Transparent backdrop
Comedy•Drama

The Worst Episodes of Transparent

Every episode of Transparent ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Transparent!

Binge this in 20h 38m•Peaking at 8.5/10

An LA family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.

Airs on
Prime Video
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons5

All12345

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Transparent Season 5 Episode 1 - Musicale Finale
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #1 - Musicale Finale

    S5:E1

    A dazzling two-hour movie musical fantasia. When the Pfeffermans face a life-changing loss, they begin a journey hilarious and melancholy, brazen and bold. As they face this new transition, they confront grief and come together to celebrate connection, joy, and transformation.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writers:Faith Soloway, Joey Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Transparent Season 1 Episode 7 - Symbolic Exemplar
    5.9/10(7 votes)

    #2 - Symbolic Exemplar

    S1:E7

    Josh goes on a date with Rabbi Raquel while Ali explores her feminine side with a TA from Gender Studies class. The kids turn out for Maura's performance in a talent show, but her delight quickly turns to dejection.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Faith Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Transparent Season 2 Episode 5 - Mee-Maw
    5.9/10(8 votes)

    #3 - Mee-Maw

    S2:E5

    Davina and Shea inspire Maura to re-imagine her past; Colton's adopted family visits, leaving Josh facing a touch decision; Ali finds herself more drawn to Leslie; Sarah tries visiting a life coach.

    Director:Stacie Passon
    Writer:Our Lady J

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Transparent Season 2 Episode 3 - New World Coming
    6.1/10(7 votes)

    #4 - New World Coming

    S2:E3

    Josh and Raquel ask Colton to move in; Maura and Ali meet a feminist scholar—and Maura's former nemesis—at UCLA; Sarah launches a sexual fantasy life with a domineering figure from her past.

    Director:Marielle Heller
    Writer:Faith Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Transparent Season 2 Episode 4 - Cherry Blossoms
    6.1/10(7 votes)

    #5 - Cherry Blossoms

    S2:E4

    Josh's bonding with Colton comes at a price; Sarah feels more like an outsider than ever following a disastrous school gala; a visit to Grandma Rose leaves Ali and Syd with questions; Maura searches for autonomy.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Arabella Anderson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Transparent Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    6.8/10(15 votes)

    #6 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    An LA family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out. Starring Jeffrey Tambor, Judith Light, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and Gaby Hoffmann.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Joey Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Transparent

    READ
  7. Transparent Season 2 Episode 1 - Kina Hora
    7.0/10(5 votes)

    #7 - Kina Hora

    S2:E1

    Sarah and Tammy are getting married, while Maura and Ali are visited by ghosts from the past and Josh and Rabbi Raquel can't hide their big news.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Joey Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Transparent Season 2 Episode 9 - Man on the Land
    7.0/10(9 votes)

    #8 - Man on the Land

    S2:E9

    Maura makes a new friend and has a rude awakening at the music festival; Sarah experiences liberation from an unlikely source; Ali makes an unexpected journey to the past.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Transparent Season 3 Episode 3 - To Sardines and Back
    7.0/10(5 votes)

    #9 - To Sardines and Back

    S3:E3

    Relationships are tested as the Pfefferman family gather for Maura's birthday. Sarah confronts Buzzy on temple board politics and Maura makes a big announcement, experiencing pushback from both Vicki and Shelly. The night culminates in a game of Sardines, forcing tense situations into tight spaces.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writers:Faith Soloway, Joey Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Transparent Season 4 Episode 1 - Standing Order
    7.2/10(5 votes)

    #10 - Standing Order

    S4:E1

    An exciting offer draws Maura to Tel Aviv. Hoping for a fresh start, Shelly sells her condo and shacks up with Josh. Grappling with their family's weird intimacy issues, Sarah, Ali, and Josh attend a sex and love addicts meeting together. Ali rents out the Pfefferman house and contends with weird AirBnBers.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Faith Soloway

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Transparent Season 1 Episode 8 - Best New Girl
    7.3/10(7 votes)

    #11 - Best New Girl

    S1:E8

    In a flashback, Mort escapes with friend Mark (Bradley Whitford) to a cross-dressing retreat in the woods, and becomes captivated with a very accepting woman named Connie (Michaela Watkins). Left alone after cancelling her Bat Mitzvah, 13-year-old Ali finds trouble with an older man at the beach.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Transparent Season 1 Episode 9 - Looking Up
    7.3/10(6 votes)

    #12 - Looking Up

    S1:E9

    Maura finds solace with ex-wife Shelly, and the two hatch a plot to help Ed realize his wishes. Sarah spends time with her ex-husband and begins to question their breakup, while Raquel finally breaks through to Josh. And when the entire family is summoned to Shelly's, they are in for a few surprises.

    Director:Nisha Ganatra
    Writers:Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Transparent Season 1 Episode 6 - The Wilderness
    7.4/10(5 votes)

    #13 - The Wilderness

    S1:E6

    As they struggle to come to terms with Maura, Josh looks for answers from a rabbi named Raquel (Kathryn Hahn), and Ali looks for answers in a Gender Studies class with Syd. Sarah is left to answer questions from her own kids, who meet Maura for the first time.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Transparent Season 3 Episode 2 - When the Battle is Over
    7.4/10(5 votes)

    #14 - When the Battle is Over

    S3:E2

    After a health scare, Maura confronts death and her relationship to her body. Sarah hopes to join the MidCity Temple board. Shelly plans a onewoman show with Buzzy. Dissatisfied with their lives, Josh and Ali play married couple.

    Director:Silas Howard
    Writer:Jessi Klein

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Transparent Season 2 Episode 7 - The Book of Life
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    #15 - The Book of Life

    S2:E7

    On Yom Kippur, Sarah tries to make amends with Tammy; Maura tries to communicate with Davina; Josh tries to make peace with Raquel; Ali and Syd host a break-the-fast party.

    Director:Jim Frohna
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Transparent Season 3 Episode 7 - Life Sucks and Then You Die
    7.5/10(4 votes)

    #16 - Life Sucks and Then You Die

    S3:E7

    Josh arrives in Overland Park and delivers difficult news to Colton. Sarah oversteps her boundaries with Raquel, putting the Hineni Seder in danger. A tough conversation with Bryna brings up some big issues between Maura and Vicki.

    Director:Shira Piven
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Transparent Season 1 Episode 3 - Rollin
    7.6/10(7 votes)

    #17 - Rollin

    S1:E3

    Maura moves out of the family house and into a lively new apartment complex, just as Sarah needs a new home after dismantling her perfect life. Josh has to reconsider his sudden vision of starting a family, while Ali finds some new boundaries to cross.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Transparent Season 2 Episode 6 - Bulnerable
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #18 - Bulnerable

    S2:E6

    Ali finds herself a little too close to Leslie when she seeks Leslie's advice on her UCLA application; Josh confronts Shelly about the past; Sarah uses a hard-won date night to explore some of her sexual fantasies.

    Director:Silas Howard
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Transparent Season 4 Episode 3 - Pinkwashing Machine
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #19 - Pinkwashing Machine

    S4:E3

    Sarah tests a new parenting style and is shocked to discover that it works. Josh reconnects with Dr. Steve as tensions rise at home with Shelly. Drawn in by an intriguing new friend, Ali travels to Palestine. Maura makes a life-changing discovery about her family history.

    Director:Allison Liddi-Brown
    Writer:Our Lady J

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Transparent Season 4 Episode 4 - Cool Guy
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #20 - Cool Guy

    S4:E4

    Maura and Ali uncover new truths about their family. Shelly gets bold in her improv class. Sparks fly between Sarah, Lila, and Len and they set off to hatch a plan. Josh is haunted by the past.

    Director:Sarah Gavron
    Writer:Gabe Liedman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Transparent Season 4 Episode 6 - I Never Promised You a Promised Land
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #21 - I Never Promised You a Promised Land

    S4:E6

    The family convenes for an unusual vacation and encounters a tribe of long-lost Pfeffermans. Ali pulls away from the rest of the family as her political convictions drive her to challenge the binary.

    Director:Jim Frohna
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Transparent Season 4 Episode 7 - Babar the Borrible
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #22 - Babar the Borrible

    S4:E7

    Sarah and Len divert a family outing to visit Lila's mom, leading to a blowup between the siblings. Ali breaks off from the group to visit her friend Lyfe in Ramallah while the other Pfeffermans engage in some questionably authentic tourism of desert life.

    Director:Gaby Hoffmann
    Writer:Ali Liebegott

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Transparent Season 4 Episode 9 - They Is on the Way
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #23 - They Is on the Way

    S4:E9

    Back in Los Angeles, Davina's stay at the Pfeffermanhouse is rudely interrupted. The Pfeffermans float in the Dead Sea and Ali rushes to meet them but is waylaid at an Israeli checkpoint.

    Director:Joey Soloway
    Writer:Bridget Bedard

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Transparent Season 4 Episode 10 - House Call
    7.6/10(5 votes)

    #24 - House Call

    S4:E10

    Feeling compelled to learn more about herself in Israel, Ali stays back as the rest of the family returns to Los Angeles. Sarah, Len, and Lila reevaluate their complicated relationship. Josh confronts his sex and love issues head on. Maura and Davis reclaim the Pfefferman house from an unwanted guest.

    Director:Rhys Ernst
    Writer:Ethan Kuperberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Transparent Season 1 Episode 4 - Moppa
    7.7/10(7 votes)

    #25 - Moppa

    S1:E4

    Maura finally comes out to Ali, and they join Sarah on a field trip to the mall - where they all get rude lessons in womanhood. Josh is forced to confront his past thanks to questions from Syd (Carrie Brownstein) about his longtime relationship with Rita.

    Director:Nisha Ganatra
    Writers:Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Musicale Finale" is the worst rated episode of "Transparent". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Joey Soloway and written by Faith Soloway, Joey Soloway, it aired on 9/27/2019. This episode scored 5.9 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Symbolic Exemplar".