Best SINGLE Episode of Any Cartoon!

[Sabregroove]

I checked the forums to see if this had been a thread before, and while there were several dedicated to ONE particular show, the last time anyone asked this question seemed to be back in 2002, so I ask you:

If you were trapped on a deserted island and could only have ONE episode from ANY number of cartoons, which episodes would they be?

What would be the best single example of what that cartoon was capable of? I'll give you a hypothetical: a friend of mine was trying to start watching the Batman: Animated Series, and asked me if there was one episode that really showcased and encapsulated the greatest strengths and best qualities of that series - which episode best showed off exactly what that cartoon could do?

Naturally, I had him watch "Almost Got 'Im", which, for my money, is the best single episode of B:TAS. So that's what I mean. Go wild! I'm opening this up to animated series from all over the world, from every time period, as well as 2-parters, 3-parters, and 5-parters, since they are still essentially one big episode. Careful when it comes to anime, though, since some are just one enormous story stretched out over 26 episodes.

This thread is about best EPISODES, not best MOMENTS in an episode. Feel free to cite individual titles (Wikipedia's got 'em) so those of us who may not have had the pleasure of seeing these shows ourselves can track them down. Anyway, other favorites of mine include:

"Hard Luck Woman" from Cowboy Bebop - Faye finally gets her memory back and goes off in search of someplace to call her own, which ultimately leads her back to the school where she grew up. All this while Ed is reunited with her father. Heartfelt, bittersweet, a bit humorous, and boasting one of the best fights in the series (which comes outta NOWHERE!) this ep sets the gold standard for Bebop. If you're not moved by the giant smiley face Ed paints on the Bebop's deck when she decides to leave, have your pulse checked 'cause you're probably dead.

"Cats and Girls and Spaceships" from Outlaw Star - The crew of the Outlaw Star gets beat down in a dogfight with a mysterious ship and sets down on a nearby station for repairs. While this is going on, Jim meets a beautiful girl, falls for her, and makes a date to meet her again. However, the crew forces a final battle with the ship that attacked them, destroying it, and Jim returns for his date...

...to find the girl he loved gone, never learning that she was the pilot of the ship they destroyed. Seriously... WOW!

"The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic" from Real Ghostbusters - There isn't even all that much action in this episode, but it's one of their very best. It's the story of an only child who grew up with nothing but her father and her teddy bear, and in a failed attempt to "make" a friend for her, he accidentally dragged something terrible into this world. Confined to the attic of her house, this force threatens her now even in old age. The Ghostbusters take the case, save the kind, old woman, and Peter Venkman has a moment of sincerity at the finale that is unmatched by any single other instance in the entire run of the series. Simply moving.

"City of Stone" from Gargoyles - This one's a five-parter, but a great one. Two stories, one set in the present, the other set in the past, detail the epic events that took place after Castle Wyvern was destroyed and the Gargoyles turned to stone. Frighteningly intelligent, meticulously scripted (you may have to break out your 9th grade AP English textbook for this one), and easily some of the most mature writing I've EVER seen in Western "childrens'" animation, this episode defines the connection between Demona and MacBeth, prefaces the impressive Avalon storyline, and gives birth to the Hunters, the Gargoyle Clan's longest-running villains. I swear, if you wanna make cartoons for a living, this one is required viewing.

But that's enough outta me. What are yours?

[J!!!]

Satic Shock -Jimmy
This episode was so down to home that it made me sad inside with the bullies and the kids bringing the gun to school there were so many twists that it made me amazed.

[Dr.Pepper]

Mirror Mirror on the Ed -Ed Edd n Eddy: This has been my favorite since I first saw it. I love the way they act like each other

[The Cartoon]

SpongeBob SquarePants - "Band Geeks"

I'm in marching band so the humor in this episode was perfect for me. It also had one of the best endings I've seen in any episode of any show.

[judyindisguise]

Spongebob Squarepants: Funny Pants. A great ep, with solid writing, on-target characterization, and a satisfying ending. Spongebob's personality was never better than in this episode - innocently annoying, easily misled, but still goodhearted; even though Squidward caused him great suffering by making up the "broken laughbox" story, Spongebob still donated a part of his laughbox to help his unwilling friend. And the ep is very very funny.

Fairy Oddparents: Apartnership. This episode has a lot of the quirky charm that attracted many viewers to the series in the first place - charm that was later replaced by gratuitous noise, misogynistic "jokes" and over-extended snarkiness. When I think of the good days of FOP, Apartnership always leaps to mind, as an example of when the show was truly fresh, original and entertaining for all ages.

Ben 10 Alien Force: Paradox. This ep has it all - solid writing, intriguing premise, great new character, and an intricately plotted sci-fi concept that could have been confusing but is so well told that it just carries you along to its logical and satisfying conclusion. I think this ep is so good it's the equal of any solid episode of any live-action sci-fi show. BTAF doesn't get any better than this.

Phineas and Ferb: Dude, We're Getting The Band Back Together! This was the ep that totally changed my mind about this series, which I initially wrote off as a derivative eyesore. It's got heart to spare, some really clever musical numbers, and uses smart one-liners instead of the stupid snark that passes for humor in too many toons these days. I'm a big fan of this show now - and Dude is the episode that did it. (Although I do wish the show looked better).

Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends: Everyone Knows It's Bendy. Okay, okay. I know. Everyone hates this ep but me. :p It's just that I find Bloo so obnoxious, it's fun to see him get out-Blooed by an even more obnoxious character. It's as if Cosmo on FOP got what he deserved at the hands of Anti-Cosmo. (A great ep idea, IMO, that will sadly never happen, since the creators of FOP are so convinced that the idiot is the star character and that everybody loves him. Feh).

South Park: Cartoon Wars. Man I loved this episode. The show's writers managed to express both support and disdain for Family Guy in an even-handed manner, by having said support and disdain expressed by the most unlikeliest of characters: clear-eyed Kyle (FG fan) and closeminded Cartman (FG hater). Really, given their personalities, you'd think those characters would have the opposite opinions, but no - the SP writers never take the easy way out. I'm so often in awe of their creativity. This ep is South Park's masterpiece IMO, only rivaled in my affections by the World of Warcraft ep and the ep Mystery of the Urinal Deuce, starring the Hardly Boys. I have that one on my DVR, and play it whenever I'm in need of a good belly-laugh.

Avatar: The Ember Island Players. This was such a cool idea for an episode: the Avatar gang secretly watch a play about themselves and their exploits. The reactions of some of the crew to their characterizations onstage were priceless. My fave was when Aang found out he's being played onstage by a woman, a la the Peter Pan stage tradition. His humiliation is hilarious. Man I miss Avatar...

Kim Possible: Sick Day. This was a crisply-written, witty episode that deserved an Annie at the very least. You don't often see well-crafted comedy in TV toons. You see attempts at well-crafted comedy, but few that really deliver. This episode does it. When the Scottish bad guy throws the kleenex box at the TV soap opera everyone in the show seems to be watching from their sickbeds, I crack up every time. A classic ep from a truly great series.

[cyde]

I got 4 from South Park--The Quest For Ratings, The Simpsons Already Did It, Free Hat and Lil Crime Stoppers.

[chdr]

"Sacrifice" from Moral Orel. It's that good.

[Mini Garbonzo]

I got 4 from South Park--The Quest For Ratings, The Simpsons Already Did It, Free Hat and Lil Crime Stoppers.
But the point of the thread is to shoose one.

Maybe for The Simpsons, Homer's Enemy would probably be a good choice, it's one of my favorites and I don't seem to have gotten tired of it.

[JTurner954]

Fairly Oddparents - "Miss Dimmsdale": The first episode of FOP I've seen and continued to showcase the greatness of Adam West.

Batman: The Animated Seres - "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?": My first introduction to "The Riddler", my favorite villain in the Batman franchise. I love episodes that always keep me guessing.

Megas XLR - "All I Wanted Was a Slushie": An over-the-top villain with an over the top theme song made this very funny. "I am Regis"

Bobobo-bo Bo Bobo - "Let's Get Wiggy With It": This episode shows how awesome Don Patch is and how gosh darn funny this show is. To this day, I say Don Patch won the Wig Off. "CHURROS"!!!!

The Powerpuff Girls - "Child Fearing" : Like FOP, this is the first episode I saw of PPG. If Mojo JoJo were a candle, what would he be? The world may never know.

Futurama - "Anthology of Interest": I like both episodes with the What If machine but the segment with Al Gore made Part 1 slightly better.

The Simpsons - I don't remember what it was called, but it was the episode where they went to Japan. That episode had me in stitches and seizures. My pick changes constantly but this ep. comes to mind at the moment.

The Big O - "Enemy is Another Big" : Megadeuces never looked the same after this episode. The mystery of Paradigm City starts to unravel and the series begins to take an even darker turn.

Dragonball Z - At the moment it's "Another Super Saiyan?" which debuts a new character that changes the show as we knew it forever. It also continued the trend of ever changing Faulconer music that made each saga memorable. Runner-ups are some Perfect Cell episodes but I'm still watching the show so my choice may change over time.

Metalocalypse - The debut episode of Dr. Rockso. A perfect example of the definitive Metal episode.

[Mesousa]

Total Drama Island: "Search and Do Not Destroy". The love between Trent and Gwen impressed me in this episode, and then Heather, when planned to break them apart by kissing Trent, is one of those moments that you really feel emotion here, especially when there's actually drama here. It really delivered. Thre were also many funny moments in the episode, such as Owen trying to get the key from the bear, and of course, Izzy getting bitten by a snake a few times ("See, kisses!"), but the drama worked better than I thought here (then again, I always have thought that Katie's elimination was the first signs of drama in the series, cause of Sadie).

Koihime Musou: "The Treasure". The real episode title is "Enshou Digs Up a Treasure", but KM has always had bad episode titles (one of my very few problems in the series). Anyways, this episode was just plain funny. Some people might criticize it for the fact that it had a lot of fanservice, and that it was filler, but it didn't really distract me. Some funny moments include Rinrin thinking that the bear that was almost gonna attack her and her friends was raised by her, only to find out it wasn't hers, and Sei's "Butterfly Mask" alias appearance at the end, pretty much cracked me up somehow.

[Eleanor Hugbees]

I can't list just one so:


The Robot Spy- Jonny Quest

People still remember this episode 40+ years later, even paying tribute to it in movies and shows like The Incredibles,the Venture Bros., and Samurai Jack. For good reason, it was genuinely creepy and intelligently written.


Stimpy's Invention -Ren and Stimpy

Who doesn't know the "Happy, Happy Joy, Joy" song?


Marge Vs. the Monorail- The Simpsons

The Simpsons had a ton of great episodes back then , but this was inspired. Name another cartoon with a plot like that. Simpsons at its finest.


Meet The Beat-Alls- Powerpuff Girls

Combining all of those Beatles references was a feat within itsself.


Wacki Deli- Rocko's Modern Life

Best animation satire ever.


Pizza Delivery- Spongebob Squarepants

This was one of their first stand-out episodes for me. "Kruuusty KrraaaaAAAAbs Pizza is thhhe Pizzzza yeah yeah for you and..MeeeEEEeeeeeeeee!"

Nations Song Segement- Animaniacs

I'm actually not that big on Animaniacs, but this was pretty memorable.



I would list Looney Tunes, but those are theatrical shorts, technically.

[DarthGonzo]

Stimpy's Invention -Ren and Stimpy
Marge Vs. the Monorail- The Simpsons
Meet The Beat-Alls- Powerpuff Girls
Wacki Deli- Rocko's Modern Life

Haha, whats the point of me posting now if my choices are the same as yours?

But I'll add one more, though it's technically two: the "Stewie Kills Lois/Lois Kills Stewie" 2 parter from Family Guy, specifically the full unedited version seen on the DVD.

Ya got a great plot, a short but sweet American Dad cross-over (longer on the DVD), a great battle at the end (accompanied by a great score), and one of my absolute favorite Family Guy songs that's only available on the DVD, "The List", where Stewie sings about all the people he intends to do away with now that he's in power because "they'd none of them be missed!"

Great stuff.

[Darklordavaitor]

I'll give this a try with a few choices, none of which are acutally my favorite episodes of each series but rather ones I feel represent them best:

Yu Yu Hakusho, "Sleep Doctor Sleep"- A bunch of good episodes come to mind here, especially from this particular arc, but I find this one underappreciated. In this episode, Yusuke is forced to decide whether or not he has the will to kill a human in order to save the world. If he does, there's no way he can look back, but if he let's Dr. Kamiya live, he'd risk the end of mankind. Does the have the guts to do one or the other? Instead of spoiling it for you, I'd also like to mention that the doctor is also one of the most interesting short-lived villains in the series, as he battles with what he considers the only way to save society.

"Detective, have you ever looked in the mirror, I mean, really looked? We're diseased, we're suffering. If you knew what's best, you'd take that gun from your little holster, and do yourself a favor. Erasing every human, that's the only way to save us, or else we'll eat and destroy until nothing is left but piss. Capturing me has only delayed the inveitable for us all."

This quote captures himself better than I can say.

American Dragon: Jake Long, "The Academy"- As a whole, I'd say "Homecoming" is really the show's best episode, but if I was to choose a single episode that captures the show's best qualities and the best choice to get a friend into(and I actually used this episode to get a friend into the show), I'd side with "The Academy". Most of what I consider the show to contain that makes it so highly underrated are present. Jake, for the first time in months, after having his dragon side revealed to her, finally has the chance to see Rose again, when he and Spud are required to infiltrate the Huntsclan, and battles within himself whether or not he should try to get together with her, while Rose thinks the same thing in her head, and has to think whether or not she should risk letting the Huntsclan find out about her true feelings about the American Dragon.

When they finally get the chance to kiss, it becomes very apparant that these two really care about each other, but have been holding back telling each other throughout the episode to avoid risking letting the Huntsclan find out. In addition to this, the Huntsclan Academy itself is a good addition to the episode. Here we learn more about this self-righteous group, and what they consider to be the best for the world, which is the end of all mythical creatures, to save the world from what they consider to be sickening, invoking themes of prejudice.

Even looking away at the developments, the humor is fine, with Spud himself proves one of his funniest roles, as he tries to win a date for two different dances, asking girls to fight for his honor, and we get the likes of Agents 88 and 89, your classic foolish sidekicks who tickle the right funny bone.

King of the Hill, "Lupe's Revenge"- Once again, tough choice, but I really like how this episode looks at Peggy's character. Our little know-it-all who knows little at all takes some kids to a field trip to Mec-e-co, and along the way picks up a little Mec-e-can girl. How I think this helps flesh out Peggy Hill is that she thinks she has perfect control of the situation, but she really doesn't. She can't speak Spanish to save her life, and while Hank knows this, he doesn't bother acutally telling her, instead just giving her a Spanish dictionary to help her, but peggy, being her typical self, refuses the help.

I love this aspect about King of the Hill since it let's characters keep their lovable flaws but also shows that people are aware of them and are okay with them, and occasionally even let them save the day this way. I can give out a long list of other episodes that do this, which only continues to prove how great of a character study King is.

[DarthGonzo]

I love this aspect about King of the Hill since it let's characters keep their lovable flaws but also shows that people are aware of them and are okay with them, and occasionally even let them save the day this way. I can give out a long list of other episodes that do this, which only continues to prove how great of a character study King is.

Which is why the show is too good for Adult Swi...oh, never mind. :D

[Leviathan]

These are subjective, and most of them are atypical or have musical numbers

Teen Titans: "Bunny Raven" mostly for the visuals, and the fantastic musical number in the middle. Might be the greatest sustained half-hour in the whole history of animation
The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror V" Any number of top-drawer gags, particularly Mr. Peabody's "quiet, you" and the credits
Ren and Stimpy: "Stimpy's Invention" The animation is fantastic, Ren and Stimpy's personalities are fleshed out, and of course "Happy Happy Joy Joy"
Spongebob Squarepants: "Opposite Day"THE best opposite day cartoon ever. There's something inherently funny about Spongebob and Patrick terrorizing someone half to distraction
Rocko's Modern Life: "Zanzibar" It's the only environmental cartoon that manages to be something other than irritatingly didactic (other than The Lorax)
Garfield and Friends: "Mistakes Will Happen and Big Bad Buddy Bird" "Garfield's been a very bad dog lately, so I'm going to teach him a lesson she'll never forget"
Rocket Power: "The Great Sandcastle Race" "That's the spirit!"
Family Guy: "Road to Rhode Island" Family Guy episodes tend to be fluffy and weak overall. This is the most solid and constantly entertaining FG episode.
Dexter's Lab: "Just an Old-Fashioned Lab Song" Paul Williams does the guest voice. Plus the cynical ending.
I Am Weasel: "The Hole" The ending with Baboon driving off the end of what's left of the Earth is the funniest ending to a cartoon ever
Johnny Bravo: "Bravo Dooby Doo" Perfect send-up of Scooby Doo, and every gag succeeds.
Squidbillies: "Rebel Without a Claus" The funniest Squidbillies episode from beginning to end
Invader ZIM: "Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom" just for the shot of the grotesquely obese GIR scaring off Nightmare Bitter. It's amazing to see a ZIM episode even more visually disturbing then the episodes before and after it
Grim Adventure of Billy and Mandy: "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" one of the funniest B&M episodes, plus there's the Puppet Dimension

[Jeff Harris]

The Simpsons: Marge Vs. The Monorail -
First of all, it was written by Conan O'Brien and proof of his comedic genius to some of the naysayers that say he's not worthy of hosting The Tonight Show.

Second, it featured the late, great Phil Hartman in a role that wasn't Lionel Hutz nor Troy McClure but rather a shyster conman who swindled a small town out of their money by promising something big that they, in hindsight didn't really need.

Third, every time I see this episode, I think about the follies my local government officials trying to make an impression on the other markets have done. Town Center. George Shinn and dreams of the NHL and the NBA. The attempt to bring a CFL team here only to end the CFL American experiment. Ampitheaters. The Monorail at my alma mater. Oh, and the 21st century answer to the monorail - light rail. It'd be laughable if it wasn't true, but I still laugh everytime I watch the episode.

[Lonestarr]

If I think about it, I'll never pick just one, because I hate choosing between things, so I'll just pick one off the top of my head:

Kim Possible, "Tick-Tick-Tick" - Not my all-time favorite, but the episode where everything is perfect: the character interaction (amongst and between heroes and villains), the balancing of high-school elements and action elements and a number of funny moments, especially the third-act chase.

[tb4000]

JLU - The Great Brain Robbery. As tense as the episode was, you knew they did this one purely for the fun of it, and more or less said, "yes, we know how goofy this is, and our main characters are aware of it too." The fact that they lampshaded so many superhero cartoon cliches made it all the better.

[weirdojace]

Moral Orel: "Sacrifice." I had friend who was extremely biased against this show because he thought it was nothing but mindless Christian bashing. This episode changed his mind. Though now he says the show is too sad for him to watch... :shrug:

Invader Zim: "Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars" is almost universally accepted among fans as the best episode, and for good reason. The writing is solid, it's hilarious all the way through and has some of the best animation in ANY episode of the show. It's also the one Jhonen Vasquez is most proud of, so that should say something I guess.

The Powerpuff Girls: I always say my favorite episode is "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey." But it's definitely NOT an episode I'd show someone who had never seen the show before. It's too weird and experimental. So, with that in mind, the episode I'd use to lure people is "Forced Kin." Everything about it is perfect-- the action, the comedy, the story and the animation.

Courage the Cowardly Dog: "The Tower of Dr. Zalost." I think I can safely say there's really no debate there. Anyone who has never seen this needs to watch it immediately.

South Park: "Scott Tenorman Must Die." The turning point in the show. It's hard to pick the best episode of this show since there are different categories that they can fall into and there's an abundance of them.

Rocko's Modern Life: "Wacky Delly." It's like... Adult Swim before Adult Swim.

Home Movies: "Shore Leave." I don't remember much about it, but I remember always saying it was my favorite episode. If I remember right, this episode has three different storylines going on at the same time and they all come together in the end like a puzzle.

[ensatsu-ken]

Yu Yu Hakusho, "Sleep Doctor Sleep"- A bunch of good episodes come to mind here, especially from this particular arc, but I find this one underappreciated. In this episode, Yusuke is forced to decide whether or not he has the will to kill a human in order to save the world. If he does, there's no way he can look back, but if he let's Dr. Kamiya live, he'd risk the end of mankind. Does the have the guts to do one or the other? Instead of spoiling it for you, I'd also like to mention that the doctor is also one of the most interesting short-lived villains in the series, as he battles with what he considers the only way to save society.

I completely agree with you on this one. I love this episode of YYH, and if anything, its episodes like these that people ignore when they criticize YYH of being just another typical shounen that has no qualities about it which allow it to stand up against the bigger anime titles in the genre. Honestly, YYH is one of my favorite simply because, as this episode proves, it can balance both action and drama, very well, and better than most other shounen series that I have seen. And its great how you quoted one of my favorite lines from the entire series, and definitely my favorite line from this particular episode. ;)



American Dragon: Jake Long, "The Academy"- As a whole, I'd say "Homecoming" is really the show's best episode, but if I was to choose a single episode that captures the show's best qualities and the best choice to get a friend into(and I actually used this episode to get a friend into the show), I'd side with "The Academy".

Might you be referring to me? :p

Yes, it is a fantastic episode, and the more I think about it, I'll have to honestly say that it doesn't fall behind Homecoming by much. I mean, Homecoming is still my favorite episode in the series, that I have seen so far, but after watching The Academy again, I'm amazed at how it just seems to get better with every viewing (although, I still need to re-watch Homecoming, again). The only problem with it is that its definitely not meant for newbies to the series, since, when I first watched it, I did enjoy it, but not nearly as much as I did when I saw it again, after getting to know the characters more through various other episodes. Its just something that you can't truly appreciate to its fullest, unless you know and understand both Jake and Rose as characters, and what their motives are. :)

[byron lomax]

Kim Possible - "Emotion Sickness": I was growing to love this show the more episodes I saw, but this episode really made me a fan. It offers a lot of intrigue with Ron's attraction to Kim, and it's absolutely hilarious the whole way through. Opens the door for the developments that came later in the series.

Daria - "The Misery Chick": an episode that explores Daria's character, and does so a lot better than anything in the later seasons. It begins like any other episode, with the usual sarcastic humour and amusing idiots, and then suddenly makes a sharp turn to the dramatic, after an unexpected, tragic incident. Again, this is an episode that cemented me as a fan of its particular series.

I concur on "Almost Got 'Im", but I think "Two-Face" deserves a mention as well.

[Sabregroove]

Kim Possible - "Emotion Sickness": I was growing to love this show the more episodes I saw, but this episode really made me a fan. It offers a lot of intrigue with Ron's attraction to Kim, and it's absolutely hilarious the whole way through. Opens the door for the developments that came later in the series.

Daria - "The Misery Chick": an episode that explores Daria's character, and does so a lot better than anything in the later seasons. It begins like any other episode, with the usual sarcastic humour and amusing idiots, and then suddenly makes a sharp turn to the dramatic, after an unexpected, tragic incident. Again, this is an episode that cemented me as a fan of its particular series.

I concur on "Almost Got 'Im", but I think "Two-Face" deserves a mention as well.

Agreed 100%. And for the record, the "Two-Face" two-parter actually did end up being my friend's favorite episode from the entire run. That ep's got some serious game.

[lemonhead75]

Futurama-"The Sting"
Without a doubt my favorite episode of anything. Ever. The expression of emotion is just amazing.
Ed Edd n Eddy-"Mirror, Mirror"
A fantastic episode.
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends-"Mondo Coco"
Coco is an interesting enough character, and with her on adventures, everything is a little bit better.

[sag_2002]

South Park "Chickenlover" - "You will respect my authoritah!"

[MegaJ]

Can we count two parters?

Avatar: The Last Airbender: "Siege of the North", both parts. I liked Avatar but these were the episodes that truely set it apart from almost every cartoon airing. TIGHT direction and pacing and animation, great writing, heartfelt emotion, just everything.

Danny Phantom: "The Ultimate Enemy." Best Danny Phantom episode ever, and I think this is where the series hit it's peak.

Futurama: "The Sting." Hit all the right notes. I don't really like the series all too much really, but this episode really sticks in my mind.

Family Guy: "Stewie Kills Lois"/"Lois Kills Stewie." Proof that not all the newer episodes stink.

Fullmetal Alchemist: "Sealing the Homunculous." This was hard, as I loved all the episodes but this was my favorite and stands out because it had a lot to deal with and the pacing, writing, and animation were still great.

[weirdojace]

Danny Phantom: "The Ultimate Enemy." Best Danny Phantom episode ever, and I think this is where the series hit it's peak.


This is the episode that made me think Danny Phantom was a good show. So I decided to watch more episodes.

They didn't hold up... :shrug:

[blazecat]

Pucca: "Hex Door Neighbor." It centers around a very minor character who is one of my favorite characters in the show. She is a force to be reckoned with! I've always wanted to see more episodes centered around her. Oh, and her voice is awesome!

Teen Titans: "Apprentice (Part 2)." This is what really got me into the show. I consider this to be the best episode of Teen Titans. Just about everything was perfect! Really dark but at the same time, it had some humor to back it up. Just awesome!

Spongebob: "Chocolate With Nuts." This is such a classic episode! Great animation and humor all around! Also a very original plot. This was when the show was great!

Dragon Ball Z: "Transformed At Last." This is simply because Goku finally becomes a super saiyan in this episode. The music that plays and the entire transformation is so powerful!

Ed Edd n Eddy: "Pain in the Ed." This is an all around feel good episode. Downright clever and funny. I loved just about everything about it.

[TheTerror]

It would be impossible for me to pick a favorite episode from just ONE show, but the Boogieman episodes from The Real Ghostbusters come to mind, as well as the initial arc from the TMNT classic, also tons of single episodes from X-Men TAS stand out to me, but I can't name just one.

[The Huntsman]

“Pokémon” – I am not really in any position to claim that it is the best episode of the entire series, as I stopped watching “Pokémon” years ago, but Go West, Young Meowth has always been at the top of my list. When the series premiered, I was intrigued by Meowth and he quickly became my favorite character, but this was the episode that truly cemented his status in my eyes. I loved his story. It was tragic. However, truth be told, I don’t even remember what role Ash and his friends had in this episode; Meowth’s story is what made it special.

[judyindisguise]

Fairly Oddparents - "Miss Dimmsdale": The first episode of FOP I've seen and continued to showcase the greatness of Adam West.

Seriously?

[Tapout]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Mayhem of the Mooninites. I was in tears from the moment Ignignokt started talking to Carl until Frylock sent them packing back to the moon.

[Lord Dalek]

The Simpsons: "Cape Feare" - I've said this now to death already but "Cape Feare" is arguably the greatest 23 minutes of television The Simpsons ever produced, sorry Monorail.

Ren & Stimpy: "Ren's Bitter Half" - Games Animation episodes are well known for being pale imitations of John K.'s best shows... except "Ren's Bitter Half". Great (and disgusting) character designs, superb acting from West, and it even manages to toss in a random throwaway refference to ultra obscure Disney propaganda film "Victory Through Air Power". Great stuff.

Rocko's Modern Life: "Fortune Cookie" - All together now: Bad Luck And Extreme Misfortune Will Infest Your Pathetic Soul For All Eternity!

Dexter's Labratory: "Mock 5" - Absolutely dead-on Speed Racer parody. "Last But Not Beast" may have a strong case due to its OMG!EPIC nature, but it sure isn't as fun as the stupidly awesome "Mock 5".

Family Guy: "Da Boom" - The best of Family Guy's "concept episodes" by far.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future" - This show works on two levels, the first time is its funny because its just so bizzare, the second time is that you're actually paying attention to the Cybernetic Ghost's insane warblings ("The war between man and machine raged on throughout the 1970's! You don't remember it because back then it was only a prophecy. But NOW... in the FUTURE... the PAST... has OCCURED!)

[creativerealms]

The Batman: Strange New World. The Batman was rarly a great show even when it was good but Strange new world was not only (IMO) the best episode of the series but also one of the greatest "Zombie" stories in cartoons. A very good plot where everything made sense at the end, every single detail was covered. The Batman's version of Hugo Strange was a great villain and one of the shows best achievments.

[Dr. Daedalus]

Ren & Stimpy (John K. episodes): "Stimpy's Fan Club". The Christmas episode gets a lot of praise, but I thought this one actually worked better in the dramatic sense; it perfectly showcases Ren's jealous side and how he blames his best friend just because of his own flaws preventing him from getting any fan mail. Great poses, great acting by John and Billy, and one of the creepiest scenes in a comedy cartoon (where Ren contemplates snapping Stimpy's neck).

Ren & Stimpy (Games episodes): "An Abe Divided". Consistently funny and amusing artwork/poses. A shame Jim Gomez didn't direct more Games episodes.

The Simpsons: "Who Shot Mr. Burns" Parts 1 & 2. Arguably the most epic plot this show has ever done, next to the movie. It's the best showcase for Burns's evilness, and part 1 manages to combine dramatic moments and comedy successfully ("Dear Lord, that's the loudest profanity I ever heard!"). Part 2 is a non-stop comedy riot that, because of its breathless pace, accentuates the tension of trying to find out who nearly killed Burns.

Family Guy: This one's tough, because I've seen the episodes way too many times and thus the comedic impact is far less nowadays, but I still really like "The King is Dead". So many hilarious moments, especially Tom and Diane immediately announcing Lois taking over as director after she hangs up the phone. So nutty.

South Park: "It Hits the Fan". Not only did this episode shatter quite a few censorship records, but it actually made a good point that the more you hear the S-word, the less of an impact it has. In a way, it was devaluing a word by saying it constantly. I love everyone excitedly watching "Cop Drama" in the bar, waiting with baited breath for the word to be said. The running counter at the bottom was classic, too.

Rocko's Modern Life: Oh, like you need to ask. Some have already mentioned its title in this thread.

Duckman: "The Gripes of Wrath": The ultimate yin/yang episode. We see a reconstructed, perfect world in act two, and a hellish cesspool for act three. A good commentary on how perfect things are really imperfect. And it has the rapid fire banter/comedy and creative storyboarding we expect from Duckman.

King of the Hill: For comedy, "A-Firefighting We Will Go", for the great group dynamic and the Rashomon-style scene where everyone has a different interpretation of what happened in the fire house.

For drama, "Chasing Bobby". Perhaps the best showcase of Hank's tenuous relationship with Bobby. It's a crying shame it didn't get an Emmy.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: "Super Squatter". One of the funniest showcases of Shake's stubbornness, pride, and mooching nature. "Pay the bills? I pay you no mind!" Love the part where Frylock tests Shake as to how many bills had to be paid, and Meatwad's weenie smoothie is always good for a laugh.

Dr. Katz: "Movies". Both patients were funny, and the plot of Dr. Katz and Ben going to the movies offered great banter, especially in the final act when Dr. Katz is adamant that they stay home for once because they're addicted to the movies, and their conversation quickly steers back onto films. Also significant because it shows Ben's jealous side when he sees Laura on a date at the movies and tries (unsuccessfully) to question her about it. "Sorry Laura, I got cut off. Did you sleep with him?" (Laura hangs up) :D

[ABrown]

Justice League Unlimited: "Epilogue"

Easily, without a doubt, no questions asked, the greastest episode of any cartoon I've ever seen. I don't even know how to explain why I feel it was so great. I just loved watching and rewatching it.

[Sabregroove]

Static Shock -Jimmy
This episode was so down to home that it made me sad inside with the bullies and the kids bringing the gun to school there were so many twists that it made me amazed.

This episode was very well done. I thought framing the events of the show by having Virgil talking with the therapist was a smart device. If you can track it down, there's an episode of Bravestarr called "The Price" you should definitely check out. If you liked how well the material in "Jimmy" was treated, "The Price" will knock you out.

[Sabregroove]

South Park: Cartoon Wars. Man I loved this episode. The show's writers managed to express both support and disdain for Family Guy in an even-handed manner, by having said support and disdain expressed by the most unlikeliest of characters: clear-eyed Kyle (FG fan) and closeminded Cartman (FG hater). Really, given their personalities, you'd think those characters would have the opposite opinions, but no - the SP writers never take the easy way out. I'm so often in awe of their creativity. This ep is South Park's masterpiece IMO, only rivaled in my affections by the World of Warcraft ep and the ep Mystery of the Urinal Deuce, starring the Hardly Boys. I have that one on my DVR, and play it whenever I'm in need of a good belly-laugh.

Avatar: The Ember Island Players. This was such a cool idea for an episode: the Avatar gang secretly watch a play about themselves and their exploits. The reactions of some of the crew to their characterizations onstage were priceless. My fave was when Aang found out he's being played onstage by a woman, a la the Peter Pan stage tradition. His humiliation is hilarious. Man I miss Avatar...

"Cartoon Wars" is an exceptional example to me for two reasons. First, that ridiculous Big Wheel chase scene between Kyle and Cartman through the desert that somehow results in a cop car running off the road and flipping over and, more poignantly, the fact that Comedy Central STILL refused to show the image of Muhammad, which was the whole point of the episode.

That's like banning Fahrenheit 451 from your library. It's a book about BANNING BOOKS!

"Ember Island Players" is a favorite, too. It's the best idea for a "clip show" I've ever seen, and when the actor Azula kills the actor Zuko onstage, the look on the REAL Zuko's face makes me laugh out loud every time. It's not even supposed to be funny, but his reaction is so sincere. You just kinda see it and say, "Oh, no!"

Between that and Rachel Dratch's 20-second "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" when the Fire Lord defeats her/him, this ep is a solid winner.

[DarthGonzo]

I've never gotten the "Cartoon Wars" love. I've always felt it was a nasty and immature couple of episodes that took potshots at a show that never did anything to hurt them while at the same time acting like their own complaints also applied to them. It was one of those episodes that made me convinced that Trey Parker and Matt Stone think their feces doesn't stink.

My opinion on the best single South Park episode? I lean towards "Scott Tenerman Must Die".

[nakak]

I'll limit this to shows that either ended or have too many episodes already.

ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE: Wacky Delly
Need I say more? Possibly the funniest take on the animation industry to ever air on national television.

DEXTER'S LABORATORY: Ice Cream Scream
This was hard to choose, since there were alot of good Dexter episodes, but this one sticks to mind. In it, Dexter goes through extreme lengths trying to get an ice cream truck to stop for him (turns out that the ice cream man was avoiding him on purpose; Dexter one time paid for an ice cream with pennies and somehow that led to the guy losing his job, house, girlfriend, etc.)

THE SIMPSONS: Cape Feare
The rake scene and "BARTDOYOUWANTTOSEEMYNEWCHAINSAWANDHOCKEYMASK!?"

...need I say more?

RUGRATS: Pickles vs. Pickles
I'm not a fan of Rugrats, and never will, but this episode sticks to my mind when I think of the show. This is the one where Drew has a nightmare about Angelica suing her family because they forced her to eat brocolli. I guess the absuridy of this made me remember this particular one.

REN & STIMPY: Stimpy's Invention
Others have pointed this out, so I won't go into too much. "I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs!"

[Sabregroove]

I'll limit this to shows that either ended or have too many episodes already.

REN & STIMPY: Stimpy's Invention
Others have pointed this out, so I won't go into too much. "I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs!"

"The little creatures of nature - they don't know that they're ugly. That's very funny. A fly marrying a bumblebee. I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me. WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!"

Rarely have I been THAT weirded-out watching a cartoon, but this episode delivers the goods.

[Kagetsu]

WoW, I could spend all day writing my fav eps.

First I'll challenge 2

Cowboy Bebop: Balled of Fallen Angels Is my all time top episode.

Daria: I Don't,,, or Quinn the Brain: are my top episodes, and I'm hard pressed to ignore others,,, like Pierce Me.

[Urusei Yatsura]

Avatar: The Last Airbender- Serpents Pass/The Drill-
I chose these two because IMO it has a nice balance of Action/Comedy/Romance(not really). Plus it features my favorite characters. It doesn't reveal TOO much spoilers, either.

W.I.T.C.H.-Framed/The Battle of Meridian Plains-
Framed was a pretty fun and creative story, and TBoMP was another episode I liked....

[judyindisguise]

"Cartoon Wars" is an exceptional example to me for two reasons. First, that ridiculous Big Wheel chase scene between Kyle and Cartman through the desert that somehow results in a cop car running off the road and flipping over and, more poignantly, the fact that Comedy Central STILL refused to show the image of Muhammad, which was the whole point of the episode.

I know!!! When I first saw that disclaimer in the episode proclaiming that Comedy Central had refused to show the image of Mohammed, I thought it was a gag, and I laughed. Later, when I found out, here on this site, that CC really DID wuss out, I laughed again, but yeah, it was sad too. It hurts to see an American television network cower before threats and violence. For that reason the only show I watch on CC is South Park. I respect the heck out of that show, but I have no respect for CC.

[Kitschensyngk]

Rocko's Modern Life had a number of good episodes during its third season, but the one I like the best was the wedding two-parter, The Big Question/The Big Answer. I loved EVERYTHING about that episode, especially Filburt's bachelor party and the family feud at the wedding ceremony.

Speaking of wedding episodes, Ed Edd n Eddy's Honor Thy Ed. I kinda saw the ending coming, but I loved the Kanker sisters so this one was great. Though actually I enjoyed ANY episode involving the Kankers, to be honest.

Ren and Stimpy's first "Untamed World" episode is instant win for the Croco-Stimpy alone.

There was also the Powerpuff Girls episode Uh Oh Dynamo. Epic Japanese-inspired action scenes, and all the collateral damage was icing on the cake.

I'll have to compile my anime favorites later.

[Baltofan]

The second season ending of "Animals of Farthing Wood" has one of the most dramatic endings I have seen.

[stephane dumas]

Spider-man 1967-70: I'll go with "To Cage a Spider", a Bakshi episode who's underrated and a good adaptation from a comic issue who featured the cameo of Captain Georges Stacy. We see in the beginning of the episode, Spider-man a bit delusionned and not more motivated to fight against crime until he saved Captain Stacy's life.

Goldorak (UFO Robot Grendizer): episode 27 known in French as "Vaincre ou Périr". Venusia (Hikaru Makiba) was seriously injured and saved by a blood transfusion from Actarus (Duke Fleed) and later tried to lure Hydargos(Blacky) to do a diversion while Actarus delivers Alcor (Koji Kabuto) and Procyon (Prof Umon, who was injured after being tortured by Hydargos) and the episode concluded with the ultimate fight scene between Actarus and Hydargos http://www.grendizer.net/episode27.html

The Fairly Odd Parents: "Back to the Norm", personnaly I found the 2nd cameo of Norm the Genie much better then in the first one, the teaming with Crocker was priceless and it have a good tribute to Will E Coyote and Road Runner when Crocker did a paint of Trixie in the wall of a cliff hoping then Timmy see her and smash the wall with a big rock falling on him but like Will E. Coyote's trap it didn't worked this way.

South Park: Too much episodes to choose, well I'll go with Mecha Straisand, the fun I had when I saw the "real side" of Barbara Straisand and Cartman being kicked in the.... by Robert Smith of the Cure.

Totally Spies: "Alex Quits", this episode had a good dramatic moment when Alex said then she wanted to quit WOOHP.

[speedy fast]

Here are some of my choices.

Family Guy - Stewie Kills Lois/ Lois Kills Stewie

The Simpsons - The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show

South Park - Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

Rocky and Bullwinkle - The Treasure of Monte Zoom

Rugrats - Real or Robot/ Special Delivery

Ren and Stimpy - Stimpy's Invention

Taz-Mania - Devil of a Job

[Starbro]

Here are some of my choices.

Family Guy - Stewie Kills Lois/ Lois Kills Stewie

The Simpsons - The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show

South Park - Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

Rocky and Bullwinkle - The Treasure of Monte Zoom

Rugrats - Real or Robot/ Special Delivery

Ren and Stimpy - Stimpy's Invention

Taz-Mania - Devil of a Job



Cowboy Bebop: Balled of Fallen Angels Is my all time top episode.

Daria: I Don't,,, or Quinn the Brain: are my top episodes, and I'm hard pressed to ignore others,,, like Pierce Me.


Care to tell us why these episodes are your favorites?


Try to explain your choices, guys. List threads get the lockdown around here.

[Mad Mod 49]

I've never gotten the "Cartoon Wars" love. I've always felt it was a nasty and immature couple of episodes that took potshots at a show that never did anything to hurt them while at the same time acting like their own complaints also applied to them.

Seeing as you've got a Family Guy avatar, I assume it's merely that "Cartoon Wars" isn't your cup of tea, which is perfectly fine. Everyone deals with that; for instance...


Framed was a pretty fun and creative story

I did not like that episode at all. It's basically a butchering of a story from the original comics. The artist went from a bearded, middle-aged man to a young guy who looked like Marolyn Manson without makeup, for Pete's sake! The episode, IMO, is just one of several reasons I really didn't care for WITCH's first season. :yawn:

[Sabregroove]

The second season ending of "Animals of Farthing Wood" has one of the most dramatic endings I have seen.

Thanks for this. I had never heard of Animals of Farthing Wood before today. I was able to watch the one you cited, which is titled "Reconciliation", in case anybody else wanted to check it out. I recommend watching "A Time of Reckoning" and "Blood is Thicker than Water" (the two episodes that precede "Reconciliation") also, since the events in those are directly connected to the season finale.

I'm often envious of Europe's willingness to show serious drama to children. We don't get too much of that here in the States. "Reconciliation" was very impressive. It dealt with issues of pride, failure, even pregnancy/childbirth, which is something generally avoided in American animation. I was especially impressed with the maturity of the whole circle of revenge/death and the importance of breaking the cycle.

"Animals of Farthing Wood" reminded me of "Watership Down", which is another favorite of mine from your side of the world and a film EVERYBODY should see at least once. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for introducing me to the series.

Moderator Note: This post has been edited for violation of TZ's ToS as regards discussion of viewing illegal copies of copyrighted works.

[Urusei Yatsura]

Seeing as you've got a Family Guy avatar, I assume it's merely that "Cartoon Wars" isn't your cup of tea, which is perfectly fine. Everyone deals with that; for instance...



I did not like that episode at all. It's basically a butchering of a story from the original comics. The artist went from a bearded, middle-aged man to a young guy who looked like Marolyn Manson without makeup, for Pete's sake! The episode, IMO, is just one of several reasons I really didn't care for WITCH's first season. :yawn:

Well I haven't read much of the comics yet so...

[stephane dumas]

I forgotted to mentionned the following ones:
-Wayside: "Todd Falls in Love", in the book version it was Damon who falls in love with Mrs Jewls when he eated Mrs Mush surprises mushrooms. Then it (currently) the only time we see Maurecia without her helmet and ponytail in the series (if we don't count various fanarts of Maurecia without her helmet and ponytail in Deviantart), sometimes I wished to see Maurecia without her helmet more often :sweat: :o

-Rocket Robin Hood: "Dementia Five", the highlight of Ralph Bakshi's psychedelic cartoon with the music and backgrounds and add the performance of VA Chris Wiggins when he did the voice of the episode villain Infinita.

[speedy fast]

Care to tell us why these episodes are your favorites?


Try to explain your choices, guys. List threads get the lockdown around here.

Oops! Forgot about that.

But anyway, after seeing the Taz-Mania episode No Time for Christmas, I think I'd replace Devil of a Job with that one. It's a great episode, and one of the few to feature almost the entire cast, even though some only appear in the background at the end.

The Rugrats episode "Real or Robot" and "Special Delivery" are both great episodes (both featured in the same half-hour, which I think counts). I like how Tommy and Chuckie think Stu might be a robot, and in Special Delivery, I like the scene where the babies talk about where they think babies come from (with Chuckie hearing they come from hospitals, but getting dismissed).

Ren and Stimpy- Stimpy's Invention is a classic. One of the ebst Ren and Stimpy episodes.

The Rocky and Bullwinkle "Treasure of Monte Zoom" storyline is really funny. It features some of my best lines from the show, including Bullwinkle's line that "A-bomb is what some people call our program". And unlike many cliffhangers, Boris and Natasha appear right at the start of the episode (the same can also be said about the episode Mooselvania).

[JesseCuster]

Naruto - "The Broken Seal": I was watching a Naruto marathon and was ready to give up on the show before this episode, but after this episode, I was hooked. "A Failure Stands Tall" and "Naruto's Ninja Handbook" were VERY close seconds.

Avatar - "Bitter Work": This was a great episode even without Azula, my favorite character. I was a fan of Uncle Iroh before, but this episode took him higher in my eyes.

Justice League Unlimited - "Clash": Superman was really looking like a Gary Stu to me until I saw this episode. It was also great to see Captain Marvel as well.

Teen Titans - "The End Part 2": The Teen Titans vs. Trigon featured the greatest fight scene in the show. Everybody levels up to defend Raven. Beast Boy turned into that monster again and Cyborg using the power from Titans Tower absolutely blew me away.

Pokemon - "Triple Fighting Chance": Ash vs. Mailin was just plain awesome. Pokemon went from being just a kids show to being a great anime for one episode at least.

[James]

So subjective.. here we go.

Ulysses 31: Man, where to begin. Fantastic early 80s retelling of the Odyssey. "The Eternal Punishment" is a very creative retelling. Series is recommended.

South Park: Scott Tennyson Must Die. Those who have seen it know why, those who haven't, go and see it.

Batman Beyond: Out of the Past: Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis, side by side against Ra's Al Ghul, etc etc.

Futurama: Time Keeps on Slippin' - just a lot of very clever gags and editing.

Mushi-Shi: Again so many... The Sound of Rust. Stunning, poignant, tragic, uplifting.

Battle of the Planets: The Sea Dragon. Great music, amusing edit, lots of action. Just plain good fun.

Gatchaman: The End of the Crescent Base - Just shocking, destructive and quite disturbing to see the teams base wiped out 80 odd episodes in. Neatly dramatised.

[Kagetsu]

So subjective.. here we go.
Batman Beyond: Out of the Past: Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis, side by side against Ra's Al Ghul, etc etc.
:eek: really? I just watched that. Had no idea who Talia or Ra's were until I went through search. I really prefer Inque as the best villain in Beyond short of Dr. Freeze. The two episodes I keep going back to is Rats,,, because of Dana, and Hidden Agenda,,, because of Max.

[Crash]

Animaniacs--The Tiger Prince, and the Kid in the Lid, in one half-hour episode. There were a lot of good episodes in this series, but you can't beat that combo.

Tiny Toons--The music video episode. The one that introduced me to They Might Be Giants.

South Park--Again, a lot of good episodes to choose from, but I'm giving it to the Fellowship of the Lord of the Rings. It wasn't one of the message eps, and while it was a movie parody, the parody was so perfectly woven into reality... And it had some really great lines.

Teen Titans--Masks. I didn't really respect this show until this episode. It suprised me with what the show was willing to do.

X-Men: Evolution--I'd love to say Mindbender was the best episode, for the jaw-dropping awesomeness of its ending--but I can't. The highlight of the series was Day of Reconning Part 1. Simply put, the best cliffhanger I have ever seen.

Total Drama Island--The episode Courtney got kicked off. Really funny episode, and for once, the ending was actually shocking.

I'd love to make some mention of Kim Possible, but I don't think I really have a favorite there... Just a lot of eps I really like.

[edit--and how could I have forgotten] The Venture Brothers--Ghosts of the Sargasso! This episode was just so quoatable. Right down to the final line: "I don't know, they just do that."

[second edit] Darkwing Duck--Clash Reunion. The best of the Darkwing Origin stories (and neat origin story in-and-of itself), coupled with the origin of one of the show's best villains. A really memorable ep.

[Sabregroove]

Tiny Toons--The music video episode. The one that introduced me to They Might Be Giants.

Me too. I love that band, and it's all thanks to Tiny Toon Adventures. They did two of these episodes, but the first one featuring They Might be Giants was the best. The animation was top notch and the videos were incredibly well done. I remember when I finally saw the REAL video for "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" I was all like, "Hey, where are Plucky and Hampton? This video stinks!" Haha! Great memories.

[JTurner954]

Seriously?


Yeah I watched Star Wars: Clone Wars a few years ago, flipped the TV to Nickelodeon, and saw this very funny episode of FOP. Does that really offend you? Would you feel better to know my runners-up are Channel Chasers, Spaced Out, and the episode where everyone has super powers?

Spongebob: "Imitation Krabs" - I love the Spongebob episodes that focus on Plankton and his attempts to steal the secret formula. Not only was mecha-crabs cheap, but he faced a cheap death as well. Funny stuff.

Shin Chan - The episode that debuted Ench Man. All his segments topped any other scene in the series. I wish this hero was the star of the show.

Sealab 2021 : "Bizarro". Very quotable and sets a great example of the definitive Sealab episode.

[Luna]

Some of my faves...

Futurama...The Sting...Displays all the series strengths...It's extremely funny,but you also end up really feeling for Leela,who is grieving for a friend who has died (or has he?),and seemingly losing her grip on reality...

The Simpsons....Simpsoncallifragilisticexpeala(d'oh)cious...a parody of one of my favorite movies,Mary Poppins,which has awesome songs,and several LOL moments (it's funnier if you've seen the movie,but there's still other funny stuff,like Homer thinking one of the nanny applicants is a man in drag ala Mrs. Doubtfire)....

South Park...."Tsst"....Cartman's so evil his mother ends up having to have The Dog Whisperer come to train him (after Cartman ends up turning away/destroying the lives of every nanny he comes across)...It's just extremely funny to me that Cartman has to be treated like a dog in order for him to behave....

[MegaJ]

More:

Teen Titans: I'm stuck between "Haunted," "X," and "The End Part 2," and I think Haunted wins. Seriously a great episode through and through and it proved that despite the FLCLisms, Teen Titans can handle drama well.

Rugrats: The Mysterious Mr. Friend. Laugh-out loud funny.

Gargoyles: Deadly Force. I remember seeing this when I was younger and I think this is where I get my anti-gun stance from. It touched me that much.

[mowub]

Rugrats: The Mysterious Mr. Friend. Laugh-out loud funny.

I love that one too, as well as the story paired with it, Home Movies, which featured animation drawn by the producers' children.

(Angelica's home movie shows her eating pancakes and all kinds of sweets for breakfast)
Chuckie: Hey, Angelica, I've been to your house for breakfast, and you don't eat stuff like that!
Angelica: QUIET, MORTAL!!!

[Marvin Tikvah]

SpongeBob SquarePants: Survival of the Idiots.

A fun episode, that took the underwater creatures lack of overworld knowledge and ran with it. I especially loved the Dirty Dan/Pinhead Larry role-playing and Sandy's raging fits.

Ed Edd n Eddy: Honor thy Ed

So many great moments, from Ed's description of the earwax phantom to Eddy's comments in the love ride. Despite the bad end, it's probably one of the episodes that never gets old to me.

Powerpuff Girls: Meet the Beat-Alls

As a Beatles fan, I managed to get most of the references in this episode. As I grew older, I caught even more of them. The fact that it's also a villain team-up where they remain powerful until the break-up is an added bonus.

[Jave]

Best Simpsons: "Homer Bad Man". Fantastic satire of talk shows, every single gag is brilliant, and the Little Mermaid parody has me in stitches every time I watch. Close runner-ups would be "Cape Feare" and "Homer Goes to College".

Best Futurama: "The Fansworth Parabox". Great story, fantastic humor, and very good use of every character. The definite Futurama episode.

Best Rocko: "Wacky Delly". "Do we really need the cheese at all?"

Best Dexter's Lab: "Dexter's Lab: A Story". This has got to be one of the funniest things ever. That talking dog is still the funniest dialogue I've ever listened to.

Best Powerpuff Girls: "Him Diddle Riddle". If only for the ending alone. "The Proffesor Will Pay". Brilliant!

Will post more soon.

[Darklordavaitor]

The only problem with it is that its definitely not meant for newbies to the series, since, when I first watched it, I did enjoy it, but not nearly as much as I did when I saw it again, after getting to know the characters more through various other episodes. Its just something that you can't truly appreciate to its fullest, unless you know and understand both Jake and Rose as characters, and what their motives are. :)
Well, I do know of one person who also had “The Academy” as her first episode and got it all well enough, but for obvious reasons, I’ll refrain from using her NAME.

But still, you ultimately are right, “Academy” does fall back on a lot of continuity, which does probably lose itself on newbies their first time around. I’ll then add that my first episode, “Act 4, Scene 15”, is probably a better choice for a first viewing. A lot of what made Jake and Rose’s characters and their relationship tick was present in it, while not calling back on the little bit of revelations the show had at this point, and I’d say that it’s one of the few season 1 episodes that really holds up. I just think that most of it’s impact can still be present to a newbie, while “Homecoming” definitely takes some viewing of the series to really get it.

Another choice that comes to mind to me is the Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy episode “Ed in a Halfshell”/”Mirror, Mirror on the Ed”. The show has had a great half hour of episodes before and after, but I think these shorts might just be the perfect example of what makes the show what it is in general. In the first episode, we see how manipulative Eddy can be, as well as how deliciously evil Jimmy can be, while in the second, the Ed’s were able to prove how well-adjusted the Ed’s are to each other’s quirks, and how hysterical they can be with and without each other. You’d never think that a show can make the lead characters switch places with each other work as well as this episode did, but the staff really pulled off a unique and funny episode, with great lines like “I have caused pain, as I am Eddy.”

It really saddens me to see this show never be nominated for an Emmy, or any other award, when it could make episodes as daring and well-written as these on a regular basis. We may never get a show like this again.

[blazecat]

"Don't Touch That Dial" from Teen Titans is seriously (in my opinion), one of the best. Sure it may just be a filler epsiode, but I think that it's actually quite hilarious. Everything was perfect because it wasn't too wacky of a filler (Mad Mod) or too pointless of a filler (Car Trouble). I especially loved the Road Runner and Coyote reference.:D Pure genius!

[Luna]

Some more of mine.....

King of the Hill..."Hilloween"....An overly religious woman tries to cancel Halloween in Arlen,because she considers it an "evil" holiday,she ends up convincing Bobby and Luanne to help,and it's up to Hank and his friends to stop her...I just found the episode hilarious,and it has one of my favorite Hank lines (to Luanne) "Just when I think you've said the stupidest thing ever,you keep on talkin'!!!!"....

Family Guy..."The King is Dead"...Peter ends up producing his own version of "The King and I",completely taking over Lois' job as director,and majorly annoying her in the process....I just found it extremely funny,especially all of Peter's constant changes to the original work....

American Dad..."Francine's Flashback"....Stan forgets his wedding anniversary,so he decides to wipe Francine's memory,only he goes back 20 years instead of 20 hours...This episode was the one that made me love this series...it has my favorite dialogue between Stan and Haley...

Haley: Mom stole my boyfriend!!!!

Stan : Your boyfriend stole my wife!!!...Let's get back at them by dating each other........Wait a minute.....Daddy didn't think that one through....


Gargoyles....I think the episode is called "The Mirror"....it's the episode where Demona has Puck doing her bidding.....I thought it was interesting seeing a reversed situation,where Elisa is a Gargoyle,and Goliath and his clan are humans....

Bleach...."Stars and the Stray"....Rukia and Renji's backstory...it's kind of sad,but I enjoyed seeing them as children,and how much Renji loves Rukia (he was willing to let her go to a better life,even though he didn't want her to,and has been actively working on getting her back up to this point)...After Futurama's Fry and Leela,this is the couple I'm most hoping happens....

[Desensitized]

King of the Hill, "Lupe's Revenge"- Once again, tough choice, but I really like how this episode looks at Peggy's character. Our little know-it-all who knows little at all takes some kids to a field trip to Mec-e-co, and along the way picks up a little Mec-e-can girl. How I think this helps flesh out Peggy Hill is that she thinks she has perfect control of the situation, but she really doesn't. She can't speak Spanish to save her life, and while Hank knows this, he doesn't bother acutally telling her, instead just giving her a Spanish dictionary to help her, but peggy, being her typical self, refuses the help.

I love this aspect about King of the Hill since it let's characters keep their lovable flaws but also shows that people are aware of them and are okay with them, and occasionally even let them save the day this way. I can give out a long list of other episodes that do this, which only continues to prove how great of a character study King is.I agree with your other picks, but let me just state my opinion on KOTH's best episode.

King Of The Hill - A Firefighting We Will Go

This, in my opinion, is the defining episode of the entire show. In this episode we get a Rashoman style viewing of the events that transpired over the previous few days from the viewpoints of all four of the main characters. This gives us a real in depth look at who they really are and what they think of themselves and other characters. The narration from each character merely discusses the events, but if you pay attention you can see little details like the color of the environment, or subtle appearance of character that differs from reality. It's very fascinating to watch.

But, on top of that, it's really damn funny. You see exactly what happens when the guys are given free reign over something, and not only are they incompetent without Hank, even Hank himself is shown as powerless without his friends.

It's the funniest episode of KOTH, easily. But it's also got a lot of great character moments. Definitely the best episode.

As for characters, the best episode for each character is:

Hank: Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
Dale: Soldier Of Misfortune
Bill: Pretty, Pretty Dresses
Boomhauer: Patch Boomhauer
Peggy: Lupe's Revenge
Bobby: Bobby Goes Nuts
Luanne: Buckley's Angel

Another great, though pure comedy, episode is Three Coaches & A Bobby. I really wish AS would show the 3rd season.


South Park...."Tsst"....Cartman's so evil his mother ends up having to have The Dog Whisperer come to train him (after Cartman ends up turning away/destroying the lives of every nanny he comes across)...It's just extremely funny to me that Cartman has to be treated like a dog in order for him to behave....Agreed. I think it's a tie between Super Fun Time and Tsst for my favorite SP episode.

In Super Fun Time, every character shines, it's got that wonderfully over the top-ness South Park is known for, and the fact that there's no real B-story. The B-story is simply another group dealing with another aspect of the A-plot, which I really like.

Plus, the Die Hard-esque villains robbing a Burger King is such a great reveal.

As for Simpsons... That's a hard call. For humor, I would pick Homie The Clown. It's a simple 'character swap' episode, but to the extreme. Plus, my all time favorite scene- "STOP! STOOOOP! He's already dead!"

But in general, probably Bart Sells His Soul. The main plot is pretty emotional, and the B-story is hilarious, so you get a nice balance of both. I would definitely show this episode to get someone into the series.

Futurama is easily Roswell That Ends Well, as it has everything Futurama is known for. Great characters, unpredictable situations, and manages to be really funny at the same time. For emotion, I would pick Jurassic Bark, as it manages to have a real punch most shows don't have.

[Dr. Daedalus]

As for Simpsons... That's a hard call. For humor, I would pick Homie The Clown. It's a simple 'character swap' episode, but to the extreme. Plus, my all time favorite scene- "STOP! STOOOOP! He's already dead!" That's definitely a top ten. You've got the powerhouse of John Swartzwelder AND David Silverman, and as a result the episode is both funny from the jokes themselves and the animation/timing on them. I could make a list of my favorite jokes, but that would be pointless because pretty much all of them succeed.

[J!!!]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 26 "Take care of yourself"
While many may complain that it was no the violent EoE ending with nudity and death galore it still was good. The ending taught us not to fear ourselves and that you should love who you are no matter what you might be. It also had one of the coolest imaginary school moments ever.

[Kitschensyngk]

Cowboy Bebop, "Jamming With Edward"
Ed is, was, and will probably always be my favorite character in this show. What better choice is there for me than her debut episode?

Azumanga Daioh, "Yamamayaa"
Not since Snoopy Come Home as a child had anything animated brought a tear to my eye.

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, the mecha and Hollywood episodes
Insanity. Pure, unbridled, delicious insanity.

Tenchi Universe, "No Need for a Genius"
MECHA-WASHU PUUUUUUUNCH!!!

Outlaw Star, "The Strongest Woman in the Universe"
Aisha Clan-Clan became my favorite character on the show immediately after I started watching, and she shines in this one. Plus, hey...Gene in drag.

Paniponi Dash, "A Time of Crisis"
One of the best episodes I've ever watched with subtitles.

Samurai 7, "The Offering"
Everything after the eyecatch is just EPIC.

[Sparticus]

Freakazoid: House of Freakazoid/Sewer or Later

Gintama: The Shinsengumi Bathroom Episode (I forget the actual title)

Cowboy Bebop: Toys in the Attic

Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends: Again I forget the episode title but "Hot in Topeka"

[mowub]

Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends: Again I forget the episode title but "Hot in Topeka"

It was "Squeeze the Day"

[ShaqZX]

Growing Up Creepie- Creepie Crawling, Fashion Victim
I go with Fashion Victim, especially, because it shows me what an awesome cartoon character girl Creepie truly is. This episode alome showed me that rue beauty comes from being yourself...

Yin Yang Yo!- It was the one where Saranoia dressed as a maid...
It was also her last episode ever!! She just had no buisness being a villain- just another feminist annoyance no one needed to put up with...Thank God! Seeing her go and get replaced with powerhouses like Smoke and Mirrors really made me smile and say, " I LOVE THIS SHOW!"

Avatar- Day of Black Sun, Part II
Quite possibly the best battle in the whole series. That coupled with the fact that I was cheering like mad when Zuko turned good and went against his Nazi Father and sister once and for all... Let's just say this one really made me happy...

Random Cartoons!- Sparkles and Gloom
This needs to be turned into a cartoon show- HANDS DOWN!!! Nuff' Said!!

[judyindisguise]

Yin Yang Yo!- It was the one where Saranoia dressed as a maid...
It was also her last episode ever!! She just had no buisness being a villain- just another feminist annoyance no one needed to put up with

I saw her as yet another slap at feminism itself. Courtesy of the guy behind the show who, judging by his work on YYY and FOP, had personal issues about the subject. Heavy-handed and obnoxious issues. I'm glad she's gone too, and that, apparently, the show will follow her soon. JMHO.

[cyde]

South Park's Free Hat--love that Raiders Of The Lost Ark parody, and when Tweek threatened to blow up the print.

[Luna]

King Of The Hill - A Firefighting We Will Go

This, in my opinion, is the defining episode of the entire show. In this episode we get a Rashoman style viewing of the events that transpired over the previous few days from the viewpoints of all four of the main characters. This gives us a real in depth look at who they really are and what they think of themselves and other characters. The narration from each character merely discusses the events, but if you pay attention you can see little details like the color of the environment, or subtle appearance of character that differs from reality. It's very fascinating to watch.

But, on top of that, it's really damn funny. You see exactly what happens when the guys are given free reign over something, and not only are they incompetent without Hank, even Hank himself is shown as powerless without his friends.
It's the funniest episode of KOTH, easily. But it's also got a lot of great character moments. Definitely the best episode.

I think it's a tie between Super Fun Time and Tsst for my favorite SP episode.

In Super Fun Time, every character shines, it's got that wonderfully over the top-ness South Park is known for, and the fact that there's no real B-story. The B-story is simply another group dealing with another aspect of the A-plot, which I really like.

Plus, the Die Hard-esque villains robbing a Burger King is such a great reveal.

Futurama is easily Roswell That Ends Well, as it has everything Futurama is known for. Great characters, unpredictable situations, and manages to be really funny at the same time. For emotion, I would pick Jurassic Bark, as it manages to have a real punch most shows don't have.I almost went for "A Firefighting We Will Go" as my favorite KOTH episode(it's definately my next favorite),because it is a great episode for Hank and his friends (I like how each has his own version of what burned down the firehouse,especially Boomhauer's,where he's the only one who speaks normally)...I just enjoyed "Hilloween" more,especially when Hank encourages Bobby to vandalize Junie Harper's house("I'm reminded of another Bible quote...Do Unto Others...",and then acts like he had nothing to do with it/scolds Bobby when Peggy's around,and when Junie Harper later quotes the Bible to make a point about Bobby (Hank: Get out of my house!!!!!....Ummm...Exodus)...

"Super Fun Time" was decent(Butters' refusal to let go of Cartman's hands under any circumstances made the episode for me),but my next fave South Park is "The Death of Eric Cartman"....I thought it was hilarious that Cartman thought he was dead because all the kids (except Butters) were ignoring him,and that he doesn't have a clue about the truth until the end of the episode (and trying to make up for all the horrible things he's done by giving fruit baskets?....Priceless...:D )...

"Roswell that Ends Well" is one of the better Futurama episodes,as is "Jurassic Bark",though I liked some of the others more ("The Sting" I already mentioned,"The Why of Fry" for its touching Fry/Leela ending,and "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" for Fry's opera,as well as another touching Fry/Leela ending)....In "Roswell",though it makes little sense,I liked how Fry was able to make a major change to the timestream without affecting the future (...and one of my favorite Professor Farnsworth quotes... "OOhh...a lesson in NOT changing history from Mr. "I'm- my- own- grandpa"!!!...Screw history!!!!") ....Jurassic Bark is awesome,because it shows a touching side to the series,something you rarely see in animated comedy series aimed at older viewers...

[Darklordavaitor]

I agree with your other picks,

You saw that ADJL episode?

[Desensitized]

You saw that ADJL episode?Believe it or not, I think I did. :sweat:

It's been awhile since I've seen the show, though.

[ShaqZX]

I saw her as yet another slap at feminism itself. Courtesy of the guy behind the show who, judging by his work on YYY and FOP, had personal issues about the subject. Heavy-handed and obnoxious issues. I'm glad she's gone too, and that, apparently, the show will follow her soon. JMHO.

Actually- to reply to your generous comment, I believe it already has... I mean with the screw-up with Eradicus' death and him still being alive in all- when he should be dead! Either way, this show had a good run, better than FOP has doing for itself, since that needs to end, to go off subject...

[Gokou Ruri]

I did not like that episode at all. It's basically a butchering of a story from the original comics. The artist went from a bearded, middle-aged man to a young guy who looked like Marolyn Manson without makeup, for Pete's sake! The episode, IMO, is just one of several reasons I really didn't care for WITCH's first season. :yawn: Butchering is a bit of a harsh word, considering it was a lot more creative and original than the one from the comics (mainly the whole whatever-you-paint-comes-alive gimmick during the fight, in the comic the whole situation was fairly uninspired). That said, I definately would say it was one of the weaker episodes (Divide and Conquer being hands down the absolute worst episode of the entire series), but condemning the episode for the sole reason that the artist looked different from how he did in the comics? :sweat: I'd say story and writing are a lot more important than some guy's hair. If I would pick a "best episode ever" for the show, I'd probably pick M is for Mercy, or Q is for Quarry. But it's a bit hard for me since all the episodes basically flow right into one another so looking at only a single one is kind of hard when they're all basically part of one huge episode.

Anyway, Beast War's Code of Hero is probably my favorite single episode out of any show. The final episode in Dinobot's character development, and showcasing just how far his character has come since the first episode and what it means to, well, truly be a hero

[Starbro]

Random Cartoons!- Sparkles and Gloom
This needs to be turned into a cartoon show- HANDS DOWN!!! Nuff' Said!!

Someone else saw this short. Wow.

I liked the concept behind "Sparkles & Gloom" (but I guess I would, since my brother and I have a show with a similar premise in development right now), but I thought the execution left something to be desired. They shouldn't have done a "characters switch powers" plot in the introductory short; that story line you save for later on.

[Kagetsu]

Growing Up Creepie- Creepie Crawling, Fashion Victim
I go with Fashion Victim, especially, because it shows me what an awesome cartoon character girl Creepie truly is. This episode alome showed me that rue beauty comes from being yourself...
I [haven't seen much], but the few I've seen include that one and I agree. Almost any show where someone changes their look is usually fun. Makeover from Weekenders is one of my, so many favorites. My favorite part in that one is when Tino is talking to his Mother. "We should stop her" and she basically says "No, keep an eye on her eating habits but you don't get to choose who she wants to be"

Moderator Note: This post has been edited. Remember, talk of illegally viewing/obtaining copyrighted material is strictly verboten!

[ShaqZX]

Someone else saw this short. Wow.

I liked the concept behind "Sparkles & Gloom" (but I guess I would, since my brother and I have a show with a similar premise in development right now), but I thought the execution left something to be desired. They shouldn't have done a "characters switch powers" plot in the introductory short; that story line you save for later on.

Yeah, this REALLY needs to become an official cartoon show, just as long as they don't switch powers in the beginning- You're right, that should be saved as a season finale kind of thing, if only to better develop the main characters...

As for your idea, if it's anything like this, I will watch this show- Nuff' Said.

[dexter]

samurai jack: XXXII the traveling creatures that was just really good. i loved that show so much though best fight XL jack V the ninja, fun: jack versus the blind archers, jack and the spartans

ed, edd n eddy: the monkey boys episode still the best there is it is so funny and just awesome.

dexter's laboratory: great show overall hard to pick from the overall good feeling i have for it but if i have to the mandark origon episode ranks pretty high

justice league: 2 parter, the ww2 episodes were all time greats still can't beat them epic and just awesome

Batman TAS: heart of ice. best episode and one of my favorite villains becuase he is not crazy just extraordinarily vengeful and displays a brutal side none of the other villains have unless the episode really calls for it MR freeze is just natutally... well cold. the riddler is great too, the joker is good but i ahve always had a hard time understanding him. mark hamill's laugh is the best bar none but still with the joker you have to try to hard.

futurama: roswell that ends well. it is the most hysterical episode they have ever written

the simpsons: you only move twice great. it has some great funny jokes season 6 is the best if i could i would move the episode where marge is a cop and replace it with this one then it is perfect. anyways i love that episode funny thing there is a golf course/condo area that i go to called cypress creek

family guy: i think it was the first episode where stewey combats the man in white great episode

so yeah i love these episodes they are bar none to anything they can be compared to from the rest of their series

[dexter]

forgot a few shows;

pinky and the brain: the episode where brain talks with beavers awesome

invader zim: hobo 13

avatar the last airbender: the finale was epic one of the best i have ever seen, after that it is hard to pick out one the cave of 2 lovers was pretty good, i really liked the blind bandit, sokka's master was pretty cool. but i loved the finale that was awesome do not know if they could have made that better. maybe if they left out that bit about zuko's mother but it is cool they left room to pick things back up later but i would have actually rathered they let things stay closed. still pretty cool and epic.

[Starbro]

:^: No need to double post; that's what the edit button is for.


justice league: 2 parter, the ww2 episodes were all time greats still can't beat them epic and just awesome

You mean "The Savage Time", and that was a 3-parter, not 2. It was the 1st season finale, to be exact.


family guy: i think it was the first episode where stewey combats the man in white great episode"Chitty Chitty Death Bang", and that was episode 3, IIRC. "Death Has a Shadow" was the first episode.

[Mad Mod 49]

condemning the episode for the sole reason that the artist looked different from how he did in the comics? :sweat: I'd say story and writing are a lot more important than some guy's hair.

Er, sole reason? That was more of a nitpick really; but the artist in question is also the source of a complaint involving story and writing. In the comics, he was a guy who was able to flee to the middle ages of Earth from Phobos' rule and able to live a good life there until Cedric tracks him down and seals him into his own painting, where he can't paint, not even a portrait of the woman he had loved on Earth. When the story is through, he can paint again and the painting world changes to be more like the real one. Knowing that this is his world now, he stays there forever, having a touching goodbye moment with the girls.

In the show? He was a guy trapped in his painting by Phobos and wants out. That's it. If a character's going to be a one-shot, they should at least be an interesting one. The artist in the comics was; the one in the show was not. That alone killed the episode for me, but there were other reasons that I don't want to go in-depth about since they're more or less tied to my issues with season one as a whole (Oh Greg Weisman, why the hell weren't you there from the start?)



If I would pick a "best episode ever" for the show, I'd probably pick M is for Mercy, or Q is for Quarry.


M is for Mercy was very good, but I'd pick S is for Self or V is for Victory myself. S is for Self is the only real time Matt's inner conflict was explored, but it was done so well in that one episode that it completely makes up for it's presence beforehand (plus...Jason Marsden can sing. :D ) And V is for Victory...well, it actually made Prince Phobos semi-likeable, and that's no small feat.