Whether you’re sitting alone eating chocolates in your bed or having yourself a Galentine’s date, a good Valentine’s Day TV episode never hurt anybody. From laughs to love stories, these five episodes are some of the best to watch on this year’s holiday.
5. “Galentine’s Day” (“Parks and Recreation,” 2×16)
The iconic Parks and Recreation episode is all about loving your female friends. Every Feb. 13, Leslie Knope hosts a brunch with all of her girlfriends to “celebrate the ladies.” The episode shows that Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be about romantic love — sometimes the best love comes from the bonds you share with your family and friends.
4. “My Funky Valentine” (“Modern Family,” 1×15)
This episode follows the Dunphy clan and the romantic excursions the show’s three main couples embark upon throughout Valentine’s Day. The main plot of the episode follows Claire and Phil Dunphy as they try to have a fun night alone for the holiday when unforeseen circumstances seem to get in the way. This episode is great because of its simplicity. Watching the three core couples of the series celebrate the day of love is endearing as much as it is funny.
3. “Valentine’s Day” (“New Girl,” 1×13)
In this episode, Jessica “Jess” Day is newly single after just getting out of a six-year relationship and looking to celebrate the holiday with a one-night stand that unfortunately does not go the way she planned. The episode perfectly ends with two other main characters, Schmidt and Cece, having a one-night stand of their own. So just like Jess, if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.
2. “Valentine’s Day” (The Office, 2×16)
The boss of the Scranton branch for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Michael Scott, heads to New York to meet with the company’s new chief financial officer and accidentally slips out how he recently hooked up with his boss, Jan. Back at the office, we see Phyllis getting showered in presents by her husband, Bob, while Pam and Angela are feeling left out by their significant others. The romance between Ryan and Kelly begins in this episode when Kelly tells an annoyed Jim that they hooked up the previous night. This is a fun episode if Valentine’s Day is just a regular day to you.
1. “The One with the Candy Hearts” (“Friends,” 1×14)
For the final episode on the list, we follow the “Friends” gang on their Valentine’s Day adventures. Joey and Chandler attend a double date, with the latter’s accompanying partner hilariously being his ex-girlfriend, Janice. Ross goes on a date with the woman he has a crush on while his ex-wife, Carol, and her girlfriend show up at the same restaurant. Finally, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe are burning momentos from their ex-boyfriends when they start a fire, but three handsome firefighters show up to the apartment to put it out. This “Friends” episode has everything for an ideal Valentine’s Day: laughs, the awkward run-ins with an ex and a girls night in.
