This almost became a Top 20 Countdown, but I narrowed it down to 10 plus 4 honorable mentions. For this list, the plot had to be particularly epic or memorable, or there had to be some funny dialogue that I remember to this day.
Honorable Mentions [that made the cut and were vying for the number ten spot]:
C.R.I.M.E. (Crayon Renderings Implicate Mostly Everyone) Season 6 episode 8A
Minority Report parody. Richard Steven Horvitz voices a kid who wants the cafeteria's pizza bagels all to himself, so he frames everyone for crimes they didn't commit to eliminate the competition.
L.I.C.E. (Lice Interrupt Cheese Eating) Season 1 episode 7A
Numbuh 3 doesn't want replacement toys - she wants revenge! Numbuh 5 pulls off some sweet Indiana Jones moves too.
I-S.C.R.E.A.M. (Important - Steal Creamy Refrigerated Edibles Avoid Meltdown) Season 1 episode 2A
Shenanigans involving driving an ice cream truck culminating in being washed away in a flood of melted ice cream. "Party! Ice cream party!"
S.U.P.P.O.R.T. (Special Underwire Protection Proportedly Outfits Rotten Teenagers) Season 2 episode 3A
The first appearance of Numbuh 5's older sister Cree, voiced by the actress of the same name.
10. S.P.R.O.U.T. (Sickening Produce Removal Operation Ultra Tricky) Season 3 episode 13A
One of those fantastic voyage parodies. Numbuh 5 probably has the best line, "Eenie, meenie, miney, I ain't going!" when someone has to get out of the pod while still inside Numbuh 4. In the beginning it's a brussels sprout he absent-mindedly eats, and at the end it's liver. I'd like to think they have to do the whole thing over again offscreen.
9. O.F.F.I.C.E. (On Fourteenth Floor Is Corporate Evil) Season 1 episode 6A
Numbuh 4's dad takes him to work with him since it's Take Your Daughter to Work Day and he doesn't have a daughter. There he meets his dad's coworkers' Rainbow Monkey-obessed daughters, including Numbuh 3. "They're freaks!" Numbuh 4 is bored until he has to save Numbuh 3 and the rest of the corporate daughters from being sent to Pluto by their parents' boss, Mr. Boss. That doesn't mean he likes them, though (except Numbuh 3, obviously). She's so happy to see him at the end. "Numbuh 4! I thought you were flying to Pluto!"
8. P.I.A.N.O. (Pesky Instruments Advances New Operative) Season 1 episode 11A
"What have we learned today?" The rest of the team's responses to Numbuh 1's question were hilarious and fitting from their delivery and character viewpoint. 2: *ashamed* "Do not deviate from plan." 5: *bored* "Teamwork is essential." 3: *neutral* "Operational procedures are important." 4: *injured* "Pianos...are heavy." 1: *exasperated* "Whatever." First appearance of the hamster operatives, who are sent to destroy violins at the end before the credits roll.
7. N.A.U.G.H.T.Y. (Ninnies Almost Undo Greatest Holiday This Year) Season 5 episode 5
The Delightful Children seek control over the Naughty and Nice lists, but Numbuh 3 proves that anyone can become corrupted by the power. The Christmas-themed super heroes were a nice touch. Another episode that features the relationship between Numbuhs 3 and 4, as Numbuh 3 is only brought back to normal by Numbuh 4 offering to share his fries with her (which he had earlier refused to do).
6. M.A.U.R.I.C.E. (Mature Agent Undergoes Reprogramming Into Childhood's Enemy) Season 4 episode 11
In this episode we learn that not everyone gets decommissioned for real. Maurice (voiced by Khary Payton) tries to keep this a secret, but Numbuh 5 won't leave him alone. Cree gets in the way as usual, but this time it didn't end all according to her plan. I do find it a little creepy that Cree and Abby both like the same guy again (the other time being in season 2 when Numbuh 2 got turned into a teenager), but it's fun hearing Cree Summer argue with herself every time they go at it.
5. P.I.N.K.E.Y.E. (Private Investigator's New Kase Extra Yucky Epidemic) Season 3 episode 7A
Probably one of the best Numbuh 2 episodes. Numbuh 86 is also a highlight, as she only goes into his "office" to get paper towels for the girls bathroom. As the title suggests, it's pretty gross, but it's still funny. I especially like the joke at the end where Numbuh 3 asks what other ingredients were used, and Numbuh 86 sneezes.
4. Q.U.I.E.T. (Quiet Unlikely In Entire Treehouse) Season 1 episode 12A
Literally everything goes wrong when they try to get workaholic Numbuh 1 to get some sleep before a big awards ceremony. Nothing that happened actually woke him up until Numbuh 5 declared that the last thing that happened came too close to doing so. Numbuh 1 woke up and shouted at her, but then during his speech mentions that he works so hard so his team can sleep at night. I'm with Numbuh 5 at the end of it. "Ah, shut up!"
3. S.L.U.M.B.E.R. (Stupid Little Undercover Mission Becomes Exciting Romp) Season 3 episode 6B
Numbuh 4 dresses in drag and sneaks into an all-girls mission with Numbuh 86, only to find out it's a sleepover (that Numbuh 5 was too cool for/she doesn't like Numbuh 86). Teen and preteen spies turn it into an actual mission. Only Numbuh 3 will be friends with Numbuh 86 for real (they can bond over Rainbow Monkeys). Numbuh 86 threatens disguised Numbuh 4 with death if he tells anyone else she likes Rainbow Monkeys; she probably would've killed him if she knew it was him. That costume shouldn't have fooled anyone, so that's another reason not to have Numbuh 5 there.
2. E.N.D. (Everyone Nearly Decommissioned) Season 2 episode 13
It was hard choosing between this and Operation Z.E.R.O., but that was a movie so I shouldn't count it. This is one of many episodes in which the villain's plan is to have the team ejected from the organization and have their memories wiped (by aging them up, hacking their files, turning them into animals, etc.). I like that even without their memories, the rest of the team still trusts Numbuh 1 and agree to work with him. Numbuh 5 keeps calling him crazy but just goes with it. "Whatever you say, crazy!"/"You're crazy, this whole plan is crazy, but what the heck?"
1. P.O.O.L. (Prevent Opposite Operative's Larceny) Season 4 episode 4
This is the mirror world/universe episode, which provides character insights and development. Numbuh 4 gets over his fear of water and learns to swim to save everyone from his evil doppelganger. He says this means Negative Numbuh 4 is a coward, making everyone else in the DNK turn against him. I especially like the part where Eizzil is still waiting back in the real world when Negative Numbuh 4 shows up and kicks him back through the portal. Also the part where Negative Numbuh 86 wants to pretend to be a pretty princess instead of what they were doing under Negative Numbuh 4's rule.
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