Some TV shows like Once Upon a Time and New Girl show character backstories and flashbacks consistently as a part of their standard format, while most just prefer to stay in the present with their story.
But every so often the writers of the latter like to break out of their routine and go back in time and explore a character's or multiple characters' history in depth. This gives them a chance to inform the audience of events that occurred which explain the motivations and reasons for the current state of character relationships and events that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
10 The Mentalist - "Red Dawn" (Season 5, Episode 5)
Going back several years before the series begins, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) is at his lowest point. Fresh out of the hospital after his mental breakdown following the death of his family at the hands of serial killer, Red John, and desperate for answers on the case's progress, he approaches his future colleagues at the CBI.
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As the audience watches Jane slowly start to come out of his anguished shell and become the character they're familiar with, they also see him prove himself to be a valuable asset of the team.
9 Leverage - "The Rashomon Job" (Season 3, Episode 11)
For a show that features a different heist every week, having one stick out in the mind of not one, but all five the protagonists' memories is a fairly big deal. Told from the perspective of all the Leverage team members as they recall a theft from the past that they all have in common, each try to prove that they were the one who stole a rare artifact from a party.
Equal parts comedic and clever, this episode showed the team back when they were straightforward criminals and always entertains.
8 Suits - "Fork in the Road" (Season 4, Episode 13)
With Mike's (Patrick J. Adams) secret out and a slight, vindictive Louis (Rick Hoffman) on the warpath because of it, a paralleling story is going on in the background explaining the origins of the animosity between Louis and Harvey (Gabriel Macht).
The shown complexities of the relationship between the two lawyers are as fascinating as it is tragic, as Louis struggles to find a balance between the envy he feels for Harvey and the need to beat him with the genuine respect and desire to work alongside him as partners.
7 Firefly - "Out of Gas" (Season 1, Episode 08)
After the engine of Serenity explodes, Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) sends his crew away while he stays behind to see if anyone picks up their distress signal.
As Mal struggles to stay alive throughout the many obstacles he faces, he recalls how he met each member of the Serenity crew before they eventually joined him and Zoe (Gina Torres), from finding Kaylee (Jewel Staite) in a compromising position while she still manages to fix their engine to poaching Jayne (Adam Baldwin) from a group of bandits.
6 Riverdale - "The Midnight Club" (Season 3, Episode 04)
As the conflict with Gryphons and Gargoyles goes on, Betty (Lili Reinhart) is desperate for answers and turns to her mother who finally confesses to both her own and the other parents' history with the game.
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Going back to circa 1992, the young cast portrays the teenage versions of the older cast members, not only enabling the performers to flex their acting muscles, but allowing the audience to see an entirely different side to the characters they've come to know so well.
5 The Bold Type - "#TBT" (Season 3, Episode 06)
After the employee emails are hacked at Scarlett Magazine, one in particular brings back memories of how Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee), and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) met and became inseparable best friends after accidentally poisoning someone.
Viewers see Jane's first day at the magazine as an intern where she is encouraged to pursue writing by Jacqueline (Melora Hardin), Kat struggles to speak up and voice her ideas, and Sutton, currently working as a temp, scrambles to find a way to stay at the magazine and meets Richard (Sam Page).
4 White Collar - "Forging Bonds" (Season 2, Episode 11)
While continuing their investigation into Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy) Neal (Matt Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) decide to go down memory lane, recalling how Neal became a criminal and how Peter began pursuing him.
Young Neal Caffrey comes to New York City and meets seasoned criminal Mozzie (Willie Garson) who, along with Adler, teaches Neal everything he currently knows about fraud. It also shows Neal meeting and falling for both Alex (Gloria Votsis) and especially Kate (Alexandra Daddario), the latter of which Peter used to finally capture Neal.
3 Scandal - "The Trail" (Season 1, Episode 06)
How exactly did the steely Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) get involved with the President of the United States? Well, this episode answers that question right down to the moment she and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) finally gave into their feelings, which set nearly all the events in season one into motion.
Taking place two years into the past, Olivia works on Fitz's campaign to get him elected president. With every new problem that comes her way, Olivia enlists the help of her future employees at OPA, showing what each member was capable of doing both on their own and together before they became an official team.
2 Rick and Morty - "Rickturnal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort" (Season 5, Episode 08)
Although Rick (Justin Roiland) gives a little insight into his personal history from time to time, it's very rare that the audience sees a flashback of his younger years of space travel quite like this.
Hoping to save Birdperson (Dan Harmon) from the mind control of the Galactic Federation, Rick goes into his best friend's memories in the hopes of snapping him out of it. In doing so, he revisits their history together and even communicates with a younger version of himself who confirms bits and pieces of Rick's backstory.
1 Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Becoming" (Season 2, Episode 21)
Still soulless and hell-bent on ending the world, Angelus (David Boreanez) goes after Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends as they scramble to find a way to stop him before time runs out.
Meanwhile, in part one of this two-part season finale, bits and pieces of Angel's life are shown, from him getting turned into a vampire centuries earlier to ultimately deciding to help Buffy in her cause. Not only is it interesting to see Angel, good and bad throughout the years, but it provides an extra emotional weight to the fact that the Scooby Gang lost a valuable ally.
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