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The Best Episodes of Instinct

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

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Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a gifted author, university professor and former CIA operative is lured back to his old life by tenacious top NYPD Detective Lizzie Needham. Though Dylan and Lizzie initially clash, when it comes

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Instinct Season 1 Episode 10 - Bye Bye Birdie
    8.0/10(370 votes)

    #1 - Bye Bye Birdie

    S1:E10

    When Celia Baxter, a successful author, is almost killed in her home, Dylan and Lizzie’s suspect list includes several people who may have held a grudge as she rose in stature in the publishing world. Also, Lizzie gets closer to learning the truth about the death of her fiancé, who was killed while undercover.

    Director:Douglas Aarniokoski
    Writer:Connie Burge

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  2. Instinct Season 1 Episode 11 - Blast From the Past
    7.8/10(351 votes)

    #2 - Blast From the Past

    S1:E11

    Dylan and Lizzie are unable to identify a motive or connection when several average people blow themselves up using suicide bombs. Also, Julian, concerned that Dylan could be exposing himself to past enemies, enlists Lizzie to talk him out of hiring Ashely, a publicist.

    Director:Cherie Nowlan
    Writer:Lee Ellenberg

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  3. Instinct Season 1 Episode 13 - Tribal
    7.8/10(322 votes)

    #3 - Tribal

    S1:E13

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of Joan’s protégé, Kristy, uncovering long-buried secrets worth killing over. Also, Dylan and Andy apply to adopt a child, and Lizzie’s reliance on Julian’s illicitly obtained information puts a promotion in jeopardy, on the first season finale.

    Director:Michael Rauch
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  4. Instinct Season 2 Episode 5 - Ancient History
    7.8/10(280 votes)

    #4 - Ancient History

    S2:E5

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the case of a prominent divorce lawyer who is found murdered in a bizarre ritual. Dylan and Andy hit a bump in their adoption process. Lizzie and Julian reach a tough point in their relationship. Ryan’s serial killer case escalates.

    Director:Randall Zisk
    Writers:Jill Abbinanti, Constance M. Burge

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  5. Instinct Season 2 Episode 11 - Grey Matter
    7.8/10(258 votes)

    #5 - Grey Matter

    S2:E11

    A gruesome discovery in a city pond leads Dylan and Lizzie to investigate a young man's murder, while Andy rescues one of Dylan's students from a legal bind.

    Director:Michael Rauch
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  6. Instinct Season 1 Episode 8 - Long Shot
    7.7/10(373 votes)

    #6 - Long Shot

    S1:E8

    When a woman is shot outside a community center, Dylan and Lizzie are challenged by the mayor to solve the case in less than 24 hours to quell pressure from the media and special interest groups.

    Director:Jay Chandrasekhar
    Writer:Carl Flint

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Instinct

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  7. Instinct Season 1 Episode 9 - Bad Actors
    7.7/10(351 votes)

    #7 - Bad Actors

    S1:E9

    Two members of an acting troupe are killed using sophisticated poisons; Andy worries that Dylan isn't fitting in, so he encourages Dylan to attend a barbecue being thrown by Detective Fucci.

    Director:Jim McKay
    Writer:Dan E. Fesman

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  8. Instinct Season 2 Episode 3 - Finders Keepers
    7.7/10(286 votes)

    #8 - Finders Keepers

    S2:E3

    Lizzie and Dylan work a case that provokes deep emotions for them when a 9-year-old boy goes missing on the eve of a judge’s decision in a bitter custody battle. Also, with Dylan’s help, Lizzie confronts some of her past childhood demons, and a major advancement presents itself in Dylan and Andy’s adoption search.

    Director:Lee Rose
    Writer:Carol Flint

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  9. Instinct Season 2 Episode 7 - After Hours
    7.7/10(278 votes)

    #9 - After Hours

    S2:E7

    Dylan and Lizzie go undercover in New York’s erotic underworld when they investigate the murder of a high-powered public relations rep. Also, a glamorous love from Julian’s comes back into his life with a proposal he can’t resist.

    Director:Joe Collins
    Writer:Erica Saleh

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  10. Instinct Season 2 Episode 8 - Go Figure
    7.7/10(266 votes)

    #10 - Go Figure

    S2:E8

    Dylan and Lizzie work to uncover why an Olympic-hopeful figure skater is killed while on the ice. Also, Ryan’s case heats up and lands him and Dylan in unusual circumstances and Julian comes to understand why an old acquaintance has returned to New York.

    Director:Cherie Nowlan
    Writer:Anthony Johnston

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  11. Instinct Season 2 Episode 10 - Trust Issues
    7.7/10(222 votes)

    #11 - Trust Issues

    S2:E10

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate deaths of three family members who were also business partners in a craft brewery. Also, Andy’s legal expertise is needed when he and Dylan confront an issue in their adoption process, and Lizzie learns some hard truths about Julian’s past.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Connie Burge, Carol Flint

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  12. Instinct Season 2 Episode 1 - Stay Gold
    7.6/10(318 votes)

    #12 - Stay Gold

    S2:E1

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of a successful businesswoman who attempted to prolong the lifespan of humans. Also, Dylan and Andy look to continue their adoption search, and Detective Ryan Stock from Nebraska arrives to hunt for a potential serial killer.

    Director:Stephen Surjik
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  13. Instinct Season 2 Episode 6 - One-of-a-Kind
    7.6/10(261 votes)

    #13 - One-of-a-Kind

    S2:E6

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate when a street artist’s work is found with a victim’s body in the middle of it. Also, Ryan catches a suspect in the Sleeping Beauty Killer investigation and Dylan’s new book editor, Harry Kassabian, pays him a visit.

    Director:Janice Cooke
    Writers:Thomas Aguilar, Michael J. Ballin

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  14. Instinct Season 2 Episode 9 - Manhunt
    7.6/10(227 votes)

    #14 - Manhunt

    S2:E9

    It’s all hands on deck to track down the Sleeping Beauty Killer when Ryan and Dylan’s biggest lead in the case takes them to a faceoff aboard a ship. Also, Dylan receives troubling news from his father.

    Director:Gus Makris
    Writer:John Cockrell

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  15. Instinct Season 1 Episode 6 - Flat Line
    7.5/10(376 votes)

    #15 - Flat Line

    S1:E6

    Dylan and Julian go undercover in a hospital when they suspect an “angel of death” is killing people with non-life-threatening ailments. Also, Lizzie asks Andy for his legal expertise when a personal trainer sues her for accidentally injuring him.

    Director:Laura Belsey
    Writer:Tanya Barfield

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  16. Instinct Season 2 Episode 2 - Broken Record
    7.5/10(284 votes)

    #16 - Broken Record

    S2:E2

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of an aspiring musician who was gunned down on a roller coaster at an amusement park. Also, Lizzie exhausts herself trying to keep up with a newly single friend, and Andy and Dylan look to broaden their options for adoption.

    Director:Alex Pillai
    Writer:Keith Foglesong

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  17. Instinct Season 2 Episode 4 - Big Splash
    7.5/10(276 votes)

    #17 - Big Splash

    S2:E4

    A Sweet 16 celebration turns into a crime scene when the birthday girl’s stepmother falls to her death and the guests and staff are put under a microscope by the NYPD. Also, Ryan finds a new lead in his investigation, and Lizzie receives some positive news at the precinct.

    Director:John Behring
    Writer:Marc Dube

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  18. Instinct Season 1 Episode 5 - Heartless
    7.4/10(382 votes)

    #18 - Heartless

    S1:E5

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of a Jane Doe, but when they realize that the victim was killed by mistake, they must identify the killer’s motive and intended target before she suffers the same fate.

    Director:Don Scardino
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  19. Instinct Season 1 Episode 7 - Owned
    7.4/10(363 votes)

    #19 - Owned

    S1:E7

    Dylan and Lizzie are under pressure to deliver results when they investigate the death of Jasmine’s friend, the owner of a professional basketball team who died when her car went off a bridge

    Director:Douglas Aarniokoski
    Writer:Jill Abbinanti

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  20. Instinct Season 1 Episode 12 - Live
    7.4/10(319 votes)

    #20 - Live

    S1:E12

    Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of a film student whose death was broadcast for the world to see. Also, Andy and Dylan realize that parenting is tougher than they thought when they agree to look after Madison, a friend’s 12-year-old daughter.

    Directors:Douglas Aarniokoski, Edward Ornelas
    Writers:Thomas Aguilar, Michael J. Ballin

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  21. Instinct Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    7.2/10(653 votes)

    #21 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    Former CIA operative Dr. Dylan Reinhart is lured back to his old life when NYPD Detective Lizzie Needham needs his help to stop a serial killer.

    Director:Marc Webb
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  22. Instinct Season 1 Episode 2 - Wild Game
    7.2/10(513 votes)

    #22 - Wild Game

    S1:E2

    Dylan, having returned to teaching after helping the NYPD catch a serial killer, is called upon again to aid Detective Needham on a complex case involving the murder of a venture capitalist.

    Director:Douglas Aarniokoski
    Writers:Carol Flint, Constance M. Burge

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  23. Instinct Season 1 Episode 4 - I Heart New York
    7.2/10(406 votes)

    #23 - I Heart New York

    S1:E4

    Dr. Dylan Reinhart and Det. Lizzie Needham are reassigned to a murder case in Central Park when their investigation into a chemical attack on the subway is taken over by an FBI team led by Dylan’s estranged father, Roger. However, Dylan can’t shake the feeling that the cases are related.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Michael Rauch

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  24. Instinct Season 1 Episode 3 - Secrets and Lies
    7.1/10(478 votes)

    #24 - Secrets and Lies

    S1:E3

    The murder of a young man who recently left his family’s religious community leads Dylan and Lizzie to a series of possible suspects, including a short-tempered photographer and a mysterious girl with amnesia. Also, Lizzie’s younger sister, Katie, unexpectedly drops by for a visit.

    Director:Peter Werner
    Writer:Christopher Ambrose

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Best Episodes Summary

"Bye Bye Birdie" is the best rated episode of "Instinct". It scored 8/10 based on 370 votes. Directed by Douglas Aarniokoski and written by Connie Burge, it aired on 6/3/2018. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Blast From the Past".