The BEST episodes of Finding Your Roots season 5

Every episode of Finding Your Roots season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Finding Your Roots season 5!

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the 12th and latest series from the renowned cultural critic and Harvard scholar. In this 10-part series, Professor Gates continues the quest he begun in African American Lives 1 and 2 and Faces of America delving into the genealogy and genetics of an all new group of famous Americans. The series combines history and science in a fascinating exploration of race, family, and identity in today's America. Each hour features a different pair of celebrity guests, who are bound together by an intimate, sometimes hidden link, whether it be as old friends, through long-lost relatives, or even through a common ancestral past.

Last Updated: 11/10/2024Network: PBSStatus: Continuing
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Grandparents and Other Strangers
star
8.54
13 votes

#1 - Grandparents and Other Strangers

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/8/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps actor/comedian Andy Samberg and author George R. R. Martin answer some family mysteries.

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Freedom Tales
star
8.38
16 votes

#2 - Freedom Tales

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/5/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves deep into the roots of two African-American guests, actor S. Epatha Merkerson and athlete and television personality Michael Strahan. Both discover unexpected stories that challenge assumptions about black history.

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Dreaming of a New Land
star
8.14
14 votes

#3 - Dreaming of a New Land

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/29/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores with Marisa Tomei, Sheryl Sandberg and Kal Penn the tremendous challenges faced by their immigrant forebears. From Italy, Russia and India to America, their histories show success could take generations to achieve.

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Mystery Men
star
8.08
13 votes

#4 - Mystery Men

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/15/2019

Felicity Huffman and Michael K. Williams discover a wealth of hidden family history. Both grew up knowing little about their biological fathers, and seeing their lost ancestry restored proves deeply empowering.

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All in the Family
star
7.73
15 votes

#5 - All in the Family

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/9/2019

The family stories of actor Ty Burrell, and radio host Joe Madison. Also a look at how a summer camp for children is using genetic genealogy to help young people better understand their burgeoning identities.

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Reporting on the Reporters
star
7.70
10 votes

#6 - Reporting on the Reporters

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/22/2019

Journalists Christiane Amanpour, Ann Curry and Lisa Ling that the stories within their own family trees are every bit as compelling as the news stories they have been covering for the world.

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No Laughing Matter
star
7.54
13 votes

#7 - No Laughing Matter

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/19/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shows comedians Seth Meyers, Tig Notaro and Sarah Silverman that their family trees are filled with people whose struggles laid the groundwork for their success. Gates also reveals to each one news of an unexpected DNA cousin.

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Roots in Politics
star
7.43
7 votes

#8 - Roots in Politics

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/12/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the diverse family histories of politicians Paul Ryan, Tulsi Gabbard and Marco Rubio. They each see a shared vision of the great American melting pot reflected in their ancestors’ stories.

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Hard Times
star
7.27
11 votes

#9 - Hard Times

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/26/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family stories of filmmaker Michael Moore and actors Laura Linney and Chloë Sevigny—three people whose distant ancestors overcame great hardships in ways that resonate with their lives today.

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The Eye of the Beholder
star
7.00
5 votes

#10 - The Eye of the Beholder

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/2/2019

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shares the family histories of director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, iconoclastic performance artist Marina Abramović and painter Kehinde Wiley. These visionary artists find their identities challenged—and affirmed.

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