Summary

• The best Key & Peele episodes used absurdity to tackle sociopolitical themes while still delivering laughs.
• Key & Peele dominated the world of sketch comedy in the 2010s and their sketches are still memorable today.
• The show remains a standout among iconic sketch shows like Saturday Night Live, showcasing the bright futures of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

The best Key & Peele episodes used absurdity to tackle sociopolitical themes — without ever losing sight of what makes audiences laugh. The Comedy Central comedy sketch show, Key & Peele, ran for five seasons and centered on Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele appearing in every skit as countless different characters. Key & Peele lasted for 53 episodes, had over 300 sketches, and practically dominated the world of sketch comedy in the 2010s. Indeed, even though the show concluded nearly a decade ago in 2015, the best Key & Peele episodes remain burned into audiences’ minds today.

Key & Peele holds up against even the most iconic sketch shows like Saturday Night Live, The Ben Stiller Show, and Gilly and Keeves. The funniest Key & Peele sketches and episodes provided glimpses into the bright futures of this iconic, Emmy award-winning duo. Before Jordan Peele became the first Black Oscar-winning screenwriter — and before Keegan-Micheal Key became a distinguished actor in film — these two very funny men created some of the most endearing and memorable sketches in television history.

Key & Peele is available to stream on Netflix.

15 Aerobics Meltdown Has A Dark Twist

Key & Peele season 4, episode 9

The best part of the “Aerobics Meltdown” episode is the titular sketch, which is easily one of the most disturbingly darkly funny Key & Peele sketches. This is the sketch where Key and Peele are television aerobics instructors and the video switches between the look of a public access show and the real set of the video.

Through it all, a producer holds up cue cards revealing to Key’s Lightning that his wife was involved in a hit-and-run accident, with the cue cards getting darker as the sketch wore on. The second-best sketch is a Marvel one where Stan Lee pitches an idea. The Sinister Child sketch was lackluster, but the others helped this episode rise to high levels.

14 Bi**h Included Key & Peele’s First Viral Sketch

Key & Peele season 1, episode 1

The first episode of Key & Peele also created the first-ever viral sketch for the comedy duo. The highlight here was the titular sketch where Key and Peele meet up, and then they split up while their wives go about looking at the new home. However, the humor comes with the two husbands claiming to each other that they stand up to their wives, but they hide in the most ridiculous places, so their wives can’t hear what they are saying.

Also in the episode, Lil Wayne tries to get used to his time in jail and President Obama brings in his anger translator. The first episode remains one of the best, and shows that Key & Peele started on an incredibly strong note.

13 Cool Vampires Makes Fun Of Modern Horror Movies

Key & Peele season 3, episode 7

“Cool Vampires” was a Key & Peele episode that included a sketch that took solid aim at the ridiculous idea of sexy vampires in fiction. The joke is that the vampires are all trying to be overly sexy, and get called out by a newly turned vampire, though the entire episode is a Halloween episode. It starts with roommates arguing over who is making a mess in the house while a ghoul shows up in the background, and the twist adds to the humor. There is also a sketch about zombie extras and a Saw spoof to top it off. However, the best sketch here was the “Continental Breakfast” sketch at the end, in which the twist homaged The Shining.

12 Dubstep Includes The Iconic East/West Collegiate Bowl Sketch

Key & Peele season 2, episode 2

The second episode of the second season was “Dubstep,” which featured one of the best sketches in the history of Key & Peele. This was the “East/West Collegiate Bowl” sketch where the players all introduced themselves, with each person’s name and personality more outrageous than the ones who came before them. The rest of the sketches were also solid, from Peele introducing Key to dubstep music with disastrous results, and a reverend (Key) who tries to follow Martin Luther King Jr. after his landmark speech. However, the headliner is the “East/West Collegiate Bowl,” which picked up a follow-up in season three.

11 Wendell’s Broken Bad Ends With The Insult Comic

Key & Peele season 3, episode 6

The season three episode “Wendell’s Broken Bad” has a huge range of sketches from start to finish. It features the appearance of one of the college football players from the “East/West” sketches and then a repeat appearance by Wendell, the lonely obese nerd. From there, it moves on to the hilarious Mr. T public service commercial and then the notorious “Cunninlynguists Class” sketch. However, they saved the best for last with the Insult Comic skit, one that still ranks among the best Key & Peele sketches in the show’s three seasons.

10 Georgina and Esther and Satan Bring Key & Peele To Church

Key & Peele season 4, episode 3

In this hilarious sketch, Key and Peele play Georgina and Esther, two elderly church ladies who describe how they will deal with Satan if the devil doesn’t let go of their relatives. This specific sketch may be the perfect example of how the show cleverly gets away with filthy humor, but it’s not the only reason why “Georgina and Esther and Satan” is one of the best Key & Peele episodes. Peele also tries to tell his co-worker Key a joke, but can’t get it out through Key’s giggling. In another sketch, Peele goes to Key to get a new mattress and gets more information about the customer’s life than he bargains for. Key and Peele also argue about tone over text.

9 A Cappella Club Features Key & Peele Fighting Over An A Cappella Group

Key & Peele season 5, episode 3

This Key & Peele episode’s sketches include a PSA that helps prevent children from being turned into child soldiers by providing fake beards. “A Cappella Club” is remembered as one of the best Key & Peele episodes for the titular sketch, in which Key and Peele fight over which one of them can be the only black member of an a cappella group full of white guys. There’s also Meegan and Andre’s first date and how Meegan treats waiters. Meanwhile, members of a terror group are compelled to open food trucks because of the high profit margin. Key and Peele are also two old men who go to a bar and discuss music, mixing up Drake and drink.

8 Obama College Years Has Peele Take Obama Back To School

Key & Peele season 2, episode 1

In the infamous “Obama College Years,” Jordan Peele plays a young future President Barack Obama in a 1980s home video of him smoking marijuana and planning a party. College Obama’s political analogy about the constitution and the American people — which he compared respectively to rolling paper and cannabis — is still one of Comedy Central’s greatest moments. Key and Peele also try to join in on a Civil War reenactment with obvious racist implications that they’d be slaves in the reenactment. Meanwhile, Jesus saves Mary Magdalene from her overbearing pimp. This remains one of the best Key & Peele episodes for how it sharply tackles America’s most pressing social issues.

7 Les Mis Features The Origin Of The Peele Sweating Meme

Key & Peele season 3, episode 1

This episode includes the second outing of Keegan-Michael Key’s iconic, overbearing substitute teacher. Meanwhile, Jordan Peele has an issue with his girlfriend figuring out he’s been clearing the internet history on their shared laptop every time she leaves — the origin of the now-viral nervously sweating Peele meme. However, what truly makes “Les Mis” one of the best Key & Peele episodes is the titular sketch, in which the two act and sing as Jean Valjean and Javert in a Les Miserables-inspired sketch. Apart from being hilarious, it’s notable how Key & Peele pulled off writing, performing, and producing a sketch that actually felt and looked like a genuine part of Les Miserables.

6 Michael Jackson Halloween Has Key With A Great MJ Impersonation

Key & Peele season 2, episode 6

This Halloween-themed episode sees Key and Peele in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, where they quickly realize that every single zombie is racist and refuses to chase or attempt to bite them. In the titular sketch, Key shows up to a Halloween party and cannot stop his Michael Jackson impression — with an insanely unpredictable twist that makes “Michael Jackson Halloween” one of the best Key & Peele episodes. Meanwhile, the three real-life victims of a Human Centipede reunite with two happy to see each other and the third just hoping to move on past the trauma. There’s also a Harry Potter spoof that reimagined Hogwarts as an underfunded, inner-city school.

5 Meegan And Andre Break Up Features The Best Meegan And Andre Sketch

Key & Peele season 5, episode 10

In a terrifying Jordan Peele performance that easily places “Meegan and Andre Break Up” alongside the best Key & Peele episodes, Andre attempts to break up with Meegan and sees disastrous results. Key and Peele also get into a fight in the club, and Key doesn’t understand the “hold me back” trick. In another sketch, Peele plays a rapper who has a difficult time walking out of an interview after being asked about his relationship. Another notable sketch is when Peele plays a man who is hilariously delighted to be upgraded to Economy Plus on his flight. Key also gets a new mustache, dog, and home decor, and Peele can’t make him understand the obvious issues.

4 I’m Retired Is Anchored By The Substitute Teacher

Key & Peele season 2, episode 4

In this Key & Peele sketch, Peele plays a retired hardened warrior while Key is a general who comes to him to get a recommendation for a job, but Peele insists on “reluctantly” coming out of retirement. This episode also sees two rappers with completely different styles trying to sing on the same track. However, what truly makes “I’m Retired” rank highly among the best Key & Peele episodes is that it is the first skit of Key’s hilariously caustic substitute teacher character. The now-viral sketch sees Key take roll call and blame the class for how he can’t seem to pronounce any of the students’ names.

3 Alien Imposters Has The Brilliant Obama Meet & Greet

Key & Peele season 4, episode 1

Several sketches make “Alien Imposters” one of the best Key & Peele episodes. There’s the titular sketch in which the two are survivors of an alien invasion, and they determine which survivors are humans or disguised aliens through stereotypical questions about race. There’s also the heavily memed sketch of Peele’s President Barack Obama meeting a line of people and interacting differently with each one. Meanwhile, Key and Peele dress and act like stereotypical rednecks, but subvert every expectation as they talk at a bar. Key also plays a girl-power pop star who has some questionable songs and deals with some tough questions from fans.

2 MC Mom Features A Feminist Breakdown Of Rap Music

Key & Peele season 5, episode 7

“MC Mom” counts among the best Key & Peele episodes for Peele playing a mom who sends an embarrassing tape to her son at college, which quickly turns into an unexpectedly feminist breakdown of prominent rap styles over the decades. This episode also includes a sketch that sees a gangster attempting to participate in a drive-by that quickly falls apart. There’s also a parody episode of Undercover Boss, where an employee tries to backtrack once he realizes that the new guy was the boss all along. Meanwhile, Big Boi interacts with an unbearably whimsical Andre 3000. Key and Peele also get into an accident, and Peele avoids sharing his insurance information at all costs.

1 The End Is The Final Episode Of Key & Peele

Key & Peele season 5, episode 11

The last episode of the series sees Peele sing a few other movie themes as Ray Parker Jr., who sang the Ghostbusters’ theme. There’s also the now-iconic sketch in which Key tries to snap Peele out of it when he can’t stop saying “deez nuts” even in the most depressing of situations. Peele also sings in a movie musical version of an all-black town where they all live in harmony and don’t have to worry about racial prejudices. Undoubtedly one of the best Key & Peele episodes, “The End” is a good send-off for the show with the duo finally reaching their destination — but immediately turning around and driving off on the stranded highway.

• 

  Key & Peele

  Release Date:

  2012-01-31

  Cast:

  Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Peter Atencio

  Genres:

  Comedy

  Seasons:

  5

  Summary:

  Comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele showcase their comedic and improvisation skills in Key & Peele, a sketch show produced for Comedy Central. Airing for 5 seasons from 2012 to 2015, Key & Peele pokes fun at a large number of topical and timeless issues with satirical humor.

  Story By:

  keegan-michael key

  Writers:

  Keegan-Michael Key

  Network:

  Comedy Central

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+

  Directors:

  Peter Atencio

  Showrunner:

  Keegan-Michael Key