While this could change I think I'm going with "Twilight Zone"'s "Shadow Play." It's amazing how much they pack into that episode's twenty-four minute running time. The last twenty-minutes or so of "Twin Peak"'s season two finale would also be up there (the rest of the episode is pretty "meh").
shareThe Walking Dead Woodbury episodes were TWD at it's absolute best. It never came near good again after that for me.
sharePine Barrens - The Sopranos
Ham Radio - Frasier
Loads of others I can't think of right now
I'm pressed for time so I will look for titles later. Anyways the Hill Street Blues episode where a street man named Captain America played by Dennis Dugan is gunned down in front of Belker. The St Elsewhere episode where Peter White (Terrence Knox) is gunned down by Nurse Daniels and subsequently journeys to purgatory. Deep Space Nine episodes "Duet" and "In the Pale Moonlight." All in the Family episode where a community activist played by Gregory Sierra is killed (by a bomb). That episode brought urban violence to the center of attention for many who flipped the channel when the subject broached the 6:30 evening news.
share[[[I'm pressed for time so I will look for titles later. Anyways the Hill Street Blues episode where a street man named Captain America played by Dennis Dugan is gunned down in front of Belker.]]]
Stout citation, Biff.
I stand (sit) corrected. The Hill Street Blues episode was "Freedom's Last Stand" and Dugan's character was Captain Freedom.
shareFirst paintball episode of Community.
share1) To Serve Man from The Twilight Zone
2) “Abyssinia, Henry” (season three, episode 24 from MASH) - Radar announcing Blake's death is haunting.
3) The "Hash" episode from Barney Miller where everyone gets high eating brownies laced with hashish
I'll throw in an oldie -- "Edith's 50th Birthday" from All In The Family. Edith was almost raped. She tried reasoning with her attacker, talking her way out of it, pleading for mercy, et cetera, all to no avail. At the very last moment, when the rape looked all but inevitable, she saved herself by a clever and completely unexpected trick which was also excruciatingly painful for the would-be rapist. It's kind of silly to worry about spoilers when talking about something that was broadcast forty years ago, but I won't say what the trick was (you can Google it easily enough); but there were loud cheers in living rooms all across America when it happened.
shareThe actor who played the rapist said for many years after that role he received death threats over that role.
shareThe last episode of the Sopranos, a real cliff hanger.
Dallas. "Who shot J.R.?"