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The Best Episodes of American Experience Season 29

Every episode of American Experience Season 29 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Experience Season 29!

Binge this in 7h 20m•Peaking at 8.2/10

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    American Experience Season 29 Episode 1 - Command and Control
    7.1/10(596 votes)

    #1 - Command and Control

    S29:E1

    An account of an incident at a Titan II missile complex in Damascus, Ark., in 1980 that almost caused the explosion of a ballistic missile carrying a nuclear warhead 600 times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The near-calamity was kicked off when a socket fell from the wrench of an airman performing maintenance in a Titan II silo and punctured the missile, releasing a stream of highly explosive rocket fuel.

    Director:Robert Kenner
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. American Experience Season 29 Episode 2 - Rachel Carson
    7.8/10(538 votes)

    #2 - Rachel Carson

    S29:E2

    She set out to save a species...us. An intimate portrait of the woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. American Experience Season 29 Episode 3 - The Race Underground
    7.9/10(118 votes)

    #3 - The Race Underground

    S29:E3

    The dramatic story of the country's first subway.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. American Experience Season 29 Episode 4 - Oklahoma City
    7.8/10(152 votes)

    #4 - Oklahoma City

    S29:E4

    On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh, a former soldier deeply influenced by literature and ideas of the radical right, killed 168, and injured 675 others.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. American Experience Season 29 Episode 5 - Ruby Ridge
    7.2/10(210 votes)

    #5 - Ruby Ridge

    S29:E5

    A riveting account of the event that helped give rise to the modern American militia movement.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. American Experience Season 29 Episode 6 - The Great War: Part 1
    8.2/10(165 votes)

    #6 - The Great War: Part 1

    S29:E6

    Part 1 of 3. President Woodrow Wilson vowed to keep the U.S. out of World War I after hostilities erupted in Europe in August 1914. It was a promise he kept until 1917, when the Germans resumed "unrestricted submarine warfare"— a policy it had started and then stopped in 1915 — and began sinking U.S. ships. An intercepted telegram also showed Germany trying to convince Japan and Mexico to declare war on America.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. American Experience Season 29 Episode 7 - The Great War: Part 2
    7.5/10(428 votes)

    #7 - The Great War: Part 2

    S29:E7

    Part 2 of 3. America's entry into World War I is recalled, including the breathtaking speed of mobilization and the profound transformations required for America to play a central role in the conflict.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. American Experience Season 29 Episode 8 - The Great War: Part 3
    8.2/10(158 votes)

    #8 - The Great War: Part 3

    S29:E8

    Part 3 of 3. In the fall of 1918: a major American offensive that could bring a swift end to the war, a lost U.S. battalion surrounded by German forces, a deadly flu epidemic on the homefront.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 29 Ratings Summary

"Command and Control" is the best rated episode of "American Experience" season 29. It scored 7.1/10 based on 596 votes. Directed by Robert Kenner and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/10/2017. This episode is rated 0.7 points higher than the second-best, "Rachel Carson".