Netflix’s Alexa & Katie: Best Episodes, Ranked
Netflixs Alexa & Katie is a heartwarming and funny series about two best friends, Alexa (Paris Berelc) and Katie (Isabel May), as they prepare to start their freshman year of high school together. Unfortunately, things take a turn when Alexa is diagnosed with cancer and has to begin treatment alongside her studies. The show follows the unbreakable friendship between Alexa and Katie as the duo navigates all four years of high school and the struggles that come with it, as well as the hardships of a cancer diagnosis as a young adult.
Alexa & Katie tackles difficult topics with grace, earning the series a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program and an award for television drama at The Television Academy Honors. The series ran for three seasons with 39 episodes, each covering a year of her high school experience. Here are the best episodes from Netflix Alexa & KatieRank.
10 Season 2, Episode 8: “The Ghost of Cancer’s Past”
One of the best Alexa & Katie This episode is about “The Ghost of Cancer Past” from Season 2. In this Christmas-themed episode, Alexa’s mother Lori hosts a Secret Santa gift exchange for the holidays, leaving everyone in a panic about what to buy.
During the celebrations, Alexa comes across her hospital bag that she received during her chemotherapy. The discovery brings many emotions to the surface for Alexa, taking her back to the feelings of anxiety and depression she experienced during this time.
This episode is a great reminder of Alexa’s support system and also brings up topics like attending therapy and dealing with difficult emotions.
9 Season 1, Episode 13: “Winter Formal, Part 2”
“Winter Formal Part 2” is the final episode of the first season, where Alexa and Katie get ready to attend the school’s winter formal dance. The only problem? Since there is a flu outbreak at school, it is not safe for Alexa to go there. Katie doesn’t want to let this happen to her best friend and comes up with the idea that Alexa should wear a mask to protect herself.
When she arrives at the dance, Alexa sees that everyone is wearing masks for her, including her date Dylan. This is an incredibly emotional episode of the series as it shows how much everyone at Alexa’s school cares about her and her well-being.
8th Season 3, Episode 13: “Speaking of Cancer”
Season 3 Episode 13, “Speaking of Cancer,” is another emotional sight as Lori hosts a carnival-themed fundraiser called “Stand Up To Cancer.” Lori invites Alexa to give a speech at the event, which evokes many challenging emotions in the teenager. She ends up second-guessing whether to speak at the fundraiser, but her friends and family immediately join her in offering her support.
One of the main messages of this episode is that it can be difficult to process complex trauma, and it also emphasizes the importance of finding a healthy support system to get through these times.
7 Season 1, Episode 3: “Basketball”
Another episode that tugs at the heartstrings is “Basketball” from Season 1. This is one of the first episodes where we see Alexa not being able to participate in a school activity and how devastating that is for a high school aged teenager can be. Alexa wants to try out for the basketball team, but is not allowed to play due to her chemotherapy.
Not wanting her best friend to get upset, Katie decides to apply for the team to show that she supports Alexa. However, things get difficult when Katie’s wig falls off during training and a rumor arises that she is the student with cancer.
6 Season 3, Episode 9: “Last First Day”
“Last First Day” is the start of Season 3 Part 2 and shows Alexa and Katie preparing for their first day of senior year. What sets this episode apart is the way the duo comes full circle after supporting each other through their first three years of high school.
This time it’s Katie who’s extremely nervous about what’s to come, but it’s Alexa who steps in and creates a foolproof plan to ensure they have the best year possible. This episode also shows Jennifer, Katie’s mother, getting back to work while her brothers work together to overcome their problems.
5 Season 2, Episode 4: “Tryouts and Latte Doubts”
Season 2 of Alexa & Katie has great episodes, but “Tryouts and Latte Doubts” is one that perfectly balances comedy with more serious themes. In this case, Katie struggles with her first day at Wired and finds that dealing with rude customers isn’t as easy as she imagined.
Alexa finally gets permission to play for the basketball team, but notices her skills have declined after taking time off for treatments. Luckily, another cancer patient talks to Alexa and helps her realize how strong she is and how much she’s already overcome on her journey.
4 Season 1, Episode 1: “Bad Hair Day”
“Bad Hair Day” is the first episode of Alexa and Katie, Here the audience gets to know the duo of friends and learn more about their individual personalities. The two are preparing to start their first year of college together, which they feared wouldn’t happen with Alexa’s chemotherapy.
Alexa wants to keep her cancer diagnosis a secret from everyone at school, but that becomes difficult when her hair begins to fall out. The episode ends with Katie shaving her head to support Alexis and show her that she is ready to fight this battle alongside her. This is the first of many times that the characters stand up for each other and help strengthen their close bond.
3 Season 3, Episode 1: “First Day of Junior Year”
The third season premiere, “First Day of Junior Year,” is one of the more unique, as the two girls fight on the first day of school. Tensions run high between them as they start thinking about college, which sends Katie into a panic, thinking they might have to break up. The argument leads to the duo seeing a therapist who helps them get their friendship back on track.
In the end, Alexa helps Katie find scholarships to ease her worries about financing her studies. It’s one of the bigger challenges the two face in their relationship, although it’s no surprise how quickly the two were able to bond and move forward.
2 Season 2, Episode 10: “Sweet Sixteen”
“Sweet Sixteen” is another episode where the two friends do their best for each other. This is the Season 2 finale, where Katie has to spend all her hard-earned money on a trip to London on a broken coffee machine at Wired. It’s also the night of Alexa’s 16th birthday party, so Katie decides not to tell her about the ruined London trip and risk ruining her night.
Alexa eventually finds out about Katie’s trip and decides to move her party from a booked venue to her house to help Katie with the refund to London. It’s further proof of their friendship and that sacrificing for each other’s happiness doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all.
1 Season 3, Episode 16: “This Feels Right”
The best episode of Alexa & Katie is the series finale “This Feels Right.” It’s finally graduation time and the girls must decide whether they will go to college together at UNC and share a dorm or whether Katie will go to NYU to pursue acting. It’s bittersweet watching the two separate for the first time in four years as they leave their jobs, families and partners for the next chapter of their lives.
The episode ends with the two meeting again over the Thanksgiving holiday and going to their tree to talk and catch up. It’s the perfect conclusion to a series that saw these two friends growing up and dealing with the fear of losing each other.
Alexa & Katie currently has three seasons and a total of 39 episodes. There are no plans for a fourth or fifth season of the series in 2023. Season 1 began with the girl’s first year of high school and each subsequent season covered the next school year until graduation.
It seems like the perfect ending to the series, as Alexa and Katie prepare for college and have to learn to move through the world independently for the first time. The entire show was predicated on their strong friendship, but after the two split up over school, the two seem to be strong enough to overcome new challenges without each other by their side.
Alexa & Katie is available to stream on Netflix.
