Top 10 TV Episodes That Broke the Rules
#10: “Autumn” “The Third Day” (2020)
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Most live-action shows are between 20 minutes and an hour long. Folk horror series “The Third Day” took a truly unique direction for its second part, titled “Autumn.” Broadcast as a 12-hour live stream, the “episode” follows the events of a festival on the show’s island setting, as well as the various inhabitants going about their lives for a full day. Shot in one long take, “Autumn” upended many of the conventions of what a drama series could do. Did they pull off this unique approach? Well, we’ll leave that for you to decide―if you’ve got the time.
#9: “eps3.4_runtime-error.r00” “Mr. Robot” (2015-19)
Speaking of long take episodes, “Mr. Robot” did one of its own. Never one to shy away from the unconventional, “Mr. Robot” ups the ante with this episode. It follows several storylines with distinct camera styles for each that put you in the mindset of different characters. Without getting into too many spoilers, we find two of our main characters working at cross purposes, as each has to deal with the stress of their respective situations. While not a true long take, as there are some cuts in between, the stylishness of the episode is still a sight to behold.
#8: Every Episode “WandaVision” (2021)
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Plenty of TV shows feature episodes that switch up the show’s usual format, style, or tone. “WandaVision” does this every episode! This Marvel series follows two of its superheroes living their lives in a bubbly sitcom world. However, there’s a sinister edge hiding underneath the laugh track, as a lot more is going on in their world than there first appears. Each episode pays tribute to a different decade’s sitcom style. But they manage to incorporate elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s usual superhero world, while also feeling like a psychological thriller at times. There’s certainly never been anything quite like “WandaVision” on television before.
#7: “The Chinese Restaurant” “Seinfeld” (1989-98)
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“Seinfeld” changed everything when it came to sitcom plots by showing that you didn’t need a traditional story structure to be entertaining. Few episodes of the show exemplify this better than “The Chinese Restaurant.” Jerry, George, and Elaine are in a hurry to see a limited showing of a movie and decide to eat at a Chinese restaurant. While waiting, George contends with an unavailable payphone, Elaine tries to stem her hunger, and Jerry worries about ditching his uncle for dinner. The episode typified “Seinfeld”’s mission statement as a “show about nothing,” as its stories didn’t feel like they had actual plotlines. And while executives were dubious at first, it paid off so well with audiences that sitcoms now frequently focus on minutiae.
#6: “Abyssinia, Henry” “M*A*S*H” (1972-83)
“Abyssinia, Henry” centers around the honorable discharge of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, the commanding officer of the MASH unit that the show follows. Although characters leaving shows wasn’t uncommon, the shocking final scene flipped everything on its head. Blake’s plane is shot down over the ocean. None of the passengers make it. Given that the comedy-drama is set during the Korean War, this twist shouldn’t have been too unexpected in hindsight. But at the time, offing major characters permanently simply wasn’t the norm, particularly for sitcoms. The episode opened the way for more frequent and significant character demises on television.
#5: “Lucy Is Enceinte” “I Love Lucy” (1951-57)
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Pregnancy is a fact of life. And kind of how most of it happens, for us humans. However, from watching early television, you’d never know it. That all changed with “Lucy Is Enceinte.” This episode sees Lucy Ricardo learn that she’s “expecting.” Her method of breaking the news to her husband Ricky is especially sweet. Despite its subject matter, strict network censorship rules meant that the word “pregnant” could never be used once during the episode. Even the title used the French word for pregnancy. “I Love Lucy” broke ground in many ways, but this one was one of the most game-changing episodes.
#4: “The Puppy Episode” “Ellen” (1994-98)
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A pivotal two-part episode of the sitcom starring Ellen DeGeneres sees her character, Ellen Morgan, surprised to discover that she has chemistry with a female friend of a friend, who’s gay. Through the course of the story, Ellen realizes that she’s a lesbian. “The Puppy Episode” coincided with DeGeneres coming out in real life. Although there were lesbian characters on American TV before “Ellen,” this storyline was the first time that some audiences got to see an openly gay person lead a sitcom. The episode was met with enormous backlash, but also blazed a trail for more LGBT representation on TV.
#3: “Baelor” “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
Season 1 of “Game of Thrones” primarily followed Eddard “Ned” Stark, as he uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Sure, he’s set to be executed in this episode, but we all know how this goes, right? They’ll pardon him, or he’ll get a last-minute rescue. We’ve watched TV and…what’s that? He…he actually dies?! But he’s the main character! That’s illegal! Although having a main character expire wasn’t unheard of prior to “Baelor,” the ones that met their end were usually part of the ensemble or the demise didn’t stick. Of course, looking back now, it should have been obvious, even for people who hadn’t read the books. Ned is played by Sean Bean, after all.
#2: “The Judgment: Part Two” “The Fugitive” (1963-67)
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“The Fugitive’s” series finale, “The Judgment: Part Two”, sees Dr. Richard Kimble finally catch up with the one-armed man and get to the bottom of the mystery behind his wife’s untimely end. This may not sound like anything special by today’s standards. It was the last episode. Of course, he’ll find out who took his wife’s life. Except, back in the day, a TV show with a real ending was about as common as a unicorn. It just wasn’t done! Finales were often left open-ended, allowing TV executives to continue to milk the premise later down the road if they felt like it. “The Fugitive” is arguably responsible for letting small screen stories actually have conclusions because it was such a rating smash! Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Pine Barrens,” “The Sopranos” (1999-2007) Two Mobsters Lost in the Woods Sounds Like the Beginning of a Bad Joke, or Great TV “Part 8,” “Twin Peaks” (1990-91, 2017) It’s Peak David Lynch Fare with Little Dialogue & Surreal Black-and-White Imagery “Hush,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003) An Entire Episode that Focuses on Non-Verbal Communication
#1: “A House Divided” “Dallas” (1978-91)
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The finale of the third season of “Dallas” sees unlikeable tycoon J.R. Ewing shot by an unknown assailant. Boom. Credits. For months after this, all everyone was talking about was “who shot J.R.?” While “Dallas” didn’t invent the cliffhanger, it certainly helped popularize the practice on television. The episode’s success and the network’s ability to capitalize on the hype the mystery created led to many of the modern trends in TV that shows use to keep viewers hooked. The episode helped show that sometimes the best way to keep audiences invested is to leave them wanting more.
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