It’s easy to name your favorite episodes of your favorite shows. It’s fun to share your thoughts with friends about the laughs that stand out and what makes that show superior to the others. But, have you ever challenged yourself to find your least favorite episode of your favorite program? Admittedly, it’s probably not as fun to talk about in your social circles (as much as I would enjoy it). So, today, I dove deep into my favorite shows and found my least favorite episodes.
The Office
Season 6 Episode 14 – “The Banker”
The Office is the show I never stop binging. I finish the Finale and then immediately restart with the Pilot, and the cycle continues. During these binges there’s only one episode I will skip past every time—The Banker (S06, E14).
Ugh, The Banker! The skid mark on an otherwise fantastic season complete with some of my favorite and classic episodes. This episode is basically just a clip show highlighting memories from previous seasons. Yes, it’s emotional and they did a good job with it, but it’s a major downer. It does brace you for the other major downers to follow (Nellie) but it’s completely skippable and I do every time. For the record: picking a least favorite episode after Season 7 is a cheap Busch League move.
Seinfeld
Season 9 Episode 20 – “The Puerto Rican Day”
Speaking of making a Busch League pick, I had to follow up with Seinfeld. Everybody loves to rip on the Seinfeld Finale, largely for reasons I explained previously about Clip Shows. I get nobody wants a clip show, but for a finale, as they did in Seinfeld, I have no issue. Well, minimum issue. I think it worked! I liked them bringing back all the characters from previous episodes. Karma, Jerry! Karma! However, to find my least favorite episode, you don’t have to go far from there—The Puerto Rican Day.
There are many things that make “The Puerto Rican Day“ my least favorite episode of one of my least favorite shows. It’s offensive to man, first off. But the bigger issue is it wasn’t that funny. Not a lot of laughs. If you’re going to choose to be offensive, you better get some laughs out of it at least! (Don’t be offensive though, I’m not condoning that). It just fell short of every mark for me. And then was followed by clip shows and that Finale! Rough stretch to end the greatest show ever.
A last note, I pulled up a list of all the episodes season by season to do this making notes of which ones could be the least favorite, but upon landing on The Puerto Rican Day I knew it had to be that one. Then, while checking my work because I have no idea what the general population thinks is the worst episode (outside of the finale) and Variety wrote an article ALSO calling it the worst. I feel validated! I didn’t pick it because they did. No conformity going on! No ads! All my boring opinion. Eat Fresh.
South Park
Season 3 Episode 4 – Jakovasaurs
It’s hard to get my to bad talk South Park. I love that show and everything Trey and Matt touch (Orgazmo, BASEketball, etc). So believe it pains me to come on here and talk about my least favorite episode but…man, is it bad. My least favorite episode can be none other than—Jakovasaurs.
Holy annoying, Batman. I can’t sit through this episode, that alien dinosaur thing is way too obnoxious to handle. I can’t. Even thinking about this episode hurts my head. Why!? Why do that to us!?!
Family Guy
Season 12 Episode 02 – Vestigial Peter
Speaking of annoying, let’s talk about Peter’s little neck twin, Chip. Just when I was thinking no character on TV could be more annoying than the damn Jakovasaurs in comes motherloving Chip saying “hold my beer.” Ugh. I can’t make it through the episode! Too annoying. There are still laughs in the episode, granted, but I can’t voluntarily sit through that. Shut up, Meg? No, shut up, Chip.
That ‘70s Show
Season 4 Episode 24 – That ‘70s Musical
Finally, we’ve reached the ‘70s. This show has brought me many a laughs over the years. This could have been the hardest to pick a least favorite for. Of course, there’s the episode where Randy is introduced and all things go south from there. But I figured picking that would be cheap, as would any episode without Eric or Kelso so I had to make my final decision—That ‘70s Musical.
Personally, I wish they never did this. It’s cringeworthy. Feels like it goes on forever and ever with no end in sight. That moment could truly be worse than when we get introduced to Randy. As Red would put it “I wish I had a dozen feet so I could shove them in all the writers asses!”
That does it! Those are my least favorite episodes of my favorite shows. What are yours? Let me know on Twitter @CortFreeman
Cort Freeman 