Best TV episodes

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

I'm just trying to throw out something new and nonpolitical. We already have a movie/book/TV thread, but I wanted to know what your favorite single episodes of shows are. Forget how good the show was overall, just what are those single blocks of 30 or 60 minutes that really stick with you?

Here's a few:

The West Wing "Take This Sabbath Day" - Bartlet and his staff consider how they feel about the death penalty and politics both, and it ends with Bartlet's realization that he didn't live up to his own principles, brought about by a superb performance in Karl Malden's final role.

The Newsroom "5/1" - Lots of good stuff about this episode, but the various scenes where characters reveal the death of OBL to other characters are just phenomenal. Thomas Sadoski as Don on the plane is especially poignant.

Futurama "Jurassic Bark" - Probably the saddest thing I've ever watched on the small screen. If you aren't already familiar with it, I won't ruin it for you.

Game of Thrones "The Winds of Winter" - The first 20 minutes of this episode constitute pure art. The music, the acting, the directing, and very little dialogue. It's just brilliant.

Rome "The Kalends of February" - Ciaran Hinds' end of the Caesar arc of this series was completely different from classical interpretations, but it was probably the best.

What else ya got?

 

[Marvin the Martian]

How to do this in 1000 or fewer episodes.

I love that West Wing but I would put up with In the Shadow of Two Gunmen or Two Cathedrals. Probably the latter.

WKRP - Turkey's Away. An absolutely iconic episode.

MASH - Sometimes You Hear the Bullet. Henry's death may be the most powerful scene in TV history but the rest of that episode was weak. This episode mixed comedy and death, something very hard to do.

Ted Lasso - Carol of the Bells. This episode generates heated debates, many hate it's syrupy goodness. I loved it, the Roy Kent storyline with his niece was gold.

Bob Newhart - Over the River and Through the Woods. Hmm, I like holidays. Emily is away, the guys get together and get drunk and order moo goo gai pan.

Mary Tyler Moore - Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust.

GoT - Winds of Winter. I agree

24 - pilot. Coming as it did so close to 9/11, a very powerful start to a very powerful show.

 

[hoosboot]

WKRP - Turkey's Away. An absolutely iconic episode.

Oh, the humanity!

 

[larsIU]

Breaking Bad - Ozymandias. Obvious choice.

West Wing - What Kind of Day Has it Been. Excellent cliffhanger. Sorkin used that title multiple times in different series apparently.

 

[DrHoops]

How to do this in 1000 or fewer episodes.

I love that West Wing but I would put up with In the Shadow of Two Gunmen or Two Cathedrals. Probably the latter.

WKRP - Turkey's Away. An absolutely iconic episode.

MASH - Sometimes You Hear the Bullet. Henry's death may be the most powerful scene in TV history but the rest of that episode was weak. This episode mixed comedy and death, something very hard to do.

Ted Lasso - Carol of the Bells. This episode generates heated debates, many hate it's syrupy goodness. I loved it, the Roy Kent storyline with his niece was gold.

Bob Newhart - Over the River and Through the Woods. Hmm, I like holidays. Emily is away, the guys get together and get drunk and order moo goo gai pan.

Mary Tyler Moore - Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust.

GoT - Winds of Winter. I agree

24 - pilot. Coming as it did so close to 9/11, a very powerful start to a very powerful show.

The WKRP Turkey episode was so great.

Seinfeld “The Contest” was so funny.

Family Guy when Quagmire’s dad got a sex change.

 

[Lucy01]

Friends episode, The holiday armadillo, classic.

 

[larsIU]

Oh, the humanity!

 

[IUCrazy2]

Game of Thrones "The Winds of Winter" - The first 20 minutes of this episode constitute pure art. The music, the acting, the directing, and very little dialogue. It's just brilliant.

The high point of the series with a quick slide downhill afterwards. The producers were in a hurry to get out of the show and the author had an end game but has written himself into a corner with ever increasing plot complexity that he has not been able to unwind toward a conclusion.

That series ended with a thud...and it is really disappointing how it did.

A Dance with Dragons came out 11 years ago and I doubt Martin ever finishes the series. So we got wild changes in behavior that were hardly explained and a side character becoming "the guy" even though his storyline disappeared from the show for entire seasons.

 

[mcmurtry66]

The high point of the series with a quick slide downhill afterwards. The producers were in a hurry to get out of the show and the author had an end game but has written himself into a corner with ever increasing plot complexity that he has not been able to unwind toward a conclusion.

That series ended with a thud...and it is really disappointing how it did.

A Dance with Dragons came out 11 years ago and I doubt Martin ever finishes the series. So we got wild changes in behavior that were hardly explained and a side character becoming "the guy" even though his storyline disappeared from the show for entire seasons.

Hopefully the new one will be good

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

A Dance with Dragons came out 11 years ago and I doubt Martin ever finishes the series.

Don't even kid about that.
Good thing he is the picture of health and fitness.

 

[13thman]

WKRP: Phone cops
WKRP: Johnny and Venus doing a
sobriety promo on air with
state trooper.
Magnum PI: Did you see the sun rise?

 

[HooDatGuy]

Friends episode, The holiday armadillo, classic.

You really are a moron. Damn.

 

[IUJIM]

GoT- The Rains of Castamere- While The Winds of Winter was great, the Red Wedding was the most impactful for me. When it was over, I just kind of sat there and mumbled "what just happened?"

Sons of Anarchy- Papas Goods- The series finale in which Jax makes the decision of Family or Club. I know some here didn't like SoA, but for me it is one of the best, and the ending was perfect.

The Wire- Middle Ground- Avon, Stringer, and Omar- all with major scenes, and one of them doesn't make it to the end. The conversation and reminiscing between Avon and Stringer on the rooftop was classic

 

[zeke4ahs]

GoT- The Rains of Castamere- While The Winds of Winter was great, the Red Wedding was the most impactful for me. When it was over, I just kind of sat there and mumbled "what just happened?"

Sons of Anarchy- Papas Goods- The series finale in which Jax makes the decision of Family or Club. I know some here didn't like SoA, but for me it is one of the best, and the ending was perfect.

The Wire- Middle Ground- Avon, Stringer, and Omar- all with major scenes, and one of them doesn't make it to the end. The conversation and reminiscing between Avon and Stringer on the rooftop was classic

I agree with all of yours. Consider Middle Ground the best episode of anything on tv. I’ll add:
The Sopranos: College. Where Tony takes Meadow to visit colleges, but actually does some killing on his own and Carmelo has an intimate evening with her priest.
Friday Night Lights: I think this show is so underrated, many of the actors have gone on to have good careers. Hard to pick one, but I’ll go with the episode that had QB2, Matt Saracen drunk and crying in the shower about how everyone leaves him and Coach Taylor giving him tough love. The portrayal of am marriage between Coach and Mrs" Coach is the best on tv.
Breaking Bad:Ozymandias penultimate episode
Sex and the City Finale ( yeah I know) Wherein Big flies to Paris to bring back our girl, knocks out the abusive boyfriend, and rescues Carrie , crying a in stairwell, while wearing the most spectacular dress in the world.

 

[HooDatGuy]

I agree with all of yours. Consider Middle Ground the best episode of anything on tv. I’ll add:
The Sopranos: College. Where Tony takes Meadow to visit colleges, but actually does some killing on his own and Carmelo has an intimate evening with her priest.
Friday Night Lights: I think this show is so underrated, many of the actors have gone on to have good careers. Hard to pick one, but I’ll go with the episode that had QB2, Matt Saracen drunk and crying in the shower about how everyone leaves him and Coach Taylor giving him tough love. The portrayal of am marriage between Coach and Mrs" Coach is the best on tv.
Breaking Bad:Ozymandias penultimate episode
Sex and the City Finale ( yeah I know) Wherein Big flies to Paris to bring back our girl, knocks out the abusive boyfriend, and rescues Carrie , crying a in stairwell, while wearing the most spectacular dress in the world.

Please do not clutter this thread with Friday Night Lights and Sex in the City trash.

Did you mistake the thread title for “favorite episode from shitty melodrama tv shows”?

 

[mcmurtry66]

So many from Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, etc. Two super random ones that I liked a lot were in Peaky Blinders when Arthur tells Alfie he's Old Testament, and a corny funny one is in Barry when he fights the karate champ.

 

[zeke4ahs]

Please do not clutter this thread with Friday Night Lights and Sex in the City trash.

Did you mistake the thread title for “favorite episode from shitty melodrama tv shows”?

Sex and the City I can see why you don’t like, women and all that. FNL you are just wrong. Actors: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Jesse Piedmont’s, Michael B Jordan,

 

[HooDatGuy]

Sex and the City I can see why you don’t like, FNL you are just wrong.

I like FNL for what it is. It has no place in a thread about the best TV episodes of all time.

 

[zeke4ahs]

I like FNL for what it is. It has no place in a thread about the best TV episo

Your favorite single episodes is the criteria op established. I’ll add some comedy. the Office Scott’s Tots, Seinfeld Master of My domain, Curb Your Enthusiasm Denise Handicap. Curb is one of those comedies that pushes the envelope and surprisingly doesn’t get much pushback. I’m constantly dropping my mouth at what they get away with, like in this episode of wheelchair sex.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

It's hard for me to remember single episodes of series. But I'll try a few that others have not mentioned:

Season 1 of Madmen had a lot. Whatever episode that Sterling says "That's the problem with your generation. You think you have to have a reason to drink. My generation drinks because that's what men do." I always thought that was an inspired scene.

The episode of Night Court where Dan (Larroquette's character) has to get through all the prosecution readings so he can have sex with a sexpot who will do things he's only dreamed of was memorable. (A postman who speaks incredibly slowly trips him up when he takes a long time to make his plea).

Episode 6 of Squidgame is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking and will stick with me a long, long time.

 

[HooDatGuy]

It's hard for me to remember single episodes of series. But I'll try a few that others have not mentioned:

Season 1 of Madmen had a lot. Whatever episode that Sterling says "That's the problem with your generation. You think you have to have a reason to drink. My generation drinks because that's what men do." I always thought that was an inspired scene.

The episode of Night Court where Dan (Larroquette's character) has to get through all the prosecution readings so he can have sex with a sexpot who will do things he's only dreamed of was memorable. (A postman who speaks incredibly slowly trips him up when he takes a long time to make his plea).

Episode 6 of Squidgame is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking and will stick with me a long, long time.

Roger Sterling is possibly my favorite supporting character of all time. And I didn’t even finish Mad Men because it fell off so much towards the end.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

The episode of Night Court where Dan (Larroquette's character) has to get through all the prosecution readings so he can have sex with a sexpot who will do things he's only dreamed of was memorable. (A postman who speaks incredibly slowly trips him up when he takes a long time to make his plea).

Night Court, Barney Miller, and Cheers were shows I loved, I failed to come up with any episodes that were great. But that is a pretty good episode

Maybe the Barney Miller where Dietrich walks in and says, "where the hell did you get the atomic bomb" as everyone else didn't believe it was a bomb.

 

[zeke4ahs]

It's hard for me to remember single episodes of series. But I'll try a few that others have not mentioned:

Season 1 of Madmen had a lot. Whatever episode that Sterling says "That's the problem with your generation. You think you have to have a reason to drink. My generation drinks because that's what men do." I always thought that was an inspired scene.

The episode of Night Court where Dan (Larroquette's character) has to get through all the prosecution readings so he can have sex with a sexpot who will do things he's only dreamed of was memorable. (A postman who speaks incredibly slowly trips him up when he takes a long time to make his plea).

Episode 6 of Squidgame is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking and will stick with me a long, long time.

Oh that one on Squid Game- yes.. I was warned but still wasn’t ready.

 

[zeke4ahs]

Jimmy Smits dying on Hill Street Blues. Pivot to shocking scenes: Lawnmower episode on Madmen and elevator scene on LA Law.

 

[Aloha Hoosier]

The Cheers episode with Cliff on Jeopardy! was very funny.

Due to Prime and Netflix we’ve been watching shows we never saw when they aired. Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock make me LOL.

 

[13thman]

It's hard for me to remember single episodes of series. But I'll try a few that others have not mentioned:

Season 1 of Madmen had a lot. Whatever episode that Sterling says "That's the problem with your generation. You think you have to have a reason to drink. My generation drinks because that's what men do." I always thought that was an inspired scene.

The episode of Night Court where Dan (Larroquette's character) has to get through all the prosecution readings so he can have sex with a sexpot who will do things he's only dreamed of was memorable. (A postman who speaks incredibly slowly trips him up when he takes a long time to make his plea).

Episode 6 of Squidgame is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking and will stick with me a long, long time.

Yeah, the dude with tortoisitis was pretty funny.

 

[JamieDimonsBalls]

The series finale in which Jax makes the decision of Family or Club. I know some here didn't like SoA, but for me it is one of the best, and the ending was perfect.

I thought the first four seasons or so were great. It got too unbelievable after that.

 

[IUclover]

The Office - Convict Mike and Diversity Day

Real Housewives of BH - The one where they fake argue.

 

[hoosboot]

Please do not clutter this thread with Friday Night Lights and Sex in the City trash.

Did you mistake the thread title for “favorite episode from shitty melodrama tv shows”?

You're complaining about people liking FNL and SITC and get all tingly about Mad Men?

Physician heal thyself. 🤓

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Night Court, Barney Miller, and Cheers were shows I loved, I failed to come up with any episodes that were great. But that is a pretty good episode

Maybe the Barney Miller where Dietrich walks in and says, "where the hell did you get the atomic bomb" as everyone else didn't believe it was a bomb.

The Cheers with Coach's daughter was pretty solid.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Twilight Zone Nightmare at 20,000 feet has been talked about for decades. It has stood the test of time. That episode was brought up again last week for obvious reasons.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Breakdown about a guy so paralyzed he is believed dead and taken to the morgue is also a great one.

Showing my age but I saw both when first aired.

 

[UncleMark]

Not the best, but the most disappointing for me was the opening episode of TNG. Had the Q character dressed up in some weird royal garb and sitting in a throne on a camera crane, or so it looked. I had that on my calendar for weeks and was pumped and primed. Thankfully, they redeemed themselves in subsequent episodes, but I always hated the shows with Q.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Not the best, but the most disappointing for me was the opening episode of TNG. Had the Q character dressed up in some weird royal garb and sitting in a throne on a camera crane, or so it looked. I had that on my calendar for weeks and was pumped and primed. Thankfully, they redeemed themselves in subsequent episodes, but I always hated the shows with Q.

I was not a fan of Encounter at Farpoint. We had a big party, which is unusual for us. I don't think anyone loved it. But I did like Q in most episodes, I am looking forward to deLancey on Picard.

 

[Morrison]

Twilight Zone Nightmare at 20,000 feet has been talked about for decades. It has stood the test of time. That episode was brought up again last week for obvious reasons.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Breakdown about a guy so paralyzed he is believed dead and taken to the morgue is also a great one.

Showing my age but I saw both when first aired.

The Rod Sterling Twilight Zone series had a ton of young actors who became icons later on in their careers.

In modern times, 😊 a few episodes already mentioned in The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders, and The Wire stand out for me.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

Jimmy Smits dying on Hill Street Blues. Pivot to shocking scenes: Lawnmower episode on Madmen and elevator scene on LA Law.

watch that first step.

one of the true wtf moments ever.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

this Twilight Zone episode so reminds me of the relationship between Trump and the rest of the GOP.

they're all literally in mortal fear of being sent to the cornfield.

 

[mrhighlife]

South Park: Make Love Not Warcraft

South Park: Butters Bottom Bitch

 

[i'vegotwinners]

"citizen's arrest".

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

Season 2/Episode 1 of “Lost”…”Man of Science, Man of Faith”.

 

[Noodle]

Oh, the humanity!

As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.