We’ve been stuck at home for quite some time now, but, you know, sometimes being stuck in the same place for a while can be more fun than we think. In fact, sometimes TV shows have episodes set (almost) entirely in one room. These are called “bottle episodes” and since they don’t use many different sets or extra actors, they are usually done as a way to save money for more expensive episodes to come. Even though not a lot of money is invested in them, some bottle episodes turn out to be some show’s most iconic ones. Let’s take a look at a couple of them.
1. Friends
Sitcoms usually don’t have the biggest budget, so bottle episodes are very common in this genre. They also have a lot of freedom to try different things within the show, so bottle episodes fit very well. Friends is a great example. Their first bottle episode was the second episode of season 3, The One Where No One’s Ready, and it was a huge success. It’s even considered to be one of the best episodes of the series. In this episode, all of the friends are invited to go to Ross’swork event, but when he gets to Monica’s apartment, no one’s ready! Rachel hasn’t picked an outfit yet, Phoebe’s dress gets stained, Monica receives a message from her ex-boyfriend Richard, and Joey and Chandler are fighting over a chair. The episode happens around these issues and Ross’s nervousness.
Due to the positive reception of the episode, the format got used more often throughout the series, and it even led to one of my favourites: The One With The Rumor, in which guest stars Brad Pitt, who was Jennifer Anniston’s husband at the time. The other bottle episodes within Friends are The One With The Morning After, The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt, The One On The Last Night, The One Where Ross Got High, The One With Monica’s Thunder, The One With The Video Tape, The One With Rachel’s Other Sister, and The One With The Lottery.
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s bottle episode is also one of its bests. The Box is set (almost) entirely in the interrogation room, where Jake is trying to get a suspect, played by Sterling K. Brown, to confess to a crime while also wanting to impress Captain Holt with his interrogation skills. This leads to great dialogue and the two eventually pair up to trick the man into a confession. Before that, Jake goes through many different strategies attempting to get the suspect caught in a lie, to no avail. The episode received great reviews and Brown even got a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in the episode.
3. Modern Family
Connection Lost may not be a traditional bottle episode but it has the same idea. Instead of the episode taking place in only one room, it happens entirely inside Claire’s computer. Claire is stuck at the airport after her flight gets delayed and her phone stops working, so she gets her computer to get in touch with the family. By using FaceTime, emails, videos, and other computer features, we are able to see what the family has been up to. In good Modern Family fashion, there’s a big misunderstanding, this time concerning Hailey’s whereabouts, that serves to create tension in the episode. It’s a clever and original delivery for the show and it manages to get out some good laughs.
4. Breaking Bad
Dramas can also make great use of the bottle episode format. Breaking Bad‘s episode Fly is a controversial one. Some people say it’s one of the worst episodes, and others, the best. In this episode, Walter and later, Jesse, try to obsessively catch a fly that’s inside their lab. While they’re doing that, they end up having very interesting conversations. The episode, set in the singular location, was created because the production was over budget and needed an episode where they wouldn’t have to spend much money. Even if it was created due to budgetary reasons, the episode manages to dive into the characters and explore their relationship at a slower pace.
5. Community
This may be the last item on our list, but it is certainly not the least important. Community, in my opinion, might be the master at doing bottle episodes. Two of the show’s best and most remarkable episodes use this format. In Cooperative Calligraphy, the study group is about to leave their room when Annie realizes her pen went missing, again! She decides then that no one will leave the room until they find it, which marks the beginning of a bottle episode and leads to Abed saying: “I hate bottle episodes.” This meta language of the show turns it into “a bottle episode about bottle episodes” and the whole gang stays in the study room for the entire time trying to find Annie’s pen.
In Remedial Chaos Theory, Community explores different timelines. In this episode, the group is at Troy and Abed’s apartment when the pizza they ordered arrives. To decide who is going to get it, Jeff rolls a dice which leads to Abed saying that he’s creating seven different timelines with each of the characters going down to get the pizza. The episode then, shows the different timelines, one better, and funnier, than the other. The different structure the episode used turned it into one of the shows’ best.
See how you can still have a good time while staying “locked up”? The best thing for me about bottle episodes is that feeling when you are so intrigued over the story that you don’t even realize they’ve been in the same room the whole time! I think it’s a great opportunity for a show to explore the character’s stories and create great dialogue, which I guess is why there are so many iconic bottle episodes!
And if you want to dive deeper into the isolation and watch more bottle episodes, here are some other examples: Mad Men‘s The Suitcase; Master of None, Morning; Atlanta‘s B.A.N; Grey’s Anatomy, In the Air Tonight; The Office‘s Dinner Party and Seinfeld, The Chinese Restaurant.