Below, find my top ten episodes for the 2007-2008 television season below, in no particular order. A few spoilers lie ahead, including the ending of "The Sopranos."
Pushing Daisies, "Pie-lette" - Barry Sonnenfeld and Bryan Fuller joined forces to bring us one of the most beautiful television series ever created, this hyper-stylized fairy tale world where a lovelorn pie-maker has the ability to bring the dead back to life. The cast is great, and writing is fun, but the production design and cinematography are what make this premiere especially memorable. The rest of the show, sadly, never quite lived up to it.
The Sopranos, "Made in America" - I nearly picked "Heidi and Kennedy" for Christopher, but the impact of "Made in America" helped to burnish the show's reputation in a way that keeps it in the public consciousness to this day. What happened after the screen cut to black? Is Tony dead? If so, who got him? In the end it doesn't matter. Whether Tony survives this outing or not, the pattern of his life and his inevitable fate are already set in stone.
30 Rock, "Rosemary's Baby" - As a "Star Wars" fan, I'm as glad to see Carrie Fisher guest starring as anyone. However, it's useless to claim that this episode isn't here because of one specific scene - Jack Donaghy taking over Tracy's therapy session with a glorious "Good Times" inspired rant that gives him the excuse to say "chifforobe." Is it racist? Is it in bad taste? Absolutely, but it's so sensationally done, all I could do was marvel at its existence.
Mad Men, "The Wheel" - The Carousel pitch is one of the high points of "Mad Men," putting Don Draper's talent for dream-building and self-deception on full display. Meanwhile, his marriage is in trouble, his family is on edge, and it will shock you how much "this never happened." The first season of "Mad Men" is still one of the best seasons of television ever made, and "The Wheel" is a great exemplar for why it resonates so deeply.
South Park, "Britney's New Look" - "South Park" was really good at occasionally delivering social critique in a way that made the message stick. So it goes with the incredibly dark episode where Britney Spears attempts to commit suicide but survives with most of her head blown off. This doesn't dissuade the paparazzi or the media apparatus at all. And the boys learn that modern pop stardom is the new form of ritual human sacrifice, because of course it is.
The Wire, "-30-" - I love that epic ending montage that checks in with so many characters, but what I find so striking about the final episode is that so much is left unresolved. Many fates are left up in the air and the only real resolution is that the cycles of crime, poverty, corruption, and institutional dysfunction will go on with a new generation. There's some hope offered, but little justice. I'd love another season, but no ending will be more fitting.
The IT Crowd, "The Work Outing" - It may not be the best episode of "The IT Crowd," but it's the one that everyone remembers. Generally gay panic themed media hasn't aged well over the past two decades, but this one is still a lot of fun. I'd call the depiction of "Gay!: A Gay Musical" over the top, except that the satire is pretty spot-on, honestly. Roy and Moss's antics at the theater are exactly what they should be, with a perfect comeuppance.
Breaking Bad, "And the Bag's in the River" - I picked the third episode of "Breaking Bad" over some of the more famous entries because this feels like some of the most interesting character turns for Walter White happen here. Forced into a life-or-death situation with Krazy-8, Walt takes his first major steps toward becoming the villain Heisenberg. I also love the thriller elements and fight scenes, including a truly jawdropping reveal.
John Adams, "Part I: Join or Die (1770-1774)" - HBO's "John Adams" miniseries remains a favorite. The premiere covers Adams' stint as defense counsel for the soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, demonstrating his moral forthrightness and sense of duty. It also sets the precedent for his involvement in the American Revolution, which requires long absences from his family and cultivating a reputation for obstinacy with the founding fathers.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, "February 4, 2008" - Do you remember that time that Jon Stewart at "The Daily Show," Stephen Colbert at "The Colbert Report," and Conan O'Brien had a feud over a Mike Huckabee interview? And the climax was all three of them throwing down in a hysterical mock fight over on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," set to an Arctic Monkeys song? I still think about this a lot.
Honorable mention:
Jimmy Kimmel, "February 1, 2008" - Speaking of feuds, Sarah Silverman's special birthday video for Kimmel, is still easily the best thing to have ever come out of the long-running Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon hostilities.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment