Many TV shows introduce musical episodes, mainly to provide an amusing change in pace, creatively advance the story, or offer an insight into the characters' hidden thoughts. However, very few drama series manage to go beyond the comic relief but rather organically integrate these musical chapters into their narratives, advancing the story and the character development.
While musical episodes are more common in sitcoms and more lighthearted shows (Scrubs, Community, Psych), the trend has also extended to drama series. Unfortunately, those episodes often feel forced and out of character. However, these five drama TV shows avoided those pitfalls and managed to launch memorable and excellently fitting musical episodes.
Xena: Warrior Princess ("The Bitter Suite")
The emotional "The Bitter Suite" was nominated for two Emmy Awards and started the trend of live-action, non-musical shows doing musical episodes. Masterfully blending drama and humor, it shows Xena and Gabriel thrown into the land of illusion and forced to confront their grievances, hatred, and resentment after a child's death. The only way they can make out of there alive is to restore their bond and forgive each other.
The setting doesn't seem out of place for Ancient Greece, where gods are known to play twisted games with humans. The premise is strong and allows the protagonists to reveal their true feelings and face the consequences of their decisions. While some of the side characters like Jokester and choreographed numbers are there for comic relief, the episode shows raw emotions and addresses a difficult topic, resolving a plot knot and allowing the heroes to move on. And that's not to mention catchy original songs and surprisingly strong vocals, delivered mainly by the actors themselves.
Once Upon A Time ("The Song In Your Heart")
Considering the Disney-style fairytale nature of the show, it's surprising the writers waited for six seasons to launch a full-fledged musical episode. The premise of "The Song in Your Heart" is somewhat wobbly — a flashback shows the characters singing in the past because of a curse; they embed a song into their baby's heart, so it can help her face the challenge in the present. However, the original tunes by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner and surprisingly strong vocals make up for it. The numbers vary from a typical mood-setting duet to a jaunty pirate shanty to a touching love song of the newlyweds and fit the characters perfectly.
While the musical flashbacks do little for advancing the plot, they don't seem out of place or forced. The embedded song does help the protagonist in the end, and, considering that the final "A Happy Beginning" number is followed by a plot twist that, of course, turns matters to worse, the musical interlude allows for logical story continuation.
Supernatural ("Fan Fiction")
The Supernatural's 200th episode works on multiple levels. It serves as an ultimate love letter to the fans with plenty of appreciative nods to the existing 'transformative fiction,' including their favorite shipments; it doesn't take itself too seriously and admits existing plot holes with disarming honesty; and, finally, it enables character development by helping the protagonists take a hard look at themselves and work through their issues.
Thanks to the show's previous meta episodes, the "Fan Fiction" premise doesn't feel stretched — impressionable school girls really could have adapted their favorite Supernatural books into a musical without knowing they were based on the Winchesters' lives. At the same time, this removed the necessity for the protagonists to break into song, which would have been out of character. The episode comes close to breaking the fourth wall without actually crossing the line, is filled with humor and tear-jerking numbers, and is considered one of the clear fan-favorites.
The Magicians ("All That Hard, Glossy Armor")
During its five-season run, The Magicians featured several memorable musical episodes. However, unlike another serial offender, Riverdale, they always fitted the characters, were reasonably explained, and advanced the plot arc. While another episode, "All That Josh," included the most spectacular cover of "Under Pressure" (which played a crucial part in advancing the story), "All That Hard, Glossy Armor" takes the cake when it comes to the emotional intensity of its musical numbers — rivaled only by the heartbreaking "Take Me On" in "No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry" that served as a tribute to one of the departed protagonists.
The premise is quite simple and in the show's spirit — one of the characters, Margo, embarks on an epic solo quest to save her best friend and hallucinates after licking a magic lizard. Aside from showcasing the cast's singing abilities (including the impressive professional vocals of Jade Taylor and the eccentric performance of Hale Appleman), the excellent and quirky 80s cover songs perfectly fit the story and highlight the characters' emotional struggles.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer ("Once More, With Feeling")
It's no surprise that fans still hold sing-along screenings of this episode. Its premise fits the show perfectly — a summoned demon makes everyone in town break into song so that they reveal their deepest secrets, and, of course, he can only be defeated by an epic dance-off led by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Unlike many other shows that solely use musical episodes for comic relief or an entertaining break from the main story, "Once More, With Feeling" doubles up on emotional intensity and advances several storylines by forcing the characters to sing what they were afraid to say. From unreciprocated love to the betrayal of trust to the mentor's realization that the best he can do for his ward is step aside to the biggest reveal of all — the truth about Buffy's resurrection — this episode drags all the skeletons out of their respective closets. It leaves the characters stunned, wrapping up with a fitting song, "Where do we go from here?"
"Once More, With Feeling" became the gold standard for musical episodes in any show that came after. Aside from featuring some dangerously catchy tunes (including earworms like "Going Through The Motions," "Walk Through the Fire," and "Something To Sing About") that spawned a popular album, the episode burst open the characters' hearts and basked the viewers in raw emotions, all the while propelling the heroes forward in their plot arcs and bringing the story to the point of no return.