The ’80s and ’90s were decades filled with television excellence, and this is especially true as the prime time to be a fan of sitcoms. Showcasing the best of comedic brilliance and introducing audiences to household names, the shows that aired during this time were often family friendly and took the opportunity to teach valuable life lessons to viewers of all ages. Full House stands as a time-honored classic of the era, capturing a chaotic but heartwarming portrait of modern life in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Inviting viewers into an increasingly busy household, the story follows the chronicles of three girls being raised by their father, his friend, and his brother-in-law after their mother’s death.
Full House touched the hearts of multiple generations, so much so that Fuller House, a sequel series, was aired in 2016 to continue where the original show left off. Audiences still like to reminisce about the most memorable instances of the extended Tanner family, fondly remembering their adventures on TV reruns and streaming services. This is especially true after the recent passing of Bob Saget, or Danny Tanner, in early 2022. These are the best episodes of Full House, ranked.
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7 Greek Week
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Division
“Greek Week” (Season 4, Episode 1) welcomes Jesse’s Greek grandparents to San Francisco, bringing with them a ton of family fun and dysfunction. The group does a double take when Michelle meets her match in cousin Melina, a carbon copy of her besides her brown hair. Traditional wedding ceremonies are brought up, calling into question Jesse’s past fling, who also pays him a visit. Cousin Sylvio and D.J. repeat the motion, enmeshing the kids in the same mess, much to the disapproval of Danny. This episode brings a far-flung family together and offers more of the light-hearted Full House fare that audiences have come to expect of the series.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Silence is Not Golden
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
“Silence is Not Golden” (Season 6, Episode 17) illuminates the serious topic of child abuse, drawing Stephanie into the complexities of her classmate Charles’s life. Charles comes to visit the Tanners to work on a class project with Stephanie, where he reveals to her that he’s being mistreated at home by his dad, and that his mother is also deceased. But when he doesn’t make an appearance at school, Stephanie’s concern grows until Jesse asks about it, leading him to call to report it. Although using her voice led to a big yet positive change in Charles’s life, this episode showed Stephanie and audiences the importance of speaking up about abuse, whatever it may look like.
5 The Last Dance
“The Last Dance” (Season 7, Episode 17) sees the Tanners facing a death in the family, normalizing a tragic part of life to audiences within all age groups. Papouli, Jesse’s grandfather, visits the family from his native Greece and enjoys making memories with them. One morning during his stay, he doesn’t wake up, revealing to the group that he suffered heart failure and passed away in his sleep. This thrusts everyone into the understandable heaviness of grief as they each try to deal with it in their own fashion. As they heal together, the episode ultimately showcases the strength of the family during an extremely difficult life event.
4 The Wedding (Part 2)
“The Wedding (Part 2)” (Season 4, Episode 19) sees Uncle Jesse finally settle down with Aunt Becky. Hanging up his hat as a “tireless ladies’ man” in the words of a New York Times review, Jesse sits behind bars for a bit after a skydiving gig gone wrong drops him in “Tomato Country.” Thankfully, Becky breaks him out just in time for the two to get hitched. Even after her dad’s car gets towed, leaving them stranded, they happen upon a choral bus that happily gives them a ride to the chapel after Becky is recognized. The singers even make an appearance at the ceremony after the vows are exchanged. Despite all the previous disasters of the day, this episode ends the two-part story on a happy note and sparks a promising future for the newlyweds.
3 Honey, I Broke the House
As one of the most visually memorable episodes of Full House, “Honey, I Broke the House” (Season 3, Episode 20) kicks off with a bored Stephanie snooping around the garage for some trouble to get into. Joey leaves the house to get some paint for rocket-red Rosie, his beloved classic car, which leaves Stephanie to investigate the car’s interior while he’s gone. One thing leads to another, and her curiosity ends up in the car barreling through the wall into the kitchen. While she’s understandably horrified, the events of the episode help her realize that her family’s love for her supersedes any accident she could have found herself in.
2 Happy Birthday, Babies (Part 2)
Michelle’s 5th birthday rolls around, and so does another important milestone within the group. “Happy Birthday, Babies (Part 2)” (Season 5, Episode 10) introduced viewers to Jesse and Becky’s twins, Nicholas “Nicky” and Alexander. At Michelle’s party, Becky goes into labor, and at the hospital, Jesse starts feeling similar pains that develop into a case of appendicitis, leaving him down-and-out while she prepares to give birth. But just in time, the two reunite under painful medical circumstances to celebrate the growth of their family.
1 Michelle Rides Again (Part 2)
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
As the final episode of the original Full House series, “Michelle Rides Again (Part 2)” (Season 8, Episode 24) wraps up the show with a bang. The two-part episode concludes with the fallout following Michelle’s accident while horseback riding, which results in a bout of memory loss that brings a bittersweet end to the cherished story. This causes Michelle to ask her family and friends questions about her mother’s death, which culminates in both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen appearing onscreen at the same time as Michelle and the personification of her memories. An article from MTV reflects on the episode’s inclusion of “signature silliness still surrounded the Tanner family, but under fairly heavy circumstances.”
