When I did my article on this show the one thing I did not do was discuss my favorite episodes. That was because then I did not know the show well enough yet. I have seen rectified thet so now I present the episodes I consider the best.
Of course these are hard to rate because much like Seinfeld or Friends if you hate one story there is another you might enjoy. In fact as I look at other lists I find very few episodes on all of them and mine. That’s a real sign of a quality show when you can have five lists with very different episodes. These are episodes I love fully. They are arranged by season order and as always, just my opinion.
Earthquake
It may seem odd to start at season 2 but like any good show the first season was still trying to find itself. This was the first classic in my mind as an earthquake rattled the families lives.
Caught in the Act
A true classic. You can’t talk about this series without mentioning this one. The one where the kids walk in on Phil and Claire…you know. But my favorite scene is where the three kids are talking outside a gas station, it just feels so real and genuine i think this is when I first loved this show.
Virgin Territory
Almost has Little Bo Bleep here but then I remembered this fantastic episode. When Phil accidentally finds out that Haley is no longer a virgin, we get some wonderful acting from Phil as he is clearly shaken but trying not to show it.
The Future Dunphys
This is a clever way to do what would undoubtedly be a fantasy episode on another show. Claire is in the hospital and the guy in the next bed is visited by three adult kids who are eerily similar to Clair and Phil’s. There’s also some classic scenes involving Gloria helping Mitch and Cam introduce Lilly to her culture.
Australia
There were a bunch of trips on this show covering every place from Disney to Paris. This is the only one I really like so it makes the list. Maybe because Lilly is actually in the episode and is adorable.
The Day we almost died
A classic, just a fantastic episode. After avoiding a car accident everyone tries to embrace life but things go awry. The best part is the way the episode is structured with three different perspectives that beautifully come together in the end,
Connection lost
One or two episodes do appear on all lists and this is definitely one. In fact it might be #1 if the list was ordered that way. The whole episode takes place on Claire’s laptop with iPhones and iPads. Yeah the plot isn’t the strongest but you gotta be impressed with the way it was made.
The Storm
A wild storm forces the family together. Honestly a pretty standard episode. Except for one scene toward the end between Phil and Jay that is just perfect.
Five Minutes
The further along the harder it gets to find great episodes. I selected this one for the cute gimmick where we only see our characters for five uninterrupted minutes.
Winner winner turkey dinner
Despite all the holiday episodes the show produced this is the only one that made the list. It’s a great script as we see all the wonderful accomplishments the family had weren’t quite what they appeared. Ending with a magic trunk by Phil I’d really like someone to explain to me.
Kiss and Tell
I really don’t know why I love this one. It gets the Haley and Dylan relationship going. And I love how the creators ran out of reasons for the family to be together so there is no reason for them all to be there. A few great gags and the cast together elevates this one for me.
A year of birthdays
Season 10 wasn’t perfect but what a fantastic episode to end on. This could have been a fantastic series finale as we see everyone reflect on their birthdays from the year before and then we end on Haley’s new babies.
As I noted there are plenty of other episodes including the onr were Mitch and Cam got married. What about bad episodes? The episodes did get goofier in the last few years but most have something good them. The one episode I can’t find a thing to like is from the final season, The Prescott”. Just dumb.
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