I think the best- or rather, my favourite, episode has to be s2 ep1. The pacing is brilliant, there are so many iconic lines (from “this is a love story” to “I’ve had a little miscarriage” to “the priests quite hot, isn’t he?”) and there’s not a wasted piece of dialogue. I used to feel like the addition of the overbearing waitress was clunky, until I realised it wasn’t about the waitress at all- it was about how the characters reacted to her and how it showed each of their dispositions (the god mother being painstakingly abrupt with her even when social norms say she should be polite, Claire repressing her true feelings in order to save face (“the sauce is disgusting” / “it’s delicious!”) and the priest being accommodating even when it will be a detriment to himself (asking the waitress to pour him wine so that she’ll feel better despite his struggles with alcohol).

It also sets up the two loves stories of the season beautifully. Claire trying to stay mad at Fleabag, but failing because she just knows her too well and loves her too deeply, and the priest getting his first little dig into Fleabags fourth wall breaking (“Nobodies asked me a question in fourty-five minutes-“ “So what do you do?”)

I just feel like the entire episode is a work of art. It’s hard to believe that it’s set almost entirely in one location.

So, Reddit, which is your favourite episode and why?