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 :)
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 meFirefly, 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.”
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.
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
“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.
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!
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.
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.
I used to hate the world, and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong, because there was one person worth saving. That’s what I did. I saved him, then I protected him. That’s why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do, and god help any motherfuckers who stand in our way.
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’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!”
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.
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.
Winger’s critics suggest he merely improvised hot-button patriotic dogma in a Ferris Bueller-ian attempt to delay schoolwork. Winger decries the accusation as “A slanderous betrayal akin to 9/11.” Later after the war, he would refer to the theory as “essentially accurate.”
There are people who say: ‘I don’t get it, so it was a pillow fight.’ To which I say: ‘You weren’t there.’
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
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.
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.
