So: What are the best standalone episode in TV shows with big arcs or mythologies?
I have so many examples, but I’ll just mention the X-Files episode “Humbug,” in which Mulder and Scully investigate an incident at a “freak show.” I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but it’s definitely one of the best episodes of the entire show: it’s not just funny, it’s also insightful about what it means to be a freak, which could be construed as a commentary on the very concept of the show itself.
oh what a fantastic episode! I think X-Files takes the cake on doing this, tbh. Although Doctor Who has some great eps that are either standalone or only tie into the larger mythology in their final moments : my first thought on that front is Midnight, which I adore.
Community was also very good at doing this, although arguably this is much more common in a sitcom than a drama. Nevertheless, I think Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas, for instance, is one of the show’s strongest episodes, period, and it presents itself as a claymation holiday special.
Also, the best episode of Scrubs fits the bill here : My Way Home. It’s an homage to The Wizard of Oz chock full of references, but it also exemplifies the show at its best, personifying the heartbreak and compassion of this world and these characters.
oh what a fantastic episode! I think X-Files takes the cake on doing this, tbh. Although Doctor Who has some great eps that are either standalone or only tie into the larger mythology in their final moments : my first thought on that front is Midnight, which I adore.
Community was also very good at doing this, although arguably this is much more common in a sitcom than a drama. Nevertheless, I think Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas, for instance, is one of the show’s strongest episodes, period, and it presents itself as a claymation holiday special.
Also, the best episode of Scrubs fits the bill here : My Way Home. It’s an homage to The Wizard of Oz chock full of references, but it also exemplifies the show at its best, personifying the heartbreak and compassion of this world and these characters.
great question!
Aaahhhh, I immediately went to The X-Files. There are so many great standalones to choose from. Ice, Squeeze, irresistible, Small
Potatoes, Bad Blood, Arcadia, X-Cops, so many more, I just wouldn’t know which to choose!
From other shows: does Buffy’s Once More with Feeling count? Or better yet, Hush.
Angel: Smile Time
Everything else feels like it’s entirely episodic or entirely serialized.