Board 8 > RySenkari Ranks His Top 100 Television Episodes Of All Time

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's been a LONG time since I've done one of these topics, but I've been itching to do this one for a while.

I'm going to rank my 100 favorite television episodes in this topic, complete with write-ups! I have a lot of other projects going on, so I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to work on this, but I'll do my best to stick to a reasonable pace.

This might be a weird list compared to some of the other lists of this type that have been done. A majority of my favorite TV shows/episodes are animated shows, so that'll represent a majority of the things on this list. There are a lot of great live action shows (Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, X-Files, etc.) that I've NEVER watched, so none of those shows will appear on the list. Like I said, I have weird tastes.

That said, hope you all enjoy and I'll try to at least have the first entry posted soon!

#100: Festival Of Lights
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Show: The Ghost And Molly McGee
Original airdate: November 27, 2021

"When I think of that story, deep down I know that no matter the battles we fight as we go, inside of us all, a Hanukiah glows. And look still lit."

There have been some solid Hannukah animated specials over the years (Rugrats had a really good one), but Molly McGee's Hannukah special captures not only the spirit of the holiday it commemorates, but the essence of the series itself, focusing on its core group of characters and giving them each time to shine. The 11 minute segment, which flew by even shorter than that despite being chock-full of hilarious and heartfelt moments, focused on the McGee family spending a cold winter's night at Libby's mom's bookstore to celebrate the last night of Hannukah. They participate in holiday themed activities, eat lots of fried food (which Scratch is particularly pleased about, and expresses this sentiment in a funny song), and become closer than ever, while outside, a miracle takes place as one hour's worth of generator fuel manages to power the store's electricity for eight hours, a fun little metaphor for the original Hannukah miracle. The episode even manages to communicate a poignant look at Libby's family history, with her ancestors having to flee their homelands after an event implied either to be Russian pogroms or the Holocaust, in a scene I was surprised managed to make it onto the screen in a Disney animated series. While this episode is inconsequential in the overall arc of the series itself, it's a sweet little slice of life story about friendship, family, and overcoming adversity, and my personal favorite of the first season of a show that has proven to be one of Disney's best cartoons in recent memory.

#99: Enchanting Grom Fright
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Show: The Owl House
Original airdate: August 8, 2020

"Well then, if that's settled, may I have this dance?"

The Owl House is definitely one of my favorite shows to come out in quite a while, and a major part of that is due to the relationship between Luz Noceda and Amity Blight, also known as Lumity. While episodes before Enchanting Grom Fright hinted at the fact that they might be something more than friends, it was this episode, particularly the moment where it's revealed that Amity intended to ask Luz to Grom, that confirmed that the two indeed would be a couple, or at the very least, that Amity had a crush on Luz. Of course, the episode itself was quite good even without taking Lumity into account, as we got to see Luz and Amity's insecurities, in particular Luz's fear of having to leave the Boiling Isles, and Amity's fear of rejection by the one person she truly trusted at this point. There was also some spectacular imagery, including Luz and Amity's dance under the moonlight and the battle against the Grom monster, with the lovely finish of the sprouting tree at the conclusion of the dance itself. It was Enchanting Grom Fright when The Owl House truly let us all know that it was going to be a special show, and took its first true bold step into one of the most important relationships in animated television history.

#98: Gliding Over All
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Show: Breaking Bad
Original airdate: September 2, 2012

"Been thinking about that job more and more lately. Maybe I should have enjoyed it more. Tagging trees is a lot better than chasing monsters."

The midseason finale of Breaking Bad's final season, Gliding Over All is known for two big things: having arguably the two best music montages in the entire series, and of course, for being the episode where Hank finally learns that Walt is Heisenberg. As the episode that had to set up the final run, Gliding Over All had plenty to accomplish, and it certainly did, featuring one of Breaking Bad's biggest timeskip montages, set to the perfectly utilized "Crystal Blue Persuasion". To tell you the truth, I'd never heard the song before this episode, but I was blown away at how amazingly it fit what was going on on screen, and this was after the already amazing prison killing montage set to Nat King Cole's timeless "Pick Yourself Up". Of course, after everything that had already taken place in Season 5A, I was dreading how this episode would end. Would there be a spectacular bloodbath? Lots of named character deaths? Indeed, the ending was a swerve of a completely different kind, but no less brutal, even if it ended up being much more subtle. I knew as soon as Hank picked up that book he was going to find out that Walt was Heisenberg... Gale's final "revenge" of sorts, in the form of a book he gifted Walt so long ago. Set up perfectly, and executed brilliantly, with Hank's stunned expression being the icing on the cake. And, of course, that led into one of the most agonizing cliffhangers in television history! Those of you who binged this show have no idea how rough it was to have to wait ten months to learn the resolution to this episode's ending, but damn did that last half season deliver... but that's for later in this countdown. ;)

#97: The Time Traveler's Pig
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Show: Gravity Falls
Original airdate: August 24, 2012

"Everything is different now."

One of those Gravity Falls episodes with both humor and surprising emotional twists, The Time Traveler's Pig is a favorite of mine because it has a little bit of everything that made the show great. Weird science, goofy one-liners, some great Wendy scenes, and of course, a demonstration of just how much Dipper cares about Mabel, even if he has to make sacrifices for her sake. The episode takes place at the local fair, and Dipper is trying to impress his crush Wendy by winning a prize for her. He fails spectacularly, while Mabel succeeds in winning her own prize: an adorable pig she names Waddles. Dipper ends up finding a magic tape measure that transports him back in time, and he uses it to eventually win the game and impress Wendy... but in the one and only universe where he's able to win, Mabel loses Waddles. It's one of the best early episodes of the show, not only delving into the supernatural (with consequences that rear their head later on), but it perfectly blends the outlandish and mundane, giving the show's excellent cast of characters a chance to shine. And, of course, it introduces Waddles, one of the most adorable animal characters in Disney history. All in all, a great Gravity Falls episode, and one of the best to introduce newcomers to the show.

I've seen none of these episodes so far

#96: True Colors
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Show: Amphibia
Original airdate: May 22, 2021

"But look at how much fun we've had! Look at how much you've both grown! Look at Sprig, I gave you this, I gave you everything! I just didn't want to be alone..."

This episode was mired in controversy from the word "go", initially being pulled and delayed for three weeks, and only then aired with a warning for "disturbing scenes". This was definitely the climax of pretty much the entire show, with Anne, Sasha, and Marcy all meeting up in Newtopia in an effort to use the Calamity Box and get home. We all knew things would go wrong, and we had no idea just how wrong they would go... first, Sasha betrayed the group, but that was to be expected, as she'd already served as a villain before. She and Grime and the rest of the Toads took over Newtopia, and Anne, Sprig, Marcy, and King Andrias had to work together to save the day. Then, it seemed everything was over, and everyone was going to go back home... but again, we all knew the shit would hit the fan eventually, and boy did it ever! Andrias was revealed as evil, intending to use the Calamity Box to conquer other worlds, Anne went SUPER SAIYAN to stop him... and just before everyone can return home, Marcy gets stabbed... but not before she tearfully confessed that she's the reason everyone ended up in Amphibia in the first place. I felt so bad for Marcy here, even with everything she did, so seeing her get stabbed absolutely ripped my heart out... and a lot of the fandom's as well. In fact, the Amphibia fandom was mired in massive amounts of controversy over both Sasha and Marcy, leading to arguments and debates that lasted the entire length of the months-long cliffhanger! This was definitely the show's "Empire Strikes Back" moment in a lot of ways, and remains for many the peak of the entire series, with more controversy over Season 3. As for me, well, you'll find out if it's my favorite of the series, but it certainly stands as one of Amphibia's best, and one of the most shocking animated episodes of all time.

Tag

#95: Piedmon's Last Jest
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Show: Digimon Adventure
Original Airdate (US): May 20, 2000

"I promise you, Matt, I'll never give up the fight! If I don't do it, then this world and our world will be destroyed. I have to do it for Matt, for Angemon, for everybody!"

I wasn't initially into Digimon. I was like a lot of other people who thought it was just some Pokemon ripoff, and the inferior IP, and I dragged my feet on watching it for a long time. But, during spring 2000, I decided to give it a chance, and while I never quite enjoyed it as much as Pokemon, it definitely had its merits and I ended up loving it too. I came onboard during the Dark Masters arc, and here were these four incredibly powerful and evil Digimon causing all sorts of mischief, and none more evil or powerful than Piedmon, who was menacing and sadistic and all kinds of nasty, and while the other three Dark Masters had been given a decent amount of time (particularly Puppetmon who I recall had a somewhat longer arc than Metalseadramon or Machinedramon), Piedmon was the leader of them all, and his big episode was Piedmon's Last Jest, which began with Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon getting clowned (literally) by this guy before he used his handkerchief magic to turn most of the Digidestined and their Digmon into keychains, leaving just T.K. and Kari to run for their lives against the most dangerous threat yet. This episode had a ton of tension, with Piedmon hunting down and transforming the Digidestined one by one, and I remember wondering just how they were going to take this guy down! Then, of course, we got the fierce Piedmon/Angemon fight before the climactic moment in which Angemon Digivolved at last to take Piedmon down. Despite being merely an Ultimate level Digimon, Magnaangemon was badass as hell, and it was quite awesome to see Piedmon get his just desserts. Combined with some great moments from T.K. and Kari, and you have all the makings of a classic Digimon episode, and the perfect conclusion to the Dark Masters arc, so much so that it made the final battle with Apocalymon afterwards seem just a bit anticlimactic in comparison...

That's such a good Breaking Bad episode. Awesome use of Up the Junction too.

The end of Gliding Over All is one of my favourite television moments of all time

Interesting topic. Let's see if I actually end up knowing anything because so far I have seen absolutely none of it cept for a bit of Digimon

#94: Lost In Language
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Show: The Owl House
Original airdate: February 28, 2020

"Looks like this sour lemon drop has a hidden sweet center!"

While "Enchanting Grom Fright" made Lumity a distinct possibility, "Lost In Language" planted the seed for the relationship, seeing Luz and Amity properly team up for the first time ever. The episode sees Luz visiting the Bonesborough Library, only to encounter Amity, who she previously knew only as a rival and a bully, reading sweetly to children. Thus, Luz realizes that Amity isn't quite what she seems, and meeting her older siblings Edric and Emira (who are hilarious in their own right) seems to confirm that fact, showing that the young witch girl has hidden depths, which Luz only confirms further when she learns that Amity likes to read the Good Witch Azura books from her world. It's really fun to see Luz trying her best to get Amity to like her, and the screenshot is the moment that Luz is able to make Amity laugh for the very first time, a precursor to them working together to extricate themselves from a dangerous situation. Combined with an adorable B-plot in which Eda struggles to raise bat babies, and Lost In Language proves to be a sweet and funny early episode of the show, and of course, quite important indeed, as it truly raised the possibility that Lumity could be a viable couple.

#93: Sleepover
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Show: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Original airdate: September 26, 2016

"Sometimes, you don't know what you think. Your head and your heart disagree. You think you know how you feel about something, but then it changes."

This fun (and revealing) episode of Star vs. The Forces of Evil has Star Butterfly hosting her first slumber party on Earth, with Marco, Jackie, Janna, Starfan13, and Pony Head attending. The episode, while not doing a whole lot to advance the show's overall narrative, does provide a lot of insightful character development thanks to the Truth or Punishments cube, which asks a series of increasingly personal questions and punishes the partygoers for lying. While this does lead to some dramatic and dangerous moments toward the end of the episode, there's also plenty of funny and lighthearted ones as well, as numerous side characters, particularly Jackie and Janna, get a chance to shine. It's an especially good episode for Marco's longtime crush Jackie, who is surprisingly chill despite all the dramatic magical happenings around her, and we learn that she sort of has a crush on Marco, which is communicated indirectly toward the end of the episode, implied but not overtly stated. Before the later seasons, when the shipping storylines consumed the plot, Star vs. The Forces Of Evil had a real knack for this sort of indirect, slow burn character development, giving viewers lots of reasons to like all the characters and thus to get invested in our favorites. This was one of those episodes that showed a lot more than it told, and ended up as one of my overall favorites thanks to the spotlight it shined on some of the show's best characters.

#92: 'Round Springfield
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Show: The Simpsons
Original airdate: April 30, 1995

"Saxophone! He was a jazz musician! You didn't know him! Nobody knew him! But he was a great man, and I won't rest until all of Springfield knows the name Bleeding Gums Murphy!"

The all-time great Simpsons episodes blended humor with heart, and few in my opinion did that as well as 'Round Springfield, in which Lisa mourns the death of her friend, the jazz musician Bleeding Gums Murphy. The episode first sees Lisa visiting Murphy in the hospital to get inspiration for her upcoming jazz recital, while in the B-plot, Bart sues Krusty the Clown after being injured by a metal Krusty-O. These two plots come together in the end, but it's fun to see them both play out, as well as some other classic moments including Willie's classic "cheese eating surrender monkeys" line and Homer's quest to get a hot dog, in which it's revealed that the hot dog vendor follows him around everywhere he goes, including to funerals "Lady, he's putting my kids through college!" After Lisa is shattered by her friend's death, she desperately tries to get a hold of his only album to play over the radio, and in the end, we get one of the most heartfelt sibling bonding moments in the entire series, as Bart gives up his court settlement (a humorously low $500) to buy the album for Lisa, culminating in one of the series' best endings in which Lisa and Bleeding Gums (appearing from beyond the grave in a scene lampooning the recent Lion King movie) jam out to Carole King's "Jazzman" (its second appearance in the episode and one of the best uses of a licensed song in the entire show). This episode made me cry from both sadness and laughter, the hallmark of a true Simpsons classic.

'Round Springfield is indeed great! I don't think I'd pick it as one of my favorites, but it has a ton of great moments. Gotta love the hotdog vendor.

Also, I'm checking this topic every so often! I haven't seen most of the shows you've listed episodes so far, but I'll read any that I have seen. This ranking is a unique idea.

#91: Sunset
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Show: Breaking Bad
Original airdate: April 25, 2010

"This is my own private domicile, and I will not be harassed... bitch!"

This season 3 episode of Breaking Bad featured one of the tensest scenes in the entire series: Walt and Jesse, cornered by Hank and trapped in the RV they originally used to cook. They're saved only by the appearance of the lot's owner, Old Joe, who gives Hank and the viewers a lesson on the Fourth Amendment. There's so much at play here, with Walt just inches away from being caught, while Hank and Jesse taunt each other through the RV's locked door. Meanwhile, Gus is doing his best to keep his new cook Walt safe from the homicidal impulses of the Salamanca cousins, eventually pointing them toward a new target and leading into the events of the following episode. The RV scene is one of my favorite Breaking Bad scenes overall, the perfect mix of tension, high stakes, and just enough humor to relieve the overwhelming dread that pretty much everyone viewing the scene must have been feeling. Larry Hankin is incredible as Old Joe, providing one of the show's best cameos as he and Hank have a surprisingly articulate back and forth with one another, while Walt stews inside the RV. It seems like Walt and Jesse are well and truly screwed, and indeed, Vince Gilligan admitted that he and the writing team had to spend quite a while brainstorming ways that their protagonists could get out of the situation, eventually settling on a solution that had consequences that rippled through the entire rest of the series, just like so many other seemingly small things in Breaking Bad. While many viewers indeed prefer One Minute, the episode taking place after Sunset, I think this episode's mix of tension and humor puts it just barely over its follow-up, though both are incredible episodes that rank among my favorites.

Is 'Round Springfield the episode where Homer picks up Lisa's saxophone and sings "Sax-a-ma-phone"? I have seen very little Simpsons in my day, but I remember seeing that episode once and that part has stuck with me for whatever reason.

ZaziGuado posted...

Is 'Round Springfield the episode where Homer picks up Lisa's saxophone and sings "Sax-a-ma-phone"? I have seen very little Simpsons in my day, but I remember seeing that episode once and that part has stuck with me for whatever reason.

That's Lisa's Sax, another great episode that ends with another great song ("Baker Street" in this case).

#90: Northwest Mansion Mystery
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Show: Gravity Falls
Original airdate: February 16, 2015

"Our family name is broken! And I'm gonna fix it!"

I'm a sucker for mean girl characters turning good, which seems to be an archetype as of late, but one I'm quite pleased to see whenever it shows up. Pacifica Northwest was one of those characters, who'd already shown a smidge of kindness in the minigolf episode earlier in the season, but it was in Northwest Mansion Mystery where she really got to shine. Interestingly enough, this episode was directed by Matt Braly, who'd later go on to create Amphibia! Anywho, the episode focuses on a party in the Northwests' ritzy mansion, which happens to be inhabited by a vengeful ghost. Pacifica recruits Dipper's help to thwart the ghost, but Dipper is understandably reluctant to do so because of Pacifica's long history of being, well, a jerk. However, as the episode progresses, we see Pacifica actually opening up to Dipper, while we learn her troubled history of abuse from her parents, who have conditioned her to do what they say by ringing a bell. I was already feeling somewhat sympathetic to Pacifica even before this episode, so... yeah, once I realized that a lot of her behavior was the result of her parents' abuse, I really wanted her to get better, and this episode didn't disappoint, with a really fun ending and Pacifica turning over a new leaf. Unfortunately, season 2 didn't give us much more of Pacifica, choosing instead to focus on the Pines family and the grand mystery arc, but fanfic writers have filled in the gaps well enough. This episode would probably be somewhat higher on the list if the show had utilized Pacifica more afterward, but as it stands, it's still one of my favorite episodes in the series, giving the rich girl her chance to shine.

#89: Ballad Of Fallen Angels
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Show: Cowboy Bebop
Original airdate (US): September 24, 2001

When angels are forced out of heaven, they become devils. You agree, dont you Spike?

Before Ballad Of Fallen Angels, Cowboy Bebop was already a really fun show. It started off with four excellent stand-alone episodes that introduced Spike, Jet, and Faye, and I kind of had an idea of how this show was going to play out, but Session 5 definitely added a lot more complexity as it revealed Spike's past as a high-ranking member of a powerful crime syndicate, and introduced his rival Vicious, a far more dangerous foe than any of the bounties the crew had faced so far. It also featured the best music I'd heard to date, particularly "Rain", an ominous, poignant ballad that truly punctuated the stakes of Spike's confrontation in the cathedral and is just a badass song in general. And... wow, the fight itself was spectacular, ending in a dramatic stalemate that saw Spike flung out the window seemingly to his doom, while Vicious disappeared to parts unknown. While we didn't get a resolution of the conflict, we learned so much about Spike, and yet were left with even more mysteries. Even Faye, relegated to the role of hostage in the showdown, got her chance to shine, showing a brief glimmer of how much she's starting to care for Spike. The episode was a thrilling introduction to Cowboy Bebop's "myth arc", adding some heavy emotional gravity to the show that would only get heavier as the story progressed. The music and imagery blended to create one of the show's most thrilling sequences, and I still have Rain playing in my head to this day.

#88: Good Times With Weapons
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Show: South Park
Original airdate: March 17, 2004

"Hey hey, let's go, kenka suru!
Taisetsu na mono, protect my balls!"

An uproariously funny South Park classic, Good Times With Weapons lampoons anime heavily as the boys purchase weapons from the county fair and battle it out as if they were real anime superheroes, set to a hilarious nonsense Engrish song. The episode came out at pretty much the peak of my anime obsession, so I could definitely appreciate all the tropes that were parodied as the animation shifted back and forth from epic anime styling to the typical South Park look, and it was quite hilarious to see the shift from a ferocious clash with special effects and realistic weapons to the two groups of boys just playing pretend with their very real weapons... of course, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, and that's exactly what happened to poor Butters, who tried to put on his Professor Chaos costume and join the fray. Even more dark comedy ensues as the boys try to keep from getting in trouble, culminating in a final scene in which the show makes its opinion known on the then-recent Janet Jackson Super Bowl scandal. SPOILERS: The parents are much more offended by Cartman running around naked than they are by Butters nearly dying... which is to be expected from a show as utterly ludicrous as South Park. From this episode's skewering of anime tropes (while also paying homage to Trey Parker's favorites) to its brilliantly communicated message, to the catchy, gut-bustingly funny "Let's Fighting Love", this episode truly had it all, and takes a deserved place among the fandom's favorite episodes and mine as well.

#87: Almost Got 'Im
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Show: Batman: The Animated Series
Original airdate: November 10, 1992

"There I was, holed up in this quarry, when Batman came nosin' around! He was gettin' closer, closer... I threw a rock at him!"

Structured in some ways like a clip show, but very, very much original, Almost Got 'Im features some of the most memorable figures in Batman's rogues gallery, swapping stories about how they almost defeated Batman, and discussing theories about his origin. It's an amazing look into how some of these villains interact, with Joker, Two-Face, the Penguin, and Poison Ivy all at their finest here... and then there's Killer Croc, who delivers one of the funniest moments in the series' history and, as it turns out, it's not ACTUALLY Killer Croc... For an episode which seems quite simple at first glance, an anthology series of Batman battling his various enemies, there are more twists and turns than almost any other episode of the series, with the big twist at the end turning this episode on its head and giving Catwoman some of her most memorable moments of the show as well. An iconic episode of one of the most iconic animated shows of all time, Almost Got 'Im works on numerous levels, a great episode for Batman and his foes alike. It's of course only appropriate that I mention the recently departed Kevin Conroy here, and though he didn't have a lot of voiced lines in this episode, he remains pitch perfect in his performance here alongside the talented actors who voiced some of Batman's fiercest foes. An outstanding episode that wound up being much more than the some of its parts, its reputation amongst the fanbase is truly well deserved.

#86: 16 Chefs Compete/15 Chefs Compete
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Show: Hell's Kitchen
Original airdate: July 21, 2009

"I'm not no bitch!"

First things first, a confession: I cheated a little bit with this particular ranking. In addition to this actually being TWO episodes (aired as part of the two-hour season 6 premiere special), but I've also tacked on a bit of next week's episode, as the actual episode itself ended in a cliffhanger halfway through the epic confrontation. And what epic confrontation am I referring to? Well, it can speak for itself, but it knows what it is. Of course, I'm talking about Joseph, a hotheaded ex-Marine (yeah yeah, no such thing as an ex-Marine, but this dude disgraced the Corps with his behavior) vs. Chef Gordon Ramsay himself, which started when Chef Ramsay asked him to explain why the two people nominated by his team for elimination were nominated. But even disregarding that, this season premiere was already amazing, Chef Ramsay's mid-service elimination of Louis during the very first service would've already made this a top-flight episode, and season 6 in general was just awesome with three of the best chefs in the history of the show (Dave, Ariel, and Kevin, at least before he was invited back in a later All-Stars season and flopped like the Monstars had stolen his cooking talent). So yeah... this season was already off to a great start even BEFORE Joseph's all-time meltdown in which he straight up challenged Chef Ramsay to a fight, cussed him out (and got cussed out right back), and was tossed out right then and there. This was the greatest episode in Hell's Kitchen history and the highlight of my favorite overall season. Chef Ramsay, clearly, is nobody's bitch.

#85: The Boiling Rock (Part 1 and 2)
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Show: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Original airdate: July 16, 2008

"My first girlfriend turned into the moon."
"That's rough, buddy."

The Boiling Rock proved to be a pivotal point in Avatar: The Last Airbender, an epic two-part adventure starring Sokka and Zuko that would ultimately lead into the final stretch of episodes, but I admit that my affection for this particular episode stems from one thing mainly: it's the episode that finally resolved the mystery of just what happened to Suki after her capture late in season 2. Many fans speculated that Azula had killed her off, but ultimately, she ended up being taken to the Boiling Rock prison, along with Sokka's dad, and her reunion with Sokka (which culminated in a sweet kiss) was the perfect way to reintroduce Suki to the show and ultimately to enlist her into the Gaang. She then got to have one of the show's most badass moments, climbing the walls like Spider-Man and subduing the prison's warden in a manner of seconds... yeah, Suki was pretty cool. The episode also showed just how close Zuko was becoming with the Gaang, giving him and Sokka a chance to team up on an important mission, and their dynamic was quite engaging, with Zuko's seriousness and Sokka's sense of humor complimenting each other perfectly. Combined with an epic moment for Mai and Ty Lee, and this two parter was the complete package, one of my favorite Avatar episodes and the episode I'd been waiting to see for a very long time.

#84: Telephonies
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Show: The Powerpuff Girls
Original airdate: December 23, 1998

"Powerpuff Girls! You're not gonna believe this! The Gangreen Gang, Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins, and Him are fighting right here in my office!"

The Gangreen Gang were always some of my favorite villains from The Powerpuff Girls. They weren't very tough, they didn't have much in the way of superpowers, they were just a group of assholes who played pranks and messed with the girls and the citizens of Townsville, but their antics were always hilarious, and never moreso than when they managed to get their hands on the Powerpuff phone in this classic episode of the show. After tricking the Mayor out of his office, they call up the Powerpuff Girls, telling them various villains are causing trouble, and prompting the Powerpuff Girls to show up and beat the crap out of them. While it's always fun to see the girls show up in the nick of time to foil the villains' plans, it's actually even MORE fun to see them show up when these villains are just trying to enjoy a day off! The Gangreen Gang took trolling to an epic level in this one, and there wasn't a single moment that went by that I wasn't laughing my ass off at seeing the girls put a beatdown on "innocent" villains. By the end, when the villains finally figured out what was going on, the Gang got their just desserts, while the Powerpuff Girls just wanted to sleep, leaving the poor mayor trapped in his office with a bunch of brawling foes. The "fight" between the Gang and the villains (which was more like a one sided beatdown) was hilarious in its own right, with the bit where Lil Arturo was just flying through the air with a blank expression on his face proving particularly funny. The Powerpuff Girls truly was at its best when it was at its funniest, and it's never been funnier than when the Gangreen Gang made some hilarious prank calls.

#83: White Light (Part 1 and 2)
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Show: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Original airdate: October 17-18, 1994

"Tommy has proven himself to be worthy and true. His courage, strength, and honor allowed us to choose him to be the new White Ranger. This time, his powers have been created by the light of goodness, and can never be taken away by the forces of evil."

I remember the hype for this episode being so big that an article about it even showed up in the newspaper, which my dad read to me the week before it was set to air. I was so excited to see it and find out who the new White Ranger was going to be, though in retrospect, I should've known it would be Tommy all along. There'd already been an episode earlier in the season about him losing his powers for good, and I figured they'd find a way to bring them back, but it was still amazing to see Tommy, the former evil Green Ranger, become not only the new White Ranger, but the leader of the team! And of course, the episode was a two-parter, and Power Rangers two parters always got me hyped back in the day. The monster of the day was a fun one too, Nimrod and its two partners gave the Megazord a good thrashing, but in the end, Tommy saved the day, we got to see the epic Mega Tigerzord in action, and Bulk and Skull even tried to free Rita from her dumpster, setting up some fun storylines for later. I do look back a bit sadly on this old classic after the recent tragic death of Jason David Frank, but I still have a ton of fond memories of the greatest Power Ranger of all time, and this is where Tommy finally became a full-time member of the team, making it a landmark in Power Rangers history.

#82: Pokemon, I Choose You!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/5/5/AAAG8cAAD8y_.jpg

Show: Pokemon
Original airdate (US): September 8, 1998

"Spearows, do you know who I am? I am Ash, from the town of Pallet! I am destined to be the world's number one Pokemon master! I can't be defeated by the likes of you! I'm going to capture and defeat you all, you hear me? Pikachu, go inside the Pokeball, it's the only way! COME AND GET ME!"

Pokemon had, in my opinion, one of the best first episodes of any anime, period. It introduced us all to Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu, as well as Misty, whose iconic first encounter with Ash involved him stealing and destroying her bike and never paying her back! Actually, Misty apparently DOES get her bike back later on, go figure. Ash and Pikachu don't get along too well at first, making for some cute and humorous moments as Ash struggles to get the little yellow rat to just go inside its Pokeball! Of course, this leads to them running afoul of a horde of Spearows, leading to one of the greatest moments in anime history: Ash protecting Pikachu by standing up to the flock of vicious birds, and Pikachu unleashing the first hint of its incredible power, saving them both! It's honestly a fairly simple and predictable episode, but it's presented so perfectly that it really gets viewers hooked and wanting to see where Ash's journey goes next. As for me, I actually didn't get into Pokemon until about a month after the anime started, so I didn't get to see this episode until the second time around, but even then it left a huge impression on me, instantly becoming my favorite of the show. Considering just how far Ash and Pikachu have come together, this episode still resonates all these years later, and is a must watch for any fan (fortunately, The Pokemon Company have been gracious enough to upload it to Youtube to watch for free, so... go watch it!).

#81: Mother's Day
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Show: Rugrats
Original airdate: May 9, 1997

"My sweet, little Chuckie, though I must leave you behind me
This poem will tell you where you always can find me.
When a gentle wind blows, that's my hand on your face.
And when the tree gives you shade, that's my sheltering embrace.
When the sun gives you freckles, that's me tickling my boy.
When the rain wets your hair, those are my tears of joy.
When the long grass enfolds you, that's me holding you tight.
When the Whippoorwill sings, that's me whispering, 'Night, night.'"

Early episode retcons notwithstanding, the current whereabouts of Chuckie Finster's mother was one of the biggest mysteries of Rugrats, and we got a definitive answer for that mystery in the Mother's Day special, one of several special Rugrats episodes produced between the initial run and the 1997 revival. The episode was released at the peak of my own love of the show, and I also wondered where Chuckie's mom was and whether or not she'd ever return. I knew her death could be a possibility, but I held out hope that she was alive, and unfortunately, that was not to be... but the episode did an amazing job touching on the subject of death while also showing the other moms on the show and their own relationships with their kids. Chaz's reluctance to discuss his dearly departed wife with Chuckie is completely understandable, and the way it's ultimately handled, with Chuckie coming to accept his mom's death while still realizing she'll always be there for him is one of the most heartfelt and poignant moments in Nickelodeon history. The B-plot, with a mom computer that was ultimately overloaded after Betty tried to program it with her own knowledge about being a mother, was also excellently executed and provided some much needed comic relief to the gravitas of the main Chuckie storyline. All in all, Rugrats was never a show to shy away from the realities of life and death, and that was never more apparent than in this excellent Mother's Day special.

#80: Titan Rising
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Show: Teen Titans
Original airdate: February 28, 2004

"I have to meditate every day to keep my powers under control. And I'm supposed to believe that you can just suddenly control yours? Trust is something you have to earn!"

Soooo... I really like Terra from the OG Teen Titans. I feel like she was painfully underutilized once she got on the team, making her inevitable betrayal much less impactful. And even with those issues, I really liked pretty much every episode she was in, including this, the second episode where she appears. She returns to Titans Tower some time after the events of the earlier episode "Terra", hoping to join the team, only... they don't trust her because she can't control her powers. This of course leads to a mission in which Terra gets to prove her worth, clashing with Raven all the while. We know about Terra's relationship with Beast Boy, but I think it's her relationship with Raven that's the most interesting, especially since, as Raven brings up, they both have trouble keeping their powers under control. Call it jealousy, call it caution, call it cynicism, Raven just can't believe that Terra can do it, and Terra's struggles to get Raven to trust her form the emotional core of this episode, with great voice acting performances from Ashley Johnson as Terra and Tara Strong as Raven (Ashley's Terra performance is definitely what made me a huge fan of hers as a voice actress and I'm so glad she's getting so many great roles now). I wish we'd gotten even more of the Raven/Terra dynamic, but it absolutely carries this episode, and even though Titan Rising is mostly used to set up the arc's climactic events, I feel it absolutely stands on its own as a great episode in its own right.

#79: The Monster You Created
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Show: Arcane
Original airdate: November 20, 2021

"Wanna know a secret? Silco thinks he made Jinx, with all his rants and hard-won lessons. 'Excise your doubts, Jinx. Be what they fear, Jinx.' Like everything was the same as when Vander left him. But he didn't make Jinx. You did."

I dragged my feet on watching Arcane for so long, even as friend after friend recommended it to me. I didn't think I'd get it, because I've never played League of Legends... but holy crap, was I wrong to wait as long as I did, and I'm glad I started watching. Every single episode of season 1 of Arcane is great, but it's the finale that stands above all the rest, the culmination of all the storylines that have been building up so far. Of course, it's the climactic tea party scene that gets all the attention, and it's fantastic, but there's so much more to love here, from Vi's fight with Sevika, to the conversations between Jayce and Viktor and Ambessa and Mel... so many conflicts, so much at stake with these amazing characters that have been slowly developed and fleshed out, setting up what I'm certain will be a fantastic second season... and then, yes, the tea party, in which Jinx makes all her grievances known, takes her revenge, makes Vi confront everything that's happened between them... there's so much going on just between Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn that it's sometimes easy to forget that Silco's there too... and then he's killed in fitting fashion, taking all those bullets from the monster he helped to create, only for a heartbroken Jinx to immediately regret what she's done. We know what Vi wants, Vi wants her sister back but she also wants a life with Caitlyn, even if the two truly are "oil and water", but Jinx is torn in so many different directions, which is what makes this scene so tense, so heartbreaking, and even after Vi and Caitlyn are out of immediate danger.... well, there's that cliffhanger, one of the most painful cliffhangers ever, and maybe, just maybe, a point of no return for Jinx. Very few season finales have wrapped up so much while leaving so many new unanswered questions, and Arcane's first one puts an exclamation point on an amazing first season.

#78: Poor And Stupid
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Show: South Park
Original airdate: October 6, 2010

"Get out the way, ya idjits, I'm tryin' ta win this damn thing!"

Every once in a while, an episode of South Park just "clicks" with me, and Poor And Stupid, an absolutely hilarious spoof of NASCAR and its fans, had me in stitches for a half hour straight. The premise of the episode is as simple as it is ludicrous: Cartman dreams of becoming a NASCAR driver, but is in dismay because he doesn't believe himself to be "poor and stupid" enough to be one. He enlists Butters to help him, by giving away all his money and by making himself stupid by ingesting Vagisil because a commercial claims it will give him temporary memory loss. He then steals a NASCAR during a race, wrecks it, and because of the notoriety this earns him, the inventor of Vagisil sponsors him as a full-time NASCAR driver. The events that transpire during this entire sequence are comedy gold, and while it seems like the premise of the episode is to skewer NASCAR drivers, indeed, when the drivers themselves show up, they're actually quite articulate and intelligent, while Cartman's utterly over-the-top stupidity earns him the ire of his fellow drivers and the news media alike. The Vagisil inventor himself is equally hilarious and eminently quotable ("Every day! EVERY DAY!"), Butters is constantly funny as Cartman's crew chief, Kenny's attempts to stop Cartman while somehow avoiding getting killed add even more comedic spice, and this episode overall is just an example of how South Park often times will pay tribute and respect to something at the same time that it relentlessly skewers it. While Poor And Stupid got middling reviews and doesn't go down as an all-time great amongst the fandom, I couldn't stop laughing, and even watching clips to refresh myself for this write-up had me cracking up. It's a personal favorite for me, and deserves this ranking on my list.

RySenkari posted...

87: Almost Got 'Im

Truly a great episode. Glad to see this made the list

#77: All In
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Show: Amphibia
Original airdate: May 7, 2022

"So what? I'm supposed to give up? Stop feeling things? Like you? Honestly, I pity you! You shut yourself off from the rest of the world, didn't you? A thousand years of suffering. Of burying your feelings. Of hating yourself. That must have been hard."

The climactic episode of Amphbia, All In brought together all the major storylines and characters for an epic final battle, and though Season 3 had its rocky parts, All In just about managed to make all of that worth it with its heavy emotional gravitas and unparalleled action. It saw Anne, Sasha, and their friends and allies return to Earth to stop King Andrias from taking over Earth, and also to save Marcy from being possessed by the Core. The stakes couldn't have been higher, and Anne and Sasha both had their seperate battles to fight, while the Plantars and even Anne's parents had their own roles to play. If I'm being honest, I'd have had this episode take place earlier in the season, because while the ramped up tension from Marcy not being rescued earlier on did add a lot to the overall emotional impact, and while her reunion with Sasha and Anne was probably my favorite scene in the entire series, I think they deserved to spend a lot more time teamed up to fight together, and the overall finale The Hardest Thing ended up being anticlimactic because of it, making the third season somewhat of a missed opportunity. Still, for all of Amphibia's flaws, I still loved All In, I cheered so many times, I even cried a little, and instead of being a reminder of what could have been, I see this outstanding penultimate episode as one of the few times Amphibia reached its full potential.

#76: Helga On The Couch
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Show: Hey Arnold!
Original airdate: December 4, 1999

"Okay, so you hear my anger, so I get angry. I already told you that I've got a lame mom, a blowhard dad and a perfect sister. So they make me mad. Big deal!"

What happens when a cartoon character who needs therapy actually... gets therapy? Helga On The Couch is a brilliant, poignant, and sorely needed episode of Hey Arnold! for so many reasons, and it remains one of the most profoundly brilliant cartoon episodes ever written. After Helga punches Brainy one too many times, she's recommended for counseling by the child psychologist Dr. Bliss, and what follows is a thorough examination of one of the greatest Nicktoon characters ever created, as we finally get to see the girl open up to an adult she can trust. The flashbacks to Helga's early childhood of neglect and subtle abuse are heartbreaking, and the explanation for why Helga feels the way she does about Arnold (he's the first boy who was ever nice to her) makes perfect sense considering just how awful her early childhood really was. I love the character of Dr. Bliss and how she's able to get Helga to open up to her, her promise that she'll never reveal what Helga tells her, and just being the person that this troubled young girl truly needs. I absolutely headcanon that Helga continued going to Dr. Bliss all throughout her teenage years and that it helped her to become a much more well-adjusted person despite her parents' abuse, and I feel like later Helga moments, especially what we see of her in The Jungle Movie are a direct result of this continued therapy. I wish more cartoons would do episodes like this, because as we've already seen, there are lots of characters out there who could definitely use some therapy.

#75: Day 3: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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Show: 24
Original airdate: May 11, 2004

"Just because you sacrificed your wife for this job doesn't mean I'm going to sacrifice mine!"

Up to this point, I had been a fan of 24, but not a totally diehard fan. There had been some EXCELLENT episodes (one in particular will be discussed later), but oftentimes I'd get sucked in and then fall back out from watching as my excitement died down. However, one particular stretch of episodes in the second half of the show's third season sucked me in for good, and 24 has been my favorite show of all time ever since. This episode, third-to-last of the third season, was the culmination of that incredible stretch. Up to this point, some truly crazy shit had gone down, including Jack Bauer being forced to kill one of his bosses at the behest of a terrorist leader, Bauer then kidnapping that terrorist leader's daughter and threatening to throw her into the hotel the terrorist had contaminated with a virus, and the terrorist leader then having Jack's friend Tony's wife Michelle Dessler kidnapped, forcing Tony to go rogue and sabotage CTU's attempt to catch him. This episode represents the culmination of that conflict, with Jack forced to go after Tony, Tony racing against the clock to save Michelle, and the terrorist leader Stephen Saunders threatening to deploy even more vials of his deadly virus. This episode was a nonstop rush, with Jack and Tony alternating between working together and being at each other's throats... and meanwhile, Michelle was a badass in her own right, orchestrating an escape attempt, only for Jack to realize that her escape would cause his plan to catch Saunders to go awry, causing even MORE tension between Jack and Tony. There were still two more episodes to go in the season, but I feel like the season peaked here, and 24 would only get better in subsequent seasons (and then worse, and then better again... but it was always awesome).

a S3 episode of 24 that isn't 6am-7am comes as a big surprise...

SeabassDebeste posted...

a S3 episode of 24 that isn't 6am-7am comes as a big surprise...

That one was another great one, I just preferred the later stretch following Michelle's kidnapping a bit more. The tension between Jack and Tony during those episodes was incredible.

#74: The Passion Of Reverend Ruckus
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Show: The Boondocks
Original airdate: March 19, 2006

"I've never prayed before. I don't even know who I'm praying to. Maybe I'm too young to know what the world is supposed to be... but it's not supposed to be this. It can't be this. So, please..."

The Boondocks came out of the gate strong in 2005 with an excellent and bitingly funny first season, touching on the topics of race relations, poverty, criminal justice, and celebrity culture. It was never as crude as South Park but at times it could be just as controversial, and in the first season finale, Uncle Ruckus, an elderly self-hating racist black man, is stricken with cancer and given a vision of "White Heaven", in which Ronald Reagan comes to him in a dream and tells him to start a church devoted to hating his own race). At the same time, Huey is attempting to free a friend of his from prison who's set to be executed, and he comes up with a plan to violently raid the prison and bust his friend out. Uncle Ruckus is often a ludicrous character, spewing some of the most vile, racist things imaginable, but this episode turns him up to 11 to darkly humorous effect, eventually starting a race riot at his new church just as Huey learns he won't be able to reach his friend in time. The final sequence of the episode is set to the beautiful "Say I Believe In It", performed by Isabelle Antena, and is perhaps the most emotional moment in the show, as Huey, normally a stoic and serious character who's never had a religious belief in his life up to this point, falls to his knees in tears and starts praying for a miracle. I won't spoil the miracle itself, but suffice it to say that Reverend Ruckus' new church ends in fitting fashion, while Huey finds at least a spark of faith. The Boondocks often found refuge in audacity, but it was perhaps at its best when it briefly revealed its deeply emotional soul, and The Passion Of Reverend Ruckus laid that soul completely bare for all to see. A brilliant way to end the show's first season, though, unfortunately, it was rarely this good afterwards.

#73: Kid TV
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Show: Rugrats
Original airdate: May 8, 1994

"Just a moment, we have an update... it seems that, um, if brains were gasoline, Lil wouldn't have enough to power an ant's motorcycle around the outside of a penny!"

Sometimes, Rugrats could deliver emotional, hard-hitting episodes like Mother's Day that could make you cry. And, most of the time, Rugrats could deliver hilarious episodes of the babies playing pretend that could make you cry with laughter. Kid TV was of the latter type, and of all the "the Rugrats manage to make their own fun by pretending elaborate make-believe scenarios" episodes there were (and there were a lot), this was my favorite by far. It poked fun at a huge variety of different television show genres and movies, filtered through the babies' interpretations of all the TV they've seen. You've got Chuckie doing the evening news, Tommy doing a game show, Angelica pretending to sell perfume, the twins performing a soap opera (and then Angelica trying to force them to turn it into a literal opera by singing)... this episode was just 100% fun through and through, filled with tons of funny moments as each of the babies imbued their own personalities into their pretend TV shows, and had much more fun than they would've had watching the busted television itself. My favorite bit was probably the news segment that Chuckie did, as he talked about seemingly ordinary events such as the broken television and Spike getting into a fight with all the gravitas of the Kennedy assassination, before Phil and Lil hijacked his broadcast with their increasingly petty arguments. Kid TV captures the essence of just why old school Rugrats was so great: when you're a baby, everything seems serious but also magical, and the babies made so much magic out of a cardboard box that it proved to be one of the best sequences of television I've ever seen.

RySenkari posted...

The Gangreen Gang were always some of my favorite villains from The Powerpuff Girls. They weren't very tough, they didn't have much in the way of superpowers, they were just a group of assholes who played pranks and messed with the girls and the citizens of Townsville, but their antics were always hilarious, and never moreso than when they managed to get their hands on the Powerpuff phone in this classic episode of the show. After tricking the Mayor out of his office, they call up the Powerpuff Girls, telling them various villains are causing trouble, and prompting the Powerpuff Girls to show up and beat the crap out of them. While it's always fun to see the girls show up in the nick of time to foil the villains' plans, it's actually even MORE fun to see them show up when these villains are just trying to enjoy a day off! The Gangreen Gang took trolling to an epic level in this one, and there wasn't a single moment that went by that I wasn't laughing my ass off at seeing the girls put a beatdown on "innocent" villains. By the end, when the villains finally figured out what was going on, the Gang got their just desserts, while the Powerpuff Girls just wanted to sleep, leaving the poor mayor trapped in his office with a bunch of brawling foes. The "fight" between the Gang and the villains (which was more like a one sided beatdown) was hilarious in its own right, with the bit where Lil Arturo was just flying through the air with a blank expression on his face proving particularly funny. The Powerpuff Girls truly was at its best when it was at its funniest, and it's never been funnier than when the Gangreen Gang made some hilarious prank calls.

I loved the ending narration to this one. "And so, once again, the day is saved, thanks to... Mojo Jojo, Him and Fuzzy Lumpkins?"

#72: iMake Sam Girlier
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Show: iCarly
Original airdate: April 11, 2009

"Sam... rip her head off!"

I get that this choice is going to be controversial, especially with all the recent headlines about Dan Schneider and Jennette McCurdy, but I used to love iCarly back in the day, and despite everything, this episode still sticks out in my mind as a favorite. The plot is fairly simple: Sam has a crush on a boy at school, but is worried she's too much of a tomboy for him, so she enlists Carly's help to make her "girlier". However, this coincides with the arrival of a new bully at school, a big girl who Sam would normally destroy, but can't lift a finger to fight without potentially alienating her crush. Suffice it to say, at the end of the episode, Sam has a reason to fight after the bully shoves Carly, and I'm gonna be honest here, this is my favorite moment in the whole series. Carly just has to say the word, and Sam utterly destroys this much bigger girl. I've always been a sucker for the Sam/Carly ship, and even though the show got hung up on shipping Freddy with both of them, I always held out hope that the two best friends would eventually get together. It wasn't to be (and now never will, because Jennette retired from acting and for good reason), but the recent iCarly revival proves that in the hands of a different showrunner than creepy Dan Schneider, the show itself still has potential to be good. It never lived up to that potential, but don't think I wasn't cheering when Sam laid the smackdown on that bully for her best friend.

Underleveled posted...

I loved the ending narration to this one. "And so, once again, the day is saved, thanks to... Mojo Jojo, Him and Fuzzy Lumpkins?"

Yeah, I remember cracking up at that. The villains on this show were so good.

#71: Scott Tenorman Must Die
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Show: South Park
Original airdate: July 11, 2001

"I came just in time to see Mr. Denkins giving his report to Officer Barbrady; and of course, to steal the bodies. After a night with the hacksaw, I was all ready to put on my Chili Con Carnival, so that I could tell you personally about your parents' demise! And of course, feed you my chili. Do you like it? Do you like it, Scott? I call it 'Mr. & Mrs. Tenorman Chili.'"

EVERY South Park fan remembers where they were when they saw this episode, the one that changed pretty much everything for the series and for the character of Eric Cartman. It started out so innocently, with an older kid messing with Cartman, leading to an escalating series of schemes and pranks in which Scott Tenorman always seemed to get the best of young Eric, and the elaborate scheme at the end of the episode was one in which we all thought Eric would take the biggest L of all, capping off what had, until this point, had been a fairly standard, amusing, but standard South Park episode... and then... yeah. That final speech, that final reveal, in which we all learned that Eric Cartman wasn't just a selfish spoiled brat racist jerk, but an evil sociopath capable of some of the most twisted deeds in television history. I remember sitting there after the episode, jaw dropped, wondering what the hell I'd just seen... and then laughing my ass off for a good thirty seconds or so. This episode took Cartman's antics and the show itself to a place even South Park had never been before, and Cartman's been a manipulative, evil little bastard ever since. I remember after the episode was over, wanting to rewatch it immediately, but in the days before on-demand, I had to wait for a rerun.. but yeah, I'll always watch this one every time it's on. Cartman's the character you love to hate, or maybe hate to love, and Scott Tenorman Must Die still ranks as one of his all time most memorable acts of evil.

Tagging! There's a lot here I haven't seen (almost exclusively the cartoons, except for Kitchen Nightmare) and a lot of nostalgia. I was toying with the idea of doing a topic like this a few months ago, remember getting bogged down by 'favorites,' 'best,' and struggling with storylines that run through more than one episode in some cases.

I might attempt again and not worry so much. It definitely wouldn't have as many recent episodes as this, though! Loving how 2018-2022 is represented!

Episodes w/Comments:
98. Gliding Over All - That ten month wait for literal shit to drop. Insane. So much credit to Aaron Paul for his reactions throughout, too.

95. Piedmon's Last Jest - Yay, Digimon, yay Digimon! Some absolutely fantastic moments for sure, and I love how Gomamon of all characters gets extra time. TK's crest finally activating is... mm. Like a lot that happens in the Dark Masters arc, it's slightly undercut by constant overplaying of certain songs. It's definitely not as egregious as when the music plays for Wargreymon showing up to fight, throwing a Nova Blast, then promptly getting tailslapped the fuck out (iirc). I love Digimon, but... the final season is tough to listen, and that extends into Season 2... which is weird because I still love the music just not the abundance of it. Like Christmas music working retail.

85. The Boiling Rock - Definitely amazing, I really enjoy prison escape stories with the high-wire intensity, complex and creative figuring out how to break out, and all the monkey wrenches that get tossed in the way. Zuko and Sokka are amazing together.

84. Telephonies - If there's one episode on this list I feel the absolute need to watch, it's this one. I remember nothing about it but can absolutely picture the chaos. Powerpuff Girls is such an incredible show.

83. White Light - Power Rangers knew how to hype shows. From 'Evil Green Ranger Saga' to 'The Mutiny' to 'White Light' to 'A Different Shade of Pink' and especially to Power Rangers Zeo (you gotta see it, it's coming!), advertising made for appointment television. 'White Light' is so, so many things that I could go on at length about. Maybe some other day. Also has one of the best unmorphed fight scenes, especially Zack.

Episodes w/o Comments:
91. Sunset - So tense, tons of anxiety.
89. Ballad of Fallen Angels - Rain.
87. Almost Got 'Im - It was a big rock.
82. I Choose You Pikachu - Smell ya later!

Episodes I'm 100% Certain I've Seen, But Remember Zero (minus Telephonies cuz I want to see that most)
81. Mother's Day
76. Helga on the Couch
75. 10:00am-11:00am
73. Kid TV

Mega_Mana posted...

especially to Power Rangers Zeo

I've got a story about that.

I was sooooo hyped for Power Rangers Zeo. That two month cliffhanger after the Command Center exploded, I was going CRAZY! I had no clue when the next season would premiere, then they started showing all those hype videos and I got amped up!

The day of the premiere was nerve-wracking. I endure the longest school day of my life, then I go to my friend's house like I always did. We were gonna watch the episode together.

About ten minutes before it comes on, my mom comes in and says "we gotta go, we gotta run an errand". I'm flipping out. Our house was right across the street and I was yelling "just let me go home and put a tape in, just let me go home and put a tape in!" No dice. I beg them to let me stay at my friend's house and watch. Nope, I gotta go with mom and dad on the errand.

What was the errand?

They were going to the bank. They had to make a deposit. IIRC, it wasn't something like "we have to put in some money or we'll be overdrawn". Nope, dad just got home from work and he wanted to get his errand out of the way, and he didn't want to wait the five minutes it would've taken me to go across the street to our house and put a tape in. Mom didn't want to leave me at a friend's house since they wouldn't have an easy way to reach me if something happened.

Nope, I had to miss the episode I'd been hyped about for months because dad wanted to get his errand done five minutes faster.

I was able to see part two the next day but I had no clue what was going on, and it put a damper on the first two weeks of Zeo for me since I'd missed that episode.

26 years later, and I'm STILL pissed at them for making me miss that damn episode.

;.; Sorry

#70: Changing Of The Zords (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/8/9/AAAG8cAAD9JZ.jpg

Show: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Original airdate: October 31-November 2, 1995

"I don't get more serious than this, Zedd!"

Smack dab in the middle of the third season of the original Mighty Morphin' series is this three part episode that not only continues the ongoing Kat story arc, but also introduces the Shogunzords, the final generation of Zords in the original Mighty Morphin' era. While it's not quite as momentous as the other episodes that introduced new Zords, it makes up for that and then some with some outstanding character moments, both for Katherine (who will be developed even more in future episodes), and for Tommy and Kimberly, with this arc providing some of the best moments for them. After Kat swipes Kimberly's Power Coin, severing her link to her powers, she has to confide in Tommy, who has experienced the exact same thing with the loss of his powers in the past, and it's a true bonding moment for them, as the other Rangers are forced to pilot the Shogunzords, which are initially under Lord Zedd's control. Though there's a pretty exciting Zords vs. monster fight in part three when the new Shogunzords battle the See Monster, the true epic battle is when Tommy goes one on one against Lord Zedd to save Kimberly's life. It's one of the few times we actually see Lord Zedd fight, and there's even some fun banter between them, when Zedd lampshades the Rangers always saying "hi-yah!" during their moves, and even doing it himself during the fight to mock Tommy. Of course, Tommy saves the day, and the episode ends with a heartfelt walk on the beach between the two. I always had a real soft spot for this three-parter due to its mix of character development, action, and romance, and it comfortably makes it onto the list, leaving me with even more fond memories of Jason David Frank's performance.

Oh goodie more ranger stuff. That Zeo story _.

I'd still be pissed too!

#69: The Future
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/2/2/AAAG8cAAD9J6.jpg

Show: Steven Universe Future
Original airdate: March 27, 2020

"Wherever you end up, we will visit you to talk, to listen, to be there, whenever you need us. We love you, Steven."

For all its flaws, Steven Universe Future still managed to capture the charm and sweetness of the original series, and by the time the show was ready for its big finale, it was still so hard to say goodbye. Steven has conquered his final enemy: his own insecurities and fears, as his friends and loved ones all helped him overcome his internal turmoil in I Am My Monster, and after therapy, he's now ready to leave Beach City behind and see the world. This episode had so many treats for longtime fans, including a callback to the Cookie Cat rap from the very first episode, the long-awaited Connverse kiss, and finally, tearful and heartfelt goodbyes between Steven and his parents: his dad Greg, and of course, the three Crystal Gems who loved him and took care of him for so many years. It's just so sweet to see how much everyone loves each other, and that the Gems couldn't resist getting emotional as Steven left them behind. I was disappointed with Steven Universe Future, but even though the series left me with some bad feelings, I still loved the way it ended, with Steven finally able to be his own man and see the world, while still implying that he would spend time with his loved ones in the future. Capped off by a beautiful song as Steven says one last farewell to Beach City, and this finale left me misty-eyed, the end of a long and wonderful series, and a fitting goodbye to so many beloved characters.