# Name the single best episode of a series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171 "2014-01-07T21:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [January 7, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/1 "2014-01-07T21:51:18Z")
This has probably been done before, but it’s still fun. I’ll start. The X-Files - [Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Bruckman's_Final_Repose). Great story, great acting. Funny, creepy and poignant. Next? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/2 "2014-01-07T22:01:56Z")
Blackadder Blackadder the Third: Ink and Incapability. Johnson, Shelley, Byron and Coleridge, all taken the piss out of. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/3 "2014-01-07T22:07:14Z")
Firefly - Objects in Space Great guest villain, gripping plot, great dialogue. In interviews, Wheden talks about the ship being a character all it’s own. That’s true in this episode on multiple levels. Wonderful camerawork. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/4 "2014-01-07T22:13:49Z")
Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Space Mutiny Thick McRunFast! Buff Drinklots! Gristle McThornbody! Dirk Hardpec! Punk Rockgroin! Slab Bulkhead! Big McLargeHuge! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/5 "2014-01-07T22:23:09Z")
All Star Trek ST:TNG - Starship Mine ST:ENT - Cogenitor ST:VOY - Year Of Hell (I&II) ST:TOS - Assignment: Earth ST:TAS - The Slaver Weapon ST:DS9 - In the Pale Moonlight Movies - First Contact ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/6 "2014-01-07T22:30:00Z")
Will have to think about Doctor Who eps for a while, but off the top of my head… Nu-Who: 1st! - Blink — 2nd -Dinosaurs! On a Space Ship! Old Who: Robots of Death - Horror of Fangrock ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/7 "2014-01-07T22:33:35Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Space Mutiny > > Thick McRunFast! > Buff Drinklots! > Gristle McThornbody! > Dirk Hardpec! > Punk Rockgroin! > Slab Bulkhead! > Big McLargeHuge! [singing] He TRIED to kill me with a forklift! ---
**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:** [January 7, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/8 "2014-01-07T22:38:18Z")
Twin Peaks: Pilot X-Files: Jose Chung’s from Outer Space Futurama: Jurassic Bark Simpsons: Homer and Apu The Wire: Middle Ground ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/9 "2014-01-07T22:38:39Z")
Mad About You: The Finale Six Feet Under: The Finale Northern Exposure: The episode where Chris can’t vote and they hold an election The episode where Shelly attempts to duplicate the taste of very expensive wine The episode where Fleishman’s uncle dies and he says Kaddish in front of everyone else The episode where they show how Cicely was founded Basically any episode of the show before the Bubble Jerk pops in. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/10 "2014-01-07T22:43:27Z")
[All in the Family: Archie and the Editorial (Season 3, Ep 1)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izr9AlsSF6E) ---
**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:** [January 7, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/11 "2014-01-07T22:44:40Z")
WKRP: The turkey episode. Taxi: Jim takes the hack license test. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/12 "2014-01-07T22:45:33Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > [singing] He TRIED to kill me with a forklift! **Doctor** lady. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/13 "2014-01-07T22:49:31Z")
Chefguy-What…does…the…yellow…light…mean? ---
**Author:** ![Bellhorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bellhorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bellhorn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/14 "2014-01-07T22:51:10Z")
My preferred genre of Television is comedy, and these episodes are worthy of the stage. Dick Van Dyke Show – _It may look like a walnut_ (The Planet Twilow?) Taxi – _Reverend Jim’s inheritance_ (Jim’s dad dies and leaves him a suit and a Stevie Wonder song) Mary Tyler Moore Show – _Chuckles Bites the Dust_ (Chuckles dresses as a peanut to lead the circus parade, and gets trampled by elephants. Cheers – _Pick A Con, Any Con_ (Harry Anderson, as a con man, helps Coach swindle his swindlers) Frasier – _The Two Mrs. Cranes_ (Daphne’s old boyfriend comes to visit, and she wants nothing to do with him, so she gets Niles to pretend he’s her husband named “Frasier”, when Roz shows up she pretends to be Maris, which makes Frasier pretend to be Niles… MST3K - _The Mole People_ A 50s movie with John Agar, Hugh Beaumont (Ward from Leave it to Beaver, and Alan Napier (Alfred the Butler from Batman)\* “It’s baby Jessica! She’s digging her own way out!”\* and lots of Ward Cleaver jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Bellhorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bellhorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bellhorn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/15 "2014-01-07T22:55:42Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Northern Exposure: > > The episode where Chris can’t vote and they hold an election > The episode where Shelly attempts to duplicate the taste of very expensive wine > The episode where Fleishman’s uncle dies and he says Kaddish in front of everyone else > The episode where they show how Cicely was founded > > Basically any episode of the show before the Bubble Jerk pops in. Great show, and the Episode where Ed dubs the _Prisoner of Zenda_ into some Aleut language is hilarious (“Hey, don’t tell me what to do, I used to work with Jay Silverheels”) but also transcendent when the finished product is screened. ---
**Author:** ![Bellhorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bellhorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bellhorn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/16 "2014-01-07T22:58:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > WKRP: The turkey episode. > > Taxi: Jim takes the hack license test. WKRP… “As god is my witness I thought turkeys could fly.” Taxi… “What does yellow mean?” “Slow down.” “Wh…a…t, d…oes, ye…ll…ow m…ean?” both excellent picks. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/17 "2014-01-07T22:59:01Z")
**BtVS** - _Hush_ – Creepy bad guys and almost zero dialogue, plus hilarious sight gags. **Angel** - _Smile Time_ – Atypical but fall-on-the-floor funny. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/18 "2014-01-07T22:59:38Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Old Who: Robots of Death - Horror of Fangrock Really? Horror of Fang Rock? The spouse and I couldn’t even sit through all of that, it was so slow. Different strokes, though 🙂 Mork and Mindy: The first time he meets Exidor (the “Friends of Venus” episode) Frasier: Flour Child Doctor Who: Blink House: Three Stories ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/19 "2014-01-07T23:02:13Z")
Breaking Bad: Ozymandias The Simpsons: Cape Feare Futurama: Roswell That Ends Well > [@RobDog](#): > > Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Space Mutiny Overdrawn at the Memory Bank is also a great choice. > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > X-Files: Jose Chung’s from Outer Space Agree, although Clyde Bruckman is also amazing. > [@](#): > > Simpsons: Homer and Apu One of my favorites! This is a nice, somewhat under-the-radar choice. > [@](#): > > The Wire: Middle Ground Yes. > [@NoClueBoy](#): > > [singing] He TRIED to kill me with a forklift! That’s from Fugitive Alien, which is also hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171/20 "2014-01-07T23:04:39Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Mad About You: The Finale > > …The episode where Shelly attempts to duplicate the taste of very expensive wine > > The episode where they show how Cicely was founded … I held off on posting because I couldn’t decide between these two episodes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-single-best-episode-of-a-series/678171.md?page=2)