The best episodes of Genius
Ranked by viewer rating, highs first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
After the atomic bomb is dropped and World War II draws to a close, Einstein assumes the role of world citizen in his twilight years.
- 02
Albert Einstein settles into life in America, but dangers abroad continue to be a threat to both him and his former colleagues.
- 03
Picasso meets his great love Franoise Gilot. Young Pablo begins his Blue Period after the suicide of his friend.
- 04
After butting heads in class, Einstein falls in love with the determined Mileva Maric. Their affair raises eyebrows.
- 05
Einstein and his wife Elsa attempt to flee Germany after the rise of the Nazis, but they face unexpected roadblocks.
- 06
Picasso takes Françoise Gilot on vacation. Young Pablo starts cubism with Georges Braque, but is accused of stealing the Mona Lisa.
- 07
The story of Albert Einstein, seen through glimpses of his twilight years and flashbacks to his time as a student in Munich and Zürich in the 1890s.
- 08
Albert Einstein and Mileva juggle raising a kids with his attempts to catch the eye of the scientific establishment.
- 09
As older Picasso juggles two love affairs, Young Pablo strives to create a masterpiece that will signal his arrival as a great artist.
- 10
After Françoise Gilot leaves him, Pablo finds companionship with a new woman. In near seclusion, Pablo obsesses over creating the perfect painting. Meanwhile, Françoise struggles to escape Picasso's shadow even after remarrying and moving to the US.
- 11
Einstein struggles to support his pregnant wife and land an academic post in a rigid world of tradition and protocol.
- 12
Einstein moves his family for work, and to be closer to his new love, Elsa. He sets out to prove his theory as his marriage reaches a breaking point.
- 13
Picasso tries to convince Françoise to move in with him, while Young Pablo is challenged by the radical genius of Matisse.
- 14
Einstein begins to experience the academic life he coveted, but he falters in his familial responsibilities. He is reintroduced to his cousin Elsa.
- 15
After WWII, Picasso joins the Communist Party but struggles to align his artwork with his own political beliefs. Affected by a tragic love affair from his past, Picasso falters in his responsibilities to Françoise.
- 16
Younger Picasso finds respite from his strained marriage with Olga in the arms of his newest muse: Marie-Thérèse Walter. However, their romance is short-lived, cause soon he crosses paths with Dora Maar. Meanwhile, Françoise Gilot defies Older Picasso and pursues her artistic goals.
- 17
In the wake of the war, patriotism corrupts one of Albert Einstein’s closest friends, Fritz Haber, pitting them against each other.
- 18
Pablo Picasso confronts the threat of fascism in Spain, and Young Pablo rejects traditional painting to search for his own voice.
- 19
Picasso's relationship with Dora Maar is strained by war. Young Pablo succeeds by imitating the masters, but struggles to be original.
- 20
Pablo meets his first wife, a ballerina, while designing a ballet. Older Picasso struggles to manage his complex family.
- 21
Malcolm, knowing his death is likely imminent, works hard to care for his family, reconcile with his siblings, and speak truth to power about the Nation and the best way forward, up until his final moments. In the aftermath of Malcom’s death, Martin, feeling his own mortality, decides that he can no longer remain silent on the Vietnam War. A horrifying day in Memphis shocks the world.
- 22
Malcolm is introduced to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who takes him under his wing after recognizing his potential with the NOI, but temptations from an old flame and the bonds of family test his strength. Martin introduces and brings Coretta into the King family. Martin finds his voice within the church and is faced with a career decision that will alter his relationship with Daddy King.
- 23
In an effort to force the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Martin and his allies attempt their biggest undertaking yet – the March on Washington. As it draws near, Martin finds himself struggling to find the right words to unite the country. When Malcolm finds himself nearly suspended from the Nation, he evaluates his relationship with Elijah, especially in light of a dramatic revelation.
- 24
After his break from the NOI, the pain of betrayal from Elijah takes a toll on Malcolm mentally, physically and emotionally. When further betrayals within the Nation come to both him and Betty, he decides to speak out. The FBI targets Martin and Coretta, causing stress and paranoia, but the passage of the Civil Rights Act gives both Martin and Malcolm hope - and the opportunity to meet each other.
- 25
An intense focus on the formative years of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and their experiences and relationships as young children and teens that shape and influence the iconic figures they would become. Malcolm’s release from prison and King’s graduation from Boston University begin their respective journeys that will one day change the nation, but also begin a budding rivalry.
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