The King of Queens kept audiences laughing hard throughout its nine-season run, though some episodes left a bigger impact than others. Rather than trying to figure out the audience-favorite episodes ourselves, we turned to IMDb for answers.
Every episode of the long-running sitcom about a working-class couple that lives in Queens has been assigned a star rating on the popular movie and TV website. This score (which is on a scale of 1 to 10) has been based on the votes of the website's registered users.
We'll be using the episode ratings at time-of-publication to stack them into order. Before we get started, it's also worth noting that if two episodes have the same score, we'll be placing the one with more audience votes higher on the list.
With that said, here are the best episodes of The King of Queens according to the fans at IMDb.
Apartment Complex (8.3)
This Season 8 episode had Doug, Deacon, Spence, and Danny renting an apartment above a Chinese restaurant in order to have a getaway from the women in their lives. While the boys create a mancave, Carrie tried to sell Kirstie Alley a condo, only to find out that she also has to act as her "eater" because of the actress' weird, new weight loss program.
"Apartment Complex" scored itself a solid 8.3 with the guys' premise being just as relatable as it is funny.
Life Sentence (8.3)
Doug and his friends start spying on Arthur's basement hideout in "Life Sentence." This comes after Doug and Carrie decide to install a hidden camera in his personal space, concerned about Arthur's safety after he returns home from a heart surgery.
The Arthur-watching becomes as exciting as a football game for the gang. This funny situation has led the episode to become a favorite of many, making its 8.3 score well-deserved.
Lush Life (8.4)
In "Lush Life," Doug and Arthur realize that Carrie's edge comes off after she's had drinks with her co-workers. Lucky for them, she continues to hang with her colleagues after work... but only for so long.
After Carrie gets into a squabble, the guys start finding ways to keep her tipsy so that their lives can remain on the relaxing side.
The laugh-out-loud tension between the cast in this one worthily earns it an 8.4 star rating.
China Syndrome, Parts 1 And 2 (8.4)
The series finale of The King of Queens sees Doug and Carrie struggling to keep their marriage alive while also making big decisions about related to their adoption plans. Additionally, Arthur is in desperate need of a new bride for his wedding after Ava St. Clair leaves him, having originally thought he was gay.
The conclusion to the series was funny as anything and properly wrapped up many long-running storylines. It was sweet to see Doug and Carrie come back to each other and grow closer than ever despite their nine seasons of laughable dysfunction.
Shrink Wrap (8.5)
Season 4's finale episode (which was also the 100th episode in the entire series) has Arthur seeing a psychologist to figure out why he yells at Carrie all the time. Arthur learns that his personality comes off too strongly because of the way he was ignored by his father. However, after Arthur realizes this and makes some changes, Doug and Carrie realize that he wasn't the only one in need of a little therapy.
This episode was graced with some extra acting talent in the form of Ben Stiller, who portrays Arthur's father. This, in combination with the humorous setup, makes "Shrink Wrap" and its 8.5 star rating unforgettable.
G’Night Stalker (8.5)
In this hilarious episode, Doug and Carrie hit a karaoke bar. While Doug is nervous singing on stage at first, he soon grows comfortable and gets really into it.
After arriving home, Doug sees that a woman who was at the karaoke bar has emailed him. While he at first takes this as a compliment, he soon grows uncomfortable as he realizes he might have a stalker.
The episode received an 8.5 rating on IMDb with tight-knit jokes and a running plotline that continues to escalate.
Supermarket Story (8.5)
This Season 1 episode has Doug, Carrie, and Arthur heading to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving. Things get a little crazy after Arthur's requests grow unreasonable and Doug encounters a guy who knows him really well even though Doug has forgotten what connection he has to him.
This early episode established the lighthearted, funny tone that the rest of the series would carry on. This caused it to earn an 8.5-star rating.
Assaulted Nuts (8.5)
"Assaulted Nuts," which has an 8.5-star rating, sees Doug recovering from a work injury in which a stapler gun shoots him in the... you can guess where.
Rather than rushing to see a doctor, Doug must hold back the pain while meeting with a banker alongside Carrie. This leads to an uncomfortable (and hilarious) situation that is just as unforgettable to us as it is to Doug.
The King of Queens' goofy sort of humor got a spotlight in this Season 2 episode, encouraging the writers to keep up this kind of comedy for seasons to come.
Awful Bigamy (8.7)
The Season 6 finale had Doug taking on a "downstairs wife" and an upstairs one.
After Holly moves into the basement with Arthur, having been kicked out of her apartment, Doug quickly realizes how nice it is to have her around. While Carrie heats things up in the bedroom, Holly makes Doug food and laughs at his jokes. Win-win situation.
When Carrie starts to catch on to Doug's schemes, things don't go as smoothly as he had planned. This perfect set-up made for an 8.7-rated episode full of genuinely funny jokes.
Strike Out (8.8)
Topping off the list is "Strike Out," a Season 3 episode in which Doug, Arthur, and Deacon begin spending more time together during the third week of the IPS strike. Carrie and Kelly arrange "play dates" to keep the guys from lazying around, but they soon start to regret this as the gang get into all sorts of trouble together.
The shenanigans come to an end as the strike does, forcing the men to go back to work and Arthur to be left alone. Though this was probably for the best, we were big fans of the hilarity that ensued before normal life resumed. The 8.8 rating is real.