Favorite Episodes From Your Favorite Series

[Avaitor]

Don't be shy, I'm sure that you have a decent amount of episodes that you return to which you would like to share.

I'll post three for now, and I'll come back with more later. Don't know about #1 favorites for each, but these are ones that I come back to a bit.

The Simpsons- "Last Exit to Springfield"

This one is so full of classic moments.
"Dental plan!"
"Lisa needs braces!"
"It was him. Let's get him, fellas!"
"Hey, Lenny, can you get this Sugar Daddy off my back?"
"It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times. You stupid monkey!"

And the entirety of Grandpa's speech. You can quote the show all day, and at least a few lines will have to come from that episode.

The Powerpuff Girls- "The Bare Facts"

I wrote about this one on the old board, but each scene in it is great and gives beginners a great sampling of the characters. The ending especially is a classic, but Bubbles' parts are probably the funniest.

The Boondocks- "Stinkmeaner Strikes Back"

Try not to laugh at Stinkmeaner possessing Tom throughout the episode. I dare you. The Exorcist parody featuring Ruckus is also the best spoof of the movie I've seen, possibly ever.

[SSJ Jake]

You eat a dick, nigga! You eat a dick!

[Avaitor]

"This isn't an exorcism, it's a beating."
"Sometimes there is very little difference!"

[Spark Of Spirit]

Last Exit To Springfield, easily. I think it literally has everything a Simpsons episode should have in it. And hired goons.

Also, for KOTH... Well, A Firefighting We Will Go, obviously. I don't think that will ever change, but recently a few episodes have come close.

[Avaitor]

I miss some of my old posts, like when I went into great detail about why that episode is so great.

"A Firefighting We Will Go" is easily in the top 5, if it's not at the top. "Death Picks Cotton" is its only rival for the top spot in my eyes, but the way Lucky and Luanne treat Bobby still gets on my nerves a little. I've been warming up to that, though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I think anything in season 3 could be used to make a top 5, but really anything short of Racist Dawg could make my list.

[Avaitor]

Going through season 3 again, it's got to be the most consistent.

It's not like there aren't other seasons that are close to perfect or that you could end the show there and I would be happy(oh, not at all), but I don't think there's a stronger collection of episodes than what we got from that year.

Just looking through the listing now, I think nearly every episode from S3 could be considered a classic.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Season 3 has:

And They Call It Bobby Love
Peggy's Pageant Fever
Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
Pretty, Pretty Dresses
A Firefighting We Will Go
To Spank With Love
Three Coaches & A Bobby
De-Kahnstructing Henry
Jon Vitti Presents: Return To La Grunta
Escape From Party Island
Dog Dale Afternoon
Revenge Of The Lutefisk
Wings Of The Dope

I mean, those 13 classics alone could best most TV shows seasons alone, yet every other episode not mentioned here is still awesome. Other seasons are great too (especially the next few), but this is probably the highest quality concentration of episodes in the entire series.

[Grounder]

Pulling Double Booty and Rapture's Delight from American Dad.

[Avaitor]

Got a couple more.

Dexter's Laboratory- "Dexter and Computress Get Mandark!/Pain in the Mouth/Dexter Vs. Santa's Claws"

Possibly the perfect half-hour of Dexter, besides the original series finale. The first episode is a goofy story told by the director's son, but is still somehow really funny. The second is one of the best Justice Friends segments ever thanks to great chemistry between Major Glory and Valhalla. And do I even need to remind you of the third one?

Batman: The Brave & the Bold- "Chill of the Night"

Out of all the episodes from various animated series that I've seen in 2010, this one struck a chord with me the most. Paul Dini still proves his worth by adapting a classic story that goes deep into Batman's being. He tackles it in a way that I don't think even BTAS could handle on it's own. Further proof that this show is a modern classic.

[No-Personality]

"A Crystal Clear Destiny" from Sailor Moon (U.S. series)
"Beat Your Greens" from The Powerpuff Girls
"Draculee, Dracula" from Animaniacs

All I can think of right now.

[Avaitor]

I posted this earlier, so I'll just echo everything here.

[Avaitor]

After rewatching "Perchance to Dream", I think it might be the ultimate Batman episode.

I still prefer a couple of others, but those are mostly villain-related ones, and while I love the show's rogues gallery, if I was to pick the very best that BTAS had to offer, it should involve Batman above anyone else.

Perchance delves into Bruce's troubled psyche and gives him a chance to imagine a life without some of his biggest problems- his inability to get over the loss of his parents, his inability to have a lasting relationship, and his inability to find happiness in his life. In this dream world, Bruce is living a perfectly happy life, is engaged to Selina, and his parents are still alive. The price for all of this- he isn't Batman anymore.

It also shows that Bruce will always be miserable and needs Batman in his life, not just to avenge his parents, but for what he thinks is a service to the world that he can't accomplish even with his vast wealth. The episode delves into Batman's mythology possibly better than any other of the series.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

Now that I think about it, deciding on an overall favorite for my shows is pretty damn tough. The majority of them are comedies and I can find just enough jokes in each episode to keep me laughing. But there are a few that definitely come to mind. Most of them have moments that got an emotional response out of me, something I don't like to admit.

Mother Simpson : The whole episode kind of leaves you uncomfortable, with how they suddenly inject the problems of Homer's upbringing while his attempts to reconnect with his mom are played for laughs. But the episode does a good job of integrating her into the cast, then comes the end, where despite his shaky relationship with his mom, Homer still helps her escape and has to come to terms with possibly never seeing her again. Plus, that final shot of him watching the stars, its never lost its impact on me.

The Powerpuff Girls Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever: Brilliant episode all around. Not only was it an affectionate self-parody that recognized and poked fun at its own running jokes, it also captured the endless imagination of childhood well. Not to mention you hardly ever see those kinds of plots played straight, let alone on a show that really emphasizes superheroics. Thinking back, I don't recall the episode going into some dramatic fantasy segment either, you actually saw the toys and houseware they used to go along with their role-playing. It's just so well done all around.

Save the World: The end of the Cell Games, and probably one of the most memorable Toonami moments. How long did the series take to finally promote Gohan into the role of the man character? To see him do what Goku couldn't and finish off one of the most unstoppable forces in the series was 100% awesome. Not only that, but you can see Vegeta's character takes another shift here as he finally acknowledges that he can no longer be completely selfish in his personal goals. Afterward, the series pretty much goes on a steep decline that it doesn't recover from, and Gohan is immediately demoted to supporting character again, but for one fleeting moment, you experience that feeling of fuck yes that DBZ knew how to deliver.

Memories: The halfway point of the series, where your regular ecchi antics and double entendre's are interrupted by an extended flashback that's interwoven with a stand alone event that has a variety of ties to the memories of Kokonoe and Reiji. I really like how the real time events of the episode uses a grayscale filter, with only the symbolic items (like Rin's hair decorations and the beach's shell) colored for effect, and the flashback is one long tale of tragedy and an exploration of Reiji's psyche and past, a welcome change from the usual leads.. Unfortunately, some context is missing which makes certain scenes seem really jarring, but it doesn't take away from those final moments involving Aki's life, and Reiji's realization of what his purpose now is.