Its probably a common answer, but “Measure of a Man” from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It makes me hope for a future like that, where people can settle their problems by talking it out and debating, and even change their minds. Whenever I think about what Star Trek is really about, I think about Measure of a Man. Its such a shame Paramount’s Picard show disrespected it so badly.
The Expanse was consistently amazing. Some of the episodes were so good they left me speechless.
The part where they flipped around and fired their railgun made me actually yell out “HOLY SHIT!”
I miss Miller.
Doors and corners kid.
Can i suggest a British classic? No not that one, the other one!
Red dwarf isn’t even thought of as Sci fi to a lot of people in the UK, but it served as my introduction to comedy sci fi and even just a lot of Sci fi concepts in general.
Hilarious, clever, thoughtful, interesting are some words I’d use to describe Red Dwarf and I’ll recommend it to anyone who wants to watch the classic British comedy Sci fi
“No not that one, the other one!” - ha!
I grew up on Tom Baker era Doctor Who. It wasn’t until decades later that I discovered that the best British sci-fi from that period was actually Blake’s 7.
Oh, so Star Trek. Not everybody thinks of Voyager when they think about top episodes but for me ‘Living Witness’ is not just the best Voyager episode, but the best Trek episode.
It’s amazingly well acted both with the Doctor in the dramatic lead, and the snippets of the evil Voyager crew being fun. That all supports an episode that has a message that really speaks to me about not turning history into a narrative, especially an agenda pushing narrative. Letting history be learned as honestly as possible rather than using it to gain some cynical personal gain.
- First episode of Battlestar Galactica after the mini series.
That was groundbreaking for a sci fi television show. People were, tired, angry, scared and drunk. So much different than anything than anything that had come before it.
Also, seeing real physics and sounds in a space battle was rad.
BSG was such a good show and they covered some pretty controversial topics (The occupation episodes especially).
I was however very disappointed with how it ended.
I am such a sucker for stressed out people in some kind of command center who are seeing overly simplified representations of what’s happening. Seeing scanning screening with little simple dots representing some massive space battle and the unease of not actually seeing it. It creates such a claustrophobic atmosphere.
Someone has to mention Firefly and “Our Mrs. Reynolds.” It features such incredible lines as
“If you take sexual advantage of her, you’re going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.”
“I see that my days off not taking you seriously have come to a middle.”
Not to mention the fantastic Christina Hendricks as Saffron.
Stargate SG-1 when O’Neill and Teal’c are stuck in a groundhogs day loop. Seriously fun episode.
Also throwing a shout out to Stargate Atlantis, the episode where McKay is stranded at the bottom of an ocean in a puddle jumper and starts hallucinating. Some of the best acting I’ve seen in a while in that one.
