7.9/1038 votes#1 - The Stories We Tell
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 1/5/2016
Discover the unsolved mysteries behind the family stories of political organizer Donna Brazile, actor Ty Burrell and artist Kara Walker as they learn how the legacy of slavery has shaped their identities.
Director: Jesse Sweet
Writer: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
7.5/1042 votes#2 - The Irish Factor
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 1/12/2016
Explore the shared Irish ancestry of three powerful social commentators of our times, Bill Maher, Soledad O'Brien, and Bill O'Reilly.
Director: Josh Gleason
Writer: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
8.1/1045 votes#3 - In Search Of Freedom
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 1/19/2016
Learn how the ancestors of Maya Rudolph, Shonda Rhimes and Keenen Ivory Wayans struggled for freedom, and how each of these cultural trailblazers gain a new understanding of how they fit into this proud trajectory.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/1040 votes#4 - Tragedy + Time = Comedy
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 1/26/2016
Uncover a history of tragedies and triumphs in the families of three of America’s funniest men–Jimmy Kimmel, Norman Lear and Bill Hader—as they learn how comedy truly has its place in all aspects of life.
Director: Hazel Gurland-Pooler
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1029 votes
#5 - Visionaries
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 2/2/2016
Discover how the ancestors of business mogul Richard Branson and architects Maya Lin and Frank Gehry took audacious risks to create opportunities, and how their luck, ingenuity and chutzpah was passed on to these three visionaries.
Director: Hazel Gurland-Pooler
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1039 votes
#6 - War Stories
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 2/9/2016
Patricia Arquette, Senator John McCain, and Julianne Moore explore their genealogical heritage with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/1039 votes#7 - Family Reunions
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 2/16/2016
Uncover family mysteries about two legends of hip hop, Sean Combs and LL Cool J, through the use of DNA technology, which reveals information that shakes their very foundations.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1038 votes#8 - The Pioneers
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 2/23/2016
Discover how Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Steinem and Sandra Cisneros are connected to pioneers who broke new ground and paved the way for their modern day descendants to continue shaping our culture.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/1032 votes#9 - The Long Way Home
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 3/1/2016
Discover how actress Julianna Margulies, author Azar Nafisi and chef Lidia Bastianich are bound together by their ancestors’ singular and deeply human desire to preserve their most cherished traditions.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1036 votes#10 - Maps of Stars
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 3/8/2016
Learn how Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, who last shared the screen together in 1969, also share a history of tragic deaths in their families that played major roles in shaping future generations.
Director: Phil Bertelsen
Writer: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
The Best Episodes of Finding Your Roots Season 3
Every episode of Finding Your Roots Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Finding Your Roots Season 3!
Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees....
Genre:Documentary
Network:PBS
Season 3 Ratings Summary
"The Stories We Tell" is the best rated episode of "Finding Your Roots" season 3. It scored 7.9/10 based on 38 votes. Directed by Jesse Sweet and written by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it aired on 1/5/2016. This episode is rated 0.4 points higher than the second-best, "The Irish Factor".