top 5 tv episodes (current + ever)

[lackadaisicalnereid]

Crossposted from Tumblr, ask by the wonderful sapphicsunshower 

top 5 tv episodes currently, in no particular order, things I've watched or rewatched recently: (asked by

1 sharp objects series finale
2 star trek strange new worlds s02e03
3 community s01e23
4 succession series finale
5 black sails s02e01

top 5 tv episodes ever, in no particular order
1 doctor who s01e09 father's day
2 btvs, s02e22, becoming part 2
3 twin peaks s02e22 beyond life and death
4 hannibal s02e13 mizumono
5 the west wing s02e22 two cathedrals

(also, @sunbelieving I loved both your asks (all four of your asks?) but writing the tv stuff took a lot out of me and I just do not have it in me to do the same for songs, which I think might be even more challenging. I might return to it later, however)

 

 

 

sharp objects series finale

This is one of those cases where it's taken me years to get around to finally watching something I'm convinced I'll like. My life is like that, it makes no sense. It feels weird to single out one episode of a whole that is so strongly one thing, but the finale is where everything culminates & the first two thirds had my stomach in knots. The ending reveal montage was brilliant and gutting. Amy Adams and Eliza Scanlen are forever good in my books on the strength of the finale.

star trek strange new worlds s02e03

Love La'an and what she gets to do in this episode. It's both classic TOS shenanigans in a way that I thoroughly enjoy & it's also character developing in a way TOS arguably could not have been, as that was not really the tv landscape back in the day. I found her attachment to Kirk both sweet and heartbreaking, and there were some moments along the way I thought were just excellent fun, like Kirk getting them money by playing chess, because Kirk plays chess with his first officer in every universe, and La'an and Kirk choosing the same outfit when they go to the shop and need regular Earth clothing. Adelaide Kane put in a good performance as the guest star, and not only was the plot fun, but it also managed to advance some character arcs, primarily La'an's, but also Pelia's. All good in my book.

community s01e23 modern warfare

I accidentally rewatched a few episodes of Community yesterday and just had such incredible amounts of fun with this and some other episodes. The ability of the cast and crew to work across genres and plotlines and tropes and still have convincing characters and even character arcs, as well as relationship arcs, is still a brilliant accomplishment in my books. Also, early Jeff/Britta, what a wonderful sitcom disaster.

succession series finale

Look, I am not immune to siblings and tragedy. I would really love to say I have something to add to the immeasurable amounts of Succession discourse, but I am not sure I do. The final sibling argument scene wherein Kendall, for a shot at the throne, takes back his confession of murder (manslaughter probably?) which was what jump started his patching-things-up-with-the-siblings and was arguably the moment they were all most there for each other in the whole series? Horrifying, beautiful, stupid, inevitable. Tragic.

black sails s02e01

I have decided to cheer for all thing queer and fun and my friends that I am watching this with are both highly into this as well, so it's not necessarily the episode itself that I enjoyed so much, as it was my experience of watching it, but I treasure it. Also, I cannot believe I am getting attached to John Silver of all fictional characters in all the pirate gin joints, but what can you do, I am weak, someone save me.

top tv episodes of all time, in no particular order

Honestly, there's like an extremely slim chance that this is actually my top 5 episodes of tv ever, but I'm really trying here & will try to explain my thinky thoughts. Having written the list and given it a bit of a thing, there's definitely a theme here of themes being developed & brought to escalation, plotlines being finished, tragic and horrible choices being made, high stakes, and (the least in the case of the doctor who episode) the landscape of the show and of what the show is/means being changed forever by the episode.

doctor who s01e09 father's day

Listen, I know. I hear you. I want to say ANYTHING basically with Amy. Amy is forever my favorite Doctor Who companion. But on my recent Doctor Who re-watch I discovered depths of appreciation I did not know I had for Father's Day. I love Rose's self-centeredness, and Nine's anger and then angered resignation to it, which inevitably ends in honest forgiveness. I always cry over Nine's speech to the young couple.

DOCTOR: How did all this get started?
STUART: Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning.
SARAH: Street corner. I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi.
STUART: I took her home.
DOCTOR: Then what? Asked her for a date?
SARAH: Wrote his number on the back of my hand.
STUART: Never got rid of her since. My dad said.
SARAH: I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important.
DOCTOR: Who said you're not important? I've traveled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't even imagine, but you two. Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes. I'll try and save you.

tears

(But also, you know. AMY POND.)

btvs becoming part 2

Listen, I know. There's so much of BTVS that's dear to me, and it's hard to pick any one thing and be happy with your choice. But I recently rewatched the first two seasons and was surprised at how much I felt during Becoming. Even as someone who is not extremely attached to Angel/Buffy, the setup and the tragedy of it is beautiful, imo, & SMG's terrific beyond words. And I am a sucker for high stakes. Also, whatever one thinks of Xander's not-telling-Buffy thing, as someone who's just watched s2 of Warrior Nun, DEAR SISTERS IN CHRIST, do I wish someone working on that show was not afraid of having a character make such a radical move. And not just in a show like Succession, where it does not weigh the same, because everyone's choices are horrible exactly all of the time, but in a show about teenagers, super-powered and not, just honest-to-god trying to prevent apocalypses. Not to mention the whole Angelus arc leading us to Buffy killing him. And the fallout from this arguably follows everyone in the main cast until the end of the show. Also, the No weapons…no friends…no hope. Take all that away and what's left? Me. Gets me every time.

twin peaks s2 finale

Still contains the single most terrifying scene I have seen in my life. Honestly, I don't even want to talk about it. Imagine the worst thing that could possibly happen in a show that is ostensibly about the struggle between good and evil and then that exact thing happening. It is horrifying in a visceral, existential way. I don't wanna talk about it, alright.

hannibal season 2 finale

Not me getting attached to fictional men, noooooooo. Why. Also, it's starting to look, as I am writing this, that I am way more into tragedy than I would normally say about myself, and I am not sure what to do with that. There's something so beautifully harrowing and horrifying about the obviously inevitable fallout from Will going through with his planned betrayal and then not being able to actually do it. Hannibal making a family for them and then taking it away. Abigail murdered by a father, again. Alana betrayed, Jack betrayed, all of them relevant victims that in their own right that command BOTH Will and Hannibal's love and respect, but in other ways utterly meaningless because of how blind & careless Will, and Hannibal in particular, can be towards people that are not Will and Hannibal. "Falling in love with a god is not a death sentence. The story is only a tragedy if the god loves you back."

the west wing season 2 finale

The tragedy, the elation, the fucking putting of hands into pockets. YOU GET HOYNES. The Brothers In Arms needle drop to stand supreme to all other needle drops.

(also i apparently have a thing for s2 finales whatdoyoudo. I guess it makes sense to some degree, because shows need to take time to become themselves and then afterwards often they go into directions you don't like. season 2, obviously for me, statistically, is when the show has found itself - whatever the show is, it is that the most in season 2, seems to be my judgment.)

Comments

[elperian]

I shudder at the idea of having to pick five fave finales or even worse, five favorite tv episodes overall! My list is too long! But I respect the Black Sails and BTVS choices for each; good choices both!

[lackadaisicalnereid]

It was horror. It took me all day. It drained me emotionally. I rewatched the West Wing s2 finale in the process. I cried.

I made a whole-ass Black Sails post & thanks for getting me to continue & get hyped about this show, I'm enjoying s2 a lot more than I enjoyed s1.

YESSS, Becoming is brilliant, my psychological trauma will go on, etc.

I've def figured out that Anne/Max is one queer dynamic introduced in s2. Someone on Tumblr told me there's 2 or 3 queer relationships introduced in s2, depending I guess, on what you count. My money's set on Flint/Thomas being the second one, but I am not sure about the third one, though I guess you could sort of count Anne/Max/Jack, so there's that.

I also strongly feel like either Flint or Silver are my favorite, depending on the moment, which I HONESTLY did not see coming about myself and this show. Have I already met your fave(s)?

[elperian]

You have! My faves are Flint, Anne, Max, and I believe at *this* point you've also met Madi, which rounds out the core four!

[lackadaisicalnereid]

Flint is brilliant - occasionally I wish he were less passive - there are whole episodes where he's purely reactive, but jeesh, how good is Toby Stephens with anguished facial expressions? Sometimes when I'm look at him I'm positive no one's ever felt that much pain. Max is very dear to me, I'm occasionally having trouble with Anne - but I'm definitely growing on her. We were just given her backstory (abusive horrible no good husband killed by Jack) and well, that hurt to listen to. Max has just propositioned Anne with her 'spy network' plan that she's hoping to include Anne in, and I have to say I am interested in seeing where that takes them.

I do *know* that there's a relevant character named Madi (I don't even know how I've managed to have a solid grasp on the expected cast of characters in this show, and at the same time, almost zero idea of the plot? I blame tumblr gifsets) and I am definitely looking forward to meeting her.

I think I saw today while scrolling down your Black Sails tag on tumblr that you were on the fence about starting the show?

(Max is def one of my three faves, and Eleanor is probably a strong fourth, but I am looking forward to more Anne & meeting Madi)

[elperian]

Toby Stephens is incredible in this role! I feel like you're at a midpoint for Flint's character in S2 - he's in this place from S1-2 that is the result of the events back in London, but S3-4 are propelled by in-show events in a much more aggressive way.

And yeah, I was very much on the fence about the show! See previous comment in your inbox :P

I love Madi and Flint probably in equal measure - which makes sense when you think about their arcs. I also really love Miranda, but also more specifically her role in the story.

[sapphicsunshower]

such good picks! this is actually a much harder question than i realized because i have No idea what i would choose skjdnfksj i loved reading all your thinky thoughts though!! it's so interesting how many season 2 episodes you chose and also this hit me with a serious wave of doctor who nostalgia!! (also idk the doctor who and btvs eps being next to other is making me want Amy and Buffy to meet very much??) <3

[lackadaisicalnereid]

It was extremely difficult but I had tons of fun thinking about it. I'd be considering answering the songs part of your ask as well, except at the moment I'm just listening to The Mountain Goats' Up The Wolves on repeat and there's just no emotional space I have for any other music, what can you do?

Amy/Buffy sounds like a delight. I think they'd like each other from the get-go.

DOCTOR WHO NOSTALGIA IS THE BEST. What'd your pick for fave Dr Who ep be?

[sapphicsunshower]

it's been truly SO long since i've watched any doctor who so without rewatching (which...maybe i should do after my other one million things to watch) i'd go with s01e12 Bad Wolf which was the first episode i ever saw! i believe the first scene i saw was jack being strip-searched?? i totally understand the One Song On Repeat emotional space, i find myself there often!! i hope Up The Wolves sustains you for many replays to come!

[rosaxx50]

I haven't watched all of these, but absolutely agree on the ones I have watched - the community episode was fabulous, Father's Day is always gut-wrenching, but honestly Becoming Part II gets my heart every time. (And yeah, let the heroes make not just bad decisions, but selfish ones, while also making selfless ones).

[lackadaisicalnereid]

When selfishness & selflessness intertwine, that's the best.

I'm only on Black Sails s02e04 but honestly, I'm very close to wanting to recommend it to you. Season 2, I truly feel, is better than s1, or at least I am enjoying it more. It's also making me ship an onscreen m/m dynamic for probably only the second time in my life, I don't even know how to feel about it.

I've gotten myself all worked up about thinking of tragedies and betrayals and how much I enjoy them in my onscreen ships (at least a lot of the time, not always, ofc) and being selfish and selfless and doomed by the narrative & HEROES MAKING BAD DECISIONS is my jam. More people should appreciate it, imho, but hey, I'm not the boss of them.