What is the single best episode of any TV series that you have ever seen?

JohnT · June 3, 2003, 00:15

"City on the Edge of Forever" in Star Trek? "The Contest" from Seinfeld? "Abyssinia Henry" from M*A*S*H (one of the few times I cried because of a TV show... and I caught it in reruns!)

What is your favorite TV episode, ever? If you can't think of a "favorite", just tell us about one that you really, really liked.

JohnT · June 3, 2003, 00:17

Ladies and Gentlemen, the greatest single hour of episodic television:

Once More with Feeling, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It could've gone soooo wrong, this one. Tragically, horribly wrong, the sort of thing that destroys careers and become legendary in its complete awfulness (My Mother the Car, anyone?) Had it just sucked, most would've been relieved. Had it been merely mediocre, most fans would've been overjoyed at having dodged the bullet. Had it been good… well, nobody was expecting that. They were pretty much expecting suckitude.

But… it was fantastic. Spellbinding. Brilliantly written, with songs that were shockingly good coming, as they did, from first time songwriter and wunderkind Joss Whedon. Even more amazing, the songs were not in the same style... pop, hard rock, jazz, and other genres were presented here.

And the greatest thing of all... it wasn't gimmicky. It moved the season's overarching story along, while supplying character development to all the major characters in a logical, consistent manner.

And, unlike other TV shows, BtVS has no problem going dark... there’s no rule about happy endings with this one. This one started dark, and ended darker.

It starts off with Buffy singing about how she has lost all the joy in her life:

I’ve been making shows of trading blows
Just hoping no one knows
That I’ve been
Going through the motions
Walking through the part
Nothing seems to penetrate my heart
...
Will I stay this way forever?
Sleepwalk through my lifes endeavor?
...
I don't wanna be
Going through the motions;
Losing all my drive.
I can't even see
If this is really me.
And I just want to be
Alive

People usually don't sing in the Buffyverse, and while discussing the situation in the song "I've got a Theory" (with possibly the rockingest refrain about bunnies (yes, bunnies) you'll ever hear in your life), they theorize that the entire town of Sunnydale is under some sort of spell that compels people to burst into song expressing their deepest feelings. Buffy, apathetic to her friends and life, closes the song with the words:

It doesn't matter...
What can't we face if we're together?
What's in this place that we can't weather?
Apocalypse?
We've all been there
The same old trips
Why should we care?

The best song (bar one) in the entire episode comes a few minutes later, as the lovers Willow and Tara (yes, a lesbian couple) go for a walk. Actress Amber Benson (Tara) easily has the best voice of the cast which is highlighted in the love ballad "Under Your Spell"

I'm under your spell
Nothing I can do
You just took my soul with you
You worked your charms so well
Finally, I knew
Everything I dreamed was true
You make me complete!

The above words are VERY ironic, as the viewer (and Tara) will find out later in the episode. The song ends with Tara receiving oral sex (you thought you could just skip all this, didn’t you?

) from Willow while singing:

The moon to the tide
I can feel you inside
I'm under your spell
Surging like the sea
Drawn to you so helplessly
I break with every swell
Lost in ecstasy
Spread beneath my Willow tree
You make me complete!
You make me complete
You make me complete
You make me come...

Xander and Anya have a song and dance routine that explores their fears in regards to their upcoming marriage: both (especially Xander) have cold feet. This song strikes me as very reminiscent of the old "**** Van ****" theme, which isn't all that hard to believe as Whedon's father was a writer for the show. Xander has a bit of a courage problem, which is pointed out to him by Anya in perhaps my favorite moment in the entire episode:

When things get rough, he
Just hides behind his Buffy!
Now look, he's getting huffy
Cause he knows that I know.

Because BtVS has more than it's fair share of Soap Opera overtones (

), and because modern song seemingly exists only for the musical exploration of love and sex, Spike gets to sing how he feels about Buffy though he has no desire to whatsoever.

Then we meet the villain, Sweet, who explains what’s going on in his jazz-tinged number:

All these melodies, they go on too long
Then that energy starts to come on way too strong
All those hearts lie open; that must sting
Plus, some customers just start combustin’
That's the penalty when life is but a song.

He was called to Sunnydale unaware that the Slayer lived there, but once he found out (at the end of his song) his goal was (of course) to kill her.

Giles, Buffy’s “teacher”, realizes that he is no longer needed and is, in fact, hindering her development. In a scene that takes place in his business (a store devoted to magic) he sings:
The cries around you, you don't hear at all
'Cuz you know I'm here to take that call
So you just lie there when you should be standing tall
But I...
I wish I could lay your arms down
And let you rest at last
Wish I could slay your demons
But now that time has passed
Wish I could stay your stalwart, standing fast
But I'm standing in the way
I'm just standing in the way

As he is finishing his song, the camera catches Tara running towards the book section, a small flower in her hand. Flipping through some pages, she sees an illustration of the flower, stops, and reads the caption that states that the flower is used to augment spells of mind control – her own lover is, literally, messing with her mind. In a duet with Giles, they sing how they must leave the one that they love the most – Giles for Buffy’s sake, Tara for her own:

I'm under your spell
God, how can this be?
Playing with my memory.
You know I've been through hell.
Willow, don't you see?
There'll be nothing left of me
You made me believe
…
Wish I could trust that it was just this once
But I must do what I must
I can't adjust to this disgust
We're done and I just
Wish that I could stay

Sweets minions burst in to the magic shop to inform the group that Sweet has Buffy’s sister. Buffy turns to go face Sweet, expecting the group (especially Giles) to follow her. Giles refuses, saying that Buffy doesn’t need him any more and that she needs to take care of this one herself. Buffy, pissed, leaves, starting my favorite song of the musical: the ensemble piece “Walk through the Fire.” I can’t really quote it as there would be no way I could do it justice. Humor, pathos, fear, apathy, irritation, and more are interwoven into the episodes centerpiece song, and while music-wise it isn’t anything to write home about (something about it definitely sounds like somebody from LA wrote it), lyrically and structurally it is a wonder.

Buffy bursts into Sweets lair a few minutes before everybody else (they decided to join her after all during the “Fire” song), kicks his minions ass while she is singing the final full song of the show, one that explains to her friends why she has been so apathetic and listless the past few months. See, Buffy died at the end of season 5 (OMWF was aired during season 6) and Willow, being a witch and Buffy’s best friend, brought her back to life. Usually in fiction this is a good thing, but BtVS pulls no punches: When she died, Buffy went to heaven and, after having come back, is distressed with how painful life is even when it is good, and her resentment at the joy and peace that has been stolen from her is finally beginning to boil over:

There was no pain
No fear, no doubt
Till they pulled me out
Of Heaven
So that's my refrain
I live in Hell
Cause I've been expelled
From Heaven
...
So, give me something to sing about!

Of course, Buffy doesn’t die, and Sweet is (kind of) defeated. As he leaves, he crows to a very sorry-looking band of heroes in a reprise of his earlier song:

What a lot of fun
You guys have been real swell.
And there's not a one who can say this ended well.
All those secrets you've been concealing:
Say you're happy now,
Once more with feeling.
Now I've got to run
See you all in Hell!

Understanding that things will never be the same again, the gang sings the final (very short) song:

Where do we go from here?
The battle's done and we kind of won
So we sound our victory cheer
Where do we go from here?
Why is the path unclear
When we know hope is near?
Understand we'll go hand in hand, but we'll walk alone in fear
Where do we go from here?

And by the way, I wasn’t a fan or even a regular watcher of this show when I first saw this episode. It just made me an instant fan.

You know, when I started this post I had no idea I was going to do a plot synopsis. I was just going to say something along the lines of "this episode rocked!", but things just kept coming to mind. Sorry 'bout that.

JohnT · June 3, 2003, 00:20

Uh, "Dlck van Dike"?

DinoDoc · June 3, 2003, 00:20

"God Gambit" in Transformers
"Trouble with Tribbles" in Star Trek

Ming · June 3, 2003, 00:24

The last show of Newhart... Where Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife Emily in his first series, The Bob Newhart show... and the whole second series was just a dream.

A classic moment in TV history. I've never laughed harder in my life.

Frankychan · June 3, 2003, 00:46

One of the best I've seen is the Family Guy episode where they get stuck in an American Indian casino. The main character, Peter, is constantly making fun of American Indians the whole episode until the end of the credits where he says something to the effect of:

"I've learned that American Indians are to be respected and are not like any of the stereotypes portrayed out there............................................. ..................
..................
..................
..................
..................
..................
..................not like those dirty Hawaiians."

When I first heard him say that I did a doubletake of "Did he just say that?!" When I finally realised he said that, I started laughing so hard, I started to cry.

....that episode was one of the best!

Urban Ranger · June 3, 2003, 01:21

I like the Nightstalker series.

For Star Trek: TNG, the best one is with the aliens that speak in cliches. Such-and-such when the city wall falls down.

BeBro · June 3, 2003, 01:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
For Star Trek: TNG, the best one is with the aliens that speak in cliches. Such-and-such when the city wall falls down.

Yep, this was a great episode.

Also the DS9 sequel with the tribbles (where theDS9 crew met the TOS crew) I liked very much.

monkspider · June 3, 2003, 02:10

How about "Cape Fear" from the Simpsons, you know, the one where Sideshow Bob escapes, and all the rakes?

Or the Bizarro World Seinfeld?

notyoueither · June 3, 2003, 02:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming
The last show of Newhart... Where Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife Emily in his first series, The Bob Newhart show... and the whole second series was just a dream.

A classic moment in TV history. I've never laughed harder in my life.

That show was my first thought. Classic.

I also liked the finale of Dallas. The guy who shows JR what would happen if he had never lived and JR turns to in the end turns out to have burning red eyes and compells JR to pull the trigger... good take off on a movie.

Some of the Law & Orders where characters get written out have been well done. I remember the one where Claire was killed in a broad side by a drunk driver.

However, I think my favorite of all time would be the TNG episode where Picard is connected to a probe made by a long dead race which renders him unconcious. In the space of an hour while he lay comatose, the probe leads him through a life time where he gets married, has children, and sees the end of the the alien race on a dying planet. He plays a flute. When he 'dies' of old age, he wakes up on the bridge of the Enterprise. They get ahold of the probe. They find a flute. Fading scene has Picard alone playing the same haunting tune on that flute.

MrWhereItsAt · June 3, 2003, 02:12

JohnT - you REALLY like that episode, don't you?

I blame the bunnies.

The last episode of Quantum Leap is one that springs to mind. After so many stories following the format, this is one that stops me cold when I see or hear bits of it.

And that last caption has to be, after so many years, one of the saddest (scripted) moments in a TV show's history.

Otherwise undoubtedly something from 24, season 2. I'm still reeling from it, and I have now missed the last 3 episodes. Can't even find one particular one that I know is the best - there are so many good 'uns.

DinoDoc · June 3, 2003, 02:16

Quote:

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
The last episode of Quantum Leap is one that springs to mind. After so many stories following the format, this is one that stops me cold when I see or hear bits of it.

And that last caption has to be, after so many years, one of the saddest (scripted) moments in a TV show's history.

He never made it home?

monkspider · June 3, 2003, 02:21

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
He never made it home?

He didn't? What a crummy end to a perfectly good series.

mindseye · June 3, 2003, 02:24

All in the Family.

Archie's life is saved by a woman who gives him mouth-to-mouth resucitation. Imagine his reponse when he discovers that the woman is in fact a tranny.

The woman goes on to become a close friend of Edith's. Later, Edith is decimated when the woman is murdered in a gay-bashing incident.

Now that boys and girls, was powerful television.

ixnay · June 3, 2003, 02:30

The Powerpuff Girls - Meet the Beat-Alls

It is absolutely brilliant. An 11 minute episode, filled with references to the Beatles. I loved every second of it.

Zkribbler · June 3, 2003, 02:35

The "Gunshy" episode of Maverick.

It began just like an episode of "Gunsmoke"--the main street of a Western town; the camera shoots past the holstered six shooter of the town marshall down to the far end of the street where stands...Maverick???

The theme music builds. At the music's peak, the marshall draws and fires and then...fires again and then...fires again.

Maverick: You want me to stand a little closer, Marshall?

The marshall fans off his final three rounds. Nothing.

Maverick: Come on, Marshall. We both know I'm out of range.

And the show went on like that. It's the only time I've even seen one series spend an entire episode mocking another series...and it did it so well.

DinoDoc · June 3, 2003, 02:41

Quote:

Originally posted by monkspider

He didn't? What a crummy end to a perfectly good series.

I don't know. I'm trying to figure out what he meant.

FrustratedPoet · June 3, 2003, 03:06

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnT
"The Contest" from Seinfeld?

You read my mind, dude.

FrustratedPoet · June 3, 2003, 03:08

Quote:

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
And that last caption has to be, after so many years, one of the saddest (scripted) moments in a TV show's history.

The final line of the final episode of Cheers comes to mind too: "Sorry, the bar's closed"
*tear*

Rufus T. Firefly · June 3, 2003, 03:13

Best episode of any TV series ever: the final episode of "Blackadder Goes Forth." Brilliantly takes the central joke of all 4 Blackadder series -- that power is both stupid and unstoppable -- and maps it across WWI trench warfare, turning comedy into tragedy without actually changing anything about the show. Brilliant, incredibly moving, and still funny as hell.

Best episode of an American series: the episode of "The X-Files" in which Peter Boyle plays a life-insurance salesman who can forsee the deaths of the people he meets. The best writing I've ever seen on American TV.

Urban Ranger · June 3, 2003, 03:47

Some of those old Twilight Zone stories are excellent as well.

Dis · June 3, 2003, 03:59

many seinfeld episodes.

I remember one episode of Newhart I really enjoyed. Really not that great of a show, but I loved larry, darryl, and darryl. I loved the episode where they thought aliens landed in the town. I was rolling.

There are several cheers and night court episodes as well. And the simpsons as well.

Monk · June 3, 2003, 06:22

The time in Futurama with Pac-Man and rockin' out to Rush while playing Space Invaders was the most brilliantly thought-out parody/reference I've ever seen. I might hesitate to say it's the funniest or best ever, but I've never laughed harder.

Speaking of Rush - and this is really an off chance - does anybody know which Rush song is being played when the Simpsons go to Canada?

TheStinger · June 3, 2003, 06:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Best episode of any TV series ever: the final episode of "Blackadder Goes Forth." Brilliantly takes the central joke of all 4 Blackadder series -- that power is both stupid and unstoppable -- and maps it across WWI trench warfare, turning comedy into tragedy without actually changing anything about the show. Brilliant, incredibly moving, and still funny as hell.

Great episode, they really could have done it badly but it was terriffic.

Richelieu · June 3, 2003, 07:13

TNG's Yesterday's Enterprise is my personal favorite.

John T:

on your synopsis!

Starchild · June 3, 2003, 07:15

JohnT, a Buffy fan after my own heart. Could your wife and I work out some sort of timeshare? I'm getting Season 5 (faux sisters who open the doors of reality for insane biatch gods!) on DVD soon.

alva · June 3, 2003, 07:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Best episode of any TV series ever: the final episode of "Blackadder Goes Forth." Brilliantly takes the central joke of all 4 Blackadder series -- that power is both stupid and unstoppable -- and maps it across WWI trench warfare, turning comedy into tragedy without actually changing anything about the show. Brilliant, incredibly moving, and still funny as hell.

The last couple of minutes of that show are better then many of the great classic -must- read-intelectual-novels and it's manages to even then be funny

Wraith · June 3, 2003, 07:39

Ack. What a question. There are a lot of good episodes, how do you choose the "best" one? I mean, different series go for different things. Best comedy, best drama, etc?

I'm going to have to think about this one a bit and get back to you later.

Wraith
"I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called "brightness", but it doesn't seem to work."
-- Gallagher

Kassiopeia · June 3, 2003, 08:14

The first one that springs to mind won't mean anything to you... the last episode of the eight-part sketch series Studio Julmahuvi. The way the entire thing just feels like "falling down to pieces" and all that surrealism that's been down there between the lines starts to show itself in its full glory... brilliant. Ends with the director of the sketch show Studio Julmahuvi doing the unthinkable and turning on the recorded laughter to get ratings back up. Satire to the end.

Quote:

For Star Trek: TNG, the best one is with the aliens that speak in cliches. Such-and-such when the city wall falls down.

Darmok? Yeah, that was a good one. Though I think I liked Inner Light better. But it's been a while...

Quote:

He never made it home?

Yes, he remained in the loop... don't remember exactly why, he did it to save Al's wife or something?

Paul Hanson · June 3, 2003, 08:15

"Bart Gets An F", the opening show from the second series of the Simpsons.

Bart learns that if he fails the next test, he'll have to be held back in the fourth grade for an extra year. Despite the various temptations to go and have some fun, he knuckles down and studies his early American history as hard as he can.

He does the test, and asks Mrs. Krabappel to mark it for him as soon as he finishes. And he still fails. Unable to take any more of, the poor little guy bursts into tears. And the audience is struggling to keep them back too; they watched him try so hard to pass this test that when he still can't do it we all feel sorry for him. Wonderfully written episode.