Previous one here:
Being a top 10 you'd probably want to just get straight into it, but I do need to give some introduction, as brief as possible:
When I was a small kid always watching Cartoon Network, there were 2 cartoons I immediately knew were my top 2 favourites, not needing to think about it much being so young. I wasn't a 60s kid, a 90s one, they were on regularly at that time, I straight away knew Tom and Jerry was my favourite and The Flintstones my 2nd favourite. Tom and Jerry though, can't be analyzed without ruining for the person how they see it and most episodes are good for the same reasons, The Flintstones though, makes for perfect discussion of a persons top 10 favourite episodes, and these are mine:
#10.:[]
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The Hit Songwriters (S02E01)
Barney is writing poems for Betty and this annoys Fred because it makes Wilma want him to as well. It showcases the character contrast between Fred and Barney so well, Fred getting annoyed and Barney taking it so well, also, it sure is engaging how Fred goes straight to the root of the problem, telling Barney off for doing it because it leads to Wilma expecting it from him.
With Fred and Wilma's characters, it might not be recognized by many but The Flintstones was the original animated series about the family with the inconsiderate husband and very caring wife (albiet with not the nicest sounding voice), pre-cursing The Simpsons, the cartoon known for having an essential influence in pretty much any adult cartoon after it.
So anyway, it soon leads to Fred wanting to use Barneys lyrics to write a song. This resonates with me quite personally because I had always been into writing poems when I was a kid, yet never saw myself as a songwriter, for me, it's a nice reminder of how poem writing can translate to songs, when Fred realizes the same thing, the idea of profit sure makes him change his tune.
#9.:[]
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Dino and Juliet (S05E11)
I can remember a lot of this one as a kid, so for most of these episode, they are my top 10 because I remember at least 1 distinct scene from them, from when I was a kid in the 90s, clearly making for something incredible.
This is a pretty unique one for how it focuses on Dino falling in love, I didn't even realize it was a girl but obviously you weren't supposed to because Fred didn't realize either, it's touching.
Also the character of Mr. Hardrock, he really is a nasty piece of work and seeing him get pieces of comeuppance along the way, like falling with a weight in his hands at the gym, well intergrated, and it's also satisfying to see them resolve their differences because of love.
#8.:[]
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The Mailman Cometh (S02E27)
This one is the simple story of Fred thinking his boss Mr. Slate hasn't given him a raise and sending him a very insulting letter, then realizes he did have the raise after all and now he has to get the letter back before it arrives to him.
A simple story with the conflict of not getting caught by the police and it's done really well in this episode, I distinctly remembered the scene where Barney is in the mailbox and Fred passes him a fire torch so he can see, problem after another scenario where smoke comes out of the mailbox.
The ending has some great back and forth dynamic too when Wilma pretends to read the letter to Mr. Slate making up a nice one on the spot, but then he would want it framed and it goes on for a bit.
#7.:[]
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Dial 'S' For Suspicion (S03E14)
Wow, in this one it gets somewhat tense and they get into a much more touchy subject, or one that kids wouldn't understand so well at least, life insurance. Fred somehow manages to get a higher paying job which he isn't qualified for and so Wilma takes out life insurance on him, then he sees a book she is reading which thus gives him the idea that she might be trying to kill him.
This episode really has one of the shows best stories, not just because of more tension but all of the turns it takes, an accident as Wilma's cleaver flies off and it is supremely interesting when Rodney the knife thrower comes in. He's Wilma's ex boyfriend and at his show, Fred somehow gets to be the volunteer up against the board and him doing the last bit blindfolded. Such dynamic writing as it's just that Barney was wondering if he could do it since it was advertised, that was the reason, but obviously Fred would think Wilma was still trying to kill him.
Also the part with the doctor coming in and bringing back the job that Fred wasn't qualified for, of course he wasn't going to get it, but why he wasn't, that was different.
#6.:[]
The Kissing Burglar (S03E16)
Wow with a concept like that there are so many directions and boy does it make use of them. Wilma and Betty like the idea of a male burglar who kisses you and leaves roses, but the men are far more cautious. I suppose this one goes without saying really.
It has some good action when Fred disguises himself as the burglar to teach Wilma she wouldn't love it, the burlgar's wife mistaking Fred and she isn't happy with her husband, he then has to jump in Barney and Betty's car. There's also Wilma knowing it was Fred and letting him take a scarf Fred gave her, which Fred thinks is high value but nobody else agrees, Fred in disguise as the burglar tries to insist she keeps it but no. What really interested me though is at the end when Wilma kissed Fred and he says it wasn't in the same way as when she "thought" he was the kissing burglar...
#5.:[]
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Mother-In-Law's Visit (S03E20)
A man not getting along with his mother-in-law is pretty typical but trust The Flintstones to make a great episode around it. The majority of the plot is essentially Fred in disguise as a taxi driver and has to drive said mother-in-law around looking for Fred. We really get some great and dynamic writing here, he takes her to all the places that himself could be and Fred, though in disguise, shows her the things he is good at. Soon they get to the library where she then begins to hear good things about Fred, thinks he might be a good son-in-law after all. However, at the end when she finds out he was the taxi driver, she hits him, harsh but its still understandable since he did still technically deceive her, she only saw the better side to him because he was leading her astray and knowing the faults Fred has always had. Also though it shows us an altogether different side to Fred, so both these sides together is what makes it so dynamic.
#4.:[]
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The Gruesomes (S05E09)
A lot of neighbour hoods have that spooky house, so there was bound to be a family somewhere that would want to move into it and here is where we get to actually meet that interesting family. The characters their selves are excellently entertaining, the way they discomfort Fred and make him want to move is a great conflict. In the meantime we see inside their house and see all kinds of strange and spooky creatures, Addams Family style and what it so great about it is giving us this alongside the aforementioned, they balance each other out well, so, it's not just all about one thing while the Gruesomes house makes for great visuals and slapstick.
In the end, Fred and Barney discover they are stars of a reality TV show and this makes them not want to move after all, giving us another good twist near to the end.
#3.:[]
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Room for Two (S04E21)
It begins with construction of house extensions for the titular family. This episode shines for showing the use of animals as construction equipment, the creative ways this is done is one of the things that makes the show, so it's because there are so many in this one that it represents the show at its best.
Soon, the Rubbles have to move in and this leads to conflict and all kinds of scenarios between them and then, as they are about to no longer be friends anymore, it's the kids that bring them back together. I really do love that kids, the literal future, always show the best and brightest way.
#2.:[]
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The Birthday Party (S03E28)
It's Fred's birthday and he can't wait for the surprise party he's sure he's getting. Now this one is just brilliantly action packed, Barney keeps him out of the house and ends up tiring him out, he falls asleep in the car and rolls down the hill, he then flies into the boot of the car. It's so cool how he just sleeps through so much of this as Barneys car gets mistaken for a car for sale and Barney has to chase his rolling car the whole way, hilarious, off the wall, something you just could never duplicate.
It doesn't even end there either, Fred completely misses that his surprise party is at the Rubbles, gets asked over by another neighbour and thinks that would be it and then has to fight with a dog because he opened the door he was told not to.
It is such a treat of one thing after another.
A few honourable mentions before #1:
'The Happy House Hold' (S02E23): A fantastic premise of Wilma finding more than just being a housewife, cooking Fred's dinner on TV, I decided not to put it in my top 10 only because I already had one singing on TV oriented episode on the list, against the fact the show does just about everything.
'The Flintstone Flyer' (S01E01): It does seem to be obligatory to have the pilot episode of your favourite cartoon in your top 10 episode, maybe the same would apply to your 2nd favourite, maybe not, but there were just too many greats.
'The Dress Rehearsal' (S03E23): The one where Pebbles is born, I do always get emotional whenever there's a baby born on a TV show, they usually make for my favourites, but I decided to leave this one off because I wasn't really sure about the scenario with Fred's blood test.
and #1 is:[]
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The Split Personality (S01E05)
It is a wonder how Fred and Barney are friends with their major differences and here we have the episode Fred nearly disowns Barney as his friend completely, or was going to.
Fred turns into the polite Frederick by being hit on the head by a car polish bottle and obviously Wilma loves it at first but soon misses the wild Fred, because he was kind of fun. All because he drank Barneys car polish mistaking it for his cactus cooler, I just love how they could set up this ridiculous thing to happen simply from Fred not looking or thinking properly.
It's really interesting that it raises the expectations over even the very polite Barney. It shows that situations like this don't need to be taken so seriously, the doctor who has no idea what he's doing and what really makes it my #1 is the way Fred reconciles with Barney so naturally, purely because they both have to go to bowling together, because it's a conflict resolution after 2 best friends falling out done without needing to be made emotional. Emotional is fine, like 'Room for Two', but showing a time you don't even need to be is better.
It's also really engaging that the polite Frederick doesn't like bowling but since he's the team captain, he still strongly believes that captains must always be their for their teams nonetheless and goes for that reason.
Another reason it's at #1 is that Wilma wakes Fred up by offering him a burger, and I just remember repeating it when playing with my brother once, that one little part is literally inspirational.
I hope you enjoyed, what are your favourites? Really, The Flintstones is just incredible and has done so much variety, any one of them could have been in my top 10.
Next one will be on the Pixar Wiki, join me then.