the.com/episode

means One self-contained installment of a story, or a distinct event that stands out within a longer stretch of time.

from From Greek epeisodion, built from epi- (upon, in addition) and eisodos (a coming in, an entrance), itself from eis (into) and hodos (way, road). In ancient Greek drama, the episodion was the part of the play that came in 'between' the choral odes — the actors' dialogue advancing the plot while the chorus rested. So an episode was originally literally an 'add-on' insertion between the songs, which is a fitting ancestor for something slotted between commercial breaks.