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The Best Episodes of Frontline Season 40

Every episode of Frontline Season 40 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Frontline Season 40!

Binge this in 1d 0h•Peaking at 8.5/10

Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Frontline Season 40 Episode 1 - A Thousand Cuts
    7.3/10(46 votes)

    #1 - A Thousand Cuts

    S40:E1

    With press freedom under threat in the Philippines, we go inside the escalating war between the press and the government. The documentary follows Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist who has become a top target of President Duterte's crackdown on the news media.

    Director:Ramona S. Diaz
    Writer:Ramona S. Diaz

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  2. Frontline Season 40 Episode 2 - President Biden
    7.2/10(169 votes)

    #2 - President Biden

    S40:E2

    The story of how crisis and tragedy prepared Joe Biden to become America’s next president. Those who know him best describe the searing moments that shaped President-elect Biden and what those challenges reveal about how he will govern.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Frontline Season 40 Episode 3 - Trump's American Carnage
    6.3/10(104 votes)

    #3 - Trump's American Carnage

    S40:E3

    From his first days as president to his last, how Trump stoked division, violence, and insurrection. FRONTLINE investigates Trump’s siege on his enemies, the media, and even the leaders of his own party, who for years ignored the warning signs of what was to come.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Frontline Season 40 Episode 4 - China's COVID Secrets
    6.9/10(95 votes)

    #4 - China's COVID Secrets

    S40:E4

    The untold story of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and how China responded. Chinese scientists and doctors, international disease experts and health officials reveal missed opportunities to suppress the outbreak, and lessons for the world.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Frontline Season 40 Episode 5 - Iraq's Assassins/ COVID in Yemen
    7.6/10(131 votes)

    #5 - Iraq's Assassins/ COVID in Yemen

    S40:E5

    How Iranian-backed Shia militias are terrorizing Iraq. FRONTLINE investigates allegations that militias are threatening and killing critics with impunity and targeting U.S. interests. Also in this hour, how COVID is worsening Yemen's humanitarian crisis.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Frontline Season 40 Episode 6 - Death Is Our Business/ Love, Life & the Virus
    7.2/10(51 votes)

    #6 - Death Is Our Business/ Love, Life & the Virus

    S40:E6

    At Black-owned funeral homes in New Orleans, COVID-19 reshapes the grieving process. How the pandemic has transformed mourning in a city known for its jazz-filled funerals. Also in this hour, follow a mother’s fight to survive COVID-19 and see her newborn baby. FRONTLINE filmmaker Oscar Guerra documents how the coronavirus hit one immigrant family, their struggle to be reunited, and the community that rallied around them.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Frontline Season 40 Episode 7 - American Insurrection
    7.2/10(48 votes)

    #7 - American Insurrection

    S40:E7

    Over the last three years, FRONTLINE has collaborated with ProPublica to investigate the rise of extremism in America. In the aftermath of the assault on the U.S. Capitol, FRONTLINE and ProPublica team up again to examine how far-right groups were emboldened and encouraged by former President Trump and how individuals were radicalized and brought into the political landscape.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Frontline Season 40 Episode 8 - The Virus That Shook the World (1)
    6.9/10(55 votes)

    #8 - The Virus That Shook the World (1)

    S40:E8

    The epic story of how people around the world lived through the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, from lockdowns to funerals to protests. Filming across the globe and using extensive personal video and local footage, FRONTLINE documented how people and countries responded to COVID-19 across cultures, races, faiths and privilege.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Frontline Season 40 Episode 9 - The Virus That Shook the World (2)
    6.5/10(33 votes)

    #9 - The Virus That Shook the World (2)

    S40:E9

    The epic story of people around the world living through the year of the pandemic continues in a second part. With extensive personal video and local footage, FRONTLINE shows the differing struggles, beliefs and responses, across cultures, race, faith and privilege.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Frontline Season 40 Episode 10 - Escaping Eritrea
    7.5/10(198 votes)

    #10 - Escaping Eritrea

    S40:E10

    An unprecedented undercover investigation into one of the world’s most repressive regimes — Eritrea. Exclusive secret footage and testimony shed new light on shocking allegations of torture, arbitrary detention and indefinite forced conscription.

    Director:Evan Williams
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Frontline Season 40 Episode 11 - The Healthcare Divide
    7.0/10(42 votes)

    #11 - The Healthcare Divide

    S40:E11

    FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the growing inequities in American healthcare exposed by COVID-19. The documentary examines how pressure to increase profits and uneven government support is widening the divide between rich and poor hospitals, endangering care for the most needy.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Frontline Season 40 Episode 12 - The Jihadist
    8.5/10(135 votes)

    #12 - The Jihadist

    S40:E12

    A powerful Syrian militant called a terrorist by the U.S. seeks a new relationship with the West. In his first interview with a Western journalist, former Al Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani says his fight is with Syrian President Assad, not the U.S.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Frontline Season 40 Episode 13 - Germany's Neo-Nazis & the Far Right
    7.2/10(78 votes)

    #13 - Germany's Neo-Nazis & the Far Right

    S40:E13

    FRONTLINE investigates the rise of far-right extremism and violence in Germany. The documentary traces how extremists have carried out terror plots and attacks on Jews and migrants, infiltrated the security services, and what authorities are doing to confront the growing problem.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Frontline Season 40 Episode 14 - The Power of the Fed
    7.8/10(83 votes)

    #14 - The Power of the Fed

    S40:E14

    When COVID struck, the Federal Reserve stepped in to try to avert economic crisis. As the country’s central bank continues to pump billions of dollars into the financial system daily, who is benefitting and at what cost?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Frontline Season 40 Episode 15 - Leaving Afghanistan/India's Rape Scandal
    7.7/10(64 votes)

    #15 - Leaving Afghanistan/India's Rape Scandal

    S40:E15

    FRONTLINE investigates the consequences of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. With exclusive access to a militant wing of the Taliban, correspondent Najibullah Quraishi tells the story of Iran’s growing influence across Afghanistan. Also this hour, a report on politics and rape in India.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Frontline Season 40 Episode 16 - In the Shadow of 9/11
    7.0/10(35 votes)

    #16 - In the Shadow of 9/11

    S40:E16

    How seven men in Miami were indicted for the biggest alleged Al Qaeda plot since 9/11. From the director of "Leaving Neverland," the bizarre story of an FBI sting that led to a terror prosecution, though the men had no weapons or connection to Al Qaeda.

    Director:Dan Reed
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Frontline Season 40 Episode 17 - America After 9/11
    3.3/10(4 votes)

    #17 - America After 9/11

    S40:E17

    From veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker and chronicler of U.S. politics Michael Kirk and his team, this documentary traces the U.S. response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and the devastating consequences that unfolded across three presidencies. This two-hour special offers an epic re-examination of the decisions that changed the world and transformed America.

    Director:Michael Kirk
    Writers:Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser

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  18. Frontline Season 40 Episode 18 - Boeing's Fatal Flaw
    3.8/10(4 votes)

    #18 - Boeing's Fatal Flaw

    S40:E18

    In an investigation with The New York Times, FRONTLINE examines the commercial pressures, flawed design and failed oversight behind Boeing’s 737 Max jet and the crashes that killed 346 people.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Frontline Season 40 Episode 19 - Taliban Takeover
    5.5/10(2 votes)

    #19 - Taliban Takeover

    S40:E19

    The Taliban take over Afghanistan, and the threat of ISIS and Al Qaeda intensifies. On the ground, reporter Najibullah Quraishi investigates uncertainty and fear among the Afghan people and revisits the lead-up to the U.S. defeat and the Taliban’s return.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Frontline Season 40 Episode 20 - Pandora Papers/ Massacre in El Salvador
    5.5/10(2 votes)

    #20 - Pandora Papers/ Massacre in El Salvador

    S40:E20

    A leak reveals hidden assets and deals of the wealthy and powerful; the legacy of a 1981 massacre in El Salvador.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Frontline Season 40 Episode 21 - Shots Fired
    2.8/10(5 votes)

    #21 - Shots Fired

    S40:E21

    Amid record police shootings in Utah, an investigation into the use of deadly force in the state. With local journalism partner The Salt Lake Tribune, FRONTLINE examines police training, tactics and accountability, as well as racial disparities in the way force is used.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 40 Ratings Summary

"A Thousand Cuts" is the best rated episode of "Frontline" season 40. It scored 7.3/10 based on 46 votes. Directed by Ramona S. Diaz and written by Ramona S. Diaz, it aired on 1/8/2021. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "President Biden".