I thought long and hard about creating entire pieces around wanting to talk about some of my favorite episodes from various shows. In the end, I thought it might just be nice just to put them all in one piece. These are a few of the episodes I love the most from shows that I care for greatly. Warning for Spoilers

To Sirloin with Love, King of the Hill

This is possibly one of the best series finales I have ever seen. In the episode, Bobby shows a great skill for identifying the rating of cuts of meat, much to Hank’s joy. Bobby signs up to join a meat examination team but finds out that the team is filled with less than desirable people. Bobby wants to quit, but Hank assumes that it’s just Bobby being childish and forces him to stay in. Through a series of events, Hank finds out that Bobby was right about his teammates but tries to convince Bobby to stand up to them, and for himself, instead of merely forcing Bobby to stay in. Bobby finds his confidence, and Hank learns that he needs to have more faith in his son. Hank and Bobby are finally after many seasons able to truly bond over a shared passion. The episode ends with both of them grilling together (for the first time). The entire neighborhood joins them, and we see what connects this little neighborhood so well. It’s both touching, in that is shows the bonds of the whole group, but more so in that, it shows Hank and Bobby’s relationship growing into something special.

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, The Twilight Zone

It was actually pretty tough narrowing it down to just one episode for this series. There are so many staple episodes, so many entertaining ones, sad ones, ones that shaped sci-fi. For me, one episode that always has (and I imagine always will) stand out is The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. A seemingly quiet and lovely “all American neighborhood” experiences a roar, flashing lights, and something flying overhead. After which the power is off to everything in the neighborhood, lights, cars, everything. As they try to figure out what is happening suspicions mount, and suddenly the “perfect neighborhood” falls apart to paranoia and distrust. Secrets are revealed, and the people eventually turn violent on each other. The “Twilight Zone Twist” is that it was actually aliens, with one commenting to the other that all it takes is a few flashing lights and people will just turn on one another. It’s a great look into human nature, and while not as flashy or quoted as other episodes it is one of my absolute favorites. I like the idea that human destruction is easy enough to make happen by our own hands.

The Luck of the Fryrish, Futurama

I say I love this episode but also must note that in my many times of rewatching the series I almost never rewatch it because it makes me cry. In The Luck of the Fryrish, Fry goes on a quest to find his lucky clover. While searching for it, we flashback to his struggles to get along with his brother, Yancy, who was in constant competition with him. Fry also discovers that Yancy appears to have changed his name after Fry disappeared and lived out Fry’s dreams himself using the clover as luck to guide him. In the end when Fry goes to dig up his brother’s grave and reclaim not only his clover and identity. He discovers it was not Yancy living out Fry’s life, but Yancy’s son who was named after the uncle that the family never stopped missing. Fry (and the audience) are confronted with the fact that Yancy, unable to ever truly get over losing his brother, guided his son to live on in Fry’s memory. Fry has felt blessed in coming to the future, and it seems it was better for the character, but at this moment he is forced to confront that there were negative consequences to what happened to him. His family mourned him, and now he realizes that he, in turn, mourns them. It’s doubly cruel that the understanding that Fry and Yancy seem to have developed for each other is only possible because Fry went missing, and that it is unlikely they would have bonded otherwise. It’s a touching but sad episode, and a stand out in the overall series.

9 Days, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

While Kevin is still out of town Peralta decides to dig up a cold case to work with Captain Holt, believing that work will help not to miss his partner as much. This seems like a great plan until they get the mumps and are forced to be in isolation for 9 days. Peralta decides to stay with Holt, and the two of them keep working the case, with no measure of success. They fight, they get high on medicine, they are a mess. It’s probably one of the funniest episodes in what is already a hilarious series. There is some degree of it being touching as well with Holt and Peralta bonding and admitting a degree of caring, but mostly it’s just damn funny.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a War, M*A*S*H

This is another where I really struggled to pick one episode, throughout the years it’s remained pretty much my top show. In this episode, Hawkeye is sent to the front when a surgeon has died on the line. Being so close to the action and knowing he’s filling in for a dead man Hawkeye decides to write a will. The episode plays out with him starting with something small that he is leaving each person, but having great memories tied to why they are getting it. It’s a way to show what each character means to the show at large, and to the titular character of Hawkeye. It’s also beautiful to watch him struggle with what to give to BJ and ultimately deciding he has nothing to leave BJ, but rather something to leave his daughter to help her understand why her father was gone for so long. It’s also lovely that despite being set up as a flashback episode, it’s all new scenes since the series already had some true flashback episodes this choice kept this episode from just being last in the others.

Broadcast Wagstaff School News, Bob’s Burgers

This is 100% a pick because of the entertainment. Tina auditions for the school news and fails due to her not being as “jazzy” as other people. Gene decides to embrace that he will turn into his father someday and becomes mini Bob. There is also a serial pooper at the school. Tina’s quest to cover the “Mad Pooper” is pretty funny, but it has nothing on Gene and Bob. Gene is fantastic as mini Bob, the family’s reaction to it, and Bob’s frustration with it are just so funny. Despite having seen this episode more times than any one person should, I still laugh out loud every single time.

What about you what are some of your favorite episodes from TV series that you love? What are some of your favorite from series I mentioned?