Holiday Favorites

December 17, 2013

Our Favorite Holiday Episodes

As it turns out, there is no shortage of holiday episodes on our favorite TV shows. Since this is the season of giving, Becca and I decided to list all of our favorite holiday episodes from our favorite TV shows, along with links for where you can watch them. We hope you enjoy, along with a mug of hot cocoa or some mulled cider. Note: These are listed alphabetically by show, because how do you rank holiday episodes? It’s an impossible task! 

Chuck {Season 2, Episode 11} “Chuck versus Santa Claus”

 

I love this episode because almost all the main and supporting cast is together due to a hostage situation at the Buy More. The episode is made even more special by occurring during Tony Hale’s guest stint.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

Chuck {Season 5, Episode 7} “Chuck versus the Santa Suit”

Highlights of this episode include General Beckham kissing Chuck (who is dressed as Santa) and a cameo by Stan Lee.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

Community {Season 1, Episode 12} “Comparative Religion”

 

The study group’s first Christmas is celebrated on December 10th, and it includes their Spanish 101 final, winterdoodle cookies, “What Would Baby Jesus Do?”, and a fight between Jeff and the school bully that escalates. Community has done great Christmas episodes every year, but this one is my favorites to watch year after year because of the character moments. (Shirley: “So… why do you hate me and Jesus?”)

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus | YouTube

Community {Season 2, Episode 11} “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”

Some of the best Community episodes are the more heartfelt ones. Teddy Pierce stays with Abed, and the group sings about what Christmas means to each of them. Christmas has different meanings for all kinds of people, but one of the things that makes it truly special is being with the ones you love.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus | YouTube

Doctor Who {Series 2 Christmas Special} “Christmas Invasion”

David Tennant’s first episode of Doctor Who. I fell for Tennant in this episode, and has been a wonderful love affair ever since, at least on my part.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus | Netflix | YouTube

Frasier {Season 3, Episode 9} “Frasier Grinch”

 

Frederick is coming for Christmas, Frasier is horrified by Martin’s Christmas decorations, Niles has been cut off by Maris, and poor Frasier can’t read his super boring Christmas story on the air without Bulldog and Gil trying to distract him with decorations and a Santa Claus stripper. ‘Tis the season!

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus | Netflix | YouTube (free!)

Friends {Season 3, Episode 10} “The One Where Rachel Quits”

christmasfriends

Poor Phoebe is horrified by “the chipper,” the machine that grinds up the withered and unwanted Christmas trees at the lot where Joey’s picked up some seasonal work. Joey and Monica bring home all of the neglected trees to brighten up the holiday for Phoebe. Of all the Friends Christmas episode moments (Holiday Armadillo, Chandler returning home in “Christmas in Tulsa,” etc) this one is my favorite.

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

Gilmore Girls {Season 2, Episode 10} “The Bracebridge Dinner”

While not overtly Christmas-themed (there is not a Christmas tree or gift-wrapped box in sight) this episode captures the Stars Hollow holiday spirit better than their actual Christmas episodes. There’s a snowman building competition, horse-drawn carriages, a fancy old-timey feast, and even costumes. Best of all, the entirety of Stars Hollow (along with bonus grandparents and Paris) gather at the inn for one of the most memorable episodes of the series.

Watch this episode: Amazon

Gossip Girl {Season 1, Episode 11} “Roman Holiday”

Shenanigans abound on the Upper East Side, but this episode (as all my favorites do) belongs to Blair Waldorf. She’s at her absolute worst in this episode as she tries to break up her father and his boyfriend, but it also leads to great character growth for her as well as a strengthening bond with her mother… and forgiveness for her father.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

How I Met Your Mother {Season 7, Episode 12} “Symphony of Illumination”

Robin gets some bad news, but she doesn’t want to talk about it with anyone. That doesn’t stop Ted from going all out to try to cheer her up. I’m glad Barney and Robin are getting married, but this moment between Ted and Robin stands out as one of my favorites from the entire series.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

The Mindy Project {Season 1, Episode 9} “Josh and Mindy’s Christmas Party”

 

For her first year as a partner and with a steady boyfriend, Mindy is eager to host the office Christmas party at her apartment. The episode has some of the earliest non-antagonistic moments between Danny and Mindy, and it ends with him attempting to comfort her when her relationship falls apart. There’s also a gingerbread house, which makes the episode worth watching in and of itself.

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

Miranda {Series 2, Episode 6} “The Perfect Christmas”

miranda

We all have that year where we just don’t want to go home, for whatever reason. But ultimately we learn that not going home would be a mistake, because the holidays are about family and being together. Miranda, in her quest to create the perfect Christmas, realizes that maybe she’s had it all along… insulting Christmas carols and all.

Watch this episode: Hulu

The Office {Season 2, Episode 10} “Christmas Party”

 

It’s not Christmas without a Michael freak-out over expensive gifts, is it? If that’s not your speed, perhaps the sweet gift that Jim put together for Pam–which Pam promptly traded away for an iPod–will appeal to you? Well, if nothing else, there’s always the fifteen bottles of vodka that Michael buys at the end to make up for ruining a perfectly nice party.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

The Office {Season 3, Episode 10} “A Benihana Christmas”

 

Dueling Christmas parties, lunch at Benihana, karaoke, and a distraught and freshly-single Michael make up a Christmas party that no one will soon forget.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

Parks and Recreation {Season 2, Episode 10} “Christmas Scandal”

christmasparks

“It’s the most wonderful time in Pawnee!” Leslie is faced with her first true scandal as a public figure, and it nearly runs her out of town. But her friends band together to help run the department and coordinate the tree lighting (complete with radio simulcast–“Listening to that tree lighting is gonna be dope!”) while Leslie deals with the fallout from a faux-affair. The last scenes of gift-giving are what get me every time.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

Phineas and Ferb {Season 2, Episode 21} “Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!”

This has always felt like an adult show that is aimed at kids, so I don’t think it’s too crazy to have this show on our list of holiday faves. It really is worth watching just because no one does Christmas like Phineas and Ferb.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

Psych {Season 2, Episode 10} “Gus’s Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy”

Shawn sets out to prove to Gus’s parents that he is a true psychic and an even better detective, but when the Gusters’s neighbor is murdered, Shawn inadvertently gets both of Gus’s parents arrested. He runs around in a Santa hat, scares Lassie with snow globes, and makes tons of Christmas-y pop culture references, too!

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

Trophy Wife {Season 1, Episode 10} “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas… Or ‘Twas It?” 

Absinthe-spiked glug leads to a Christmas Eve that everyone (except Meg) forgets. It also leads to a charred Christmas tree, overplucked eyebrows, more than one drunken performance of “The Sign” by Ace of Base, and a new pet wolf!

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus

The Vicar of Dibley {Series 3, Episode 2} “Winter”

01636

Where the village decides to put on a live production of the greatest story ever told. And unto that night, another child was born… just not the Savior.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

Did we miss any of your favorites? We’re always looking to add things to our list, so hit us up in the comments with your faves!

November 27, 2013

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Episodes

It’s a slow week here at WWFTP HQ, thanks to the holiday of feasts and family. But does that stop us from watching TV? No, it doesn’t. Becca and I collaborated to bring you a list of our favorite Thanksgiving TV show episodes of all times. If you need to steal away from the family (or football) for a quick break before diving into some turkey and cranberry sauce, here are our suggestions for maximizing your TV-related Thanksgiving enjoyment.

 

01. Friends {All Thanksgiving Episodes} 1.09 “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” 3.09 “The One with the Football,” 4.08 “The One with Chandler in a Box,” 5.08 “The One with All the Thanksgivings,” 6.09 “The One Where Ross Got High,” 7.08 “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs,” 8.09 “The One with the Rumor,” 9.08 “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister,” and 10.08 “The One with the Late Thanksgiving.”

My tradition is to watch all of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes during the week leading up to the holiday, and Becca and I both agreed that the episodes are so great that they belong on a list of their own. So instead of listing all of the Thanksgiving episodes separately, we decided to list them all in one slot. Really, it’s just not Thanksgiving if you don’t get a dose of “Got the keys?” “More turkey, Mister Chandler?” “More bandages!” and of course, “My two greatest enemies: Rachel Greene and complex carbohydrates.”

Watch these episodes:

YouTube – 1.09 | 3.09 | 4.08 | 5.08 | 6.09 | 7.08 | 8.09 | 9.08 | 10.08

Amazon – 1.09 | 3.09 | 4.08 | 5.08 | 6.09 | 7.08 | 8.09 | 9.08 | 10.08

02. Chuck {Season 1, Episode 10} “Chuck vs. The Nemesis”

 

Chuck is having to deal with the revelation that Bryce Larkin is still alive, and that Sarah and Bryce have a history. The Thanksgiving dinner is entertaining, especially with Ellie having become Anna’s number one enemy. The best part of the episode is the Buy More story. Black Friday is a thing of chaos, and I only have one word: “Pineapple.”

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

03. WKRP in Cincinnati {Season 1, Episode 6} “Turkeys Away”

“For those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed by live turkeys.” Not only is it the iconic episode of the TV series, it’s probably the my favorite Thanksgiving-themed episode of any sitcom ever. There is no greater ending to such a disastrous episode than when Mr. Carlson fixes everyone with a stunned look and says, “As God is my witness… I thought turkeys could fly.” (Sidenote: I need this entire series on BluRay/DVD with the music intact, stat.)

Watch this clip: YouTube (only second half of the episode, low-quality and free, but totally worth it)

 

04. Buffy the Vampire Slayer {Season 4, Episode 8} “Pangs”

Buffy tries to make Thanksgiving dinner for the Scoobies. Xander gets syphilis. Angel is a background player hiding from Buffy, and everyone else thinks he is evil again. The best part is a newly-chipped Spike, who is tied up in Giles house for the majority of the episode. To see him at the dinner table with the rest of the Scoobies is a delight.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Hulu Plus

 

05. How I Met Your Mother {Season 3, Episode 9} “Slapsgiving”

Thanks to a slap bet between Barney and Marshall earlier in the season, Marshall now has a Slap Countdown clock running, counting down the minutes and seconds until he slaps Barney across the face. He times it to end on Thanksgiving, which causes chaos among the group of friends as Ted and Robin try to work through their post-breakup friendship, and as a terrified Barney tries to plead for his life. Lily, as Slap Bet Commissioner, finally puts a stop to the whole thing, fearing for the safety of the food, but when Barney gloats, she gives Marshall permission to slap again–and it sends Barney spinning to the floor. Marshall then performs the iconic “You Just Got Slapped” to the general merriment of the group.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix

 

06. Go On {Season 1, Episode 9} “Dinner Takes All”

One of the first great episodes of the short-lived series. Steven and Ryan both fight over guest star Lauren Graham’s character, Amy. The group has Thanksgiving together, and greatness is achieved. The episode is full of laughs, and as always, Carrie is one of the best parts.

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

 

07. Gossip Girl {Season 1, Episode 9} “Blair Waldorf Must Pie!”

blairwaldorfmustpie

Gossip Girl was always ripe for Thanksgiving shenanigans, and since Thanksgiving always came at the end of sweeps, it meant wrapping up some major arcs. It was hard to choose between this episode and “Treasure of the Serena Madre” from Season 3, but I think this one takes the… pie. Blair is always neurotic about her traditions and rituals, which means Thanksgiving is always a ticking timebomb for her. Because of the disintegration of her relationship with Nate and her volatile friendship with Serena, Blair suffers a relapse in her bulimia. It’s one of the few times her eating disorder is handled properly by the show, and it showed us a new side to the Serena-Blair friendship that we hadn’t seen in the previous eight episodes, and it’s also the first time Blair shows up at Dan’s loft in Brooklyn, which was a treat for viewers at the time. The heart-to-heart at the end of the episode brought Blair and her mother, Eleanor, closer together for the first time since Blair’s father left them earlier in the year.

Watch this episode: Amazon | Netflix | YouTube

08. Happy Endings {Season 3, Episode 4} “More Like Stanksgiving”

This episode shows what the characters were like in the past when Brad and Max were part of The Real World: Sacramento. It is interesting to see what all the characters were like back in the day, and what they looked like. The subplot of Dave being one sixteenth Navajo is rather entertaining.

 Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

09. Cougar Town {Season 2, Episode 9} “When the Time Comes”

The best part of this episode is Laurie’s constant wardrobe changes. Other bonuses: Andy being optimistic even in the face of adversity (namely, his wife) and Jules/Grayson hosting their first “romantic” Thanksgiving.

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

 

10. Gilmore Girls {Season 3, Episode 9} “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving”

The best thing this show did was make Lorelai and Rory go to four different Thanksgiving dinners. If anyone can handle four ridiculous meals, it’s these two ladies. They’re forced to eat tofurkey at the Kims, then they stop by Sookie’s house, where she’s having a panic attack about Jackson deep-frying a turkey, then they go to Luke’s, where Luke made everyone wait for the Gilmores to show up, and they round out the whole thing at the grandparents house. Watching Sookie, who ends up drunk, is a personal highlight for me.

Watch this episode: Amazon

Did we leave anything out? Let us know in the comments! And Happy Thanksgiving, American friends.

October 31, 2013

Our Favorite Halloween Episodes

It’s the most ghoulish time of the year–the time that astronauts, fairy princesses, and tiny Captain Americas ring your doorbell for some free candy! If you prefer shenanigans and tricks to the blood and gore of the horror genre, then kick back and relax with some of mine and Becca’s Top 10 feel-good Halloween-themed episodes, in no particular order.

01. Parks and Recreation {Season 2, Episode 7} “Greg Pikitis”

 

P&R usually delivers gems for their Halloween episodes, especially considering one of them involves a long-awaited proposal, but “Greg Pikitis” stands head and shoulders above all of the others. It might actually be my favorite P&R episode of all time. Ann’s attempt to throw an amazing Halloween party nearly fails before Tom, dressed as T-Pain, comes in to save the day; we also get to see some of the cast in some pretty great costumes. But it’s Leslie’s annual war with one of the town’s high schoolers, Greg Pikitis, that takes center stage. She’s almost unhinged as she stalks, accosts, and threatens to torture her nemesis. She’s aided and abetted by her cop boyfriend, Dave, along with Andy, who introduces his alter-ego: Burt Machlan, FBI. If you’ve never seen Parks and Recreation, I highly recommend this one as an introductory episode.

Watch this episode: Netflix | Amazon | YouTube

02. Community {Season 1, Episode 7} “Introduction to Statistics”

The study group attends Annie’s Dia de los Muertos party (Chang: “You don’t have to keep doing that!”) while Jeff tries to sneak into the faculty party. The episode was awesome, from Pierce tripping on Starburns’ mysterious pills (his chair fort was pure genius) to Abed being Batman.

Watch this episode: Hulu Plus | Amazon | YouTube

03. Friends {Season 8, Episode 6} “The One With the Halloween Party”

 

Ross is Spud-Nik. Chandler is a giant pink bunny, because somehow Monica doesn’t know anything about the Velveteen Rabbit. Rachel is pregnant and terrifying the children. Sean Penn guest stars. And there’s an intense and hysterical arm-wrestling match between Ross and Chandler. Really, how could you not want to watch this episode before heading out to your costume party?

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

04. Boy Meets World {Season 5, Episode 17} “And Then There was Shawn”

 

While this did not air around Halloween, it’s a perfect episode to watch for the holiday. The gang is stuck in detention, and the episode goes through all of the horror genre tropes, with Shawn taking the lead. Angela plays the girl who constantly screams and getting all huffy when Jennifer Love Fefferman screams. Eric delivers one of the most enduring lines of the episode: “Now there’s only two people horribly dead here, that’s an acceptable loss.” While it is fun to see all the tropes being played out in a fun way, there was also heart underneath it. There’s a reason people are being “murdered,” and all is revealed by the end.

Watch this episode: Amazon

05. Psych {Season 6, Episode 3} “This Episode Sucks”

 

I’m not a fan of vampires, and I’m not a fan of vampire parodies, but somehow Psych managed to make a near-perfect episode out of an over-exposed genre. It’s not explicitly Halloween-themed, but Shawn and Gus don vampire costumes (Lestat from Interview with a Vampire and Blacula, often mistaken for Count Chocula, respectively) that are very detailed, and the set designers went above and beyond to create a vampire-themed bar that lends itself to a very Halloween-esque atmosphere. The vampire theme flows nicely through Lassiter’s storyline, where he falls in love with a mysterious blonde woman (Kristy Swanson, aka The Original Buffy) who is connected to a case where a man has been exsanguinated. It has great character moments among Psych’s usual camp, especially if you enjoy grown men doing True Blood impressions.

Watch this episode: Netflix | Amazon | YouTube

07. Chuck {Season 1, Episode 6} “Chuck versus the Sandworm”

Chuck meets someone who he believes he can relate to as he tries to get the assistant manager position at the Buy More. The B story is about Morgan Grimes, Chuck’s best friend, who gets his first dose of adulthood in this episode because he believes he is losing Chuck now that Chuck has Sarah in his life. Chuck has always been about friends and family, and in this episode it delves more into Chuck’s friendship with Morgan, and how loyal Morgan is to Chuck. Who else would wear a sandworm costume with you other than your best friend? (Chuck will be available on Netflix November 1, so let yourself have two days of Halloween.)

Watch this episode: Amazon | YouTube

08. Modern Family {Season 2, Episode 6} “Halloween”

The Dunphys love Halloween, and Claire goes all out to decorate her home as a haunted house (even going as far as admonishing Alex for doing her homework instead of working on her costume). The most memorable part of the episode is Mitchell’s storyline, where he dresses as Spiderman for work only to find out that no one else dressed up; he ends up shimmying down a drainpipe in broad daylight. At the end of the episode, the family gathers together at the Dunphy house to scare the daylights out of the neighborhood kids. Cam tells the world’s worst Halloween story while Gloria talks in a stilted American accent, but the real highlight of the entire episode is Phil, who is freaking out about his neighbor’s divorce. He delivers a lot of sweet and funny moments and really balances out Claire’s neurotic freak-out toward the end of the episode.

Watch this episode: Amazon

09. The Office {Season 2, Episode 5} “Halloween”

The Dunder Mifflin crew always loves to dress up (except for Jim, of course) and this was the first time we got to see it. Michael was obsessing over firing someone while Angela was obsessing about throwing a perfect party. It all goes horribly wrong, as usual, but it ends sweetly.

 Watch this episode: Netflix | Amazon

10. Community {Season 2, Episode 6} “Epidemiology”

  

It has to be a pretty great show in order to land on this list twice, right? Mysterious Army meat leads to an illness that overtakes the Greendale Community College Halloween party. What could be better than that? The only thing better than the one-liners in this episode (“Be the first black man to make it to the end” and “Jeff… Still cool as a zombie!” are my favorites) are the costumes. No one can figure out that Shirley is Glinda the Good Witch, Dean Pelton’s Lady Gaga costume is startlingly accurate, Britta’s T-Rex costume is adorable, and Chang is walking around dressed as Peggy Fleming, making it his mission to accuse people of being racist when they guess he’s Michelle Kwan. The fact that the entire episode is set to ABBA (along with the Dean’s voice memos to himself) just elevates the hilarity.

Hulu Plus (available for free today!) | Amazon | YouTube

It was difficult for us to pare down our favorites to only ten! What are your favorite Halloween TV episodes?