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

[rah]

The Newhart finale ranks right up there.

Another favorite is the Simpsons episode with Sideshow Bob and his brother Cecil. Great stuff.

The second act opens with a title, just like an episode of Fraisier:
In Cecil's apartment, and he offers Bob a choice of wines.
"I've been in prison, Cecil. I'll be happy just as long as it doesn't taste like orange drink fermented under a radiator." Surprisingly, Cecil is able to rule out one of the wines based on that comment.

or

Bob replies, "Cecil, no civilization in history has ever considered Chief Hydrological Engineer a 'calling'."
Cecil glares at Bob, and clears his throat.
"Yes, yes, the Cappadocians, fine."

or
Cecil is preparing to blow up the dam, running through a checklist. Bart jumps on him, and says, "Guess who!"
"Maris?" asks Cecil.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Richelieu
John T: on your synopsis!

Thanks!

Originally posted by Starchild
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.

I also have the OMWF CD, complete with liner notes and lyrics... not that we needed the lyrics, having already memorized them all.

Appreciate the offer, but I don't do guys and Laura's not the sharing type.

Season 5! Season 4 is just about to be released here in the states.

You did catch my thread about our family trip a few weeks ago to Cleveland for the BuffyCon, didn't ya? Sophie really charmed Iyari Limon (Kennedy) and James Marsters (Spike) - Mr. Marsters so much that he asked to sign Sophie's Barney doll.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
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.

Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose. Good ep!

But even better, imho, was Jose Chung's from Outer Space. Man, everybody got mocked in that one!

[SlowwHand]

Final episode of M*A*S*H.

[Ubergeek]

The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" was, IMO, the best single hour of television I've ever seen. All these wild, Rashomon-esque POV stories, each one more wildly impossible than the one before, the lovely and bizarre trifecta of guest stars (Charles Nelson Riley, Alex Trebec and Jesse Venture), the Sheriff who said "bleepin'" instead of swearing, Mulder's hoot-scream of delight when he spots the dead alien, the guy who decided that Scully was a Man In Black because "her hair was red...but a little TOO red, you know what I mean?" It was a beautifully crafted episode that played off of all the standard bits of all the other X-Files episodes.

Another candidate would be the B5 ep where the Shadow-Vorlon war ended with Sheridan kicking all the First Ones out of the galaxy. B5 was the best sci-fi show I've ever seen, and that episode was the climax of the entire series.

My third choice would be the finale of the first season of 24, with Jack going nuts because he thought his daughter was dead, ripping into the terrorists with a blazing gun in each fist in the most adrenaline-soaked two minutes of television I've ever seen, the sublime look of resignation on Dennis Hopper's face right before Jack shot him (Hopper's only good moment on the entire show), and of course the best and most devastating kick-in-the-gut moment of TV I've ever seen when Jack finds the body of his murdered, pregnant wife. I still get chills thinking about it.

Whoever said the final episode of Newhart made an excellent point too -- that's one of the boldest and cleverest moments in TV history.

[rah]

FirstSeason 24 final, Yes, that was one of the great ones. Too bad season 2's final was not as good.

[The diplomat]

For me it would be "sleeping in Light", the series finale of Babylon 5. It was superbly written, and for those who had watched the entire show, it was the most heart-wrenching moment ever. The episode simply swept you away in a torrent of emotions.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by rah
FirstSeason 24 final, Yes, that was one of the great ones. Too bad season 2's final was not as good.

You have to admit that it was a hell of a hook to get you to watch season 3 though.

[Ubergeek]

Diplo, that was a great episode. Part of the problem for me was that all of season five was so anticlimactic that I no longer had the emotional investment in the show that I had during season 4, so the series finale didn't have the impact it should have.

[TheStinger]

The last episode of Eldarado was superb

[Ubergeek]

Originally posted by rah
FirstSeason 24 final, Yes, that was one of the great ones. Too bad season 2's final was not as good.

That's true, but I honestly don't know what they could have done to make the second season finale live up to that level. I suppose they could have had a second bomb suddenly flatten LA, or actually have Jack die, but barring that I have no idea how they could have hit the same level as Jack cradling his dead wife in his arms. Even killing Kim wouldn't have done it because nobody actually LIKES Kim the way we liked Teri.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by mindseye
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.

I find it impossible to choose a single show but my first thoughts on this matter were about All in the family though.

[Ubergeek]

I know it's been said before, but no television network nowadays would touch All In The Family with a 29 1/2-foot pole. It just goes to show how much safer, blander and more contemptible television has become over the last 30 years.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Ubergeek
Diplo, that was a great episode. Part of the problem for me was that all of season five was so anticlimactic that I no longer had the emotional investment in the show that I had during season 4, so the series finale didn't have the impact it should have.

I know what you mean. S5 was a bit anti-climactic compared to S4. My biggest problem with S5 was the telepath arc, that just did not catch my interest. But S5 did did have a few amazing eps ("The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari", "And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder" and "The Fall of Centauri Prime").

The problem was that JMS was not sure whether the show would end after 4 seasons or 5 because of decisions by TPTB. SiL was made so that it could have been shown at the end of S4. When the suits decided at the last minute to extend the show to 5 seasons, JMS had to come up with one more season.

[Garth Vader]

From TNG "Best of Both Worlds" Part 1. Mostly because when I first saw it they didn't show the second part for like 8 months, so it was a real cliffhanger.

From B5, "Face of the Enemy" the scene with Garibaldi and Bester in the tube on Mars is just incredible. Although this episode demands that you have seen a large number of episodes before it.

From DS9 "Way of the Warrior" for some good space combat action!

[Ubergeek]

Originally posted by The diplomat


I know what you mean. S5 was a bit anti-climactic compared to S4. My biggest problem with S5 was the telepath arc, that just did not catch my interest. But S5 did did have a few amazing eps ("The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari", "And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder" and "The Fall of Centauri Prime").

The problem was that JMS was not sure whether the show would end after 4 seasons or 5 because of decisions by TPTB. SiL was made so that it could have been shown at the end of S4. When the suits decided at the last minute to extend the show to 5 seasons, JMS had to come up with one more season.

Yeah, that was a really, really obvious problem with Season 5. Season 4 was, in part, so thrilling because it was really two seasons condensed into one, and so it never gave you a moment to catch your breath.

You're also completely correct in saying that Londo's arc was remarkably compelling during Season 5. Londo is my favorite television character, in fact, because he was so beautifully and heartbreakingly realized. Here's a guy who was vain and ambitious, yes, but who also really just wanted joy for himself and the people he loved, but who was always going to be denied that joy because of the unforseen consequences of his own actions. Sometimes the character was just painful (in a very good way) to watch because you knew he was always going to be denied the thing that would make him happiest.

[rah]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
You have to admit that it was a hell of a hook to get you to watch season 3 though.

Yep, but are they going to let jack rest a bit. Come on, he's already died once that day. And he didn't even do Kate. The man needs at least a couple of days of R&R. They gave him plenty after season 1.

And yes, no one likes KIM.
But she is learning to listen to daddy. The best line in television ever. "shoot him again" I was in tears i was laughing so hard. Don't F*** with Jack or Family.


And on B5 Finale, agreed that the whole season was lame so the final didn't have the impact that it could have. But I did like the final, it had been deluted by a boring season.

RAH

[Sava]

for South Park, I'd have to say the episode where Jimmy and Timmy join the "Crips".

[DaShi]

The final was made at the end of the fourth season since they didn't know, if there was going to be a fifth season. That's how it escaped the curse.

[Starchild]

Originally posted by JohnT
Season 5! Season 4 is just about to be released here in the states.

You did catch my thread about our family trip a few weeks ago to Cleveland for the BuffyCon, didn't ya? Sophie really charmed Iyari Limon (Kennedy) and James Marsters (Spike) - Mr. Marsters so much that he asked to sign Sophie's Barney doll.

I too have the OMWF CD. And the Buffy music CD they released a few years ago.

You've only just about to get Season 4? We in the UK have Season 1 to Season 6 on DVD of Buffy and Season 1 to Season 3 of Angel.

Darla's death/Connor's birth. OMG. As much as the miracle child annoys me, seeing Darla's emotional evolution from the conception climaxing in a suicide by stake had me stunned. I kept rewinding and rewatching the dusting over and over. Fave Angel moment ever.

[JohnT]

Not an Angel guy... couldn't stand the character on Buffy, no desire to follow him to another show.

Does your DVD's have audio commentary by Joss Whedon?

[Ubergeek]

I also ought to mention the first three episodes of Twin Peaks and the first half-season of American Gothic. Both really pushed how far into the weird broadcast TV can go, and both started out amazingly well. Unfortunately, Twin Peaks utterly lost its way after the first three eps due to David Lynch's erratic muse, and the network bigwigs sabotaged and destroyed American Gothic after the first half season. But I'll always remember the dancing, backwards-talking dwarf and the look on Lucas Buck's face when he snapped Merlyn Temple's neck as she chanted, "Someone's at the door...someone's at the door...someone's at the door..."

[St Leo]

Clear and Presidente Danger on Duckman
Anthology of Interest 2 on Futurama
The Hank Scorpio episode on the Simpsons

[Starchild]

Originally posted by JohnT
Not an Angel guy... couldn't stand the character on Buffy, no desire to follow him to another show.

Does your DVD's have audio commentary by Joss Whedon?

But he's so angsty and broody and "look at me. I have a soul. blah blah blah. Redemption. blah blah blah I can't be happy or I kill people". I do mainly watch it for Cordelia and Wesley. If you had told me in mid Season 3 Buffy that Cordelia and Wesley would become two of the most complex and deep characters on the show, I'd have said you're mad. They are a testimony to the Joss.

Besides, Angel is generally a darker show than Buffy. It does push the limits of the human condition and what it means to be morally grey. You know Wesley was keeping a woman in a cage for months and torturing her to find the location of Angel (who the woman had imprisoned) while sleeping with the enemy (the other enemy not the cage girl). All kicks and giggles really. I like the dark.

Yeah, packed full of extras. 100% full Buffy DVD extravaganza goodness. Commentary, behind the scenes, bloopers, etc. Same DVD collection you get, except we get it first.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by rah
Yep, but are they going to let jack rest a bit.

They'll either just give him one hours rest and a supply of nitro pills for his heart or let Tony assume a greater role for a few hours.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by St Leo
Anthology of Interest 2 on Futurama

Drop down, increase speed and reverse direction!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Bart jumps on him, and says, "Guess who!"
"Maris?" asks Cecil.

Great Frasier reference .

There are just too many great episodes of Seinfeld, but Master of my domain might just be the funniest, with Kramer out in no time, Elaine unable to resist JFK jr, Jerry trying to resist the naked woman across the street, and George... well, being George .

[loinburger]

"Flip Mode" on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast.

Or the episode with Old Kentucky Shark.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
There are just too many great episodes of Seinfeld, but Master of my domain might just be the funniest, with Kramer out in no time

Yeah, that scene where it comes back into Jerry's apartment 2 minutes after seeing the naked woman, slams his money on the table, shouts "I'm out!" and just stands there literally had me crying with laughter.

Michael Richards is a great comedy actor and in that scene he manages to make such a simple action absolutely hilarious.

Another great TV moment: The episode of Coupling where Jeff chats up the Israeli girl when neither of them can speak the other's language.

Yet another Golden episode: The League of Gentlemen episode where we meet Tubbs and Edward for the first time. Best. Characters. Ever.

[GePap]

I'd have to say one of a few from babylon 5:

There is the S2 episode when the Emperor visits B5, or the one where the Nanr fleet is destroyed and Narn bombarded.

In season 3 the episode when Kosh dies, or the finale of it.

I also always loved the episode in S4 where Sheridan gets captured by Earthforce and is tortured.

I loved Back Adder, but I must say I don't remember that last episode too well. I also liked the one in X-files with the photographer of death.

of course, my most beloved show is the Simpsons when Lisa turns vegeterian. I almost have the whole episode in my head.