JAY'S PICKS:
1.) "Day 3: 6:00am - 7:00am" -- 24 (FOX)
Season 3, Episode 18 - April 18, 2004
2.) "Pegasus" -- Battlestar Galactica (SyFy)
Season 2, Episode 10 - September 23, 2005
No science fiction show has pushed the boundaries of the genre like Ronald Moore's re-imagining of the classic cult 70's TV show, Battlestar Galactica. The show follows the survivors of a nuclear holocaust that wipes out nearly the entire human race as they search for a new home on the mythical planet of Earth. The perpetrators of the attack are called the Cylons, a race of machines created by man that rebelled and set about exterminating their makers. One of the elements, among many, that made this remake so great was the introduction of the 12 models of Cylons that all look identical to humans. In fact, several of them don't know their robots. This made the show much more suspenseful and opened up countless possibilities for different narratives. The show hit its peak for me, though, starting with this episode in Season 2. After being on the run from the Cylons for so long, the fleet is surprised to run into another Battlestar, the Pegasus, that somehow had also survived the attack on their homeworld. What starts off as a happy reunion turns sour quickly when it's revealed that the Commander of the Pegasus, Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes), outranks Galactica's beloved leader, Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos). It also becomes clear quickly that Cain has a different style of leadership, and when she crosses a line with Adama that he can't ignore, tensions reach the breaking point as the crew of both Battlestars turn on each other. This conflict actually plays out over the next several episodes. Forbes is fantastic as the rigid and uncompromising Cain, and the scenes between her and Adama are fantastic. "Pegasus" serves as a great example of how people can often turn on each other, even in the face of extinction.
3.) "Ozymandias" -- Breaking Bad (AMC)
Season 5, Episode 14 - September 15, 2013
Breaking Bad finished its 5-season run this past September with many calling it the best television show of all time. It's tough for me to argue with that since I loved it so much. There was not a single bad season, or lull, during the entire time it was on the air. It won a slew of Emmys and will probably win more next year. AMC's epic crime drama concerns the decision of a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston in the role of a lifetime), after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, to partner with a former student of his to cook and distribute crystal meth. The upside being that he will be able to leave his wife, Skylar (Anna Gunn) and son (RJ Mitte) with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. I guess he never considered that he might get drawn deeper into the underworld of drug trafficking, or that he might actually come to enjoy his new job and the power it will ultimately bring him. There are a ton of great episodes to choose from, but its tough to not highlight the shows penultimate one. The one where everything Walter has done, as he claims, for his family, comes home to roost. I've given spoilers for other shows on this list, but I'll refrain on this one. It wouldn't be fair to deprive any viewer from experiencing this episode and on a larger scale, as this show intended. All I'll say is that its violent, shocking and more cathartic than anything you'll ever see in a scripted show. It sets up perfectly the equally as good series finale two episodes later and steers Walt on his road to redemption or damnation. It's no fluke that this episode currently has a perfect 10 score on IMDB (Internet Movie Database) out of 42,224 votes. This is as good as TV gets, but don't you dare watch it without experiencing every minute of Breaking Bad that comes before it. Long live Heisenberg!!
4.) "The Body" -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB)
Season 5, Episode 16 - February 27, 2001
Joss Whedon's cult favorite TV show still struggles to be taken seriously even after being critically acclaimed and finding a devoted and rabid group of fans. I did not watch Buffy when it was on the air. Like many, I saw the title, compared it to the mediocre 1992 Kristy Swanson/Luke Perry movie of the same name, and dismissed it as not worth my time. After it had ended its run, Matt gave me the DVDs to watch and, after that, I was hooked, watching all 7 seasons at a marathon pace. The great thing about Buffy is how the writers were able to create a show that, episode after episode, did not take itself too seriously, but when it mattered, it did. "The Body" was the episode where the witty banter and kick-ass fighting stopped and the fans of the show were made to watch something they didn't expect. An emotional event that could happen to any young woman. The death of a parent. Joyce Summers' (Kristine Sutherland) sudden death from a brain aneurism and Buffy's reaction to finding her sprawled on the living room sofa is still to this day the most realistic depiction of death and how one deals with the event I've ever seen on television. The powerful Buffy is rendered a helpless little girl, unable to know what to do as she spends the entire first segment of the episode alone with her dead mother in a daze, making choices in the fog of shock. It is a brilliant performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the highlight of everything she brought to this character. It also shines in the way it shows how each one of Buffy's friends deal with the death as well, especially Anya (Emma Caulfield), who struggles with complex emotions she's never had to express as a human. "The Body" is the episode where Buffy the Vampire Slayer packed more emotion into an hour of television than most Emmy-winning dramas could ever come close to.
5.) "What is . . . . . Cliff Clavin?" -- Cheers (NBC)
Season 8, Episode 14 - January 18, 1990
Cheers was one of the longest running, most successful sitcoms in television history. As a child of the 80's, it was the first TV show that I watched consistently on Thursday nights ("Must-See TV!"). It's difficult to choose a best episode when there were so many great ones, so I decided to select one that starred my favorite character in the show: the bumbling postal worker, Cliff Clavin (played effortlessly by John Ratzenberger). The perennial game show Jeopardy! comes to Boston for a series of special episodes and somehow Cliff manages to get onto the show as a contestant. He dominates the first two rounds when he is presented with categories like "Beer," "Bar Trivia," "Civil Servants," "Stamps From Around the World," "Mothers and Sons," and "Celibacy." I'm laughing just as I type those topics. Cliff racks up over $22,000 before he gets to the Final Jeopardy answer: "Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, Lucille LuSeur." Cliff wagers his entire winnings and scribbles down the answer, "Who are 3 people who've never been in my kitchen?" He loses everything only to have Alex Trebek show up at Cheers later that night. Trebek tells him they should have accepted his response to the Final Jeopardy answer and informs Cliff he is resigning from the game show in disgrace. Cliff tells Trebek to stay on the show because of how much it means to him and millions of fans. Later, when Trebek runs into Norm, he confesses he only told Cliff he was going to quit to placate him when he came into the bar totally by chance. Just a hilarious episode that makes me crack up every time I come across it in reruns.
6.) "The Group" -- Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Season 1, Episode 10 - December 17, 2000
I never really was a Seinfeld devotee. There's probably a few of you out there who can't believe I have left episodes like "Soup Nazi" and "The Contest" off of this list. I understand completely the significance of Seinfeld and it's place in television history, but, for me, Larry David's follow-up series, Curb Your Enthusiasm is just better. It's a masterpiece of self-deprecation, following the day-to-day tribulations of David as he gets himself into predicament after predicament. In this, the season finale of the first season, Curb shows how it's willing to go to places that most people would not find funny. It is the prime example of how the show makes the viewer feel awkward about something hilarious which, in truth, is not. Larry is surprised to run into an old girlfriend he hasn't seen in years. She asks him if he would accompany her to a support group she is a member of. The group is for people coping with being victims of molestation and incest, and she tells him he will have to pretend that he is one of them. What happens at the group can only be described as the most awkward, uncomfortable and gut-wrenchingly funny scene I've ever seen in a show as Larry attempts to tell the group a made-up story of his abuse at the hands of an uncle. He would perfect this form of comedy -- the kind where we kind of feel like we shouldn't be laughing but we just can't help it.
7.) "Hungry Man" -- Dexter (Showtime)
Season 4, Episode 9 - December 22, 2009
Dexter is a show that certainly had its ups and downs. When it was bad, it was depressingly bad; and, when it was good, it was one of the best shows to be found. Season 4 is when it really hit its peak with the story arc concerning the Trinity Killer, played with scene-stealing brilliance by John Lithgow. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is a serial killer who was taught by his policeman father to control his urge to murder by only targeting people who are guilty of heinous crimes themselves. This season found Dexter struggling with the notion of balancing his family life (he's a new father) with his "extracurricular" activities. When he discovers that the Trinity Killer is a family man named Arthur Mitchell, he becomes obsessed with discovering how this man is able to maintain what appears to be such an ideal home life. It's Thanksgiving and Dexter is invited to the Mitchell's for dinner by Arthur's son, Jonah. He quickly begins to notice that Mitchell isn't the paragon of father figures he was made out to be. In fact, he torments his family, both physically and emotionally. They live in fear of displeasing Arthur in any way. When Jonah talks back to his father at the dinner table, a tense fight breaks out between them and Dexter puts himself in the middle of it. It's a very cathartic moment as Dexter comes to realize that he is nothing like Mitchell and what divides him from a killer like Trinity is brought into the light.
8.) "Blink" -- Doctor Who (BBC)
Season 3, Episode 10 - June 9, 2007
Steven Moffat is the current reigning king of British television. Between his fantastic Sherlock mini-series and his reinvention of the classic sci-fi show, Doctor Who, it would seem Moffat can do no wrong. Before he was a show-runner, though, he wrote several episodes for Doctor Who, and one of them solidified him as a writer who knew how to exploit the millions of possibilities that a show about time travel could present to him. "Blink" is an episode well know to "Whovians," and for good reason. It's a brilliant piece of writing and the funny thing is . . . the Doctor is barely in it. The story revolves around Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan) an intrepid young lady who comes across a message scrawled across the wall of an abandoned house. The message reads, "Beware, the Weeping Angels." From then on, her life will never be the same as she becomes embroiled in the machinations of one of Doctor Who's most creepy and interesting villains -- the notorious Weeping Angels. Basically, they're stone angels that only move to attack you when you're not looking directly at them. Turn your back, or "blink," and you're dead. Well, not really dead, just zapped back through time to a random time and place. The Angels then feed off the energy that is left by your stolen future. With the help of a pre-recorded message from the Doctor on a DVD Easter egg, Sally slowly begins to unravel the mystery of the Angels and what their ultimate goal is. "Blink" is a great entry episode to watch for any newcomer to Doctor Who.
9.) "Out of Gas" -- Firefly (FOX)
Season 1, Episode 5 - November 8, 2002
Joss Whedon's short-lived space western, Firefly, has achieved near mythic levels of cult status among the geek community. Lasting only one season, the show was cancelled by Fox after it failed to generate the ratings that were expected. It found another life on DVD and live streaming services, and its popularity grew and grew until a feature length film, Serenity, was greenlit and released in 2005. Firefly was a fantastic series and, given a chance, I'm sure it would have been a hit. This episode is the best, in my mind. Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) is desperately trying to fix his ship, which is stranded in space with the oxygen almost depleted. As Mal, who is badly injured and losing blood, crawls his way to the medical bay, he recalls how he met each of the crew members of his ship, Serenity, and also how he came to find and buy the ship. It's an episode that provides more texture and layers to already established characters and shows the origins of their relationships with Mal. Firely was similar to other Whedon series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel in that it balanced perfectly the comedy and the drama of any given situation.
10.) "Fire and Blood" -- Game of Thrones (HBO)
Season 1, Episode 10 - June 19, 2011
Everything that makes Game of Thrones an interesting series is on display in the season finale of its first season. The creators, D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, made a smart decision by casting popular actor Sean Bean as the patriarch of the Stark family, Ned Stark. He was just a big enough star to lull the audience into a false sense of security that he was going to be the show's main hero/character. Imagine their surprise when he is suddenly be-headed by the newly crowned boy king, Joffrey Baratheon. The Season 1 finale mostly concerns itself with the fallout from the killing of Ned, and reveals that this was never going to be a story about him, but, instead, about his children and an assortment of other characters. Most notable is the character arc of Daenerys, last of the Targaryen family, exiled to the other side of the world. Her journey from scared child bride, sold off to a Dothroki war lord, to confident leader, ready to take back what was stolen from her family, culminates in the final scene when she walks into the burning funeral pyre of her recently deceased husband, Khal Drogo. She walks out of the fire, reborn, with 3 baby dragons and the determination to never be a victim again. High production values, great casting and smart choices when adapting George R.R. Martin's popular novels, make this one of the best shows still on TV.
11.) "Flip" -- The Larry Sanders Show (HBO)
Season 6, Episode 11 - May 31, 1998
The final episode of The Larry Sanders Show may be my favorite finale of all time. It's just perfect, and ties up everything about the show that made it great by giving it the most satisfying ending one could have hoped for. One of the things that makes it so great is the cleverness of it also being the final show of the show within a show. Its both the final bow of The Larry Sanders Show and also The Larry Sanders Show. As Larry (Gary Shandling) and his production team prepare for the final show, we get a hilarious and insightful look into the strategizing and planning of the last airing of a long-running late night talk show. There are plenty of guest stars, playing themselves of course. Warren Beatty, David Duchovney, Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Tom Petty, etc. all make an appearance, hoping to benefit from the inevitable ratings jump a series finale will bring. The real highlight, though, is the brilliant Jeffrey Tambor as sidekick Hank "Hey Now" Kingsley, who, after having prepared a corny sentimental thank you speech to Larry, is cutoff by a surprise visit from Seinfeld. His rant to both Larry and Artie (Rip Torn) after the show is priceless and almost as great as the blubbering mess he turns into after having calmed down. Many have forgotten how influential The Larry Sanders Show was. Many successful careers started with that show including Tambor, Judd Apatow and Jon Stewart himself was a regular guest star.
12.) "The Constant" -- Lost (ABC)
Season 4, Episode 5 - February 28, 2008
Lost was a television show that was filled with episodes that pushed the boundaries of the typical narrative usually found in the medium. The entire first season may have been the best first season of a TV show I have ever seen. The format of mostly focusing on one of the castaways and giving us glimpses into their past, present and future made for many opportunities to deliver well-written episodes that stood on their own individually, but when put together created fantastic story arcs. For me, "The Constant" exemplified everything that was great about Lost -- tightly wound in one of the best edited hours of television. Focusing on Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), every one's favorite man-in-the-hatch, "The Constant" starts with the Scotsman becoming the victim of the Island's strange ability to punish those who escape its shores by following a precise trajectory with an uncontrollable disorder. Desmond finds himself flipping back and forth between his past and the present day. In order to try and find a way to stop his time-jumping predicament, Des tracks down Daniel Farraday (Jeremy Davies) in his past and the eccentric professor helps him by telling him to focus on one item in his life that can be his "constant." Of course, Desmond's constant is Penny (Sonya Walger), his long lost love. His journey to find her and find his way back to Penny and the present is one of television's most endearing love stories.
13.) "The Suitcase" -- Mad Men (AMC)
Season 4, Episode 7 - September 5, 2010
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) remains one of the most complex characters portrayed on television. I've always found these complexities show through most in his interactions with the women in his life, particularly Peggy Olsen (Elizabeth Moss). His attitude towards women could be a topic for an entire column examining masochism and its roots in the male psyche. Its a core part of what show creator Matthew Weiner has tried to weave into Don's personality and make a prime theme of Mad Men. This episode is, for me, the one that most explores this. It's the night of the infamous second fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). Everyone in the office is going to watch the fight. Don gets a message saying he received a call from California and he instantly knows what it's about: Anna and most likely she is dead. Instead of returning the phone call, though, he avoids it by cornering Peggy and making her stay late into the night to work on an ad for the Samsonite account. Peggy does this, even though it's her birthday and her fiance Mark and her family are waiting for her at dinner. Nearly the rest of the entire episode centers on the night Peggy and Don stay up. Peggy vents her frustrations at not being appreciated for her work while Don blasts her for not being grateful enough for the opportunities he has given her. Everything that has been building between these two comes to a head and every facet of their relationship (one of the only Don has with a woman that is platonic and built on some respect) is explored. Finally, in the morning, Don makes the call to California and gets the news he has avoided -- Anna is dead -- and he breaks down with Peggy watching. It's a scene of emotional loss that we rarely see from Don. That Peggy is there to witness it, is fitting and the evolving dynamic between them is what elevates this episode to the best of the series.
14.) "Pilot" -- Twin Peaks (ABC)
Season 1, Episode 1 - April 8, 1990
Despite it's critically acclaimed beginnings, Twin Peaks, taken as a whole, was a commercial failure for ABC. But it can be argued that it was one of the most influential series of all time, paving the way for other shows like The X-Files, Lost and Fringe, among others. It's format of having one continuous story arc had usually, up until that time, been reserved for the mini-series. David Lynch wanted to explore territory he had previously tread over in his masterful 1986 film, Blue Velvet. He, along with co-creator Mark Frost, envisioned a melding of a Peyton Place-type of prime time soap opera with a murder investigation. While there are many great episodes of Twin Peaks (it has, to this day, the most brilliantly bizarre series finale of any show in TV history), all discussion must begin and end with the fantastic pilot. The body of the homecoming queen, Laura Palmer, washes up on shore, wrapped in plastic. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan in a career-defining role) is sent in to solve the case by determining which one of Twin Peaks' quirky residents murdered her. Cooper may be the most eccentric and compelling protagonist of any show that I can remember. The pilot does a fantastic job of introducing us to all of the major characters who populate the town and are connected to Laura in any way. And of course there is the famous dream sequence where Cooper finds himself in a red room with a dancing dwarf and Laura herself. Twin Peaks' pilot still holds up. It doesn't feel dated or overdone. Its melodrama meets murder meets ghost story. The series would fall prey to network interference when they forced Lynch and Frost to reveal Laura's killer in the 2nd season, leaving nothing compelling to keep the show going. But for a short time it was all everyone was talking about, and today remains one of the most popular cult shows of all time.
15.) "Middle Ground" -- The Wire (HBO)
Season 3, Episode 11 - December 12, 2004
There are many great TV shows on this list, but The Wire would probably take the prize for having the most to say about urban crime and its place in our society, our schools, and our media. By the time David Simon and Ed Burns got around to scripting the third season of their mostly unrecognized Baltimore crime epic, the show had not been signed by HBO for any more seasons. So Simon knew that there was a strong chance Season 3 might be the last for his struggling drama. He knew it had to end with some of the loose ends tied up. Boy, did he tie them up. Cops, criminals, politicians and vigilantes collide in a season that would elevate the show to a level of greatness we may never see again in crime drama. We saw a weary and beaten down police major decide to legalize drugs in a few city blocks in order to lower the murder rate in his district. In many ways, his crazy scheme works. We see Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), who began the series as the thinking man's drug lord, move too far from the roots that made him what he is, in order to work his way into city politics and real estate. And we see fan favorite Omar (Michael K. Williams) get the revenge he's been waiting to get since Season 1 by joining forces with an unlikely ally in hit man Brother Muzone to execute one of the most cathartic deaths seen on the small screen. "Middle Ground" is The Wire at the height of its brilliance, but, like other shows on this list, cannot be appreciated without watching the whole series.
MATT'S PICKS:
1.) "Edith's 50th Birthday" -- All in the Family (CBS)
Season 8, Episode 3 - October 16, 1977
One of the iconic, breakthrough series of all time, Norman
Lear’s All in the Family (based
on the 1965 British TV series Till Death Us Do Part) featured what some would call a bigot protagonist Archie Bunker
(Carroll O’Connor) who doesn’t hate specific groups, he hates everyone.
Mostly, the episodes of Family centered around Archie’s old-fashioned, often
one-sided values in a changing world – and he often clashed with his
son-in-law, the liberal Mike Stivic, or, as Archie called him, Meathead (Rob
Reiner). But, throughout the series, especially near the end of its run,
the topics got more and more serious. In the second-to-last season, Archie’s
loving, naïve wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton) celebrates her fiftieth
birthday, only to be attacked by a rapist (the late David Dukes, who
portrayed the rapist, did so well with his portrayal that he received many
death threats after this episode). The episode tackles a topic that no sitcom
has touched since it premiered in 1977. And it’s a shame. It was done so well
and has set the bar high for sitcoms ever since.
2.) "Maelstrom" -- Battlestar Galactica (SyFy)
Season 3, Episode 17 - March 4, 2007
This was a tough decision because Ron Moore’s
reboot of Battlestar Galactica (a re-imagining of Glen Larson’s
1978 series) had so many great episodes! But my favorite would have to be the
Starbuck-centric episode “Maelstrom.” By this point in the series, the story
had began to wrap up its forthcoming end by introducing the “final five”
storyline in which five humans would be revealed to be cylons and ultimately
either destroy humanity or unite the two races. In this episode, Kara
“Starbuck” Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) goes through, what appears to be, a
series of hallucinations and flashbacks. By the end of the series, there is a significant
loss to the series and the entire crew of the Galactica. Sackhoff’s acting is
superb and the story taps into the deeply psychological aspect which permeated
the series from beginning to end.
3.) "The Body" -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB)
Season 5, Episode 16 - February 27, 2001
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another show in which it is difficult to
choose just one “best episode” because there are so many that are simply the
best writing in television. But if I have to choose one, this is probably the pinnacle of writing in a television
series. Creator, director and writer Joss
Whedon pulled out all the stops on his supernatural series when, in season
five, he killed off a major character in a way that was no way related to the
usual monsters and magic that filled the series. Buffy’s mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) dies from a brain
aneurysm (little do most know that Whedon’s own mother died from a brain
aneurysm in real life). The entire episode takes a break from the overall story
arc of season five to examine these characters and how death – especially a
natural death – affects them all. The reactions from each of the main
characters’ – Buffy (Sarah Michelle
Gellar), Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg),
Xander (Nicholas Brendon), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Anya (Emma Caulfield), and Tara (Amber Benson) – represent the five
stages of grieving (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). But
the magnificence in this episode is, first, the absence of a music orchestral
score throughout the entire episode. Second, the way Whedon shot the scene when
Buffy tells her sister Dawn, at school, that their mother is dead. The way the
audience sees the scene from another room – with no sound – and simply sees the
body language, is heartwrenching. I still get chills every time I watch this
episode.
4.) "Episode 7" -- Derek (Channel 4/Netflix)
Season 1, Episode 7 - March 6, 2013
The season finale of Ricky Gervais’ Derek has got to be one of the greatest
emotional episodes in recent television. In the series, Gervais plays Derek, a
somewhat “slow” 50-year-old volunteer at a small old folks’ home. Derek is a
kind, forgiving, gentle, easygoing man who sees the good in everyone and lives
his life being as positive as possible. Now, this may sound like a goody-goody
show, but, with Gervais’ trademark writing on it, the show is realistic,
charming and poignant – all without the viewer rolling their eyes in annoyance
or disbelief. In this particular episode, Derek’s estranged father – who
abandoned him when he was a baby – finds him and asks to be a part of Derek’s
life. Uncharacteristically, Derek refuses to forgive him or see him. Derek’s
friend, and one-time crush, Hannah (Kerry Godliman) – the head caretaker
of the home – refuses to let the issue go and sneakily gets Derek to meet with
his dad. What results is a lesson in forgiveness as well as the rest of Derek’s
friends (told through interviews with the camera -- like in The Office) coming to a heartwarming truth about Derek and his lifestyle. I have to
admit … this episode made me tear up.
5.) "A, My Name is Alex" -- Family Ties (NBC)
Season 5, Episodes 23/24 - March 27, 1987
I
remember watching this episode when it originally aired (I was only
10-years-old) and I remember thinking how profound the episode was. I had never
seen anything like it before. I had never seen mortality addressed in a sitcom
– let alone in such a way. The story begins with oldest son Alex P. Keaton
(Michael J. Fox) and his family just returning from Alex’s best friend’s
funeral. His friend, Greg (Brian McNamara) died in a car accident, which Alex
could have been in if not – according to Alex – for his own “selfishness.” The
first part of the episode follows Alex trying to hide his feelings and being
affected, and the second part follows Alex talking to a psychologist (who is
only heard and never seen) and revisiting his childhood. I remember being
affected because there is a slight familiarity in his childhood, and his
ultimate fear is mine. The episode is shot in a very theatrical technique with
Fox transitioning from one scene to another by just lighting dimming down and
no costume changes or editing. All of the actors play themselves at different
ages and remind Alex of who he is and what his innermost fear is. I never tire
of watching this episode.
6.) "Objects in Space" -- Firefly (FOX)
Season 1, Episode 14 - December 13, 2002
7.) "Eyes Wide Open" -- Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Season 1, Episode 2 - October 10, 2006
One
of the best shows to ever come on television. Based on the 2004 movie (which
was based on the 1990 non-fiction book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream), the series follows different
characters but utilizes the same central character of a high school football
coach, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler),
and his move to a Texas town where football is not just a game, it’s a way of
life. In the first episode of the series, the star quarterback Jason Street (Scott Porter) is injured in a game, and
is replaced by second string quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford). By the second episode, Jason is discovered to be
paralyzed from the waist down, leaving the town, Taylor, and Saracen in a
panic. But what is most notable about this episode is Street’s realization that
he will most likely never walk again. The final scene between Coach Taylor and
Street at the hospital is an amazing piece of acting and is a testament to
Street’s strength of character in not only being a good leader but being a good
person. Not so much an episode where a lot is happening, but more of an episode that sets up the greatness you are about to witness in a series. Wonderful acting, writing and the beginning of a great series!
8.) "There's No Place Like Springfield" -- G.I. Joe (Syndicated)
Season 1, Episodes 54/55 - December 12 & 13, 1985
Laugh
and make jokes if you will, but if you watch this season finale of G.I. Joe’s first season, you’ll see that
the cartoons I grew up with had actual plots and stories that made you think rather than just screaming and noises (a
foreign concept to kids nowadays, I know). The story revolves around Joe
soldier Shipwreck (Neil Ross, who does
his impression of an exaggerated, high-pitched Jack Nicholson), who lands on a supposed deserted island with
teammate Lady Jaye (Mary McDonald-Lewis)
to rescue Professor Mulaney, who is wanted by the Joe’s enemy, Cobra, because
of Cobra’s forcing the professor to work on a secret biological weapon formula
which weakens the bonding of oxygen and hydrogen in the water molecule,
basically making both into a bomb; in other words, large bodies of water could
be transformed into explosives. It may sound a little far-fetched but, c’mon,
it’s a cartoon – and I’ve seen some live-action shows which have had even more
ridiculous storylines since. Plus, when you’re a 9-year-old aspiring writer,
the drama of this episode is mind-boggling! What makes the story so much
greater is when the professor zaps the only unknown ingredient of the formula
into Shipwreck’s subconscious. The only way to get Shipwreck to remember the
ingredient is by uttering a password, which the professor whispers to Lady
Jaye. Soon after, the trio come under attack by Cobra with Mulaney being lost
and the two Joes having to escape. Shipwreck gets trapped in their escape
vehicle, which sinks underwater. When Shipwreck wakes up, he finds himself in
Springfield Medical Center, living a life where he is no longer a Joe but a
regular civilian … with a wife, Mara (his love interest from an earlier
episode), and a young daughter, Althea. According to Mara, six years prior,
Shipwreck escaped the submerging vehicle, got the professor’s formula to the
Joes and assisted in taking out the Cobras main base, bringing down the evil
organization, and leaving the Joes to disband since there was no longer any
need for them. Throughout his newfound life, Shipwreck meets his fellow Joes in
their new lives – except for Lady Jaye who was killed the night the Joes’
aircraft carrier sank – but he doesn’t remember much about his new life. Things
seem somewhat normal – with the exception of Shipwreck’s recurring nightmares –
until he sees Roadblock melt. From this point on, it is discovered that Cobra
is actually in control of Springfield and its inhabitants via synthoid
technology, and they are attempting to get the ingredient out of Shipwreck’s
head by giving him the life they think he wants. Again, it sounds a bit much,
but there is no cartoon for children out nowadays that has such a complex
storyline. This episode opened my mind to the possibilities of writing a great
story.
9.) "House's Head/Wilson's Heart" -- House (FOX)
Season 4, Episodes 15/16 - May 12 & 19, 2008
Loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, FOX's House pits the genius curmudgeon Vicodin addict doctor Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and his small, handpicked team of diagnosticians in the Diagnostic Medicine unit against mystery illnesses every week. His cynical, misanthropic ways are a complete opposite compared to the niceties of his oncologist best friend Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). Most mysteries House has no problem solving; however, then came the season four finale in which House is in a bus accident and keeps having recurring dreams of a strange woman on the bus who means something to him. Throughout the two-part episode, House has to piece together his shattered memory (thanks to self-induced drunkenness and being high) to try and figure out who the woman is and how to help her. When House does discover the woman's identity, it's not who he thought -- but rather someone he knows. The shock of the episode alone is worth this episode's place on this list.
10.) "The End" -- Lost (ABC)
Season 6, Episodes 17/18 - May 23, 2010
11.) "The Suitcase" -- Mad Men (AMC)
Season 4, Episode 7 - September 5, 2010
This is one of the finest examples of writing a drama series. Mad Men's protagonist Don Draper (Jon Hamm) -- no doubt one of the most complex characters ever created in television -- and his protege Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) have their mutual respect and business relationship cemented in this episode. As Jay said above, on its surface, the episode is about Draper and Olson working all night to solidify a "homerun" on the Samsonite account, even though it's Peggy's birthday. However, what lies underneath, are two things: first, Don's fear and avoidance of losing his friend, the "only person in the world who really knew" him, Anna Draper (the wife of the man whose identity he stole); and, second, Olson's beginning of similarities to Draper, as well as her being respected by him by standing up to him. The two expose themselves to each other -- Don's breaking down and crying in front of Olson, admitting he lost someone important to him, and Peggy's opening up about her illegitimate baby (this scene, pictured above, references my close second favorite episode, season two's "The New Girl"). Peggy definitely comes into her own in this episode as she sacrifices her birthday dinner with her "fiance" and family to work on the account with Don. Peggy sees her mentor and former boss drunkenly defend her honor from her one-time lover -- and Sterling & Cooper's former director of account services -- Duck Phillips (Mark Moses), only to see Don fail. Despite Don's failed fight and his throwing up in front of her so that she has to take care of him, she still admires him and respects him. This episode is the cornerstone in Don and Peggy's relationship and advances the comparative storyline of the two (this will come up more in future episodes such as season five's "Far Away Places"). At the end of the episode, a hungover Peggy wakes up in her office and finds a refreshed Don talking about the Ali-Liston boxing match, having found inspiration for the Samsonite account. She sees Don acting as if the entire night had not happened (a move she and the audience are used to seeing from him), but that changes when he quietly touches her hand and gives her a look as if to say "thank you." She smiles and the day goes on. It's a quick, quiet moment but an important one that sets the tone for these characters and the series.
12.) "Abyssinia, Henry" -- M*A*S*H (CBS)
Season 3, Episode 24 - March 18, 1975
One
of the longest running shows in TV history – with only Bonanza coming in ahead of it – M*A*S*H
was a take-off of the 1970 film, and took place during the Korean War,
following the lives of the doctors, nurses, soldiers and patients of the 4077th
M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit. The show ran for 11 seasons and
featured some of the finest comedy and drama on television then and since.
Before watching M*A*S*H, I didn’t
know sitcoms could be serious. The unit’s leader Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) was a bit of a
bumbling, sometimes ineffectual leader, but he was beloved by all of the
doctors and nurses in the M*A*S*H unit. In season three’s season finale, there
were laughs aplenty and a celebratory storyline in which Blake gets news that
he gets to go home – every enlisted man on the show’s dream. All seems happy
and weepy (in a good way) when the crew says their goodbyes to Blake. However,
war truly is hell and this is evidenced in the closing moments of the episode
when, during Pierce’s (Alan Alda)
and Burns’ (Larry Linville) usual
comedic, adversarial banter, a shocked Radar (Gary Burghoff) comes into the operating room and announces the
tragic death of Blake due to his plane being shot down by enemy fire. The
reaction of the actors is real as none of them knew of Blake’s fate until the
scene was shot. Great writing and acting all around!
13.) "Mirror Image - August 8, 1953" -- Quantum Leap (NBC)
Season 5, Episode 21 - May 5, 1993
Before
ABC’s Lost, there was a great
television drama which gave viewers time travel and stories rooted in
scientific theory: NBC’s Quantum Leap.
The protagonist Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott
Bakula) remains one of my favorite TV fictional characters and anyone who
watched the show can easily remember the show’s beginning introduction:
“Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. He woke to find
himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and
driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on
this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a
hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so, Dr. Beckett finds himself
leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and
hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home …” In the series
finale, Sam leaps into a bit of a time paradox of the future where he actually
sees himself – in his present state – in a mirror. The only person in the place
he’s leaped to is a mysterious bartender (Bruce
McGill), who helps Sam search history for Sam’s existence. During this
search, Sam learns more about the Quantum Leap project as well as who’s
responsible for his leaps through time. In the end, Sam comes to a choice of
getting what he’s always wanted, or helping another person desperately in need
– this time it being his guide and friend Al (Dean Stockwell). An unforgettable episode!
14.) "The Great Game" -- Sherlock (BBC One)
Season 1, Episode 3 - August 8, 2010
When screenwriters Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat,
and Stephen Thompson decided to
bring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
greatest creation Sherlock Holmes to the BBC for a contemporary update in 2010,
they adapted some of Doyle’s most famous Sherlock stories into mini-movies.
Each season has had only three episodes, but the episodes are about an
hour-and-a-half long. The inclusion of Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch), Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), Mrs. Hudson (Una
Stubbs), Detective Inspector Lestrade (Rupert
Graves), Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss),
and Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) are
all very welcome and the way they are adapted for this version is so brilliant
(I promise you’ve never thought of Irene Adler like this before)! However, it is the inclusion of Sherlock’s perfect
nemesis Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott)
that makes this series so excellent. In fact, it was difficult for me to choose
a favorite episode of this series as season two’s season finale “The
Reichenbach Fall.” In this season finale, Sherlock is put to the test by
Moriarty, who makes the sleuth travel around London, solving various mysteries
… or an innocent life will killed via a bomb-ridden vest, thus cementing his
intellect as on par with Sherlock’s. This episode also marks the visual
unveiling of Moriarty – and, my, what an introduction it is – resulting in a
“cliffhanger ending.”
15.) "The Accident" -- The Wonder Years (ABC)
Season 4, Episode 20 - April 24, 1991
SO many great episodes, it’s hard to pick just
one! Part of this show’s genius is that I remember watching it when I was the
same age as the young cast on the show and relating to all of the laughs and
heartbreak; and now that I’m a father, I can relate to the parents on the show.
Not many shows can have that kind of impact. If I had to pick two other
episodes that almost matched this episode, it would have to be season three’s
“Goodbye” (in which Kevin’s math teacher Mr. Collins unexpectedly dies), and
“Daddy’s Little Girl” (in which father Jack (Dan Lauria) and daughter Karen (Olivia d'Abo) butt heads when
it comes to her turning 18-years-old; makes me think of my girls when they get
older). The reason I picked this one is because the show’s two leads Kevin (Fred Savage) and Winnie (Danica McKellar) are growing up and
apart. Sadly, it is a hard truth of growing up that most comedies don’t
address, but The Wonder Years did it
so masterfully – and not just in this episode but many others. Plus, add in
older Kevin’s (Daniel Stern) poignant narration of coming to terms with it all
and there’s some great entertainment. But the topper of it all has to be the
end when Winnie goes on a car ride with her new friends and gets in an accident.
Even though Kevin knows that Winnie wants to forget her “old life”
(metaphorically – and humorously – shown when Kevin cannot not let go of Winnie
during a roller skate whip at the rink; she even tells him to “Let go. Kevin,
you’re holding me back!”), he can’t help but rush to her side. He is turned
away by her and her parents, but returns later, watching her through her
bedroom window as she rests, while Bob
Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” plays. Kevin realizes, for the first time, that
he truly loves Winnie; no matter what she does or who she dates, he loves her –
and not just in a romantic way, but in a much grander, unconditional way. When they
both say their “I love you”s, it’s a beautiful moment that is all a part of
growing up … and it’s beautifully-but-subtly captured here.
WARNING: Contains spoilers!
JAY: So, how was creating this list for you? For me it was pretty
hard. Even now I'm wondering if I've forgotten any that should have been
mentioned.
MATT: Yeah,
definitely difficult. It's like trying to narrow down your best albums ever.
Hey, next idea for an article!
JAY: That
would be a good one!
MATT: The
hardest part for me was finding the Mad
Men episode I wanted. I knew I loved "The Suitcase," but, I
swear, there was another. But I was wrong.
JAY: Yeah, Mad Men is a
tough one to pin down. There are lot of great moments within episodes, but I
like this one because it isn't about a moment but about the entire hour.
MATT: So what did you think of my picks?
Any disagreements?
JAY: Well, it's tough to say I disagree
with episodes you have on there that I've never seen.
You went further back then me. All in the Family, MASH, The Wonder
Years are all shows that I didn't watch religiously.
MATT: I have to
say I was never too crazy about The Larry Sanders Show or Twin Peaks.
JAY: I figured
you would disagree with my Twin Peaks
pick.
MATT: Ah yes. The decades-long "Twin
Peaks issue." Ha ha ha
JAY: It's a show that was pretty weird at
times, but I love that. I like to be surprised and like to catch myself saying, "Well, that's something I've never seen before."
MATT: I'm completely fine with weird
storylines but that show was simply too weird!
JAY: No, I get it. Lots of people feel that way.
It's a show about style and
substance. Unfortunately, it lost the substance over time and tried to survive
on style alone. That never works.
MATT: I think it's interesting that our Battlestar picks were not the critically-acclaimed "33"
episode.
JAY: Yeah, I love "33". I love
many many episodes of BSG.
MATT: I loved that episode but I feel like
it only made critics' lists because of the gimick of jumping every 33 minutes.
JAY: For me, "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship" are what I would show someone to convince them to watch the show.
MATT: When it comes to actual substance, I
think we picked better episodes.
JAY: Yeah, I agree. I love the original mini-series
though too. Again, I love beginnings!!
MATT: I have to admit that I picked my
episode because Starbuck is one of my most favorite complex characters!
JAY: I know you love her. The one I have to call you out on is
"The End" from Lost. You had to know you were gonna catch
shit for that one.
MATT: Yeah, I know. What now?
JAY: OK, I get how you connected with the
spiritual thing, but what makes people frustrated with that finale is how they
felt cheated by the creators of the show for not coming clean about the
essential prim question of the series: What the hell is the island??? I was shocked you picked that one,
honestly.
MATT: I thought it was well explained. The
island was the "cork" containing evil from spilling out into the
world.
JAY: OK . . . .so . . . . its a cork . .
. .
MATT: Well,
island explained. What's the issue?
JAY: I may need to re-watch the series
finale. I don't remember that. I think I was so disappointed that I consciously
chose to never watch it again.
MATT: It wasn't explained in the series
finale but in the season 6 episode "Ab Aeterno" (which centers around
Richard Alpert).
JAY: Oh. Is the evil that would spill
into the world the Smoke Monster?? I don't remember any of this!
MATT: Jacob explains the function of the
island, using a wine bottle as an analogy: the island acts as a cork that
"is the only thing keeping the darkness (metaphorically some unknown
embodiment of evil, perhaps even the Man in Black) where it belongs."
Without the "cork," the darkness would escape and spread.
JAY: I
had a really hard time choosing between two Lost episodes. I chose "The
Constant," but could easily have picked "Through the Looking
Glass." Remember that one?
MATT: YES! AGREED! My close second was
"Through the Looking Glass." Well, and "Greatest Hits."
I think people panned that episode and the Jacob/Man in Black episode "Across the Sea" for no good reason. I thought they were great episodes.
JAY: So,
we both chose the same Buffy episode. Have to say I'm not surprised.
I think people panned that episode and the Jacob/Man in Black episode "Across the Sea" for no good reason. I thought they were great episodes.
MATT: OHHH, the Buffy episode!
MATT: By far some of the best writing EVER
in a series. When I saw that Buffy never won any major awards for writing, I
decided awards shows were useless!
Yeah, I decided to never watch
awards shows after that realization.
JAY: True. I was listening to an
interview with Joss Whedon a few months back and he said that episode was what
he was most proud of -- out of anything he's done.
MATT: You hit it right on the head when
you said it "packed more emotion into an hour of television than most
Emmy-winning dramas could ever come close to." And it has especially with most of the dreck out today.
JAY: Good call. I have friends who refuse
to watch Buffy.
MATT: WHHAAA!? Refuse to watch Buffy!?
JAY: They laugh at my love for Buffy and
think it's ridiculous when I tell them it's the best TV show of all time.
MATT: Then I hate to say it, but they
sound like a bunch of pretentious hipsters.
Those friendships need to be called
into serious question!
JAY: You could call them that. I mean, it's nothing short of genius.
MATT: Remember when I insisted that you
take my DVDs and watch them!?
JAY: Yes. Have I thanked you for that
lately?
MATT: No.
But I know you're forever grateful.
JAY: Ha ha! I
think there has to be a Buffy column in our future.
MATT: DEFINITELY!!!
Is there a pick or show of mine that
you wish you had included?
JAY: Hmmmmm . . . . That Quantum Leap
pick was great. One of the best series finales of all time.
MATT: Yeah. Out of yours, I have to say I
was quite jealous of that 24 pick! Damn! That's so good, it
should've been mine!
JAY: I HATED Ryan Chapelle for the two
previous seasons. And the way Jack had to off him was so cathartic.
I instantly felt guilty for
disliking him.
MATT: What was so great about that season
was Jack's breaking down and crying at the end of the day (season)! Such great acting!
JAY: I remember that one too.
Picking an episode of G.I. Joe is
pretty ballsy.
MATT: That's right. I did it.
Watch that episode. There's some
pretty elaborate, grown-up storylines going on there!
JAY: I think it freaked me out when I was
a kid.
So, you didn't pick any episodes
from The Office or Smallville?
I know you loved those shows.
MATT: I thought of those. Both GREAT
series! But it was hard to think of one in particular that rose above the ones
I listed.
JAY: Going back to what you said earlier
. . . . The Larry Sanders Show is a pioneer of comic genius that pre-dated many
great sitcoms to come!
Jeffery Tambor is so good it's a
crime!
Give it a second chance some day.
MATT: I guess. But I loved Arrested
Development much more! The only problem with picking an episode from that
series is that they all are so funny and great. And you can't really just point
out just one.
JAY: Now that you mention it, I had an
Arrested Development episode on my shortlist.
Season three's "S.O.B.s"
(Save Our Bluths)
It was great how it was both about
saving the family in the show and also saving the show itself.
Other honorable mentions . . . .
The Office - "A Benihana
Christmas"
Homeland - "Marine One"
Justified - "Bloody
Harlen"
Six Feet Under - "That's My
Dog" (the one where David is kidnapped by the meth head, super freaky)
Freaks and Geeks - "The Little
Things"
All could have been on my list.
MATT: Smallville - "Absolute
Justice" (the first formation of the Justice League)
Freaks & Geeks - "Dead Dogs
& Gym Teachers"
JAY: Good one!
MATT: Chuck - "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater"
The Office - "Women's Appreciation"
Sherlock - "The Reichenbach Fall"
Sherlock - "The Reichenbach Fall"
The Walking Dead - "Pretty Much Dead Already"
The Wonder Years - "Goodbye"
The Wonder Years - "Daddy's Little Girl"
The Wonder Years - "Goodbye"
The Wonder Years - "Daddy's Little Girl"
JAY: Isn't Sherlock technically a
mini-series, not a television episode?
Could I have picked episodes from
Band of Brothers or Lonesome Dove??
MATT: No, Sherlock is a
series. There are more than one "episode" and several seasons.
JAY: Touche.
MATT: The third season starts January 1.
JAY: I know!! Can't wait!! And . . . .
Doctor Who Christmas Special next week!! New Doctor!! New Doctor!!
So, in conclusion we both agree
"The Body" is probably the best hour of TV of all time . . . .
I disagree with your pick of
"The End" from Lost . . . .
I like your picks of "Mirror
Image" from Quantum Leap, "Objects in Space" from Firefly,
"Maelstrom" from BSG, and the "Eyes Wide Open" from the
brilliant Friday Night Lights.
MATT: Don't forget we both also agree
about "The Suitcase" from Mad Men.
I like your picks of "Day 3:
6-7 a.m." from 24, "Out of Gas" from Firefly, "The
Constant" from Lost, and "Middle Ground" from The Wire.
And I disagree with your pick of the
"Pilot" episode from Twin Peaks.
JAY: Ugggghhhh, how can I get you to see
the greatness of Twin Peaks??!!!
MATT: Greatness!?!?! Never!
So what do any of you think? Agree with our picks? Disagree? Was there an episode you think should be added? Let us know in the comments below!
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