After finding success with two movies, Ted transitioned to television with a first season on Peacock that exceeded expectations. While Seth MacFarlane is famous for animated series like Family Guy, he initially gained widespread attention with the 2012 Ted movie. The positive response led him to develop the idea further into a streaming series.
The show Ted premiered on Peacock in 2024 and was popular enough to get a second season! Now is the perfect time to revisit the first season and remember how good it was. It was a really strong season overall, making it tough to rank the episodes, but here’s our ranking of Ted Season 1, from worst to best.
7). Ejectile Dysfunction
The charm of Ted comes from the silly, often chaotic, adventures of two best friends. Many episodes, including “Ejectile Dysfuction,” showcase John (Max Burkholder) and Ted (Seth MacFarlane) getting into trouble due to typical teenage mistakes. In this particular episode, John tries to watch his first adult film, and after some effort to rent a tape using a fake ID, it ends up getting stuck in the VCR – and that’s just the start of their problems.
What really makes this episode shine for me is seeing how each family member handles the crisis. Susan, the mom, is convinced her husband, Matty, is hiding something on the tape, while the boys, John and Ted, are desperately trying to swap it with a working VCR. Meanwhile, Matty and Susan are trying to reconnect, and things get a little…intimate! It’s just a really fun, lighthearted episode where everything ends up working out for the best, and it’s a joy to watch.
6). Subways, Bicycles and Automobiles
Blaire (Giorga Whigham) is a fantastic addition to the Ted series, bringing a modern perspective that challenges and complements John and Ted, while still clearly caring for them both. Watching Blaire and Ted’s relationship evolve is a highlight of the first season, and much of their development happens during a chaotic Halloween night. They navigate some strange situations – including a teacher with an unusual fixation on Ted – and their bond strengthens as a result, making it enjoyable to watch.
John has a particularly strange subplot this week where his mother attempts to match him with someone new, only to discover he’s a man in his late thirties with some unusual quirks. This episode is easily the most chaotic of the season, packing in a lot of events, but it still manages to be very impactful.
5). He’s Gotta Have It
Throughout the season, John struggles with feelings of inadequacy, constantly comparing himself to his peers. This episode highlights those feelings when he realizes almost everyone else has already had their first sexual experience. As the season one finale, the show returns to its original, 90s-inspired style. John is determined to go to prom with a girl who shares his feelings, but things don’t go as planned.
What truly makes this show enjoyable is its unique and endearing personality. The season finale includes funny moments like John being distracted by the O.J. Simpson chase and attempting to impress his date with a reference to Aladdin – which turns out to be a surprisingly popular and risky move among fans. Ultimately, the season wraps up with a heartwarming conclusion that connects back to the Ted movies. It was a fantastic finale overall.
4). Loud Night
Throughout Ted’s first season, Matty experiences some powerful moments, even though he initially displays casual racism and sexism. However, a particularly touching episode confronts these flaws in a positive way without completely changing his personality. The episode cleverly revisits the idea that Ted came to life through a Christmas wish, bringing Matty’s toy truck to life as a new companion for him to share his beliefs with. The surprising catch? This toy truck embodies much more harmful attitudes.
You know, this episode really got to me. It showed that even though Matty can be a total jerk with some awful opinions, there’s still a glimmer of hope for him to grow. It’s a seriously emotional one, mainly because of the fight he has with Blaire about her sexuality. But what really struck me was seeing Matty actually apologize and try to connect with Blaire on a deeper level – it was the first time he’d really humbled himself, and it felt genuinely moving. Honestly, it’s probably the most emotionally impactful episode of the whole season.
3). Desperately Seeking Susan
Susan is a standout character in the series, and Alanna Ubach delivers a fantastic performance with even the smallest bits of dialogue. This makes her dedicated focus episode—where Blaire tries to understand Susan and Matty’s relationship—especially compelling. We learn Susan is both a devoted wife and mother, and formerly a teaching student, leading Blaire to believe she had to sacrifice her ambitions. However, the episode reveals a surprising twist to that assumption.
Throughout the series, many viewers questioned why Susan stayed with Matty, who often disregarded her feelings and could be aggressive. However, it’s revealed that Susan is content with her life exactly as it is. The show offers a glimpse of how talented she would have been as a teacher, but she ultimately chooses her current path. This provides a fascinating insight into the motivations of the show’s most compelling character.
2). Just Say Yes
The first episode of Ted is remarkably strong. It features several jokes that quickly became popular online – like the memorable line, “Yeah, but they got him.” – and does an excellent job of introducing all the main characters and the central conflicts that will drive the season. We learn Ted and John end up attending school together, Blaire nearly gets evicted for selling Ted marijuana, and Matty is a surprisingly devoted fan of Sylvester Stallone. It’s a really well-rounded and engaging start to the series.
As a sitcom fan, I was really impressed with how seamlessly the show blended its heartfelt moments with its constant stream of jokes. It quickly became clear that each episode was incredibly dense with story, and this first one especially hinted at the amazing things to come. Honestly, it showed just how much Seth MacFarlane gets the American sitcom formula – he really nailed it.
1). My Two Dads
Although the first episode was excellent at introducing all the characters, the season’s funniest episode quickly follows. Building on the foundation laid in the premiere, “My Two Dads” really shines as John and Ted face their first big challenge: a school bully. What starts as a harmless prank unexpectedly leads to them becoming positive father figures for the bully himself.
This scene is a fantastic twist on a typical sitcom setup, made even funnier by Matty’s anxiety about a secret from his time in Vietnam coming out during a colonoscopy. The reveal of that secret is one of the show’s most outrageous jokes, but Scott Grimes delivers it with such seriousness – framing it like a confession to a serious war crime – that it becomes a truly remarkable moment in the entire series. It’s a perfect example of how Ted Lasso can be both surprising and deeply impactful, and it leaves you hoping for more moments like this in the future.
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2026-03-05 01:13