BN:  The Brandon Network

Great Episodes

Think of this like the Great Movies page of Ebert's site.  He lists and lauds his favorite shows, and I intend to do the same, particularly since I already have an analogous section for individual characters.  Just so you know, they're not ranked or anything, just in the order I think of them.  Also, for this first batch, I tried to stear clear of finales and stick with first season episodes, just because that way it's more universal, and you can all read everything without spoiling anything.  Of course, later on I will go into later episodes, so as always, try to avoid reading about an episode you haven't seen yet.  And lastly, they are all, as should be self-explanatory, great episodes. 

Latest Addition: 

#190.  "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown" - The Middleman

Any episode that starts out at the Batter of the Bulge Pancake House is sure to be a great one, and my only complaint about this one is that Lacey was barely in it.  That's because it was a Middleman story, featuring the unfreezing of Ida's old boss Middleman '69 who is more James Bond than Austin Powers.  Kevin Sorbo was fantastic as '69, but Ida was even better, skating around mixing drinks like she was back in the '60s too.  The ridiculous card game '69 and Wendy join was hilarious, and it gave Middleman a chance to swing in on a rope and save the day.  The Middleman is never a sappy show, but I was elated at the end when Wendy and Middleman hug; watching their relationship grow has been one of the best parts of the show.  As for obscure references, this episode scored points with The Third Man and Dr. Strangelove.

Wendy:  It's a polite way of saying BLEEP!

 

Great Episodes:

1-100

 

Overview:

13 Great Episodes:
The Twilight Zone (The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, A Stop at Willoughby, The Howling Man, Eye of the Beholder, Nick of Time, The Invaders, Twenty-Two, The Obsolete Man, Five Characters in Search of an Exit, To Serve Man, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Masks)

12 Great Episodes:
Battlestar Galactica (33, Pegasus, Downloaded, Lay Down Your Burdens 1 & 2, Occupation, Precipice, Exodus 1 & 2, Unfinished Business, The Ties That Bind, The Hub)

11 Great Episodes:
Star Trek: The Next Generation (Hide and Q, The Big Goodbye, The Measure of a Man, Q Who?, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Best of Both Worlds 1 & 2, Cause and Effect, Lower Decks, All Good Things 1 & 2)
The Wire (The Target, The Cost, Cleaning Up, All Prologue, Moral Midgetry, Slapstick, Reformation, Middle Ground, Mission Accomplished, Final Grades, -30-)

10 Great Episodes:
Firefly (Serenity 1 & 2, The Train Job, Shindig, Our Mrs. Reynolds, Out of Gas, Ariel, War Stories, The Message, Objects in Space)
Scrubs (My Old Lady, My Bed Banter and Beyond, My Occurrence, My American Girl, My Screw Up, My Last Chance, My Life in Four Cameras, My Musical, My No Good Reason, My Long Goodbye)

9 Great Episodes:
Arrested Development (Missing Kitty, Altar Egos, Justice is Blind, Amigos!, Motherboy XXX, The Immaculate Election, The Cabin Show, For British Eyes Only, Notapusy)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Duet, Necessary Evil, The Visitor, In Purgatory's Shadow, By Inferno's Light, Call to Arms, In the Pale Moonlight, The Siege of AR-558, Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang)

8 Great Episodes:
The OC (The Debut, The Best Chrismukkah Ever, The Telenovela, The Goodbye Girl, The Ties That Bind, The Rainy Day Women, The Avengers, The Metamorphosis)
The Office (The Office Olympics, The Dundies, Booze Cruise, Casino Night, Gay Witch Hunt, Traveling Salesmen, Business School, Money)
The Sopranos (College, I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano, From Where to Eternity, The Knight in White Satin Armor, Funhouse, Whoever Did This, Whitecaps, Long Term Parking)

7 Great Episodes:
30 Rock (Jack Meets Dennis, Up All Night, Hard Ball, Rosemary's Baby, Greenzo, Cougars, Episode 210)
Veronica Mars (Pilot, An Echolls Family Christmas, A Trip to the Dentist, Donut Run, Plan B, I Am God, Not Pictured)

6 Great Episodes:
Seinfeld (The Chinese Restaurant, The Library, The Parking Garage, The Limo, The Contest, The Soup Nazi)

5 Great Episodes:
Deadwood (Deadwood, Sold Under Sin, A Lie Agreed Upon 1 & 2, Amalgamation and Capital)
Star Trek (Where No Man Has Gone Before, The Menagerie 1 & 2, The City on the Edge of Forever, Mirror, Mirror)
Star Trek: Voyager (Message in a Bottle, Night, Timeless, Bride of Chaotica, Memorial)

4 Great Episodes:
Freaks and Geeks (Pilot, Beers and Weirs, The Garage Door, Discos and Dragons)
Friday Night Lights (Pilot, I Think We Should Have Sex, Mud Bowl, State)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (The Gang Gets Racist, Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare, Hundred Dollar Baby, The Gang Exploits a Miracle)
Lost (Greatest Hits, Through the Looking Glass 1 & 2, The Constant)
Mad Men (The Hobo Code, Nixon vs. Kennedy, The Wheel, Flight 1)

3 Great Episodes:
The Office (UK) (Training, Charity, Interview)
Weeds (Mile Deep and a Foot Wide, Pittsburgh, Grasshopper)

2 Great Episodes:
Breaking Bad (Crazy Handful of Nothin', A No Rough-Stuff Type Deal)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Angel, Once More with Feeling)

1 Great Episode:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents... (Breakdown)
Andy Barker, PI (Fairway, My Lovely)
Andy Richter Controls the Universe (Final Fantasy)
Dawson's Creek (Castaways)
Doctor Who (Blink)
Entourage (Exodus)
Flight of the Conchords (Yoko)
House (Three Stories)
How I Met Your Mother (Showdown)
The Middleman (The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown)
Mr. Show with Bob and David (What to Think)
Rescue Me (Happy)
The Sarah Silverman Program (Positively Negative)
Saturday Night Live (Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple)
Six Feet Under (Everybody's Waiting)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Pilot)

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