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What single episode of a show would you recommend as a standalone?
As in, you think it’s still worth watching even if someone has never seen (and potentially never will see) any other episode from the show.
It’s good enough that you think it can stand entirely on its own.
Tell us what it is and why you think it meets the mark.
"Blink" (10th episode of season 3 in the reboot of Doctor Who) with the Weeping Angels is a fantastic standalone episode. You really don't need to know much about Doctor Who to enjoy it, and it doesn't necessarily rely on previous lore or previous episodes to understand the context of what's going on. It's widely regarded as one of the best episodes.
Only caveat to this is that while it is an amazing episode, if you watch it and expect the rest of Doctor Who to be just like it, you're going to be severely disappointed, for better or for worse. It's decently different than the rest of the series, and the episode barely features the main cast.
For me the quintessential Doctor Who episode, the one I always show people to get them into it, is Mummy on the Orient Express. Such a perfect encapsulation of what the show can be
...i clicked through to recommend exactly this...
Battlestar Gallactica: Episode 1 of Season 1 called "33"
This one had more tension, more fear of the enemy than any other episode in the series. Nothing had gotten overly complicated in this introduction to the series, it was just a visceral reaction to an overwhelming enemy who was relentless in their pursuit.
Firefly: "Out of Gas"
This episode gives you vignettes, showing how the crew came to be on the ship Serenity, but it also shows how precarious their lives are, and how the thin the margin between living and dying truly is in space.
Also came here to recommend "33". The entire show is great, don't get me wrong, but to immediately come out of the gate with it, what is possibly your absolute best episode, is such an insane move.
The Cylons are coming in 33 minutes. Have fun :)
Mob Psycho 100 Episode 5
The first line of the episode is "What a surprise, guess there are other middle school age espers besides yourself, but it looks like hes surpised to see you as well." Immediately you are caught up with what the show is about and what the scenario is.
Then the fight starts, and from the framing and the reactions you can immediately tell that Hanazawa is supposed to be pretty impressive, but Mob is on another level.
Then the characters start talking and you can quickly see the stark differences in their outlooks and why they are in conflict, and it all just makes sense right away.
Plus the whole conflict fits nicely within that one episode. You are introduced to Teru's mindset, see how Mob challenges it, see him ultimately abandon his values, and finally see his realization that the world is bigger than him, both physically and metaphorically. Its both a visually interesting fight, and is more conceptually than just "the good guy beats up the bad guy because he is stronger".
I've thought of another one.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 4 Episode 10 called "Hush"
The fourth season is not a favorite of mine, but this episode might be one of the most outstanding in the series. They set out to scare the pants off their audience, and did they ever succeed. This is a stand-alone, since the villains never appear again, and aren't part of the main story line of the season.
I don't know that it would work as a standalone but Once More, With Feeling and Hush are both amazing episodes. It's funny how even when you love a show as it normally is, it's often the weird and unique episodes that stand above the rest.
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Master of None Season 1 Episode 2
This is the first time I watched something and related to it on almost every level. As a millenial, American child of asian immigrants, this episode reflected my reality at that point in my life.
You don't need to watch any other episodes. It works perfectly on its own. People of other backgrounds can relate to it too.
While there are many, many great episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I'm going to have to go with season 5 episode 14, The Box. While it certainly benefits from knowing things like the history between Peralta and Holt, you can watch the episode with absolutely no historical context and still thoroughly enjoy it for its quotable moments, humor, and the bottle style shoot that makes it easier to grasp without background knowledge.
That episode is fantastic. I remember recently explaining to my wife what a bottle episode is, then I watched The Box shortly after by coincidence. About partway through the episode I realized that it was a bottle episode, because it is so engaging that it is not obvious that it is a bottle episode. I remember in looking up examples of a bottle episode with my wife one example that was listed was from Parks and Rec, where Michael Schur mentioned wanting to do a bottle episode to showcase Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's acting skills (S7E4 Leslie and Ron). My guess is that The Box came from a similar place rather than a budgetary perspective
Bojack Horseman - Fish Out of Water (S3E04)
This episode probably works a little better when you have the entire context up to this point of season three but it's strong enough to stand on its own. It has a self-contained narrative with plenty of gags and wit but also hints at the stronger emotional themes of the series. The setup gives you enough about the main characters to go in blind and the ending, while perhaps a little predictable, is a fantastic payoff. One of my favorite single episodes of any show
Seinfeld - “The Contest”
The Dick Van Dyke Show - “I’d Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head At All”.
Victorious - “Brain Squeezers”
Friends - “The One Where No One’s Ready”
American Dad - “The American Dad Afterschool Special”
Eye of the Beholder from The Twilight Zone, but there's also easily 20+ episodes that people could choose instead. Being a very well written anthology series is basically cheating in this format.
Mythic Quest S1E5 - "A Dark Quiet Death"
I was flip flopping on whether I wanted to continue watching this show, since the first season is a little rough, in my opinion, but this one episode was fantastic. The show is generally about the video game industry and the modern difficulties of making games as a large studio. This episode is a standalone and basically covers the life cycle of an indie game darling. It's such an incredible standalone episode, I was completely blown away. If you like video games at all, I highly, highly recommend it.