wholly recommend.
Watch it on Hulu.
6.New Girl: Valentine's Day (Season 1, Episode 13)
It's Nick and Julia’s first real Valentine’s Day together, and Jess’s first Valentine’s Day alone. In an attempt to have her first one-night stand, Jess enlists Schmidt and Cece’s help and ends up meeting the lunch-loving Oliver with whom she has absolutely nothing in common. Perfect. When Oliver's ex-girlfriend shows up back at his place and Schmidt is somehow still hanging around, Jess decides maybe the one-night stand thing just isn't for her. Unless, wait… Maybe it's really Schmidt she should be hooking up with? While I don't think any New Girl fan could actually get behind that odd couple, we do get a pretty great panicked, condom-raining moment between Nick and Jess outside Schmidt’s door. And behind it? Cece and Schmidt are finally making some progress in their seasons-long courtship, because “Valentine’s Day” is the origin of the many great “bone-iversary” episodes New Girl has, making it (one of) the show’s absolute best V-Day plots. Oh, and Nick convinces Julia’s intern to quit on her so he can drive until he sees the sun. How romantic is that?
Watch it on Netflix.
7.The Office: "PDA" (Season 7, Episode 16)
Darryl's grandma is dead. Michael and Holly can't keep their hands, lips, and general bodies off one another now that they're finally back together. Gabe, in true Gabe fashion, has planned Erin an ill-fitting and elaborate Valentine’s treasure hunt that inadvertently sends her and Andy on a whirlwind of a romantic afternoon. Jim and Pam are absolutely trashed off bottomless champagne and set on scoring some ~romantic time alone~ during their workday. Every shining star of The Office’s sixth season is at the top of their game (especially Kevin, who proudly proclaims his voyeuristic tendencies in the break room during one of his best moments) in what is, hands down, one of the top Valentine’s Day episodes of all time. As Michael Scott says, “Everything you want in life [or in a Valentine’s Day episode], you get. And you can't work for it — it just comes to you [in this episode].”
Watch it on Peacock with a Premium Membership.
8.Arrested Development: “Marta Complex” (Season 1, Episode 12)
Michael tricks Lucille into throwing what she thinks is a Valentine’s Day party to actually celebrate Lindsay and Tobias’s 14-year anniversary, and after the entire group chants for a speech, Michael decides to deliver one that finally wins over Marta, who is, for some reason, still with Gob. Meanwhile, Buster decides that for the good of his and Lucille #2’s relationship, he must move out of Lucille #1’s penthouse, leaving his mother to live alone for the very first time in her life. Tobias books an acting gig, and Lindsay decides 14 years of marriage is long enough for her, forcing Maeby to switch bedrooms with her father. George Michael finds out from his new roomie that there’s a chance he and Maeby maybe aren't related, which would be great news for the one-sidedly crushing cousins. And when Gob tells Michael he suspects Marta is cheating on him, Michael takes matters into his own hands, only to learn that the other man is, in fact, himself. It’s early Arrested Development at its most chaotic and quick-witted best, all against a heart-adorned backdrop. Plus young Jason Bateman? Swoon.
Watch it on Netflix.
9.Bob’s Burgers: “Bob, Actually” (Season 7, Episode 9)
Jimmy Pesto Jr. wants to kiss Tina on Valentine's Day. But not in just any old way. No, he wants to sky kiss her. This feat involves a trampoline and an audience, and is basically Tina’s teenage dream. Unfortunately, after winning her sibling’s chili-eating contest, she gets terrible diarrhea and is stuck in a bathroom stall all morning. Meanwhile Gene has a crush on the new lunch lady, a mysterious Italian woman who helps him learn to love dark chocolate. Louise hates this Hallmark holiday, but it seems like Regular Sized Rudy is going to try to woo her anyway. Except it turns out he's actually pulling out all the stops for Chloe Barbash (voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s “Valloweaster” actor herself, Stephanie Beatriz). But it’s fine — Louise doesn’t care…or does she? Bob *shockingly* leaves his Valentine’s Day plans to the last minute, so he and Teddy go take a dance class. Tina works up the courage to proclaim her diarrhea to the world — or at least the entire gymnasium — which gives us one of the most profound Tina lines of all time: “I thought nothing could stop love, but I guess I was wrong” (the thing stopping love, of course, being her diarrhea). But in the end, even unstable bowels can’t keep Tina and Jimmy Jr. apart. Louise ends up on the playground right on time to kiss Regular Sized Rudy in Chloe’s place, and Bob’s dance battle becomes a DIY-flash mob of sorts, which Linda, of course, loves because she is the sweetest wife in the world. Bob’s Burgers has a bunch of V-Day episodes, but this one gets the top spot because each member of the Belcher family gets their starring moment… and because I can’t help but root for Tina’s hopelessly romantic dreams, even if Jimmy Jr. kind of sucks.
Watch it on Hulu.
10.Modern Family: “My Funky Valentine” (Season 1, Episode 15)
There are so many reasons this Valentine’s Day episode should be one of your favorites: number one being the unforgettable trench-coat-stuck-in-the-escalator moment that haunts me to this very day. In “My Funky Valentine,” every couple has their own uniquely flawed plans for the holiday. Phil intends to continue the 17-year tradition of taking Claire to Fratelli's for a romantic dinner, but then Haley’s boyfriend upstages them, and in a wave of insecurity he offers to take Claire to a hotel instead. The pair then play out a role-playing fantasy that I’m not convinced either one of them actually ever harbored, which results in Claire entirely naked under her trench coat in the hotel bar. Remember that escalator moment I mentioned earlier? Meanwhile, her father is getting roasted for his and Gloria’s age gap at a comedy show his much younger Valentine never wanted to attend in the first place, and Mitch is stressed over work, spoiling his and Cam’s holiday fun. But Lily is, of course, still dressed up for the occasion. “My Funky Valentine” is one of those early, unpolished episodes of Modern Family that manages to stand the test of time despite the 10 seasons that follow it, and if you haven’t revisited Season 1 lately, this episode is definitely worth the trip back to 2010.
Watch it on Hulu.
11.New Girl: “Operation Bobcat” (Season 6, Episode 16)
Schmidt is slammed with work and can't plan anything special for he and Cece’s Valentine’s Day “bone-iversary,” so his new wife takes matters into her own enthusiastic and often (lovingly) misguided hands. Her plans result in the pair stuck, naked on the roof of Schmidt’s office building, relying (unfortunately) on the now-romantic Nick to save the day. Meanwhile, Jess is the only single resident of the loft, and she’s trying really hard not to let that get to her, complete with plans to have celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay(?!) cook her a solo V-Day dinner. And Winston is in the middle of his 21-step proposal plan to Aly, but when she, spur of the moment, suggests they get married, he and Jess have to commence “Operation Bobcat” early. The result is the most Winston proposal ever, complete with a concussion, an over-involved Jessica Day, and a grungy bobcat costume. “Operation Bobcat” lets the true star couple of New Girl, Winston and Aly (I will fight you on this), have the main heartfelt moment, and Winston really gets to shine as the wonderful but chronically underused character he is. Also, second to Prince, this episode boasts one of the best casual celebrity cameos in all of New Girl. The only thing that could make this episode better would be some actual screentime for the ever-controversial Reagan, who is fumbling Nick’s Valentine’s Day gifts (come on, a necklace?) from a distance the whole time.
Watch it on Netflix.
12.Gilmore Girls: “A Vineyard Valentine” (Season 6, Episode 15)
Lorelai and Luke head to Martha's Vineyard for a weekend getaway with Rory and Logan, and no matter how awkward you'd anticipate this grouping to be? Trust me, it's worse. We finally get to see Rory in full-blown girlfriend mode for Logan, and it involves some uncharacteristically early rising and an eerie enthusiasm for the gym. Meanwhile Luke is doing his weird disapproving-dad thing that he reverts to with all of Rory’s boyfriends, on top of his usual curmudgeon act. Logan has big Valentine’s Day ideas for Rory that result in a bittersweet and uncomfortably public gift exchange between Luke and Lorelai, and the nightmare quartet’s vacation ends with daddy Huntsberger crashing the party to drop the bomb that Logan will be moving to London right after graduation, and then immediately dragging his son back to the office in front of his obviously unsanctioned guests. Sure it isn't peak romance, it isn't even Gilmore Girls at its most romantic (lest we forget the car Dean built Rory, or the few times Jess blurts out his feelings for her), but this episode has everything that makes late-stage Gilmore Girls worth sticking around for: vulnerable Luke, Rory and Lorelai out of their usual Stars Hollow element, and lots of Logan (if you couldn’t tell, I am firmly team Logan). Plus, there's little I enjoy more than watching Lorelai effortlessly cause Rory's boyfriends to sweat, while Luke is working overtime to no avail.
Watch it on Netflix.
13.Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Valloweaster” (Season 7, Episode 11)
It's the annual Halloween heist! Well, sort of. The precinct is playing this year’s competition for a knock-off Infinity Gauntlet from Avengers: Infinity War, and they're all in search of those elusive (probably plastic) gems. This time, everyone gets partnered up and shackled together to shake things up. Jake rigs the game so he’s partnered with Holt — or so he thinks. Cheddar the corgi gets an epic slow-motion running-through-smoke moment before the thick king himself swallows the gems, forcing the heist to be postponed until he, um, passes them. This pushes the Halloween heist to Valentine’s Day. Someone orders flowers — and lots of them — during heist 2.0, giving Rosa the perfect opportunity to swipe the gems and hide them in Scully’s mouth. Scully takes a note out of Cheddar’s book and keeps the stones somewhere arguably too secure, once again pushing the remaining hour of the game until Easter. It's a time jump heist that plays out perfectly across all three parts, and works separately from the rest of the show, so it's a great drop-in episode, even if you haven't caught up to that season. If you’re a fan of Rosa, or just want some V-Day TV that’s not so hammy on the theme, then this one’s for you.
Watch it on Hulu.
14.The Simpsons: “Love, Springfieldian Style” (Season 19, Episode 12)
It is my humble (and correct) opinion that no show does vignette-style episodes quite like The Simpsons. “Love, Springfieldian Style” explores three parodies of famous romances. Homer and Marge get trapped in the Tunnel of Love at the carnival and decide to pass the time swapping stories. We get a Homer and Marge-style retelling of Bonnie and Clyde, and then bestialized as surprisingly cute dogs in “Shady and the Vamp.” Finally, we get an unlikely couple in Bart’s retelling of Sid and Nancy, via Lisa and Nelson, who both struggle in their relationship due to their out-of-control chocolate addiction. It’s fun and perfectly to theme, and, as is true for practically every episode of The Simpsons, a total breeze to toss on whenever the mood strikes.
Watch it on Disney+.
15.Glee: “Heart” (Season 3, Episode 13)
The Glee Club needs money for costumes, and Mr. Schuester refuses to accept it from the club’s resident Sugar Mama, Sugar, who is throwing a couples-only Valentine’s Day party at Breadsticks and has yet to choose between Artie and Rory for her date. Kurt is being courted by a secret admirer he suspects is Blaine, but is actually his ex-bully, Dave Karofsky, attempting to confess his secret love for him behind the mask of a gorilla suit for some reason. Brittany and Santana are facing anti-gay discrimination at William McKinley High School — surprise, surprise — and meanwhile, Finn and Rachel aren’t receiving enough harassment. After Burt and Carole reveal the pair’s secret engagement to Rachel’s dads, the in-laws-to-be decide to throw a dinner party to celebrate. Luckily, when they break the news to the choir room, their impending nuptials get the criticism they so rightly deserve. This episode of Glee gives us renditions of “L-O-V-E,” “Stereo Hearts,” “Love Shack,” and, most importantly, Mercedes’ stunning performance of “I Will Always Love You.” We also get an appearance from Jeff Goldblum as one of Rachel’s dads AND minimal Will Schuester, two ingredients for a truly great episode.
Rent it on Prime Video.
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