People around the world tend to have strong feelings about Valentine's Day. Some love the holiday and use it to shower their loved ones with lavish and sentimental gifts, while others feel that the holiday is just a gimmick promoted by the greeting card company to make more money. Whatever the case, television audiences do tend to agree that the one thing that makes Valentine's Day more bearable is the special themed episodes that are created to honor the holiday.
Nearly every popular sitcom has an episode dedicated to Valentine's Day, and sometimes even the more dramatic shows get involved in the holiday spirit too. What makes these episodes so special is that they all showcase a different side of the holiday. From disastrous nights to ones full of heart, you never know what you're going to get ... just like a box of chocolates.
The Middle: "Valentine's Day VI" - 8.0
ABC's hit sitcom The Middle ran for an impressive nine seasons and nearly every year, they managed to create a unique and hilarious Valentine's Day-themed episode. However, it's the season 6 episode "Valentine's Day VI" that ranks the highest, according to IMDb.
In this episode, youngest child Brick finds himself struggling with the reality that his oddball girlfriend, Cindy, is expecting him to kiss her. Unsure of how kissing a girl actually works, he turns to his family for advice. Meanwhile, Sue is kept busy on an epic scavenger hunt organized by her boyfriend, which she hopes will lead to a new sweater. And Axel fears that his girlfriend is testing him when she says she doesn't want to do anything for Valentine's Day.
Orange Is The New Black: "You Also Have A Pizza" - 8.2
It might seem a bit odd that a drama series set in a minimum-security women's prison would have Valentine's Day centered episodes, but that's exactly why the writers of Orange Is the New Black decided to do it.
In this season 2 episode, the women in the prison get ready to celebrate the holiday with a themed party. The episode begins with the women talking about what they think love is. Of course, their answers vary and really give audiences a sense of who these characters are. In the midst of all of this, it's also visitors' day at the prison.
Friends: "The One With The Candy Hearts" - 8.2
Despite being on the air for an impressive 10 seasons, the best Valentine's Day-themed episode of Friends happened in the first season of the show. In fact, "The One With The Candy Hearts" was only the 14th episode of the show, but it really solidified the characters and their relationships with each other.
This episode is iconic for a number of reasons. Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe burn memories of their past relationships in a trash can in Monica's apartment, which leads to the fire department being called. Meanwhile, Joey convinces Chandler to go on a double date with him, which leads to Chandler reconnecting with Janie. Elsewhere, Ross attempts to go on his first date in nine years and winds up running into his ex-wife.
Parks And Recreation: "Operation Ann" - 8.3
While the "Galentine's Day" episode might be the most iconic Parks and Recreation Valentine's Day episode, "Operation Ann" actually has a higher rating on IMDb, making it the most popular Valentine's Day episode of the iconic workplace sitcom.
During this fourth season episode, Leslie is on a mission to find Ann a date for Valentine's Day, which leads her to sign Ann up for the Valentine's Day singles mixer the department is putting on. While there, Ann ends up getting close to Chris, who is newly single and DJing the event. Elsewhere, Ben enlists the help of Ron and Andy in solving the Valentine's Day scavenger hunt Leslie has set up for him.
The Office: - "Valentine's Day" - 8.3
The Office portrays Valentine's Day in a different light than most television shows with their season two episode "Valentine's Day." Valentine's Day is not for everyone in Scranton, and this is the perfect episode for Valentine's Day cynics everywhere.
In the episode, Michael comes under fire after telling the CFO of the company that he and Jan have "hooked up." This, of course, worries the CFO, who fears that Jan has been giving Michael and Scranton branch preferential treatment. Back at the office, the coworkers are all dealing with their own expectations for the holiday. Dwight uses it as an opportunity to take the next step with Angela, while Phyllis gets showered with gifts from Bob. However, it's not all excitement, as Pam struggles with the fact that Roy hasn't planned anything special for her.
The Simpsons: "I Love Lisa" - 8.4
When it comes to holiday specials, The Simpsons might be best known for their "Treehouse of Horror" ongoing series. However, the iconic animated sitcom, which is one of the longest-running animated shows of all time, has also made sure to highlight other holidays, as well.
During season 4, the Simpsons explored Valentine's Day with the episode "I Love Lisa." The episode really centers on Lisa who gives a Valentine's Day card to Ralph after she sees him crying because he didn't get a single card from anyone in their class. The card causes Ralph to become infatuated with Lisa, who doesn't have any romantic feelings for him.
Glee: "Silly Love Songs" - 8.5
There was never a shortage of romance and drama on the Fox musical drama Glee, which is why it's not shocking that the iconic teen series had a Valentine's Day-themed episode.
"Silly Love Songs" aired during the second season and centered on a kissing booth that was set up by the glee club in order to raise money for the club. Of course, a kissing booth in a high school setting causes a lot of drama and leads to Santana trying to give everyone mono as revenge for them exposing her bad behavior. The truly ironic thing about "Silly Love Songs" is all the songs the episode manages to feature, including Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs."
Modern Family: "My Funky Valentine" - 8.7
Modern Family is another iconic family sitcom that sets the bar high for its holiday specials within the first season. "My Funky Valentine" is a pretty iconic feat, considering the episode was only the 15th of the show and yet it still manages to hold up.
In the episode, Phil and Claire attempt to shake things up by planning a night of "role play" instead of opting for their traditional dinner date plans. Elsewhere, Jay and Gloria have two very different ideas of what a romantic Valentine's Day date looks like, leaving them at odds with each other. Lastly, Mitchell and Cam have decided to help Manny get the "girl of his dreams" back.
One Day At A Time: "One Valentine's Day At A Time" - 8.7
One Day At A Time may have had a rollercoaster experience suffering a cancelation, a revival, and ultimately another cancellation, but they never let that affect the stories they were telling. While One Day At A Time didn't get to do that many holiday-themed episodes, they did manage to create an iconic Valentine's Day one during the show's third season on Netflix.
In the episode, the Alvarez family's Valentine's Day plans are all cut short when a random Los Angeles rainstorm hits Los Angeles, forcing all the couples inside the apartment. With everyone disappointed, tensions run high, causing more than a few arguments. Meanwhile, Lydia is determined to turn the night around by throwing an impromptu Valentine's Day party.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: "Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered" - 8.8
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was best known for kicking butt and being an iconic 2000s teen drama show, however, the writers also let Buffy have some holiday fun from time to time. During the second season, the writers tackled Valentine's Day in the episode "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered."
The episode centers on Xander, who after getting dumped by Cordelia, enlists the help of a local witch in order to get Cordelia to love him again. Of course, love potions are tricky, and instead of getting Cordelia to fall in love with him, the witch manages to get every woman in Sunnydale to fall in love with him, even Buffy.