Greatest scenes in TV history

I'm going to add one probably four of you have seen.

The whole scene leading up to Dexter killing his first victim at the beginning of the first episode of "Dexter." Everything you needed to know about that character's state of mind, at that point in the character's life, is on display in those first few minutes. And I loved the way his sense of humor played into the scene before giving way to his fury. Which led to Michael C. Hall delivering the line, "OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK ... AT WHAT YOU DID!" with eye-popping intensity. I was hooked from that point on.

 

Another one from Seinfeld: The Library, when Bookman is over at Jerry's apartment and they have that exchange where Bookman plays sheriff and goes into his whole monologue. Philip Baker Hall is really good in that role, and it typified the absurdity of the show.

 

Neither are true. There are plenty of QL and BSG fans here, most just don't admit it.

I'm currently blasting through BSG via Netflix and I like what I see thus far. I just got through the first three episodes of season 2.5 and, even though some may call me a geeky fanboy for it, I think it's a pretty damn show.

That being said, and i know i just watched it so it might not last on me, but I gotta say the ending to the Resurrection ship attack, with Adama and Cain both pulling back their assignation plans was pretty damn dramatic.

 

I could go on forever with great exchanges from that show. That one is certainly one of my favorite:

JERRY: Oh, I'm glad you're here, so we can get this all straightened out. Would
you like a cup of tea?
BOOKMAN: You got any coffee?
JERRY: Coffee?
BOOKMAN: Yeah. Coffee.
JERRY: No, I don't drink coffee.
BOOKMAN: Yeah, you don't drink coffee? How about instant coffee?
JERRY: No, I don't have--
BOOKMAN: You don't have any instant coffee?
JERRY: Well, I don't normally--
BOOKMAN: Who doesn't have instant coffee?
JERRY: I don't.
BOOKMAN: You buy a jar of Folger's Crystals, you put it in the cupboard, you forget about it. Then later on when you need it, it's there. It lasts forever. It's freeze-dried. Freeze-dried Crystals.
JERRY: Really? I'll have to remember that.
BOOKMAN: You took this book out in 1971.
JERRY: Yes, and I returned it in 1971.
BOOKMAN: Yeah, '71. That was my first year on the job. Bad year for libraries. Bad year for America. Hippies burning library cards, Abby Hoffman telling everybody to steal books. I don't judge a man by the length of his hair or the kind of music he listens to. Rock was never my bag. But you put on a pair of shoes when you walk into the New York Public Library, fella.
JERRY: Look, Mr. Bookman. I--I returned that book. I remember it very specifically.
BOOKMAN: You're a comedian, you make people laugh.
JERRY: I try.
BOOKMAN: You think this is all a big joke, don't you?
JERRY: No, I don't.
BOOKMAN: I saw you on T.V. once; I remembered your name--from my list. I looked it up. Sure enough, it checked out. You think because you're a celebrity that somehow the law doesn't apply to you, that you're above the law?
JERRY: Certainly not.
BOOKMAN: Well, let me tell you something, funny boy. Y'know that little stamp, the one that says "New York Public Library"? Well that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole hell of a lot.
Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before: Flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Well, let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world, but what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book, right
now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers? Doesn't HE deserve better? Look. If you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped! Or: maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld; maybe that's how y'get your kicks. You and your good-time buddies. Well I got a flash for ya, joy-boy: Party time is over. Y'got seven days, Seinfeld. That is one week!


Although I love the whole exchange over the coffee, I just realized Jerry says he doesn't drink coffee in that scene. Wasn't 75% of that show based around a coffee shop?

 

Oh, and while I'm at it...here are a couple more obscure comedy ones that I recently dug out of my head for the purpose of this thread......

1. Seinfeld- The Soup Nazi. Though overrated by people who have never watched the entire series, this is still one of my favorite episodes if for nothing more than the over-the-top build up of TSN taking orders. Everyone follows the pattern but Elaine takes her ever loving sweet time and the awkwardness made me laugh so hard.

2. Seinfeld- The Outing. Jerry and George accidently convince a reporter that they're gay (Not that's there's anything wrong with that....), but what made this episode funny to me was Jerry on the phone after they convince the reporter they're not gay saying something along the lines of "Whew, we fooled her". That, my friend, was comedy.

3. Scrubs- I could go on all day about Dr. Cox's speeches, but since I'm currently catching up and have only gotten through season two, the one that made me laugh hysterically was his speech to the annoying patient about how his patience is like her virginity: "Okay, think of what little patience I have as, oh, I don't know, your virginity. You always thought it would be there, until that night Junior Year when you were feeling a little down about yourself and your pal Kevin, who just wanted to be friends, well, he dropped by and he brought a copy of About Last Night and a four-pack of Bartels & James and woo hoo hoo, it was gone forever - just like my patience is now."

4. Coupling (British Version)- Flushed. Talk about a great opening scene to a series. I know many of you haven't seen this show , but this scene --

is just amazing and had me hooked right off the bat.

5. The Office- I can't remember the name of the episode, but it's right after the merger. Jim plays a prank on Andy and hides his phone in the ceiling. Andy flips out and punches the wall. The awkwardness of that moment made me really like this show for some reason.

 

Oh, one more from Coupling. This is some awkward stuff.

"I forgot how to speak english! I hate it when that happens!"

 

Oh, I know there are other BSG fans on here. There's a BSG/Geek thread somewhere that gets dug up any time there is news on the show. Careful, though, there's probably spoilers on there given how much catching up you have to do.

You still haven't seen the scene that stands out to me visually, so I won't mention it here. The explanation would ruin a lot of plot for you. Anybody looking to catch up on the series, a relatively old spoiler follows.

It is mostly entire episodes that stand out to me. The first one of the regular series, "33," is fantastic.

But the best single scene to me comes after "Boomer" seems to betray the Cylons and blow up a base ship. She returns to a hero's welcome on Galactica. Adama even brings his son Lee, currently under arrest for treason, to see him welcome a true hero.

Just as Adama goes to shake Boomer's hand, she pulls a gun and shoots Commander Adama in the chest. Crew members grab her and Lee jumps to help his father. Everything about the scene is just perfect, from the set-up to the execution by the cast.

Here's all they had on the scene on YouTube. I can't even remember if this is the actual music from the original scene or the YouTube poster messing around.

Funny, I don't even remember the cuts to Baltar and Six. Just Lee holding his father, who is laying in a pool of his own blood.

 

Yeah, that was a shocking, shocking, shocking scene. I remember sitting on my bed watching this and just staring with my mouth open with a couple moments. I was completely caught off guard by this and that rarely happens nowadays.

 

Ah BSG!

That show has a lot of golden moments, although I'm having a hard time remembering anything which stood out.

In that Sci-Fi vein, I offer the premiere of the BBC's Life on Mars. At the end, after finding out he's been hit by a car and transported to 1973, the main character is trying to decide if all of this is just a dream. He's about to break down when he sees a record shop he used to frequent as a boy. The music playing is Baba O'Riley. It's fucking perfect.

This is not the scene, but it's a good example of the show.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Twilight Zone: Burgess Meredith, the last man on earth, the bookworm, piles the books shoulder high. "All the time I want. All the time I need." And steps on his glasses.

I'll Fly Away: Incredibly under-rated/lost series, Sam Waterston/Regina Taylor--SW reprises/reinvents Atticus Finch in Mockingbird, small-town Southern lawyer, height of 60s civil-rights era, fair-minded widower lawyer. In the last episode (not on BC, I think, but put together for PBS) he meets up with the black maid/nanny who helped him raise his family while she went to college at night. Set years later. He tells her his youngest son died. Fans of the show couldn't keep it together.

Honeymooners: $99,000 Question, Who wrote this song? (Swanee River) & "Hello Ball ..."

Buntz decking the Commish.

YD&OHS, etc

 

All of Night Court

 

this woman aside, that show sucked monster dong.