There are some television shows that are inherently bookish, like Gilmore Girls, that have a reading list longer than the standard English 101 class. The more subtle references, the ones that prod you in the ribs while you’re trying to enjoy your popcorn, those are my favorite. If you catch the literary references, you feel like a genius, if not, eh, no biggie. Beyond adaptation and referential, there are also books and bookishness being used as a prop. What does that mean? This can be literal — like characters carrying books, a book being used to hide behind, etc. Or a character can suddenly become a bookworm/writer. For instance, in Golden Girls season 5, episodes 2–3, Blanche decides to become a romance novelist. She stays awake for 72 hours straight working on her novel and is heartbroken when it gets rejected. This writing frenzy only lasts through the two episodes. With the variety of ways that books influence the writers’ room on our favorite TV shows, it’s no wonder that some of the most beloved episodes have a bookish touch. Next time you’re watching reruns, try and catch the title of the books in the background- you might be surprised to find the titles fit the theme of the episode! Now, let’s dive into some of the best book focused television episodes! I couldn’t mention every book centered episode ever, or we could be here so long we would miss the next one. Up next on my Netflix playlist is Romance is a Bonus Book and the second season of Bridgerton. Until then, check out our TV archives or pair up your favorites for an epic marathon. Just remember to get some snacks first! Chidi decides to carry on with a philosophical riddle. He presents The Trolley Problem to the class. The real problem, according to Michael, is not which road workers to save, but how to kill all six. Michael creates a simulation Trolley Problem for Chidi and Eleanor. After multiple rounds of Trolley Problem simulation, including running down five William Shakespeares, it’s determined that there is no “right” answer. In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean spends his life becoming a better man — caring for the poor and sick, adopting an orphan — yet that doesn’t change his past. Javert spends his life seeking justice in the law, but finds that mercy is at odds with justice. For Michael, learning to be “good” also has to mean what’s truly evil versus merely 20 points worth of “bad.” What books would you assign to Michael? In the game, Professor Moriarty has kidnapped Pulaski and is fully aware of the Holodeck simulation. Moriarty is even able to draw the Enterprise. Data and LaForge leave the game to alert the Captain. It’s then that they realize they requested the program create an adversary for Data not Sherlock Holmes. Moriarty’s abilities go dangerously beyond the game. After bargaining with Captain Piccard, Moriarty is promised that he will be preserved as Holodeck material. This episode combines the best of Doyle’s beloved stories with classic sci-fi tech and humor. “Elementary, Dear Data” was nominated for two 1989 Emmy Awards. Meanwhile, Bernard is begging customers to break his legs so he can put off his taxes for a while longer. He purposefully gets into a fight in the street and is woken by Manny who agrees to do his accounts for him. Thus begins a beautiful partnership full of insults and halfhearted attempts at murder. On the island, Jack is haunted by the figure of a man in a suit who disappears and reappears. Up close, the man wears the face of Christian, and disappears with the sound of the Island monster. Locke advises Jack to keep looking for the man in the suit, calling him Jack’s “White Rabbit.” That night, Jack follows the man in the suit again, finding debris from the plane crash, including Christian’s empty coffin. With this episode, you can see the shift as Jack finally accepts the Island’s topsy-turvy rules. Jack’s first flashforward episode is called “Through the Looking Glass.” In the fantasy sequence, Wishbone stars as schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a town that loves ghosts stories and superstitions, especially that of a revolutionary soldier, the Headless Horseman. While reading ghost stories, Crane meets the enchanting Katrina Van Tassle. Crane soon becomes one of Katrina’s many suitors, using his knowledge of superstitions to win her heart. After sharing ghost stories at the Van Tassle’s Halloween party, Crane is confronted by the Headless Horseman, and vanishes. This episode was scary AF to 1997 me.
