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

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#30: Final Atonement
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Show: Dragonball Z
Original airdate (US): November 13, 2001

"You are a fool! I'm going to crush you, and throw you into the wind!"

Up to this point, Buu had been nigh unstoppable, demolishing everyone and everything in his path, and he'd set his sights on Vegeta, giving him a ruthless beating while Trunks was helpless to watch. It seemed as if we'd be witnessing another futile Vegeta beatdown, but no... this time, the Saiyan prince had something incredible up his sleeve. I was on the edge of my seat to see what Vegeta would do, but even before that epic final scene, this episode had so much to love, including Piccolo chopping down Babidi (he'd get better, unfortunately, but this was the beginning of the end for him)... but Vegeta's final sacrifice and the leadup to it took up the majority of the episode, and for good reason. We saw him talk to Piccolo about what would happen when he died, we saw him taunting Buu... and then, that final scene, when Vegeta declared his love for his family and even for Goku, before that incredible sacrifice... the brilliant explosion, so powerful it could be seen from space, so powerful it temporarily blinded Piccolo and Krillin... for a show where the stakes of death were so low, this episode did an amazing job communicating that this really could be the end of Vegeta for good, and giving him a fitting tribute with that heartbreaking end narration. This turned out to be the season finale when the US dub was aired, and this cliffhanger, leaving so much of the Buu saga left to go, was so painful when I watched it... I knew Buu was coming back, but in the meantime, I was left with one of the most badass death scenes in anime history.

Veggie had a stellar time all around in Buu saga.

#29: Season 5, Episode 16
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Show: Battlebots
Original airdate: December 7, 2002

"Without that blade, Hazard is not Hazard... and T-Minus flips him!"

I remember being so insanely hyped for this matchup, more than pretty much any Battlebots matchup ever. I'd been wanting to see Hazard vs. T-Minus ever since T-Minus first debuted in season 3, but painful near miss after painful near miss denied me this dream matchup. I remember being so scared for T-Minus in its quarterfinal matchup against Huggy Bear, but multiple flips later, and the match was set... and though it lasted all of 30 seconds, it did not disappoint! Hazard, the undefeated bot with its deadly horizontal blade, capable of tearing up a Battlebot in seconds, and T-Minus, the flipper capable of throwing robots across the arena... I knew this battle wouldn't last long, and one flip later, I was absolutely right! I was SCREAMING when Hazard got flipped, jumping up and down and cheering, while on the screen, T-Minus' drivers were going just as crazy. It was absolutely nuts, and even then, it was just the semifinals... T-Minus still had one match to go, against a bot called S.O.B., with a dustpan and saw design that would later inspire such bots as Skorpios and Sawblaze in the reboot... and though it put up a good fight, this match was a foregone conclusion, as T-Minus dominated to win the Giant Nut. This awesome episode of Battlebots is an example of something living up to my insane hype for it, and it remains one of my favorite episodes in Battlebots history.

#28: Rapunzel: Day One
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Show: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
Original airdate: March 24, 2019

"Who are you, and how did I get here?"

This episode is like a fanfic idea of mine come to life. Specifically, it sort of answers the question "What if Cassandra had been the one to find Rapunzel first instead of Eugene?" Due to a potion wiping out Rapunzel's memory, she wakes up believing that she's supposed to be back in her tower, and when she sees Cassandra, events unfold much like they did in the movie, at least the start of it. I was absolutely floored to see that the show actually went there... and then I was thrilled! I love the relationship between Rapunzel and Cassandra, and to see these events actually play out was a dream come true. Later, when Eugene and Lance show up, Rapunzel goes completely berserk and traps them, and it's hilarious to see how wild and resourceful she is when she thinks her friends are out to get her. Meanwhile, we get to see how Cassandra reacts to that initial happy go lucky Rapunzel, and... yeah, it's as sweet as it sounds. Seeing Cassandra just smiling as Rapunzel swings around a tree, it's clear she likes her as more than a friend, which makes the events of later episodes all the more tragic and painful. I know Rapunzel/Eugene is canon and always will be, but for just one episode, I got to imagine my ultimate "what if?" scenario, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

#27: Make Love, Not Warcraft
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Show: South Park
Original airdate: October 4, 2006

"How do you kill that which has no life?"

I'm not even much of a World Of Warcraft fan. Prior to seeing this episode, my only real exposure to the game had been via memes, YTMND, that sort of thing... but even though I wasn't part of the "worldwide phenomenon", this episode still had me in stitches, just for its skewering of gamer culture and its affectionate parody of one of the world's most popular games. The plot is fairly simple, the kids start playing World Of Warcraft but keep getting killed by a griefer, who has become far too powerful for even the game's admins to stop. What ensues is a furious grind by our heroes to build their levels high enough to take down the griefer, in a surprisingly exciting montage set to Paul Stanley's "Live To Win", a song that could've been in Rocky Balboa instead of a South Park episode. The brilliant use of machinima, done in coordination with Blizzard themselves, added to the effect of the episode, showing the kids' characters as if they were really part of the game and adding to the hilarity of the episode itself. Even Randy got involved in one of the best ever uses of his character, wanting to help his son in any way he could and eventually supplying Stan with a weapon from the admins to take the griefer down. Though this episode played out entirely in the virtual world, it made the stakes seem as if they couldn't be any higher, adding an element of epic to an otherwise completely meaningless struggle between hardcore World of Warcraft characters, and adding so much to the episode's humor. Never has South Park's ability to lampoon something while also paying tribute to it been displayed so brilliantly, making World of Warcraft players look like absolute nerds but also making their game look awesome and fun. It's one of the funniest episodes South Park has ever done, and probably my favorite of the whole series.

#26: The Devil Complex
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Show: Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Original airdate: March 23, 2018

"There are always risks involved... you know that, Jemma."

This episode had my jaw on the floor, and I don't think I picked it back up until several minutes after the end. We already knew that Fitz had mental issues, ever since Ward tried to kill him and Simmons at the end of season 1. We also knew about the Doctor, the alternate reality version of Fitz from the Framework, in which Fitz's father encouraged his worst impulses as a scientist. So, when the Fear Dimension opened up, spilling all sorts of evil madness into the underground lair that S.H.I.E.L.D. was holed up in, I naturally assumed that the Doctor was part of that, but that Fitz himself was a good guy, who'd always stand up to his worst impulses and who'd never hurt his friends. Holy shit, was I wrong. In one of the most agonizingly painful scenes in all of television history, we saw Daisy strapped to a table by a person we assumed was the Doctor, and Fitz was trying to stop him... and then we learned the horrifying truth: Fitz was the Doctor all along. To make matters worse, the painful operation being conducted on Daisy, in which she was literally screaming in agony and sobbing as she begged her friend not to perform it was a necessary evil.. a terrible necessary evil, but necessary to close the Fear Dimension, save the lives of everyone present inside the lair, and ultimately to save the world. The acting from Iain De Caestecker was incredible, I mean he should have won an Emmy for this episode, and let's not discount Chloe Bennet's heartwrenching performance, particularly her pained delivery of the line "I'll never forgive you", which is pretty much the exact same thing I wanted to tell the writers, and Elizabeth Henstridge, whose pain and love for Fitz and the turmoil going on in her head and heart were so brilliantly performed. Like... damn. This episode left me stunned, shocked, blown away, and that's not even counting all the stuff with Melinda and Coulson and General Hale and that Hydra tease. When Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was at its best, it could leave fans absolutely reeling, and it's just a shame that it ended up playing such a small overall role in the MCU, as I liked it better than any of the films.

i'm not crazy about majin vegeta vs buu, if only because it was just so meaningless and SO much story was still remaining at that point

#25: Chicanery
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Show: Better Call Saul
Original airdate: May 8, 2017

"You think this is bad? This? This chicanery? He's done worse. That billboard! Are you telling me that a man just happens to fall like that? No! HE orchestrated it! Jimmy! He DEFECATED through a SUNROOF! And I saved him! I shouldn't have. Took him into my own firm! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll NEVER change! Ever since he was nine, always the same! Couldn't keep his hands out of the cash drawer! But not our Jimmy! Couldn't be precious Jimmy! Stealing them blind! And HE gets to be a lawyer? What a sick joke! I should've stopped him when I had the chance!"

For an episode that takes place almost entirely inside a courtroom, Chicanery has more drama than almost any other television episode ever made. It's the culmination of the war between Jimmy McGill and his older brother Chuck, as Jimmy fights for his professional life at a bar hearing after breaking into Chuck's house and destroying a tape that represented evidence of felonious tampering. There's just so much going on in this war between the two brothers, and we know Jimmy has something up his sleeve, but we just don't know what. I knew it would have something to do with Chuck's mental illness, in which electric current gives him a sensation of pain, but I didn't know just how Jimmy was going to prove that Chuck was sick... until, of course, the moment it happened, the moment that Jimmy pointed out the fully charged battery that Huell had managed to sneak into his pocket, and the ensuing breakdown was one for the ages. I never liked Chuck, I always thought he was a pompous asshole who constantly got in the way of Jimmy's ambitions, and so of course I laughed and cheered at his downfall... but the events of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad went on to prove him right, in a way... but then again, did Chuck make Saul, or was Saul inevitable? The debates rage through the fandom to this day, and what side of that debate you're on likely effects how you feel about Chicanery, but for me, Chuck's downfall was the climax of the show, and I recommend watching the final segment of the courtroom scene with Phoenix Wright music and sound effects for maximum effect.

chuckposting is so, so good

he defecated through a sunroof

easily the best moment of the first half of the show! don't know i'd have it higher than crawl space though

also, i just saw that your snippet didn't begin with "I AM NOT CRAZY!"

#24: Arnold's Christmas
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Show: Hey Arnold!
Original airdate: December 11, 1996

"For pity's sake, are you that cold? Look into your heart, and we've got a choice here. Either you and I work all night to find a certain lost daughter, or you can leave now. But if you leave now, that little football-headed kid will never believe in miracles again."

Hey Arnold! has always been a show known for deeply emotional moments alongside some wild character-based humor, but this Christmas episode from the first season delivered such emotional weight that it would've been impossible for me to forget it, and impossible for me not to give it a high spot on my list. Every single time I see the ending of this episode, I cry. From the music, to the voice acting, everything about Mr. Hyunh's story (which alludes to the Vietnam War for goodness sake) is heartwrenching, and the helicopter scene, meant to be a reference to the real life Fall of Saigon, is something I never imagined I'd see in a Nickelodeon cartoon. Mr. Hyunh is forced to give up his daughter, and he hasn't seen her in 20 years, only living in the city in order to find her. Arnold wants to help find Mr. Hyunh's daughter for Christmas, but it won't be easy, and he and Gerald have to scour the city, doing odd jobs for the keeper of records, in order to find her... but after not being able to find a pair of Nancy Spumoni snow boots, he fails his task, and it seems only a miracle can save his dream of reuniting Mr. Hyunh with his daughter. Enter Helga, who gives up her own pair of expensive boots to compel the record keeper to find her. The next morning, the reunion between Mr. Hyunh and his daughter is so emotionally cathartic, he just sobs "can't believe it" and wraps her in his arms and I'm getting teary-eyed typing this. Arnold's Christmas stands out as one of the best Christmas specials and Nickelodeon episodes ever, and the standard by which all holiday specials should be judged.

#23: Day 8: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
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Show: 24
Original airdate: May 17, 2010

"Did you hear what I said?! That's JACK BAUER!"

Charles Logan is a sniveling little rat bastard, and seeing Jack Bauer mow down an entire cordon of armed guards to get to him while Logan sat in the back of his limo crapping himself was one of the most satisfying moments in all of television history. We'd seen this guy put Jack through so much, sell out his own country, and treat his own wife like garbage, and now he was potentially involved in killing yet another of Jack's girlfriends, or at the very least, covering it up? Yeah, he deserved whatever he had coming to him, and you better believe I was laughing and cheering the whole time Jack was making his way to him. Yeah, by this point Jack is supposed to have snapped, and yeah, he's supposed to be the "bad guy", and yeah, he's potentially on the verge of starting World War III at this point, but I didn't care about any of that because... come on, it's Charles Logan we're talking about here. Of course, while all this was going on, President Taylor was attempting to hammer down her peace agreement with Dalia Hassan, who was still mourning the death of her husband (in another tense and fantastic episode earlier in the year). The tension was only ramping up in the moments before Jack's rampage, and then, well... yeah. Jack abducted Logan and sweated him for information about Renee's killers, and Logan eventually implicated Mikhail Novakovich, causing Jack to go on a murderous rampage at the Russian embassy, leaving Novakovich impaled on a fireplace poker. Like I said, Jack and the show itself were absolutely insane at this point, and we were all left at the edge of our seat to see what would happen next.

#22: Marge Be Not Proud
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Show: The Simpsons
Original airdate: December 17, 1995

"Don't do it, son. How's that game gonna help your putting?"

Believe it or not, this episode was the first Christmas episode they did on The Simpsons since the very first episode of the show. Why's it my favorite Simpsons Christmas episode, when there are numerous iconic ones to choose from? For me, it's the perfect blend of humor and heart, blending a very heartfelt story about Bart feeling guilty after an attempting shoplifting, and trying to win back his mother's love, with some of the funniest jokes in the show's history, including Homer's Police Academy rant, the numerous video game references and spoofs, and of course, "BUY ME BONESTORM OR GO TO HELL!" This was a fantastic episode for Bart, and Nancy Cartwright's voice acting was utterly brilliant, conveying Bart's enthusiasm over the Bonestorm game, his sheer terror after being caught by the store detective (excellently voiced in his own right by Hollywood legend Lawrence Tierney), and of course, his sadness after Marge starts freezing him out. I'm a sucker for Bart and Marge episodes, Bart is a little hellraiser and obviously gives his mom a lot of grief, but she loves him so much and it's clear he loves her too, even if he doesn't always think it's cool to show it. As far as Christmas specials go, Marge Be Not Proud definitely holds a special place in my heart, and I always make sure to watch it once or twice during the holiday season.

#21: Queen For A Day
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Show: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
Original airdate: November 19, 2017

"Eugene... today, I turned my back on a desperate friend in need... I sent the man I love to face possible death... and then did the same to my oldest friend. I entrusted the entire welfare of Corona to a fairytale. In a lot of ways, today was the most difficult day of my life."

A masterfully plotted two-part Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure special, Queen For A Day almost feels like a movie in its own right (and actually got its own DVD!). Not only does it stand as a fantastic episode of the series, in which Rapunzel is forced to take charge for the first time and faces difficult decisions and pulse-pounding danger, but it also sets up one of the series' most defining character moments for Varian, and just has great character interactions in general. After Rapunzel's parents go on an anniversary trip, Rapunzel is put in charge of Corona, at the same time that a dreadful storm hits and Varian begins working to uncover the mystery of the black rocks that have been edging closer and closer to the kingdom. We learn about Zhan Tiri for the first time, the legend of the evil warlock who would eventually become the primary villain of the series. There's a lot of lore dumped on us, but at the same time, plenty of action, so much that I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. Eventually, Varian's experimentation accidentally causes his father to get trapped, forcing him to go to Rapunzel for help, but at the same time, Rapunzel can't leave because she must direct an evacuation in the intensifying storm. Events continue to come to a head as Rapunzel and Cassandra race to activate an ancient machine that can stop the storm, putting Pascal in danger in order to activate it and save Corona. Finally, after some harrowing scenes in which Rapunzel mourns the apparent death of her friend, Pascal returns, the storm ends, and the king and queen return, leaving Rapunzel relieved that everyone's all right but also worried about becoming queen for real someday. Oh, and now Varian's pissed at Rapunzel and threatens revenge on everyone. This episode accomplished so much in just an hour of runtime, and it's a perfect example of how good Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure could be at its best. Though later episodes would struggle to reach the same heights, Queen For A Day was a highlight of the first season for me, and one of the most exciting hours of television I've ever watched.

#20: Conquer
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Show: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Original airdate: April 7, 2018

"You can't do this, Meteora!"
"But this, this, this should all be ours! They stole it from us!"
"So what, you're just going to destroy it all?"
"Something like that."
"...STOP."

This, this episode is what three seasons of Star vs. The Forces Of Evil has been building to. We'd seen the sordid past of Mewni and the Butterfly family alluded to by Toffee, then we learned the story of Eclipsa, who was dethroned for marrying a monster and who had her daughter Meteora forcibly ripped away from her. Eclipsa, who has been called the queen of darkness, someone who couldn't be trusted... and yet, it's Eclipsa who saves the day, saves Mewni and everyone else, but before all of that, we had a series of harrowing battles against a monstrous Meteora, who has been on a soul sucking rampage. She grievously wounded Star's mother Moon, drained most of the souls from Star's ex-boyfriend Tom, and finally drained Marco, leaving Star alone to face him in a heartfelt but ultimately hopeless fight... but when all seems lost, Eclipsa appears, takes the wand, and shows her true magical power in a quick but incredible fight, punctuated by Esme Bianco's powerful voice acting performance. We can hear the pain in Eclipsa's voice as she fights her own daughter, but also the authority, refusing to let Meteora's pleas get to her, until finally she is forced to put her down with a spell that burns her to ashes. Eclipsa, who has been through so much, burning her own daughter to ashes to save the very kingdom that made her life a living nightmare. It's such a powerful character moment, to show just what kind of person Eclipsa is: a kind, merciful, just, forgiving person who just wants Mewni to be okay despite everything. This could have been the finale of the show, and in retrospect, it should have been. The reasons that the last two seasons of Star vs. were so disappointing were because of the potential that episodes like this set up... we deserved so much better. Eclipsa deserved so much better.

#19: Reunited
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Show: Steven Universe
Original airdate: July 6, 2018

"Ruby, my future used to look like one single, obvious stream, unbending 'til the end of time. In an instant, you pulled me from that destiny, and opened my eye to an explosion of infinite possible futures, streaking across space and time, altered and obliterated by the smallest force of will. What I mean is, you changed my life. And then, I changed your life. And now, we changed our lives."

From a beautiful lesbian wedding to a battle against the Diamonds, to Steven revealing his true heritage, Reunited had it all, and was one of the most emotional, action packed, complete episodes of this wonderful show. From the moment of Steven's opening song as everyone got ready for Ruby and Sapphire's wedding, I was hooked into this episode, and went through a gamut of emotions throughout, crying during the wedding, terrified during the Diamonds' initial arrival, and cheering through the fight... the emotional whiplash from the wedding to the Diamonds' arrival itself was perhaps the hardest in the whole series, but before I touch on that fight, I just want to talk about the wedding, in which Ruby and Sapphire (after splitting up following Steven's revelation that Rose was Pink Diamond) return to being Garnet. Their speeches to each other were so sweet, and their outfits (Ruby wearing a dress, Sapphire wearing a tux) were a really nice touch. The kiss itself was beautiful as well, I really felt the love the two of them share, and they truly do belong as Garnet. Then... the Diamond fight! While it was a hopeless battle for the most part, there were so many cool moments. Connie taking on Blue Diamond by herself in a display of incredible bravery, Lapis unleashing absolute hell on Blue Diamond, Peridot... trying, at least, to stand up to Yellow Diamond. Of course, this confrontation could only end in one way, and once Steven revealed his secret, it set the stage for a truly painful cliffhanger. Rebecca Sugar fought so hard to make this episode (particularly the wedding) happen, and it cost her several more seasons of the show... but was it worth it? Maybe, maybe not, but I know for sure that Reunited was a miracle of an episode, and contained so many great moments that I'll remember forever.

fantastic choice of 24 episode there. late season logan was incredible and this was his greatest moment

#18: Turn, Turn, Turn
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Show: Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Original airdate: April 8, 2014

"Gentlemen, I know Agent Sitwell was in charge of filling your ranks, so... at least a few of you know what to do in this situation. Anytime, boys. ...Hail Hydra."

The first 2/3rds of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first season was... all right, I suppose. Pretty good at times, but fairly standard action fare, monster of the week type stuff. It did ramp up somewhat after Daisy got shot, but it was still missing something. Meanwhile, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was coming out, and I knew the show was supposed to tie into the Marvel films, so I was wondering exactly how the two would connect, especially with Winter Soldier's insane Hydra twist. Was Agents really going to go there? Well, soon enough, I got my answer. Yeah. It went there. It went there in absolutely insane fashion, revealing that not only was Phil Coulson's old buddy John Garrett (played awesomely by Bill Paxton, RIP) the Clairvoyant that the team had been chasing for so long, but he was freakin' Hydra! So that on its own was incredible, the Hydra reveal and everything was just an epic moment, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were able to regroup and capture Garrett in time, so... everything's good, right? Obviously S.H.I.E.L.D. is still crawling with Hydra, but the group will figure out a plan, Ward's a badass and oooh, he and Daisy are a couple now, so everything should be good, right? ....oh... oh.... OH, SHIT. Yeah... THAT reveal, on the plane at the end, had me screaming at my screen, especially since Daisy was now in imminent danger. What a twist, what a cliffhanger, what an episode, what a show.

#17: Season 3, Episode 16
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Show: Battlebots
Original airdate: August 28, 2001

"Two Lazarus robots coming back from death to continue to fight on!"

For all of the technological advancements in the sport of combat robotics, for all the spectacular fights the Discovery Channel revival has brought us, I will forever maintain that the greatest combat robot fight of all time was Biohazard vs. Son Of Whyachi, the season 3 heavyweight final. It was a classic case of an unstoppable force, in this case Whyachi's powerful hammers, meeting an immovable object, in this case the low to the ground titanium shell of Biohazard. It saw a brand new team with plenty of money, the Whyachi team, against an old school robot combat veteran, Carlo Bertocchini and Biohazard. I didn't have much background information going into this fight, as I'd only started watching Battlebots a few weeks before, when Son of Whyachi demolished NIghtmare in perhaps the greatest hit in the sport's history. I was rooting hard for Son of Whyachi, I thought Biohazard was cool but boring and I wanted to see sparks fly. An important note, there's a worthy semifinal match in this episode too, of Son of Whyachi tearing half the front wedge and some of the internals out of Hexadecimator, but it was the championship bout with Biohazard that earns this episode its spot on the list, and it did not disappoint. From the opening bell, Son of Whyachi was tearing skirts off Biohazard and flinging them across the arena, but then, drama! Son of Whyachi's weapon and then seemingly the whole robot stopped, and I thought Biohazard was going to win for sure, especially after the Pulverizer began knocking the crap out of Son of Whyachi... but then Biohazard stopped moving, Son of Whyachi started back up, and did even more damage! Then, a controversial knockout call that forced a premature judge's decision. Destruction, stopped robots reviving, and controversy? This match had it all, and it made me a hardcore Battlebots fan for life.

#16: Jailbreak
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Show: Steven Universe
Original airdate: March 12, 2015

"This is who we are. This is who I am. And if you think you can stop me, then you need to think again. 'Cause I am a feeling, and I will never end, and I won't let you hurt my planet, and I won't let you hurt my friends."

The first season of Steven Universe came to its epic conclusion with this thrilling (and musical!) episode that revealed a lot about Garnet while also allowing each of the Gems to shine. It contained humor, heart, and even tragedy, and wrapped up the show's first season in an amazing way, providing one of the most iconic songs in animation history in the process. It picks up shortly after the Crystal Gems' defeat at the hands of Jasper, a seemingly unstoppable Gem who managed to beat up Steven and unfuse Garnet, giving us our first opportunity to meet Ruby and Sapphire. It was quite scary to see the Gems and Steven at their lowest point to date, in the confusion and terror of being trapped inside the ship out in space, but Steven is able to free everyone, setting the stage for Garnet's fusion and battle against Jasper. This fight, set to "Stronger Than You", is brilliantly choreographed in time to the music, and we get to see just how awesome Garnet is and how well Ruby and Sapphire work together, not only in terms of how they fight, but in the song's lyrics as well. Of course, not all is well: Peridot manages to escape, and Lapis ends up having to drag Jasper into the sea, seemingly the end for both of them (of course, they'd both be back). The episode left us with a lot to think about, but also a lot to celebrate, with the defeat of the first of many Homeworld gems and the beginning of a new phase of Steven's relationship to his friends. I can't think of too many better ways for the first season of Steven Universe to wrap up than this fantastic episode, and it would only set the stage for the wonders to come.

I saw the Hazard v. T-Minus fight on the list and immediately though "I hope he includes Son of Whyachi vs. Biohazard w/Son of Whyachi vs. Hexadecimator". And then you did. Good show.

#15: Felina
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Show: Breaking Bad
Original airdate: September 29, 2013

"I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And... I was, really... I was alive."

Breaking Bad was a show about choices and consequences, a show about how sometimes a seemingly small choice can put us on a path toward an outcome so different, so vastly removed from the initial choice, that we don't see it coming until we're already too far down the road to turn back. The ending that Felina gave Walter White didn't have to happen, he had so many chances to turn back, to choose differently, but at the same time, it seemed like it was wholly inevitable, like it was, indeed, destiny that he end up laying there dead in that meth lab after slaughtering Jack's men and setting Jesse free. We saw the choices that put him there, and the ending was the culmination of those choices, for better or for worse. I took a day off work to watch this episode. It was, and remains, the only time I've ever actually called in sick for an episode of television (okay, part of that was also so that I could see the season three premiere of Once Upon A Time that aired on the same night, but mostly it was for Breaking Bad). I ordered a pizza, I grabbed a two liter of soda, I sat down and I was treated to one of the greatest hours of television of my life. Walt came back to Albuquerque on a mission: secure his family's financial future, try to explain himself to Skyler, and finally, get revenge on the people who had wronged him and killed Hank. He set about these tasks in a variety of ways, and we even got to see Badger and Skinny Pete one last time as the best snipers west of the Mississippi! When it was all over, I had tears in my eyes and I needed to catch my breath. It was indeed one of the greatest series finales ever, and a fitting conclusion to this part of the Breaking Bad saga.

#14: Sisters
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Show: Teen Titans
Original airdate: July 26, 2003

"Look, your sister was... interesting, but she could never take your place. No one could ever take your place."

I was initially hyped for Teen Titans, due mostly to its interesting, anime inspired animation style. The first episode, Final Exam, left me a bit underwhelmed, and I started to wonder if it was just going to be another superhero show that focused more on straight up action than on its characters, all of whom seemed interesting but who didn't get to do a whole lot in the first episode. Not only did Sisters dispel those doubts pretty much immediately, but it rocketed the show almost instantly to being one of my favorites, where it would stay throughout the length of its two and a half year run. The episode focuses primarily on Starfire, who feels left out when her older, cooler sister Blackfire comes to visit. Blackfire takes the team out to a party, and Starfire, who's always felt like a fish out of water on Earth, worries that she'll be replaced, especially since Blackfire even seems to be a stronger fighter than her, thus making her redundant as part of her superhero team. Already, we got to see these characters in a different light than in the original episode. With more of a focus on humor and interactions, we got to see more of Raven's sarcasm (and her surprisingly love of showtunes), and Cyborg and Beast Boy's fun loving nature, engaging Blackfire in video games (with Beast Boy seemingly even crushing on her a little). But the real meat of the episode was the beginning of the Robin/Starfire relationship, and, as I have to admit, my ship-loving heart was all over them starting with the episode's climactic fight scene in which Robin rescues Starfire after she gets abducted by the alien soldiers (who are actually there to arrest Blackfire for stealing one of their treasures). Though Starfire spends part of the episode as a damsel in distress, the moment she's rescued, she takes agency immediately, hunting down Blackfire and besting her in a quick fight (featuring some really fun and cool animation, with Blackfire's purple blasts contrasting quite well with Starfire's warmer green ones). Hynden Walch's voice acting also has to be majorly praised, pulling double duty as Starfire and Blackfire and giving them both life and personality. The episode ends with Robin reassuring Starfire that she'll never, ever be replaced, and though the romantic fluff was subtle, the message was clearly there. Sisters is the episode that not only made Teen Titans my favorite show of the mid-2000s, but also sort of began the transition from me being a hardcore anime fan to being more of a fan of Western animation. It still holds a special place in my heart nearly 20 years later.

Is there any legal way to watch CC-era BattleBots? I've only watched the reboot series.

Xeybozn posted...

Is there any legal way to watch CC-era BattleBots? I've only watched the reboot series.

There's not :(

You'd think that between Paramount+ and Discovery+ that one of them would've been able to acquire the rights, and I have heard rumors that the owners of Battlebots tried to buy the rights to the CC-era episodes so that they could release a DVD, but nothing's panned out on that front either. I don't know if it's a rights tangle situation or just whoever owns it can't be arsed to stream it.

#13: Day 5: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
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Show: 24
Original airdate: May 22, 2006

"Every American who died today as a result of terrorist activity is another murder that you're accountable for. And before you leave here, you're going to admit it."

Yet another episode where Charles Logan gets exactly what's coming to him, this was the thrilling finale to the best season of 24, in which Jack Bauer had to take on the corrupt United States government itself. This season had twists, turns, and tragedies, and it all culminated in the final hour of the season, when David Palmer's casket was being taken on its final journey. Palmer's death was orchestrated by the same people who had manipulated Charles Logan throughout the season, and now Logan was attempting to save face, but only Jack Bauer could stop him. He did so by kidnapping him and attempting to force a confession out of him, and this scene was insane. Here Jack Bauer was, threatening the President of the United States, and I had no idea what he was going to do! Was the network really going to allow a protagonist to commit an assassination on network television? Well, as it turns out, no, Jack didn't go through with it, and surrendered to the authorities, and I thought Logan was going to get away with everything. To make matters worse, his poor wife Martha went off on him, and he slapped and threatened her too, just to prove what a cowardly bastard he truly was. But then... what's this? Logan's being detained by his own security? And it was then that Jack and Martha's plan was revealed: Jack had used the kidnapping as a ruse to plant a recording pen on Logan, and Martha's fit was a ruse to get him to admit to his crimes! Nothing was more satisfying than seeing the smug look on Martha's face once the ruse was revealed, and while the casket of David Palmer, a true American hero, was being taken away, Charles Logan was being taken away as well, to face justice for his crimes. I was cheering the whole time, it was so satisfying to see that prick go down! But... there's too much time left in the episode. Something had to happen... and as Jack was waiting to call his daughter, he was abducted by Chinese sleeper agents, taken to Cheng Zhi, who wanted revenge on Jack for the events of season four. An insane episode, AND an insane cliffhanger, to cap off the wildest and most exciting season of 24 ever. And seeing Charles Logan get punished will never, ever get old.

#12: Sozin's Comet
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Show: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Original airdate: July 19, 2008

"Fire Lord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price! ...no. I'm not gonna end it like this."

The epic conclusion to the fantastic Avatar: The Last Airbender certainly had to earn a high spot on my list of favorite episodes of all time. It's a four part odyssey that feels more like a movie than an episode of a TV show, wrapping up all of the series' plot points (save for one that gets addressed at the end), and gives the show a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. It features numerous conflicts that go to the heart of the characters we've seen go on this journey together, from Aang's struggle with his pacifistic nature to Zuko's efforts to redeem himself and confront his family. There are so many classic and memorable scenes, from Zuko's tearful reconciliation with Iroh, to Azula... pretty much EVERYTHING having to do with Azula, in which Grey Delisle gave a performance for the ages and did the impossible by actually making me want Azula redeemed in spite of all the messed up stuff she's done, Katara being a badass during the final fight with Azula, Sokka, Suki, and Toph all getting lots of badass moments in the final fight, and of course, the epic showdown between Aang and Ozai, with both of them fighting at their absolute maximum. Ozai had the upper hand at first, thanks to the power granted to him by Sozin's Comet, but then Aang unleashed the full power of the Avatar State for the first time all season, ending the final battle his way and no one else's. It was a suitably epic conclusion to one of the best animated shows of all time, and when it was all over, Aang and Katara shared a final kiss, uniting the couple that I'd been rooting for all series. Sozin's Comet was a worthy and amazing finale, ranking among the best in animation history, and I still remember vividly my first viewing and all the emotions I felt. The Legend Of Korra was awesome too, but this was definitely the peak of my Avatar fandom.

#11: Plus Est En Vous
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Show: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
Original airdate: March 1, 2020

"When you laughed. You had this... look in your eyes. I don't know, it was like seeing you, the REAL you, for the first time. And that's the Cassandra I became best friends with."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because... even when I look at you now, after all that's happened, no matter what we've done to each other, I still see that look in your eyes. You're my best friend, Cassandra. And I will NEVER give up on you."

I had... my problems with the third season of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, and the whole Cassandra betrayal arc. I thought they slow-rolled her redemption way too much, I thought her reasons for betraying Rapunzel were flimsy, and even after they made her a villain, they didn't do enough with her, her character and personalities went back and forth too much, they teased her redemption so many times only to blueball the audience, and yet... for all the flaws with the show's third season, I still loved the finale. I loved Rapunzel's song, longing to get Cassandra back. I loved her final fight with Cassandra, and even though Zhan Tiri was a weak villain in general, the final battle was epic, especially with Rapunzel and Cassandra working together to stop her. They built up so much tension to this final episode, and I was riveted the entire time, mostly because I was scared for Cassandra! Fortunately, everything turned out all right for her in the end, though I was so worried when they teased her death... but Rapunzel came through, and saved the kingdom and everyone. Cassandra left in the end, but she could always come back, even though I imagine this is the last we see of her in any future Tangled media. Fans have been clamoring for spin-offs... a Varian spinoff, a Cassandra spinoff, but I think this is all we're going to get, save for fanfiction, and that's okay. Plus Est En Vous was still a beautiful episode showcasing Rapunzel's bravery and kind heart, her friendship with Cassandra, and her love for Eugene, bringing together all the show's storylines in epic fashion and finishing everything off with another movie-length banger. I debated so fiercely between this and Sozin's Comet for the #11 spot, and on some days they're interchangeable, but I think I just ever so slightly prefer the heart of Tangled to the soul of Avatar. It's incredibly close, but in the end, there was more in Plus Est En Vous that appealed to me, and so it makes the final spot before my top 10.

What an excellent batch of episodes! The HYDRA twist, the Walter confession, the Avatar's mercy, and I forgot how poignant the Logan/Palmer juxtaposition was.

Also, that Biohazard match was incredible. I remember that one myself, and though I'm more partial to Biohazard vs Diesector, the finals in season three was insane.

This list is incredible, and I'm very excited for top ten. I dont enough of your shows, but of the ones I do...

Breaking Bad, "Ozymandias"

...

...

Dang, I thought I had more guesses, but I guess I dont have any that i expect in the top ten

I've basically never watched any animated shows, I've only seen Avatar from this list I think. But this makes me want to start watching them, I'm probably missing out. I have seen 24 and Breaking Bad (I need to continue BCS...). I haven't seen Agents of SHIELD either because I don't really watch movies so I never saw the superhero movies that precede it and I felt I needed to before starting it. But I really wanna make it my goal next year to get into the uh, what is it, MCU? So that I can watch SHIELD finally.

#10: Transformed At Last
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Show: Dragonball Z
Original airdate (US): October 18, 1999

"I won't let you... get AWAY... with THIS!"

So... when this episode was originally released on Toonami, I... sort of knew what a Super Saiyan was? I'd seen some spoilers and screenshots for future episodes, so I had a vague idea of what was going to happen, but a lot of the details were hazy, so when I first saw the preview for this episode, I was blown away. There'd sort of been teases that Goku might be a Super Saiyan, back when he pummeled Recoome in the original Ocean Dub season finale, but the fight with Frieza had many different allusions to the Super Saiyan legend without ever giving us a transformation or a reason to think that either Goku or Vegeta had achieved it. The preview for this episode and the title itself, however, made it unmistakable. This was the day Goku was finally going to become a Super Saiyan, and so while the transformation itself wasn't a surprise, I was still instantly drawn into the actual scene itself. Frieza had returned from taking a direct hit by Goku's Spirit Bomb, and was pissed off, wanting revenge. He grievously wounded Piccolo, then killed Krillin... and Goku immediately just began seething in rage. Thunder and lightning began to strike, the music slowly amped up, Goku just shook, breathing hard and getting increasingly angry... and then, it happened. My favorite DBZ transformation scene of all time... Goku's hair turned blonde, his eyes turned blue, and Frieza looked like he'd seen a ghost. Compared to later Super Saiyan transformations it was quite calm, but I think that was the most effective way to present the scene where Goku essentially had snapped, the switch finally flipping to turn him into the legendary Super Saiyan himself. I got so excited, I immediately ran to call my friend, who of course was also watching, just to talk about how awesome this scene was. It still echoes in my mind to this day... it's easily one of the most iconic scenes in anime history, and my favorite anime scene ever.

#9: Bobby Goes Nuts
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Show: King Of The Hill
Original airdate: November 11, 2001

"That's my purse! I don't know you!"

I mean, it's just self-explanatory. The infamous King Of The Hill episode where Bobby takes a women's self-defense course and goes around kicking everyone in the nuts is simply one of the funniest half hours in television history, a legendary episode of a masterful animated show, and one where I laugh just reading summaries and reviews of the episode, let alone the episode itself. There are so many hilarious lines and moments, just listing them all would make this description drag on far too long, but my personal favorites include Bobby challenging a group of bullies to a game of "kickball", Bobby stringing Clark Peters along before suddenly and unexpectedly kicking him in the crotch, Hank (before finding out how Bobby won his fights) offering to take Bobby to a PG-13 movie for standing up to himself, Kahn praising Bobby for kicking Hank in the nuts (after telling him that it was "unforgivable" to do it to Chane Wasanasong), Dale kicking Bill in the nuts after Bill said, and I quote, "I wish I had a son to kick me in the nuts", and of course, Bobby kicking his own dad after a sparring match gone wrong, followed by Hank waking up to Bill leaning over him slowly telling him "You. Have been kicked. In the testicles." The episode is flawlessly written, giving Bobby a valid reason for going on his nutkicking rampage (he's tired of being bullied and liked the fear and respect his new technique instilled in his former bullies), and also giving him a proper comeuppance for his misdeeds at the hands of Peggy (in one of her best scenes). While there are lots of great King of the Hill episodes, and definitely a few I could name as honorable mentions, Bobby Goes Nuts towers over the rest as a masterpiece of modern comedy.

Whilst I don't know a lot of the shows on your list, you reminded me that 24 exists. Me and the wife have been looking for something to watch, so we have started watching that.

We watched the first season a few years back

#8: Ozymandias
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Show: Breaking Bad
Original airdate: September 15, 2013

"You're the smartest guy I ever met... but you're too stupid to see. He made up his mind ten minutes ago."

I mean... it had to show up somewhere, didn't it? Ozymandias, Breaking Bad's greatest episode, in which the consequences of Walter White's bad decisions all fall upon him at once, in which the double life he's tried so hard to maintain collapses, in which his drug empire crumbles to dust. A week after To'hajilee's agonizing cliffhanger, the episode decides to blueball us just a bit more with a flashback intro to Walt and Jesse's very first cook, but of course, this is to contrast the life Walt had, degrading and humiliating and difficult as it was, to the life he's made for himself now. Yeah, he had to work two jobs, he had lung cancer, he had all this stuff going on... but he also had his family, a family that in this episode, he loses all in one fell swoop. I think I was standing up for most of this episode, or screaming, or crying, just barely able to sit still, dreading every new development, every hammer blow. Just in the first fifteen minutes, you had Hank dying, Walt telling Jesse that he watched Jane die and then condemning him to a life of meth slavery, and Walt losing all but one barrel of his money. Just the first fifteen minutes. Then, of course, Walt gets home, and... a knife fight with his wife, his own son calls the cops on him and fights him off, and he kidnaps his own baby daughter as Skyler runs screaming into the street after him. I think I must've been sitting there muttering "holy shit" to myself hundreds of times, inbetween all the screaming. I knew, I KNEW this episode was going to be insane from the title alone, referring to an ancient ruler whose empire collapses all around him. Even I couldn't imagine it would be this bad... and there were still two more episodes to come. I know it's cliche to put Ozymandias in my top ten, I mean, it's in almost everyone's top ten, but... come on, it really is that damn good.

#7: Change Your Mind
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Show: Steven Universe
Original airdate: January 21, 2019

"Ya know, if you just let everyone be whoever they are, maybe you could let yourself be whoever you are, too."

Change Your Mind is the hour-long series finale of the original Steven Universe series (not counting Future), and it sees Steven and his friends confront White Diamond once and for all in an effort to end the Diamond Authority's oppression of the universe. While the first half of this episode is an action packed series of battles interspersed with scenes of Steven using his powers of persuasion to reform Yellow and Blue Diamond, it's in the final confrontation with White Diamond that Change Your Mind goes from being a standard action show finale to something truly beautiful, putting the show's emotional heart on its sleeve as Steven (and Connie) confront White Diamond on their own, after she uses her powers to brainwash Yellow and Blue (and the Crystal Gems). While Steven is the heart and soul of this show, I don't want to take anything away from Connie's incredible bravery in this scene, as she battles the mindwiped Pearl, and even after she's defeated and restrained, she's still trying to protect Steven, and it's Connie who carries Steven back to his disembodied gem spirit after White Diamond cruelly pulls Steven's gem out of his body in an ill-fated effort to try and get Pink Diamond back... only to be forced to confront her own grief after the disembodied gem spirit of Steven lets her know emphatically that Pink Diamond is gone and is never coming back (in one of the series' most shocking and impactful moments). Steven eventually reforms into his old self, in another beautifully animated scene, and when we see how comfortable he is to be himself (and how much Connie loves him), it causes White Diamond to experience emotions she never has before, leading to a breakthrough that allows Steven to truly change her mind and cause her to release her hold on the brainwashed Gems, and indeed, on the entire Homeworld colonization system. I know this ending has gotten a lot of criticism, with people saying the Diamonds deserved to be punished, that Steven should've destroyed them, but Steven Universe was never about brute strength or violence, even if those were occasionally used as tools by the protagonist. It was always about resolving conflict through emotional understanding of others, and for those looking to see a show where bad guys get killed and tortured, well... I like those kinds of shows too, they're all over this list! Steven Universe was always different, and this heartfelt finale earns a high place on my list for its unique conflict resolution and the strength of its protagonists, particularly Steven and Connie, who may be showing up on this list one last time...

felina doesn't chart for me in this elevated company, but ozymandias certainly does

great choice in 24 day 5 finale. episode 23 i'd argue is almost as good, when christopher henderson finally gets his conference

sozin'z chimney is unbelievably good, though ironically you highlighted completely different stuff about it than i would

no arguments about transferred at last; it is the best transition in DBZ, though again it feels weird to have single DBZ moments here , as if the most iconic DBZ moments are epic partially in hindsight and never in isolation; this was built up over 20+ episodes and the payoff of the transformation (and goku's subsequent extremely extended annhilation of frieza) later another 20.

SeabassDebeste posted...

no arguments about transferred at last; it is the best transition in DBZ, though again it feels weird to have single DBZ moments here , as if the most iconic DBZ moments are epic partially in hindsight and never in isolation; this was built up over 20+ episodes and the payoff of the transformation (and goku's subsequent extremely extended annhilation of frieza) later another 20.

I will say I almost cheated and did Transformed At Last together with Explosion of Anger so I could include the "ally to good, nightmare to you!" quote, but Transformed At Last is great enough on its own to make my list. If that "ally to good" quote had come in Transformed At Last, it would've made it a top-5 episode.

yeah, you've encapsulated the issue with DBZ right there!

#6: A Land Without Magic
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Show: Once Upon A Time
Original airdate: May 13, 2012

"Henry... no matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you."

I never watched LOST, but I did hear a lot of positive things about it, especially when I started watching Once Upon A Time, which was created by two of the writers from that show. I knew that LOST liked to stretch out its mysteries and arcs for quite a long time, and so when I began watching Once, I knew going in that it might take the whole series for Emma to break the curse and free Storybrooke's residents from Regina's spell. I never imagined the curse would be broken in just one season, but in this brilliant season finale, A Land Without Magic, Emma discovered everything, thanks to Regina's poison apple pie spell backfiring and hitting Henry instead of her. With Henry condemned to eternal sleep, Emma and Regina were forced to work together to save him, and there was nothing more satisfying than seeing Emma coerce the secret of the curse out of Regina the moment she found out Regina was responsible for Henry's poisoning. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, the Snow White/Prince Charming story reaches its climax, with Charming freeing Snow White from her own sleep with true love's kiss. It won't be quite so easy with Henry, and seeing Emma and Regina reluctantly working together was a lot of fun. It's clear that Regina deeply loves Henry every bit as much as Emma does, but with everything she's done up until this point, it's clearly not going to be her that saves Henry, but Emma, who reaches the hospital and is told that Henry has died. Of course, she loves him too much to let him go, and a kiss to Henry's forehead not only saves him, but breaks the entire curse over Storybrooke, restoring everyone's memories... while Rumpelstiltskin restores something even more important: magic has entered the real world (or, at the very least, Storybrooke). Once Upon A Time's first season was absolutely amazing, and it really was all downhill from there, though the second season was a worthy successor, and of course the rest of the show had its moments. I always loved seeing Emma and Regina work together, especially early on when they were still at each other's throats, and ultimately this episode wrapped up the first season perfectly, widening the world of Storybrooke and allowing so many more stories to be told. Exciting, heartfelt, and even at times quite funny, Once Upon A Time is one of my favorite shows ever, and its first season finale still holds a memorable place in my heart.

#5: Homer Badman
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Show: The Simpsons
Original airdate: November 27, 1994

"Simpson scandal update: Homer Simpson sleeps nude in an oxygen tent, which he believes gives him sexual powers!"
"Hey! That's a half-truth!"

So many people have claimed that The Simpsons is able to predict the future, and rarely has that been more true than in this send-up of the scandal driven newsmedia, which has only gotten more prophetic as time goes by. The episode focuses on Homer being accused of sexual harassment after accidentally grabbing a young woman's rear end in an effort to reclaim a rare gummy candy, and shows just how quickly the media can make a monster of someone, in an episode filled with classic quotes and scenes. Homer's efforts to clear his name are increasingly stymied by just how pervasive the scandal coverage is, and when he tries to go on the newsmagazine Rock Bottom to tell his side of the story, the footage is chopped up to make it look like Homer intentionally grabbed the woman's "swee-swee-swee-sweet can". Other hilarious scenes include Homer's brief fantasy about moving himself and his family to the ocean (complete with a Little Mermaid-esque music montage), and Dennis Franz's portrayal of Homer in a highly exaggerated made for TV movie. Yes, Homer Badman is a bit controversial in the era of #MeToo, when, all too often, the public figures whose crimes are exposed by the media really did need to be brought to justice, but even now, in the age of social media, sometimes even the most innocuous thing can turn into an absolute whirlwind of scandal, and Homer Badman does a brilliant job illustrating just how quickly that can happen. It's the kind of episode that could never be made today, but, ironically, is perhaps the show's most prescient and relevant to today's environment.

#4: Wacky Delly
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Show: Rocko's Modern Life
Original airdate: January 21, 1996

"I am the Cheese! I am the best character on the show! I am better than both the salami and the bologna COMBINED!"

This episode begins as a biting satire of the animation industry, and if that's all it was it would've been a great Rocko's Modern Life episode, in which Joe Murray and his brilliant writers skewer an industry rife with corporate greed and corruption. But that's not all that Wacky Delly is. Like Homer Badman one entry ago, Wacky Delly saw into the future, and for a minute and a half in the middle of this episode, you get to see that future, and it is glorious and side-splittingly funny. The moment that the first Wacky Delly "episode" began, I was SCREAMING with laughter. Tears were coming down my face, and I was absolutely delirious from lack of oxygen. There's just something about an innocent bologna lady answering the phone, only to get immediately bashed over the head by a homicidal salami for no reason, and then, some cheese guy comes on the screen and declares that he's better than both of them COMBINED. It's the way that Mr. Lawrence delivered the word "combined" that had me hyperventilating. Why Filburt was so passionate about his cheese character I'll never know, but just the combination of Rocko, sweet as he is, just trying to do a good job for his friend, while Heffer and Filburt go utterly crazy in the background just made this episode for me, and later on, as I matured, I'd actually come to appreciate the other side of this episode and all the animation industry stuff and everything poor Ralph (who would later transition to Rachel in the excellent Static Cling special) was put through just trying to get out of his animation contract. And of course, once he starts taking Wacky Delly seriously, the show gets canceled. Because of course it does. Throw in Ed Bighead, who for some reason has a heat ray that melts the polar ice caps, and this is an absolute first ballot Hall of Fame animation episode, my favorite Nicktoon episode of all time, and a masterpiece of satire. And it predicted Youtube Poop and Adult Swim years before they both became a thing.

#3: Day 1: 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM
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Show: 24
Original airdate: May 21, 2002

"I'm so sorry..."

24's first season was riveting, exhilarating, full of insane twists and mind-boggling action, but at the same time, it was fairly low stakes compared to future seasons of the show. Rather than dealing with some huge terrorist threat or a potential world war, it was focused entirely on stopping the assassination of a presidential candidate, and later, focused on Jack's personal vendetta with a gang of Serbian war criminals. And yet... it still hit such brilliant emotional notes, especially as things ramped up to the final showdown. Going into this episode, the cliffhanger was that Jack's partner and friend (and former paramour), CTU agent Nina Myers, was a mole. Was she working for the Drazens? As it turned out, even though she was helping them, she was working for someone who'd be revealed later... but first of all, Jack's final showdown with the Drazens. I knew he was going to flip out after Nina lied that they had killed his daughter, but holy SHIT, he flipped out beyond anything I could imagine, ramming a truck into the Drazens' hideout and then gunning down anyone he could aim at. It was the first of what would come to be many Jack Bauer rampages over the course of the series, but I think this one has stuck with me the most, a combination of the music and just the sheer personal nature of it all, complete with Jack emptying his clip into Victor Drazen, and continuing to fire into the water even after he'd run out of bullets. Meanwhile, Teri ended up getting captured by Nina, but that wasn't going to amount to nothing, right? Maybe a hostage standoff at the end where Jack is forced to put Nina down in front of his wife? I had a feeling of dread when Jack returned to CTU later, but surely they wouldn't kill Teri off, right? Surely she'd be alive and well, wouldn't she? ...you know, I hate grimdark endings. I prefer happy endings where everyone makes it out okay, sometimes even the bad guys. And yet... the ending of 24's first season might be my favorite ending of all time. I've seen the alternate endings, where Jack finds Teri alive and well, or where she's been shot but she'll ultimately be okay, but the canon ending, where Jack finds her and she's already dead, he's just minutes too late to save her and he just cradles her in his arms, sobbing and apologizing... it's the moment that made Jack Bauer. It's the moment that made 24. It changed television history, and it changed how I watch television. It's a brilliantly crafted, perfect, dark, cruel finale to the first season of a dark, cruel show. 24 is my favorite television show of all time, and without this horrifically dark episode, I would not be saying that today.

#2: Heart (Part 2)
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Show: She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power
Original airdate: May 15, 2020

"Don't you get it?! I love you! I always have! So please, just this once, stay!"

Though this was a two-part finale, I'm only including the second part here, and for being just a half-hour episode, She-Ra and the Princess of Power's series finale accomplishes so much with what it's been given. It wraps up the storyline with Shadow Weaver in heartbreaking fashion, acknowledging her horrific abuse but also giving Adora and Catra the opportunity to mourn her. It features an incredible battle between the heroes and Horde Prime's forces, with Glimmer leading the charge as she reluctantly clashes with her brainwashed father... but mostly, it sees Adora and Catra reach the end of their journey together, with Catra staying with Adora to the end, and asking Adora do the same for her... canonizing the Catradora relationship at the heart of the entire series, with Catra's love literally giving Adora the last bit of strength she needs to become She-Ra and save the universe. I know the debates about Catradora have been circulating ever since this episode, and yes, Catra was awful to Adora... but after everything Catra did to try and earn redemption and earn back Adora's love, it was so beautiful to see Adora's forgiveness and love for Catra shine through. Even with all the Catradora ship teases, I never imagined that this would actually happen on the show, an on-screen kiss between these two characters, and I screamed with joy when I saw it on my screen. As much as everyone in this show has been through, to see a happy ending with Horde Prime defeated and the Best Friends Squad all together was awesome, and the ending even left the door wide open for so many more adventures. The She-Ra finale was an ending, to be true, but what I loved most about it was that it was also a beginning, a beginning of the healing for Catra and Adora, a beginning of the amazing adventures these heroes will no doubt continue to have... and it's my favorite series finale of all time.

#1: Alone Together
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Show: Steven Universe
Original airdate: January 15, 2015

"You are not two people. And you are not one person. You... are an experience! Make sure you're a good experience."

When a show, or a movie, or a game, or any work or art, for that matter, does something wholly unexpected, and in a good way, it has the chance to produce some of my best memories from engaging with that work. Steven fusing with Connie is something that should've been blindly obvious would happen... they were best friends, potentially romantic interests, the show had demonstrated the importance of fusion as an aspect of the show's lore and as a way to show the close relationship between two characters, but still... a gem fusing with a human being? Steven fusing with Connie, when they'd barely known each other? I thought Steven would fuse with one of the Gems first, Amethyst maybe, so when Steven and Connie started dancing on that beach, I began to have a feeling, but until it happened, I still didn't expect anything... and in the meantime, their dance was sweet, charming, just a tiny bit romantic with Steven falling into Connie's arms (already a subversion of the typical gender dynamic in these types of shows)... but when they woke up as Stevonnie, I was floored, and my reaction was pretty much the same as Garnet's when she first saw them: beaming, grinning from ear to ear. The Gems' reactions were precious enough, but then, that very first run... not just Steven, not just Connie, but Stevonnie, a brand new person with their own thoughts, feelings, emotions... an experience, alive for the very first time. The episode did a brilliant job conveying the dynamics of consent, with Steven and Connie's consciousnesses remaining independent within Stevonnie's mind, and Steven always making sure Connie wanted to keep going with the fusion. Simple, but incredibly sweet, showing just how mindful both of them are. There were times when Steven shined through, there were times when Connie shined through, and Stevonnie's personality, a perfect blend of both of them, contrasted so well with the other Beach City denizens, with Lars and Sadie both blushing, Sour Cream flustered, and of course... Kevin. Kevin, the jerk, the first person Steven ever hated, making Stevonnie uncomfortable (where's the news cameras from Homer Badman when you need them?) and adding to the episode's lessons about consent and personal space. Steven and Connie were together, but also alone... the nature of their fusion conveyed through Stevonnie's actions and internal monologue, and the episode ending as Stevonnie defused and the two kids returned to their normal selves, clearly freaked out and overstimulated by everything, but also just happy to be together again. Alone Together is a brilliant episode, doing so much with its short length, telling a complete story about a first date of sorts, a first experience with the strange Gem ritual known as fusion, about growing up too fast and about learning new things. It may not be the dramatic pinnacle of Steven Universe, but it may well be the show at its emotional height, and not only solidified Steven Universe as my favorite show at the time (where it would stay for two years until Tangled the Series came along), but also solidified my belief that Connverse might well be my favorite romantic pairing in all of fiction: Steven and Connie, two kind, intelligent, brave little nerds who deserve each other and who learn to love each other amidst magic and trauma, with Stevonnie being the living symbol of who they both want to be. I know I may be unique in putting this episode at the top of my list, but I doubt it falls from this position for a very long time.

Well that's the end if that. A very varied list, with plenty of choices that I haven't seen (or remember). Congrats for actually making it to the end of a B8 project and speedily too I might add. Good list.

Very, very good list. I wonder how high the 24 Season 2 episode with George Mason's plane ride would've ended up.

Mega_Mana posted...

Very, very good list. I wonder how high the 24 Season 2 episode with George Mason's plane ride would've ended up.

oh, i can't remember, was there a reason it wasn't included? your wording implies it could've been. i kept thinking it would but i can't remember if any of the writeups mentioned why it didn't make the list or anything.

Mega_Mana posted...

Very, very good list. I wonder how high the 24 Season 2 episode with George Mason's plane ride would've ended up.

Probably somewhere in the top 150. Great episode, I just loved the ones on my list more.

Also, forgot to mention this, but if someone had told me ten years ago that one half of Aly and AJ would be centrally involved in my two favorite television episodes of all time, I'd have laughed in their face.

Any tips for starting out your rankings?

Hmm? I mean... if you're going to do a ranking, make a list of everything that might make your top 100 and then just go through one by one and slot each thing in the list. Then look over your list to see if anything feels too high or too low.

Working on going through shows, noting what would likely make top 100 (up to 5 per), listing other noted episodes in case, and episodes I should rewatch.

I've done four shows in the past three hours, despite having already done so at work. But now its in spreadsheet form!