Doctor Who
Not all nursing bottle episodes are risky , but the bad instance of this television tradition have earned their poor reputations . Historically , bottle episodes were a television receiver staple fibre wherein writer came up with a fib limit to a few established locations and cast members . A cost - saving practicality , bottleful episodes became almost as ill-famed as clip shows among television aficionado . Theoretically , their budgetary constraints could have sparked creativity in the writer ’s room . However , more often than not , nursing bottle episodes were viewed as filler . That ’s exchange in recent decades .
today , bottle episodes are a beloved institution and are often among a show ’s most ambitious installments . Bojack Horsemanseason 5 , episode 6 , “ Free Churro , ” is place entirely in one room and feature what is arguably the best functioning of Will Arnett ’s career . likewise , whileThe Connersusually follows the fun family sitcom drift , time of year 4 , instalment 14 , “ Triggered , ” delivers a dramatic outing that does n’t venture outside the nominal family ’s theatre . installment like these have done a raft to rehabilitate the bottle episode in recent years . Still , there ’s a reason this television receiver institution was so maligned in the first seat .
10Lost - “Strangers In A Strange Land”
It took a while for watcher to decide whetherLosthad a programme for its straggle tarradiddle , but by season 3 , it became increasingly clean that the show was headed off the runway . Lostseason 3 , episode 9 , “ Strangers in a Strange Land , ” confirmed this with a makeweight instalment that was dedicated to providing a backstory for Jack ’s tattoos . For spectator who did n’t manage about Jack ’s body art — i.e. ,the vast legal age of fans — this made " Strangers in a Strange Land ” the fallible sequence of the entire series .
9Black Mirror - “Playtest”
While “ Playtest ” is admittedly not theworstBlack Mirrorepisode , its modified dream work against its story . Black Mirrorseason 3 , episode 2 was set in a virtual realness wherein Wyatt Russell ’s Cooper screen an immersive fresh gaming technology ’s potential . Most viewer conversant with this bleak serial publication now suppose that Cooper was stagnant all along and that the instalment was his dying dreaming . However , even for those who did n’t prognosticate the obvious spin , the fact that the secret plan within “ Playtest ” was limited to one setting and part reek of money - salvage “ ingenuity . ”
8Doctor Who - “Love & Monsters”
Doctor Whoseason 2 , episode 10 , “ Love & Monsters , ” had one matter going for it . Victor Kennedy , the instalment ’s alien resister , was project by a nine - yr - quondam buff and raise a creepy-crawly creative activity . However , outside its status as agenuinely dire child show episode , “ Love and Monsters ” had no other redeeming qualities . The usually wizardly Peter Kay feel wildly miscast , and scarcely any screen clock time is given the Doctor himself . Additionally , the financial constraints that dictate the episode ’s output became increasingly obvious as the story grew sillier .
7Velma - “A Velma in the Woods”
Velmaseason 1 , installment 8 , “ A Velma in the Woods , ” saw the show ’s primary characters recite floor as they fall into a apparently bottomless pit . While there ’s been some public debate over whether animated television set shows can have bottle episode , this premise was clearly an attempt to carry through on invigoration costs . It also finger like an alibi to get the cast together in a unmarried locating after sending them off on side quests in previous sequence . This is probably whyGravity Fallsused the same setup year earlier in a far superior season 1 instalment . Velma ’s interchangeable feeding bottle episode did n’t land as well .
6Scrubs - “My Quarantine”
Scrubsseason 4 , installment 16 , “ My Quarantine , ” enclose viewer to the concept of quarantine years before the COVID-19 pandemic . In this junket , JD arrogantly attempted to impress his coworkers by positing that a patient has SARS . This got Sacred Heart Hospital station under quarantine , and JD was coerce to have his first date with his dead - live love interest Kylie in lockdown . Sadly , the result jaunt was about as fun as a real - living quarantine date .
5Brooklyn Nine-Nine - “Captain Latvia”
Brooklyn Nine - Ninegot a luck of jape from Charles and Jake ’s friendship , but the pair was never able to have an entire episode by themselves . OneBrooklyn Nine - NineChristmas peculiar exposedthis . Brooklyn Nine - Nineseason 4 , episode 10 , “ Captain Latvia , ” followed the duet ’s attempt to retrieve a steal Christmas present tense in an junket that demonstrate the Nine - Nine needs its ensemble to succeed . The episode ’s far - fetched story , which saw Jake and Charles tracking down gangster to find the toy , present thatBrooklyn Nine - Nine ’s workplace situation comedy component were inviolable than its constabulary procedural premise .
4Family Guy - “Brian & Stewie”
Family Guyseason 8 , episode 17 , “ Brian & Stewie , ” found its title characters locked in a bank burial vault together , where they ’re pull to pass the sentence until they ’re freed the next morning time . This installment tried so hard to be unplumbed , but it ended up feeling cringe - suitable rather . It failed to fall upon a near balance between comedy and drama , turn over for maudlin impact mere moments after a gross - out scatological gag . WhileBojack Horsemanproved that animise feeding bottle episodes could be masterpieces , “ Brian & Stewie ” prove animated series should n’t try too hard to achieve this goal .
3The Outer Limits - “Trial By Fire”
Thesuccess of HBO ’s revulsion anthologyTales from the Cryptand the ' 80sTwilight Zonerevival led to 1995 ’s reboot ofThe Outer Limits . For the most part , this glowering skill - fiction serial publication was an underrated gem with foul twist end and clever caustic remark . However , The Outer Limitsseason 2 , episode 9 , “ Trial by Fire , ” did n’t do nearly enough to hide its stinting stock . Set entirely in a atomic bunker , this sashay was a weak , tension - free effort with a glaringly obvious pull .
2Community - “Intro to Knots”
Communityseason 4 ’s gaseous state news leak year was infamously uneven , but viewers could usually rely on the series to provide a solid Christmas special . unluckily , that did n’t happen . InCommunityseason 4 , instalment 10 , “ Intro to Knots , ” Malcolm McDowell ’s Professor Cornwallis failed to raise a shopworn instalment set entirely in Annie ’s apartment . ab initio , the instalment focus on on the subject group ’s attempts to win over the curmudgeonly prof to vary their grade . However , things soon spiral into a game that got too ridiculous to take seriously but never silly enough to actually be fun .
1Broad City - “Jews on a Plane”
The sitcomBroad Citywas a huge hit with critic , but by season 3 , cracks began to show in the familiar convention of the serial publication . While there were another two seasons ofBroad City , season 3 , instalment 10 , “ Jews on a Plane , ” was the beginning of the end for the show ’s decisive hot streak . The to a fault intimate plot of ground saw Abbi and Ilana freak out when Ilana got her period during a flight . Filled with misjudged jokes and tired observational comedy , “ Jews on a Plane ” was an sequence that struggled to find anything funny in its uninspired solitary - emplacement story .
