25 Best Impractical Jokers Episodes Ranked

For the last decade, "Impractical Jokers" has delighted audiences with its willingness to go to great lengths to make us laugh. The gist of the show is this: four guys — comedians James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and, formerly, Joe Gatto, who left midway through Season 9 — compete in a series of contests amidst real people in the hopes of cracking each other up and winning enough to keep from enduring a painful/embarrassing/awkward punishment at show's end. Said contests typically involve saying or doing stupid things to and around unsuspecting participants while hidden cameras capture the action. "Jokers" may opt-out of a situation they're not comfortable with but absolutely must fulfill the punishment given to them, per the show's rules. Think "Jackass," only more family-friendly (the editors beep out a majority of the swearing) and less painful.

Created in 2011, "Impractical Jokers" has continually found new ways to shock and surprise us over the years, which is why we decided to rank the best 25 episodes (the numbers of which have been taken from HBO Max). The order has been determined using Episode Ninja, which, per its website, uses "thousands of audience votes to determine ranking." So, if you want to skip right to the good stuff, we've got you covered. Each of the following episodes features at least one classic moment from the series that truly makes it stand out from the others. Because, let's be honest, there really aren't any bad episodes of "Impractical Jokers," just those that tickle the funny bone a little harder than others. Let's get to it!

The "Impractical Jokers" episode "Out of Left Field" promises homeruns with its title, and the guys knock it out of the park in the very first challenge, which isn't even related to baseball. "Laugh Man Standing" features the guys sitting in a waiting room trying not to laugh as they attempt to crack each other up. Joe goes on the offensive with a pair of plastic vampire teeth, and Sal is toast within seconds. He has the giggles even before Q starts having a conversation about his upcoming nuptials. The real showdown occurs between the last two men standing — or, technically, sitting — in the waiting room: Q and Murr.

Murr's ridiculous fake eyebrow gag doesn't even provoke a smirk from Q. It looks like Murr has nowhere to go from there, and it will simply be a stare-down rather than a laugh-off. That's when Murr FaceTimes filmmaker David Zucker on his iPad. Murr confesses to the "Airplane" director that he's unable to get Q to laugh. "That's because you're not funny," Zucker responds, which finally gets Q to crack up. Joe ends up being the episode's biggest loser, though, and he is punished by having to pose as a producer and do 100 impromptu push-ups during the taping of a MLB Network show, interrupting Mark DeRosa and Carlos Peña in the process.

One of the funniest Joe moments of the entire series takes place in the episode "Everything's Just Rosie," in which the man with no fear works an Italian accent to besiege a surprised (and very amused) family with heaps of mashed potatoes. His goal? To dish out more scoops than his fellow Jokers. Sal manages to deliver five before the guests realize he doesn't work at the restaurant, and Murr's plans for a sneak attack fail miserably. Q, clearly misunderstanding the rules of the game, dumps his entire potato bowl onto a customer's plate.

This leaves Joe needing six scoops to win — and the man delivers 30! Even better, the guests involved in the gag practically fall out of their chairs with laughter. Making the episode even more memorable, the group forces Q, the day's loser, to deliver a science lecture to a group of strangers. The bit eventually leads to a "cloning machine" where special guest star Rosie O'Donnell — Q's doppelgänger, per the group — steps out to the surprise of everyone in attendance, especially Q.

"Cruisin' for a Bruisin'" is a rare gem in that it's an episode shot somewhere other than New York or New Jersey. That's because, As the title hints at, it's a cruise episode, and means an entire ship full of innocent people who are trapped on the high seas with the jokers. The episode starts on a surprisingly low-key note given the circumstances. The guys lightly menace folks trying to enjoy the sun by attempting to rip their shorts (Joe), get a nickname (Sal), and crawl under a deck chair while someone is lounging in it (Murr.) The whole first half of the episode is almost adorably high-school in its prank purity.

However, things get choppy when the punishments get doled out. Joe and Murr earn special, separate punishments. Murr takes on the role of the ship's Master of Ceremonies and gives a speech — in full costume, mind you — that will keep you cringing until the credits are rolling. Meanwhile, Joe's punishment is to crash a diving contest with nonstop belly flops. He has to carry on slamming against the water until the others tell him he's done. Even though this is painful to watch, it's still less traumatizing than Murr's terrible speech.

Throughout "Impractical Jokers," it's amazing just how willing most of the unsuspecting participants are to engage in the gang's silly activities. In "Dark Side of the Moon," the gang splits into two teams and they pretend to work as grocery store stockers. They must get a customer to relay a message to their cohort, and if the customer refuses, they lose. Somehow, Sal and Murr manage to converse via a very patient woman who travels back and forth dozens of times to the astonishment of everyone involved. She gets a free cake for her efforts, but her willingness to play along makes her one of the more memorable contributors to the series.

Murr comes up short in the episode and endures what, in all likelihood, will go down as one of the most memorable punishments ever conceived on the series — a prostate exam. Of course, it's a very public exam, so the fact that there's no harm in getting checked out by a professional is overshadowed by the fact that lots of people can see it happening. Just when he thinks it's over, another doctor shows up to give a second opinion, meaning a second exam.

Sal is perhaps the ultimate loser on "Impractical Jokers" — which is a great thing for the viewers. Unlike the others, Sal appears to feel shame and he blushes a lot when embarrassed. These qualities combine to make him awful at executing some pranks but the most entertaining joker to watch. This is especially true in "Drawing a Blank," when Sal has to pretend to be an ace reporter and ask questions penned by the other jokers. He manages to ask a very embarrassing question of a college student — but when her mom approaches, Sal quits his promising career in reporting.

Later, when Sal serves his punishment for the episode, he pretends to be an author at his first book event. He doesn't know his book title until he reveals a poster for the book, and discovers that he's written a memoir about living with chronic flatulence. Sal is surprised, but gamely opens "his" book, clearly ready to read some prompted material... Only, the entire book is blank. Sal's panic is apparent. The guys crack up, but Sal settles himself and makes up a sob story about his flatulence surgery, something he calls a "flatulectomy." Sal might be a habitual loser, but he has a place in the hearts of "Impractical Jokers" fans as a result.

If you can't handle cringe comedy, you should avoid the "Impractical Jokers" episode "Parks and Wreck." Sal talks to kids at a pool about what happens when adults fall in love as part of the "Pool Sharks" challenge, and things get a lot wackier from there. Sal takes his public speaking skills to a much older demographic in the episode's punishment. His task? To present a project to a neighborhood planning committee. A real one. The catch? Sal doesn't know what he's proposing until he clicks through the presentation slideshow live.

At first, Sal's proposal seems like a good enough idea: He wants to have a public playground geared toward seniors built. Sal's delivery would make Leslie Knope from "Parks and Recreation" (which the episode's name is a clear nod to) beam with civic pride, but only until Sal pitches a complaining booth and a wheelchair-friendly trampoline terrace. Of course, the majority of those in attendance are older people, which just makes these ridiculous and offensive ideas all the more cringe-worthy.

With a title like "Panty Raid," it's no surprise that this episode is deeply cringe. The punishment involves having to go into a laundromat and put a stranger's underwear on your face for 10 seconds. Believe it or not, this isn't even the most cringe-worthy moment. Perhaps the most sublimely silly challenge in "Impractical Jokers" history takes place in this Season 1 midpoint episode, and it involves awkward dojo dad energy.

The guys team up and go head-to-head to "teach" a self-defense class. Of course, they're getting fed scenarios to play and lines to drop from their opposing joker teams via earpiece. Their total commitment to playing ridiculous martial arts instructors make it a rip-roaring, snort-inducing delight. Joe really leans into the role, coming up with a persona that would be at home in a Ben Stiller movie. At one stage, Joe locks Murr in a hold and triumphantly shouts "Seatbelt, locked!" The crowd reactions to the defense lessons are absolutely priceless.

"The Blunder Years" earns its place on this list thanks to a final act that sees poor Murr engaging in a one-on-one with his childhood crush, Danica McKellar (who played Winnie Cooper on the popular TV show "The Wonder Years") while wearing nothing but a thong. How did we get here? Well, after striking out in the first two challenges, Murr is tricked into thinking he's performing at an amateur bodybuilding contest, which he seems surprisingly game for. The boys dress him in a red, white, and blue speedo, lather him up real good, and even take the time to walk him past other contestants.

Except, when he walks through the stage door, he's greeted with Danica sitting alone in a chair awaiting an interview. Obviously, the actor is in on the joke, but that doesn't make the moment any less awkward. At one point, Murr is instructed to show off his muscles, and he reluctantly obliges while Danica watches in disgust. Once the sketch is over, the actor lets out a laugh as poor Murr quietly slinks away.

Is anywhere safe when "Impractical Jokers" is in the process of filming a season? The episode "Theater del Absurdo" is proof that just about any place of business within the same tri-state area as the show is fair game — especially if located in a shopping mall. In this Season 1 classic, restaurants and eateries are the jokers' stomping ground. Things kick off with the jokers "working" at a donut shop. Their goal is to sell donuts to get money for their charity — which, of course, the other guys have invented.

Possibly the best fake charity of the bunch has a name that can't be mentioned here, but it prompts Joe to say "It's kinda like Hands Across America, but they're holding something else." While Joe doesn't have a ton of luck, Murr is able to get at least a quarter for a fake charity called "Fake Charity." The guys also attempt to steal as much food as possible off of diners' plates at a busy Staten Island Chinese restaurant. Viewers might recognize the restaurant from the bloodbath that befalls it in "What We Do in the Shadows" (and thus be reminded of Sal Vulcano's amazing cameo on that show).

Some prank shows are downright painful to watch. In the "Impractical Jokers" episode "The Shame of Water," there are cringeworthy crack-ups across the board, whether it's the guys reading their fake teen daughters' diaries to strangers or Sal getting soaked in the final punishment. Sal must work as a server at a busy Times Square eatery, which in itself would be punishment enough for someone inexperienced in restaurant work. What makes it that much harder for Sal is that he has to serve water from trays while wearing alcohol impairment goggles.

The warped plastic goggles completely throw off Sal's sense of depth perception, so he can't help but drench the customers with his clumsy water service. This is hilarious (if somewhat anxiety-inducing) to watch, but then the guys up the ante. The goggles come off and Sal is spun around multiple times, like it's a game of pin the tail on the donkey. Hopelessly dizzy, he flings trays of food and water everywhere and even crash-lands himself when he hits a wall (and then the floor) while trying to deliver some appetizers. The customer reactions really are priceless in this episode.

It's not every episode of "Impractical Jokers" that the guys face consequences for their prank actions, but "Who Arted?" provides a nice little dose of the real world clapping back. The guys pretend to work in a shoe store and are prompted to be the worst employees ever. Sal is told to be inappropriate, and halfway tries it. But when he's prompted to swear at a customer, he refuses — and loses. It's always great to see the little angel on Sal's shoulder keep him on the straight and narrow, even if it means he loses most of the time.

Unlike Sal, when Murr is prompted to start slinging F-bombs while trying to sell an older woman shoes, she slings them right back. It's a memorable moment for both Murr and the viewers, and it's just one of many laugh-out-loud parts of this classic Season 1 episode. For example, Murr gets his revenge when it's his turn at the mic — he makes Joe smell customers' feet and even caress his own face with some new shoes.

The first season of "Impractical Jokers" is considerably more out of control than later seasons, and "Pick a Loser" is a perfect example of just how wild the guys — and prank shows in general — could be back then. In this episode, the jokers try to get strangers to kiss them, steal and eat food out of strangers' shopping carts, and take over a stranger's conversation for at least 30 seconds. There is a fine line between pranking someone and just being a menace, and in this episode, that line is drawn in stolen grapes.

Of course, the guys are running this horror show out of the most cursed grocery store in the New York area, and many faces from people who clearly refused to sign a release form are blurred out. Later in the episode, the guys ask for directions — and kisses — in a city park, with mixed results. This episode is a time capsule that shows just how in-your-face "reality" TV was in the early 2000s. Q faces the punishment, which involves him having to pick his nose and eat what he finds up there while on the jumbotron at a baseball game.

To create this list, we consulted Episode Ninja, which uses "thousands of audience votes to determine ranking," according to its website. All of the episodes on this list have at least a hundred votes, which we used as a cut-off point for inclusion. The highest-scoring episode is in first place, with the second highest-scoring episode directly behind that, and so on.