What is your favourite episode of a TV show, and why?
I was recently rewatching the IT Crowd, which is one of my favourite shows and after finishing Season 2 Episode 1, "The Work Outing" for the hundredth of time I realized this is probably my favourite sitcom episode of all time. I just can't get bored of the jokes and the delivery. The writing is gold, and the story escalates from funny to absolutely insane hilarious. Makes me laugh every time. Half the dialogue I quote to this day.
There are many good episodes I love, and could put here as close seconds: probably most of the Futurama series, a dozen of episodes of The Office or some classics from the Friends, I could think of.
So I would like to hear what episodes of any TV show is your favourites and why? Doesn't needs to be necessarily comedy, anything from television is fair game.
Think of it as a "what single item would you bring to a desert island with you" question, just with an episode of a TV show :)
The Luck of the Fryrish - Futurama
Fry spent his life thinking his brother was a dick who was stealing his personality, when all he really wanted was to be around him. And by the time he realized it, it was too late. Having a similar relationship with my brother, this hit close to home. I keep telling myself if I ever got a tattoo, it would be a 7 leaf clover.
Love that episode
Scrubs, Where do you think we are?
A perfect misdirection the entire episode, us as the viewer have no idea what is happening or why Dr Cox is losing it, until it all just shatters. We experience his grief firsthand, not understanding and denying it, until the world shatters around us and reality finally forces its way through. It's perfectly done, and completely gut wrenching
The episode is "My Screw Up" (S3E14) if anyone is wondering.
I might actually prefer "My Lunch" from S5 as an episode, but they are both fantastic.
The epiphany toilet is my fav.
Tied with rabies, ”i know”
Dang, I definitely remember this scene and it's been ages since I've seen this show.
Community, season 3, Pillows and Blankets.
It's a campus wide pillow fight between two friends / armies done as a Ken Burns Civil War documentary.
There are people who say: 'I don't get it, so it was a pillow fight.' To which I say: 'You weren't there.'
"I'm disabled!" Is a classic reference in my house that cannot be used in pleasant / uncultured company. It's great to see my people are out there!
I'm not the biggest Seth MacFarlane fan, but the American Dad episode "Joint Custody" is pure classic.
I really want to pick an episode of Community, but I'm having a hard time nailing down just one. There's the obvious answers like Remedial Chaos Theory or Modern Warfare. I just love the whole series. Maybe Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, The Asscrack Bandit episode, just because it's so layered it really lends itself to rewatches.
Master of None has its issues, but there's some standouts in the first season. Parents and Mornings always get me.
Also oftem my wife asks me the question: what happened I just reply in a high pitched voice: "Acid!"
Someone already mentioned my top favorite (Community - "Pillows and Blankets"). So I'll have to go to my backup which is its equal.
Community - S3E04 - Remedial Chaos Theory.
Why? Because it's the quintesential Community episode; goofiness, intelligence, absurdity, slapstick. and it all exists in one package)
I might have suggested that one instead, but I just rewatched Pillows and Blankets last night!
There's also the Dreamatorium episode but that's a whole other mess.
Can't wait for the movie!
The Tales of Ba Sing Se from S2E15 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
It is an incredibly poignant, albeit beautiful tableau about the loss of a child in a filler episode of a Y-7 Nickelodeon show. On top of that, the voice actor whose character is at the center of this incredibly painful story was dying of esophageal cancer during the recording and the episode ends with his in memoriam.
[email protected]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Hush
The writing for this silent episode is just wonderful, and the whole cast’s chemistry really shines in their non-verbal acting
Mine is also from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, but the complete opposite of Hush; mine is Once More, With Feeling. The musical episode.
But I have to admit, the stabby stabby masturbation joke in Hush is one of the best jokes on the show.
Both excellent, but I have to put The Body at the top. I think that’s where I realized how excellent some of the actors in this show were, SMG in particular. Anya’s monologue has stayed with me in a way nothing else from tv or movies ever has. Would I rather enjoy a OMWF singalong? Yes, any day. But The Body felt like a one of a kind thing.
I didn't recognize the episode title, and had to Google to see which one you meant.
Now I'm crying. Fuck, that episode was powerful.
I applaud both Buffy answers and would like to add "The Body" to the mix.
Hush was so good! Oh my god, when that first came out I was obsessed.
The IT crowd when they go to the theater. Roy gets caught in the disabled washroom and Moss gets a new job
Thats the episode I was describing in the original post :D s02E1, The Work Outing
Brilliant
The whole thing is majestic
High pitched voice “I’m disabled”
...acid.
When I read “IT Crowd” that was the episode I imagined before you even described it lol
"Blink" Episode 11, season 3, Sep 3, 2007 Doctor Who
Edge of your seat. It was so enjoyable.
Watching this for the first time was so magical. I didn't have anyone who watched the show and never used forums for discussion. So I remember just buzzing with excitement after completing the episode and having no outlet.
I felt the same way after Vincent (S5 E10). Completely aglow with such a meloncholy and powerful episode.
I don't know if it's my favorite, but the first one to immediately come to mind is the episode of The Last of Us featuring Nick Offerman. It was just heartbreakingly beautiful.
I loved this episode. Such a well told story in a relatively short period of time. Although I am an absolute sucker for bittersweet romantic endings. I don't care that I saw the ending coming from halfway through the episode, I bawled like a baby when they read the letter.
Yeahp. It floored me there was lashback around that epi because it was truly beautiful writing. Love is such a complex thing that affect most on Earth and showing such a unique angle and how it can blossom from terrible situations to become something so deep...gah, yeah. Now I want to go rewatch it.
I know we're being asked for our favoritE, not favoriteS, but it's too difficult to pick just one. Both of them had me unashamedly bawling my eyes out. The first (aired) is the fourth episode of the third season of Black Mirror -- San Junipero. The second is the third episode of the first season of The Last of Us -- Long, Long Time. I couldn't keep my cool during either of them or for quite a while after.
Honorable mention is the series finale of Six Feet Under. The show, by and large, I'm just not a fan of. Like, pretty much at all. But that finale. Good god.
I don't care about The Last of Us at all but I've watched that episode a few times.
It's just such a perfect love story. Regardless of your orientation or views, it should hit home.
I have very strong opinions about flashback episodes (ask me some time, I'll tell you), and I haven't changed my mind, but holy crap, that was just one of the most beautiful loves stories I've ever encountered.
That's also why I can say I didn't care about the show that episode is a part of.
It stands on its own, and it could have been a footnote, or a few lines. A heartfelt scene, some light sorrow.
I'm so glad they chose to give it a full episode.
I don't know the game, but from what I understand, the relationship between those two men could've been completely skipped in the show and the story wouldn't have been affected at all. That's just what I've heard, though.
I agree that it's a beautiful love story in a vacuum, but in the context of a larger society I think Nick Offerman's character was a psychopath. With so many people suffering around him, he chose to hoard weapons and resources, and set up booby traps to avoid having to share with anyone. That's essentially what the ultra-rich are doing today in response to the climate crisis, and nobody is romanticizing it.
I don't cry anymore except when I hear Linda Ronstadt
Twin Peaks season 3 episode 8 comes to mind. It might not be something I want to watch over and over but it's probably the most incredible thing I've ever seen on broadcast TV. A surrealism short film in the context of a series that both has a self contained story and speaks to the broad narrative of the series. Krzysztof Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Nine in Nails, The Platters' "My Prayer" on the soundtrack? Amazing! Still to this day I can not believe the artistic freedom allowed by Showtime to create this. Jaw was on the floor for the entire episode. I've felt for a long time that nothing could actually be new/shocking/different on broadcast TV. This changed my mind. Nothing has even been close imho.
That was something. We watched it with a group of friends and half the people were stunned and some had no idea whats going on, but enjoyed it regardless.
I watched all of Twin Peaks because I was interested in the hype around David Lynch and wanted to see his most recent work.
This episode made it all worth it.
Star Trek:TNG, that episode where Picard has been captured and turned by the Borg.
Backstory: I've always considered myself a bit of a geek, but despite this I never watched Star Trek. From 2008 to 2012 I was working on a ship, so I needed something to watch. So I decided to start watching ALL of Star Trek, starting with the pilot, then via Kirk, etc.
Come 2010 I wad at home with my GF, and we were watching TNG together the evening before I was to fly out. And with each episode it got more and more exciting, to the point where it was 0200 in the morning and 8 had to get up early to catch a flight for work at 0900.
"OK, one more episode, and then we HAVE to call it quits for now".
Well, yeah, that was the episode that ended with the cliffhanger of Picard having been captured. I ended up not sleeping at all that night.
You consider yourself a bit of a geek, but you don’t know off the top of your head that the name of that episode is “Best of Both Worlds”?
Pfft…
/s
It's cool that Hannah Montana was an inspiration for the title.
I had to wait for the next season to watch the conclusion the first time I saw it back in the day. Broadcasters were mean with the season ending cliffhangers!
That story arc is still one of my favorites. When Ryker is about to try warping right through the other ship and Data just tells him "standby", one of my favorite scifi moments in any show/movie. Comparable to Adama saying jump the ship! Where, I don't have a solution? Anywhere, jump now!
Firefly s2e1. Because I daydream that fox weren't a bunch of dicks every now and then.
ouch
'Charlie Work' is up there also. just a fantastic job.. and all those long takes are icing on the cake!
Charlie Work is my favorite, the setups and payoffs are just chef's kiss in this episode.
Ah man thats an unpopular one, I've got to ask why? I loathe that episode and skip it everything it comes on shuffle. Mac and Charlie Die has got to be my pick for IASIP
Ed, Edd, n Eddy
The Eds break reality
The episode focused on the Eds breaking physics by dismantling the perspective of certain objects. At one point Ed stands on what's supposed to be a silhouette of a house far in the background, grabs the sun, and takes a bite out of it before putting it back in the sky. Eddy at one point grabs Jimmy's outline and pulls it off causing him to melt and slip down a sewer grate.
It's always stuck with me because that's where my love of learning physics came from and it exemplified a lot of the tricks artists use to convey a 3d world in a 2d animation.
That episode is an extremely close second place for me. Such an amazing episode.
If you can't beat em, eat em!
Great episode.
There's an old comedy/parody of soap operas called SOAP. SOAP is the show Benson spun oft from. It starred, among others, Billy Crystal and Katherine Helmond. Absolutely amazing show that I can and will talk about for hours.
S1e9 has a scene in which Jessica (Helmond) discovers that her husband Chester is cheating on her.
She looks to her sister and says Oh, Mary, I would faint if I knew how
It's one of the finest examples of writing, acting, direction... Everything. It's a perfect scene, so much so that it inspired me to want to write, and is the reason I decided to go for a creative writing degree.
For anyone curious, SOAP was so hated by network execs, Christian right orgs and basically all of conservative America that by the end of it's run all advertisers had pulled out except for vlassic pickles, and commercial breaks would just be pickle commercials over and over again during the break. You couldn't watch it in most areas, because locals refused to run it. It featured the first openly gay character in a major network show, a trans story (which did not age as well as it could have, but was progressive for it's time), a lesbian character, interracial relationships, suicide, race relations, crises of faith, extramarital affairs, divorce... In the 70s. It always punched up, and the black and gay characters were almost always the most clever, most witty and sharpest.
I have no idea what caused me to watch that show like 15 years ago, but it was great! I was shocked by how funny and generally good it was.
So awesome to find other fans on Lemmy! It's difficult to even find them on Reddit. It's such a blast to watch through, and gold the entire way. What's your favorite episode?
It's been so long that I barely remember it, sorry.
K, well the scene with drunk Bert wobbling on the edge of the coffee table makes that the best episode for me!
I love the invisible Bert story line. The finger snap thing was honestly hilarious
Might I suggest the game, Outer Wilds?
For the Magicians, the cause of the time loop was fucking hilarious.
Spoiler below!!!
The destruction of Earth lead to the breaking of a magic seal meant to hold an Eldritch being. Whales made this seal long ago, and whenever it breaks, it reverses time so that the breaking is undone. Whales are OP wizards.The moment I read Travelers I knew which episode it was going to be. I didn't like the show that much but it played with some very interesting concepts and this was best shown in that episode.
Since you like time loops, there's a Stargate SG-1 episode about time loop as well, S04E06 Window of Opportunity, also one of my favorite episodes.
S05E14 of Breaking Bad - Ozymandias.
I vividly remember watching it for the first time. I've had emotional reactions to movies and shows in the past, but not like this. This is like the immediate aftermath of everything coming to a head, and everyone's acting made the whole episode so immersive. I felt like I was there, and this was happening to my family.
::: spoiler Specifically the scene of Skylar sprinting down the street chasing Walt's car after he kidnaps Holly.. or shit, the scene where Walt is wrestling with Walt Jr. over the knife. Or shit, just the realization that Skylar and Walt Jr. have that Walt essentially killed Hank. Everything is just compounded with the immense grief of losing Hank in such a brutish, unceremonious way. :::
This is still one of my top 3 shows. I'm not good at picking favorites, but I know it's up there.
Everything about that episode is incredible. It absolutely deserved the three Emmy awards it won (best writing, best lead actor, best supporting actress).
I can think of so many more "or shit, the scene where" sentences you could add to that paragraph. It's just one incredible scene after another. So much happens in such a short time but it doesn't feel rushed—you just feel things rapidly spiraling out of control in such a visceral way.
Came here to say this. You should know your spoiler tag is broken btw. I still have the ::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Scene where Hank gets shot ::: burned into my brain.
Ozymandias is the perfect title for this episode, too.
Stargate SG1 S4:E06 Window of Opportunity
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Groundhog Day, but Stargate.
:::
Same. I didn't dare to say it, but since I'm not the only one... I also think that one is an outstanding episode and amongst my favorites. I think the SG-1 writers were crazy anyways. Mixing well-written episodes with the daily grind of almost the same plot happening just on a different planet... for like 10 episodes straight... Then some melodramatic stuff, or more a sitcom in-between. Sometimes it seems they just didn't give a f--- and the main actor wasn't available so they just made his character invisible... And they made an effort to also sometimes include story arcs, sometimes not, or portray single characters in an episode. All within a very limited and confined format... Because I think a lot of SG-1 has been cheap mass-production.
I’m doing a rewatch of SG1 right now, and I forgot just how charming this show is. I always preferred Atlantis a bit more, but I’m coming around to liking SG1 more than I used to.
Don't neglect your real life in those 160 hours 😂 But seriously... There are a lot of episodes. Since I'm not watching a lot of anime, SG-1 is probably one of the longest TV series I ever watched. Atlantis was good, too. I still feel for the latter episodes and the end of that show... Give me 10 more years and I might consider re-watching some of that, as well. As of now I'd like some new scifi. Star Trek Lower Decks will come to an end this week... And I need someone to give some money to Seth MacFarlane and order more The Orville...
I really will miss LD :(
Comtraya!
In the middle of my back swing!!!!!
That sounds awesome. I watched a couple seasons of the original series, never got to SG1
.... sg1 is the original series...
Ha, self burn :) It was ages ago and never got too far into it, I just know there are multiple series and made a guess.
The ones that matter are SG1, Atlantis, and Universe.
https://www.gateworld.net/news/2009/05/stargate-recommended-viewing-order/
Ahem
Strongly disagree, Universe is my favorite Stargate. They got a lot of the great stuff from Stargate and managed to put it together with a lot of the great stuff in Battlestar Galactica.
OG Stargate was always about exploration and discoveries, something they eventually forgot on SG-1 and that Atlantis never really followed. If any one of the 3 is getting dropped it should be Atlantis, it's the least Stargatey of all of the Stargates.
"In the middle of my backswing?!"
Not my favorite, but it's certainly a good one.
Favorite might be a strong term but definitely the most impactful was the episode or two where Bojack Horseman discussed miscarriages because I was watching through the series on a depressive streak after experiencing such a thing in my own life when I got to that part.
Pick between the good place season 1, 3, 4 finales.
But I don't really look at shows as by episode generally.
I can't remember the name, but for IT Crowd specifically, when one of their coworkers thought Jen died and became a vengeful ghost. I laugh whenever I watch that episode.
Over all, King of the Hill, "Pretty, Pretty dresses." First off, hilarious, second, I found it strangely touching. Bill has good people around him, even if they don't show it. Even Dale was coming around the corner in a dress to participate. I thought that was very kind. No matter how bad it gets, they don't leave him, even if they don't know how to help him.
Runner up: "Almost got 'em" from Batman the Animated Series. All the villains were talking about how they almost got Batman, only to find out Batman was there in disguise. He was disguised as Croc. I found that hysterical for some reason.
Ironic that the most memorable Killer Croc line wasn't said by Croc
In his defense, it was a big rock.
The Good Place finale
I could watch it and cry every time.
I know a lot of people felt that they were kinda winging it throughout the show, but I've always felt that the ending in particular was planned out from the start, and was beautifully executed.
I watched that and the finale of Dark around the same time. Between them, I felt a bit distracted for the following week.
The Red Dwarf has so many
Dwayne Dibley’s first appearance is the most memorable for me.
I've seen Scrubs mentioned before, so I'll go with the Doctor Who episode "Blink".
It's a weird one because the Doctor is barely in it, but the story's great and it's the Angel's first appearance.
I think it's a perfect introduction to the series. It works perfectly as a bottle episode, you don't need to know anything about the lore to follow. It's actually about time travel. And it's just a good episode.
Deep Space Nine: “The Visitor”
The Russian episode of The Sopranos. Dude gets shot in the head and keeps running. They look for a long time and they never find him, throw up their hands and go "well fuck, he's probably dead." And they never mention it again throughout the rest of the series. And nothing ever happens. Legendary.
Edit: episode is called "pine barrens"
“Pine Barrens” is the name of the episode.
Yup! Thank you. I was too lazy to google it haha. I'll edit my post.
X-Files: Jose Chung's From Outer Space
You will never laugh so hard at the X-Files.
Supernatural s03e03- Bad day at black rock.
For me it's the penultimate episode. IMHO that should have been the finale.
I always find myself returning to a couple of the earlier episodes. S2 E1 - In my Time of Dying because it raises the stakes before Winchesters sacrificing themselves became a cliche, S4 E6 - Yellow Fever because it is hilarious, S5 E10 - Abandon All Hope because I loved Joe.
The best supernatural episode is the French mistake.
Firefly, Out of Gas
"Fay-yoo? Ah... ah... OK, she won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, but she is solid. Ship like this, be with you till the day you die."
"Because it's a death trap."
Probably the "Flu-ouise" episode of Bob's Burgers (Season 7, Episode 1). At least I hope so, it's the only episode of a TV show I have a tattoo of (terrible photo and the tattoo needs touch-ups). Bob's is my and my wife's comfort show, we end up re-watching it a few times a year.
Flu-ouise is the show's first take on a real musical episode. Both the A and B plots are really strong. Its firmly in the show's golden age and is flanked by really great episodes too (The "Glued, Where's My Bob" two-parter is before and "Sea Me Now" is the next episode). It introduces Melty Kuchi Kopi (aka 6-pack Kuchi Kopi) and many of Louise's other toys and gives us one of the best arguments that H Jon Benjamin has with himself throughout the series.
I haven’t seen that episode yet but I love that tattoo.
Thanks. It was laid out and done by Chris51
Samurai Jack - The Scotsman
One of the best episodes of one of the best animated series of all time.
I wouldn't say this is my favorite TV episode ever, but my favorite episode from a specific show that I don't see mentioned elsewhere: Corporate "Natural Beauty" (Season 2, Episode 3). It pokes fun at the different expectations, etc., that men and women face, particularly in the workplace.
The opening scene shows the female character going through her long morning routine, with occasional cuts to the male character repeatedly hitting the snooze button before rolling out of bed and spending 30 seconds getting dressed. When they each arrive at the office, he's complimented on his appearance, and she's told that she looks tired.
Corporate is an amazing and underrated show. Hoping it gets the Detroiters treatment, soon.
I'm not familiar with Detroiters. I'll try to check it out.
Still hard to beat the Top Gear original amphibious vehicle episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl3bsL7Nbnk
This and the alternate mobile home episode where Jeremy drives a 3 story tall structure always make me laugh so hard I could cry.
Forgot about that. Good one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFc8vd5X3FA
Fuck that's a tough one. Futurama also leaps to mind immediately... but I think it'd probably be a Firefly episode simply due to the density of awesome. Of those it'd probably be Train Job though Shindig is a strong contender.
I would strongly vote for Our Mrs Reynolds for best Firefly episode.
I thought of that one but, at least to my memory, the strong focus on Mal in that episode sort of minimized the fun space cowboy aspects.
Honestly I think any episode outside of Bushwhacked/War Stories/Out of Space is fair.
In my original comment I'd mentioned Jaynestown as a runner runner up and Serenity also probably deserves an honorable mention.
The show, IMO was weakest when it tried to build an overarching plot probably because we never got payoffs for it - so the anthology episodes aged the best. Honestly, I may also love it because it was like bonus Cowboy Bebop - but none of those episodes feel as jam packed with awesome.
God, my comment has probably pissed off everyone on the internet.
I don't know about my favorite ever, but the episode I rewatch and love the most from the last few years is the Jackie Daytona (On the Run) episode of What We Do In The Shadows. It's just perfection from start to finish. It's ridiculous, hilarious, it's endlessly quotable, and it doesn't matter how many times I have seen it- I will always be up for another rewatch. The show is great in it's entirety but that episode was just pure gold!
Amazing how an episode about a regular human bartender raising money for his local volleyball team can be so hilarious and perfect.
For some reason, my mind went to first episodes/pilots. Of these, I'd say that Suits and The OC are up there with some of the best.
As for the actual best episode, I'd go for My Lunch, the Scrubs episode where there's a rabies outbreak amongst organ transplant patients. Alongside this, probably Tracy does Conan from 30 Rock, and the musical episode of IT Crowd.
That rabies one is good. Also the one with Brendan Fraser is a classic.
Yes, Scrubs is so good. I honestly believe My Lunch and My Screw Up are the two best written episodes of any TV show.
The episode of The Magicians where they sing Under Pressure.
Idk what it is, but I've rewatched that scene 1000 times.
Magicians is such an underrated TV show. Its surprising how many people in my life didn't binge it all the through
It's so freaking good. It's the only thing I know of that was a book series first that most people who have read the books say the show is actually better.
Omfg yaaaassss!
MASH: "Death Takes a Holiday"... really powerful and memorable.
Monorail monorail monorail
They wouldn't work by themselves (for the desert island thing) but there are two season finales I love. Dark season 2 and Mr Robot season 3. Two great seasons with tension being built up and these gave just the perfect ending.
Since you like both Dark and Mr Robot, may I recommend you the Movie 'Who Am I'?
Without giving away too much, it's basically Mr Robot made by Baran bo Odar, the creator of Dark, combining aspects of both
But full disclosure, it's only subbed and finding copies outside of Germany is a bit though
Huh I actually watched that without knowing it's from the same guy. I just thought Germans make good movies/shows. Now that you say it it does feel similar to both shows.
Dark is massively underrated, we were obsessed with it witth my wife. It was a separate evening before each new season to binge recaps on youtube to have a fresh knowledge of every character in every timeline.
Mr Robit is definetly in my top 10. I loved the "heist" episode, where they didnt say anything the whole time. It was just another level of television. Also the season finales are great.
I actually made a graph for the characters in dark while watching the first two seasons. Definitely my favorite show.
'Allo 'Allo!: "The gateau from the chateau."
I love jokes that are one huge setup. The series in general is great for that as each episode starts with an absurd but accurate recap.
This is a tough one. My go-to is usually that episode of the IT Crowd. Second on my mind is Breaking Bad's Ozymandias, but someone already said that.
So, I have to pick two to tie for first.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S3E1 - "The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby"
There's a lot of perfectly written IASIP episodes, but this is probably my favorite. Every little detail is perfect, and I think it's better than the pilot at showing the characters' personalities. We have Mac and Dee trying to take care of a baby together, Charlie and Frank becoming homeless because they can't stop collecting garbage, and Dennis seeking revenge on a hippie because he got called out.
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler This episode really has some of the best Dennis moments. I think about Mac and Dee trying to tan the baby a lot, but the funniest part of this episode to me is when Dennis is trying to act more environmentally conscious than everyone else, so when the hippie long-windedly calls him a poser, Dennis just runs over to the gang and tries to use that insult on them. It shows their dynamic perfectly. :::
The Office S6E9 - "Murder"
This is a much-needed break in the middle of a tense overarching plot about DM's finances. It's not the best Office episode, but it's probably the best Michael episode. There are episodes like "Scott's Tots" that are iconic because he learns a lesson the hard way. But this episode is one of the few where we see Michael take action. The entire office is miserable so what do we do? Play a game and do funny voices. It's a Michael activity through and through, but he uses it to help the office take their minds off a bad situation. It's also one of the only times during the comanagement arc that Jim and Michael really synergize. Really funny, super sweet, and some of the best lines in the series.
I think about these jokes almost daily:
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Dwight: Voodoo Mama Juju, explain your dalliance with the Dark Arts.
Angela: It's not my fault, I was exposed to Harry Potter.
Dwight: I know you did it!
Dwight: I know she didn't do it. It's never the person you most suspect. It's also never the person you least suspect, since anyone with half a brain would suspect them the most. Therefore, I know the killer to be Phyllis, AKA Beatrix Bourbon, the person I most medium suspect. :::
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Oscar: [tries to speak in a high-pitched southern accent] This plantation, we're running low on greenbacks. We're having problems paying the people who give us the seeds and the dirt. We can't pay... [in regular voice] – Michael, I can't – Basically it could mean a lot of things, but it is unprecedented, so its cause for concern. :::
Brooklyn 99 - "The Pontiac Bandit" & all subsequent Pontiac eps.
Family Guy - "Mr. Saturday Knight"
The Late Philip J Fry in Futurama. It's a really sweet but sad episode, and I loved how they explored all the different eras. Episodes which involve Farnsworth's wacky inventions are always my faves!
A Dark Quiet Death from Mythic Quest.
Nearly totally removed from the rest of the show, it's about relationships, sacrifice, integrity, compromise. For a comedy show about video games, this episode hit hard and made me reflect on past relationships and really broke me down. A reminder to take responsibility of your actions when you feel like the blame is external.
Then there's a very brief end scene that puts it in context with the regular cast.
This episode should have won an award.
Dr who The 11 hour
Having been told about Dr who, and having seen a fee episodes prior. This one encapsulated the entire series for me and explained all of the why's I had with previous doctors and previous companions
To have river song start with the 10th doctor and carry on just allowed me to inhabit any episode past or present.
Now as a whovien I will cheat and say part one and two of the pandorica was a fantastic episode.
With honorable mentions to the Christmas special with all three doctors
Maybe not favorite of all shows but the first that came to mind;
Out of Gas, Firefly
Take my love
Take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care 'cause I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Succession has some of the best screenwriting of any TV show or movie, IMO. S3E08 "Chiantishire" stands out to me. So much of the dialogue is passive-aggressive or euphemistic. S4E09 "Church and State" is also an absolute marvel, with the main scene being shot with 8 cameras simultaneously, and showing some of the most powerful performances in the series.
It's a very recent one but my answer right now has to be Arcane, season 2, episode 7. It's a brilliant show from start to finish but this episode in particular is such a gut punch it still hurts to think about.
Star Trek TNG S6E21 Where Riker gets put through psychological hell in magnificent fashion. It spells out clearly everything that's terrifying about psychedelics, and mental hospitals commandeering your life with discrediting tactics.
Also I love the wrestling episode of King of the Hill because Bobby and Connie subvert expectations of warring adults in grand fashion!
The circle of life episode of Adventure time is such a blast! Very trippy.
I really enjoyed the episode Forks from The Bear, particularly after the traumatic gut punch that was Fishes. Hit close to home and didn't expect a Taylor Swift song to break me, much less in a GOOD way.
Mine is recent, but I've watched the specific episode about a dozen times now because I think it's just brilliant.
S2E5 of Interview with the Vampire, "Don't Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape". It's immaculate. I can quote the entire San Francisco argument.
Honorable mention for my favorite moment in a TV show - Brienne of Tarth a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. What a shining, glorious moment of satisfaction for a hardworking and truly good character in a season of utter bullshit.
I will always feel that we were robbed of so many satisfying conclusions because of the show rushing to wrap everything up. Not everything had to be tied in a perfect bow, but what we got certainly did not scratch that perfectly placed itch.
It's an absolute travesty that they threw away nearly every character's arc in the final season and robbed them of their big moments, purely to subvert expectations. These arcs were predictable because that's where their stories were fucking heading. But noOoOoo...
Jaime is probably the show's finest example of an eight-season arc thrown directly into the trash at the last moment. What was even the point?
I understand they wanted some characters to be disappointments, it could have been cool to have Jaime get super close to a satisfying arc and, at the last second fail. But the last few scenes with him completely backpedalling his entire motivation make no sense.
GOT had so much going for it. And yet, in a post like this asking about favorite episodes, no one is even mentioning it's earlier fantastic episodes - the final season ruined all previous good work.
Bo Jack - Free churro.
Always Sunny, "The Gang Hits the Road".
The entire episode is just them driving around Philly with the intention of going elsewhere, but the plan gets derailed in typical gang fashion when they wind up just switching seats over and over (both in and out of the U-Haul) until they end up back where they started, and with zero interest in continuing the original plan.
I don’t think this has been mentioned yet and might not be seen but…
The finale of Six Feet Under. It’s my favorite show, and the finale is the only episode of a show (other than maybe Futurama) that made me cry. I can’t even explain why, and there’s so many other episodes of SixFUnder that are incredible, but I’ve never in my life seen a show end that strong, and it’s my favorite show.
The gay episode of The Last of Us. I think it's the greatest episode of television period.
A lot of great shows aren't coming to mind, but one great show is:
Atlanta - The Goof Who Sat by the Door (Season 4, Episode 8)
Without a doubt top 5 funniest episodes of anything I've ever seen. This show was absolutely brilliant, with a lot of great episodes, but this one was... chefs kiss
What We Do In the Shadows, "Baron's Night Out". Absolutely hilarious. The vampires getting high drinking the blood of high people is great comedy.
Babylon 5: Severed Dreams
IYKYK
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Will not spoil it, but I absolutely love/loved the series finale episode of Summer Camp Island. Such a wholesome ending with such a good payoff, in my opinion, to everything that happens in the later seasons when the show decided "we want to be a story driven series!" more than the first and maybe 2nd season.