The Best Episodes of Finding Your Roots Season 3

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.0/10(49 votes)

   #1 - Tragedy + Time = Comedy

   S3:E41/26/2016

   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:Unknown

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   Director:Hazel Gurland-Pooler

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

   8.0/10(43 votes)

   #2 - Family Reunions

   S3:E72/16/2016

   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:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   7.9/10(50 votes)

   #3 - In Search Of Freedom

   S3:E31/19/2016

   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:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
4. 

   7.9/10(43 votes)

   #4 - War Stories

   S3:E62/9/2016

   Patricia Arquette, Senator John McCain, and Julianne Moore explore their genealogical heritage with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   7.9/10(39 votes)

   #5 - The Pioneers

   S3:E82/23/2016

   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:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   7.9/10(39 votes)

   #6 - Maps of Stars

   S3:E103/8/2016

   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

   Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

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   Director:Phil Bertelsen

   Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
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7. 

   7.8/10(34 votes)

   #7 - The Long Way Home

   S3:E93/1/2016

   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:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   7.7/10(35 votes)

   #8 - Visionaries

   S3:E52/2/2016

   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:Unknown

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   Director:Hazel Gurland-Pooler

   Writer:Unknown
9. 

   7.6/10(45 votes)

   #9 - The Stories We Tell

   S3:E11/5/2016

   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

   Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

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   Director:Jesse Sweet

   Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
10. 

    7.6/10(44 votes)

    #10 - The Irish Factor

    S3:E21/12/2016

    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

    Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

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    Director:Josh Gleason

    Writers:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.