Back in 2019, Netflix audiences were caught by surprise by the streaming giant’s original showLove, Death & Robots, an animated anthology series delivering a multitude of unrelated stories from different genres, each with a different style of animation.
The show, created byTim Millerand produced byDavid Fincher, quickly garnered a passionate fanbase that fell in love with its variety of stories, styles, and aesthetics.
It has a great score of 8.4 onIMDb, where users have shown their love for many of the bestLove, Death & Robotsepisodes. With the fourth season ofLove, Death & Robotsconfirmed and promising more of the mind-blowing mature genre stories that fans have come to expect, they are more excited than ever to see what the show has in store. As such, it’s always fun to rewatch the show’s best episodes.
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20"Three Robots: Exit Strategies" (Season 3, Episode 1)
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
A direct sequel to one of the show’sfirst season’s highest-rated episodes, “Three Robots: Exit Strategies” follows the three goofy titular characters walking through the post-apocalypse, taking a sightseeing tour of humankind’s failed last attempts to save itself.It’s not exactly a philosophical treatise, but it has enough of an interesting theme(approached with a comedic tone) to make it a fan-favorite of season three.
The message feels a bit preachy and repetitive, but thankfully, the episode is wise enough to not make that its focus. Instead, it’s a fun and humorous reminder of what dark paths humanity can head on if it doesn’t take care of itself. The animation is cool, the characters are endearing, and the throwback to the series' first season is very welcome.
19"In Vaulted Halls Entombed" (Season 3, Episode 8)
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
In “In Vaulted Halls Entombed”, the audience follows a squad of Special Forces soldiers deep in the mountains of Afghanistan. There, they have to recover a hostage held by terrorists, but the evil they encounter as they venture deep underground is far more terrifying. Scary and Lovecraftian, the episode is one of the standouts of the show’s latest season.
Love, Death & Robotsfans know that the show is a specialist in outstanding war episodes with a genre spin, and “In Vaulted Halls Entombed” is no exception. It’s a bit of a clichéd story with an ending that might not please everyone,but it more than makes up for those flaws with a terrifying monster, engaging characters, and a grim tone that fans of the show are guaranteed to love.
18"All Through the House" (Season 2, Episode 6)
IMDb Score: 7.3/10
Fantasy Christmas episodes tend to be a blast, but few are as creative, fun, and memorable asLove, Death & Robot’s “All Through the House.” In it, a young girl and her little brother lie awake on Christmas Eve. When bells jingling announce the arrival of Santa Claus, they sneak downstairs hoping to catch a glimpse of him. What they find instead will scar them for life.
Putting a hilariously scary twist on the Saint Nick mythos, “All Through the House” only needs seven minutes to ingrain itself in viewers' minds as one of the series' most delightfully terrifying outings.One thing is certain: Viewers, Santa-believers or not, won’t ever experience the night of Christmas Eve the same way again.
17"Lucky 13" (Season 1, Episode 13)
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
The first season ofLove, Death & Robotsremains by far its longest with a whopping eighteen episodes (as opposed to season two’s eight and season three’s nine). As one could expect from such a long season,it has its fair share of fluff — but it also has unforgettable episodes as exceptional as “Lucky 13”, one of the show’s longest stories, about a rookie tasked with flying a drop-ship that’s already lost two crews.
Viewers immediately fall in love with the protagonist, the ship, and the episode’s entertaining tone. It’s stories like this one that make this one ofthe greatest animated TV shows ever, thanks to some of the most impressive CGI animation the show has seen thus far, an emotional story with endearing characters, and a concept that makes for a narrative that becomes an instant classic.
16"Helping Hand" (Season 1, Episode 11)
In “Helping Hand”, an astronaut stranded in orbit must choose between life and limb before her oxygen runs out. Ten minutes, an instantly compelling protagonist, and an easy setup that anybody could relate to make “Helping Hand” as tense asLove, Death & Robotsepisodes come. Add to that some of the show’s most striking animation, and it’s no wonder why this is such a beloved episode.
Thanks to episodes like this one,Love, Death & Robotsis remembered as one ofthe best animated shows for adultsthat have ever been made. Reminiscent of other “stranded in space” stories likeAlfonso Cuarón’sGravity, but with a much more graphic resolution, “Helping Hand” proves that a simple concept is all that’s needed to make a phenomenal episode of suspenseful sci-fi television.
15"Shape-Shifters" (Season 1, Episode 10)
IMDb score: 7.4/10
If werewolf stories in unique environments are your kind of thing, you’re sure to love “Shape-Shifters” fromLove, Death & Robots’s first season. It finds two Marines deep in Afghanistan, and reveals that they possess supernatural powers that allow them to face a threat from one of their own kind.
The visuals are practically photo-realistic and highlight howanimation has never been better, making the monster fight scenes all the more brutal, believable, and engaging.This is the kind ofLove, Death & Robotsepisode that fans would love to see turned into a show of its own, which speaks volumes about the quality of its story and technical qualities.
14"Suits" (Season 1, Episode 4)
Though it’s definitely one of the simplest episodes of the first season of the show, “Suits” is also a big fan-favorite. Mech fights are always fun, and this episode is about a community of farmers who use homemade mech suits to defend their families from a deadly alien invasion.
“Suits” wears its Western and sci-fi influences proudly on its sleeve, taking a bunch of elements that any fan of these genres would find entertaining and putting them in a brisk 17 minutes of story. The episode proves that you don’t need a super complex narrative to be considered one ofLove, Death & Robots' best episodes.
IMDb score: 7.5/10
Love, Death & Robotshas always excelled at making exceptionally funny episodes, and “Night of the Mini Dead” is definitely one of the funniest. Highly reminiscent ofall the best zombie comedies, it shows a zombie apocalypse that quickly scatters across a miniature version of Earth.
“Night of the Mini Dead” is absolutely hilarious with its absurdist sense of humor and breakneck pacing. What’s even more impressive is how the episode surprisingly also manages to sneak in some clever commentary on the fragility of human civilization and the ridiculous effects that even the simplest of dumb decisions can have.
12"Mason’s Rats" (Season 3, Episode 7)
IMDb score: 7.6/10
With “Mason’s Rats,” the show introduced fans to the Ratpocalypse. Farmer Mason wants desperately to do something about his severe pest problem, but realizes just how dire his situation is when the pests start shooting back.
Users on IMDb were amazed at how deep the narrative of the episode managed to be, while balancing that nuance with insanely gory action and the kind of brutally dark humor that made it so famous. It has something powerful to say about the brutality and irrationality of war, while also offering a pleasant bit of hope in its feel-good ending.
11"Snow in the Desert" (Season 2, Episode 4)
IMDb score: 7.8/10
With some of the most impressively realistic animation of the show and one of its most intriguing protagonists, “Snow in the Desert” tells the compelling story of the title character, an ageless man hunted by an assortment of hired killers on an arid planet on the outskirts of galactic civilization. Incredibly complex, Snow is one of thebest characters fromLove, Death & Robots.
The episode is also certainly worthy of a show of its own, telling a fascinating story in an equally fascinating world.Thanks to jaw-dropping animation, inventive sci-fi concepts, and thrilling bloody action, “Snow in the Desert” remains one of fans' favorite episodes ofLove, Death & Robots.
