Top 10 Must See Science Fiction or Fantasy Television Episodes of All Time

I like to relax and watch television. As a huge fantasy and science fiction reader, I have a fondness for shows that let you stretch your imagination. There are plenty that are (or were) extremely popular for good reasons.

I offer to you my ten favorite episodes from all such shows I have ever watched.

10. Xena: Warrior Princess season 3, Episode 12 - The Bitter Suite: Maybe I have a soft spot for musicals (See my #1 pick in this list), but I think this episode was pulled off very well. It was not perfect, but I have watched this episode numerous times and it is always enjoyable.

Xena, has always been a guilty pleasure for me. One of those shows that you can't help but like, even though at times it is quite silly. Maybe we all root for a person to prove they can change and make up for the wrongs they have committed. I know I do.

By this episode, we are almost halfway into the third season. Gabrielle's demonic daughter has killed Xena's biological son, Solan. Both Gabrielle and Xena are blinded by their grief and guilt and lash out, blaming each other for their losses.

Xena, goaded in her mourning by Ares to kill Gabrielle decides to do just that. In a very upsetting scene in the beginning of the episode (in what has come to be called the Gab Drag¹) Xena barges into where Gabrielle is and proceeds to lasso her and tie her to a horse, dragging her across the land till they get to a cliff side.

Gabrielle, bloody and unconscious is about to be thrown over when she awakens and in a fit of anger and hate pushes both herself and Xena over the edge. Now, the true episode starts.

Xena and Gabriells separate and both end up in Illusia. Each character that they now meet is dressed in Tarot costumes, again linking fate and destiny with the Xena universe. Xena's journey begins first, when Callisto, apparently dressed as the Fool awakens her with a Kiss.

Xena is a little perplexed as Callisto dances around in her bright costume to sing to Xena about where she has landed: "Illusia is music, a world built on rhyme. It's carved out of space in the absence of time..."

Yes, Xena and Gabrielle were now in a musical, where they hopefully will be able to let go of their hate and move on, together, as they are meant to do. All who they meet in this mystical land take the form of familiar Xena characters, including Joxer, Callisto, Ares, and Lila, Gabrielle's sister.

Next, it is Gabrielle's entrance into Illusia. Washed of her injuries and her clothes, she meets Joxer dressed as the Hanged Man. He guides her through her first encounter, after first observing that she is indeed naked, to her hometown, Poteidia, where we see why she left in the first place.

Xena is guided instead to a warriors place run by Ares. As the warriors chant for War and the villagers chant for peace, both send their respective person to "kill" the other.

Of course, Gabrielle is no match for Xena, and, she is killed within a few minutes. After realizing that she killed her former best friend, Xena is stunned as Ares tries to lure her to accept her evil side with a sexy tango.
Ironically, Callisto, now dressed as Justice, is the one who warns Xena that she must let go of her anger and hate as the real Gabrielle comes through a different door (the dead Gabrielle, villagers, warriors, Ares, Joxer, and Callisto were illusions).

Accusing each other once again, through rounds of singing each start to realize that the real enemy is hatred, that they both were equally just as hurt and grieving. In triumphant chorus they talk about how they will succeed with "Love as their Guide."

In the final moments, Xena realizes that her arrogance and pride are still keeping her from moving on and in one of the most moving performances, she sings completely from the heart, about the "Love of your Love."

With the realization that they need each other and the love they have, both Gabrielle and Xena are able to move on. I feel as if they were able to mend some fences they could not have unless this situation occurred. It was a very good episode and I recommend it.

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 5, Episode 16 - The Body: The first of three Buffy episodes, this particular one is one of the most moving.

We all know the heartbreak of losing a loved one. And, Buffy Summers lost many people in her fight against the unnatural creatures that inhabit her world. But this loss was different.

Her mother was sick, with a brain aneurysm. After surgery, everyone thought she was better, but Buffy comes home in the beginning of the episode to find her mother lying on couch, cold, unmoving, and very much dead.

Horror gives way to panic as Buffy calls 911. Not having a supernatural being to deal with, she feels helpless as this is a fight she cannot win. The emergency responder on the telephone tries to help her revive her mother. But, trying to give her mother CPR, she cracks a bone. Buffy is seriously at a loss, calling Giles with the cryptic message she is here.

When the emergency medical team arrives and pronounces Joyce, Buffy's mother, dead, we see the stark, naked grief and remorse plain as day on her face. When Giles rushes in to help with the villain he thought "was there," he looks on helplessly, unable to stave off Buffy's grief and loss.

Buffy then proceeds to Dawn's school to tell her sister about their mother and again, without actually hearing their conversation, we can see both the anger and sadness overwhelm the two Summers siblings.

This episode is a standout in the Buffy Universe because it is almost entirely without any supernatural creature or being to face. At the end, there is one such creature to kill, perhaps giving Buffy an outlet for her anger, perhaps not. This last encounter is the only reason that I didn't rate this episode lower down on the list. I felt it would have had a bigger impact if the only death seen were from natural processes.

Aside from this one grievance, this episode cannot help but reach all of us. And, we saw an acting depth that most did not realize the cast could achieve. But, then, Joss Whedon was expert at getting the most he could out of his cast. A true genius.

8. Quantum Leap Season 2, Episodes 22 - M.I.A: Quantum Leap was an incredible show. Each week, Sam Beckett was thrown into the life of someone where he was tasked with "making right what once went wrong."

Just who tasked Sam with this we never truly find out, although a higher authority is definitely implied.

This episode is my all-time favorite episode. Sam is sent into the body of a policeman in the same city as Al's first wife, Beth. Al tells him that he is there to convince the wife of a missing vet not to remarry. The parallels with Al's story are undeniable and we can see Al become convinced that this is why Sam is there, for him to be able to be with his true love, Beth.

But, painful to accept for both Al and Sam, this is not why Sam has been sent here. We feel Sam's regret and Al's anger and hurt when his tragedy is not fixed. It did not seem fair that they could not use the leap to help him.

Tears slid down my face at Al's cry of "God, I love her..." at the end of this episode. It solidified Al as truly human, a more sympathetic and three dimensional figure. My most haunting memory is of the holographic Al dancing with Beth at the end of the episode. I am sure there was not a dry eye in the house.

Of course, Sam makes it up to Al in the very last episode, making right what once went wrong with his best friends life. But, it still does not take away from the moving portrayal exhibited in this very special episode.

7. Star Trek the Original Series Season 1, Episode 27 - City on the Edge of Forever: You will forever find arguments on the internet about which Star Trek series is the best. And, although I think overall that The Next Generation may be my favorite version, this is my favorite episode of all time.

Going to investigate some happenings there is a console explosion and Sulu suffers a heart flutter. With a shot of "Cordrazine," McCoy decides he can help him.

Accidentally injecting himself with too much, he becomes paranoid and beams down. When in pursuit of the departed doctor they find McCoy near a gateway that calls itself the "Guardian of Forever."

It explains that it is a doorway to any time and place and Doctor McCoy, still paranoid, runs through it. At this point, they lose contact with the ship. The "guardian" informs them that history has been changed and that is why the enterprise has disappeared.

Of course, to reestablish the timeline as it is supposed to be Spock and Kirk go to where McCoy changed history but at a point earlier than he appeared so they can prevent it from happening.

In this episode, Kirk meets Edith Wheeler, a self identified social worker. As we see their interactions develop, Kirk begins to fall in love with Edith Wheeler. This is already a big issue. Kirk, the ever popular ladies man does not usually display such a depth of feeling.

During their time, Spock realizes that Edith is supposed to have been killed when hit by a car. If she is not killed, her future actions will allow germany to develop an atomic bomb and conquer the world.

At the appointed time, Edith is in the street and does not notice a truck hurtling toward her. Kirk instinctively goes to save her, but is stopped by Spock. When McCoy rushes out, Kirk holds him back. Shocked and dismayed McCoy says to Kirk "I could have saved her...do you know what you just did?" Kirk pushes him away, speechless, heartbroken, and Spock says quietly, "He knows, Doctor. He knows."

We have seen many different episodes afterwards about time travel and the dangers of altering a timeline. But this will forever be one of the most haunting.

6. Babylon 5 Season 3, Episodes 16 and 17 - War without End: J. Michael Straczynski created an intricate labyrinth when he put together this show. It was designed to last five years and each show would extrapolate and move forward previous plots or leave key points to be explored in future episodes. Just when you thought he had forgotten about a long lost detail, he gave you the needed details at a later time. The plots are way too intricate to describe in detail, but this set of episodes was one of the best.

War without End was a two part episode that filled in our knowledge of what happened to the Babylon 4 space station, the one prior to this one.

Jeffrey Sinclair, the former captain returns as a guest. Sinclair, Delenn, the Minbari ambassador, and Sheridan (the new captain) take the White Star (a Minbari ship) to a rift in time. There Delenn explains how in the previous Shadow war a Minbari base was destroyed. And right after Babylon 4 showed up and was saved by the White Star.

Going back in time, they are able to stop Babylon 4 from being destroyed but Sheridan is sent back through time and he ends up a prisoner of the future emperor of Centauri Prime, Londo Mollari.

In the second episode we see him meet the future Delenn. Mollari uses drink to disable his "keeper," so he can deal with Sheridan without anyone listening in and we see some of the "future." Sheridan is pulled back through time and they depart the station before it disappears as its supposed to.

Before the episode ends we discover that Sinclair becomes Valen, a revered Minbari from the past.

Babylon 5 is known for its amazing plot twists and turns, and this set of episodes is chock full of them.

5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4, Episode 10 - Hush: This is the second episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to make it into my top ten.

This episode begins as Buffy tries to start a relationship with her new love interest Riley. However, it is immediately obvious that despite their best efforts, they never seem to connect. Communication is not their strong suit and both tend to become quiet when around each other, not sure of what to say or how to convey it. This makes for some very awkward moments.

One night these supernatural beings called the Gentleman steal all the voices of everyone in the town. They are after seven hearts and, without voices, when attacked, no one can scream.

It is from this point on that this episode exceeds expectations. Joss Whedon is masterful at setting the mood. The Gentleman are eerie, with plastered smiles on their faces as they politely cut the hearts out of peoples' chests.

Buffy and her friends needs to handle the problem without the power of speech. This process actually has them communicating better than they had before. Especially Buffy and Riley, who see each other battling the monsters and realize there is more to both then either realized.

They find out that the Gentleman can be defeated if someone can scream (another reason for stealing voices). Together, Riley and Buffy manage to return everyone's voice and Buffy screams to defeat the Gentlemen.

During the epilogue, when the meet the next morning to discuss what has happened, Buffy and Riley have returned to the awkward, not knowing what to say, problem they had at the beginning of the episode. They now need to learn to communicate WITH speech.

Joss Whedon put more into a silent episode then most can pack into a dialogue-filled show. It is a classic that fans and newcomers to the show can appreciate.

4. Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 8- Time Enough at Last: There are few shows that could affect you the way the Twilight Zone was able to.

Beginning each episode, our host, Rod Serling, would introduce us into the world of the fantastic, the unexpected. After all, he was our guide into the "Twilight Zone."

Time Enough at Last reverberates mostly in the avid reader. To begin the storyy, we have mild-mannered librarian, who is forever bullied and never given the time to relax and do what he enjoys most, read.

To begin the episode we get a glimpse into Henry Bemis' world. He is a bookish, bullied little man. This is Rod Serling's voiceover at the beginning of the episode.

"Witness Mr. Henry Bemis, a charter member in the fraternity of dreamers. A bookish little man whose passion is the printed page but who is conspired against by a bank president and a wife and a world full of tongue-cluckers and the unrelenting hands of a clock. But in just a moment Mr. Bemis will enter a world without bank presidents or wives or clocks or anything else. He'll have a world all to himself, without anyone."

As the episode proceeds we see his interactions with his boss and his wife, both who belittle him for reading. As a matter of fact, showing her cruelty she asks him to read to her only for him to find that she has destroyed his poetry.

The next day during one of his breaks there is a huge explosion. Henry Bemis comes out to find the entire world destroyed. He has enough food to last him but no one to share it with.

He starts to get despondent and decides to end his life when he notices the public library and all the books intact. He can finally read all he wants with no one to stop him.

Taking time to sort the books into specific piles, he picks up a book to begin to read. But, he trips and his glasses fall and break. The episode ends with his heartbroken cry, "That's not fair. That's not fair at all. There was time now. There was all the time I needed...! It's not fair!"

This is a brilliant episode and one that most can identify with.

3. Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 3, Episode 28 - Lamb to the Slaughter: Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an anthology series that featured mysteries, dramas, and thrillers with many exciting themes. This particular episode was an adaptation of a short story written by Roald Dahl.

Mary Maloney is the wife of the local police chief. One day he comes home and tells her that he is leaving her for another woman. Angered at the betrayal, she clubs him over the head with a frozen leg of lamb and kills him. She then calls the police and tells them that she came home to find her husband dead.

The police come and search the place for evidence but find no sign of the murder weapon. This is because she is serving them dinner; leg of lamb to be exact.

This episode was nominated for an Emmy. And, it's obvious why. Even after repeated viewings it is just as enjoyable: A true classic in every detail.

2. Doctor Who Season (or Series) 3, Episode 10 - Blink: I have recently written a full synopsis and review of this episode for Associated Content. One of my all time favorite shows on television is the updated version of Doctor Who.

This episode, which actually has very little screen time for the doctor (called a doctor-lite episode) is one of the best hours of television today.

The episode begins with Sally Sparrow, a photographer taking pictures at an old Mansion when she gets a warning from "the Doctor" to beware the weeping angels and also to duck. Doing so, she just gets missed by something being thrown through the window.

The next day she revisits the mansion with her friend, who is sent back through time and sends her a letter explaining what happened.

Through some detective work on her part and trying to find out what is going on, Sally discovers that the Doctor is a time Traveler who is stuck in the year 1969. He and his companion were sent back by the weeping angels and it is up to Sally to set things right.

With a little help from the doctor, Sally is able to return the time machine back to doctor and everyone is safe from the villainous angels.

Afterward, Sally meets the doctor and because of the way time works it is actually before he has met her and dealt with the situation. She gives him the information he will need in the future and can move on now that everything is set. The episode ends with the doctor warning us, the viewer, about the weeping angels admonishing us not to blink (For a full review and the reasons behind not blinking, please see my previous article.)

We are drawn into this episode from the first opening moments until the very end. It is brilliant.

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, Episode 7 - Once More With Feeling: Few shows have been as well received by its fans as Buffy the Vampire Slayer was when it aired. The cult following still is strong to this day as you would find out if doing a search online for Buffy. Joss Whedon managed to take a mediocre film and in Buffy speak, "put on his game face."

The show was irreverent, witty, and completely accessible to both teens and grown-ups. Whedon's writing and direction were spot on and we began to see what a genius he was. Having already gotten rave reviews for Hush, a mostly silent episode (see my # 5 choice), he completely outdid anything anyone had seen in primetime television. It was one of the most anticipated episodes on television.

We are in season six of the show. Back from the dead a second time and haunted by what she has been encountering, our heroine Buffy is barely making it through the day, only "Going through the Motions," as she sings to us at the beginning of the episode. Yes, sings.

As most people know, this episode was filmed as a musical. The crew worked for months on this one episode. And, the finished product far exceeded anyone's expectations.

The premise is that a demon was summoned who causes people to sing their innermost feelings and secrets. Some that people don't want to share with others. But, harboring such secrets and feelings had caused a lot of tension between our beloved characters.

As each song opens up the old wounds and allows other characters to find out what they need to know, the person singing is able to work through some issues, or are they?

In terms of the episode, it wouldn't have been as effective or as heart-rending if done in simple prose. By having someone sing his innermost feelings, Whedon manages to strike a chord deep inside his audience. His timing for each song and how it moved the story along was positively flawless. And, without revealing anything, certain situations could never have happened in the Buffy Universe without it being a musical.

Even at the end of the episode, the group appears unsure of how to handle everything that has been said, and tells each other and the audience their dilemma, "Once More with Feeling..."

¹http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A287363