Five Favourite Episodes Meme

[icarus_chained]

By way of penknife and dbalthasar.

Name five favourite episodes of five favourite series.

Five (Six) Favourites As Follows:

1) Doctor Who: "Battlefield"

Alright, so a serial rather than an episode, as such, but that's what you get with Classic Who. And "Battlefield" is perhaps an odd choice, because Seven isn't actually my favourite doctor (he's up there, but not top). But actually, that's why. Because my favourite Doctor? Was Three. And "Battlefield" is the episode, four doctors on, where we see the strength of Three's legacy. "Battlefield" is the last serial of the Classic series to involve Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, who was my favourite companion of all time, and "Battlefield" was an episode of reconnecting with old allies and passing torches to new ones. The Doctor reconnects with UNIT, the Brigadier passes care of the Doctor on to Ace (somewhat explicitly), and care of UNIT over to Bambera. On top of that, we had a pretty awesome actiony storyline, we had a female military commander having an awesome relationship with an alien knight in shining armour (Bambera/Ancelyn all the way!), we had some slight femslashy vibes between Ace and Shou Yuing (bonding over explosives), we had the Doctor choosing Ace over all the alien weapons in the universe, we had the Brig being awesome and knocking the Doctor out so he wouldn't have to face the Destroyer ...

Basically, we just had awesome character interactions all over the place, we had legacies being passed on, we had the honouring of old companions and the celebration of new ones, we had some fabulous relationships, and we had a pretty decent storyline to boot. What's not to love?

2) The A-Team: "Holiday in the Hills"

This one isn't for any deep reason, it's just the one that sticks out in my head as the most fun to watch. Because, well, that's what 'A-team' is for. This episode in particular has Murdock being thoroughly awesome, a really funny crash scene, Face at his swindling best, Murdock flirting with himself, little references to the team's time in 'Nam, Face liking to do jobs for the Church every so often to store up goodwill for the afterlife ... Um. I'm noticing a Face & Murdock thread, yes, but they were just my favourite to watch in action, so this episode was a lot of fun for me. Heh.

3) Highlander: "Indiscretions"

Methos and Joe, past indiscretions, gently trolling each other, standing up for each other, Methos showcasing his methods of fighting (refuse to fight, run away, stick people's swords in junction boxes, reverse grip to casually lop head off). I just ... I really, really loved the thing where Joe has to betray Methos for the sake of his daughter, and Methos knows, and trolls Joe mightily while simultaneously forgiving him out of hand, and how Methos goes to fight because Joe's daughter needs him to. Loyalty and a touch of viciousness and the knowledge of past sins, on all sides. Oh, so much.

And also, just because I would watch the Methos-and-Joe show all damn day, yes?

4) Alias Smith & Jones: "Stagecoach Seven" and "The Bounty Hunter"

I'm picking AS&J of the westerns because it's the most recent love, and also because I swear they are the most adorable pair of outlaws I've ever come across in my life. You just want to smush them and put them somewhere safe, you really do. (And yes, I'm aware I have some minor psychotic tendencies, why do you ask?)

I like "Stagecoach Seven" because it's the episode where you really see why you should root for Heyes and Curry. Because they're caught between people who want to sell them for being outlaws, and a murderous bunch of other outlaws who would also like to sell them, but as corpses, for the reward. And they're weaselly and trying to lie or worm their way out, but when it comes down to it, they're willing to walk out and die at the hands of the outlaws to protect the mostly decent people who wanted to sell them for reward money. It's all enemy-mine and honour and basic decency and some weaselly trickery, and I love it, yes? Heh.

Though I must also put in a word for "The Bounty Hunter", purely for the last line from Joe Simms. Because the ex-slave bounty hunter was killed, he was killed out of hand for daring to try and arrest white folk, and Heyes and Curry can't save him, but at the last, when they ask if he would really have handed them in, he says yes, he sure would. And I don't know why that struck me so hard, but he damn well kept his integrity and his purpose all the way to the end, even in the face of our heroes. And it's sort of the opposite idea from "Stagecoach Seven" above, where we like the passengers because they let the boys go, but it's different with Joe, because it's his determination and his honour and his unwillingness to allow the world to bend his principles even though they'll kill him for it that we admire, and the show lets him have that all the way to the end. He doesn't recant as he's dying, he doesn't bend in the face of our heroes, and for some reason that hits me right in the gut. It just ... the show lets you be right even if you're not on the side of the heroes, because it's the principle and the intent that matters, and sometimes Heyes and Curry aren't the only right side in play. And Joe was right. He wasn't on their side, but he was still right, and he was at least allowed that, he at least kept that for himself, despite everything that was done to him.

5) The Incredible Hulk: "Mystery Man, Parts I and II"

I have a strong attachment to 1970s action shows. I have noticed this. Blame my childhood. The Incredible Hulk is just ... it's the thing I have for hunter and hunted, and also the thing I have for enemy mine situations, and 'Mystery Man' gives both of those in spades. Enemies unwittingly aiding each other at first, because Jack doesn't know David is the Hulk, and David doesn't remember he's the Hulk and Jack is his pursuer, and while we're in that phase we get some glimpses into McGee, his reasons and his honour, and then as things heat up and they have to rely on each other, and the reveal comes of who David is (at least on the Hulk front) we get them seeing each other differently, still standing for each other even knowing who they are to each other. And from this episode on, McGee changes, he realises 'John' is under the Hulk, that there's a person under there who needs help, and the pursuit is never again the impersonal thing it was before, and I love that. Enemy mine hits me right in the gut, and I will never not love it when enemies find common ground all unwilling, and stick to it because honour demands nothing less.


And I think you can probably tell a lot about my value biases from those, can't you -_-;