{"id":330079,"date":"2025-12-04T14:06:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/330079\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:06:08","slug":"the-best-non-tv-episodes-since-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/330079\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Non-TV \u201cEpisodes\u201d Since 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

TV<\/a>TV<\/a>Because television isn\u2019t the only thing we watch anymore\"\"YouTube\/Getty Images\/Ringer illustration\"\"<\/a>By The Ringer Staff<\/a>Dec. 4, 1:26 pm UTC \u2022 10 min<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, The Ringer updated its list of the 100 best TV episodes of the century for the first time since 2018, surveying the television landscape of the past seven years and inducting 27 highly deserving episodes of TV into the pantheon. (You can check out the whole list here<\/a>.) But what we couldn\u2019t help notice while deliberating about the updated ranking was that in the intervening years, TV became only a portion of our viewing habits. The explosion of YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms has led to a world in which some of our most memorable \u201cepisodes\u201d weren\u2019t released on television. For obvious reasons, these pieces of content couldn\u2019t be considered for the main list, but we still wanted to give them their due. (Don\u2019t worry: No one nominated MrBeast.)<\/p>\n

Shaquille O\u2019Neal on Hot Ones<\/p>\n

By March 13, 2019<\/a>, Hot Ones had already released nearly eight seasons\u2019 worth of celebrity digestive torture, while Shaq had transitioned seamlessly from churlish inner-circle Hall of Famer to apex sports media personality. The meeting of these two forces may not have launched either, yet, in hindsight, it\u2019s almost impossible to say that it didn\u2019t cement each one. The skirmish began with a gallon of milk\u2014Diesel brought his own, because of course he did\u2014but what ensued over the next 30 minutes was at once meme fodder, myth building, and social media gold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reflux-addled coughs were enhanced in postproduction with earth-rumbling sound effects. There were many exasperated sighs, glances off set, and episodes of self-fanning. Shaq\u2019s stray inquiries and thoughts included but were not limited to: \u201cAmerica, should I drink some water or not?\u201d and \u201cI have a confession. These wings are not cold; they are hot. I\u2019m sweating, and my boys are sweating.\u201d At the summit, the Big Aristotle was forced to apologize to the entire state of Kansas for saying its hot sauce was weak. After taking a bite of said hot sauce, he whispered, \u201cHol-eee shit,\u201d then screamed, \u201cOh. OOOHHH.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He soon hawked uncontrollably. At minute 20, the Big Cactus began to cry outright. Later, he\u2019d ask for ice as \u201cChapStick\u201d and gargle milk into a trash can. What I am telling you\u2014in so many words\u2014is that there is a before and after here. Both for Hot Ones as a cultural touchstone in the internet era and Shaq as the sports world\u2019s most unserious individual. And that we, the YouTube-dependent masses, should only be so blessed that nothing was ever the same. \u2014Lex Pryor<\/a><\/p>\n

The Best TV Episodes of the Century <\/p>\n

The Best TV Episodes of the Century <\/p>\n

The Mike Francesa Podcast Following the New York Knicks\u2019 138-135 Overtime Loss to the Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n

Initially, my plan was to write about \u201cMike Zaun 1776,\u201d the opening installment in a series of loving Mike Francesa\u2013inspired historical reenactments<\/a> uploaded to YouTube a decade ago by a fellow sicko WFAN fan. But it just felt wrong not to honor the source material\u2014a.k.a. the Sports Pope\u2014more directly. So instead, I wish to formally shout out the episode of The Mike Francesa Podcast on the BetRivers(TM) Network that streamed live on YouTube this spring:<\/p>\n

Not that I streamed it live on YouTube, mind you! It took me nearly a full day<\/a> after the Knicks blew that 14-point lead with three minutes to play to muster the strength to tune in to his broadcast. But once I did, I felt catharsis almost immediately. Mikey didn\u2019t so much rant<\/a> as he simply related. He used phrases like \u201cone to the solar plexus\u201d and \u201cI was sitting courtside on May 7, 1995.\u201d He also delivered a brief eulogy for late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay that included a digression about whether or not JFK wore hats\u2014content I hadn\u2019t known I craved. \u201cI hope he rests in peace. I really do,\u201d Francesa concluded. \u201cAnd as far as Knick fans, well: Don\u2019t watch the replay.\u201d The Knicks wish they had a transition game like that. \u2014Katie Baker<\/a><\/p>\n

The Internet Invitational<\/p>\n

I know. This is a tough look for me. Did I intend to give up 16 hours of my life watching a YouTube golf tournament put on by Dave Portnoy? No, I did not. But I don\u2019t regret it either, because the inaugural Internet Invitational might be an all-time guilty-pleasure watch. It might be the most captivating golf tournament since Tiger won the 2019 Masters. Everything about it\u2014except for, notably, the golf itself\u2014was just aces. The field, the format, the drama, the commentary, the production. Billions of Saudi dollars haven\u2019t been able to touch this level of entertainment. Frankly (Borrelli), it just hit all the right notes. It combined the biggest (YouTube) personalities in golf, playing for massive stakes (a $1 million grand prize), under gripping pressure (the skull heard round the world), with plot twists galore (SlopeGate) and more big moments than a Ryder Cup (Fasoli!). From Luke Kwon becoming golf\u2019s biggest villain to Beef being immortalized, the Internet Invitational is an incredible piece of content for anyone who loves golf or strangely loves watching quasi-celebrities grind out pars. This sounds nuts, but the final hole of the tournament might stick with me \u2026 forever? There were tragedies and triumphs on so many levels. I haven\u2019t been the same since. I was literally weeping over my keyboard (like I said, the production!) as the outcome sank in. Against all odds, the Internet Invitational is here to stay. \u2014Matt Dollinger<\/a><\/p>\n

Chicken Shop Date With Andrew Garfield<\/p>\n

The purest example of on-screen love\u2014and unbridled levels of sexual tension\u2014in recent non-TV history comes via Andrew Garfield and YouTube host Amelia Dimoldenberg. The two have flirted with and around one another for years on red carpets<\/a> and in interviews<\/a>, and they finally affirmed their chemistry in this 2024 episode of Chicken Shop Date.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The flirtation starts four seconds in, as Dimoldenberg tells Garfield not to drop to his knee and propose, and Garfield positively eye-fucks her across the table. Things only get better from there. I won\u2019t recount the entire 12-minute episode, because we don\u2019t have the space and because trying to describe their chemistry would be like trying to explain how it feels to be struck by lightning. But here are just a few of Garfield\u2019s memorable quotes:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is called flirting, Amelia. This is called flirting.\u201d\u201cI\u2019m gonna be myself, and I need you to know me. Fully.\u201d\u201cYou are funny. You\u2019re a funny person.\u201d (Said with a head tilt.)\u201cThis is fucked up the fact that we could have actually gone on a date at some point, maybe. \u2026 Take out all the practicalities and the logic. I actually believe, maybe, we could\u2019ve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Positively giggling and kicking my heels. Love is real, and I know it because of these two. \u2014Megan Schuster<\/a><\/p>\n

The Ever-Growing Mythology of Spider League<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not enough for Tim Robinson to own the sketch comedy space, the indie comedy space, and the surreal prestige comedy space\u2014he now also owns the late-night television guest spot space. It started in October of 2024 when comedian Brooks Wheelan, who was briefly a part of the SNL cast with Robinson, appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers<\/a> to air grievances about something he called \u201cSpider League,\u201d a fantasy-esque league among friends where each member photographs spiders seen in their everyday life and is then awarded status based on the danger level of their roster of spiders (as determined by an app). Almost immediately, Brooks painted a picture of Robinson as a dictatorial Spider League commissioner, harsh on members (particularly Wheelan) and strict as it pertains to the rules.<\/p>\n

Six months later, Robinson appeared on Late Night to proclaim that Wheelan is \u201cthe biggest problem in Spider League, by far.\u201d Robinson expanded, detailing a situation in which Wheelan texted the league a photo not of a spider but of Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. \u201cHappy for you,\u201d Robinson texted back. \u201cYou\u2019re suspended from spider league.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

A month ago, Robinson and his longtime collaborator Zach Kanin, also a member of Spider League, returned to Late Night<\/a> to continue to defend the league\u2019s no-tolerance policy for Wheelan\u2019s antics\u2014this time Wheelan said something insensitive about a spider, forcing the league to require him to take an actual diversity training class. They also declared that Meyers was an \u201cenemy of Spider League.\u201d About two weeks after that, Wheelan joined the show<\/a> to defend himself further: \u201cI just wanted to come and be like, \u2018I\u2019m not a bad guy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Surely this is too much. Surely Seth Meyers is over-indexing on a made-up competition involving grown men and spiders and the corruption within. But actually, it\u2019s not even close to being enough. I need weekly updates. I need a livestream of Wheelan appealing his suspensions to the Spider League panel. I need Meyers to launch The Spider League Show, a Ringer podcast that releases four episodes per week. Of all the incredible things that Robinson has given us in 2025, somehow, Spider League may be the greatest. \u2014Andrew Gruttadaro<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cJordan Schlansky Reviews Toilet Paper\u201d<\/p>\n

Something you\u2019ve probably noticed since we last published the best TV episodes of the century: The internet isn\u2019t what it used to be. We\u2019ve coined a term for this feeling\u2014enshittification<\/a>\u2014and this digital decay encompasses everything from Amazon to Google to Instagram. But the rot that began online is also seeping into the aisles of CVS: Even our toilet paper has turned to shit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In an absolutely unhinged podcast segment, Conan O\u2019Brien\u2019s longtime foil, Jordan Schlansky, goes on a 20-minute tirade about his preferred toilet paper, Charmin Ultra Gentle. There are some lengthy tangents\u2014about Jordan using toilet paper for all types of \u201cdischarge,\u201d about elevating his feet at hotels to simulate Squatty Potty posture\u2014but what Jordan\u2019s learned is that, over time, the amount of paper on each roll of Ultra Gentle has been quietly reduced by 20 percent. All the while, Charmin charges the same price. If you\u2019d recorded my reaction during this segment, I would\u2019ve looked just like Ethan Hawke in First Reformed<\/a>. This is Pulitzer-worthy investigative journalism tucked away in a comedy podcast, but Jordan speaking truth to power has been overlooked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who listened to all of this, I don\u2019t know what to tell you, but you should spend your time very differently in the future,\u201d Conan says to close the segment. \u201cSomething\u2019s wrong with you.\u201d No, Conan: There\u2019s something wrong with the world, and Jordan\u2019s uncovering it\u2014one wipe at a time. \u2014Miles Surrey<\/a><\/p>\n

The Punic Wars by OverSimplified<\/p>\n

It had been eight months and 28 days since his last upload. The world was breathlessly waiting. Would he ever return? And then, on September 2, 2022, it finally happened: OverSimplified posted a new video on YouTube. Actually, two new videos. And, boy, was the wait worth it.<\/p>\n

For those who are unacquainted, OverSimplified is one of YouTube\u2019s most successful creators. He has over 9 million subscribers and has racked up more than 1.3 billion views across just 33 videos. He has done all of this by posting comical\u2014and surprisingly well-researched\u2014videos about history, animated with stick figures. Up to that point in 2022, he\u2019d already put an amusing twist on standard documentary fare with videos on World War II, the American Revolution, and Napoleon. But that day, the creator delighted subscribers with a somewhat left-field drop: the Punic Wars. Hannibal\u2019s famous crossing of the Alps! A pre-imperial Rome conquering Carthage and establishing itself as the dominant power in the Mediterranean! The subject was the perfect blend of important and under-examined.<\/p>\n

After a successful rollout of his two-part series on the First Punic War, OverSimplified returned 16 months later to tackle the Second Punic War, releasing the first two episodes in tandem before concluding with Part 3 a year after that. Altogether the series on the Second Punic War is one hundred and fourteen minutes of glorious material. To date, the three episodes have garnered more than 50 million views between them. And we still don\u2019t know what this man actually looks like<\/a>. He\u2019s just a voice behind a mouthless stick figure, cracking jokes about foolish military strategy and half-witted despots. But whenever that new OverSimplified video drops, for at least a week or so, you can count on it being the hottest show around in the eyes of an extremely niche and nerdy subset of followers. \u2014Aric Jenkins<\/a><\/p>\n

Grocery Goblin on TikTok<\/p>\n

I spend a lot of time on TikTok and in grocery stores, and most of that time is spent not really paying attention to anything. Fluorescent-lit cheeses and GRWM videos alike stream by as I scroll through life, looking for something to distract me. But Grocery Goblin<\/a> (a.k.a. Vanessa Anderson) snaps me out of it with her lilting, pious paeans to L.A.\u2019s grocery stores. In her TikTok videos, she pauses in the aisles to tell us about basturma<\/a>, prosciutto\u2019s foulmouthed cousin, or treks back in time at Pavilions to uncover the history of Plasticine grocery-store sushi. She talks to the patrons and owners of Papa Cristo\u2019s<\/a> or Q Market<\/a> or Odessa Grocery<\/a> or Bhan Kanom Thai<\/a> about what, exactly, it means when herring is wearing a fur coat<\/a>, or why red Fanta can be found at any Thai grocery store<\/a>, or how there\u2019s sometimes no home quite like your neighborhood market. The first of her videos that I saw was an ode to Odessa Grocery\u2019s candy section, where she unwrapped jewellike candies and asked customers what they thought of when they saw Little Red Riding Hood or three bears on the wrapper. Grocery Goblin\u2019s own videos are a lot like those candies, just waiting in the TikTok bulk bins to be dug up and savored. \u2014Helena Hunt<\/a><\/p>\n

Conner O\u2019Malley\u2019s Work in the 2020s<\/p>\n

During the early part of the pandemic, there were times when I felt overwhelmed. Cooped up and bored at night, I needed something to watch after the newest episode of The Last Dance. So, to feel less crazy, I turned to some crazy shit: Conner O\u2019Malley\u2019s videos. His comedy is cathartic. He yells a lot. The clip I still think about\u2014and that I\u2019ve referenced in The Ringer several<\/a> times<\/a> already\u2014is O\u2019Malley simply riding through New York City on his bike. For two minutes, he serenades then-mayor Bill de Blasio at the top of his lungs. (And then coughs up a lung.)<\/p>\n

Over the last five years, O\u2019Malley\u2019s videos have gotten more complex. He introduced a new kind of cryptocurrency called Fuck Coin<\/a>. He vowed to restart the Irish mob<\/a>. And he blew our collective minds with his pipe rock theory<\/a>. If his stuff has a unifying principle, it\u2019s that mass enshittification<\/a> is real. The fact that he acknowledges that, in the most deranged way possible, makes me feel a little less despondent about the world. \u2014Alan Siegel<\/a><\/p>\n

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