Perfect Episodes

User45701

I was in the x-files thread and i was thinking about perfect episodes most shows that get a good run have somewhere a perfect episode that is so good you remember it long after you have watched it.

I thought season 3 episode 4 of battle star called "Exodus Part II" was a perfect episode. Ive been trying to think of other shows but my mind is completely blank.

Anyone else able to think of perfect episodes?

Mr E

Alias S02E13 (Phase 1) - SD-6 takedown, Syd & Vaughn, Evil Francie. Excellent. The pinnacle of Alias.

SoupyNorman

'Pine Barrens' episode of The Sopranos. Pauly is just fantastic.

Xaniaj

Buffy, season 6 - The Body. Amazing stuff, could watch it over and over again other than the fact that its pretty emotional stuff.

Doctor DooM

MuiriosaB wrote:

Buffy, season 6 - The Body. Amazing stuff, could watch it over and over again other than the fact that its pretty emotional stuff.

This is a horrible piece of television. Brilliant but horrible.

tvnutz

Every episode of the Wire!

More specifically in season 1,the short scene when

Greggs is shot. A lot of shows to stories where a lead character is shot,especially cop shows. But this one was amazing,probably because by then the characters were known to me and the tune at the end credits of the Wire fit brilliantly.

_Kaiser_

Hmmmm...

DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight".
Lots of others too but Avery Brooks (Sisko) really carries this one I think.

Enterprise - "In A Mirror, Darkly".
The ONLY 2 episodes of this show I actually like (probably because the actors aren't playing the usual boring/wooden characters).
Bonus points for the title sequence.

BSG - "Pegasus", and the two-parter that immediately follows.
The music in these episodes (especially the track "Prelude to War") is great too

Scrubs - Don't know the name, but the one where Dr Cox's best friend Ben returns and the twist at the end.

X-Files - "Musings Of a Cigarette Smoking Man". Best episode of the show?

Simpsons - Complete rubbish for the last 6/7 years, but "You only move twice" (Homer joins the Globex corporation with it's charismatic CEO, Hank Scorpio, who turns out to be a pseudo-Bond super villain!) is brilliant!

.. and more I'll no doubt remember AFTER I hit the submit button

Mr E

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Scrubs - Don't know the name, but the one where Dr Cox's best friend Ben returns and the twist at the end.

Great choice... that was S03 E14 (My Screw Up). Brilliant episode....

DarkJager

The Shield - S02 E02 "Dead Soldiers". That beating at the end was the most perfect 5 minutes of television ever. The music was perfect and it was so violent for a tv show, definitely my favorite episode of the shield,

humanji

I'll always love the very last episode of Quantum Leap (still brings a tear to my eye ) and also the last episode of Star Trek: TNG. It's funny how their best episodes are their last.

Actually, now that I think about it, I also really love the last Buffy and Angel episodes. Hmmm, maybe I only really like last episodes... They probably stick in my mind as they're the last remnents of shows I loved.

User45701

some good episodes mentioned, Buffy i dont know the name but the best episode by far is the one where buffly almost gets killed by a regular vampire and then talks to spike and he tells her his story. Fantastic episode 10/10.

The sopranos episode where they are in the woods in the snow trying to kill a russian.

Star Trek - TOS - Balence of Terror
TNG - Yesterdays Enterprise
DS9 - The Die is the Cast
VOY - Year Of Hell
ENT - As mentioned In a Mirror Darkley is a good episode but i thought Anzati Prime and Twilight. i only know so many ENT because it watched it recently.

And heroes season 1: Five Years Gone

Thats all that poped into my head during lunch

fricatus

My So-Called Life, series 1 (there wasn't a series 2 unfortunately). Episode: "Weekend".

The parents get a loan of a pair of handcuffs, so as to spice up their sex life, but then forget them when heading off for a couples' weekend.

The kids, left behind in the house over the weekend, discover the handcuffs. One of them handcuffs herself to the parents' bed for the laugh, only to discover that the key is missing.

Of course Mother has accidentally taken the key with her while heading off for the weekend...

Pure class!

Auvers

bravestarr082 wrote:

'Pine Barrens' episode of The Sopranos. Pauly is just fantastic.

I was just going to post the same episode, sheer class.

Rjd2

The second last episode of series four of the Wire is uamazing. Anyone who does not have a tear in the eye when Randy shouts

You going to look out for me at a heartbroken Carver has a hard heart and of course Bubbles loses his companion due to him swallowing stuff that was meant for Bubble enemy kills me. Heartbreaking stuff indeed

User45701

i didnt know the name of the episode utill i did a search but ye pine barnes, a few people in my work agree it is the best episode of sopranos ever and i think you are right is is one of the best episodes of telivison.

Creamy Goodness

take a pick of any episode of the simpsons between season 3 and season 8.

User45701

i thought season 6 was the first time they had a sing episode where it was just 20 mins of them singing and snake kept robing them cause the window was open or some such

tvnutz

Rjd2 wrote:

The second last episode of series four of the Wire is uamazing. Anyone who does not have a tear in the eye when Randy shouts

You going to look out for me at a heartbroken Carver has a hard heart and of course Bubbles loses his companion due to him swallowing stuff that was meant for Bubble enemy kills me. Heartbreaking stuff indeed

Ye that was a great scene,everyone of those kids were great actors. In the last episode as well when you see their names spray painted on the wall.

looking back at how they started and now how they were all consumed by the street or the system with the unlikely exception of Namond

mental07

The episode of Desperate Housewives in which there is a supermarket siege. A season 3 episode. I'm pretty sure it's entitled "Bang". I actually cried at the end, and I never cry at TV :eek:

As mentioned above, every episode of The Wire. Rome is also excellent. Loved every episode and I personally can't fault any of them.

ixoy

Some good 'uns from shows with a few seasons under their belt:

Buffy - "Hush" (a better example of a good Buffy episode than "The Body" which is more removed from the world of Buffy)

Curb Your Enthusiasm - "The Doll"

DS9 - "Trials and Tribillations"

Millennium - "The Fourth Horseman"/"The Time is Now" for bringing in the kick ass apocalypse (shamefully retconned in the next season)

Stargate: SG-1 - "Forever in a Day"

The X-Files: "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" or "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"

The Wire: Every episode. I think we need a new posting rule/law like Godwin's Law except we'll call it Omar's Law whereby every thread about good television on boards will inevitably end with myself, tvnutz, nialler24 and others going on about how 'The Wire' is the most perfect show

SuperSean11

Scrubs-My Musical
perfect

User45701

Im glad to see im not the only person who is a big fan of musing of a ciggerate smoking man, i must actually watch it again, get a few people who havent seen it

Mr E

I'm not a huge CYE fan, but I saw the Doll a few weeks ago on Channel 6 and I laughed alot.... very funny episode.

Setun

TmB wrote:

I'm not a huge CYE fan, but I saw the Doll a few weeks ago on Channel 6 and I laughed alot.... very funny episode.

Brilliant episode

Seinfeld, The Spit. Think it's season 3 or 4, hilarious.

Also DarkPlace, the first episode.

The Office, Comic Relief episode.

The Mighty Boosh, The Nightmare of Milky Joe.

Basq

TmB wrote:

Alias S02E13 (Phase 1) - SD-6 takedown, Syd & Vaughn, Evil Francie. Excellent. The pinnacle of Alias.

Agreed and...

Daddio wrote:

Seinfeld, The Spit. Think it's season 3 or 4, hilarious.

"Back.. and to the left!"

bravestarr082 wrote:

'Pine Barrens' episode of The Sopranos. Pauly is just fantastic.

Agreed.. when he loses his shoe in the snow... Christ, i'm still laughing at it now!

Trying to think of some of my personal favourites and.. i'm coming up blank!

The only one that comes to mind is an episode of 'Freaks And Geeks' called 'The Garage Door'. Every episode is perfect but this was more memorable as the first one i ever saw and ends perfectly with practically Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' in it's entirety! :eek:

Oh.. and the final episode of 'Undeclared' (Eric's POV) is probably the funniest episode of the excellent series. Memorable just due to Jason Segal's excellent performance,

PS - yeah, i'm on an Apatow binge as of late!

denishurley

Can't believe nobody has mentioned that last episode of Season Two of The West Wing, "Two Cathedrals"

kevmy

denishurley wrote:

Can't believe nobody has mentioned that last episode of Season Two of The West Wing, "Two Cathedrals"

Indeed sir quite an oversight. But then there is so many fantastic epiosdes to pick from that glorious series.

Some of my favourites are:"Let Bartlet Be Bartlet"

(the turning point for the administration in the 1st series)

,
"Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"

(Big Block of Cheese Day number 2)

,
"The Stackhouse Filibuster"

(about a 22 hour filibuster from a senator with an autistic grandchild)

,
"17 People"

(where Toby finds out about Bartlett's MS)

and
"Twenty Five"

(where John Goodman temoparily takes over as President after Zoey Bartletts abduction)

ixoy

denishurley wrote:

Can't believe nobody has mentioned that last episode of Season Two of The West Wing, "Two Cathedrals"

My bad - I was going to. It deserves it for the brilliant tribute to Ms. Laningham but even more so for that monologue. You know the one I mean.

GhostInTheRuins

Rjd2 wrote:

The second last episode of series four of the Wire is uamazing. Anyone who does not have a tear in the eye when Randy shouts

You going to look out for me at a heartbroken Carver has a hard heart and of course Bubbles loses his companion due to him swallowing stuff that was meant for Bubble enemy kills me. Heartbreaking stuff indeed

I couldn't agree more. That scene in the hospital was heartbreaking. God I love that show so much.

tvnutz

I know the same few bring up the wire,but when I hear the word perfect when talking about a tv show,the wire is there right away.

I also have to say the West Wing was another brilliant show. Top quality,especially the early years and while I think it lost it a bit in its final seasons it was still top quality tv.

My bebo flashbox is currently this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii4C3Wlp1lM

It was funny as well as clever!

Wertz

Red Dwarf S6; Gunmen of the apocalypse
Red Dwarf was one of those shows that thye pushed too far, after S5 it was all downhill IMO, but this nugget of an episode still stands out as probably my favourte in the entire series, as Kryten battles a computer virus in a virtual wild west inhabited by the RD crew.

The X-Files S5: Chinga
The above mentioned ep is good but IMO, this one featuring a screenplay by Stephen King

about a little girl with a dolly that talks is just sheer class. It screams of King's books but is all X-files. Mulder doesn't really play any part, it's all about Scully. It has one of those horror story endings too...you know the ones where we see that it's not really the end of the story...."I want to play!"

:eek:

Oz S2: The Tip
Oz is perhaps my all time favourite show and this episode where the ever persecuted Beecher finally looses the plans and

bites a guy's knob off during an attept at oral rape

Hence the name of the episode...a lot more happens than that though...

it's after the riot and an outside investigator is trying to find out what happened, including investigating the murder of an inmate by a guard, the title refers also to the tip offs the investigator gets from all manner of sources. The truth comes out, with a twist, but as it's just a dead inmate, it's decided to sweep it under the carpet

Quality ep from a quality series.

24 S3 (can't recall the hour/ep. no.) but it's the one where

Ryan Chappelle has to be executed by Jack Baeur to comply with the wishes of the Salazar brothers. I never liked Chappelle but I felt so sorry for him at the end where he tried to top himself but couldn't pull the trigger.

I don't know if it's the pefect episode of 24, but it's one that sticks out in my mind where most f the rest are just a blur...

Farscape S4: Kansas

Crichton finally finds a wormhole that takes him back to earth but it's 15 yrs before he left. He has to try and not change the future by his and the crew of moya's' presence in the past, but he also has to try and stop his dad flying on Challenger. Meanwhile the aliens from moya are in disguise as haloween characters and hilarity ensues when they're discovered by a bumbling polceman. But back on moya, scorpius and sukozu (sp?) are plotting.

Farscape is probably the best scifi show bar none IMO and this is a standout episode from the rest.

More as I think of them.

Mainstay

All the shows I mention are longer airing so I did not bother with spoiler tags.

Lost Season two finale "Live together, Die alone". The return of Desmond, the destruction of the Swan station, we learn why the plane crashed plus it was the last episode that the "others" seemed to be omnipotent instead of the whiners they turned into in season 3

Deadwood Season two finale "Boy-the-earth-talks-to". The arrival of Hearst, the spectre of him was looming over the whole of season 2. The death of an important supporting character

Deadwood Season 3 Episode 11 "The Catbird seat". One sentence spoke by Hearst humanised his character far more then the episode of Heroes where Sylar was with his mother. So its a victory for great writing.

The Sopranos Season 6b Episode 8 "The Blue Comet". We see the demise of a few favourite characters, even though they were murdering scum I'll still miss them. Also it shows how quickly Tonys power can evaporate.

The X-files Season 5 Episode 17 "All Souls".A wheelchair-bound handicapped girl manages to walk out of her house and is later found dead in a praying position with her eyes burned out. One of my all time favourites, thought I have not seen it in years.

I know there are others, as in The Wire is an amazing TV show but it does not have any standalone episodes so its hard to pick out a particular one.

Also when Veroncia Mars was good it was very good.

MikeHoncho

The episode of Arrested Development "Motherboy XXX" is for me the perfect episode of that show. There are so many gags in this that were set up weeks before like

the giant red hand in busters room

and

George teaching them all a lesson by having his armless friend pretend to be in random accidents

that it just shows the real genius of the writing in this show. It has all the elements that make this show great with fantastic interaction between all the characters. If you only ever saw this episode I think you would undersatnd everyone in the family and what there motivations and traits are. Just brilliant.

Deadalus

Buffy- "Once More With Feeling"- The Musical Episode.
The rest of that series suffered from lack of its usual quality purely because poor old Joss Weaden was pulling his hair out trying to write this amazing piece of television.

I also second the positive comments about the West Wing- great great show

Star Trek DS9- "In The Pale Moonlight"- I know it was mentioned already but it deserves to be mentioned again

Mr E

I have a trip to the States coming up, so I think its time to finally watch The Wire (I've been putting it off for too long now). I'll put the first 2 series on my media player....

iguana

basquille wrote:

The only one that comes to mind is an episode of 'Freaks And Geeks' called 'The Garage Door'. Every episode is perfect but this was more memorable as the first one i ever saw and ends perfectly with practically Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' in it's entirety! :eek:

I think every episode of Freaks and Geeks was just perfect.

Buffy; "Hush" and "Once More With Feeling" as mentioned. Also "Gingerbread" with the Hansel and Gretal demon, "The Prom" in S3 and "Conversations With Dead People" in S7, the rest of the season didn't live up to the promise of that episode but it still sends chills though me.

Babylon 5; "Point Of No Return" (I did my Irish leaving cert the day after seeing that and I could just not think of anything but the last scene between Sheridan and Ivanova in the garden) and "Z'ha'dum" in S3 and "Whatever Happened to Mr Garibaldi" in S4.

Veronica Mars; "A Trip To The Dentist" when that show was good it was very, very good.

Big Love; "The Baptism" I don't know if I've ever seen Big Love mentioned here but I really enjoy it.

Six Feet Under; "Everybody's Waiting" the final episode. I cry every single time I watch the closing sequence.

Battlestar Galactica; "Resurrection Ship" parts 1 and 2.

johnny_ultimate

Pretty much every episode of Freaks and Geeks - Chokin' and Tokin' is my favourite, but there are so many brilliant episodes...

The Doll is utter genius alright. Perhaps the pinnacle of the wonderful CYE formula - all the different storylines build up to an hilarious and utterly cringe worthy conclusion. The final moment and the look of horror on Larry's face is priceless. I love most episodes, but this is the one I show to friends who have never seen it before. Terrific.

TarfHead

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Season 3
Episode 3 - Club soda & salt

Larry David effortlessly setting up 4 plots and brilliantly tying them all together and coherently in the final scene. Quite simply beyond the ambition of any other sit-com.

Kel Varnsen

Arrested Development - "Pier Pressure"
Seinfeld - "The Library"
24 - S1, hour 24
24 - S2 10-11 P.M.

Mason's death sequence

Acting, writing, directing, music...all about as perfect as you'll ever see.

Gaz

The Simpsons - episode where Homer and Bart steal Willys grease.

Quantum Leap - Vietnam episode which has young Al as a POW

ER - Episode where Helicopter lands on Romano

TNG - Episode where Picard lives out an entire life in a few seconds on an alien planet.

Lost - Season 2 finale

Stargal

Six Feet Under - The one where David gets carjacked by the maniac and

almost gets killed.

Sopranos - Employee of the Month, where

Dr Melfi is raped.

Pine Barrens. The one where Pussy

gets whacked.

The second-last episode when Phil's crew go postal.

West Wing - Most of the ones that kevmy mentioned, plus Two Cathedrals.

Buffy - The one where

her mum dies

TNG - Final episode

Voyager - The Year of Hell

kevmy

Stargal wrote:

Sopranos - Employee of the Month, where Dr Melfi is raped. Pine Barrens. The one where Pussy gets whacked. The second-last episode when Phil's crew go postal.


Voyager - The Year of Hell

Thats the best voyager ep by a mile

Also all Sopranos episodes I can't really pick one. Pine Barrens perhaps but I usually view each season as a massive film.

Wertz

Folks, if you're going to post important episodic information can you PLEASE use spoiler tags....I never got round to watching some of the above shows but perhaps later on I might decide to...several posters above have referred to important plot moments and deaths of characters which may spoil other's viewing later.

(spoiler) TEXT (/spoiler) but use [] instead of ()

kthxbye

Pepe LeFrits

TmB wrote:

Alias S02E13 (Phase 1) - SD-6 takedown, Syd & Vaughn, Evil Francie. Excellent. The pinnacle of Alias.

Agreed, although watching it on its own recently I realised what an unbelievably trashy and cheesy show it is. Still great though.

Forever in a Day? wtf!

Many, many good episodes of stuff mentioned here. Makes me want to go back and re-watch so many series.

User45701

Its odd, when it comes to scifi i normelly like every episode that others like and then i like episodes that some dont like black market in BSG. But forever in a day just didnt do it for me, i havent seen it in years and based on so many coments in this topic and a few mentions on the star trek forum i think ill give forever in a day another chance to see what all the fuss is about.

ekevosu

I'd have gone with hush or possibly superstar in buffy

the first episode of the second season in west wing where they remember where it all started and they joined bartletts campaign.

the us office - the dundies maybe

Washout

ER: Where Carter and Lucy get stabbed.
Curb your enthusiasm: the episode with the sweater and ted danson.
Star Trek TNG: Lucutus episode
sopranos: pine barrens

Haven't a Clue

Kel Varnsen wrote:

24 - S1, hour 24
24 - S2 10-11 P.M.

Mason's death sequence

Acting, writing, directing, music...all about as perfect as you'll ever see.

Agreed. The

Mason death

episode still goes down as my favourite.

Also, Lost s3 - "The Man Behind the Curtain". Brilliant stuff.

User45701

Well with the strike ive had time to watch and re/watch some things and i wanted to suggest one of two things like Heroes, Season 1 Episode 20. 5 Years Gone, thought it was the best episode so far.

I spend the last 5 mins thinking of an Arrested Development episode to add but tbh you have to watch every single episode, i love the way jokes can build up for a few episodes very funny show. No single episode stands out, actually i did like the 2nd last one in season 3 and also the "mehico" episode

Poochie05

I agree with Sopranos: Pine Barrens
The Wire: hard to pick just one ep as the entire seasons are perfect episodes but the penultimate ep of season 2

as Frank Sobotka goes to meet the greeks under the bridge and you know all those months of work building the case are about to fall apart

was one of the best of the best.
Seinfeld: The Contest -

Kramer coming in, putting his money on the counter and saying "I'm out!"

Smallville S6 Justice when

Clark teams up with the Justice League

- a taste of the future!