Issue 8 The Geeks' Favorite Formula Breaking Episodes
The TV episodes that broke the usual formula for the series
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- DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyA transporter accident places Captain Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire.The granddaddy of all alternate universes?
- DirectorHettie MacdonaldStarsDavid TennantFreema AgyemanCarey MulliganSally Sparrow receives a cryptic message from the Doctor about a mysterious new enemy species that is after the TARDIS.Brian's Favorite Doctor Who Formula Breaker
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJoan CollinsWhen a temporarily insane Dr. McCoy accidentally changes history and destroys his time, Kirk and Spock follow him to prevent the disaster, but the price to do so is high.Brian's Favorite Trek Formula Breaker
- DirectorJames A. ContnerStarsScott BakulaJohn BillingsleyJolene BlalockOn the first anniversary of her assignment to Enterprise, T'Pol tells Archer and Trip about the first contact between humans and Vulcans, which involves three Vulcans becoming stranded in the town of Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania in 1957.Brian's Favorite Enterprise Formula Breaker
- DirectorMichael ZinbergStarsGary SandyGordon JumpLoni AndersonFeeling left out by all the recent changes, Mr. Carlson decides to launch his own Thanksgiving promotion. With the aid of Herb and Les, the Big Guy turns a routine turkey give-away into a comic catastrophe.Brian's Favorite WKRP Formula Breaker
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganWhen everyone in Sunnydale loses their voice, the Scooby Gang must silently solve the mystery of the monsters who stole their ability to speak.Brian's Favorite Buffy Formula Breaker
- DirectorBen EdlundStarsDavid BoreanazJames MarstersJ. August RichardsAngel and the gang set out to foil an evil puppet show that is sucking the brain power of all the children who watch. During their fight, Angel is turned into a puppet himself and must rely upon his friends in order to reverse the spell which holds him at one foot tall.Keith's Favorite Angel Formula Breaker
- 1997–200350mTV-PG9.7 (11K)TV EpisodeDirectorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonEmma Caulfield FordIn this musical extravaganza, Sunnydale residents find themselves bursting into song, and flame, when a demon attempts to make Dawn his bride.Keith's Favorite Buffy Formula Breaker
- DirectorKim MannersStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesJim BeaverSam relives the same day over and over, continually having to deal with Dean's death.Keith's Favorite Supernatural Formula Breaker
- DirectorAndrew ProwseStarsBen BrowderClaudia BlackAnthony SimcoeD'Argo injures Crichton, as Crichton lies in a coma/near death, he escapes into a highly animated world. It's Farscape, Chuck Jones/Loony Tunes style. Meanwhile D'Argo's actions create a crisis on Moya, which could destroy the LeviathanKeith's Favorite Farscape Formula Breaker
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJim RoseThe agents search for a killer in a Florida town inhabited by sideshow performers.Keith's Favorite X-Files Formula Breaker
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyTo protect a space station with a vital grain shipment, Kirk must deal with Federation bureaucrats, a Klingon battle cruiser and a peddler who sells furry, purring, hungry little creatures as pets.Lance's Favorite Trek Formula Breaker
- DirectorDavid NutterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonPeter BoyleA grumpy old man with psychic powers that show him how someone will die assists the agents with the hunt for a crazed killer who targets psychics. He also cryptically reveals to Mulder and Scully their own ultimate fates.Lance's Favorite X-Files Formula Breaker #1
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonBobbie PhillipsWhile looking for signs of alien ships in the sky above a small town, Mulder learns of a series of deaths supposedly caused by metallic cockroaches. He turns to sexy entomologist Bambi for help, which makes Scully angrily rush to his aid.Lance's Favorite X-Files Formula Breaker #2
- DirectorHarry HarrisStarsSteven HillBarbara BainGreg MorrisIn a rare episode of the series in which the IM Force isn't sent on a government-sanctioned mission, they're forced by a criminal named Egan, who's kidnapped the daughter of a friend of Briggs, to capture a heavily guarded witness in a trial against him. They know Egan plans to kill the witness, but Briggs is put in a tight spot, and is determined that Egan won't get a chance to kill the witness.Lance's Favorite Mission: Impossible Formula Breaker
- 2004–200623m8.0 (830)TV EpisodeDirectorDan RibaStarsKevin ConroySusan EisenbergPhil LaMarrThe Justice League battle Mordru in the background, while the narrative follows Booster Gold as he attempts to close a walking black hole while he's supposed to be on "crowd control".Lance's Favorite JLU Formula Breaker
- DirectorJames Whitmore Jr.StarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganXander experiences an adventure of his own when he encounters a group of reanimated corpses out to construct a bomb. Meanwhile, Buffy and her friends battle the forces of evil when the Hellmouth reopens.Honorable Mention Buffy Formula Breaker
- DirectorPhilip SgricciaStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesA.J. BuckleySam and Dean inexplicably encounter the Hell Hounds while investigating a case that John failed to crack years earlier and become fixtures in their pilot for a reality show called Ghostfacers.Honorable Mention Supernatural Formula Breaker
- DirectorRobert SingerStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesTodd StashwickIt's Halloween time and the Winchesters face-off against a shapeshifter with a penchant for impersonating classic movie monsters like Dracula, the Wolfman, and the Mummy.Honorable Mention Supernatural Formula Breaker (The Universal Monster Movie One)
- DirectorRobert SingerStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesMisha CollinsSam, Dean, and Castiel are transported into the animated world of Scooby Doo where they join forces with the Scooby gang to solve a ghostly mystery.Lance's Favorite Supernatural Formula Breaker
- DirectorCharles BeesonStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesMisha CollinsDean and Sam are thrown into an alternate universe by the Trickster where they are characters in different TV series.Honorable Mention Supernatural Formula Breaker