This week’s Loaded Question is inspired by a tweet by @zackmorrison18:
So: What are the best standalone episode in TV shows with big arcs or mythologies?
I have so many examples, but I’ll just mention the X-Files episode “Humbug,” in which Mulder and Scully investigate an incident at a “freak show.” I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but it’s definitely one of the best episodes of the entire show: it’s not just funny, it’s also insightful about what it means to be a freak, which could be construed as a commentary on the very concept of the show itself.
Your turn…
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There’s so many. Admittedly more in network shows. Just the ones that pop into mind first that are peak television for me:
Buffy: Hush
Original Star trek: The City on the Edge of Forever
Star trek Nex Generation: The Inner Light
Star trek Deep Space Nine: Far Beyond the Stars
Xfiles: Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose
Angel: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Highlander: The Samurai
Fringe: White Tulip
CSI: Turn, Turn, Turn
Miami Vice: Out Where the Buses Don’t Run
The freshest example in my mind is Episode 3 of The Last of Us, “Long Long Time.” It’s not something the main story absolutely needs, but it’s a sweet, hauntingly beautiful queer story that’s one of the few bright spots of tenderness and joy in a zombie apocalypse, and it ends in fulfillment rather than tragedy. (Apparently it’s a big improvement over how these characters were handled in the game.) Nick Offerman’s performance is riveting and really opened my eyes to his range as an actor.