A supernatural mystery show looked dead in the water until it released
one of its greatest outings a few short months later. And that's not the only
series that made us both cringe and cheer all within one season.
Friends ran on NBC for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, and it's now regarded as one of the
most iconic sitcoms in TV history. While it does have some questionable moments,
it also has very few truly unwatchable episodes.
But one of those lesser outings is Season 4's "The One with the Invitation," which
has the lowest IMDb rating of any Friends episode. It's been widely panned since
it's a clip show rather than a proper story. The clips are all centered around Ross and
Rachel's relationship as he struggles to decide whether to invite her to his wedding with Emily.
Meanwhile, Season 4 also includes "The One with the Embryos," which follows Phoebe's attempts
to be a surrogate mother for her brother as she undergoes IVF treatment. Meanwhile,
the rest of the gang takes part in a trivia contest to see whether Chandler and Joey know
more about Rachel and Monica, or vice versa. It's been so acclaimed that TV
Guide even ranked it number 21 in its list of the top 100 TV episodes of all time.
"What is Chandler Bing's job?"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is perhaps the most varied in terms of quality among all
Trek series. Over the course of its seven-season run, it focused on the titular space station that
sits on a wormhole many lightyears away from Earth at the very edge of the Milky Way galaxy.
The lowest-rated episode according to IMDb users is Season 5's "Let He Who
Is Without Sin," which sees the crew journey to the vacation planet of Risa. Most of the
complaints come from the jarring story in what was supposed to be a jovial and relaxing break,
along with the way that Worf acts out of character compared to the rest of the season.
On the other hand, "Trials and Tribble-ations" has established itself as one of the greatest
episodes in the history of the entire franchise. It sees the crew travel back
in time and interact with the gang of the original series from the episode
"The Trouble with Tribbles." Along with the impressive digital insertion technology,
the episode also stands out for its clever story beats and sublime self-aware comedy.
Now 15 seasons deep, the FX and FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues
to crack up audiences with its twisted adventures about awful people running an
Irish bar in the City of Brotherly Love. While it's never been a huge ratings hit,
it's earned critical acclaim and a legion of devoted fans.
However, that doesn't mean that every episode is a surefire hit. Season 7's "Frank's Brother" is
often listed among the show's worst, largely because it focuses entirely on Danny DeVito's
Frank and his previously unseen brother Gino and has a story that doesn't really go anywhere.
But Season 7 also features the standout half-hour "CharDee MacDennis:
The Game of Games," in which the gang plays a hilarious party game that they've made up
that involves a series of strange tasks and a bizarre set of rules. Simply put,
the chaotic energy that Always Sunny is famous for is taken to the limit in this episode.
"And so it comes to this: Flip… a… coin."
On The X-Files, FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate a series
of paranormal events as they become involved in a wider conspiracy. And
arguably the best and worst episodes of the show both aired in Season 3.
"Teso Dos Bichos" features very little of Mulder and Scully,
which fans found incoherent and confusing. Worst of all is the fact that the big bad
monster is merely a group of feral cats, making the entire plot feel completely silly.
But then there's "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose,"
which involves an insurance salesman played by guest star Peter Boyle,
who witnesses a series of brutal murders. This outing features plenty of intelligent humor and
an utterly compelling central mystery. And then there's Boyle's excellent performance,
as well as a thoughtful look at some themes that other, less ambitious shows tend to shy away from.
Lost was an absolute phenomenon, as it helped to launch a golden age of TV when it debuted on
ABC in 2004. It follows a group of people who survive a plane crash on a mysterious
island and band together as they explore the supernatural goings-on of their new home.
Season 3 showcased Lost at its very best and worst, with IMDb ratings indicating
that "Stranger in a Strange Land" is the series at its lowest. The plot sees Kate,
Karl, and Sawyer trying to make it back to the beach as Jack attempts to rescue
Juliet from being killed with the help of Alex. Critics were unimpressed with the
lackluster story and the way it failed to move the plot forward in any way.
But a later episode that season set a new bar. The two-part season finale "Through
the Looking Glass" is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that packs an emotional punch
and maintains a constant sense of suspenseful excitement. There's even a brilliant twist at
the very end that completely changed the game for Lost going forward.
"We have to go back!"
Before the launch of the DCEU or Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy,
the best adaptation of the Caped Crusader was undoubtedly Batman:
The Animated Series. It detailed the adventures of Batman in Gotham City as he
fought a variety of villains. The show earned critical acclaim and a passionate fanbase,
but it did have a handful of episodes that didn't quite reach the heights of the rest of the series.
Season 1's "I've Got Batman in My Basement" represents the bottom of the barrel,
as it follows two young detectives who inadvertently end up rescuing Batman through
a series of outlandish events. The amateurish way that the Penguin is constantly outsmarted
and the general silliness of the plot ensure that this episode could never be considered a classic.
"Say, Batman, you wouldn't be single, would you?"
But the first season also delivered "Almost Got 'Im," which sees the Joker, Two-Face,
Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and the Penguin discussing the times they came closest to
finally defeating Batman once and for all. It's an interesting look at these villains,
containing lots of witty humor and some great action sequences. The plot twist at the end is
also entirely unexpected and brings a satisfying conclusion to a nearly perfect installment.
From the creative mind of Larry David, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm features the comedian playing a
lightly fictionalized version of himself. Having retired from writing television, he gets into a
constant stream of trouble by bumping up against social norms and disregarding what others think.
While Curb has steadily delivered laughs for 11 seasons, there are several episodes that
have missed the mark, especially Season 2's "The Acupuncturist." Suffering from neck pain,
Larry makes a bet that he won't be able to ease his suffering. The episode has proved
unpopular with fans due to its lack of funny moments and important events.
In contrast, "The Doll" represents Curb at its very best. Everything works beautifully
in this episode, from the uncomfortable comedy to the clever story that comes to an enormously
satisfying conclusion. The brilliant scene where Susie berates Larry as he tries to
replace a doll's head that he cut the hair off of is an undeniable series highlight.
"The kid is home hysterical because her doll Judy has been decapitated."
Twin Peaks was widely acclaimed when it debuted on ABC in 1990 and has since cemented its place
as one of the best TV shows of all time. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost,
it follows FBI Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry S. Truman's investigation
into the murder of teenager Laura Palmer in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.
Even the worst episode of Twin Peaks has a respectable IMDb rating of 7.2. While
there are some important plot points in Season 2's "Slaves and Masters," it also features the
outlandish Benjamin Horne section, in which the character has a mental breakdown and re-enacts
the Civil War. Simply put, it's one of the most confusing moments in the entire show.
Meanwhile, "Lonely Souls," officially titled "Episode 14," makes a strong case for itself
as the absolute best of Twin Peaks. Not only does it finally reveal exactly who killed Laura Palmer,
bringing some clarity to the case that has been the center of the show since the pilot,
it also includes a satisfying twist and answers to other long-standing questions.
The Big Bang Theory is one of the most successful sitcoms of the 21st century.
The first season arrived on CBS in 2007 and the show quickly became a mega-hit. Charting
the lives of four socially awkward men as well as Cheesecake Factory server Penny,
it ran for a total of 12 seasons until its conclusion in 2019. It won numerous awards,
made stars of its cast members, and led to the spin-off prequel series Young Sheldon.
But any show that runs that long inevitably has a few missteps, and for Big Bang,
the worst of the worst could very well be Season 12's "The Inspiration Deprivation." It's one of
just seven episodes that has an IMDb rating of less than seven out of ten. Like many outings
of the final season, it's a disappointing entry that acts as a filler episode where
nothing much happens other than rehashed jokes about Howard and Bernadette's relationship.
On the other hand, the greatest episode of The Big
Bang Theory also arrived in Season 12 in the form of the series finale,
entitled "The Stockholm Syndrome." Packed with emotional payoffs, such as Sheldon
and Amy receiving their Nobel Prizes and Penny and Leonard finding out that they're expecting,
it provided a satisfying way for the show to end while tying up pretty much every loose end.
"In my way, I love you all."
Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted in 1997 and ran on The WB for five seasons before heading
to UPN for its final two seasons, thereby airing on both forerunners of The CW. Its
success launched Sarah Michelle Gellar's career as a leading actor and led to the
spin-off series Angel. The irresistible premise is that high school student Buffy Summers
hunts down vampires and other evil mythical creatures with her enhanced fighting skills.
While Buffy is beloved by its legion of fans, it also had its notorious moments. And there's plenty
to dislike in Season 4's "Beer Bad." It introduces viewers to the revolting werewolf Veruca, and for
most of the episode, Buffy sulks about Parker and his betrayal after it's discovered that he's
working with the vampires. The biggest letdown is the fact that the whole point of the episode
appears to be nothing more than a condescending message for college students to not drink beer.
"Freshman girl not able to hold the beer. Shouldn't have it. Get into trouble."
But the fourth season more than made up for that misstep with the classic episode
"Hush," which sees a new group of ghouls that silence the town and kill the residents by
cutting out their hearts. This forces Buffy and her allies to communicate without being able to
speak, thus creating a compelling shift in their dynamics as they adjust to the new circumstances.
The spy thriller Homeland focuses on CIA agent Carrie Mathison as she investigates
former prisoner of war Nicholas Brody and various other plots against the
United States. It ran on Showtime for eight seasons from 2011 until 2020.
It won over plenty of fans and earned multiple awards, but it also had plenty
of frustrating episodes. The worst is almost certainly "Long Time Coming," the Season 4
finale that didn't really have any interesting story twists and lacked the bombastic action of
previous finales. Many fans also complained that "Long Time Coming" seemed more like a
filler episode that didn't properly address what had happened throughout the rest of the season.
But just a few episodes before that, "There's Something Else Going On" got every single viewer
on the edge of their seats as they nervously watched a prisoner exchange to release Saul
from a group of terrorists. A slow and methodical episode, it's nevertheless a nerve-racking watch
that twists in unexpected ways to keep the drama at a high level throughout. TV Guide named it not
just one of the best episodes of Homeland but also among the very best episodes of any show of 2014.