# Best Single Television Episode Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831 "2004-09-02T20:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/61 "2004-09-03T04:10:45Z")
I agree with the following: **X-Files** : Jose Chung **WKRP** : Turkeys And the Packers winning the Super Bowl. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/62 "2004-09-03T04:11:10Z")
The episode of SPEED RACER where Spritle and Chim-chim wanted to spy on the bad guys, so they disguised themselves in top hats and monocles and went on a midnight drive through the woods in a jalopy that they made themselves. That was the best thing that I have ever seen, anywhere, any time! They were chased by a bear for a bit too. ---
**Author:** ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/63 "2004-09-03T04:15:11Z")
Friends - “The One with the Embryos” (The one where the girls lose the apartment to the guys) Cheers - the 1st season finale. (“Are you as turned on as I am?” “More!”) MST3K - “The Thing that Couldn’t Die” (is this one out on DVD yet?) ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/64 "2004-09-03T04:41:44Z")
Star Trek The Trouble with Tribbles :eek: 😃 :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/65 "2004-09-03T05:00:42Z")
The “Mummy Daddy” episode of _Amazing Stories_. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/66 "2004-09-03T05:01:20Z")
\*\*Blackadder \*\* - The Queen of Spain’s Beard (Series 1) The bower scene, where the camp interpreter (Jim Broadbent) gets more excited about Bladder’s forthcoming nuptials than Edmund’s mum and her prospective daughter-in-law. “Whaarts 'ee liike [pause for breath] in bayd?” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/67 "2004-09-03T05:09:08Z")
ST:TNG - The Inner Light. Best hour of television I have ever watched. And there’s too many West Wing eps that would qualify, but I think In Excelsius Deo would probably rank #1. That or Noel. Noel was pretty powerful. God I love that show. Actually, I love Aaron Sorkin. THink I stand a chance? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/68 "2004-09-03T05:09:59Z")
Maybe not the best episode ever, but the best scene is in the first season of _The Wire_, when Bunk and McNulty are trying to figure out how a crime was committed at the scene. Their entire dialogue is comprised of variations on the word “fuck,” which is just brilliant. I know my description is lacking; it has to be seen to be fully appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/69 "2004-09-03T05:13:02Z")
I nominate anything from the superb, wonderful, perfect, flawless final season of “The X-Files.” OK, OK, just kidding! Stop throwing things! ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/70 "2004-09-03T05:40:23Z")
The Simpsons- Homer Runs for Sanitation Commissioner And it also contains the greatest quote of all time: “Animals are crapping in our houses, and we’re cleaning it up! Did we lose a war? THAT’S not America! That’s not even MEXICO!” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/71 "2004-09-03T05:52:52Z")
Twilight Zone: “The Eye of the Beholder.” It still gives me the willies, even though I’ve seen it a bazillion times. And I’ve gotta give honorable mention to Carol Burnett as Scarlett O’Hara with the curtain rods. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/72 "2004-09-03T06:05:01Z")
**Happy Days** - Fonzie jumping the shark **Joanie Loves Chachi** - Joanie and Chachi get married **Brady Bunch** - Hawaiian holiday 2-parter ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/73 "2004-09-03T06:11:47Z")
> [@Just1Lurk](#): > > MST3K - “The Thing that Couldn’t Die” (is this one out on DVD yet?) Oh no no no. If MST3K is involved, this must go to “The Pod People.” Sample lines: “Morning comes to white trash!” “He died as he lived: With his mouth wide open.” “With a name like Smuckers Strawberry Preserves, it HAS to be good!” “There’s more fog in this movie than in the movie ‘The Fog’!” ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/74 "2004-09-03T06:12:26Z")
The Shield, episode 10 from the first season, _Dragonchasers_. Dutch has tracked down a sick serial killer who taunts him and humiliates him in front of all his peers, but he manages to turn the tables and utterly destroy him in the interrogation room. After finally winning the respect that he’s always wanted… … Dutch breaks down sobbing in his car in what has got to be the most emotional moment I’ve ever seen on TV. I love The Shield. Hurry up and get here, Season 4!!! Ga-a-a-a-a-ah!!! The finale of Season 3 was fucking intense, too. “Margos! Turn around!” ::blam blam:: The two most satisfying gunshot sound effects I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/75 "2004-09-03T06:13:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh no no no. If MST3K is involved, this must go to “The Pod People.” Sample lines: Oh, you forgot the best! “Trumpey, you do STUPID things!” ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/76 "2004-09-03T06:27:04Z")
I think I’m going to throw a few more nominees in. _The Day That Was the Day_ **Carnivale**. The last episode of the first season. It was the ending sequence, with the fire in the camp contrasted against Brother Justin’s terrifying radio sermon that really left me speechless. Man, I miss that show. Do I really have to wait until January? URGH! _Suffer the Little Children_ **Deadwood**. I think I just stared at the tv in shock. _Fool For Love_ **Buffy the Vampire Slayer** Up until then, Spike’s past had been a complete mystery, but most agreed that he was probably some punk kid, a street urchin, a pick-pocket, a thug. FFL turned the whole image on its ear and gave Spike an entire new dimension. It also heavily foreshaded season 5 and gave a new understanding of slayers and of Buffy herself. _Is there anything I can do?_ ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/77 "2004-09-03T07:34:10Z")
More old references, I’m afraid; my tv watching has been spotty over the years. A lot of those early MST3K episodes. . . one of my personal favorites: “Indestructible Man.” The Young Ones. And an episode of “SCTV” that I only saw one time . . . and would love to see again: They dubbed some old TV show that had Alan Ladd in it. I don’t remember exactly what they said and did that was so funny, but I literally fell off my chair laughing. I’m starting to believe I hallucinated it, as I’ve never seen it or any mention of it anywhere. I loved the early episodes of “Moonlighting,” but when it ran on Bravo, I caught an episode and hated it, just hated it. What happened? your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/78 "2004-09-03T10:04:10Z")
I have two episodes of Babylon 5 and I can’t choose between them. One is the many times mentioned already “Sleeping in Light” and the other is from the third season, “Passing Through Gethsemane” ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/79 "2004-09-03T10:11:28Z")
For me it is between: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Wish Charmed - Deja Vu All Over Again Babylon 5 - Day of the Dead and The Corps is Mother the Corps is Father ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/80 "2004-09-03T10:53:48Z")
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