“The Big Three-O” (Season 1, Episode 11)
Danny Tanner turns 30 and shenanigans ensue! As Danny struggles with this milestone birthday, Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) accidentally wrecks his beloved car, forcing Danny to confront more than the aging process. Bonus: While most moments from the famous “Everywhere You Look” opening credits aren’t actually featured in any episodes, the end of this one does include THE car ride.
“Danny’s Very First Date” (Season 1, Episode 17)
Buckle up, kids, because this is an emotional one. Sometimes Full House‘s lighthearted nature makes you forget that the premise is pretty darn bleak. Poor Danny was widowed before the age of 30 and left to care for three girls… what were you doing in your 20s?! In this episode, D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) struggle with Danny’s first date since the passing of their mom. This episode includes some top-notch dad work from Danny if your emotions can handle Saget talking about moving on after loved ones die.
“Those Better Not Be the Days” (Season 3, Episode 19)
This episode doesn’t have a Danny A-plot like most of what you’ll see on this list, but it does feature a hilarious flashforward in which Danny, Jesse, and Joey (Dave Coulier) are old and still dealing with the ungrateful attitudes of D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). Everyone is having fun in this episode, especially Saget.
“Fraternity Reunion” (Season 3, Episode 23)
Danny and Joey pull a prank at their old school that lands them in jail. Admittedly, parts of this episode didn’t age well, but Bob Saget in drag is guaranteed to brighten your day.
“Terror in Tanner Town” (Season 4, Episode 10)
In Season 4 of Full House, Danny dates Cindy (Debra Stipe) over the course of a few episodes, and her son Rusty (Jordan Christopher Michael) wreaks havoc on the Tanners. “Terror in Tanner Town” features a whole lot of classic pranks by Rusty, but it makes the list because it proves that Danny is not only the world’s best dad, but he’d also make a pretty darn good step-dad. Rusty dyes Danny’s hair green, but that doesn’t stop Danny from being incredibly gracious and understanding.
“Ol Brown Eyes” (Season 4, Episode 15)
All you need to know is that Bob Saget sings TWICE in this one.
“The Graduates” (Season 4, Episode 25)
There are highs and lows to this episode, but it’s an important one in the Danny catalog. Danny starts dating a college student and he struggles to keep up. Thankfully, Mr. Tanner eventually realizes that he shouldn’t be dating 21-year-olds, but he has some great wardrobe moments along the way. Episode Pros: Uncle Jesse deals with a bunch of preschoolers. Episode Cons: Stephanie is jealous that she’s the only one not graduating from something… Girl, chill.
“Bachelor of the Month” (Season 5, Episode 12)
Danny has one great romance throughout the course of Full House and this is the episode where it really gets going. In the episode before, “Nicky and/or Alexander,” Vicky (Gail Edwards) makes her debut when she fills in for Becky (Lori Loughlin) on Wake Up, San Francisco. That episode can be skipped, but its follow-up is a big one. Danny is named the city’s Bachelor of the Month which leads to a series of dates with beautiful women. When Vicky calls him out for being shallow, he challenges her to go on a date with him to prove her wrong. Admittedly, doing that on-air was a sketchy move, but it works out when Vicky gets the chance to see what an amazing dad Danny is.
“The Trouble with Danny” (Season 5, Episode 22)
This episode is a bit unhinged, but it’s all about Danny. In a classic Mr. T move, Danny takes spring cleaning way too seriously and annoys the rest of the family while turning Michelle into a spotless little monster. “The Trouble with Danny” has some silly melodrama, but that includes Danny pouring his heart out to a donkey, so you really can’t skip it.
“The House Meets the Mouse” (Season 6, Episodes 23 & 24)
Is it really an ABC sitcom from the ’90s if the family doesn’t go to Disney World? We’re jumping ahead to the Season 6 finale because we can’t include EVERY Vicky episode. To catch you up, Vicky moves to Chicago for a job in “Play It Again, Jesse” (Season 5, Episode 15) so she and Danny become long-distance, which Danny struggles with during “The Long Goodbye” (Season 6, Episode 2). There are a bunch more Vicky episodes before “The House Meets the Mouse,” most notably, “Designing Mothers” (Season 6, Episode 11) but unless you’re looking to watch all 18 of her appearances, you can jump right into Danny’s adorable struggle to propose.
“The Perfect Couple” (Season 7, Episode 13)
Danny and Vicky’s breakup is one of the saddest in television history, so skip this episode if you’re not looking to feel the feels. However, it’s an important one for Danny, and before things get sad, they’re pretty hilarious. Joey is hosting a new game show that’s a total rip-off of The Newlywed Game and he uses the family for a test run.
“Unaired Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 0)
It may seem weird to include the one Full House episode that doesn’t feature Bob Saget, but if you can get your eyes on the show’s unaired pilot, you won’t regret it. Danny Tanner was originally played by John Posey, and it’s worth watching his episode to further appreciate Saget’s iconic performance. No one else could have played Danny Tanner, and this is the proof. It may be hard to find (unless you own the first season on DVD), but watching Posey in the role of Danny is an absolute trip that could very well break your brain. If you can’t find the full thing, at least watch some comparison clips HERE.
“Our Very Last Show, Again” (Fuller House: Season 5, Episode 18)
Bob Saget was in 15 episodes of Netflix’s Fuller House, and while there are plenty of fun episodes to choose from, Danny Tanner’s last onscreen appearance feels like the only way to end this list. In the series finale, the Tanners say goodbye to television for the second time with a triple wedding. Bonus: Vicky cameo!
There are so many more iconic Full House episodes that feature big Danny moments, so if you have any recommendations, please share them in the comments. Our thoughts are with Bob Saget’s loved ones at this difficult time. Thank you, Bob, for making us laugh and teaching us lessons for so many years.
