Best recap episode

[Bobular]

Most recap episodes suck, they're just a waste of time for anyone who has been watching a series and exist just to save some money whilst hitting a certain number of episodes.

So lets discuss series that have done recap episodes right, so that the TV dudes of the future can learn from our mussing and create better art.

For my contribution I put forward the SG1 episode 'Citizen Joe'

In this episode a random barber uses a alien stone to see the main casts exploits and we see how this slowly drives him crazy and drives his family and friends from him whilst also occasionally poking fun at various happenings within the series. I have to think this is the best recap episode I've ever seen because it actually has a decent story to it and it isn't just there to fill the gaps between random clips.

 

[Trunkage]

No. There are none. Not even Dan Castellaneta can save recapisodes. Or as I like to call them recrapisodes.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

They are all universally awful and not worth watching.

 

[Trunkage]

I'll throw you a bone Bobular. Ember Island Players for Avatar: Last Airbender. Has a recap but with twist on characters and events like Citizen Joe. Pushes the story forward by predicting the ending. Sets up the final character development for Aang and develops relationship in the group. It's not a complete waste of time.

 

[Hawki]

SG-1 did them well. Citizen Joe is a good example, but there's at least two others. One in season 1 where the senator (forget his name) reviews the Stargate Program, and one where the new president is briefed on said program. They work because while they're clip shows, they progress the plot forward as well, along with conveying how grim the situation is for the Tau'ri in each case.

 

[Bobular]

I'll throw you a bone Bobular. Ember Island Players for Avatar: Last Airbender. Has a recap but with twist on characters and events like Citizen Joe. Pushes the story forward by predicting the ending. Sets up the final character development for Aang and develops relationship in the group. It's not a complete waste of time.

Thats a good one. I couldn't think of any of the top of my head other than SG1 but the Avatar one is actually quite good too.

 

[Marik2]

I'll throw you a bone Bobular. Ember Island Players for Avatar: Last Airbender. Has a recap but with twist on characters and events like Citizen Joe. Pushes the story forward by predicting the ending. Sets up the final character development for Aang and develops relationship in the group. It's not a complete waste of time.

It's the only recap episode that does it right.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

All Singing, All Dancing from the Simpsons. Because these are songs catchy enough to be worth a second listen, and the framing device of Snake constantly breaking into their house is hilarious, especially during the credits. (Shotgun blast) 'You too, Gracie Music dude! Yaw!'

Likewise while Transformers Prime's episode 'Grill' wasn't quite as entertaining, it did have some good jokes in the framing device as well as a justification for its existence.

 

[Hades]

The one from Full Metal Alchemist that's all about Van Hohenheim. At that point he had only really been shown in flashbacks and in one meeting with ED, both times as a stern and distant father figure. Getting an episode that shows he actually really cares and setting up some foreshadowing helped sell the twist that the dad who walked out on his kid was actually the most benevolent and empathetic guy in the series.

 

[Trunkage]

The one from Full Metal Alchemist that's all about Van Hohenheim. At that point he had only really been shown in flashbacks and in one meeting with ED, both times as a stern and distant father figure. Getting an episode that shows he actually really cares and setting up some foreshadowing helped sell the twist that the dad who walked out on his kid was actually the most benevolent and empathetic guy in the series.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember it was like seeing Appa's story while being lost in the Last Airbender, right? I initially thought this was a cheat, but okay. I'd agree. If this is one, then the revelation of what's been driving Garibaldi in Season 4 of Babylon 5 was an insane reveal.

 

[Drathnoxis]

That one from South Park where they ended up getting ice cream at the end of each recap was pretty good.

 

[Trunkage]

Thought of another one. The Community recap episode, but it's all new footage, suggesting further adventures we didn't see

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I've never seen a good recap episode. To be fair the only ones I can think of right now are from Evangelion and Samurai Champloo. There was also one in The Office. All you need to know about it is that it was whipped out while the writers were on strike.

 

[Zeraki]

'The Ember Island Players' from Avatar: The Last Airbender is the only one that comes to mind. It's a recap episode that manages to be really funny and still give characters some development while getting people caught up on the events of the series through a really cheesy stage play adaptation.

Also it's a hilarious coincidence how well the closing dialogue in that episode perfectly describes the Last Airbender movie.

 

[Tony2077]

kill la kill did the recap episode best they sped through it and the rest of the episode was just a normal episode so it wasn't really a recap "episode"

 

[Bobular]

kill la kill did the recap episode best they sped through it and the rest of the episode was just a normal episode so it wasn't really a recap "episode"

Ah yes, I remember that and was quite grateful of it. Would say is was a good way of doing things but its definitely one of the least bad ways.