Clearly I'm not very good at the staying de-lurked thing, but ita's list request was impossible to resist. *waves to everyone sheepishly*

Like Beverly I find there's something to love in every episode, but...I restricted myself to five per season and came up with this in aired order not preference order:

Season One - I think part of what I loved in the first season was Sam remapping his feelings about Dean from those of an angry adolescent to something that is much deeper and complicated.

• Dead in the Water - Big brother Dean and Lucas saving, Sam learning (or finally understanding) something about his brother
• Skin – Serial Killer not!Dean and Sam learning (or finally understanding) something about his brother
• Faith – Dying Dean, fiercely protective Sam and Sam learning (or finally understanding) something about his brother
• Something Wicked – Dean guilt and Sam learning (or finally understanding) something about his brother
• Devil’s Trap – the Winchesters in the cabin – every minute of it

Season Two -This season is near perfect for me and it was difficult to pick just five.

• In My Time of Dying – Dying Dean, fiercely protective Sam
• Crossroad Blues - Dean's conversation with the Crossroads Demon
• Nightshifter - badass bank job
• Born Under a Bad Sign – fierce not!Sam, Dean won’t shoot
• What is and What Should Never Be – Guh. Possibly my favorite episode of the series

Season Three

• The Kid Are Alright – great horror and comedy, count me as one who loves Dean and kids
• Fresh Blood – Gordon beheaded by fierce Sam also the tragedy of Gordon’s denouement
• A Very Supernatural Christmas - wee!Winchesters
• Dream a Little Dream of Me - Dean’s talk with his demon self, the color saturation and sets
• Mystery Spot – what’s not to love

Season Four

• Lazarus Rising – Dean crawling out of his grave, Castiel entrance and handprint
• In the Beginning – young Mary, young John, all of it
• Monster Movie – awesome B&W homage
• It’s a Terrible Life – great AU
• The Monster at the End of this Book – Chuck! The Meta

Season Five

• The End – Jensen Showcase – really well done!
• Changing Channels - awesome crack!
• The Real Ghostbusters – more hilarious meta
• The Song Remains the Same – young Mary, young John, Sam seeing his mother, his speech with John, the boys asking to never be born, guh.
• #5 slot still open

• Clearly I need to learn the formatting tags...

Gah! That's totally available and totally tempting me away from things I should be doing.

I have some screencaps sites bookmarked from home, just cannot remember which ones they are from here. I need to use delicious.com more.

ehab! Thanks for playing!

See, every time anyone lists their favourites, I totally want to edit mine. I'm easy like that.

And you're also making me want to go back and think properly on why I chose what I chose....

Yeah, I don't want to do a list without explaining why for each one, either. But I can't! Not now, anyway. ::sobs::

Stay delurked, ehab! And just use the tag "br" each place you want a line break.

And just use the tag "br" each place you want a line break.

Thanks! I'll try to remember. That was a bit of a fiasco on initial, secondary, and even tertiary posting.

In my haste I lost one of my five in season two and then changed my mind. I picked Everybody Loves a Clown at first for Ellen's appearance and the scene in the junkyard. Then I switched to Crossroad Blues. It's moment to moment.

I wonder if picking favorite scenes from the series would be any easier?

I'm trying to cut my season 2 down to five episodes. It hurts!

No, can't do it. I cut out a couple. And added explication.

S1

• Skin: Definite OH BOYS for me here. The shape shifter telling Sam how Dean "feels" about him. Sam spotting the shifter right away. Sam rescuing Dean. Dean killing himself. Start of the run from the law.
• Faith: Start of Sam on a quest to save Dean. Dean's low self-esteem.
• Shadow: Papa John! Meg rubbing up on the boys. The pain in their eyes as they watch their father leave.
• Salvation: Dean standing up to John about telling him about Sam's visions. John being crafty hunter and blessing the water tank. Dean saving Sam from sacrificing himself. Sam slamming Dean against the wall.
• Devil's Trap: What's not to love? Like ehab said, the Winchesters in the cabin. ♥

S2

• In My Time Of Dying: Fierce!Sam again. Dean giving up again. John sacrificing. And the moment where John whispers to Dean is some of my favourite JA work. I love his reactions.
• Crossroad Blues: Not even about the boys. This is just a generally well-crafted story. I love the mythology and the victims and everything about it.
• Croatoan: I can't help it! Dean gives up again.
• Nightshifter: And the bad shit starts. Great guest stars, great stake elevation, great tension.
• Houses of the Holy: Hindsight might be why I like this so much, but it works so well after S4. Sam, Sam, Sam.
• Born Under a Bad Sign: Speaking of Sam. I love JP's work in this.
• Heart: Oh, Sammy. Oh, Dean. Oh, boys.
• Folsom Prison Blues: I picked this over Hollywood Babylon by a hair, but what I like about both of them is similar--Dean fitting in, and Sam's exasperation. It's just so much more dysfunctional here, and so much more high stakes.
• What Is and What Never Should Be: Dean chooses hunting, and Dean chooses Sam. Hell, Dean chooses LIFE. Just beautiful TV.
• All Hell Breaks Loose II: Dean chooses Sam, Dean unchooses life. Dean does a cool-assed diving roll over a headstone.

S5

• The End: I see why JA likes this so much. He's marvellous. Misha is Misha, and JP is creepy as all hell. So very sad. I cringe just thinking of the neck-snapping scene.
• Changing Channels: Fucking hysterical. And painful.
• The Song Remains The Same: Oh, so painful. OH BOYS.
• My Bloody Valentine: OH DEAN. OH BRAVE SAMMY.

In conclusion, BOYS. And apparently I really like Dean giving up and Sam not. Now to finish rewatching S3 and S4 so I can have proper opinions on those too.

I can't do a list unless I have a set number, because of ... some weird OCD thing? I don't know.

I will likely pick five from each season. But I won't be able to do this season because it's not over yet.

OCD. Yes, I guess I haz it.

I can't do five per season. Just can't.

the moment where John whispers to Dean is some of my favourite JA work. I love his reactions.

I *still* want to ask JA what Manners told them--what John was supposedly whispering to get that reaction--and the one from JDM when he backed off with tears, nodded, and left.

What, what, what? Sam is secretly dying of a dread disease? JP ate all the gummi bears? JDM would never speak another line and appear in the same episode again (because he appeared in AHBL2 and spoke offscreen in the Long Distance Calling ep)? JA's contract was cancelled? What?

I don't think I want to know. It works better for me believing it's John telling Dean about Sam possibly going darkside. I don't like the fourth wall broken with important dramatic stuff.

I want to play!

I can't until I get home though.