THREE GUYS WALK INTO A CLINIC. THEIR LEGS HURT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM? An EW poll: favorite flashback episodes.
FWIW, I disagree with including Lost episodes in such a survey, since that was the structure of the show as opposed to a Very Special Gimmick. If you think that a Bones episode should honestly poll higher than the Friends one with the prom video or some of the others, then I can respect that. But if you think they're wrong and you won't speak up because you can't be bothered, then God, Jed, I don't even want to know you.
For me its a toss-up between Two Cathedrals and The Prom Video. They're currently showing 51% for Bones. Um, what?
ReplyDeleteAll three of the West Wing ones are worthy, as is Out Of Gas. On the other hand, that was one of the worst Gilmore Girls episodes due to some pretty awful casting, though bottom of the barrel may be the Gossip Girl backdoor pilot from last year. Krysten Ritter is pretty awesome, but not even she could save that mess.
ReplyDeleteThe Shadow of Two Gunman: Parts 1 and 2, are two of my favorite espisodes of any series regardless of the flashback gimmick.
ReplyDeleteAs with any mainstream poll it manages to be all about recency- which is the only explanation I have as to Bones being at 51%
ReplyDeleteI agree that ITSOTG is the best TWW Flashback episode- however I'm surprised Debate Camp was left out
Regarding House's "Three Stories" I'd argue that it actually wasn't a full flashback episode since the House flashback moments made up less than 25% of the actual scenes.
I remain in the minority re Two Cathedrals -- my memory may be exaggerated, but I just see Sheen shaking his fist at God, cursing in Latin, and then eating the entire cathedral set until he burps up an Emmy.
ReplyDeleteThat was me, and I did love ITSOTG. I voted for Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man, which is getting criminally underrated here. But tell me something: Where is the final episode of M*A*S*H? It doesn't seem like you can actually have this poll without that.
ReplyDeleteITSOTG, definitely. They took what could have already been a good episode, about the staff's reaction in the wake of the shooting and their fears during Josh's surgery, and make it a brilliant look at the creation of this work family. I love the woman who plays the younger Mrs. Landingham in "Two Cathedrals," but otherwise ITSOTG is the far superior WW flashback episode for me.
ReplyDeleteI also love Friends' "The one with the Prom Video" and "Three Stories," which is fascinating in how it slowly reveals itself to actually be a flashback episode.
There's some excellent underappreciated choices here as well; the Angel is quite good, Luck of the Fryish is an excellent Futurama episode, and Jurassic Bark still makes me bawl at the end. (Also, "Unusual Suspects" for managing to also be an X-Files and Homicide crossover episode.)
ReplyDeleteBut for me, it's all "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man."
HA- I too agree the Latin scene in the church was way over the top. Yet that's how Sheen played Bartlet a solid 80% of the time- but since the rest of the show was so amazing I'm typically willing to overlook it.
ReplyDeleteTotal side note- but X Files season 1 is available on nextflix instant streaming.
ReplyDeleteEven 17 years later it still holds up incredibly well
I never really get this criticism of Two Cathedrals. Not because it's wrong -- it's not -- but because it presumes that The West Wing otherwise traded in some kind of realism. Was the Cathedral scene incredibly melodramatic? Yup. But the whole show was that way. (And I say this as someone who loved the first four seasons and adores Two Cathedrals.) That whole "I serve at the pleasure of the President" scene in "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet"? Leo's "I will raise armies against you" speech at the end of "A Proportional Response"? Jed's explanation to the Ag Secretary (in "He Shall, From Time To Time") re: how to choose a Chief of Staff? The once-in-a-century storm bearing down on D.C. as Jed delivers the Latin tirade? They all reek of melodrama. Even the lightening-quick banter in the halls communicates that this is not a show aiming at realism. I mean, if The Sopranos or The Wire had tried a similar scene, I'd be right there with you. And of course one can say that one hates the melodrama of the show itself. But the Two Cathedrals scene just seems to be so reflective of the show.
ReplyDeleteBut, again, I've heard this criticism before, so I'm not suggested that it's nuts or anything.