The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century

Cafe Society
1

I like Bill Simmons and I like his site, the Ringer. However, some months ago they ranked the 100 best TV episodes of the 2000’s and I hate it. They imposed a one episode per show rule, which is fine because otherwise you get the entire run of the Sopranos. But the rankings, wow. They are awful.

While I can appreciate there is an episode of Jeopardy!, there are entirely way too many reality TV shows included. And honestly, they didn’t even get the best reality TV episodes. The Joe Schmo Show season one finale and the series premier of Tool Academy are the greatest episodes of reality TV, no question. Neither is on the list.

The Walking Dead episode is #100. Futurama “The Devil’s Hands are Idle Play Things” is ludicrously low on the list. There are so many problems, these are just a couple. I also have a big problem with the #1 episode on their list.

Anyway, check it out for yourself and gripe about it or agree with it here.

2

Of those 100 I have seen 5. And I’m severely lacking in the series I’ve seen.

3

I agree with South Park Ninja Weapons episode. That was a good one.

Futurama’s Robot Hands episode was pretty good.

I give the listmaker kudos for including a The Price is Right installment. That’s a twist on listing I wouldn’t have thought of.

Otherwise, yeah, I’m not watching that stuff. I would say I’m not watching that shit, but
the Breaking Bad fans will go nuts.

4

The link is on the fritz for me but can I presume that “the 100 best TV episodes of the 2000’s” actually means “the best episode from 100 US TV shows of the 2000s”, like the rest of the world doesn’t have TV?

5

not sure I can get behind a list like this that does not include an episode from “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Middle”

6

I don’t care about the rankings that much, but this stuff should be categorised. Brilliant dramatic works like Ozymandias, International Assassin, Pine Barrens, and Middle Ground don’t belong in a list with game shows and cartoons.

7

I don’t hate the list, though I hate parts of it. I would say the best episodes this century are:

LOST - The Constant (included)
Fringe - Marionette (not included and none from the show)
Battlestar Galactica - Daybreak (included)
Outlander - Faith (not included and none from the show)
Leftovers - International Assassin (included)
Black Mirror - White Christmas (not included but does include another episode)
Arrested Development - Pier Pressure(not included but does include another episode)
Vikings - All His Angels (not included and none from the show)
The Expanse* - Home (not included and none from the show)
Twin Peaks - The Return: Episode 8 (included)
Avatar the Last Airbender - Sozin’s Comet (not included and none from the show)
South Park - Trapped in the Closet (not included but does include another episode)
*most stunning is total absence of Expanse. Shocking.

8

I was going to mention “The Constant”, but they did, and at number one, no less. Also personal faves are “Frasier: The Ski Lodge” (like a “Three’s Company” episode for smart people.) “Magnum P.I.: Did You See the Sunrise?” And the Barney Miller brownie episode.

9

I remember seeing 14 of these and there are another 3 that I might in theory have seen (because I sometimes watched the show but don’t remember.)

They got their Community episode wrong–they should have picked Epidemiology (which legitimately belongs on an “all times best episodes” list.)

The BSG should be Exodus part II.

The Bojack Horseman might be right unless it should be Free Churro.

I don’t know which Buffy I would pick as best of the series (since they picked Once More With Feeling) but I’m leaning more towards The Body.

They got the Firefly episode right.

10

I’ve got to vehemently disagree with “Good Times with Weapons” as a “best episode” for South Park. Maybe it’s enjoyable if you’re a fan if Anime, but it’s way too full of Anime inside jokes to work for many of us. They have so many great episodes with universal appeal. “Casa Bonita” or “Marjorine” are two alternates that are well-deserving of this spot.

The list’s selection for Futurama is definitely solid, it’s not my personal favorite, but it’s a great episode. Ditto for Lost.

11

Should be about 90% PBS, a few Chappell Show, some Drunk History and maybe “other”.

But what do I know? I don’t even have the Internet Jimmy to open the link.

12

100% agree that Pier Pressure should have been the Arrested Development episode.

I cannot accept that an episode of Lost is #1 of the 2000s. And while I get the love for The Constant, for me it’s gotta be the season 3 finale with flash forwards when we learn Jack and Kate got off the island.

How the Black Mirror episode wasn’t San Junipero I can’t understand.

Jersey Shore in the top 15 and The O.C. in the top 10 also crazy for me. The True Detective episode is way, way too high. Higher than the Sopranis episode? Nah.

13

Link doesn’t work for me (tried two browsers) – Did they pick a Babylon 5 episode?

Brian

14

Not quite. It’s ‘the 100 best episodes from English language shows that are shown in the US’…about 1/10 of the list is British.

Babylon 5 ran from 1994 to 1998, rather outside the scope of a ‘best of the 2000s’ list.

15

Egad, what a non-functional page.

16

The absence of Archer disqualifies the entire list.

17

“Devil’s Hands” isn’t even the best Futurama episode. I glanced at the rest. Another ho hum clickbait list, though at least the author does try to defend the choices. I’ll give 'em that.

18

They listed Sponge Bob’s Band Geeks in the list which I greatly endorse. Takes me back to the days of watching the show with my young son.

19

Hmm, I’ve opened the link in a couple browsers with no issue. Wonder what the problem is.

Bill Simmons, the CEO of The Ringer, admitted he let his staff get too carried away on this list. One episode they admitted they missed kind of flies under the radar but its importance can’t be understated. In terms of importance, it may very well deserve a top 10 ranking. That is the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro. And I guess you have to put that night’s WWF Monday Night Raw as a companion.

20

The best episode of The Sopranos was “College”. It was the first episode that really featured a head-on collision of Tony’s two worlds, and the lengths he had to go to keep them separate; it’s also about the internal struggles of Meadow and Carmela as well. It’s our first true glimpse into who these people really are. “Pine Barrens” was a good episode, but it was just a sideshow.