MastodonMastodonMastodonMastodonMastodonUSD Poll : If you had to pick ONE episode from your favourite show to encourage another person to watch it, which episode would it be?
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That's a really stupid question. All shows, even the sitcoms, should be watched from the start to the end. If you don't like the pilot or the first few episodes then it's not your thing.
That's too detailed for me. I know I showed my friends S1E8 of Lost Girl, but just to give her a sense of Bo's character, not to convince her to watch the show. Pointing out specific episode only works with peeps who love tv shows (in my surroundings at least). Since 90% of my friends do not watch tv series it does not work. The other 10% just need my approval of a show and they have a look at it. Trailers and promos work better. Though I somehow cannot convince my guys to watch Strike Back, although I know they will love it.
Season 1 Episode 11 "All the Way", Nikita. (Though I usually recommend starting from the beggining, of course, but that's the episode I hope they get hooked on).
Season 1 Episode 11, "Prophecy Girl" (Season Finale), Buffy. (Though that wouldn't make much sense, it's the first of many great episodes of the series)
Calling the question stupid is rude. Everyone here is welcome to express their differing opinions but it is not necessary to be rude while doing it.
That said. Many many shows over the years have had bad or mediocre pilots. In order to convince a friend to watch a new show I'm not going to show them the worst episode the show as done. Even if that show is the pilot. It's counter productive. Vampire Diaries is a recent one. I'd start my friend at episode 7 (whichever the ep came *after* Elena saw the evidence that Stephan was a vampire) because IMHO the first 5 or 6 eps of that series were IMHO derivative and unimaginative. I'd start a friend at the ep that kept me tuning in.
Desperate Housewives - 3.07 - Bang Gossip Girl - 2.16 - You've Got Yale 90210 - 1.24 - One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer The Vampire Diaries - 2.21 - The Sun Also Rises Pretty Little Liars - 2.25 - UnmAsked Supernatural - 5.10 - Abandon All Hope... Friends - 5.14 - The One Where Everybody Finds Out Gilmore Girls - 1.10 - Forgiveness and Stuff Sex And The City - 3.18 - Cock a Doodle Do! Ugly Betty - 1.14 - I'm Coming Out 2 Broke Girls - 2.03 - And the Hold-Up The Big Bang Theory - 3.11 - The Maternal Congruence Hart of Dixie 2.10 - Blue Christmas Rizzoli & Isles - 1.07 - Born to Run The O.C. - 2.14 - The Rainy Day Women Veronica Mars - 2.22 - Not Pictured The Carrie Diaries - 2.10 - Date Expectations Devious Maids - 1.13 Totally Clean Dallas - 2.08 - J.R.'s Masterpiece Mistresses 1.13 - I Choose You The Originals - 1.04 - Girl in New Orleans
That's a tough question. I think with most series that I watch it would have to be the pilot episode because normally you need to know who characters are and what the 'set up' is in order to understand what is going on. In most cases if you don't like the pilot, you know it's not a show for you. There are probably some exceptions to that, but I can't think of one at the moment!
Community- Either Introduction to Statistics(simply because it's the episode that not only convinced me, but three of my friends to watch the entire series) or Remedial Chaos Theory (Because it really touches on all of the Greendale Seven's character traits and personality)
So, I have a hard time watching things out of order-- most of mine are in the first season because they were better episodes than the pilot and they are not too character driven just quite yet, so even newbies can enjoy them. That being said, there are way better episodes than these later on in the series, you just need the background.
If I had to narrow it down to one: Veronica Mars - 1x02 Credit Where Credit's Due - the movie is coming out soon, and I really want it to do well. I feel that Veronica is a really strong female lead and she can have relationships without diminishing that. Like with other teen shows, parents are notably absent - although Keith Mars is pretty awesome when he is on the screen.
Honorable Mentions: Supernatural - 1x10 Asylum - one of my scariest episodes of all time Fringe - 1x15 Inner Child Merlin-1x11 The Labyrinth of Gedref Chuck - 1x02 Chuck vs the Helicopter or 1x03 Chuck vs the Tango - Awesome was originally only suppose to last a few episodes, but he was so well liked by the fans they kept him in. Leverage - 3x11 The Rashomon Job or 5x09 The Rundown Job - Really showcases the 3 other members of the team; they were the only reason I continued to watch the show. White Collar - 1x01 Pilot Teen Wolf -1x07 Night School Game of Thrones - 1x04 Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things (ehh, I am not sure that anything but the pilot is a good place to start unless you have read the books) Primeval - 1x06 Episode 6 (Season finale) - The best part of this show is season 3.5 and beyond. There is a game changer and it is the only time I have seen a show get better after. Alphas - 1x04 Rosetta - One of the few shows that make superpowers 'realistic' and have consequences. Surface - 1x02 The Mystery of the Ocean is Now on Land - series ends on the worst cliffhanger ever. Firefly - 1x01 The Train Job or 1x05 Out of Gas - introductions to the cast Hustle - 2x03 The Lesson - so didn't see the twist coming. Agents of SHIELD - 1x11 The Magical Place The Blacklist - 1x04 The Stewmaker Orphan Black - 1x02
For The Newsroom, I'd say it has to be the pilot. I know it sounds obvious, but the first 10 minutes of the pilot with Will's rant practically define the whole show for me.
Breaking Bad - Ozymandias The Walking Dead - Too Far Gone Grey's Anatomy - Death and all his friends Desperate Housewives - Bang Community - Remedical Chaos Theory Parks & Rec - The Fight / Telethon Nurse Jackie - Handle your scandal Two and a half men - Warning, it's dirty How I met your mother - The Pineapple Incident
Doctor Who - Blink Supernatural - Changing Channels Dexter - It's Alive! HIMYM - Blitzgiving Californication - The Apartment Spartacus - The Red Serpent (Pilot) Lost - Pilot Sherlock - A Scandal in Belgravia Breaking Bad - Dead Freight Fringe - White Tulip Community - Modern Warfare Prison Break - Riots, Drills and The Devil Part 1 The Walking Dead - Pilot
Newsroom - Pilot Community - Modern Warfare or Remedial Chaos Theory (Tie, either would work) Lost - Pilot (advising person to just stop watching after season 4) Breaking Bad - ...And the Bag's in the River Once Upon A Time - Snow Falls Fringe - Pilot Scandal - Pilot The Walking Dead - Pilot Continuum - Pilot Orphan Black - Pilot TBBT - The Tangerine Factor Firefly - Pilot Revenge - Guilt
My instinct for The Blacklist is to say Anslo Garrick because it was action packed and Red's quips at Garrick in the box were priceless, but the more i thought about it, i felt The Good Samaritan would be a better idea because with Red off on his own, and the FBI doing what it does, it showcased who each character truly is a little better. From Red being hilariously brutal, Aram being adorably terrified when confronted with something more dangerous than a computer virus, Keen being determined to solve an old case while worried about Red, along with others, to me it was the best single episode for learning the key players.
For me it would be : Lost pilot , FNL pilot, Supernatural - the french mistake , Game of Thrones - Baelor, OITNB pilot , Orphan Black pilot, Fringe any epi from season 1
The Vampire Diaries - 2x21 The Sun Also Rises The Secret Circle - 1x14 Valentine One Tree Hill - ALL other than the first 2 seasons but there are two episodes Ill never forget (3x16, 4x15) The OC - I literally would show them all THE OC episodes except Season 1. THE OC IS AMAZING, YOULL GET HOOKED JUST WATCHING ANY RANDOM EPISODE.
For Doctor Who, it would definitely have to be "Blink". Yes, it's a pretty freaky episode, but all the timey-wimey-ness is perfect for setting up the series.
Parks and Recreation - Any episode of seasons 2 and 3 Revenge - S1E1 Pilot Elementary - Season 1 finale Mad Men - S1E1 Pilot American Horror Story - S3E1 Bitchcraft
Great topic, Bradley! Lost : Pilot, part 1 Breaking Bad: Four Days Out Grimm: Pilot or Island of Dreams The Walking Dead: Pilot Parks and Recreation: Summer Catalog Mad Men: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Friends - The One Where Everybody Finds Out (S05E14) Fringe - Over There, Part 1 & 2 (S02E21E22) Pretty Little Liars - For Whom the Bell Tolls (S01E22) Scandal - YOLO (S03E09) Reign - Left Behind (S01E07)
That's a tricky question.I would like to suggest my favorite episodes,but more often than not they would be terribly confusing for a first time watcher.
Once Upon a Time - Pilot (if we were to assume that the person I'm encouraging has a general idea of the plot I would choose from Snow Falls,Queen of Hearts,The Crocodile or Going Home)
Supernatural - Devil's Trap It has to be something from earlier seasons,before the heavy mythology comes into play.
Game of Thrones - Start with Winter is Coming(1x01) and work your way from there.That's the only way.
The Walking Dead - Pilot The plot with the zombies is pretty simple to follow but unless you start from the top the relationships between the characters won't make much sense.Otherwise,I would recommend Pretty Much Dead Already or Too Far Gone.
Spartacus - Legends This one is easier because if someone has a vague idea of the historical events he can easily follow the show.However,Blood and Sand(season 1) shows the events before the rebellion begins(which we don't know much about)and so it is mostly based on fiction.And it is definitely worth watching.Legends(1x03) is the episode that made me fall in love with the show.
Tough question, because altough I loved a lot of episodes from various shows, I usually don´t remember the titles (f.e. I had to check the list to know wich episode "Bang" from Desperate Housewives was - and loved it, BTW):) So, I´ll pick just one show - Castle. And altough I would sugest either "Knockdown", "Knockout" or "Always", because for me they were great, I won´t pick neither of them - because to understand them, you need to know something from before! So I´d suggest "Cops and Robbers" - S4E7 - imo, a great episode full of twists and turns, and works great as a stand alone:)
Great episode, poor choice for newbies since the entire thing is mytharc. Looking at season 1, I would choose The Pack, Nightmares, or Out of Mind, Out of Sight for an introduction. In all honesty though, I would probably pick a standalone from season 2 to start someone on Buffy. Everything got better in season 2.
The first episode of SPN that I seriously watched (meaning more than just a 5 minute channel flip) was Abandon All Hope. I caught Mark Pellegrino playing Lucifer, and decided I had to watch that. I didn't understand most of what was going on in the episode, but I was surprised and impressed that there was more of a mytharc to the show than what I had expected, and that made me want to come back to learn more.
Personally, i think that you should always watch a show from the beginning. I would never tell anybody to watch a random episode,regardless of how great it may be, because that's not how i decide to start a new show either... Since the only episode i would tell someone to watch first is the Pilot, my choice in this instance would be Lost - Pilot.
I think anyone who watched LOST would be interested in seeing MP as Lucifer. For me, Abandon All Hope would have been an immediate turn off. The utter desolation and bleakness would have had me running for the hills and quite frankly I think Lucifer was MP's worst role I've seen him in until season 7 when he actually became scary. Season 5 Lucifer was a real mess.
It was the Lost connection. Pellegrino was very creepy as Jacob, even when I think he wasn't supposed to be. It was the bigger, biblical mytharc that attracted me with SPN, and I have a decent tolerance for bleakness. The appreciation for Sam and Dean came later after I got to know them.
I can understand that. It's one of the things I like best about Sleepy Hollow. I started watching Supernatural from its pilot so the brothers and the urban legends were what initially attracted me.
White Tulip is a stand alone, while people wouldn't necessarily understand what's going between peter and walter, they would understand what goes on with the case and the repercusions it has, which is beuatiful
These first few are based off my own start points. The first Person of Interest I watched was Baby Blue. I enjoyed that, and now it's my favourite show on television. Going back, the first FRIENDS episode I watched was The One After the Superbowl (part 2). Hawaii Five-0, I started on 1x12 (the one with Chin with a bomb around his neck). NCIS LA I first watched Lange, H. NCIS I first watched Spider and the Fly. My first Nikita episode was Homecoming.The first 24 episode I watched was Day 4's premiere, and to this day it is stlll one of my favourite episodes of the show.
I would then say the pilot for: Intelligence, Blacklist, Following, Arrow, Tomorrow People, Revolution, Elementary and Homeland (the other shows I currently watch). I'm only 14 episodes into the first season, but I'd also definitely say the pilot of LOST. I think having started in all these random places as outlined above basically prove to me that it can be done, whereas with all the shows I suggested start with the pilot, that's what I did and I couldn't picture watching them from any other place.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 5 the Body Because sometimes you be so in denial about a parent death that you close yourself off and won't let the people you love see you vulnerable and wish there was a spell to bring your parent back to life Once Upon A Time Season 1 Skin Deep Because you think this because you have darkness in yourself that the person you want to love won't love you because all they see is evil and you think that person doesn't see the good in you and that you can be a better person Once Upon A Time Season 3 Going Home Because we always think the Happiness we want isn't always the Happiness we get sometimes it's better and sometimes it's about Hope and believing in yourself Revenge Season 3 Hatred Because sometimes your hatred blinds you from the fact that it hurt the people you love and people that love you and you have to take a step back and realize sometimes your hatred affects other people who haven't done wrong and sometimes have to take a different approach Can't think of nothing else if do I come back and comment again
Because I personally thought seasons 5 and 6 were train wrecks. And the series finale is my pick as worst episode of television ever aired because it ruins the entire show by making every preceding event pointless. But that's just my opinion, I know plenty of folks who loved those seasons. The direction they went just wasn't my cup of tea.
Don't even worry, I don't think it annoys most people. There are some languagues in which substantives are always written with capital letters, so I don't think it is annoying at all.
To avoid having to type a wall of text, i'll keep it short. I disliked the split timeline of season 5. Season 6 I disliked the origin story of the islands power and the whole Jacob and the Man in Black origin story felt contrived to me. The ending to me nullified the whole series. [spoiler]they were all in limbo[/spoiler] So in other words the whole ordeal was to help them move on, like a very drawn out episode of Touched by an Angel. Just didn't work for me.
Interesting question! The Newsroom - 5/1 Lost - Pilot 24 - Pilot Grimm - Game Ogre (that's the episode which I saw first and got drawn to the series) Scandal - Pilot or Grant: For The People The Big Bang Theory: The Werewolf Transformation One Tree Hill - With Tired Minds, Tired Eyes, Tired Souls We Slept or Unopened Letter to the World Castle - Disciple or any other 3XK episode. Game of Thrones - I want to pick a few but you need to see the first episode 'Winter is Coming' to really understand. Next best episode would be 'Baelor'.
TVD: The Turning Point or Founder's Day. Orphan Black: Pilot
There wasn't a split timeline in Season 5. It was all the same timeline. And the ending only revealed that the flash-sideways universe was "limbo", not that the entire series was. Everything outside of the flash-sideways universe really happened, so it was all still relevant. The flash-sideways was just meant to be a sort of epilogue that underlined the themes of the series. Plus, episode 5 of Season 6 revealed that the flash-sideways universe was a flash-forward rather than a flash-sideways, and the flash-sideways universe was first mentioned back in Season 2.
There was no origin story of the island's power. We just saw people who didn't understand what electromagnetism was giving their thoughts on what they believed the phenomena was.
I understand/agree with Jacob and the MIB's origin stories not being that great though.
There was no split timeline in Season 5. It was all the same timeline. No one changed anything. Also, the ending was Jack closing his eyes on the island. Only the flash-sideways was "limbo". Everything else really happened to them. And the flash-sideways was meant as a sort of epilogue to the series underlying its themes. It has nothing to do with the plot of the series, and therefore can't possibly nullify it.
Plus, the flash-sideways was revealed to be a flash-forward rather than a flash-sideways in episode 5 of Season 6, and the flash-sideways universe was first mentioned back in Season 2, so nothing about it was really a surprise.
The island's power never got an origin story in Season 6. Its origins were revealed in Seasons 2 and 4. What you're referring to was just commentary on the island's pocket of electromagnetism by people who had no idea what electromagnetism was. And I agree that it was poorly executed (as were Jacob and MIB's origins), but it didn't retcon the origin story we had already gotten in the earlier seasons.
Been a long time since I watched it. Eh, either way, just didn't work for me. Perhaps I'll re-watch the series this summer during the T.V. lull as perhaps I didn't pay close attention on my first watch. Lost to me is a good show especially the first season, but as a whole show would not even crack my top 25 list. To each his own though :)
Supernatural piqued my interest with 1.03, Dead in the Water. Jensen even said he didn't know who Dean was until then. The characters were much deeper and the story was a good one.
It usually does work that way, however, I got into Fringe after surfing the TV and came upon The Box, of season 3. That episode intrigued me and made me want to see more, so I got myself seasons 1 and 2 as I continued to watch season 3.
Ha, utter desolation often draws me into shows. :P
I'm always wondering what happens next if something tragic happens. Supernatural is the greatest example for that - I got into the show after Devil's Trap. Didn't know the backstory, but wanted to see who survived the car crash. I think it is because of how I started the show that I call out the writers destruction of John's character instead of hating his guts. He was a main character to me when I first began the show (for 2 episodes at least).
I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer to start at the beginning, and most people I know would too. Some won't give a show a chance if they can't start from the beginning, not matter how good it is.
Pilots can be rough, but if it's good enough to want you to try another episode, then you are likely to stick with the show. In my personal experience, if the Pilot is not good, the series will not be up to par with other shows I watch.
I don't give a show more than a one episode chance. But I am easy on them, as with Grimm. It wasn't until episode 6 that I felt the show picked up and now I love it.
Is there any better answer than "Blink" of Doctor Who? If it can get full families from California to New York (including Texas!!!) hooked on the series, enuff said.
Community: Modern Warfare (Season 1, episode 23) The Walking Dead: Seed (Season 3, episode 1) Once Upon A Time: Going Home (Season 3, episode 11) Person of Interest: Flesh and Blood (Season 1, episode 19)
Doctor Who - Blink Nuff said. (I would also encourage people to start watching The Walking Dead from the third season onwards... Because f*ck that farm)
Well Don't Bother Reading It Then Because I Don't Care What You Think Of My OCD It Is Being Inconsiderate And Rude You Have No Right To Judge Other People.
For me, I have to watch shows from the very start, but I had fun compiling the list below.
Arrow: Pilot (1x1) Bones: The Woman In Limbo (1x22) Gossip Girl: O Brother, Where Bart Thou? (2x13) Hawaii Five-0: Hana ʻaʻa Makehewa (1x12) NCIS Los Angeles: Callan, G. (1x24) One Tree Hill: With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept (3x16) Pretty Little Liars: Pilot (1x1) Revenge: Pilot (1x1) The Blacklist: Pilot (1x1)
I just started a friend on TVD. She watched the entire first season in a week and loved it. I personally can't wait for her to see the season 3 finale. One of the greatest episodes of any of my series past or present.
Oh man, I know there are a few from OTH. Even though I have seen every episode and re-watched some on Soapnet it's been a few years so it's hard to pick out specifics. Even though Lucas and Payton were end game I really enjoyed the Lucas and Brooke episodes.
Heroes is another one I recently watched (got rid of cable; binge watching older stuff!!) and I was hooked pretty quick. Loved the first few seasons. On my list now for favorite all time shows.
Desperate Housewives - 3.07 - Bang Gossip Girl - 2.16 - You've Got Yale 90210 - 1.24 - One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer The Vampire Diaries - 2.21 - The Sun Also Rises Pretty Little Liars - 2.25 - UnmAsked Supernatural - 5.10 - Abandon All Hope... Friends - 5.14 - The One Where Everybody Finds Out Gilmore Girls - 1.10 - Forgiveness and Stuff Sex And The City - 3.18 - Cock a Doodle Do! Ugly Betty - 1.14 - I'm Coming Out 2 Broke Girls - 2.03 - And the Hold-Up The Big Bang Theory - 3.11 - The Maternal Congruence Hart of Dixie - 2.10 - Blue Christmas Rizzoli & Isles - 1.07 - Born to Run The O.C. - 2.14 - The Rainy Day Women Veronica Mars - 2.22 - Not Pictured The Carrie Diaries - 2.10 - Date Expectations Devious Maids - 1.13 Totally Clean Dallas - 2.08 - J.R.'s Masterpiece Mistresses - 1.13 - I Choose You The Originals - 1.04 - Girl in New Orleans
NOTE: Name-calling, personal attacks, spamming, excessive self-promotion, condescending pomposity, general assiness, racism, sexism, any-other-ism, homophobia, acrophobia, and destructive (versus constructive) criticism will get you BANNED from the party.
That's a really stupid question. All shows, even the sitcoms, should be watched from the start to the end. If you don't like the pilot or the first few episodes then it's not your thing.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend «Bang» (S03E07) of Desperate Housewives.
ReplyDeleteAs well as «Hitting the Fan» (S05E05) of The Good Wife.
There's no such thing as a stupid question.
ReplyDeleteRevenge Season 1 Episode 5 Guilt
ReplyDeleteHannibal Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Once Upon A Time Season 1 Episode 12 Skin Deep
Can't think of anything right now.
"Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" de Community
ReplyDeleteThat's too detailed for me. I know I showed my friends S1E8 of Lost Girl, but just to give her a sense of Bo's character, not to convince her to watch the show.
ReplyDeletePointing out specific episode only works with peeps who love tv shows (in my surroundings at least). Since 90% of my friends do not watch tv series it does not work. The other 10% just need my approval of a show and they have a look at it. Trailers and promos work better. Though I somehow cannot convince my guys to watch Strike Back, although I know they will love it.
Season 1 Episode 11 "All the Way", Nikita. (Though I usually recommend starting from the beggining, of course, but that's the episode I hope they get hooked on).
ReplyDeleteSeason 1 Episode 10 "The Pineapple Incident", How I Met Your Mother.
ReplyDeleteSeason 1 Episode 11, "Prophecy Girl" (Season Finale), Buffy. (Though that wouldn't make much sense, it's the first of many great episodes of the series)
ReplyDeleteSeason 1 Episode 6 "FZZT", of Agents of SHIELD.
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea for a poll :D
ReplyDeleteI would recommend Episode 1.22 - Fireworks from The Vampire Diaries! Such a great cliffhanger!!
Season 1 Episode 6, "FZZT", of Agents of SHIELD.
ReplyDeleteSherlock - "A Scandal in Belgravia"
ReplyDeleteHouse M.D. - "House's Head"/"Wilson's Heart"
Breaking Bad - "Dead Freight"
Luther - The very first episode
Community - "Remedial Chaos Theory"
The Thick of It - "The Rise of the Nutters"
Parks and Recreation - "London"
Calling the question stupid is rude. Everyone here is welcome to express their differing opinions but it is not necessary to be rude while doing it.
ReplyDeleteThat said. Many many shows over the years have had bad or mediocre pilots. In order to convince a friend to watch a new show I'm not going to show them the worst episode the show as done. Even if that show is the pilot. It's counter productive. Vampire Diaries is a recent one. I'd start my friend at episode 7 (whichever the ep came *after* Elena saw the evidence that Stephan was a vampire) because IMHO the first 5 or 6 eps of that series were IMHO derivative and unimaginative. I'd start a friend at the ep that kept me tuning in.
Castle - Still S05E22
ReplyDeleteIt's a great clip show that gives you snap shots of previous season and how the love story has developed
Fringe- 2x17 "White Tulip". I don't think it needs an explanation
ReplyDeleteThe Middle. 4x04 "The Hose". It has the show's best instincts in play.
That is one excelente question (and poll), but I have no idea whatsoever!
ReplyDeleteDesperate Housewives - 3.07 - Bang
ReplyDeleteGossip Girl - 2.16 - You've Got Yale
90210 - 1.24 - One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer
The Vampire Diaries - 2.21 - The Sun Also Rises
Pretty Little Liars - 2.25 - UnmAsked
Supernatural - 5.10 - Abandon All Hope...
Friends - 5.14 - The One Where Everybody Finds Out
Gilmore Girls - 1.10 - Forgiveness and Stuff
Sex And The City - 3.18 - Cock a Doodle Do!
Ugly Betty - 1.14 - I'm Coming Out
2 Broke Girls - 2.03 - And the Hold-Up
The Big Bang Theory - 3.11 - The Maternal Congruence
Hart of Dixie 2.10 - Blue Christmas
Rizzoli & Isles - 1.07 - Born to Run
The O.C. - 2.14 - The Rainy Day Women
Veronica Mars - 2.22 - Not Pictured
The Carrie Diaries - 2.10 - Date Expectations
Devious Maids - 1.13 Totally Clean
Dallas - 2.08 - J.R.'s Masterpiece
Mistresses 1.13 - I Choose You
The Originals - 1.04 - Girl in New Orleans
LOST - Pilot
ReplyDeleteMenzies - New Girl (because it's really funny, that's my main reason).
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough question. I think with most series that I watch it would have to be the pilot episode because normally you need to know who characters are and what the 'set up' is in order to understand what is going on. In most cases if you don't like the pilot, you know it's not a show for you. There are probably some exceptions to that, but I can't think of one at the moment!
ReplyDeleteHIMYM - Slap Bet.
ReplyDeleteCommunity- Either Introduction to Statistics(simply because it's the episode that not only convinced me, but three of my friends to watch the entire series) or Remedial Chaos Theory (Because it really touches on all of the Greendale Seven's character traits and personality)
ReplyDeleteThe Premiere Of A First Episode. I Watch So Much TV So I Can't Decide On A Show.
ReplyDeleteThe way you capitalize every word is very annoying, you know.
ReplyDeleteOnce Upon a Time - Going Home.
ReplyDeleteSo, I have a hard time watching things out of order-- most of mine are in the first season because they were better episodes than the pilot and they are not too character driven just quite yet, so even newbies can enjoy them. That being said, there are way better episodes than these later on in the series, you just need the background.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to narrow it down to one: Veronica Mars - 1x02 Credit Where Credit's Due - the movie is coming out soon, and I really want it to do well. I feel that Veronica is a really strong female lead and she can have relationships without diminishing that. Like with other teen shows, parents are notably absent - although Keith Mars is pretty awesome when he is on the screen.
Honorable Mentions:
Supernatural - 1x10 Asylum - one of my scariest episodes of all time
Fringe - 1x15 Inner Child
Merlin-1x11 The Labyrinth of Gedref
Chuck - 1x02 Chuck vs the Helicopter or 1x03 Chuck vs the Tango - Awesome was originally only suppose to last a few episodes, but he was so well liked by the fans they kept him in.
Leverage - 3x11 The Rashomon Job or 5x09 The Rundown Job - Really showcases the 3 other members of the team; they were the only reason I continued to watch the show.
White Collar - 1x01 Pilot
Teen Wolf -1x07 Night School
Game of Thrones - 1x04 Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things (ehh, I am not sure that anything but the pilot is a good place to start unless you have read the books)
Primeval - 1x06 Episode 6 (Season finale) - The best part of this show is season 3.5 and beyond. There is a game changer and it is the only time I have seen a show get better after.
Alphas - 1x04 Rosetta - One of the few shows that make superpowers 'realistic' and have consequences.
Surface - 1x02 The Mystery of the Ocean is Now on Land - series ends on the worst cliffhanger ever.
Firefly - 1x01 The Train Job or 1x05 Out of Gas - introductions to the cast
Hustle - 2x03 The Lesson - so didn't see the twist coming.
Agents of SHIELD - 1x11 The Magical Place
The Blacklist - 1x04 The Stewmaker
Orphan Black - 1x02
For The Newsroom, I'd say it has to be the pilot. I know it sounds obvious, but the first 10 minutes of the pilot with Will's rant practically define the whole show for me.
ReplyDeleteBreaking Bad - Ozymandias
ReplyDeleteThe Walking Dead - Too Far Gone
Grey's Anatomy - Death and all his friends
Desperate Housewives - Bang
Community - Remedical Chaos Theory
Parks & Rec - The Fight / Telethon
Nurse Jackie - Handle your scandal
Two and a half men - Warning, it's dirty
How I met your mother - The Pineapple Incident
Doctor Who - Blink
ReplyDeleteSupernatural - Changing Channels
Dexter - It's Alive!
HIMYM - Blitzgiving
Californication - The Apartment
Spartacus - The Red Serpent (Pilot)
Lost - Pilot
Sherlock - A Scandal in Belgravia
Breaking Bad - Dead Freight
Fringe - White Tulip
Community - Modern Warfare
Prison Break - Riots, Drills and The Devil Part 1
The Walking Dead - Pilot
Newsroom - Pilot
ReplyDeleteCommunity - Modern Warfare or Remedial Chaos Theory (Tie, either would work)
Lost - Pilot (advising person to just stop watching after season 4)
Breaking Bad - ...And the Bag's in the River
Once Upon A Time - Snow Falls
Fringe - Pilot
Scandal - Pilot
The Walking Dead - Pilot
Continuum - Pilot
Orphan Black - Pilot
TBBT - The Tangerine Factor
Firefly - Pilot
Revenge - Guilt
My instinct for The Blacklist is to say Anslo Garrick because it was action packed and Red's quips at Garrick in the box were priceless, but the more i thought about it, i felt The Good Samaritan would be a better idea because with Red off on his own, and the FBI doing what it does, it showcased who each character truly is a little better. From Red being hilariously brutal, Aram being adorably terrified when confronted with something more dangerous than a computer virus, Keen being determined to solve an old case while worried about Red, along with others, to me it was the best single episode for learning the key players.
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries - Masquerade (2x07)
ReplyDeleteOne Tree Hill - Every Night is Another Story (1x06)
Buffy 3x09 The Wish
ReplyDeleteSupernatural 2x01 In my time of dying
The Vampire Diaries - Masquerade (2x07)
ReplyDeleteOne Tree Hill - Every Night is Another Story (1x06)
Grey's Anatomy - It's the End of the World (2x16)
Pilots are usually the best way to hook someone.
ReplyDeleteFor me it would be : Lost pilot , FNL pilot, Supernatural - the french mistake , Game of Thrones - Baelor, OITNB pilot , Orphan Black pilot, Fringe any epi from season 1
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries - 2x21 The Sun Also Rises
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Circle - 1x14 Valentine
One Tree Hill - ALL other than the first 2 seasons but there are two episodes Ill never forget (3x16, 4x15)
The OC - I literally would show them all THE OC episodes except Season 1. THE OC IS AMAZING, YOULL GET HOOKED JUST WATCHING ANY RANDOM EPISODE.
From originals i would choose the episode where Klaus goes postal on Marcel's minions
ReplyDeleteFor Doctor Who, it would definitely have to be "Blink". Yes, it's a pretty freaky episode, but all the timey-wimey-ness is perfect for setting up the series.
ReplyDeleteParks and Recreation - Any episode of seasons 2 and 3
ReplyDeleteRevenge - S1E1 Pilot
Elementary - Season 1 finale
Mad Men - S1E1 Pilot
American Horror Story - S3E1 Bitchcraft
I would recommend the Pilot episode of Arrow.
ReplyDeleteFaith-Supernatural
ReplyDeleteI think I'd pick this last ep of The Originals. It was very good.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic, Bradley!
ReplyDeleteLost : Pilot, part 1
Breaking Bad: Four Days Out
Grimm: Pilot or Island of Dreams
The Walking Dead: Pilot
Parks and Recreation: Summer Catalog
Mad Men: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Buffy - 'Angel' a good way to get to get into the show early on
ReplyDeleteLost - 'Pilot' it sets everything up perfectly
Breaking Bad - 'Crazy Handful of Nothin' you get to see just how far Walter will go and the complex friendship he has with Jesse
Doctor Who 'Rose' for people who have the time to watch all of New Who or '11th Hour' as a great way to introduce the second era of New Who
Friends - The One Where Everybody Finds Out (S05E14)
ReplyDeleteFringe - Over There, Part 1 & 2 (S02E21E22)
Pretty Little Liars - For Whom the Bell Tolls (S01E22)
Scandal - YOLO (S03E09)
Reign - Left Behind (S01E07)
That's a tricky question.I would like to suggest my favorite
ReplyDeleteepisodes,but more often than not they would be terribly confusing for a
first time watcher.
Once Upon a Time - Pilot
(if we were to
assume that the person I'm encouraging has a general idea of the plot I
would choose from Snow Falls,Queen of Hearts,The Crocodile or Going Home)
Supernatural - Devil's Trap
It has to be something from earlier seasons,before the heavy mythology comes into play.
Game of Thrones - Start with Winter is Coming(1x01) and work your way from there.That's the only way.
The Walking Dead - Pilot
The
plot with the zombies is pretty simple to follow but unless you start
from the top the relationships between the characters won't make much
sense.Otherwise,I would recommend Pretty Much Dead Already or Too Far
Gone.
Spartacus - Legends
This one is easier because if
someone has a vague idea of the historical events he can easily follow
the show.However,Blood and Sand(season 1) shows the events before the
rebellion begins(which we don't know much about)and so it is mostly
based on fiction.And it is definitely worth watching.Legends(1x03) is
the episode that made me fall in love with the show.
Tough question, because altough I loved a lot of episodes from various shows, I usually don´t remember the titles (f.e. I had to check the list to know wich episode "Bang" from Desperate Housewives was - and loved it, BTW):)
ReplyDeleteSo, I´ll pick just one show - Castle. And altough I would sugest either "Knockdown", "Knockout" or "Always", because for me they were great, I won´t pick neither of them - because to understand them, you need to know something from before!
So I´d suggest "Cops and Robbers" - S4E7 - imo, a great episode full of twists and turns, and works great as a stand alone:)
Great episode, poor choice for newbies since the entire thing is mytharc. Looking at season 1, I would choose The Pack, Nightmares, or Out of Mind, Out of Sight for an introduction. In all honesty though, I would probably pick a standalone from season 2 to start someone on Buffy. Everything got better in season 2.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely The French Mistakke for Supernatural. It had everything this show is loved for: fun, fun, angels, and fun ^^.
ReplyDeleteThe first episode of SPN that I seriously watched (meaning more than just a 5 minute channel flip) was Abandon All Hope. I caught Mark Pellegrino playing Lucifer, and decided I had to watch that. I didn't understand most of what was going on in the episode, but I was surprised and impressed that there was more of a mytharc to the show than what I had expected, and that made me want to come back to learn more.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i think that you should always watch a show from the beginning. I would never tell anybody to watch a random episode,regardless of how great it may be, because that's not how i decide to start a new show either... Since the only episode i would tell someone to watch first is the Pilot, my choice in this instance would be Lost - Pilot.
ReplyDeleteI think anyone who watched LOST would be interested in seeing MP as Lucifer. For me, Abandon All Hope would have been an immediate turn off. The utter desolation and bleakness would have had me running for the hills and quite frankly I think Lucifer was MP's worst role I've seen him in until season 7 when he actually became scary. Season 5 Lucifer was a real mess.
ReplyDeleteRoswell season 1 episode 16 Sexual Healing
ReplyDeleteIt was the Lost connection. Pellegrino was very creepy as Jacob, even when I think he wasn't supposed to be. It was the bigger, biblical mytharc that attracted me with SPN, and I have a decent tolerance for bleakness. The appreciation for Sam and Dean came later after I got to know them.
ReplyDeleteI can understand that. It's one of the things I like best about Sleepy Hollow. I started watching Supernatural from its pilot so the brothers and the urban legends were what initially attracted me.
ReplyDeleteWhite Tulip is a stand alone, while people wouldn't necessarily understand what's going between peter and walter, they would understand what goes on with the case and the repercusions it has, which is beuatiful
ReplyDeleteI Have OCD It Is Just Something I Do. And I Don't See How It Annoys You.
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to put that, but I felt that you really had to know the characters and plot for it to be funny as it was making fun of itself.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you advise someone to stop watching Lost after season 4? Stopping there wouldn't make any sense.
ReplyDeleteThese first few are based off my own start points. The first Person of Interest I watched was Baby Blue. I enjoyed that, and now it's my favourite show on television. Going back, the first FRIENDS episode I watched was The One After the Superbowl (part 2). Hawaii Five-0, I started on 1x12 (the one with Chin with a bomb around his neck). NCIS LA I first watched Lange, H. NCIS I first watched Spider and the Fly. My first Nikita episode was Homecoming.The first 24 episode I watched was Day 4's premiere, and to this day it is stlll one of my favourite episodes of the show.
ReplyDeleteI would then say the pilot for: Intelligence, Blacklist, Following, Arrow, Tomorrow People, Revolution, Elementary and Homeland (the other shows I currently watch). I'm only 14 episodes into the first season, but I'd also definitely say the pilot of LOST. I think having started in all these random places as outlined above basically prove to me that it can be done, whereas with all the shows I suggested start with the pilot, that's what I did and I couldn't picture watching them from any other place.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 5 the Body
ReplyDeleteBecause sometimes you be so in denial about a parent death that you close yourself off and won't let the people you love see you vulnerable and wish there was a spell to bring your parent back to life
Once Upon A Time Season 1 Skin Deep
Because you think this because you have darkness in yourself that the person you want to love won't love you because all they see is evil and you think that person doesn't see the good in you and that you can be a better person
Once Upon A Time Season 3 Going Home
Because we always think the Happiness we want isn't always the Happiness we get sometimes it's better and sometimes it's about Hope and believing in yourself
Revenge Season 3 Hatred
Because sometimes your hatred blinds you from the fact that it hurt the people you love and people that love you and you have to take a step back and realize sometimes your hatred affects other people who haven't done wrong and sometimes have to take a different approach
Can't think of nothing else if do I come back and comment again
Because I personally thought seasons 5 and 6 were train wrecks. And the series finale is my pick as worst episode of television ever aired because it ruins the entire show by making every preceding event pointless. But that's just my opinion, I know plenty of folks who loved those seasons. The direction they went just wasn't my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteI can see I´m not the only one... :-)
ReplyDeleteLOST - Pilot (and after that the rest of the show)
Twin Peaks - Pilot
Don't even worry, I don't think it annoys most people. There are some languagues in which substantives are always written with capital letters, so I don't think it is annoying at all.
ReplyDeleteWe all have quirks about something :)
How did the ending make every event preceding it pointless? I'd like to understand your opinion.
ReplyDeleteTo avoid having to type a wall of text, i'll keep it short. I disliked the split timeline of season 5. Season 6 I disliked the origin story of the islands power and the whole Jacob and the Man in Black origin story felt contrived to me. The ending to me nullified the whole series. [spoiler]they were all in limbo[/spoiler]
ReplyDeleteSo in other words the whole ordeal was to help them move on, like a very drawn out episode of Touched by an Angel. Just didn't work for me.
Interesting question!
ReplyDeleteThe Newsroom - 5/1
Lost - Pilot
24 - Pilot
Grimm - Game Ogre (that's the episode which I saw first and got drawn to the series)
Scandal - Pilot or Grant: For The People
The Big Bang Theory: The Werewolf Transformation
One Tree Hill - With Tired Minds, Tired Eyes, Tired Souls We Slept or Unopened Letter to the World
Castle - Disciple or any other 3XK episode.
Game of Thrones - I want to pick a few but you need to see the first episode 'Winter is Coming' to really understand. Next best episode would be 'Baelor'.
TVD: The Turning Point or Founder's Day.
Orphan Black: Pilot
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Community!
ReplyDeleteRoswell Season 2 Episode 10 A Roswell Christmas Carol
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't a split timeline in Season 5. It was all the same timeline. And the ending only revealed that the flash-sideways universe was "limbo", not that the entire series was. Everything outside of the flash-sideways universe really happened, so it was all still relevant. The flash-sideways was just meant to be a sort of epilogue that underlined the themes of the series. Plus, episode 5 of Season 6 revealed that the flash-sideways universe was a flash-forward rather than a flash-sideways, and the flash-sideways universe was first mentioned back in Season 2.
ReplyDeleteThere was no origin story of the island's power. We just saw people who didn't understand what electromagnetism was giving their thoughts on what they believed the phenomena was.
I understand/agree with Jacob and the MIB's origin stories not being that great though.
There was no split timeline in Season 5. It was all the same timeline. No one changed anything. Also, the ending was Jack closing his eyes on the island. Only the flash-sideways was "limbo". Everything else really happened to them. And the flash-sideways was meant as a sort of epilogue to the series underlying its themes. It has nothing to do with the plot of the series, and therefore can't possibly nullify it.
ReplyDeletePlus, the flash-sideways was revealed to be a flash-forward rather than a flash-sideways in episode 5 of Season 6, and the flash-sideways universe was first mentioned back in Season 2, so nothing about it was really a surprise.
The island's power never got an origin story in Season 6. Its origins were revealed in Seasons 2 and 4. What you're referring to was just commentary on the island's pocket of electromagnetism by people who had no idea what electromagnetism was. And I agree that it was poorly executed (as were Jacob and MIB's origins), but it didn't retcon the origin story we had already gotten in the earlier seasons.
Been a long time since I watched it. Eh, either way, just didn't work for me. Perhaps I'll re-watch the series this summer during the T.V. lull as perhaps I didn't pay close attention on my first watch. Lost to me is a good show especially the first season, but as a whole show would not even crack my top 25 list. To each his own though :)
ReplyDeleteSupernatural piqued my interest with 1.03, Dead in the Water. Jensen even said he didn't know who Dean was until then. The characters were much deeper and the story was a good one.
ReplyDeleteAlso, apologies for the double reply. I refreshed the page and my first comment disappeared so I typed up a new one to replace it. :P
ReplyDeleteNo sweat, Disqus has been acting funky all day for me.
ReplyDelete"The Blacklist" pilot. It doesn't get much better than that! It totally blew my socks off!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to be supportive and encouraging, it is people like you that make the STV community great!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that episode!
ReplyDeleteBlink - Doctor Who:)
ReplyDeleteIt usually does work that way, however, I got into Fringe after surfing the TV and came upon The Box, of season 3. That episode intrigued me and made me want to see more, so I got myself seasons 1 and 2 as I continued to watch season 3.
ReplyDeleteLOST - Pilot
ReplyDeleteDoctor Who - Blink
Sherock - A Study in Pink
Supernatural - Pilot
House MD - House's Head
Game of Thrones - Winter is Coming
Great poll idea ;)
Me too after 9 season Faith is still is one of my favorite episodes of Supernatural
ReplyDeleteSupernatural: Faith (1x06)
ReplyDeleteOne Tree Hill: Pilot
Castle: Flowers for Your Grave
Grimm: Good Night, Sweet Grimm (Part 1)
Friends: The One with Ross's New Girlfriend
The Big Bang Theory: Pilot
Lost: The Constant.
ReplyDeleteHa, utter desolation often draws me into shows. :P
ReplyDeleteI'm always wondering what happens next if something tragic happens. Supernatural is the greatest example for that - I got into the show after Devil's Trap. Didn't know the backstory, but wanted to see who survived the car crash. I think it is because of how I started the show that I call out the writers destruction of John's character instead of hating his guts. He was a main character to me when I first began the show (for 2 episodes at least).
The Pilot for any show I watch.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about anyone else, but I prefer to start at the beginning, and most people I know would too. Some won't give a show a chance if they can't start from the beginning, not matter how good it is.
Pilots can be rough, but if it's good enough to want you to try another episode, then you are likely to stick with the show. In my personal experience, if the Pilot is not good, the series will not be up to par with other shows I watch.
I don't give a show more than a one episode chance. But I am easy on them, as with Grimm. It wasn't until episode 6 that I felt the show picked up and now I love it.
Friends - The one where everybody finds out
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteIs there any better answer than "Blink" of Doctor Who? If it can get full families from California to New York (including Texas!!!) hooked on the series, enuff said.
ReplyDeleteCastle - Always.
ReplyDeleteFriends - The one where everybody finds out.
Community: Modern Warfare (Season 1, episode 23)
ReplyDeleteThe Walking Dead: Seed (Season 3, episode 1)
Once Upon A Time: Going Home (Season 3, episode 11)
Person of Interest: Flesh and Blood (Season 1, episode 19)
Doctor Who - Blink
ReplyDeleteNuff said.
(I would also encourage people to start watching The Walking Dead from the third season onwards... Because f*ck that farm)
Big in the Philippines from Bones
ReplyDeleteIt's annoying to look at.
ReplyDeleteWell Don't Bother Reading It Then Because I Don't Care What You Think Of My OCD It Is Being Inconsiderate And Rude You Have No Right To Judge Other People.
ReplyDeleteBuffy: its a tie between The Body and Hush
ReplyDeleteFirefly: The Train Job
Stargate SG-1: The Boca Divide
Heroes; Five Years Gone
Criminal Minds: North mammon
Chuck: Chuck vs. the Santa Claus
ReplyDeleteFirefly: Serenity
Community: Modern Warfare
Hannibal: Aperatif
Dexter: Dexter
Grimm: Love Sick
Person of Interest: Witness
For me, I have to watch shows from the very start, but I had fun compiling the list below.
ReplyDeleteArrow: Pilot (1x1)
Bones: The Woman In Limbo (1x22)
Gossip Girl: O Brother, Where Bart Thou? (2x13)
Hawaii Five-0: Hana ʻaʻa Makehewa (1x12)
NCIS Los Angeles: Callan, G. (1x24)
One Tree Hill: With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept (3x16)
Pretty Little Liars: Pilot (1x1)
Revenge: Pilot (1x1)
The Blacklist: Pilot (1x1)
I just started a friend on TVD. She watched the entire first season in a week and loved it. I personally can't wait for her to see the season 3 finale. One of the greatest episodes of any of my series past or present.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I know there are a few from OTH. Even though I have seen every episode and re-watched some on Soapnet it's been a few years so it's hard to pick out specifics. Even though Lucas and Payton were end game I really enjoyed the Lucas and Brooke episodes.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched Friday Night Lights. Amazing and I was hooked from the start!
ReplyDeleteHeroes is another one I recently watched (got rid of cable; binge watching older stuff!!) and I was hooked pretty quick. Loved the first few seasons. On my list now for favorite all time shows.
ReplyDeleteDesperate Housewives - 3.07 - Bang
ReplyDeleteGossip Girl - 2.16 - You've Got Yale
90210 - 1.24 - One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer
The Vampire Diaries - 2.21 - The Sun Also Rises
Pretty Little Liars - 2.25 - UnmAsked
Supernatural - 5.10 - Abandon All Hope...
Friends - 5.14 - The One Where Everybody Finds Out
Gilmore Girls - 1.10 - Forgiveness and Stuff
Sex And The City - 3.18 - Cock a Doodle Do!
Ugly Betty - 1.14 - I'm Coming Out
2 Broke Girls - 2.03 - And the Hold-Up
The Big Bang Theory - 3.11 - The Maternal Congruence
Hart of Dixie - 2.10 - Blue Christmas
Rizzoli & Isles - 1.07 - Born to Run
The O.C. - 2.14 - The Rainy Day Women
Veronica Mars - 2.22 - Not Pictured
The Carrie Diaries - 2.10 - Date Expectations
Devious Maids - 1.13 Totally Clean
Dallas - 2.08 - J.R.'s Masterpiece
Mistresses - 1.13 - I Choose You
The Originals - 1.04 - Girl in New Orleans
The way you capitalize every word is very annoying, you know.
ReplyDelete