15 TV Episodes to Watch Before the World Ends: Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and More

Episodes from Friends, Buffy and Homeland

Yesterday, we gave you the first five TV episodes you need to watch before the world ends on Friday. You did hear about the world ending on Dec. 21, right? An ancient civilization said it would, so it must be true.

Now we have five more episodes to add to your list of must-see TV before the Earth implodes or explodes or whatever is supposed to happen. Of course, if the world does keep on spinning after Friday, then you'll have just watched some freakin' awesome television, so you really can't lose in this situation. Here are five more episodes of TV you must watch before the Apocalypse: 

Get More: Friends Episodes,Friends,Friends Games

1. Friends, "The One With The Embryos": This episode needs to be watched if only for the trivia contest that goes down between Monica (Courteney Cox), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc). Each character is at their funniest in this episode, and it all ends with a big group hug. It's basically a perfect Friends episode. Hell, it's a perfect sitcom episode, period.

2. Homeland, "Q&A":  The Showtime drama went balls to the wall when Carrie (Claire Danes) straight-up busted Brody (Damien Lewis) for being a terrorist in the fourth episode of the season, and the episode that followed was nothing short of brilliant. Not many shows can show you 10 straight minutes of interrogation and not lose you in the process, but we don't think we blinked while we watched first Quinn (Rupert Friend) and then Carrie grill Brody. It was intense and cathartic at the same time, and not just for the characters. The entire series had been building up to that moment and it exceeded our expectations. Plus, that episode set up the rest of season two beautifully.

3. I Love Lucy, "Lucy Does a TV Commercial": From a classic TV series comes a classic comedy offering, and "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" is often called one of the best episodes of television of all time, of any genre. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't laugh as a drunk Lucy (Lucille Ball) tries to deliver info on Vitameatavegamin. Still funny, even after all these years.

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "The Body": You think TV can't accurately and painstakingly portray real life? Then you haven't seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season-five episode "The Body," which deals with Buffy's (a hauntingly good Sarah Michelle Gellar) beloved mother Joyce's (Kristine Sutherland) death. With no music involved, just raw human emotion, a very powerful young woman learns that she can save the world—twice—but can't save her mother. Demon-turned-ditz Anya's (Emma Caulfield) epic speech about not understanding death ("It's mortal and stupid!"), Willow's (Alyson Hannigan) inability to even get dressed ("Why can't I just dress like a grownup? Can't I be a grownup?" she asks)  a vampire trying to kill Buffy at the hospital—all were details that told us that life goes own, even when we aren't ready for it. Finally, "The Body" taught us to always expect heartbreak and honesty from Joss Whedon. Damn you, Joss! You make us feel feelings!

5. The Office, "Casino Night": Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fisher) were one of TV's greatest will they/won't they pairings, and the season-two finale was a brutal reminder of how painful "they won't" can be. Pam shuts down Jim when he finally (finally!) confesses he's in love with her, and even though we've watched the moment over 19 times (ballpark), we still cry when Jim starts getting choked up. And then there's the final scene before the end…the kiss! Combine that stuff with Steve Carell at his Michael Scott  finest while throwing a casino night, plus his scathing monologue to Toby, and you've got a wonderful episode of television that will live on past the end of the world.