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The Best Episodes of Dateline

Every episode of Dateline ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Dateline!

The Best Episodes of Dateline

Dateline NBC, or simply Dateline, is a weekly American television newsmagazine series. It was previously the network's flagship newsmagazine, but now focuses mainly on true...

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  1. 8.9/10(32 votes)

    #1 - The Necklace

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    S29:E43

    When a private investigator and former police officer vanishes, detectives think there may be more to the story when strange text messages start to appear... Keith Morrison reports.

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    Director:N/A
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  2. 8.8/10(35 votes)

    #2 - True Confession

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    S32:E29

    After more than 20 years, the real killer of Idaho teen Angie Dodge is caught; a chilling twist in the story of Chris Tapp who had been wrongfully convicted in the case. Keith Morrison reports.

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  3. 8.2/10(25 votes)

    #3 - Jonestown: An American tragedy

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    S26:E44

    An in-depth look at the journalists who exposed the dangers of cult leader Reverend Jim Jones; interviews with witnesses to murders carried out by Jones' followers.

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  4. 8.2/10(21 votes)

    #4 - Return to Shalimar Way

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    S29:E11

    When a woman dies after what appears to be an accidental fall in the shower, two friends join forces to seek justice on her behalf. Andrea Canning reports.

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  5. 8.2/10(38 votes)

    #5 - Point Blank

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    S29:E16

    After Todd Chance is murdered, police follow a trial video evidence as they work to track down the killer;

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  6. 8.1/10(14 votes)

    #6 - Into the Night - Part 2

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    S29:E19

    The latest in the case of a missing young Oregon woman, whose disappearance led to an intense manhunt, after a suspect embarked on a two-state crime spree;

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    Director:N/A
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Dateline

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  8. 8.1/10(44 votes)

    #7 - The Woman at the Bar

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    S29:E26

    A nationwide manhunt is launched after a woman dubbed the “killer grandma” goes on the run through the Gulf Coast. Dennis Murphy reports.

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  9. 8.1/10(26 votes)

    #8 - Shannon's Story

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    S29:E27

    A college student goes missing in broad daylight from her off-campus job. As police begin to investigate, they receive a mysterious phone call that changes everything.

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  10. 8.1/10(40 votes)

    #9 - The Phone Call

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    S29:E39

    Kathleen Schroll makes a phone call that names her killer right before her death, it leads to the arrest of a father for murder. But two trials and 12 years later, authorities begin to wonder if he was the victim, not the villain.

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  11. 8.1/10(36 votes)

    #10 - A Cool Desert Morning

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    S31:E4

    A family begins a relentless pursuit of justice after the death of Nevada attorney Susan Winters is ruled a suicide. Susan's parents open up about the seven-year case and their efforts to push back against the criminal justice system. Josh Mankiewicz reports.

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  12. 8.1/10(38 votes)

    #11 - Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern?

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    S31:E17

    A North Dakota college student is found murdered in her off-campus apartment.

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  13. 8.0/10(41 votes)

    #12 - The Halloween Party

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    S26:E5

    A community comes together to search for a young woman who goes missing from a Halloween party.

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  14. 8.0/10(29 votes)

    #13 - Secret In Silver Lakes

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    S26:E6

    A young father's murder at work leads investigators to deep secrets about sex, friendship, religion and family.

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  15. 8.0/10(39 votes)

    #14 - Deep In The Woods

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    S26:E17

    When a young Army medic based at Ft. Bragg, N.C., goes missing, police can't solve the case despite having a suspect until an unorthodox private investigator steps in to help.

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  16. 8.0/10(9 votes)

    #15 - Silent No More

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    S26:E27

    Former USA Gymnastics national team coordinators Bela and Martha Karolyi talk with Savannah Guthrie about the Olympic sex abuse scandal; Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney describes the sexual assault she endured.

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  17. 8.0/10(28 votes)

    #16 - Into The Night

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    S26:E28

    The disappearance of a young woman from Bend, Ore., leads to an intense manhunt after the suspect embarks on a two state crime spree.

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  18. 8.0/10(38 votes)

    #17 - Trouble at the 7-11 Ranch

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    S29:E1

    Josh Mankiewicz reports on the mysterious disappearance of a Colorado rancher.

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  19. 8.0/10(42 votes)

    #18 - A Promise to Helene

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    S29:E9

    When college student Helene Pruszynski is found murdered, her case remains cold for nearly 40 years until a new detective uses an innovative method to catch the killer. Josh Mankiewicz reports.

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  20. 8.0/10(32 votes)

    #19 - Dark Waters

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    S31:E8

    Craig Melvin reveals surprising and exclusive new details about the deaths and legal cases surrounding Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina lawyer accused of killing his wife and son last year.

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  21. 8.0/10(42 votes)

    #20 - The Bad Man

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    S31:E15

    Nearly 40 years after a young wife and mother is found murdered in her upstate New York home, a new team of investigators joins the cold case to uncover the killer. Andrea Canning reports.

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  22. 8.0/10(29 votes)

    #21 - Finding Rita

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    S31:E21

    When a Colorado mother vanishes without a trace, the detective investigating her disappearance discovers a connection to a previous assault; for the first time on television, the survivor of that attack recounts her terrifying ordeal.

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  23. 8.0/10(26 votes)

    #22 - Behind Door 813

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    S31:E25

    After 27-year-old Jonathan Crews dies mysteriously in his Texas apartment, his family takes matters into their own hands in an effort to find answers.

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  24. 8.0/10(23 votes)

    #23 - The Killings on King Road

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    S31:E32

    Keith Morrison goes to Moscow, Idaho, to report the latest on the murders of four college students in November 2022. Morrison gets exclusive information on the suspected murder weapon, plus details on an incident police believe the alleged killer, Bryan Kohberger, committed before the murders. Also, we learn more about what was going on in the Kohberger family home in the days before his arrest.

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  25. 7.9/10(34 votes)

    #24 - The Root of All Evil

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    S23:E8

    The community of Jonesboro, Arkansas is stunned when a local father and real estate investor is found dead in his own kitchen, leaving the authorities on the case wonder who could have possibly been behind the young man's murder.

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  26. 7.9/10(14 votes)

    #25 - Footprint in the dust

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    S24:E1

    An arrest is finally made five years after a mother of four disappeared while she was close to her apartment in Montana.

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Necklace" is the best rated episode of "Dateline". It scored 8.9/10 based on 32 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 4/23/2021. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "True Confession".