Best single episode in TV history

Pretty self-explanatory, but let's break it into categories:

Serialized drama: (You need to know the context of the episode to understand and appreciate it fully)
Unserialized drama: (An episode that works even if you've never seen the show before, even if it's from a serialized drama)
Comedy: (So few comedies are heavily serialized I don't think they need to be differentiated)

Or name one. Or name 10 in one category.

I've got some thinking to do.

 

Season 4 Finale: Breaking Bad

 

My early favorite to win this category is actually Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think most serialized dramas have (mostly) self-contained episodes.

 

South Park: Kenny Dies. It's a spoof about the importance of stem cell research where Cartman tries to sell aborted fetuses and then winds up testifying in front of Congress where he starts singing "Heat of the Moment"...

One of the strangest, well-written, powerful and downright fucking hilarious show of any kind I've ever seen...

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer- "The Body"
South Park- "Rainforest Shmainforest"

Don't watch any unserialized dramas but I do have a nominee for best episode of a miniseries; Band of Brothers - "Why We Fight"

 

Philco Television Playhouse, 'Marty,' 1953.

'I Love Lucy,' season 2, Lucy and Ethel go to work in a candy factory.

'Mary Tyler Moore,' season 6, 'Chuckles Bites the Dust.'

 

Assuming you mean The Body, I'd put Friday Night Lights' The Son right up there with it as far as episodes that deal with similar issues. At the same time, I don't know if I would pick either as the single best episode, but I definitely couldn't argue against their inclusion in this discussion.

 

For a serialized drama, I'd probably go with "Middle Ground", the penultimate episode of season 3 of The Wire.

 

As I'm mentally going over my list, both The Body and The Son are serious contenders for that No. 2 slot, but it's tough because I'd also argue to TRULY feel their impact, you need to view them as part of a serialized drama. You can probably say that for most shows, but here would be my counter for a more deserving one that fits within the rules Vers established:

Love's Labor Lost from Season 1 of ER.

Marc misdiagnoses a pregnant woman's condition and he tries and fails to save her. The last scene where Marc has to go tell the husband, Bradley Whitford, that his wife dies (while he's holding their baby in his arms) is simply unbelievable. The way the camera kept moving around and around in circles of this episode has always stayed with me. One of my most intense TV experiences ever.

I will spend entirely too much time thinking about this/writing about this this later this evening, I'm certain. I do appreciate the way Versatile broke it up into sub categories so we don't have to spent half the thread arguing the merits of comedy over drama, or vice versa.

 

I was actually thinking either "Hush" or "The Zeppo."

 

I'd say 'The Contest.'

Here's a good list:
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/24b_top_10_list.html