# 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:** 6
**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, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/101 "2004-09-03T16:17:15Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > **The West Wing** - _Two Cathedrals_. The whole episode is beautiful and heartrending, and the early relationship of the President and Mrs. Landingham is just perfect. What impressed me most about this ep - one of my favorites - was the stellar job the young Mrs. Landingham did in portraying Mrs. Landingham. Every mannerism, every inflection… I had to look at IMDB to be sure it wasn’t her daughter playing the role - I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a spot-on impersonation. ---
**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 3, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/102 "2004-09-03T17:52:39Z")
I think I win for most obscure reference. What this isn’t a contest? > [@](#): > > There was an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street where a guy was pushed off a subway platform in between two subway cars, and basically was stuck there waiting to die while the officers hunted for the pusher & the guy’s wife (girlfriend, maybe?) who was out jogging. Vince D’Onofrio was the pushed guy. Riveting television. The best part of the episode is that the victim is a real asshole. The writers (and D’Onorio) make you dislike, pity and feel sad for the character at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Hambil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/103 "2004-09-03T18:10:18Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > **The West Wing** - _Two Cathedrals_. A number of people have mentioned this one, and I have to agree. It would be my second choice, behind my already mentioned first choice (Buffy, Once More, With Feeling). When Bartlett is cussing out God is latin… yikes… gratias tibi ago, domine. Thank you, Lord. haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito? Am I to believe these things from a righteous god, a just god, a wise god? cruciatus in crucem To hell with your punishments! tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci. I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty. cruciatus in crucem – (with a dismissive wave of the hand) eas in crucem To hell with your punishments! And to hell with you! Aaron Sorkin… damn… ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/104 "2004-09-03T18:10:37Z")
I love this board. Every episode I thought should be listed here already is. I can’t think of anything else! I’m sure I’ll think of one at a really inconvenient time, like while showering or driving. Seconds for the _Babylon 5_ episodes mentioned, especially “Sleeping in Light”, the \*Buffy \* and \*Angel \* episodes, the \*Futurama \* eps about Fry’s dog and his brother, _Moonlighting_’s “Atomic Shakespeare”, and the last episode of _Blackadder Goes Forth_. There is so much bad TV, and yet so much good stuff 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, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/105 "2004-09-03T19:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Lizard** : > Oh no no no. If MST3K is involved, this must go to “The Pod People.” Allow me to amend my suggestion: “The Thing that Coudn’t Die” is the best MST3K episode I’ve seen. Is “Pod People” on DVD? (I also like “Devil Fish”.) Not to turn this into a “I Love Futurama” thread, but how about “Leela’s Home World”? The montage at the end always gets to me. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/106 "2004-09-03T20:09:02Z")
Probably my favorite 1/2-hour of TV is from, IIRC, the 3rd season of _M_A_S_H\*. **Springtime** features Klinger getting married (over the radio), Alex Karras as a very grateful benefactor of Hawkeye’s surgical skills, and Radar getting “slaked” by Mary Kay Place after reading her bad poetry. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/107 "2004-09-03T20:38:41Z")
Let’s not forget the episode of “Charlie’s Angels” in which the Angels run around bra-less, flash dazzling-white toothy smiles, flip their hair around and generally use their jiggly assets to bamboozle & outwit a bunch of dimwitted, small-time hoods. Man they just don’t make t.v. shows like that anymore! 🙂 ---
**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, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/108 "2004-09-03T20:41:54Z")
> [@Just1Lurk](#): > > Allow me to amend my suggestion: “The Thing that Coudn’t Die” is the best MST3K episode I’ve seen. Is “Pod People” on DVD? (I also like “Devil Fish”.) > > Not to turn this into a “I Love Futurama” thread, but how about “Leela’s Home World”? The montage at the end always gets to me. For MST3K it’s **802** - _Leech Woman_ without a question! Mala - “I’ve seen you in my _ **dreams of blood** _!” Crow - “She says that to everybody.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/109 "2004-09-03T20:43:07Z")
**Just1Lurk** , it’s your lucky day. Only about 10% of the 200-odd episodes of MST3K are on DVD, but **Pod People** is one of them. (Personally, I’d pick **Space Mutiny** – also available on DVD). The one reference to **Frasier** recalled to mind one of the funniest scenes (if not necessarily episodes) ever: the one where Frasier is appearing on a PBS fundraiser, singing “Buttons and Bows” and forgets the lyrics; making up nonsense as he goes. Wet-yourself funny. Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror III – Klown without Pity (evil Krusty doll); King Homer; Dial “Z” for Zombie. Ditto for last episode of **Newhart**. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/110 "2004-09-03T20:52:15Z")
> [@Just1Lurk](#): > > Not to turn this into a “I Love Futurama” thread, but how about “Leela’s Home World”? The montage at the end always gets to me. I agree, that was almost as sad as “Jurassic Bark”. ---
**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, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/111 "2004-09-03T21:10:37Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > \*\* > > The one reference to **Frasier** recalled to mind one of the funniest scenes (if not necessarily episodes) ever: the one where Frasier is appearing on a PBS fundraiser, singing “Buttons and Bows” and forgets the lyrics; making up nonsense as he goes. Wet-yourself funny. Which reminds me of the scene where Niles was ironing his pants. I can’t remember much about the rest of the episode, but it was almost an homage to Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean - no dialogue, nothing but Niles and his pants and an ironing board. Funniest thing I’d seen in ages. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/112 "2004-09-03T21:17:45Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The one reference to **Frasier** recalled to mind one of the funniest scenes (if not necessarily episodes) ever: the one where Frasier is appearing on a PBS fundraiser, singing “Buttons and Bows” and forgets the lyrics; making up nonsense as he goes. Wet-yourself funny. The two best “Frasier” episodes were the radio murder-mystery episode and the one where Niles dresses as Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/113 "2004-09-03T21:24:59Z")
_Rocko’s Modern Life - Wacky Deli_ It doesn’t get much wackier than this. “It needs something…mayonnaise! Why don’t we hold on a bucket of mayonnaise for 10 minutes!” Other nominees include _Closet Clown_ (“Well, I’ve always liked…rainbows…”), _Future Shlock_ (“And I never saw them again…oh there they are.”), and _She’s the Toad_ for all the bizarre ways Mr Bighead deals with the stress of his big speech. This neglected Nickelodeon series really needs to make it on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/114 "2004-09-03T23:04:19Z")
> [@Yumblie](#): > > _Rocko’s Modern Life - Wacky Deli_ > > It doesn’t get much wackier than this. “It needs something…mayonnaise! Why don’t we hold on a bucket of mayonnaise for 10 minutes!” > > Other nominees include _Closet Clown_ (“Well, I’ve always liked…rainbows…”), _Future Shlock_ (“And I never saw them again…oh there they are.”), and _She’s the Toad_ for all the bizarre ways Mr Bighead deals with the stress of his big speech. > > This neglected Nickelodeon series really needs to make it on DVD. The best **Rocko** episode is _Zanzibar_. It’s the spring cleaning/pollution episode. It has musical numbers! And the best part is that they acknowledge the singing. Rocko: But how do you all know the words Did you rehearse? Heffer: Yeah, every Thursday. Didn’t you see the flyers? (cut to scene with a guard) Rocko: We demand to see the board of directors! Guard: And who might you be? Heffer: We’re a big unruley mob! Everyone else (singing): A big unruley mob! . . . Guard: Do you have an appointment? Rocko: No, it’s really a spur of the moment kind of thing. Guard: Oh yeah? Then how do you all know the words? Heffer Ooh, he’s got you there, Rock. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/115 "2004-09-03T23:25:39Z")
:eek: How could I forget **Rocko**? I agree with the _Deli_ episode, but I think the fishing episode - in which Heffer imitates a pirate - is up there as well. Heffer: I’ll meet you on the poop deck, ya…poop! ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/116 "2004-09-04T00:05:28Z")
**Cheers** Cliff on _Jeopardy!_ Cliff has an insurmountable lead heading into _Final Jeopardy._ Not verbatim: Final Jeopardy! answer: Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, Lucille LeSueur. Cliff’s question: “Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?” Alex: “I’m sorry Cliff, that’s incorrect.” Cliff: “Albeit, Alex, these three people have _never_ been in my kitchen.” Due to Cliff’s insurmountable lead, he still wins unless he risked all of his money, which he did, of course. This was some funny stuff. The conjugate: _Brady Bunch_ “Father of the Year” episode. Mike punishes Marsha after catching her sneak out late at night with no excuses offered. She must miss a big trip and Mike won’t yield. In the end we find out, when Mike wins father of the year, that Marsha was sneaking out to mail off her 11th hour nomination of Mike as father of the year. Then Mike has the great realization and looks at his daughter in the most amazing way. Marsha fruitlessly tries to hide her billion watt smile. This moment made me cry. This moment made _me_. cry. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/117 "2004-09-04T00:19:22Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > :eek: How could I forget **Rocko**? How about “The Good, the Bad, and The Wallaby”? Heffer has an, uh, “encounter” with a milking machine. The look on his face is hilarious. This bit was edited by Nickolodeon in later broadcasts. ---
**Author:** ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/118 "2004-09-04T00:22:50Z")
**Leech Woman**! How could I have forgotten **Leech Woman**! jsc1953, thanks. It’s off to the DVD store for me. And speaking of **Frasier** , the episode where the “laughing brothers” ran the restaurant was a masterpiece of farce - Daphne killing the eel, tossing the fish back and forth, and the brandy in the cherries jubilee. I watch too much television… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/119 "2004-09-04T00:40:18Z")
Some great nominations. I’d have to second Buffy, **The Body** and **Hush**. But the finale of the first season of **The Shield** was explosive and powerful and stunning, just stunning. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831/120 "2004-09-04T00:46:53Z")
Two episodes of The Wonder Years come to mind: 1. The sex ed episode 2. Paul’s bar mitzvah 3. Hi, Opal [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-television-episode-ever/262831.md?page=7)