# The one episode of a show you'd take to the desert island **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304 "2006-01-17T02:40:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/21 "2006-01-17T06:44:03Z")
Also a\*\* Futurama\*\* episode, but I’m gonna have to go with ‘Luck of the Fryrish’. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/22 "2006-01-17T13:24:11Z")
Seinfeld’s “Master of My Domain.” ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/23 "2006-01-17T13:25:13Z")
The Inner Light, ST:TNG. Didn’t even have to think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/24 "2006-01-17T13:31:22Z")
Simpsons, “Homer’s Enemy.” (aka Frank Grimes.) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/25 "2006-01-17T13:38:18Z")
“In Excelsis Deo”, _The West Wing_ The episode in which Toby used the president’s office to arrange for the funeral of a Korean war vet, and Mrs. Landingham went with him after telling him how wrong he had been. Best exchange of dialog I’ve ever heard (paraphrased from memory): **President Bartlet** If we start doing things like this, every veteran of every war will come out of the woodwork and ask for the same thing. **Toby** I certainly hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/26 "2006-01-17T13:41:58Z")
I’m fourthing “Once More With Feeling” from _Buffy_. Humour, revelations, tears, and - hey look! Songs! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/27 "2006-01-17T14:04:48Z")
Seinfeld: Rusty the bean eating horse episode. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/28 "2006-01-17T15:12:59Z")
I would take the Taxi Episode with Rev. Jim taking the drivers test. Commonly know as the “what does a Yellow Light mean?” I think it was this episode: “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey” Episode: #2.3 - 25 September 1979 Roughly like this: Jim (taking written driver’s test): What does a yellow light mean? Bobby: Slow down. Jim: Okay… Whhaaaaat dooooesss aaaa yeehllllooww liiiiight meean? Bobby: SLOW DOWN! Jim: WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT DOOOOOOOOOOESS AAAAAAAA YEEEEEEEEELLLLL-LLLOW LIIIIIIIGHT MEEEAAANN?! Also a classic seen of Louie singing Moonlight Bay. Jim ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/29 "2006-01-17T15:21:24Z")
I might also call for **Futurama** , specifically the episode **How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back**. Now that episode is a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/30 "2006-01-17T15:42:17Z")
I’d say **Crackers Don’t Matter** of Farscape. John Crichton: “Humans are superior!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/31 "2006-01-17T16:10:52Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > “Pine Barrens” from the Sopranos. What I first thought. I do believe you’d have to have at least some of the other episodes for all the interplay between Paulie and Christopher to make good sense. It is great TV, no doubt. I’m trying to think of a standalone hour (or half-hour) that would need less backstory, but it’s hard to recall specific ones. I’m thinking mine would have to be from _Night Gallery_ or _Twilight Zone_ or maybe even the original _Star Trek_ with the nod probably bypassing OST for the same reasons that you usually need backstory for the characters in any given episode to be fully understood and appreciated. And then I don’t really know if “episode” applies to things like _Masterpiece Theater_ or _Playhouse 90_ or that kind of regular “series.” Otherwise, I might be trying to focus on shows like that. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/32 "2006-01-17T16:38:13Z")
“Once More with Feeling.” Yup, I’m jumpin’ on that bandwagon… ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/33 "2006-01-17T17:52:11Z")
As I started reading this thread, I was wracking my brain going, what was the name of the ST:TNG episode with Picard and the flute and the other life? Thanks, **TMINC** … But I think **The Inner Light** comes in second for me, if I can cheat and take a two parter (I think this is technically against the rules). In that case, it would be **In the Shadow of Two Gunmen** from The West Wing. Some of the best acting in the entire series in that two-parter, IMO. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/34 "2006-01-17T18:11:51Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > As I started reading this thread, I was wracking my brain going, what was the name of the ST:TNG episode with Picard and the flute and the other life? > Thanks, **TMINC** … > > But I think **The Inner Light** comes in second for me, if I can cheat and take a two parter (I think this is technically against the rules). In that case, it would be **In the Shadow of Two Gunmen** from The West Wing. Some of the best acting in the entire series in that two-parter, IMO. That would have been my second choice. It may sound strange, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen better acting than the look on Toby’s face, and the emotion in his vocie when he first found Josh ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/35 "2006-01-17T18:20:26Z")
The premiere of \Cop Rock\. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/36 "2006-01-17T18:22:51Z")
Something with a lot of female nudity in it. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/37 "2006-01-17T18:25:50Z")
If I chose a Buffy episode, it’d be “Hush” (OK maybe “Gone” for nearly nude Spike). I have to say though, I think if I were stranded, I’d want to laugh my ass off, so “_The Injury_” from The Office is my current choice. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/38 "2006-01-17T19:03:44Z")
There was a great episode of **Star Trek: TNG** in which Picard blacked out and imagined an entire lifetime in about 20 minutes… I would take that, along with 30 mins of pr0n… ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/39 "2006-01-17T19:10:30Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > There was a great episode of **Star Trek: TNG** in which Picard blacked out and imagined an entire lifetime in about 20 minutes… I would take that, along with 30 mins of pr0n… That was the one I mentioned - the Inner Light. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304/40 "2006-01-17T19:17:41Z")
**Band of Brothers** I cannot remember (or find on IMBD) the names of all of the episodes, but it would be a toss-up between the first episode, or the episode in the Ardennes. Sua [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-episode-of-a-show-youd-take-to-the-desert-island/340304.md?page=3)