# Best scene in Television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [August 30, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483 "2024-08-30T19:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/104 "2024-09-02T03:28:30Z")
Hard to beat this scene from _ **The Avengers** _: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AxSpTKE5Jno/hqdefault.jpg "Diana Rigg as The Queen of Sin") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxSpTKE5Jno) With Carol Cleveland _and_ Diana Rigg, no less! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/105 "2024-09-02T04:28:40Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In my opinion this is the best fight scene film for television. That was very impressive! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/106 "2024-09-02T04:29:55Z")
I’ve seen this scene praised a lot, and I just don’t get it. There are some pretty obvious cuts (which is fine, unless the praise is about it being one shot), it’s poorly lit so you can’t see anything, and the choreography itself is not at all impressive. To be fair, I can’t think of a television fight that really impressed me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/107 "2024-09-02T05:11:02Z")
Maybe this one? > [https://youtu.be/fYjXmf4N-yM](https://youtu.be/fYjXmf4N-yM) ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/108 "2024-09-02T13:24:01Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I’ll nominate the scene at the end of Season One of _The Good Place_ where the big plot twist is revealed. The way Ted Danson’s expression changes is incredible acting. This was my vote as well, but since it is taken I’ll nominate Shawn and Gus tampering with evidence: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIgSpFP-avg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIgSpFP-avg) > [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m sure there are several from _West Wing_ that belong on the list. My vote would be the Big Hammer opener: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuqb02paZ8E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuqb02paZ8E) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/109 "2024-09-02T13:56:39Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’ve seen this scene praised a lot, and I just don’t get it. There are some pretty obvious cuts (which is fine, unless the praise is about it being one shot), it’s poorly lit so you can’t see anything, and the choreography itself is not at all impressive. It might be obvious that there are cuts, but there aren’t: > **[‘Daredevil’ Stunt Coordinator on Designing a One-Shot Fight Scene for a Blind...](https://observer.com/2015/04/daredevil-stunt-coordinator-on-designing-a-one-shot-fight-scene-for-a-blind-hero/)** > > Philip J Silvera has had a hand in more super heroes punching each other in the face than I can count. > [@](#): > > I think this was what started defining the show for me, and the weight that was being played into it. Phil Abraham was directing, and it was always scripted that this scene was going to be a one-shot. For me in my head, with the time we had, I said let’s do wipes and we’ll be able save things. But Phil challenged us to do a pure one-shot, which really just brought a grounded real feeling to the whole thing. We were able to slow down the fight, and just have this raw, animalistic feeling happening. > > **So it was genuinely one shot? No cuts?** > > No cuts. We did do a few Texas Switches between our actor and our stunt double, but it was purely a one shot fight. There were no cuts in that fight. Every performer, the actors and the stunt doubles, were in there performing that fight full on. I’d say there was a minimum of 105 beats, and they killed it. I looked up “Texas switch”: it’s where you use blocking and choreography to switch between stunt doubles and actors without using cuts. Naked Gun has a pretty pure example: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AtupVg6tiMo/maxresdefault.jpg ""The Naked Gun" (1988) Texas Switch") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtupVg6tiMo&t=34s/) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/110 "2024-09-02T15:20:46Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > > [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > > > I’ve seen this scene praised a lot, and I just don’t get it. There are some pretty obvious cuts (which is fine, unless the praise is about it being one shot), it’s poorly lit so you can’t see anything, and the choreography itself is not at all impressive. > > It might be obvious that there are cuts, but there aren’t: > [‘Daredevil’ Stunt Coordinator on Designing a One-Shot Fight Scene for a Blind Hero | Observer](https://observer.com/2015/04/daredevil-stunt-coordinator-on-designing-a-one-shot-fight-scene-for-a-blind-hero/) > > > [@](#): > > > > I think this was what started defining the show for me, and the weight that was being played into it. Phil Abraham was directing, and it was always scripted that this scene was going to be a one-shot. For me in my head, with the time we had, I said let’s do wipes and we’ll be able save things. But Phil challenged us to do a pure one-shot, which really just brought a grounded real feeling to the whole thing. We were able to slow down the fight, and just have this raw, animalistic feeling happening. > > > > **So it was genuinely one shot? No cuts?** > > > > No cuts. We did do a few Texas Switches between our actor and our stunt double, but it was purely a one shot fight. There were no cuts in that fight. Every performer, the actors and the stunt doubles, were in there performing that fight full on. I’d say there was a minimum of 105 beats, and they killed it. > > I looked up “Texas switch”: it’s where you use blocking and choreography to switch between stunt doubles and actors without using cuts. Naked Gun has a pretty pure example: > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtupVg6tiMo&t=34s/](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtupVg6tiMo&t=34s/) Thank you for explaining it better than I could. If someone is assuming there are cuts then it just shows how brilliant the shot was. And now I learned a new term. I knew there were Texas Switches but I didn’t know the term. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/111 "2024-09-02T15:21:32Z")
That is technically more impressive, but still has the effect of introducing a weird camera angle for the purpose of X (where X is either a cut or changing actor). I don’t think it’s a bad scene or anything, just overrated. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/112 "2024-09-02T15:35:31Z")
I saw the scene in the episode before I had heard anything about it. I remember being like holy shit, the scene is awesome! I didn’t know anything about it, except I remember noticing that it was not full of pinches thrown followed by immediate cutaways to the reaction to the punch, as most action sequences are filmed. It felt brutal, with very plausible reactions to the violence. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/113 "2024-09-02T15:48:14Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > _Breaking Bad_ had so many great, memorable scenes, Mine is probably when Hank is sitting in his car and the two cousins are coming for him. The tension is unbearable. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/114 "2024-09-03T22:55:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I saw the scene in the episode before I had heard anything about it… It felt brutal, with very plausible reactions to the violence. It was a hell of a sign that this wasn’t a typical superhero show (or a Ben Affleck movie). I feel bad for people now, who are clicking on “AWESOME FIGHT SCENE, DUDE!” and don’t get to be surprised by it, as a reaction to a kid being taken by a mob, and a blind lawyer trying to do something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/115 "2024-09-03T23:39:15Z")
I mean, I watched it as it came out; that was well before I got burned out on Marvel. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/116 "2024-09-04T03:27:06Z")
They just showed _ **Seinfeld** _’s reenactment of the courtroom scene in Oliver Stone’s _ **JFK** _. I laugh out loud every time I see it. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/117 "2024-09-04T03:54:32Z")
NCIS: “What did Ducky look like when he was young?” “Illya Kuryakin.” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/118 "2024-09-04T04:00:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > They just showed _ **Seinfeld** _’s reenactment of the courtroom scene in Oliver Stone’s _ **JFK** _. I laugh out loud every time I see it. Is that the one that spoofs the “magic bullet”? ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/119 "2024-09-04T04:01:18Z")
The scene in The Simpsons where Homer is holding a chicken drumstick in one hand and a cob of corn in the other… and then a fly lands on his plate… [https://youtu.be/w\_dmCOFE-08](https://youtu.be/w_dmCOFE-08) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/120 "2024-09-04T04:11:55Z")
Yep, the “magic loogie,” as they called it. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/121 "2024-09-04T04:12:45Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > NCIS: > > “What did Ducky look like when he was young?” > “Illya Kuryakin.” I’d go for the “2 idiots 1 keyboard” scene. Or maybe that’s the worst scene on TV. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sMamS8sf0Oo/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC6AKKAgwIABABGH8gMSgaMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDGKpa8x7QVzUIQcm4QDHYlg6wBaQ "NCIS 2 IDIOTS 1 KEYBOARD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMamS8sf0Oo) ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/122 "2024-09-04T04:13:40Z")
worst scene has to be Gibbs shooting the monitor to stop the computer virus - and it working. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483/123 "2024-09-04T04:16:32Z")
I’ve posted this before, and I’ll post it again. Possibly the best scene in the entire Star Trek franchise: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6VhSm6G7cVk/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-BIACsAOKAgwIABABGHIgUShAMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCBtIrDxZbI2YOxO8GhOQ4CmHV--Q "DS9 Garak drinks root beer (The Way of the Warrior)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VhSm6G7cVk) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-in-television/1006483.md?page=7)