The BEST episodes of Portlandia

Every episode of Portlandia ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Portlandia!

Sketch comedy starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, based on the oddball characters and settings of Portland, Oregon.

Last Updated: 8/31/2024Network: IFCStatus: Ended
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One Moore Episode
star
8.45
476 votes

#1 - One Moore Episode

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/13/2012

Doug and Claire become a bit obsessed with "Battlestar Galactica" and it begins to take over their lives.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Nina's Birthday
star
8.36
320 votes

#2 - Nina's Birthday

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/11/2013

Nina goes to great lengths to throw an extravagant 32nd birthday party for herself. The day-long event is set to include activities ranging from horseback rides to sunrise yoga that will last well into the night. The party turns into a Tapas Dinner.

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Spyke Drives
star
8.36
284 votes

#3 - Spyke Drives

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/27/2014

Peter drives Nance to the emergency room. Spyke gets a car. Ghavin has some questions for a singer whose band is touring through Portland. Fred and Carrie have a garage sale. Dinner party guests are held hostage by a story that won’t end. Claire and Doug improve their relationship by treating each other like dogs. Guest starring Annie Clark, Kumail Nanjiani and Kyle MacLachlan.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Squiggleman
star
8.30
380 votes

#4 - Squiggleman

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/18/2013

Concerned parents Brendan and Michelle start a band that makes kids music; The Portland Nerd Council issues a Public Service Announcement; Malcom and Kris have an uncomfortable lunch at a vegan restaurant. The Feminist Bookstore hosts a comedy night.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Brunch Village
star
8.26
320 votes

#5 - Brunch Village

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/9/2012

New brunch hotspot Fisherman’s Porch gets a write-up in the local paper, prompting Peter and Nance to give it a try – only to find hundreds of others had the same idea. Portland’s Mayor offers to take Fred and Carrie to brunch, but when the bridge is blocked he is forced to find alternate routes. Feminist bookstore owners Toni and Candace take physical measures to remove unwanted pedestrians in line for brunch in front of their store. Nance has Peter hold her spot while she gets her jacket, only to return to accusations that she is cutting the line. Two bouncers escort her to a crazed man who metes out punishment for line cutters – and it is up to Peter to save her.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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The Temp
star
8.25
297 votes

#6 - The Temp

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/1/2013

A temp worker hopes to turn her stint as Interim Mayor of Portland into a full-time job with Fred and Carrie's help; a wedding is interrupted; local baristas draft a coffee shop manifesto; Kath and Dave struggle to find a table at a restaurant.

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Missionaries
star
8.17
322 votes

#7 - Missionaries

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/4/2013

The Mayor sends Fred and Carrie on a door-to-door mission to Seattle to recruit new citizens for Portland; pedicab driver hustles for clients; Peter and Nance prepare for the opening of their Bed and Breakfast with a visit to The Doily Shoppe.

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Late in Life Drug Use
star
8.15
286 votes

#8 - Late in Life Drug Use

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/17/2014

Mr. Mayor plans a Pride Parade. Brendan and Michelle decide it’s finally time to try recreational drugs. The Punslingers name some new businesses. Carrie’s brother comes to visit with his new boyfriend. The cops visit Toni and Candace. Spyke and Iris have dinner at a suspiciously bad Thai restaurant. Guest starring Kyle MacLachlan, Dan Savage and Josh Homme.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Take Back MTV
star
8.12
279 votes

#9 - Take Back MTV

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/4/2013

Spyke and Iris join forces with a gang of former MTV stars to take back MTV from the Tweens; a group of frustrated college grads stage a protest on the dance floor; Sandra has a crush on a mysterious man in her meditation class.

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House for Sale
star
8.08
171 votes

#10 - House for Sale

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/26/2015

Fred and Carrie’s landlord moves into their house. Kath and Dave look to buy a new home for their next renovation project.

Directors: Steve Buscemi
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Motorcycle
star
8.04
348 votes

#11 - Motorcycle

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/17/2012

An idyllic music gathering becomes tense when they face the logistics of loading a harp into a sedan; A middle-aged couple attempts to reclaim the ideals of being young, rebellious and sexy by getting motorcycles; Second-hand clothing store workers scrutinize a woman’s fashion sense when she attempts to sell her used clothes; Nina attempts to convince her boyfriend Lance to join Facebook; Claire goes out for an evening and gets a sitter for her husband, Doug.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Grover
star
8.03
410 votes

#12 - Grover

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/27/2012

Michelle and Brendan pull out all the stops to see that their son gains admittance to a prestigious preschool.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Ecoterrorists
star
8.03
264 votes

#13 - Ecoterrorists

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/6/2014

Ecoterrorists protest animal testing at a makeup company; Bryce and Lisa Rent it Out!; Toni and Candace have a car wash; Fred misses hip hop; Dave helps Kath get a good night's sleep.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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Soft Opening
star
8.02
343 votes

#14 - Soft Opening

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/8/2013

Peter and Nance practice hosting friends at the soft opening of their bed and breakfast; a magazine features a local furniture maker in their Man Issue; steampunks attend a convention; Fred takes a love interest on a bold third date.

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Dead Pets
star
8.02
183 votes

#15 - Dead Pets

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/12/2015

Police start profiling people that are considered odd after arsonists burn down a taxidermy shop.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
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No-Fo-O-Fo-Bridge
star
7.99
317 votes

#16 - No-Fo-O-Fo-Bridge

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/22/2013

The Rats decide to move out of their newly-gentrified neighborhood; first-time parents read various child-rearing books; Gahvin and his girlfriend go to the movies; Carrie and Alexandra have dinner at a communal table.

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Trail Blazers
star
7.98
338 votes

#17 - Trail Blazers

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/10/2014

Joaquin makes a smoothie. Kickstarter videos compete at the Cant’s Film. Sandra visits a tattoo removal parlor. Malcolm and Kris make their own clothing. Toni and Candace coach the Portland Trail Blazers’ dance team. Guest starring Gus Van Sant, Paul Allen and The Portland Trail Blazers.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Cat Nap
star
7.97
384 votes

#18 - Cat Nap

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/2012

In a boutique clothing store “Two Girls Two Shirts,” the owners are momentarily tempted by the idea of having customers; A struggling band finds itself with an all too enthusiastic fan; Jayde from “jayde speaks Sevyn” and director Gahvin Quin make a video plea to help raise money in the name of art. When an innovative intern suggests improvements at the feminist bookstore, shopkeepers Toni and Candace defend their way of doing business; Carrie’s sister begins making jewelry, prompting Fred to consider a new way to make a living; A houseowner’s move takes longer than she expects when she accidentally hires an eco-friendly moving crew.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Story of Toni and Candace
star
7.96
207 votes

#19 - The Story of Toni and Candace

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/8/2015

In 1991, a merger between two corporate book retailers pits young, sexy, shoulder-pad wearing Toni and Candace against one another in fierce competition to oversee the Chick Lit Department.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Cops Redesign
star
7.94
325 votes

#20 - Cops Redesign

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/3/2012

Nostalgia-loving Jason returns to LA from Portland and informs Melanie of another Portland throwback trend; the Mayor of Portland tasks Fred and Carrie with redesigning the Portland Police Department's uniforms and image; an excited donor donates his old music LPs to an elite preschool, but protective parents Brendan and Michelle question his sonic sensibilities; a team of salespeople at Bad Art Good Walls specialize in supplying new coffee shops with horrible art.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bahama Knights
star
7.94
303 votes

#21 - Bahama Knights

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/3/2014

Fred has an idea for a music documentary. Peter is reunited with his old band, The Bahama Knights, and his ex-wife is lead singer. Trudy and Craig produce a song. Carrie and Fred go home after a concert. Guest starring Maya Rudolph, Tuck & Patti and Jeff Tweedy.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Blackout
star
7.93
350 votes

#22 - Blackout

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/1/2013

Electricity is shut off for the entire City of Portland due to unpaid bills at the Mayor's Office. Peter and Nance have a mysterious guest at their bed and breakfast. Kath and Dave go into survival mode. Fred and Carrie team up to find Mr. Mayor and restore power to the city.

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Cool Wedding
star
7.93
425 votes

#23 - Cool Wedding

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/20/2012

Militant bike messenger Spyke and his fiancée Iris strive for non-conformity in their upcoming nuptials; Carrie drops her beloved iPhone, and her life flashes before her eyes; Two overly-polite drivers come to a standstill at an intersection when neither wants to be the first to go; A grocery shopper (Jack McBrayer) finds scorn when he forgets his reusable shopping bag; A bestselling author (Shoreh Agadashloo) visits the feminist bookstore to do a book-reading.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
No Olympics
star
7.91
372 votes

#24 - No Olympics

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/2/2012

A crying infant’s father escalates his attempts to soothe his thrill-seeking baby; Fred and Carrie get the Mayor of Portland’s blessing to create a grassroots campaign to prevent the Olympics from ever coming to Portland; A creative canoe dancer turns what seems to be a mistake in his routine into a triumphal finish; A pair of bike valets have trouble finding a disgruntled customer’s bike.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sharing Finances
star
7.89
311 votes

#25 - Sharing Finances

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/27/2014

A young woman is haunted by very smart ghosts; Doug and Claire make a big commitment to one another; Kath and Dave make the most of fifteen minutes; Sandra finally finds a soul mate; Fred is visited by a Date Fact Checker.

Directors: Jonathan Krisel
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV