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...
"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?
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?
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).
