Just two weeks ago, I gave my opinion on the classic cartoon show Ed, Edd, n Eddy, one of Cartoon Network's final "Cartoon Cartoons", the longest running show on CN, and arguably one of their greatest shows PERIOD! It's not as "deep" or "arc-driven" as most cartoons(as well as shows in general) are nowadays, but it doesn't need to be. It's a collection of 11-minute shorts detailing the everyday lives of the Cul-De-Sac kids and how they react to spontaneous events, as well as each other. It's a PERFECT blend of energized animation, funny slapstick, and a small but relatable and distinctive cast of characters. It's a wonderful throwback to Looney Tunes shenanigans, combined with the heart and down-to-earth style of Peanuts, and a bit of Ren and Stimpy sprinkled in for good measure. It's a great show for ANYBODY, and I can't recommend it highly enough. If Steven Universe or Star vs. The Forces of Evil get a bit too dramatic, pop on an episode of Ed, Edd, n Eddy and laugh your cares away!
In my last Top 10, I listed the episodes I considered the absolute WORST of Ed, Edd, n Eddy, whether because of pointless plot focus, inconsistent character reactions, disgusting/offensive themes, and/or just overall stupidity and boredom. However, in this list, I'll be bringing you the top ten episodes of the show I consider the BEST! These are episodes I think best represent the show as a whole, due to their exceptional writing, engaging plots, interesting character moments, and/or they simply make me laugh the most. Ed, Edd, n Eddy was a phenomenal hit with both critics and its audience, to the point we're still talking about and referencing it today, and these episodes show why it was such a hit! ...Or at least why stupid 14-year-old me got hooked on it back in the day. These are, in my opinion:
The Top Ten BEST Ed, Edd, n Eddy Episodes
The only rule I'm applying to this list is that I'm not counting the specials or the movie. In my opinion, they're all perfectly... Ok. Not good, not bad, still perfectly watchable, but none of them are my favorites. However, the reason why I'm not including them is because they don't NEED to be good or bad. Specials are made outside of show continuity and ratings, and are usually meant to celebrate a certain holiday or occasion, and/or serve as a "prime time" advertisement for the show in general. They're not bound by the same budget or ratings success the rest of the show is; they're made mostly to experiment with the concept with a higher budget and, in some cases, a longer runtime. If you don't like the special, the show itself doesn't suffer that much. The episodes I'm listing here serve as shining examples of the show because they HAD to stand out from all the other episodes to keep the show afloat. These are where creativity shone the brightest in the face of tight budgets and deadlines, and THEY ARE GLORIOUS!
Besides that, all episodes, including from Season 1, are fair game. Again, these are MY favorite episodes of the series, and I had a REALLY hard time deciding just 10 and putting one over another, but I'll justify as well as I can WHY I think they're not only my favorites, but why they stand out from the rest of the show in general. If you disagree, that's fine. ...Just don't call me an idiot for my opinion, or I'll have to send the Kankers out for you!
With that, let's start the list with
#10: Oath to an Ed
Rolf introduces himself as the leader of the Peach Creek troop of Urban Rangers(think the Boy Scouts, only even whiter), and Eddy becomes enamored with their uniforms and badges. Thinking joining the rangers will make him a "chick magnet", he and the other Eds attempt to complete each of the bizarre requirements to earn at least one badge. ...But, these are the Eds we're talking about. They'll find a way to mess up the most foolproof of plans...
As I mentioned in the last list, Season 1 wasn't the greatest start for the show. It was pretty clear that they didn't quite know how these characters would act or react, and the timing and pacing was off for most of the humor and story progression. Double-D was too restrained, Eddy was too nice, Ed was too smart, there were too many episodes that ended with the Kankers winning, Rolf spoke with a regular Swedish accent as opposed to whatever the heck accent he had later, etc. It was an experimental phase, and I'm surprised that they even GOT a second season with how badly the first season went over with critics and audience. If I had watched the show from the beginning, I wouldn't have bothered with more than just a few episodes, and I probably would have missed out on how good the show became later!
However, as the season went on, the episodes became better and better as they ironed out the details of the show. And, in my opinion, "Oath To An Ed" was the pinnacle of the season! Not only did it introduce the Urban Rangers, who are HILARIOUS in every episode they appear, but it captured a bit of childhood experience, while helping to cement the tone for the rest of the series. The opening where the Eds are forced to wear ugly, "proper", new clothes that just don't fit right, I think we can all relate to. Also, the humor is really well done, with the Eds continually messing up even the simplest of requirements to earn a badge in their own unique ways.
But what REALLY makes this episode is its depiction of scouts. I'm sure a lot of us have been part of a troop at some point in our lives, and whether we like it or hate it, there were a LOT of requirements to follow and work to do, and we always had to appear to enjoy it with every fiber of our beings! To see that life parodied, but still kept somewhat positive, is refreshing, and just how hilariously lame yet hard-working the Urban Rangers are, while also mixing modern-day life with old-world customs in a hilarious fashion you'd swear they were making up as they went, really makes them an intriguing group, and I'm glad they made a good number of appearances afterwards! Sure, the episode is still from Season 1, and the animation, timing, and reactions aren't as big or on-point as they'd later become, but this was the standout episode of this season, and demonstrated just how good the show was becoming. Now hopefully, I'll get my "Praise Some Aspect of Season 1" badge!
#9: Don't Rain On My Ed
It's Customer Appreciation Day at the candy store, and they're giving away FREE jawbreakers! The Eds, of course, go berserk when they hear this, and even more so when they learn they only have TEN MINUTES to make it there before they close! They run toward the store as fast as they can to score free samples of their sugary weakness, but the universe has decided to conspire against them...
I really, REALLY like the pacing and setup of this episode! The whole episode is basically one long chase scene, as the Eds have to run from their Cul-De-Sac all the way to the store, passing through several of the series' landmarks(the fenced-off area, the construction site, the junkyard, the town, etc.) in the process. You really get a scope of how their area's laid out, and just how massive it is, with all this room these kids have to play in suddenly becoming the major obstacle of the episode. It could sort-of be considered the prototype for the chase scene at the beginning of Ed, Edd, n Eddy's Big Picture Show, which was the best part of that movie, and also showed just how big this "small world" the Eds live in really is, sort of like how we as kids only see the area we're currently in, as opposed to the big picture.
On top of that, EVERYONE, including the Eds themselves, is either purposely or inadvertently trying to slow the Eds' progress, whether it's Sarah telling Ed he has chores to do, Jimmy's potted plants falling on Eddy, the Kankers showing up to play "House", Rolf's chicken wrangling, etc. We've all been there, where we're running extremely late to something, yet the universe itself decides this is the right time to ruin our lives! This is probably why most great comedies are based around racing against the clock or other competitions, because they're so relatable, and there's SO much you can do with these setups! And this episode is no exception! EVERYTHING gets thrown at these Eds, and no matter what they do, there's always another nail in the road to keep them from making it to their destination! And considering how they're running nonstop in real time for practically the entire length of the episode, you really feel like YOU'RE the one traveling across the world of Ed, Edd, n Eddy, and you even feel their pain when they're continually slowed down! This episode demonstrates possibly the best use of timing and world building across the entire series!
Besides that, I also love the opening bit, where Eddy's scam-of-the-week is to open a "Peek Into The Future" Museum. ...Who DOESN'T love these exhibits, where we're shown what modern life might be a few decades or centuries in the future? Even if they're horribly outdated and inaccurate, it's amazing what people can come up with that are improvements or continuations of the political, social, and technological climates of the time. This is one of the most elaborate of the Eds' projects, even if they still don't present it as advertised and it's made with the typical everyday items, cardboard, and furniture the Eds use for all their scams. Who HASN'T wanted to create their own museum, or build contraptions out of household items that are on hand? This is one of the few episodes where I can say I enjoyed the opening skit just as much as the main plot. Add a lot of great slapstick and jokes, some memorable lines("Forget this!" "Yes I will!"), and an EXPERT sense of timing for their animation, and you have an episode that stands as an example of how well the show's humor was written and pulled off.
#8: They Call Him Mr. Ed
Eddy starts a business with no other foundation except that they're going "Up" in the world! The rest of the Cul-De-Sac gets involved, and soon, Eddy's business is "thriving"! ...Until they start to question what they're even doing...
The theme of this episode goes right back to what I was saying about how we saw the world when we were younger. As kids, we LOVED to pretend that we have some sort of real-world job, whether it was emulating what our parents do, or just copying a romanticized profession we've seen in either life or on TV. We were too innocent at that age to realize the actual work and horror that having a job entailed, we just wanted to copy the actions of others and live in our own little world.
And that's what this episode feels like: The Cul-De-Sac kids playing at business. They don't know what they're doing, they're just emulating what they probably saw on TV or what their parents do and building from there(in more ways than one.) While this episode isn't the most slapsticky or fast-paced, it's one of the biggest nostalgic kick-in-the-faces with how it perfectly captures how a lot of us played pretend back when, and how they created a world with each of them taking a role. It's like International Bazaar, or those pretend supermarkets at the Children's Museum. ...Other people besides me had those growing up, right?
Besides the theme, this episode has some great jokes and running gags. Pretty much every time it cuts back to "EdCo", the area and amount of employees have grown, while still only taking up what I'm assuming is Eddy's driveway and again using everyday household objects to create their own no-budget work environment. There's a funny running gag throughout the episode involving Ed continually adding to an elevator, with a GREAT payoff at the end that basically puts a cap on the episode's theme of "Up". In fact, in keeping with the theme, a lot of the angles are pointed upwards to represent how "Up" everyone is feeling! Speaking of which, how many puns did they manage to create and use out-of-context using the word "Up" throughout the episode? It's especially funny when, as things start falling apart, the word "Down" is introduced into conversations, with it eventually becoming a main topic when EdCo collapses! Oh, and the opening skit where Double-D's trying to get Ed to go through a maze with Chunky Puffs at the end is also REALLY funny! As episodes go, it's one of the more laid-back in terms of pacing, but it's still FAR from boring! It's something I actually wish continued, with EdCo making reappearances every so often in the same way the Urban Rangers did. As is, it's a very cleverly-written episode with some great gags and Ed moments, and a HUGE bout of nostalgia for when we did the exact same thing as kids. Ahhhh, the days when we could "work" and not have to worry about taxes, insane customers, deadlines, shortages, credit card debt, and all the other ugly things that come attached with the workforce...
#7: The Good Ol' Ed
The Eds are filling a time capsule with objects from their past, to reminisce on when they're much older. As they're gathering items, they start remembering events that these items are tied to. ...Especially events that may or may not have happened...
Admittedly, this is on this list based on the feelings of a fan of the show. To a casual watcher who hadn't seen every episode up to this point, how special this episode is might not come across as strongly. However, it's one of the best continuity-driven episodes of the show, sort of a callback to previous seasons, mostly the first two, for avid viewers to point at and say "Oh, I remember that from that episode!" It's the most easter-egg-filled episode, both with items they specifically call attention to, as well as items just in the background, and sort-of a tribute to the many scams and events the show had in the past 70+ episodes.
It's also a tribute to how tight the continuity was kept throughout the season. As mentioned last time, series creator Danny Antonucci was also the director and co-writer for nearly every single episode, and this is a testament to how much care and attention he and the rest of the crew gave to the show! It would have been easy to keep the continuity as loose as an untied necktie covered in grease, like with other 11-minute quick gag shows of the time, but they created a world where things that happened HAPPENED(except for the major cartoony events like getting stuck on the moon)! Items and objects that were created stay in this world and become a part of the characters' lives, and that's what makes this episode so special. It's a great throwback episode, a great example of show continuity, and great proof of the creativity and effort that Danny Antonucci and crew put into the show!
...But let's be honest, the best part of the episode is how it parodies clip shows! While items from past episodes are brought up, at certain points, a character will bring up a keepsake the other two don't remember, leading to a flashback to when that item supposedly played a part in their lives. However, when the flashback finishes, the characters are just as confused as the audience, not remembering when THAT episode supposedly happened... ...However, you kind of want those episodes to exist. How much fun would it be to see a full-length episode where the Eds invent a time machine, or Double-D gets seemingly permanent hiccups, or Eddy creates a giant pancake that squashes the Cul-De-Sac kids?! And, by the end, nobody wants to remember ANYTHING anymore, because of how much they DON'T remember! Whether you like this episode more for the callback to the rest of the show, or how much it mocks lazy clip show episodes, this is one of the best made and funniest episodes in the show, and a great tribute to itself! ...Until the movie, anyway.
#6: A Fistful of Ed
Double-D has finally snapped, and is beating up the rest of the school for seemingly no reason! He's absolutely ruthless and does not discriminate between potential victims, showing absolutely no mercy as he pummels anyone who gets in his way! ...But is he doing it on purpose?
As I said in the previous list, the fifth season mostly had a blend of really GOOD and really BAD episodes, with barely anything that didn't belong to one of those extremes. While I listed several episodes from that season in the Top Ten Worst, this is absolutely one of the BEST! It was originally the series finale(before the movie, crossover event, and the one-episode "Season 6"), and it's a REALLY good episode to go out on! Double-D, usually the soft-spoken, helpful, smartest kid in the Cul-De-Sac("Sorry, Wrong Ed" and "Cleanliness is Next to Edness" notwithstanding) has suddenly become the school's savage bully, beating out Kevin and the Kankers as the meanest kid in school! All throughout the episode, we see him clobber people with a book, knock kids out the window, stab them with pencils, and ruin the school cafeteria using Ed as a weapon! This character turn and how confused Double-D looks after every incident really adds an aura of mystery to Double-D's character. Especially since, unlike a bad episode like "Sorry, Wrong Ed", it's INTENTIONAL! Has he really gone crazy after having to put up with the other kids' stupidity for so many years? Is the Double-D we know and love gone for good, replaced by a Jekyll-and-Hyde monstrosity?!
Spoilers: No. It turns out that all the incidents involving Double-D hurting others have been by pure accident. He accidentally dropped a book on Lee Kanker's foot because she scared him, he pricked his finger on a fork that caused him to slap Jonny, he slipped on a jar of glue and inadvertently tossed pencils at Rolf, etc. This is HILARIOUS! Especially after how ambiguous the episode keeps it if Double-D has suddenly developed a split personality or if it's all been a misunderstanding! This is some of the cleverest writing on the show, and an example of how twists are SUPPOSED to work! Don't just throw an element in at the very end that nobody could have seen coming! Keep the audience guessing! Besides that, just how brutal Double-D is to the other characters, even if not on purpose, is shockingly funny. It's not just a slap or a kick. THE KIDS NEED MEDICAL CARE! It's so over-the-top, it's impossible to get mad at him, or to stop laughing at the predicament he's in!
Besides Double-D, the rest of the episode is pretty funny as well. There are the more subtle elements, like May Kanker eating a toy chick, and then there are the running gags, like how increasingly excited Eddy is to see Double-D inflict so much terror in the other kids, as that means the others are forced to respect him by extension! It also has a VERY satisfying ending, involving Double-D clearing his name, one of the characters ACTUALLY flipping, the Eds FINALLY getting the Kankers to back off, and lots and lots of hot dogs! If this was actually the series finale, I wouldn't have minded that much. ...I would have preferred at least one more season, where they go from Winter to Summer and bookend the series, but as is, it's the best double-length episode, and a REALLY clever take on Double-D's character. Oh, and it's funny. Most important part, there.
#5: The Good, The Bad, and the Ed
Eddy, fed up with the Urban Rangers and how they garner much more respect than he does, challenges them to earn the hardest badge in the manual. It turns out it's the "Hairy Chest of Resilience" Badge, which requires the applicants to endure the most brutal forms of pain known to man, without the slightest sign of weakness! Eddy's so determined to beat the Rangers at their own game, that he takes the challenge without hesitation! ...But does he have a chance against Rolf, the strongest and most resilient of the Cul-De-Sac? Is he even capable of keeping his mouth shut?
A couple elements make this episode work. First, it's another appearance of the Urban Rangers, who are ALWAYS hilarious whenever they show up. Every time they appear, they add another layer of oddness that you can believe they treat with sincerity! We're given barely any idea how their charter works, so they do pretty much anything they want with the idea. There's a "Hairy Chest of Resilience" Badge? Well, they've had the "Bring Me My Badge" Badge, "Water-Fetching" Badge, "Report Card Delivery" Badge, and the "Freeing of the Fool" Pewter Medallion, so this almost seems normal in comparison! It's how they take these stupefyingly idiotic ideas and run with them with seriousness that makes them so much fun to watch. And the fact that they're already prepared to fulfill the requirements for the badge, with EVERYTHING they need on standby(leg wax, giant boulders, a comfy couch, A FREAKING TRAIN) is just so surreal, you have no choice but to laugh at all of this! It's one of the finest examples of how taking a ridiculous concept and running with it can be funny even if they're taking it with straight-faced seriousness.
Speaking of which, the events of the "Hairy Chest of Resilience" Badge are too entertaining not to love! Along with the above-mentioned "A Fistful of Ed", this is one of the series' more brutal episodes, featuring leg-waxing, bumping the funny bone, running naked through thorny bushes, slamming into boulders, and the final event appropriately called the "Tour of Tears"! This might also be the most graphic episode of the series, as we see legs swell up with huge throbbing veins, thorns sticking out of the characters, people losing teeth, and practically every second causing more bruises and black eyes than anything else that's happened to these kids. And there was an episode where a house fell on them! It never gets too graphic, there's no blood or other fluids and no gaping wounds, and everything's still played for laughs, but you can see how much pain these characters are in, especially Eddy, and just what they have to go through just to prove their "manliness"! It's so brutal and unforgiving, that it becomes surreal, and you can't take your eyes off it! These characters are constantly getting pummeled just to satisfy their inflated egos, and, unlike several of the bad episodes I mentioned where they're getting hurt just to get hurt, you feel like they deserve this pain for attempting these stunts for such a shallow reason!
But the major element that makes this episode work for me is Eddy, and how he acts so out of character while still staying IN character! This entire episode is based around how Eddy wants to show up the Urban Rangers so he can say that he did something that they can't. Typical Eddy behavior, but how he reacts to the challenges leading up the end isn't as typical for him. Namely, he keeps his mouth shut all through this torment! He's the loudest and most boisterous of the neighborhood, always laughing or yelling at people, yet while he's going through the pain and suffering inflicted on him, he doesn't say a word! And even though he's in more pain than he's probably been all throughout his life, and he's clearly faring worse than the more seasoned Rolf, despite his friends constantly asking him to throw in the towel, he gives no indication he's ready to quit! He's here for the challenge, and he won't rest until he proves himself! And he does it all FAIRLY! Every other time he's competed in an event, he's always attempted some underhanded scheme to push the odds in his favor, which usually backfires in his face. Here, he does nothing but sit tight and take the punches!
...That's surprisingly admirable of Eddy! Even if the whole event was an act of selfishness and he's out of his league, he still rides it out and follows the rules just to show he can! It's such a twist for Eddy to act this way, you almost feel respect for him! In fact, with all he endures, you sort of WANT him to win! You WANT him to earn that medal just to show that he's capable of standing up to what he's been put through, and you feel a bit sorry when he doesn't AND he's tormented even further at the end! Sure, you still want to see him and Rolf hurt because this is all in the name of an ego boost, but considering how Eddy was able to go toe-to-toe with Rolf and VERY NEARLY win, it's like seeing a first-year teenage boxer go up against Mike Tyson in his prime and not only get him on the ropes, but come THIS close to TKO! Even if that kid was the school bully, you have to admire how close he came with the odds severely stacked against him! There's a perfect mix of how elaborate the stunts are, what happens to the characters, Eddy's dedication to his stupid ego, how close he comes to victory, and how everything stays slapsticky that keeps me coming back! ...I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.
#4: 1+1= Ed/Every Which Way But Ed
Another tied position for a list, because these are two episodes that share very similar themes. In the first, the Eds become convinced that learning how things work will lead to fame and fortune, so they start taking things apart and analyzing them, eventually leading to them taking apart the base elements of their cartoon environment! In the second, Eddy tries to tell a story in a flashback, but that flashback leads to another character flashing back, and another, and another, until the Eds are lost in their own memories, trying to remember what started this chain of remembrance to begin with!
Ed, Edd, n Eddy, as with most other wacky cartoons, didn't shy away from the occasional fourth-wall break. They'd make remarks about the script, comment on scene transitions and cuts to commercial, take some shots at their ugly animation style, and even name drop Antonucci on occasion! Considering how loose reality already was to these characters, it didn't seem too out of place for them to reference their own show, and the jokes usually remained one-liners, not going off the deep end and overstaying their welcome like a lot of forced fourth-wall breaks I've seen in movies and shows(George of the Jungle, Tom & Jerry Kids, etc.) As with nearly every element of the show, they worked when they were brought up, and they made just how cartoonishly fun the show was even better!
However, why I love these episodes is for the same reason: The COMPLETE and UTTER DESTRUCTION of the fourth wall and the laws of their reality! In "1+1= Ed", the Eds' quest for knowledge leads them to discovering forbidden knowledge about their cartoon existence, finding that most objects are actually flat, that solid objects are rubbery, and what should weigh hundreds of pounds can be picked up like cardboard! As they explore, the very foundation of their world and the rules of animation start to break down, and they find they can now manipulate their environment, with perspective no longer made a factor, the sun becoming a moon and it instantly becoming dark when Eddy takes a bite out of it, Sarah being forced to run when Eddy gives her his motion blur leg animation, Jimmy losing his outline and melting away with no support for his coloring, and Ed even cutting a hole in reality, allowing him to appear in other areas onscreen and Eddy to infinitely fall through the top of the screen Portal-style! Eventually, reality itself collapses into madness, as their environment loses all consistency and becomes a Dr. Seuss fever dream, all to the delight of the overeager-to-learn Eds!
In "Every Which Way but Ed", Eddy's telling a story about how he scammed Jonny out of a jawbreaker. However, during the flashback, Jonny flashes back to an event with him and Plank, which leads to a flashback from Kevin about Nazz, which leads to a flashback from Rolf about his childhood, which leads the Eds to become lost in this sea of memories, unable to remember where they were to begin with! They're able to manipulate transitions and their cartoonish method of dragging new scenes into place as they search for the place where they started from, each time ending up in a memory they DIDN'T want to relive! It gets so confusing, they eventually end up at the VERY beginning, and they're not sure if they can make it back again...
How can you NOT love ANY cartoon with those setups? Ed, Edd, n Eddy has always been a "cartoon" cartoon, with cartoonish slapstick and a disregard for reality, yet still set in a world with relatively grounded rules and real situations. These episodes, however, throw every trace of "reality" out the window, as they present complete and utter cartoon chaos, with the Eds struggling to keep up with the changes in their own unique ways! Eddy's confused and eager to get out, Double-D's ecstatic about the new discoveries, and Ed's oblivious, yet somehow the most helpful in these situations. I can't even find a way to describe the specific events and comedy in these episodes, as that would require me to know what's going on(as well as spoil every joke)! They're episodes you have to see to believe! They're a LOT of fun to watch, and it's clear that EVERYONE had fun making these; the writers, the directors, and ESPECIALLY the animators put their all into showing us a descent into cartoon madness! ...Kid-friendly, of course. We're not getting Beavis & Butthead Do America-levels in this show...
#3: Urban Ed
The Eds are bored with their daily suburban life and long for the city, so they build their own in the alleyway! All the Cul-De-Sac kids are hyped to wander the cardboard "concrete jungle" and experience a recreation of urban life. ...All except Jonny, who's openly hostile to the idea of the city, especially after it corrupts his best friend Plank...
For a long time, THIS was my favorite episode, and it goes right back to why I love "They Call Him Mr. Ed". It reminds me of when I, as a kid, would also build buildings and other objects out of cardboard and roleplay with friends that we were in the city or at the movies or in space or a million other things. It's fun to see these environments made out of simple building materials, like what most of us did when we had a lot more time and imagination than we do as adults. ...Not as elaborately as this episode, of course, as the Eds built a WHOLE FREAKING CITY! This is what makes the show SO GOOD, with how it takes our childhood dreams and exaggerates them, turning them into what we wanted to make at that age, and how we saw what we DID create! I had already things from books to costumes out of cardboard, and you'd better believe I wanted to make a whole city after watching this episode! It might even be one of the things that got me into games like Minecraft, with how you can take blocks decorated with the same simplistic textures and build whatever you want with them, letting your imagination fill in the gaps! It's an incredible nostalgic trip to see this episode, and an example of how the show could be down to earth, yet one of the most imaginative things ever created!
On top of that, the city the Eds build is REALLY fun! A lot that reminds us about the city is present(traffic, grifters, shopping, tattoos, etc.), except it's being controlled by the Eds in their own unique ways. It's like a Renaissance fair, but managed by three preteen kids with no concept of limits! Once again, it reminds me of those recreations of city life I saw and liked to play in at children's museums and certain city events, and I had as much of a blast as the kids in this episode do! All the characters see the city in a different light, and each acts differently based on how they perceive the city(giving the shoe shiner a bottle cap as payment, getting lost in a crowd but immediately placated by a shoe store, getting into a fight over line cutters, etc.) One of the better moments is when Ed and Eddy are pretending to be pigeons, trying to drop yogurt and eventually anvils on a shopping Nazz, whom Double-D is forced to continually rescue, getting pummeled as a reward! This area is so varied, that, even though you KNOW it's fake, you still want to wander around and see just what the Eds included.
This could also be considered an episode where the Eds don't do anything wrong, yet they lose in the end. Except, unlike an episode like "Your Ed Here", you're not forced to feel sorry because everyone else is being unfairly rotten, and it actually feels like something that would have inevitably happened no matter what. You feel REALLY bad when the city they worked so hard to build falls apart around them, but it still feels like a natural ending to an episode of the show, and it was such a fun experience, you don't mind it as much as an episode where everything goes wrong and it never gets any better. Also, the opening bit where they're trying to convince Jonny to give them a quarter by disguising it as an elaborate game is REALLY funny and has some REALLY good timing! It's possibly the most nostalgic episode of the entire show, the most exciting building-related scam the Eds have built, and something you wish could have made other appearances in episodes. ...As long as what happened in Edtropolis, STAYS in Edtropolis!
#2: Truth or Ed
Double-D has scored a position as head of the school newspaper, and has convinced his friends to help him out. But when the paper's not churning out anything worth reading, Eddy takes matters into his own hands and turns it into a tabloid, with the most trashy articles he could think up based around the other students! ...Unfortunately, he forgets the #1 rule of yellow journalism: Make sure the subject can't fight back...
Once again, HUGE throwback to my childhood, as well as something we've either wanted to do or have done in some capacity when we were younger. I remember attempting to create my own newspaper on several occasions when I was a kid, writing articles I'd just make up, reporting on mundane events like they were the news of the century, and doing the whole thing by hand(which is probably why I never finished any of them.) Later, I'd even do my own news show called "Channel 4000 News", where, once again, I'd just make stuff up on the spot and have fun doing it! I'm pretty sure most of us have also tried this at some point to some degree, whether it was just acting like a reporter in sarcastic response to an event, or even managing to get a paper/newsletter out to friends and family(or even the town/world for a lucky few of us.) Also, quite a few of us were probably part of some kind of news program our schools had, whether it was a newspaper/newsletter, a YouTube channel, or a telecast or even network! And while it wasn't as glorious as TV and movies like to show it(in fact, the typical article quality was probably similar to what Double-D was churning out), it's likely that we had a lot of fun doing it, and maybe we took those skills into our adult careers. The idea behind this episode was also a huge part of many of our lives growing up(or even now), and that alone makes this episode one of the best!
Besides the plot, this has some of the best comedy across the entire show! Nearly every joke lands, especially when the kids start buying and see what the paper is saying about them(with photographic proof that makes MY photo editing look professional...) Nazz was thrown off the cheerleading squad for refusing to shave her legs, Jonny has Atlantis residing in his nostrils, Rolf wants to bulldoze Kevin's house to build a rest home for his Nana, I'm laughing as I'm typing these up! Of course, the kids aren't very happy about this, and turn on each other, blaming everyone else for these lies, before finally taking their revenge on the printing office itself! The timing and the reactions from these characters and how quickly everything escalates is WONDERFUL, spot-on and in-character for everyone, as even Jimmy becomes infuriated by the fake news and joins the mob(though Jonny, being Jonny, is perfectly happy with what's being printed.) There's also a running gag where Ed constantly forgets Eddy's "Bobby Blabby" pen name, which Eddy corrects each time, ultimately leading to his downfall... Also, there's a scene with Rolf's pig that I won't DARE spoil! Nor what the kids do when they finally catch Eddy...
But the best part of the episode is freezing on the papers and reading the headlines and sub-headings, because they actually bothered to include stories on each of the topics! Not only that, but a good number of them are based on certain events that happened during the episode! Sarah smashes a car at one point, and the newspaper reads "Principal Takes Bus. Car Destroyed Mysteriously." If you pay very close attention to the stories printed, you can tell that Double-D wrote each one of them(save for the "Bobby Blabby" articles) because they match his speech and mannerisms perfectly! Special mention also goes out to a certain story before Eddy takes control about literally watching paint dry! This is one of the funniest, best animated, most detailed, greatest world building episodes of the entire series, not only for the comedy and character reactions, but because of how big their world feels with events mentioned that take place outside of the episode's setting. If the "Tattler" were a real thing, I'd buy it! ...Can't be any worse than Yahoo! News...
Before I get to the best episode of the series, let's go through a few Honorable Mentions. ...Or at least 10 of them. If I listed every episode I felt needed to be on this list, you'd be sorting through over half the series, so these are just the episodes that came to me first.
Honorable Mentions:
Avast Ye Eds
The Eds start a cruise service up the creek, with Jonny and Jimmy as their first passengers. This is another Season 1 episode I find myself liking, and an episode where Eddy's "scam" is actually pretty legit, and you want to see it succeed! Especially since it's once again a throwback to when we either wanted to or actually did cruise along a stream in our own little boats! ...It's a shame that the Kankers were such a big part of Season 1...
Run Ed Run
The Eds are getting ready for a field trip to a jawbreaker factory, but Sarah has convinced Ed the sky is falling, so they must make it to the bus while also combating Ed's paranoia. As I mentioned in the last list, this is Double-D handling a ridiculous situation done RIGHT, and I love the fast-paced action across the episode, plus a surprise twist at the end! ...However, Eddy using his own arm as a lasso is too weird! Even for this show...
A Town Called Ed
According to an old history book, Eddy's ancestors first founded Peach Creek, so Eddy takes his story to public access TV, since it's the only way he can get the other kids' attention... Probably should have been on this list, but just barely missed since the other episodes have slightly more substance and nostalgic value. However, it has the BEST use of the Kankers throughout the entire show, and a hilarious twist that I will NOT spoil. ...Though I will say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...
Momma's Little Ed
Told you this would be on this list as well. Again, REALLY good setup and execution. ...Until the ending, where they gave up...
Once Upon an Ed
The Eds have ended up in Jonny's wall, and they each have a story to tell about how they got there, in their own special ways. This was a very inventive episode, and showed just how distinctive the characters are and how they see the world. ...However, it's a little boring, especially compared to the other titles on this list.
Mirror Mirror on the Ed
The Eds pretend to be one another on a dare, each acting like how they see each other. It's HILARIOUS seeing how the Eds think one another acts, right down to trying to imitate the looks, voices, and mannerisms of one another(Ed did it best.) However, the ending's pretty weak and doesn't have that much to do with the episode's subject. I feel like you could attach the ending to most of the other episodes and not notice...
Take This Ed and Shove It
The Eds first act like career counselors, giving each of the kids jobs they(spelled "Ed") are most suited for, but after Eddy gets knocked out, he has a vision of what Peach Creek and the former Cul-De-Sac kids will look like several decades in the future... Besides having a title I'm surprised they got away with, this is a REALLY interesting episode in the way it shows the kids maturing and trying new things, as well as what they'll look like as senior citizens and how they'll be the same, yet different. Also, huge nostalgic hit again for the kids pretending to be what they want to be when they grow up. However, it's another double-length episode that feels too long, and Old Ed's dialog being solely based around his incontinence gets disgusting fast... Still, if you can find the deleted scenes for this episode, please check them out!
No Speak Da Ed
Ed receives a number of strange gifts from his overseas pen pal that terrify and aggravate Rolf, for reasons he doesn't want to elaborate on. Again, probably should have been on this list, but didn't quite make it. I love the mystery behind Rolf's peeves with Ed's gifts, and how it provides a glimpse into his childhood and his home country's customs, as well as the nostalgia of having a pen pal. Plus Eddy's scam is golden, as well as how it ends, and it's another appearance of the Urban Rangers! It's just a little slower than most other episodes and the ending is another time I feel bad for the Eds, but for the wrong reason...
Mission Ed Possible
Double-D's been tasked with handing Ed and Eddy's scathing report cards to their parents, which Ed and Eddy are determined to stop at any cost! GREAT comedy, with some great buildup, followed by fast, action-paced chase scenes, as well as a look at how the kids spend their immediate after-school time, another great use of the Kankers, and a FANTASTIC twist ending! ...However, pitting Ed and Eddy against Double-D just feels wrong, in the same way it did with The Three Stooges or Abbott & Costello when they'd sometimes do that with their shorts. If it was anyone else, I would have put this one on the list.
Ed Overboard
Ed has been kidnapped to make May Kanker feel better after a botched makeover, so Double-D and Eddy enlist the help of the Urban Rangers to save him. Again, Urban Rangers. Can't go wrong with their appearance. Also, how brutal the Kankers are, as well as how cowardly Eddy is, is surprisingly hilarious, especially when the Urban Rangers don't come out on top thanks to the Eds messing up their plan... If not for the opening skit and if I liked the Kankers, this would have been a GREAT episode!
I could go on and on, but I'd better stop there. My #1 top pick for best Ed, Edd, n Eddy episode is:
#1: An Ed Is Born
Eddy receives a package from his older brother, which is full of baby stuff. Fearing that his brother still thinks he's a baby, Eddy decides to make a movie, showing his current life around the Cul-De-Sac, but with a few special Eddy "tweaks" to the truth. ...It's a shame that nobody else wants to cooperate...
I LOVE EVERYTHING about this episode! And so do a lot of other people, as I've seen this episode top numerous other "Best" lists from Ed, Edd, n Eddy fans! The story is PERFECT! Eddy's afraid that his brother doesn't think highly of him, so he tries his hardest to show how grown up and respected he is. Not only does this show how much Eddy fears and respects his brother, but how much of a jerk his older brother is, which is elaborated on when we later finally see him in the movie. I think we all have an age where we think our older siblings are the best, and we want to impress them and not be seen as their "little" brother or sister. ...At least, I assume, since I'm the oldest of my siblings, but I digress. Of course, Eddy tries to impress his brother, but, being Eddy, he can't actually tell the truth and has to concoct an elaborate act to make him not only seem important, but even better than the Dos Equis man! He has facial hair, he has bags of money, he's the mayor, he owns several planets, he's feared and respected by everyone, he's an inventor, the other kids have degrading attributes, etc. Also, every time something doesn't go according to plan, he has to make up an excuse to make it seem like it's what he wants, such as saying Kevin "collects underwear and gives it to the poor" when he's getting a wedgie. Even when he thinks something's going his way, it's not. Because Eddy's not one to think things through...
Speaking of the others, Eddy doesn't bother to notify everyone that they're supposed to think he's awesome, resulting in a few conflicts between him and the rest of the Cul-De-Sac. He says that he owns the playground, seconds before Sarah and Jimmy put him in his place, showing he doesn't even have control over Ed! And when he says Nazz is his girlfriend, she passively punches him into a fire hydrant. Even when he tries to recreate certain Cul-De-Sac residents by dressing Ed in their clothes, the real thing isn't that far off to ruin his moment... Even the cameraman(Double-D) is unreliable, as he's constantly making snide remarks at Eddy's expense, or sacrificing content for artistic film making. I won't give away the ending, but Eddy finally thinks he's got something, only to have the real thing ruin it for him. It's just how you'd expect an episode with Eddy trying to convince everyone he's the greatest would go, and it hits all the marks! Plus Eddy! Several times!
The humor is FANTASTIC! Just the fact that the episode is focused around Eddy trying to make himself look good on film is a comedy goldmine! He's trying all his usual tricks, including dressing up regular trash to look like treasure, but on camera, it's even LESS convincing! The giant mustache and the fact he swings onto the camera when they first start filming should give you an idea of just how overcompensating he is throughout the episode! Plus, you have all the reactions from the other kids as they're confused why Eddy's acting even more high-and-mighty than usual. ...But they don't care, they'll just treat him with the same warmth they usually do... And it's not just funny when Eddy's trying to make a movie. The opening skit featuring Rolf looking for his chickens is HILARIOUS, as well as what he does when he finds them. When Eddy brings in his package from his brother and starts digging through the stuff, the stuff, his reactions, and what he first decides to do all had me laughing out loud. And when he decides to make a movie, where Ed pulls the camera from is PRICELESS! Plus the running gag with Ed and the rattle. And I will not DARE give away the ending, but not only is Eddy's final act incredibly funny, there's an outburst from Rolf after awkward silence that literally had me laughing for the next HOUR! I had to go into the other room and hide in a closet so I didn't disturb the rest of the family, I was laughing so hard! Every SECOND, there's something new to laugh at, and it NEVER lets up. It's the funniest episode of the series, and I couldn't be happier the humor is paired with THIS story!
But the thing I'm most impressed with in this episode is the animation. It is MIND-BLOWINGLY good for what they do! The first few minutes are set up as a regular episode, taking place in Ed's basement and featuring the same squiggly animation and mostly still camera from the rest of the series. But when Double-D gets the camera and starts filming, the perspective changes to a first-person view, and it is AMAZING! It's hard enough to pull off a first-person view in live-action or CG, but for a 2D traditionally-animated show, not only do they pull it off, it's some of the best work I've ever seen! It's filmed almost exactly like an amateur filmmaker would, with unnatural sweeps, focus issues, the camera constantly pointing away from its focus or at an angle, and, of course, static when the camera is repeatedly turned on and off. We see EVERYTHING through the camera lens and all that happens to it. Sarah punches it at one point, the tape fizzles for a second, and it goes spinning to the ground, looking at Double-D while lying on its side as he grabs it again. At one point, the Kankers show up, and the camera appropriately shakes and zooms away to show Double-D's fear of the situation. The camera is even stolen, first by Ed, who swallows it, showing us EVERY step on its way down, then by Jonny, who points it upwards to show how short he is compared to the Eds.
The most impressive moment occurs when they're in the junkyard, and there's a mirror showing Double-D. At the second the camera tilts up, we see him in the mirror also tilting the camera for an upwards shot! This shot is so beautiful, it needs to be shown in animation classes! It. Is. INCREDIBLE how they pulled off emulating handheld camera movement in a flat cartoon world, and how much effort went into the animation for all the forward motions! It must have been an absolute NIGHTMARE to get all these shots right, but it all paid off in the end, because this is the finest camerawork I've seen in ANY cartoon. It even gives Disney a run for its money, including the Gravity Falls: Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained segments! And those were made 10 years later!
I LOVE this episode. Love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love LOVE this episode. EVERYTHING is PERFECT! The story, the humor, the characters, and ESPECIALLY the animation is top-notch, and at a quality I've VERY rarely seen in other shows. I could watch this episode 100 times in a row and not get sick of it! It's my absolute FAVORITE episode of the show, one of my favorite episodes of anything, and a shining example of why Ed, Edd, n Eddy is one of the greatest shows of all time! I salute you, Danny Antonucci, and here's to hoping Ed, Edd, n Eddy get a chance to shine again!
Do you agree with this list? What are your favorite Ed, Edd, n Eddy episodes? Let me know in the comments below, as well as any other lists you wouldn't mind seeing in the future!
Alright, that was fun. Back to our normal schedule with some blind bags!
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