# Best and Worst Episodes From Your Favorite TV Show(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220 "2012-08-21T21:49:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/21 "2012-08-22T15:25:39Z")
**Louie** Best: the episode where he sleeps with Joan Rivers Worst: the episode where he goes to Afghanistan and a baby duck unites the world, just the most maudlin, hackneyed crap, worse than the hoakiest of late season MASH episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/22 "2012-08-22T15:27:26Z")
**Big Bang Theory** (too lazy to look up titles) Best: The first Wil Wheaton episode (“No… not Enchanted Bunny!”) Worst: The season opener where they had been in the (Ant)arctic for the last 3 months, and the heat had gone out a few times… ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/23 "2012-08-22T15:28:07Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **Cheers!** > > I honestly can’t think of a _least_ favorite episode, but my all-time favorite is the early one where Coach’s daughter visits the bar with her sleazy fiance. I’ll provide the corollary: I honestly can’t think of a _most_ favorite episode, as I love almost all of them, but a real stinker was the one where the gang has to distract Tom Skerritt(?) from finding out about a dead person (or something like that) so Norm ends up carrying him around the yard on his shoulders all night. This was like a really, \*really \*bad episode of Laverne & Shirley. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/24 "2012-08-22T15:31:34Z")
**The Andy Griffith Show** Best: Opie’s Charity Worst: Almost any of the color episodes (although I refuse to believe they really exist). ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/25 "2012-08-22T16:23:46Z")
**Futurama** Best: Luck of the Fryrish. The end had me in tears. Worst: A Pharaoh to Remember. Bender being a jerk for 20 minutes and everyone paying for it. But hey, the planet looks like ancient Egypt! So that makes it funny! **Simpsons** Best: Homer at the Bat. Brilliantly executed comedy. Mr Burns steals the show in so many ways. Worst: Kill the Alligator and Run. One of the few episodes I’ve never re-watched. **South Park** Best: Starvin’ Marvin. How can you not love bringing an impoverished third-worlder to a buffet and telling him, “These are appetizers - you eat them first to make sure you’re hungry enough for the main course”? Worst: A Million Little Fibers. Oprah’s private parts speaking? CRINGE. **Night Court** Best: Mac’s Dilemma. The dead Japanese businessman who gets lost in his motorized wheelchair is the funniest subplot ever. Worst: Harry’s 15 Minutes. No one comes off looking very good in that one. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/26 "2012-08-22T21:12:57Z")
**The Dick Van Dyke Show** Best: It May Look Like a Walnut: Under the influence of science fiction, Rob fears that a walnut will steal his imagination and his thumbs. Danny Thomas guest-stars. (Wiki episode synopsis) Worst: Boy #1, Boy #2: Laura and Millie become unbearable stage mothers when their sons are cast in a television commercial (in other words, Richie REALLY can’t act) ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/27 "2012-08-22T21:21:33Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > **The Dick Van Dyke Show** > > Best: It May Look Like a Walnut: Under the influence of science fiction, Rob fears that a walnut will steal his imagination and his thumbs. Danny Thomas guest-stars. (Wiki episode synopsis)(snip) There’s a scene in this one where Mary Tyler Moore slides out of a closet down a mountain of walnuts. She’s face down and wearing those stirrup pants. It made me feel all funny in my boy parts. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/28 "2012-08-22T21:25:48Z")
IMHO, there are no bad episodes of _Firefly_, but: **Best** : “Out of Gas”–we learn how the crew came together. **Worst** : “Safe”–stereotypical dumb hicks try to burn River as a witch. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/29 "2012-08-22T23:46:19Z")
Couple more: **It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia** Best: _Who got Dee Pregnant?_ : A great _Rashomon_-style story that is flat-out hilarious. Dee as an actual ostrich is what puts it over the top. Worst: _Charlie Wants an Abortion._ **Venture Brothers** Best: _Operation P.R.O.M._ Worst: _Careers in Science._ ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/30 "2012-08-23T01:47:40Z")
**New Doctor Who** Best: The Waters of Mars - The Doctor, in a fragile state of mind, is forced to decide between saving the life of a woman he idolizes, or keeping the web of time intact. Worst: Invasion of London - London is invaded by farting aliens wearing human fat suits. \*\*Classic Doctor Who \*\* (I’ve only seen Doctors Five through Eight) Best: The Caves of Androzani - The Doctor becomes entangled in a conflict between illegal weapons dealers and a crazed man holding a world’s supply of vital chemicals hostage, all while trying to save himself and his companion from a deadly illness. Worst: Attack of the Cybermen - …? I assume something happened in this, but damned if I know what. I feel confident that sniffing glue for 90 minutes would kill fewer brain cells than this episode. **The Simpsons** Best: Homer in Space - I, for one, welcome our ant overlords. Worst: Sadlesore Galactica - Brain eating elf jockeys threaten Homer and Lisa’s racing/diving/football playing horse. **Futurama** Best: Parasites Lost - Fry gets a helpful case of worms. Touching, gross, hilarious. The epitome of good Futurama. **Mystery Science Theater 3000** Best: Track of the Moon Beast. An underrated classic. Worst: The bad ones are hard to even recall, but I remember being unendingly bored by The Mad Monster. ---
**Author:** ![Stowed\_Bob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stowed_bob/32/3312_2.png) [@Stowed\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stowed_Bob)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/31 "2012-08-23T06:56:30Z")
**Farscape** Best: Crackers Don’t Matter (Crew grows murderously paranoid with their obsession over food cubes) Worst: Taking the Stone (Chiana discovers her brother dies and flees to a graveyard planet full of stoners) ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/32 "2012-08-23T11:33:32Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > **Doctor Who (Tenth Doctor era)** > Best: Human Nature/The Family of Blood (The Doctor becomes human and is hunted by time-traveling monsters) > Worst: Last of the Time Lords (The Doctor pulls a Jesus and defeats the Master with The Power of Love) You liked the “John Smith” eps?? Umm, okay… 🙂 > [@Smapti](#): > > **Doctor Who (Eleventh Doctor era)** > Best: A Good Man Goes To War (The Doctor rounds up mercenaries who owe him favors to rescue Amy’s daughter from the Silence) > Worst: The Doctor’s Wife (The TARDIS comes to life and she and the Doctor fight like an old married couple) And you clearly got these round the wrong way 😉 I’m no Gaiman fangirl, but I _loved_the Helena Bonham-Carter style Tardis 🙂 **Buffy** Best - Hush (obviously) Worst - Where the Wild Things Are **Angel** Best - I Will Remember You Worst - something with possessed Cordy getting it on with whiny-teen-brat-boy Connor. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/33 "2012-08-23T12:40:54Z")
**Arrested Development** Best: Pier Pressure. The lies keep piling on when Buster needs George-Michael to buy him some weed. Worst: Ready, Aim, Marry Me. Martin Short guest stars as the unfunny cripple Uncle Jack, while Tobias experiments with body chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/34 "2012-08-24T04:13:18Z")
**The Dick Van Dyke Show** Best: “The Curious Thing About Women” Laura opens and reads Rob’s mail, she giving him a Reader’s Digest version of it, and even throwing away what she considers unimportant. MTM said she liked this one because it let her be the nut instead of the rational one. I like it because it works out at the end EXACTLY the way Rob’s comedy sketch ended, with Laura’s horror that she did exactly that, and the Helper’s hysterical reaction. Worst: “The Boarder Incident” Buddy stays with Rob and Laura for a few days and he is not the best house guest. This episode is just uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/35 "2012-08-24T04:55:39Z")
South Park Best: Scott Tenorman: Cartman gets the ultimate revenge on a older kid. Worse: Insheeption: An terribly unfunny inception parody. MyLittlePony:FIM Best: [Suited for Success](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc3dMbYOBp0): Excellent musical numbers, great humour and a story we all can relate to. Worse: “A dog and pony show”: Extremelllly annoying, I wanted to take the episode’s lead character to a glue factory. Simpsons: Best: You only move twice: watch it and you’ll understand Worse: [When you dish upon a star](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_You_Dish_Upon_a_Star): It was the episode that cemented the use of lazy celebrity cameos on the show. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/36 "2012-08-24T15:36:06Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > You liked the “John Smith” eps?? Umm, okay… 🙂 > > And you clearly got these round the wrong way 😉 I’m no Gaiman fangirl, but I _loved_the Helena Bonham-Carter style Tardis 🙂 You didn’t like them? I thought they were great, too. But I do agree that “crazy TARDIS woman” was awesome. Since I’m talking about them,I’ll throw out my own picks: **Doctor Who (9th Doctor)** Best: “The Empty Child”/“The Doctor Dances” Worst: “Aliens of London”/“World War III” **Doctor Who (10th Doctor)** Best: “Blink” Worst: Ooh, tough call…“The End of Time” was just all over the place and stupid, but it’s hard to put into words how much I despise “Fear Her.” **Doctor Who (11th Doctor)** Best: “The Impossible Astronaut”/“Day of the Moon” Worst: “Night Terrors” ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/37 "2012-08-24T17:55:43Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > **Buffy** > Best - Hush (obviously) > Worst - Where the Wild Things Are > > **Angel** > Best - I Will Remember You > Worst - something with possessed Cordy getting it on with whiny-teen-brat-boy Connor. **Buffy** Best - it’s hard to argue against **Hush** , but I have to pick **The Body**. Worst - Sorry, as much as I was grossed out by the Riley/Buffy sex-a-thon (hate Riley), it also featured one of my favourite scenes when the gang comes across Giles singing in the cafe _swoon_. That alone redeems this episode. The true Worse \*\*Buffy \*\*Episode ever: **Anne** As for **Angel** - I don’t know about worst, but I agree the above is the best. I can still get choked up thinking about it and I hated Angel & Buffy together! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/38 "2012-08-24T18:03:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > **Doctor Who (Eleventh Doctor era)** > Best: A Good Man Goes To War (The Doctor rounds up mercenaries who owe him favors to rescue Amy’s daughter from the Silence) > Worst: The Doctor’s Wife (The TARDIS comes to life and she and the Doctor fight like an old married couple). But the Doctor’s Wife had my favorite exhange of the entire series. Amy: The TARDIS is a woman? The Doctor: Yes. Amy: Did you wish really, really hard? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/39 "2012-08-25T15:55:12Z")
**Firefly** Best: Serenity Worst: Everything else **Doctor Who** Best: Genesis of the Daleks - Difficult to chose one, but this a great lazy choice 😛 Worst: Revenge of the Cybermen - The series took a nose dive with Colin Baker, but ROTC has lots of wandering around in caves, in circles, repeatedly, going nowhere. **New Who** Best: Worst: Agree with > [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Worst: Invasion of London - London is invaded by farting aliens wearing human fat suits Better yet, my daughter is a recent Whovian convert and spotted that in my DVDs :smack: **Star Trek** Best: Amok Time - It’s got the big three being pals, which was the best thing about the show (amongst all the other great stuff) Worst: Turnabout Intruder - poor send off for the show, poor send up of women **Star Trek TNG** Best: All Good Things - I guess you need to have seen the rest of the show to appreciate it, but a great send off for the show and the crew Worst: Shades of Gray - I hate clip shows at the best of times, but on my favourite show? And it’s a telepathic clip show too :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-episodes-from-your-favorite-tv-show-s/632220/40 "2012-08-25T16:05:32Z")
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