15. “The Enemy Within,” Star Trek
NBC
The term “bottle episode” purportedly originated with the original Star Trek series, where cast and crew referred to episodes that were contained within the ship as “ship-in-a-bottle episodes.” For a series constantly struggling with budget issues, it would make sense for Star Trek to create an episodic format to save money without sacrificing story. “The Enemy Within” is one such bottle episode. When trouble with the transporter creates an evil doppelganger of Captain Kirk, the confined space of the Enterprise heightens the suspense as Evil Kirk runs into various crewmembers. “The Enemy Within” features countless iconic moments, including but not limited to: the debut of the Vulcan nerve pinch, an adorable unicorn space dog, and Evil Kirk’s fantastically deranged declaration that he is indeed the Captain Kirk.
The episode’s central conflict poses quite the acting challenge for Shatner, who laps it up with delight. Sweaty, lit from below, and rocking eyeliner, Evil Kirk is a frantic and often hysterical scene stealer. Yet there is something weirdly touching about the resolution between Kirk’s two halves. There is, of course, the symbolic meaning – a promise that it is possible to unify our conflicting internal desires. But I also just love the visual of Kirk holding his defeated clone in his arms, showing him mercy although he is undeserving. “The Enemy Within” is certainly silly, but it’s also one of Star Trek’s most enduring episodes.
14. “First Response,” Veep
HBO
To prove this episode’s greatness, I really shouldn’t have to say anything more than Alison Janney and Julia Louis Dreyfus are in the same room for 26 minutes. But to suggest the “First Response” coasts on the brilliance of Janney and Dreyfus’ comedic chemistry would be a disservice to Veep’s multi-faceted genius. When a presumed puff piece at the residence turns out to be more hard-hitting than expected, Selina and her interviewer, Janney’s Janet Ryland, engage in some deliciously passive-aggressive back-and-forth. It’s a kind of comedy Veep does best: tense, simmering interactions between people who loathe each other.
Selina and Janet’s battle is a severely uneven match, with Selina’s hubris tripping her up at every possible step. Dreyfus revels in Selina’s gaffes and delivers the richest comedy from extreme discomfort. And boy, is “First Response” full of extreme discomfort. Throughout the interview, Janet remains an image of collectedness as Selina struggles to manage her public image, her private frustrations, her subpar mothering, and her distracting horniness. Trapped in her marble-laden mansion with a nosy intruder and omnipresent cameras, Selina has no escape route. But in classic Veep style, she manages to get out of the interview relatively unscathed. “First Response,” like every other episode of Veep, is a rich half-hour of close calls, thinly veiled insults, and lots of HBO-sanctioned profanity.
13. “Unfinished Business,” Battlestar Galactica
SyFy
I’ll have to bust out a looser definition of the bottle episode for this one, since “Unfinished Business” is so chock full of flashbacks. But regardless of how closely it adheres to the bottle format, “Unfinished Business” remains one of Battlestar Galactica’s most emotionally impactful episodes. This pick, however, may be the most subjective of the list. Full disclosure: much of my personal enjoyment of the episode stems from my deep-seated shipping of Kara and Lee. If you feel rather dispassionate towards the series’ will-they-won’t-they Starbucks/Apollo romance, then you may want to skip this one altogether. But if you’re still reading – welcome. How amazing is it that Kara and Lee beat the shit out of each other and sleep together all in the course of a single episode?
“Unfinished Business” is beautifully and uncomfortably crafted. A ruthless boxing match interspersed with heartrending flashbacks, it provides the perfect stage for passionate violence, tacit catharsis, and boatloads of sexual tension. For a crew as emotionally incompetent as that of the Battlestar Galactica, the ring is as apt an arena as any to settle grudges, make peace, or just blow off steam. The episode as a whole is emotionally arduous and visually unrelenting, but really, that’s what Battlestar Galactica is all about.
12. “Hotel Inspectors,” Fawlty Towers
BBC
I’m hard-pressed to think of anything funnier than seeing John Cleese get frustrated to the point of suffocation. As the misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty, Cleese turns frustration into an art form. “Hotel Inspectors” is a classic Fawlty Towers episode because it hinges entirely on a mix-up. When Basil gets word that a hotel inspector is in town, he mistakes not one but two different guests as the incognito inspector. The 6’5” Cleese carries the episode with his signature physical comedy, choking out a guest, taking a behind-the-counter beating, and dissolving into an ugly fit of tears. “Hotel Inspectors” is a hilarious jaunt through Basil’s every state, from hubris to panic to paranoia to, finally, defeat.
Like all the best episodes of Fawlty Towers, “Hotel Inspectors” moves swiftly, masterfully combining screwball and slapstick comedy. And of course, every episode of the series revels in the tenets of British humor, from sarcasm to self-deprecation to social satire. There have been repeated attempts to adapt Fawlty Towers for American audiences with little success. The original, it would seem, is singular and inimitable, thanks almost entirely to John Cleese and Connie Booth’s incredible writing and Cleese’s masterful performance. The timelessness of the series – despite the timeliness of comedy – is a testament to Cleese and Booth’s talent. Though it premiered 43 years ago, “Hotel Inspectors” remains totally fresh and gut-bustingly hilarious.
11. “Fight,” Masters of Sex
Showtime
Narrative subtlety can be nice, sure. But sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than being hit over the head with theme. “Fight” is, in no uncertain terms, a meditation on masculinity. The only bottle episode of Masters of Sex’s four-season run, “Fight” dissects Bill Masters’ character and past in concert with the thematic question of what it means to be a man. Playing out parallel to each other are two stories: Bill struggles to enlighten the parents of an intersex child, and Bill and Virginia spend the night at a hotel to conduct “research” while the Moore vs Durelle match rages in the background. I repeat, there is little room for nuance here, but that doesn’t make the episode any less great.
By stressing character over plot, “Fight” elevated the series as a whole and gave the incomparable (and I mean incomparable) Michael Sheen a chance to shine. Now, it stands out as one of the show’s best episodes and remains a compelling consideration of masculinity. At its most profound, it examines the role of masculinity in a personal light, revealing how Bill’s childhood – and now his adulthood – was shaped by the pressures to be manly and virile. And at its most intoxicating, it graces us with lots of close-ups of Michael Sheen being tortured and horny. What more can you want in an episode of television?
Related Topics: Atlanta, Battlestar Galactica, Breaking Bad, Girls, it's always sunny in philadelphia, Mad Men, Master of None, Star Trek, Update The Lists
