So it's been just under a week since the "Breaking Bad" finale, "Felina" aired and I finally think I'm ready to put my thoughts down. This isn't going to be a review; there'll definitely be thoughts on the show and the season in general, but nothing that I would call a review
Obviously, there are going to be spoilers for all things "Breaking Bad", so if you have any intention of watching or are a few episodes behind, do not read this. Or if you do, don't complain to me that I've spoiled things.
Spoilers below
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Monday, 2 January 2012
Favourite TV Shows 2011 - Top 11 Shows, #11 - 2
So here we are, to take a look back at what exactly my favourite TV shows of 2011 actually were. Whilst the vast majority of the new series were absolutely terrible (here's looking at you Whitney) but there were major bright spots thanks to the debuts of both Game of Thrones and Homeland. But as always, it's the returning shows where the best stuff was coming from, even in a year that didn't have a new season of Mad Men. So first are the honourable mentions followed by the full list down bellow.
Honourable Mentions
Archer
Bob's Burgers
Black Mirror
Cougar Town
Shameless US
Sons of Anarchy*
Wilfred
*for the vast majority of its fourth season, 'Sons of Anarchy' was actually enjoying a place within the Top 10. But then that finale aired, and it was pretty terrible, so sadly it gets relegated to an honourable mention thanks to a mostly good season.
11. United States of Tara
I came to United States of Tara late. However, because of people talking about the leap in quality the show had made in it's third and ultimately final season, I decided to give it a go. The first two seasons of United States of Tara were fairly lighthearted with occasionally forays into darkness out of necessity it's very hard to avoid the fact the main chracter is suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID). But the shows third season dives into the deep end of this darkness and begins tackling what actually caused her DID. What follows is a 12 part psychological thriller built around the family drama, where even though no one actually dies there's a very real, palpable sense of tension and dread. This is only made possible because of the fantastic performance that Toni Collette gives, jumping with ease between each of the different personalities, as well as the other fantastic cast members, including a brilliant guest role from Eddie Izzard. Whilst it is sad that Tara ended when it did, the final episodes hopeful note, even after the terror of the previous episodes, was the perfect end to what had become a great series.
10. Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire made it onto this list for one reason, and one reason only, that finale. The second season of HBO's gangster series was gripping, gorgeous and filled with many fantastic performances, including the brilliant Jack Huston and Michael Kenneth Williams, however it lacked cohesion from episode to episode. It felt like episodes alternated between being fantastic and slightly underwhelming, Jimmy's attempts at overthrowing Nucky felt like they played out in the background much of the time, and the lack of some of the stronger members of the supporting cast in some episodes was sorely felt. Then the finale pulled all of these seemingly disparate strands to make the season worth it, culminating in one of the most visually striking scenes of the season as Jimmy and Nucky have their final stand-off in the rain by the war memorial. It was a gutsy move to end their second season on, that I hope pays off in a big way in season three.
9. Doctor Who
If you've read this blog in the past, I've been quite critical of Doctor Who in years past. I thought Season four ended on a dreadful note, some of specials that aired in 2009 had some fantastic moments but that 'The End of Time' didn't truly come to life until David Tennant was saying goodbye and then Steven Moffat's first season as show runner was marked by the fact that almost no one, apart from Moffat himself, could write a compelling episode. Season six they fixed that. Yes the less said about the clone two-parter the better, but that led to the fantastic ending moment where the Amy we've been with most of the season is revealed to be a fake. All five of Moffat's episode were superb, but unlike every other season of Doctor Who they weren't the best; Neil Gaiman's 'The Doctor's Wife' which celebrated the Doctor's relationship with the TARDIS and was terrific, but perhaps the best episode was Tom MacRae's 'The Girl Who Waited', the episode that proved beyond a shadow a doubt that Amy Pond is easily the best of all the modern companions.
8. Adventure Time
The production schedule for Adventure Time makes it very difficult to tell what seasons actually aired in 2011, and it's even difficult to say if there has been a marked improvement from season to season. All I know is that in terms of what each episode actually achieves there's no show that is as creative as Adventure Time. From 'The Real You' to 'Death in Bloom' to 'Mortal Folly & Mortal Recoil' the episodes of Adventure Time season two that aired in 2011 would have earned it a place on this list, but then season three had 'Still', 'Memory of a Memory', 'Too Young', 'Fionna and Cake', 'What Was Missing', 'Thank You' AND 'Holly Jolly Secrets'. It's a stellar run of episodes for what is sure to become a children's TV classic in the years to come.
7. Homeland
There weren't many great new shows in 2012, there were some very good ones, which I have mentioned above in my honourable mentions, but in terms of great new shows? There were only two, Game of Thrones (which makes an appearance later) and Homeland. Homeland was a show that could have gone wrong at any second, the fact that it came from the creative team behind 24, a show known to go off the rails on occasion, meant that it was always a worry that Homeland could as well. Luckily Homeland didn't, in fact it just got better, particularly when it came to the episode 'The Weekend' wherein Carrie and Brody, both played masterfully by Claire Danes and Damien Lewis laid out almost every single secret that the two of them had in one of the best episodes of TV from the entirety of 2011. Whilst occasionally the flaws in the shows logic would show, particularly in the bunker scenes in an otherwise fantastic season finale, the performances by Danes, Lewis and Mandy Patinkin and the fact that the viewers expectations were frequently subverted, made Homeland's debut season one of the best in recent memory.
6. Justified
Like the second season of Sons of Anarchy, Justified took a leap in its second season and ascended to greatness. Of course Sons of Anarchy wasn't able to maintain that level of quality into it's third of fourth season, but for one glorious moment it was as good as any other drama on TV. I'm not saying that Justified's third season is going to follow the same trajectory, but it's going to be tough to find a villain who will be able to compete with Mags Bennett, played to perfection by Margo Martindale a character actress who finally got to prove just how good she could be given the right role. Justified's flaws are still it's flaws, the green screen in driving scenes is still awful and the other Marshals, Tim and Rachel are woefully under utilised but everything else about season two made up for that. The supporting cast featuring fantastic performances by Jeremy Davies and Kaitlyn Dever as well as Walton Goggins' Boyd Crowder getting to be a little bit more villainous than he was in season one and then there's Timothy Olyphant as Raylan, who might not be as flashy as the other actors on the show, but is the necessary anchor to it all. But at the end of the day, Season two of Justified gets this high for Margo Martindale alone because that's just how fantastic she was.
5. Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation season three was an all time great season of television, and I'm going to be saying that for a lot of the shows that will be appearing on the rest of this list. If Parks and Recreation had only aired it's 16 episode third season in 2011, then it would have probably placed a little higher on this list. Not that the episodes from season four were bad, but they lacked the cohesion and sheer brilliance that season three had. The whole cast wass utilised as well as any ensemble that I can think of on television, particularly thanks to amazing work from Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza and Adam Scott and classic episodes such as 'Flu Season', 'April and Andy's Fancy Party' and 'Li'l Sebastian'. Season three was a triumph in terms of pretty much everything, that I can't help but look at season four in a less light, even with fantastic moments such as April and Andy visiting the Grand Canyon in 'End of the World'. However, even if Parks and Recreation maintained it's season four level of quality for the rest of it's run, then I can almost guarantee it a top 5 placement next year, I just don't see them topping season three.
4. Louie
Louie season two took the foundation of what Louis C.K. did with the first season and just ran with it to all kinds of weird and wonderful places. The unpredictability of what exactly could happen on any given episode of Louie was ratcheted up a hundred fold. The premiere of season two was a 20 minute fart gag, 'Country Drive' had Louie singing the entirety of The Who's 'Who Are You', there was meditations on suicide, and a double length episode set in the Middle East. Maybe not everything in this second season hit its mark (I was not a fan of the episode 'Joan') but when Louie was working, which it was 95% of the time, it was one of the most hypnotically fascinating shows on television. Sometimes hysterical, other times deeply poignant, it's hard to say if a balance was hit between these emotions, only that each moment felt right and they felt earned. Louis C.K. proved himself to be something special with this season of Louie and I can honestly say that I have no clue what season three is going to hold, but that's perhaps the most exciting thing about it.
3. Game of Thrones
Many people would argue that Homeland had the stronger debut season in 2011, however in my opinion, almost no show on television this year was able to compete with how much excitement I had to watch a new episode of Game of Thrones each week. Yes, it took at least two viewings of the first episode and then about two further episodes until I was able to remember names and characters, but that didn't stop The Wire from being engrossing, and it also helped the George R. R. Martin's Westeros feels like a real place with a rich history. Of course, the vast majority of the praise for what makes Game of Thrones work should go to David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for their fantastic work adapting the novel to the small screen, but also knowing what to add and to take away. The fact that their additional scenes fit seamlessly into the narrative shows just how well they understand this series. Everything about Game of Thrones seemed to click, from great performances by Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke et al, to the stellar direction, particular by Alan Taylor for the penultimate episode of the season, 'Baelor'. That episode was the perfect culmination of the season and also the strongest example of what Weiss and Benioff had an almost uncanny ability to do, chose end of episode cliffhangers, because if you weren't going to come back after that ending, then there's something seriously wrong with you.
2. Breaking Bad
I am going to say something completely hyperbolic right now. I think that season four of Breaking Bad is about as good as a season of serialised dramatic TV can get. I would put it on the level as The Wire season three/four, which is about as good as television can get in my opinion. And yet, it only just misses out on the top spot of this list, but for lack of trying. Season four built on all of the foundations that Breaking Bad laid out for itself it's also seminal third season. Giancarlo Esposito completely dominates the entire season as Gustavo Fring, creating one of the greatest villains to ever grace the small screen and possibly one of the greatest villains ever. Of course Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and Dean Norris are all fantastic and should really go without saying, particularly with Cranston's being a three time Emmy winner for this show. Where season four really exceeded though was in the building of tension, from the superb use of silence in the season premiere 'Box Cutter', the meeting with the Cartel in 'Salud', Walt's laugh at the end of 'Crawl Space' or the eponymous moment from the finale 'Face-Off', Breaking Bad season four was a master class in making your audience sit on the edge of their seat. Now with three straight seasons of near perfection, it's hard not to wonder what the final 16 episodes are going to hold for Walt and Jesse, all I do know is they probably won't disappoint.
1. ???
And my number 1 show of 2011, will be revealed in a post dedicated entirely to it, and why it was the best TV show to air in this calendar year
11. United States of Tara
10. Boardwalk Empire
9. Doctor Who
8. Adventure Time
7. Homeland
6. Justified
5. Parks and Recreation
4. Louie
3. Game of Thrones
2. Breaking Bad
1. ???
And my number 1 show of 2011, will be revealed in a post dedicated entirely to it, and why it was the best TV show to air in this calendar year
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Favourite TV Shows 2011 - Top 11 Episodes of 2011
So this year I'm doing this list in a slightly different order. Instead of the normal music list first, followed by TV, followed by episodes, we're jumping straight into episodes. And don't expect to be able to guess the TV list from these episodes, considering about half of them won't be on my overall list at all. Onward to the honourable mentions! (Oh and spoilers for any of these shows that you haven't watched but will want to in the future).
Honourable Mentions:
Black Mirror - '15 Million Credits'
Doctor Who - 'The Girl Who Waited'
Chuck - 'Chuck versus the Santa Suit'
How I Met Your Mother - 'Ducky Tie'
Justified - 'Bloody Harlan'
Supernatural - 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
11. Adventure Time - 'Still'
Adventure Time is easily one of the weirdest shows currently airing on TV, and whilst it is definitely aimed at kids, there is still something for adults to appreciate. It might not be appearing on many critics lists for 2011 (although IGN did rank it their favourite Animated Show of the year), I'm going to be detailing probably my favourite episode Adventure Time aired all year. Ever since 2010's brilliant 'What is Life?' I fell in love with Gunter the Penguin, so having an episode which showcased how brilliant he is was always going to rank highly in my books. And that's not mentioning the brilliance of having the Ice King dress as a very creepy Finn or the fact that Finn's astral beast is just a whole load of butterflies. But it's Gunter that makes this episode, because who can't love the most evil thing in the world?
10. Homeland - 'The Weekend'
'The Weekend' was when Homeland proved it wasn't going to be like most shows on television. For a serialised show to essentially lay all of its cards out on the table halfway through its first season is a huge risk, that worked out wonderfully the show. Of course, being from the writers of 24, there was always the risk that the events of 'The Weekend' would be retconed in the future but that didn't happen. What makes 'The Weekend' such a great hour of television is the fact that it finally let us spend time with just Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) and Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes). The climax to this episode is just the two lead characters sat and discussing everything that has come before. It is wonderfully tense and beautifully acted scene that proves that tension can arise, even if the only thing happening on screen is a conversation.
9. Wilfred - 'Pride'
I'd enjoyed the episodes leading up to episode 7 of Wilfred. They were funny, dark and normally featured a cool guest star. But 'Pride' was when I decided I was in for the long run on this series. Reviewing an episode of comedy TV show pretty much comes down to whether that particular episode made you laugh, and 'Pride' did that. Whether it was the montage of Wilfred doing disgusting things to the stuffed giraffe Raffi or Jane Kaczmarek informing Elijah Wood when he goes down her that it was the "right rabbit, wrong hole" which elicited equal numbers of laughs and disgusted noises when it was uttered. Wilfred was one of my biggest surprises of 2011, and it's the episode that I keep going back to in my head as a signal to everything that the show does right.
8. Shameless US - 'But At Last Came a Knock'
I have to make the revelation that I've never actually seen a single episode of the UK version of Shameless, and seeing that I am from the UK, that is probably a huge travesty. But I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of the US version. What made Shameless US as good as it was were the fantastic performances by Emmy Rossum (seemingly making up for 'Dragonball Evolution' and 'The Day After Tomorrow'), Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan. The Gallagher kids story was easily one of the most engaging I saw in 2011, and whilst I thought that William H. Macy would sometimes drag the show down as Frank, 'But At Last Came a Knock' was an episode where he was used pretty much perfectly. The return of the kids mother was always going to be a big deal, and this episode handled the return perfectly. Emmy Rossum's impassioned speech at the hand being utterly superb. Whilst the follow-up episode fumbled the conclusion to this arc a little bit, it cannot take away from the sheer depth of emotion shown in this episode.
7. Boardwalk Empire - 'To The Lost'
After a season of pitting Boardwalk Empire's two leads, Nucky Thompson(Steve Buscemi) and Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) against each other, it seemed obvious that this war would have to end soon, presumably with some kind of truce. For a while, the finale seemed to play to audience expecations, with Nucky and Jimmy offering each other advice, and clearing up each others affairs, that is until the final scene. Boardwalk Empire's second season closed on what was surely pantheon level scene of television, with the climactic confrontation between Nucky and Jimmy, culminating with Nucky shooting Jimmy at point blank range in the head. Boardwalk Empire's second season may not be a truly great show just yet, but to take a chance as big as killing of the co-lead in only its second season, shows just how much potential there is for this show to reach the upper levels of television along with Breaking Bad and Mad Men.
6. Sons of Anarchy - 'Hands'
I'll leave my thoughts on the whole of Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy for another blog post (needless to say, they were mixed) but I do really need to highlight just how excellent 'Hands' really was. Airing just as the season was building to its climax, this felt like the watershed moment for the series as a whole. This was the beginning of the end, the moment that had been coming for almost four whole years. Clay finally went too far and Jax (or someone else in the club) was going to have to deal with the fact that he just beat Gemma. Maybe this wasn't as bad as other moments from previous seasons dealing with Clay, but we all knew that this was something that Jax could not forgive. And that's not even mentioning the permanent damage done to Tara by the kidnap/murder gone wrong (also orchestrated by Clay) which also led to a fantastic scene in the hospital as Jax and Tara realised that they'd never get out of Charming with the clubs blessing. The season stalled quite dramatically after this episode, but like Season 2's 'Balm' and Season 3's 'NS', 'Hands' proved that Sons of Anarchy is the more than capable of putting terrific episodes of television.
5. Louie - 'Eddie'
Before this episode of Louie, my only knowledge of Doug Stanhope had come from the little pieces that he does for Charlie Brooker's Newswipe series. These on the whole were a mixed bag. Because of this, I was little nervous about whether or not I'd enjoy an entire episode of Louie wherein Louis CK had to deal with Stanhope. I should not have worried in the slightest. Louis CK is one of the sharpest minds in comedy right, but he also has an innate ability to write a compelling dramatic piece as well. 'Eddie' deals almost exclusively with Louis coming to terms with the fact that one of his fellow comedians from his early days on the stand-up circuit has essentially told him that he plans to commit suicide that evening. The highlight of this episode comes near the end where Louis confronts Eddie after a night of drinking as they stand next to the car about he really shouldn't commit suicide. It's not something that you'd expect to come from a show advertised as a comedy, but it's handled with such grace that's hard not to just stand back and watch in awe as the scene plays out on the screen, without ever contradicting any of the previous moments of comedy in the episode.
4. Parks and Recreation - 'Andy and April's Fancy Party'
There were so many episodes that I could have chosen from Parks and Recreation in 2011. Season 3 was such a fantastic season, that an argument could be made for almost any episode (such as 'Flu Season', 'Lil' Sebastian' etc.) but I finally settled for 'Fancy Party', not only because it came as a complete surprise but also because it was pretty everything you could possibly want from an episode of Parks and Recreation, a mixture of sheer hilarity and a general sweetness and sense of positivity that is sometimes lacking in comedy. The wedding of Andy and April came out nowhere, but it made perfect sense for these two characters to do something this random and impulsive, and it was the perfect counter to the wedding of Jim and Pam on the Office. But it's the little things that will make a Parks and Recreation stand above the others such as the first appearance of Orin, Jean-Ralphio or the moment where the dead dove is released after the ceremony. Maybe other things did things better, such as have more Ron or were maybe funnier all the way through, but in 2011 no episode summed up why I watch Parks and Recreation more than 'Andy and April's Fancy Party'.
3. Game of Thrones - 'Baelor'
Before I even touch on the obvious big moment that closes out this episode, it needs to be said that 'Baelor' was absolutely packed to the brim with awesome moments. Whether or not it was the revelation that Robb Stark had managed to kidnap Jamie Lannister right from under Lord Tywin's eyes. Then there's the absolutely hysterical scene as Tyrion, Shae and Bronn stay up late drinking and trading stories. Tyrion easily became the closest thing to a break out character on Game of Thrones, and it was scenes like that proved why, incredibly charismatic and hilarious to match. Then across the Narrow Sea we had Daenerys dealing with the impending death of Khal Drogo from his infected wound from the previous episode, and her ultimate decision to use the forces of magic to try and keep him alive, even if it cost her the life of her child. But of course, the big part of this episode has to do with the killing of Ned Stark (Sean Bean). Sean Bean was obviously the big name draw to Game of Thrones, as well as the apparent lead in its first season. Of course the joke that Sean Bean dies in every movie was around, but they couldn't kill him off when he's the lead of TV series that is supposed to last many years? But that's what they did, and the writers of Game of Thrones proved that they had the balls to follow through entirely with the template left for them with George R. R. Martin's books, even if many people felt betrayed by the (necessary) death of Ned Stark.
2. The Office - 'Goodbye, Michael'
'Goodbye Michael' might not be the best episode that The Office ever produced, but it was the perfect send off for the character for the character Michael Scott and Steven Carell. Yes the show probably should have ended with this episode, and yes the parts of the season that weren't really dealing with it being Steve Carell's last year were just as flat as any moment from The Office's worst points. But the departure of Michael Scott was everything that a fan of this show could hope for. Every single fair well to all the characters on the show were pretty much perfect, and the moment that Jim walked into Michael's office once he realised that Michael wouldn't actually be showing up for his 'last day' tomorrow, the tears started to come. Sometimes emotions can make something seem better than it probably is (see the Lost finale), but if something makes you feel an emotion, then screw the tiny insignificant faults, you've been made to care about fictional people, and that's all that really matters in the end. And of course, Steve Carell's final words on the show were going to be 'that's what she said'.
1. Breaking Bad - 'Salud'
Every year I sit down to write this list, there are always one or two shows that could fill the entire lists with absolutely fantastic episodes, and for the past three years, Breaking Bad has been one of those shows. Narrowing down just one of the thirteen episodes from Breaking Bad Season 4 was so difficult, it could have easily been 'Box Cutter', 'Hermanos', 'Crawl Space' or 'Face-Off' but I have decided that 'Salud' is the episode that was probably the clearest example of what Breaking Bad so effortlessly good in its fourth year. Season 4 is the year that Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring) stepped up and proved that someone in the acting world could stand up to the immensity of Bryan Cranston (Walter White) and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), and this episode played to all three of their strengths. From Walt's tearful admission of guilt to his son, to the intensity of the final few minutes as Gus put his plan into motion to poison Don Eladio and all of his capos. Director Michelle MacLaren (Season 3's 'One Minute') continues to prove that she is one of the best directors currently working in television, as she directs the best episode of the year two years in a row.
Honourable Mentions:
Black Mirror - '15 Million Credits'
Doctor Who - 'The Girl Who Waited'
Chuck - 'Chuck versus the Santa Suit'
How I Met Your Mother - 'Ducky Tie'
Justified - 'Bloody Harlan'
Supernatural - 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
11. Adventure Time - 'Still'
Adventure Time is easily one of the weirdest shows currently airing on TV, and whilst it is definitely aimed at kids, there is still something for adults to appreciate. It might not be appearing on many critics lists for 2011 (although IGN did rank it their favourite Animated Show of the year), I'm going to be detailing probably my favourite episode Adventure Time aired all year. Ever since 2010's brilliant 'What is Life?' I fell in love with Gunter the Penguin, so having an episode which showcased how brilliant he is was always going to rank highly in my books. And that's not mentioning the brilliance of having the Ice King dress as a very creepy Finn or the fact that Finn's astral beast is just a whole load of butterflies. But it's Gunter that makes this episode, because who can't love the most evil thing in the world?10. Homeland - 'The Weekend'
'The Weekend' was when Homeland proved it wasn't going to be like most shows on television. For a serialised show to essentially lay all of its cards out on the table halfway through its first season is a huge risk, that worked out wonderfully the show. Of course, being from the writers of 24, there was always the risk that the events of 'The Weekend' would be retconed in the future but that didn't happen. What makes 'The Weekend' such a great hour of television is the fact that it finally let us spend time with just Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) and Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes). The climax to this episode is just the two lead characters sat and discussing everything that has come before. It is wonderfully tense and beautifully acted scene that proves that tension can arise, even if the only thing happening on screen is a conversation.9. Wilfred - 'Pride'
I'd enjoyed the episodes leading up to episode 7 of Wilfred. They were funny, dark and normally featured a cool guest star. But 'Pride' was when I decided I was in for the long run on this series. Reviewing an episode of comedy TV show pretty much comes down to whether that particular episode made you laugh, and 'Pride' did that. Whether it was the montage of Wilfred doing disgusting things to the stuffed giraffe Raffi or Jane Kaczmarek informing Elijah Wood when he goes down her that it was the "right rabbit, wrong hole" which elicited equal numbers of laughs and disgusted noises when it was uttered. Wilfred was one of my biggest surprises of 2011, and it's the episode that I keep going back to in my head as a signal to everything that the show does right.8. Shameless US - 'But At Last Came a Knock'
I have to make the revelation that I've never actually seen a single episode of the UK version of Shameless, and seeing that I am from the UK, that is probably a huge travesty. But I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of the US version. What made Shameless US as good as it was were the fantastic performances by Emmy Rossum (seemingly making up for 'Dragonball Evolution' and 'The Day After Tomorrow'), Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan. The Gallagher kids story was easily one of the most engaging I saw in 2011, and whilst I thought that William H. Macy would sometimes drag the show down as Frank, 'But At Last Came a Knock' was an episode where he was used pretty much perfectly. The return of the kids mother was always going to be a big deal, and this episode handled the return perfectly. Emmy Rossum's impassioned speech at the hand being utterly superb. Whilst the follow-up episode fumbled the conclusion to this arc a little bit, it cannot take away from the sheer depth of emotion shown in this episode.7. Boardwalk Empire - 'To The Lost'
After a season of pitting Boardwalk Empire's two leads, Nucky Thompson(Steve Buscemi) and Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) against each other, it seemed obvious that this war would have to end soon, presumably with some kind of truce. For a while, the finale seemed to play to audience expecations, with Nucky and Jimmy offering each other advice, and clearing up each others affairs, that is until the final scene. Boardwalk Empire's second season closed on what was surely pantheon level scene of television, with the climactic confrontation between Nucky and Jimmy, culminating with Nucky shooting Jimmy at point blank range in the head. Boardwalk Empire's second season may not be a truly great show just yet, but to take a chance as big as killing of the co-lead in only its second season, shows just how much potential there is for this show to reach the upper levels of television along with Breaking Bad and Mad Men.6. Sons of Anarchy - 'Hands'
I'll leave my thoughts on the whole of Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy for another blog post (needless to say, they were mixed) but I do really need to highlight just how excellent 'Hands' really was. Airing just as the season was building to its climax, this felt like the watershed moment for the series as a whole. This was the beginning of the end, the moment that had been coming for almost four whole years. Clay finally went too far and Jax (or someone else in the club) was going to have to deal with the fact that he just beat Gemma. Maybe this wasn't as bad as other moments from previous seasons dealing with Clay, but we all knew that this was something that Jax could not forgive. And that's not even mentioning the permanent damage done to Tara by the kidnap/murder gone wrong (also orchestrated by Clay) which also led to a fantastic scene in the hospital as Jax and Tara realised that they'd never get out of Charming with the clubs blessing. The season stalled quite dramatically after this episode, but like Season 2's 'Balm' and Season 3's 'NS', 'Hands' proved that Sons of Anarchy is the more than capable of putting terrific episodes of television.5. Louie - 'Eddie'
Before this episode of Louie, my only knowledge of Doug Stanhope had come from the little pieces that he does for Charlie Brooker's Newswipe series. These on the whole were a mixed bag. Because of this, I was little nervous about whether or not I'd enjoy an entire episode of Louie wherein Louis CK had to deal with Stanhope. I should not have worried in the slightest. Louis CK is one of the sharpest minds in comedy right, but he also has an innate ability to write a compelling dramatic piece as well. 'Eddie' deals almost exclusively with Louis coming to terms with the fact that one of his fellow comedians from his early days on the stand-up circuit has essentially told him that he plans to commit suicide that evening. The highlight of this episode comes near the end where Louis confronts Eddie after a night of drinking as they stand next to the car about he really shouldn't commit suicide. It's not something that you'd expect to come from a show advertised as a comedy, but it's handled with such grace that's hard not to just stand back and watch in awe as the scene plays out on the screen, without ever contradicting any of the previous moments of comedy in the episode.4. Parks and Recreation - 'Andy and April's Fancy Party'
There were so many episodes that I could have chosen from Parks and Recreation in 2011. Season 3 was such a fantastic season, that an argument could be made for almost any episode (such as 'Flu Season', 'Lil' Sebastian' etc.) but I finally settled for 'Fancy Party', not only because it came as a complete surprise but also because it was pretty everything you could possibly want from an episode of Parks and Recreation, a mixture of sheer hilarity and a general sweetness and sense of positivity that is sometimes lacking in comedy. The wedding of Andy and April came out nowhere, but it made perfect sense for these two characters to do something this random and impulsive, and it was the perfect counter to the wedding of Jim and Pam on the Office. But it's the little things that will make a Parks and Recreation stand above the others such as the first appearance of Orin, Jean-Ralphio or the moment where the dead dove is released after the ceremony. Maybe other things did things better, such as have more Ron or were maybe funnier all the way through, but in 2011 no episode summed up why I watch Parks and Recreation more than 'Andy and April's Fancy Party'.3. Game of Thrones - 'Baelor'
Before I even touch on the obvious big moment that closes out this episode, it needs to be said that 'Baelor' was absolutely packed to the brim with awesome moments. Whether or not it was the revelation that Robb Stark had managed to kidnap Jamie Lannister right from under Lord Tywin's eyes. Then there's the absolutely hysterical scene as Tyrion, Shae and Bronn stay up late drinking and trading stories. Tyrion easily became the closest thing to a break out character on Game of Thrones, and it was scenes like that proved why, incredibly charismatic and hilarious to match. Then across the Narrow Sea we had Daenerys dealing with the impending death of Khal Drogo from his infected wound from the previous episode, and her ultimate decision to use the forces of magic to try and keep him alive, even if it cost her the life of her child. But of course, the big part of this episode has to do with the killing of Ned Stark (Sean Bean). Sean Bean was obviously the big name draw to Game of Thrones, as well as the apparent lead in its first season. Of course the joke that Sean Bean dies in every movie was around, but they couldn't kill him off when he's the lead of TV series that is supposed to last many years? But that's what they did, and the writers of Game of Thrones proved that they had the balls to follow through entirely with the template left for them with George R. R. Martin's books, even if many people felt betrayed by the (necessary) death of Ned Stark.2. The Office - 'Goodbye, Michael'
'Goodbye Michael' might not be the best episode that The Office ever produced, but it was the perfect send off for the character for the character Michael Scott and Steven Carell. Yes the show probably should have ended with this episode, and yes the parts of the season that weren't really dealing with it being Steve Carell's last year were just as flat as any moment from The Office's worst points. But the departure of Michael Scott was everything that a fan of this show could hope for. Every single fair well to all the characters on the show were pretty much perfect, and the moment that Jim walked into Michael's office once he realised that Michael wouldn't actually be showing up for his 'last day' tomorrow, the tears started to come. Sometimes emotions can make something seem better than it probably is (see the Lost finale), but if something makes you feel an emotion, then screw the tiny insignificant faults, you've been made to care about fictional people, and that's all that really matters in the end. And of course, Steve Carell's final words on the show were going to be 'that's what she said'.1. Breaking Bad - 'Salud'
Every year I sit down to write this list, there are always one or two shows that could fill the entire lists with absolutely fantastic episodes, and for the past three years, Breaking Bad has been one of those shows. Narrowing down just one of the thirteen episodes from Breaking Bad Season 4 was so difficult, it could have easily been 'Box Cutter', 'Hermanos', 'Crawl Space' or 'Face-Off' but I have decided that 'Salud' is the episode that was probably the clearest example of what Breaking Bad so effortlessly good in its fourth year. Season 4 is the year that Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring) stepped up and proved that someone in the acting world could stand up to the immensity of Bryan Cranston (Walter White) and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), and this episode played to all three of their strengths. From Walt's tearful admission of guilt to his son, to the intensity of the final few minutes as Gus put his plan into motion to poison Don Eladio and all of his capos. Director Michelle MacLaren (Season 3's 'One Minute') continues to prove that she is one of the best directors currently working in television, as she directs the best episode of the year two years in a row.
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a slow paced movie.
Not that I mean that in a bad way at all.
Of course, a film with a running time of two hours and seven minutes built upon moments of silence was never going to be as fast paced as any number of modern spy thrillers. But Tomas Alfredson (last seen directing the brilliant Let The Right One In back in 2008) has created a film that harkens back to the spy thrillers of yesteryear, and does away with the need for non-stop action.
Based on the 1974 novel John le Carré (as well as the 1979 BBC miniseries), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is heavily influenced by 1970s conspiracy thrillers. Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired M16 operative is called back in to the spy world, to investigate who within M16 is a Soviet mole. Playing the four suspects are Toby Jones as Percy Alleline (Tinker), Colin Firth as Bill Haydon (Tailor), Ciarán Hinds as Roy Bland (Soldier) and David Dencik as Toby Esterhase (Poorman). From there, the plot gets understandably more complex.
It is here, however, that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy runs into its biggest flaw. Whilst the plot may seem to drag at times (particularly during its first act), it would have been greatly improved if it had had more time to play-out its ideas. This is not to say that it should have been longer, more-so that maybe it should have been adapted as a miniseries, like the 1979 original. It would have given more time for actors such as Colin Firth and Toby Jones to make more of an impact, and to add weight to some suspects (such as Ciarán Hinds) who are sidelined for the majority of the film More time spent with the suspects would have allowed more chance to surprise the audience, rather than having it be one of two characters on whom the most time is spent.
But making it as a minseries would have probably acted as a double edged sword, in that whilst obvious improvements could have been made in terms of depth, the quality of actors would be almost sure to decline.
Whilst many of the film's actors are relegated to a single scene, these scenes are uniformly fantastic. Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) relating the events of his time to Russia to Smiley and Peter Guillam's (Bendict Cumberbatch) reactions as he is interrogated by the top members of Circus, being some of the best examples of the great acting work that is at hand in this film
This is of course probably Gary Oldman's strongest chance of winning an Oscar in years, and he is given ample opportunity to lay down his claim. This is particularly true in the scene where he recounts his sole encounter with the Russian spy, Karla, by re-enacting it to a distressed Bendict Cumberbatch. An utterly compelling scene that manages to shine in a film filled with so many of them.
Despite reservations at the films length, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a triumph. It's pacing may be a turn off to many but Tomas Alfredson has continued his sterling work from Let The Right One In and made another fantastic film. With the sheer strength of the acting talent on display, in particular the performances of Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch, and the sure to be award winning performance by Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy is simply put one of the best films released in 2011.
9/10
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
X-Men: First Class Review
I don't think it can be understated just how much of the films strengths lie on Matthew Vaughan (director of last year's brilliant Kick-Ass) who brings so much to the franchise (after dropping out of directing Last Stand). Gone is the darker tone of the X-Men films of the last decade, instead settling on a far more fun tone that goes hand in hand with the 60s setting. The sets look brighter and more colourful, as do the costumes (including Emma Frost who seems to only wear lingerie....not that I'm complaining) and there are obvious James Bond parallels that can also be levelled, particularly at the early scenes featuring Michael Fassbender. Matthew Vaughan was exactly what the franchise needed two films ago, but now that he seems to have full reign of the franchise I couldn't be happier.
The anchor to this film is, of course, the relationship between Michael Fassbender's Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto and James McAvoy's Charles Xavier/Professor X. Luckily, both are absolutely fantastic. Quite easily they are able to live up to the performances given by Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen in the older X-Men films, whilst also appearing to having more fun in their roles than those veteran actors.
X-Men: First Class's Charles Xavier feels more human than before, actually spending his time drinking, womanising and just having a good time. Of course we still have to see his more serious side and driven nature, but at least we get to see a refreshing new side to the character. But the true revelation here is Michael Fassbender (also fantastic in 2009's Inglorious Basterds), his Magneto is utterly tormented by his childhood in a WW2 Concentration camp and yet is a completely relate-able character despite the audience knowing what Magneto will eventually become. It becomes clear from early scenes that Fassbender shoulders a large piece of this movie on his own (and would make for a fantastic James Bond) but it's the scenes between Charles and Erik that make 'X-Men: First Class' as great as it is.
Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is the villain intrinsicly linked to Magneto's past and shown to be an instigator behind the Cuban Missile Crisis. His aims might seem oddly cartoonish, especially in context of the rest of the film, but the anguish that he has caused, make him a compelling force throughout. Particularly in any scene when he is paired with Fassbender. The chilly January Jones plays Emma Frost, carrying over almost the exact same performance from Mad Men, but it's good one so we ignore that. Sadly though, some of the other villains in the Hellfire Club just aren't serviced in the plot well enough at all, receiving maybe a half dozen words between them. And it's here that the main weakness within the film lies.
Whilst James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are clearly great as the leads, the other X-Men are left with minimal screen time, with only Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique and Nicholas Hoult's Beast getting any time to themselves. It helps that Hoult and Lawrence are good, but characters such as Lucas Till's Havok and Caleb Landry Jones' Banshee are short changed. The film does a great job at creating these characters and setting up their world, but it's the sequel that's going to be the one that is able to take full advantage of it.
Apart from some dodgy special effects and the obvious growing pains that come with having to introduce an entire universe within two hours, X-Men: First Class achieves what it sets out to. At times it might bite off a bit too much, but it all goes towards creating this new cinematic world. If you were left disappointed by the last two X-Men films, then this will almost certainly make you happy. In many ways it does a far better job at introducing the X-Men than 2000's own 'X-Men' film, and apart from those teething problems, this is a world that I want to spend a more time in. It's good to see that the franchise has once again found it's feet (although I am disappointed that Darren Aronofsky dropped out of The Wolverine*). 'X-Men: First Class' is a great first step to rejuvenating the X-Men franchise and I can't wait to see where Matthew Vaughan takes them next.
8/10
*speaking of Wolverine......
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Top 10 Lost Episodes - One Year Later Edition
So yesterday/today (depending on where you live) marked the end of the sixth season of Lost and so I wanted to do something to mark the occasion. Yesterday, after finishing my final exam of the year, I watched the final episode of Lost, 'The End' and now I've decided to mark the day the actual finale aired in the UK (at stupid o'clock in the morning) by revisiting a post I did last year before the sixth season had even aired. So after 113 episodes and 121 hours of television, here are my picks for my favourite episodes.
Honourable Mentions:
Honourable Mentions:
Season 1: All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues / Deus Ex Machina / Exodus
Season 2: 23rd Psalm / The Long Con / Lockdown / ? / Live Together, Die Alone
Season 3: Flashes Before Your Eyes / The Man From Tallahassee* / The Brig / Man Behind the Curtain / Greatest Hits
Season 4: Cabin Fever
Season 5: Jughead / LaFleur / Dead is Dead / The Variable / The Incident*
Season 6: LA X / The Substitute / Dr. Linus / Happily Ever After / The Candidate / What They Died For
And now on with the list (and of course SPOILER ALERT for all 6 seasons of the show:
10. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham - Season 5 / Locke centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
We all knew that this episode was coming. Since the season 3 finale, this episode was almost a necessity to explain who was in that damned coffin and why exactly they ended up there. We already knew Locke was in there, and we'd already seen him walking around after having being killed so what was left to shock the audience? Well that scene where Ben convinces Locke to not hang himself and then almost immediately strangles him using the very same rope he would have hung himself with. And of course the added poignancy that this episode really was the last time we saw Locke alive. One of the best bait and switches the show has ever done, and it pulled it off superbly.
9. Ab Aeterno - Season 6 / Richard centricWritten by: Melinda Hsu Taylor & Greggory Nations / Directed by: Tucker Gates
After 4 seasons of getting to know the character of Richard, we still didn't know all that much about him. We knew he didn't age and that he had close ties to Jacob, but we didn't find out his backstory until this amazing Season 6 episode. Not only did we finally get an answer to the mystery of how exactly the Black Rock ended up in the middle of the jungle but also what destroyed the Four-Toed Statue and probably the most definitive answer we'll ever get as to what exactly the island is. All this, as well as getting to know the characters of Jacob and The Man in Black a little better. This could have turned the episode into an info dump, but a fantastic performance from Nestor Carbonell helped salvage it and he gave his best performance of the entire show, proving that he earned that regular credit far more than say Ilana .
8. Man of Science, Man of Faith - Season 2 / Jack centric
Written by: Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
The premiere of the second season was probably the best episode of that entire season, not only did it offer a statisfying answer to the cliffhanger at the end of season 1, with quite possibly the single best scene that Lost ever produced, but also came at time where Jack centric episodes still felt fresh and needed rather than the jumbled mess that they would become later like in Season 3's 'Stranger in a Strange Land'. It also marked our introduction to the character of Desmond, who became one of the shows strongest characters in later seasons. Yes the Swan hatch may have been a small waste of an entire season in hindsight, but at the beginning this was a fantastic opening to that chapter of the Losties island quest and still contained some of the best acting that Terry O'Quinn gave on the entire show. But yeah, I'm all here because of the Mamma Cass song that opened the season. "But you've gotta make your own kind of music, sing your own special song. Make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along"
7. The Shape of Things to Come - Season 4 / Ben centric
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan & Drew Goddard / Directed by: Jack Bender
The first episode back after writer's strike really set Season 4 up to have a mind blowing ending (which it did). Despite Ben still having a very rich past to delve into, this episode delved into his future and showed us what exactly he was doing off the island after it was revealed he was Sayid's employer in 'The Economist'. What followed was an hour filled with taut conversations between Ben and Sayid or Ben and Charles Widmore, and that's forgetting the island half of the story where shit was getting real. The mercenaries had killed Rousseau and Karl and kidnapped Alex and I don't think anyone was expecting Keamy to shoot Alex point blank so coldly after Ben tried to manipulate him into letting her go. This was one of Ben's greatest failures and he paid the price dearly. Michael Emerson sold the hell out of every scene in this episode, showing the pain he felt at causing the events that led to his daughter's murder. So he sets the Smoke Monster on them. Any episode with fantastic acting and an epic smoke monster attack is going to rank highly, and this one is probably the best of those in the entire series' run.
6. There's No Place Like Home - Season 4 / Oceanic Six centric
Written by: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse / Directed by: Jack Bender & Stephen Williams
Remember how I said Season 4 ended in a big way? This is that big way. Filling in the blanks of how exactly that mind blowing twist that concluded Season 3 actually happened by showing us who got off the island and how they did. Throughout there were noble sacrifices on the behalf of Michael and Sawyer, tragic seperations with Jin being left on the Freighter as it exploded and Desmond finally reuinting with Penny (yes I cried). Oh and the twist which was codenamed 'Frozen Donkey Wheel' which little did the fans know was a very literal interpreation of what the twist was. All three hours of Lost's Season 4 finale were just jam packed with so much action, and brilliance that it could have felt overstuffed but it didn't, instead it was just a fantastic capper to a season which many agree ended the first year of Lost's incredible mid-life renaissance. And that's not even mentioning the fact that we fianlly found out that it was Locke who was in the coffin at the end of Season 3...
5. The End - Season 6 / Everyone centric
Written by: Damon Linedolf & Carlton Cuse / Directed by: Jack Bender
Perhaps a controversial decision? But I don't care. I loved the ever loving shit out of this episode. After spending the vast majority of my teenage years obsessing over the show, 'The End' did not dissapoint. Yes, in retrospect the flash-sideways were perhaps a little pointless and not every question that the show ever posed was answered, but as the last 2.5 hours we were ever going to spend with Jack and Hurley and Sawyer and Kate and Locke and Ben and Juliet and everyone else, it was perfection. Everyone involved in the production was on the top of their game, with special shout-outs going to both Michael Giacchino for his brilliant score and Jack Bender for his tireless work behind the camera. We had a chance to say goodbye to nearly every character the show had let us grow attached to over the years, we (I) cried, we (I) laughed and we (I) were (was) blown away by the pure adreneline rush of the whole episode. This was the only way that Lost could have possibly ended and I'm pleased as hell that I got to be there to watch it happen.
4. Pilot - Season 1 / Jack, Kate & Charlie centric
Written by: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof & Jeffrey Lieber / Directed by: J.J. Abrams
It's very apt to have this episode directly follow 'The End', not only because of the amount of similarities between the show's first and sixth seasons, but because they mark the beginning and the end of the phenomenon. Back on the 22nd September 2004, Lost began with one of the best television pilots that has ever been produced. The fact that the show was only able to surpass this episode three times throughout it's run (in my opinion of course) is a fundamental statement behind just how much this episode got right. So much of what made Lost amazing was already present in this episode, the fantastic on location shooting, the original score, characters with actual depth and mysteries that pervaded the show throughout it s entire run. Whilst the show only expanded from this point and the show that concluded last year was a fundamentally different beast to some of the seeds sewn in this first episode, that does not stop this episode from being fantastic. It's main aim was to hook people from the beginning, and it did that, and then the show kept me hooked for the entirety of its time on the air.
3. Walkabout - Season 1 / Locke centric
Written by: David Fury / Directed by: Jack Bender
Whilst 'Pilot' had me hooked for a little while, it was 'Walkabout' that made me know I'd be sticking with this show for its entire duration. The previous episode 'Tabula Rasa' still had all the signs that this show was going to initially be about Kate, but 'Walkabout' was where we got a true sense of the ensemble and the true acting might of Terry O'Quinn. O'Quinn would go on to become the show's MVP during its low points but here is the episode which began to scratch at the surfact of his character. 'Walkabout' superbly introduces the tragic character of John Locke, still probably the greatest acheivement of the entire show, and gives us a compelling on and off island narrative. On island we are introduced to John Locke, a man with no fear whereas off island we meet the fundamentally broken John Locke, the contrast between these two was one of Lost's most compelling uses of the flashback format making the audience want to know what in that plane crash changed this man so much, then we found out. HE WAS IN A FREAKING WHEELCHAIR OFF ISLAND?!?!? Still standing as one of the most compelling story threads throughout all of Lost focused on John Locke and that wheelchair and this is where that was introduced, and it still stands tall as one of the best single episodes of Lost.
2. Through the Looking Glass - Season 3 / Jack centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
The Season 3 finale had to be on this list because this the episode where Lost probably started to run head first into it's endgame. Of course, overwhelmingly, it is remembered for that final twist and a bearded Jack yelling at Kate "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!", which remains one of Lost's most quotable lines, but there's so much more to this episode. There was the complete decimation of the Others, the 'villains' of the first three seasons of the show, getting to see Rousseau's radio tower mentioned all the way back in Season 1 and the answer to what that wire was that Sayid found in Season 1. We have the beach assault with the "FUCK YEAH" moment when Hurley ran other one of the Other's in a Dharma van, closesly followed by Sayid breaking a guys neck with his FREAKING LEGS!! Sawyer killing Mr. Friendly in retaliation for kidnapping Walt in Season 1. Locke's ghostly visit from Walt leading to him knifing Naomi in the back. The whole idea of a Freighter coming to the island to take them home! And of course the events down in the Looking Glass. Charlie's conversation with Desmond's girlfriend then realising that she wasn't the one who had sent the boat which was closely followed by his death at the hands of Mikhail (still one of Lost's saddest moments) and of course "NOT PENNY'S BOAT". 'Through the Looking Glass' was a jam packed 2 hours of entertainment, something that rivalled movies in terms of production, and yet it's better than movies because it was preceeded by 70 hours of getting to know these characters. 'Through the Looking Glass' is just a breath taking acheivement in television and not many episodes of television can top it...
1. The Constant - Season 4 / Desmond centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
...but one episode has. 'The Constant' in many ways is the opposite of 'Through the Looking Glass'. Focusing almost entirely on Desmond (another of the show's best characters), 'The Constant' creates a far more intimate feeling. First and foremost 'The Constant is love story, the greatest love story that Lost ever told, between Desmond and Penny. Desmond quite literally has to battle against time itself to reuinte with his love or else he will die. Whilst some may be turned off by the overt sci-fi nature of the episode, what really grounds is the work that Henry Ian Cusick and Sonya Walger put in to really ground the emotion. The sense of elation that is felt during the final phonecall is incredible. To put it simply 'The Constant is the best writen, directed, acted and scored episode of the entire show. Despite in many ways being a stand-alone episode it just works. There's a reason that Desmond and Penny were the couple that fans of the series rooted for the most, and 'The Constant' is the purest distilation of the chemistry that made that so. 'The Constant' might be marked as the point where Lost began to show it's true science fiction colours, but it did so in one of it's most emotional and intimate episodes ever and it's a true testament to the cast and crew that it worked. Some of the other episodes might be truer reflections of what the show was, but 'The Constant' stands as my favourite episode of the shows entire run.
See ya in another life brother.
Season 2: 23rd Psalm / The Long Con / Lockdown / ? / Live Together, Die Alone
Season 3: Flashes Before Your Eyes / The Man From Tallahassee* / The Brig / Man Behind the Curtain / Greatest Hits
Season 4: Cabin Fever
Season 5: Jughead / LaFleur / Dead is Dead / The Variable / The Incident*
Season 6: LA X / The Substitute / Dr. Linus / Happily Ever After / The Candidate / What They Died For
And now on with the list (and of course SPOILER ALERT for all 6 seasons of the show:
10. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham - Season 5 / Locke centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
We all knew that this episode was coming. Since the season 3 finale, this episode was almost a necessity to explain who was in that damned coffin and why exactly they ended up there. We already knew Locke was in there, and we'd already seen him walking around after having being killed so what was left to shock the audience? Well that scene where Ben convinces Locke to not hang himself and then almost immediately strangles him using the very same rope he would have hung himself with. And of course the added poignancy that this episode really was the last time we saw Locke alive. One of the best bait and switches the show has ever done, and it pulled it off superbly.
9. Ab Aeterno - Season 6 / Richard centricWritten by: Melinda Hsu Taylor & Greggory Nations / Directed by: Tucker Gates
After 4 seasons of getting to know the character of Richard, we still didn't know all that much about him. We knew he didn't age and that he had close ties to Jacob, but we didn't find out his backstory until this amazing Season 6 episode. Not only did we finally get an answer to the mystery of how exactly the Black Rock ended up in the middle of the jungle but also what destroyed the Four-Toed Statue and probably the most definitive answer we'll ever get as to what exactly the island is. All this, as well as getting to know the characters of Jacob and The Man in Black a little better. This could have turned the episode into an info dump, but a fantastic performance from Nestor Carbonell helped salvage it and he gave his best performance of the entire show, proving that he earned that regular credit far more than say Ilana .8. Man of Science, Man of Faith - Season 2 / Jack centric
Written by: Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
The premiere of the second season was probably the best episode of that entire season, not only did it offer a statisfying answer to the cliffhanger at the end of season 1, with quite possibly the single best scene that Lost ever produced, but also came at time where Jack centric episodes still felt fresh and needed rather than the jumbled mess that they would become later like in Season 3's 'Stranger in a Strange Land'. It also marked our introduction to the character of Desmond, who became one of the shows strongest characters in later seasons. Yes the Swan hatch may have been a small waste of an entire season in hindsight, but at the beginning this was a fantastic opening to that chapter of the Losties island quest and still contained some of the best acting that Terry O'Quinn gave on the entire show. But yeah, I'm all here because of the Mamma Cass song that opened the season. "But you've gotta make your own kind of music, sing your own special song. Make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along"
7. The Shape of Things to Come - Season 4 / Ben centric
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan & Drew Goddard / Directed by: Jack Bender
The first episode back after writer's strike really set Season 4 up to have a mind blowing ending (which it did). Despite Ben still having a very rich past to delve into, this episode delved into his future and showed us what exactly he was doing off the island after it was revealed he was Sayid's employer in 'The Economist'. What followed was an hour filled with taut conversations between Ben and Sayid or Ben and Charles Widmore, and that's forgetting the island half of the story where shit was getting real. The mercenaries had killed Rousseau and Karl and kidnapped Alex and I don't think anyone was expecting Keamy to shoot Alex point blank so coldly after Ben tried to manipulate him into letting her go. This was one of Ben's greatest failures and he paid the price dearly. Michael Emerson sold the hell out of every scene in this episode, showing the pain he felt at causing the events that led to his daughter's murder. So he sets the Smoke Monster on them. Any episode with fantastic acting and an epic smoke monster attack is going to rank highly, and this one is probably the best of those in the entire series' run.6. There's No Place Like Home - Season 4 / Oceanic Six centric
Written by: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse / Directed by: Jack Bender & Stephen Williams
Remember how I said Season 4 ended in a big way? This is that big way. Filling in the blanks of how exactly that mind blowing twist that concluded Season 3 actually happened by showing us who got off the island and how they did. Throughout there were noble sacrifices on the behalf of Michael and Sawyer, tragic seperations with Jin being left on the Freighter as it exploded and Desmond finally reuinting with Penny (yes I cried). Oh and the twist which was codenamed 'Frozen Donkey Wheel' which little did the fans know was a very literal interpreation of what the twist was. All three hours of Lost's Season 4 finale were just jam packed with so much action, and brilliance that it could have felt overstuffed but it didn't, instead it was just a fantastic capper to a season which many agree ended the first year of Lost's incredible mid-life renaissance. And that's not even mentioning the fact that we fianlly found out that it was Locke who was in the coffin at the end of Season 3...
5. The End - Season 6 / Everyone centric
Written by: Damon Linedolf & Carlton Cuse / Directed by: Jack Bender
Perhaps a controversial decision? But I don't care. I loved the ever loving shit out of this episode. After spending the vast majority of my teenage years obsessing over the show, 'The End' did not dissapoint. Yes, in retrospect the flash-sideways were perhaps a little pointless and not every question that the show ever posed was answered, but as the last 2.5 hours we were ever going to spend with Jack and Hurley and Sawyer and Kate and Locke and Ben and Juliet and everyone else, it was perfection. Everyone involved in the production was on the top of their game, with special shout-outs going to both Michael Giacchino for his brilliant score and Jack Bender for his tireless work behind the camera. We had a chance to say goodbye to nearly every character the show had let us grow attached to over the years, we (I) cried, we (I) laughed and we (I) were (was) blown away by the pure adreneline rush of the whole episode. This was the only way that Lost could have possibly ended and I'm pleased as hell that I got to be there to watch it happen.
4. Pilot - Season 1 / Jack, Kate & Charlie centric
Written by: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof & Jeffrey Lieber / Directed by: J.J. Abrams
It's very apt to have this episode directly follow 'The End', not only because of the amount of similarities between the show's first and sixth seasons, but because they mark the beginning and the end of the phenomenon. Back on the 22nd September 2004, Lost began with one of the best television pilots that has ever been produced. The fact that the show was only able to surpass this episode three times throughout it's run (in my opinion of course) is a fundamental statement behind just how much this episode got right. So much of what made Lost amazing was already present in this episode, the fantastic on location shooting, the original score, characters with actual depth and mysteries that pervaded the show throughout it s entire run. Whilst the show only expanded from this point and the show that concluded last year was a fundamentally different beast to some of the seeds sewn in this first episode, that does not stop this episode from being fantastic. It's main aim was to hook people from the beginning, and it did that, and then the show kept me hooked for the entirety of its time on the air.
3. Walkabout - Season 1 / Locke centric
Written by: David Fury / Directed by: Jack Bender
Whilst 'Pilot' had me hooked for a little while, it was 'Walkabout' that made me know I'd be sticking with this show for its entire duration. The previous episode 'Tabula Rasa' still had all the signs that this show was going to initially be about Kate, but 'Walkabout' was where we got a true sense of the ensemble and the true acting might of Terry O'Quinn. O'Quinn would go on to become the show's MVP during its low points but here is the episode which began to scratch at the surfact of his character. 'Walkabout' superbly introduces the tragic character of John Locke, still probably the greatest acheivement of the entire show, and gives us a compelling on and off island narrative. On island we are introduced to John Locke, a man with no fear whereas off island we meet the fundamentally broken John Locke, the contrast between these two was one of Lost's most compelling uses of the flashback format making the audience want to know what in that plane crash changed this man so much, then we found out. HE WAS IN A FREAKING WHEELCHAIR OFF ISLAND?!?!? Still standing as one of the most compelling story threads throughout all of Lost focused on John Locke and that wheelchair and this is where that was introduced, and it still stands tall as one of the best single episodes of Lost.
2. Through the Looking Glass - Season 3 / Jack centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
The Season 3 finale had to be on this list because this the episode where Lost probably started to run head first into it's endgame. Of course, overwhelmingly, it is remembered for that final twist and a bearded Jack yelling at Kate "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!", which remains one of Lost's most quotable lines, but there's so much more to this episode. There was the complete decimation of the Others, the 'villains' of the first three seasons of the show, getting to see Rousseau's radio tower mentioned all the way back in Season 1 and the answer to what that wire was that Sayid found in Season 1. We have the beach assault with the "FUCK YEAH" moment when Hurley ran other one of the Other's in a Dharma van, closesly followed by Sayid breaking a guys neck with his FREAKING LEGS!! Sawyer killing Mr. Friendly in retaliation for kidnapping Walt in Season 1. Locke's ghostly visit from Walt leading to him knifing Naomi in the back. The whole idea of a Freighter coming to the island to take them home! And of course the events down in the Looking Glass. Charlie's conversation with Desmond's girlfriend then realising that she wasn't the one who had sent the boat which was closely followed by his death at the hands of Mikhail (still one of Lost's saddest moments) and of course "NOT PENNY'S BOAT". 'Through the Looking Glass' was a jam packed 2 hours of entertainment, something that rivalled movies in terms of production, and yet it's better than movies because it was preceeded by 70 hours of getting to know these characters. 'Through the Looking Glass' is just a breath taking acheivement in television and not many episodes of television can top it...
1. The Constant - Season 4 / Desmond centric
Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof / Directed by: Jack Bender
...but one episode has. 'The Constant' in many ways is the opposite of 'Through the Looking Glass'. Focusing almost entirely on Desmond (another of the show's best characters), 'The Constant' creates a far more intimate feeling. First and foremost 'The Constant is love story, the greatest love story that Lost ever told, between Desmond and Penny. Desmond quite literally has to battle against time itself to reuinte with his love or else he will die. Whilst some may be turned off by the overt sci-fi nature of the episode, what really grounds is the work that Henry Ian Cusick and Sonya Walger put in to really ground the emotion. The sense of elation that is felt during the final phonecall is incredible. To put it simply 'The Constant is the best writen, directed, acted and scored episode of the entire show. Despite in many ways being a stand-alone episode it just works. There's a reason that Desmond and Penny were the couple that fans of the series rooted for the most, and 'The Constant' is the purest distilation of the chemistry that made that so. 'The Constant' might be marked as the point where Lost began to show it's true science fiction colours, but it did so in one of it's most emotional and intimate episodes ever and it's a true testament to the cast and crew that it worked. Some of the other episodes might be truer reflections of what the show was, but 'The Constant' stands as my favourite episode of the shows entire run.
See ya in another life brother.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Favourite TV Shows 2010 - Favourite Episodes 10-1
So here we are, my list of my 10(11) favourite episodes of television from 2010. Ranging from 10 minutes to 2 hours, these were, in my opinion the finest episodes that the medium of television produced between 1/1/2010 and 31/12/2010.
Despite the unevenness of the third season of Sons of Anarchy the finale was an absolutely superb way to end the season. 'NS' was a culmination of three seasons worth of story-lines, most notably all the drama involving Stahl and Jimmy O'Phelan. Yes the central drama to the show surrounding Clay and Jax still remains but the outside forces which had plagued the show for three years were wiped out in one tremendously suspenseful episode. When the club finds out that Jax has turned snitch you being to legitimately wonder how on earth SAMCRO is going to get out of it and then the double bluff is revealed. Maybe it was a little too neat an end, with SAMCRO ultimately taking very little fallout (beyond the 14 months in prison) but this episode makes the list purely for the scene where Opie shoots a weeping Stahl in the back of the head to avenge his dead wife Donna. Beautiful scene and a perfect way to end a season which was plagued by disappointments.
9. Adventure Time - 'What is Life?'
'What is Life?' was the first episode of Adventure Time that I ever watched and from that a magical friendship was born. Think Spongebob Squarepants but instead of being underwater it's set in a post apocalyptic world where quite literally ANYTHING can happen. The world of Adventure Time is wonderfully surreal and despite what could just be a funny concept the characters are legitimately well written and relate-able. 'What is Life?' focuses on Finn the Human trying to out prank his friend Jake the Dog by building a Never Ending Pie Throwing Robot (NEPTR for short) and here things go off the walls. What kind of kids show would have a robot where only one of his wheels works causing him to go round in circles and then ask his master 'Why do you forsake me?'. Or the pies which contain boysenberry....and poison. Or the balloons who fulfill their BLOOD OATH, cheer and then happily float up to the mesosphere in order TO DIE. Yes Adventure Time has enough jokes for adults to appreciate it but it's also wonderfully colourful so that kids don't get bored. Whilst there are many other episodes of Adventure Time I'd recommend to people ('The Eyes' is fantastic, as is 'Tree Trunks') 'What is Life?' is a fantastic place to start.
8. Parks & Recreation - 'Sweetums'
There were many episodes that I could have chosen from the second half of Parks & Recreation's second season such as 'Telethon', 'Freddy Spaghetti' and 'Park Safety' but I went with 'Sweetums' for two reasons. One being the fact that we got an amazing public forum, where once more we get to spend time with the amazingly insanely stupid residents of Pawnee (hell and Ron's face when he looks under his chair expecting to find a prize is golden as well) but the second reason is of course DJ ROOMBA. This ingenious idea takes an already great episode and raises it to amazing levels. It might not be a very Ron heavy episode, but it's an episode that uses all of the ensemble well, which lead to some of the very best episodes of Parks & Recreation. It's also helpful that we get to see the entire Parks department suffering from a sugar rush, because sometimes people being stupid is just funny dammit!
7. Terriers - 'Change Partners'
Whilst the pilot episode of Terriers was fantastic, it took until 'Change Partners' for me to realise was going to be something special. The episode starts quite low key with Hank looking for a bank loan to pay for his new house which then spins off into him being offered a job into looking into the bank manager's wife and whether or not she is cheating on him. And this is where the episode kind of gets fucked up. Particular needs to be made of Olivia Williams' fantastic guest role as the wife and playing her exasperation at the weird fetish her husband has of making her live out this faux-lifestyle of infidelity. By the end of the episode we realise that Olivia Williams' character Miriam has never actually been unfaithful but is driven to actually sleep with Hank by the end of the episode. This sets off the chain of events causing the bank manager to commit suicide and Hank to, instead of helping, forging his signature so that he can pay for his house. It's a fantastically dark moment and one that could have made the lead character seem unlikable but Donal Logue's performance just makes him so damn likable as Hank. Then as a cap to an already fantastic episode, we end with a shadowy figure crawling into Hank's attic whilst he's not looking. Utterly gripping stuff.
6. Doctor Who - 'The Time of Angels'/'Flesh and Stone'
Steven Moffat might just be my favourite TV writer currently still making TV shows. Whilst I quite often find the standalone episodes of Doctor Who to be somewhat lacking, a Steven Moffat script is almost always guaranteed to be fantastic. and the same can be said of this two-parter. Whilst maybe not scaling the same heights as 2007's fantastic episode 'Blink', 'The Time of Angels' and 'Flesh and Stone' serve as a fantastic reminder that the Weeping Angels are probably the best creature that Doctor Who has introduced since it came back in 2005. Along with the Weeping Angels, Moffat also brings back another of his fantastic creations with River Song from his own 2008 two-parter. Over the course 90 minutes Moffat slowly ratchets up the tension and questions and whilst some were disappointment I thought it was fantastic. With story beats that wouldn't pay-off until 'The Big Bang', Moffat showed all the writers of Doctor Who how to conceive a two part story and that he is quite definitely a genius that everyone should pay attention to.
5. Party Down - 'Steve Guttenberg's Birthday'
Party Down ran for two terrific seasons and this episode might just be it's crowing achievement. Maybe it's just because I've always been fascinated by the work that goes into screen writing but Martin Starr and Christopher Mintz-Plasse working together on an horrific screenplay was a fantastic idea. The two completely different read througha were hysterical in their own ways. From the over the top scientific vocabulary that littered the first draft to Henry's amazing overacting during the second, there was almost always something to love about this episode. And that's discounting how weirdly lovable Steve Guttenberg's house is. Filled with crazy memorabilia, thousands of DVDs, a home cinema, a fountain filled entirely with water from a iceburg and of course the picture of a guy fucking a porcupine. Party Down shall be missed, but I'm glad that it lasted long enough to give us the comic genius of this episode.
4. Lost - 'The End'
I've written far too much about Lost over the years so I'm going to make this a short one. Have all the issues with the final season you want. Have all the issues with the final 20 minutes as you wish. But those first two hours of the Lost finale were pretty incredible. Everything that came to represent Lost over it's six years came crashing together in one hell of a satisfying way to way to send of the Island in style. From the sentimentally moments of bringing back nearly every single significant character that appeared over those six years, to Jack Bender's fantastic direction or Michael Giacchino's award worthy score. 'The End' was a microcosm of pretty much everything that made Lost so great. Maybe the trip into theology at the end rubbed people the wrong way, but it was an apt ending to a show which was so much about the characters and their relationships. It might not be the best finale for a TV show ever, but it's a damn good one.
3. Community - 'Modern Warfare'
During it's first season was a very funny show about about the lives of a group of people who went to a Community college. Occasionally it would dip into meta references of the larger plot at hand (mostly given to the audience by Abed) but I don't think anyone expected something as amazing as this. In it's first season on the air Community brought to the table a pantheon level episode of television. Something that will through the ages as one of the greatest episodes of television ever. 'Modern Warfare' was a quite literally a perfect pastiche of so many fantastic action movies. With overt references to films such as 'Die Hard', '28 Days Later', 'The Matrix', 'Hard Boiled', 'Scarface' and 'The Warriors' this episode was a smorgus board of geeky references. It managed to nail the cheesy lines of dialogue ("Check mate bitches" whilst shooting a member of the chess club in the back) and overall feel of action movies with aplomb (thanks to the sterling work of director Justin Lin). 'Modern Warfare' is an episode for the ages, and the fact that it's only number 3 on my list shows just how strong the remaining episodes truly were.
2. Breaking Bad - 'One Minute'
Another series which could have had so many different episodes on this list, from 'Fly', 'Half Measures' and 'Full Measures', Breaking Bad Season 3 was one of the best seasons of television that I have ever seen. But if everything I saw on television over the last 12 months stuck me it was the titular One Minute of this episode. I have never been so tense whilst watching a television series than when I was watching Hank fight for his life against the cousins. Not only did it come as a surprise that such a big moment was coming so early in the season but also the fact that there is legitimately no way to know who is going to make it out of the shoot out alive. Of course one scene does not a great episode make, but the ever brilliant Aaron Paul gave one of his best monologues on the show to date (a feat in itself) and Dean Norris proved that he was more than ready to take on the increased role that was being demanded of him. Topped off by fantastic direction by Michelle MacLaren and beautiful cinematography by Michael Slovis and you have yet another pantheon episode of television.
1. Mad Men - 'The Suitcase'
Despite Breaking Bad having the (marginally) better season, it wasn't going to go down without a fight. 'The Suitcase' is the kind of episode that only a serialised show can do. Working off of three and a half years worth storylines and plot threads, 'The Suitcase' ties everything together seamlessly within one night of the lives of Don Draper and Peggy Olson. Anger is vented, truths are revealed and tears are shed. With quite possibly the performance of both Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss' lives, 'The Suitcase' is a absolutely stunning episode. After the death of Don Draper's closest friend, the only person in the world who the knows the whole truth behind Dick Whitman, he has no one left to turn apart from Peggy, the girl who all those years ago thought that she would have to sleep with her boss as a natural part of her job. The only man who knows the whole truth about her own hidden pregnancy, the man who gave her such a high placing job in Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Almost four years worth of angst came rushing out over the course of one 40 minute episode and it's amazing in the level of catharsis it is able to give. Maybe Mad Men reached its peak in this episode, but it's not a peak that much else on television will ever be able to reach.
10. Sons of Anarchy - 'NS'
Despite the unevenness of the third season of Sons of Anarchy the finale was an absolutely superb way to end the season. 'NS' was a culmination of three seasons worth of story-lines, most notably all the drama involving Stahl and Jimmy O'Phelan. Yes the central drama to the show surrounding Clay and Jax still remains but the outside forces which had plagued the show for three years were wiped out in one tremendously suspenseful episode. When the club finds out that Jax has turned snitch you being to legitimately wonder how on earth SAMCRO is going to get out of it and then the double bluff is revealed. Maybe it was a little too neat an end, with SAMCRO ultimately taking very little fallout (beyond the 14 months in prison) but this episode makes the list purely for the scene where Opie shoots a weeping Stahl in the back of the head to avenge his dead wife Donna. Beautiful scene and a perfect way to end a season which was plagued by disappointments.9. Adventure Time - 'What is Life?'
'What is Life?' was the first episode of Adventure Time that I ever watched and from that a magical friendship was born. Think Spongebob Squarepants but instead of being underwater it's set in a post apocalyptic world where quite literally ANYTHING can happen. The world of Adventure Time is wonderfully surreal and despite what could just be a funny concept the characters are legitimately well written and relate-able. 'What is Life?' focuses on Finn the Human trying to out prank his friend Jake the Dog by building a Never Ending Pie Throwing Robot (NEPTR for short) and here things go off the walls. What kind of kids show would have a robot where only one of his wheels works causing him to go round in circles and then ask his master 'Why do you forsake me?'. Or the pies which contain boysenberry....and poison. Or the balloons who fulfill their BLOOD OATH, cheer and then happily float up to the mesosphere in order TO DIE. Yes Adventure Time has enough jokes for adults to appreciate it but it's also wonderfully colourful so that kids don't get bored. Whilst there are many other episodes of Adventure Time I'd recommend to people ('The Eyes' is fantastic, as is 'Tree Trunks') 'What is Life?' is a fantastic place to start.8. Parks & Recreation - 'Sweetums'
There were many episodes that I could have chosen from the second half of Parks & Recreation's second season such as 'Telethon', 'Freddy Spaghetti' and 'Park Safety' but I went with 'Sweetums' for two reasons. One being the fact that we got an amazing public forum, where once more we get to spend time with the amazingly insanely stupid residents of Pawnee (hell and Ron's face when he looks under his chair expecting to find a prize is golden as well) but the second reason is of course DJ ROOMBA. This ingenious idea takes an already great episode and raises it to amazing levels. It might not be a very Ron heavy episode, but it's an episode that uses all of the ensemble well, which lead to some of the very best episodes of Parks & Recreation. It's also helpful that we get to see the entire Parks department suffering from a sugar rush, because sometimes people being stupid is just funny dammit!7. Terriers - 'Change Partners'
Whilst the pilot episode of Terriers was fantastic, it took until 'Change Partners' for me to realise was going to be something special. The episode starts quite low key with Hank looking for a bank loan to pay for his new house which then spins off into him being offered a job into looking into the bank manager's wife and whether or not she is cheating on him. And this is where the episode kind of gets fucked up. Particular needs to be made of Olivia Williams' fantastic guest role as the wife and playing her exasperation at the weird fetish her husband has of making her live out this faux-lifestyle of infidelity. By the end of the episode we realise that Olivia Williams' character Miriam has never actually been unfaithful but is driven to actually sleep with Hank by the end of the episode. This sets off the chain of events causing the bank manager to commit suicide and Hank to, instead of helping, forging his signature so that he can pay for his house. It's a fantastically dark moment and one that could have made the lead character seem unlikable but Donal Logue's performance just makes him so damn likable as Hank. Then as a cap to an already fantastic episode, we end with a shadowy figure crawling into Hank's attic whilst he's not looking. Utterly gripping stuff.6. Doctor Who - 'The Time of Angels'/'Flesh and Stone'
Steven Moffat might just be my favourite TV writer currently still making TV shows. Whilst I quite often find the standalone episodes of Doctor Who to be somewhat lacking, a Steven Moffat script is almost always guaranteed to be fantastic. and the same can be said of this two-parter. Whilst maybe not scaling the same heights as 2007's fantastic episode 'Blink', 'The Time of Angels' and 'Flesh and Stone' serve as a fantastic reminder that the Weeping Angels are probably the best creature that Doctor Who has introduced since it came back in 2005. Along with the Weeping Angels, Moffat also brings back another of his fantastic creations with River Song from his own 2008 two-parter. Over the course 90 minutes Moffat slowly ratchets up the tension and questions and whilst some were disappointment I thought it was fantastic. With story beats that wouldn't pay-off until 'The Big Bang', Moffat showed all the writers of Doctor Who how to conceive a two part story and that he is quite definitely a genius that everyone should pay attention to.5. Party Down - 'Steve Guttenberg's Birthday'
Party Down ran for two terrific seasons and this episode might just be it's crowing achievement. Maybe it's just because I've always been fascinated by the work that goes into screen writing but Martin Starr and Christopher Mintz-Plasse working together on an horrific screenplay was a fantastic idea. The two completely different read througha were hysterical in their own ways. From the over the top scientific vocabulary that littered the first draft to Henry's amazing overacting during the second, there was almost always something to love about this episode. And that's discounting how weirdly lovable Steve Guttenberg's house is. Filled with crazy memorabilia, thousands of DVDs, a home cinema, a fountain filled entirely with water from a iceburg and of course the picture of a guy fucking a porcupine. Party Down shall be missed, but I'm glad that it lasted long enough to give us the comic genius of this episode.4. Lost - 'The End'
I've written far too much about Lost over the years so I'm going to make this a short one. Have all the issues with the final season you want. Have all the issues with the final 20 minutes as you wish. But those first two hours of the Lost finale were pretty incredible. Everything that came to represent Lost over it's six years came crashing together in one hell of a satisfying way to way to send of the Island in style. From the sentimentally moments of bringing back nearly every single significant character that appeared over those six years, to Jack Bender's fantastic direction or Michael Giacchino's award worthy score. 'The End' was a microcosm of pretty much everything that made Lost so great. Maybe the trip into theology at the end rubbed people the wrong way, but it was an apt ending to a show which was so much about the characters and their relationships. It might not be the best finale for a TV show ever, but it's a damn good one.3. Community - 'Modern Warfare'
During it's first season was a very funny show about about the lives of a group of people who went to a Community college. Occasionally it would dip into meta references of the larger plot at hand (mostly given to the audience by Abed) but I don't think anyone expected something as amazing as this. In it's first season on the air Community brought to the table a pantheon level episode of television. Something that will through the ages as one of the greatest episodes of television ever. 'Modern Warfare' was a quite literally a perfect pastiche of so many fantastic action movies. With overt references to films such as 'Die Hard', '28 Days Later', 'The Matrix', 'Hard Boiled', 'Scarface' and 'The Warriors' this episode was a smorgus board of geeky references. It managed to nail the cheesy lines of dialogue ("Check mate bitches" whilst shooting a member of the chess club in the back) and overall feel of action movies with aplomb (thanks to the sterling work of director Justin Lin). 'Modern Warfare' is an episode for the ages, and the fact that it's only number 3 on my list shows just how strong the remaining episodes truly were.2. Breaking Bad - 'One Minute'
Another series which could have had so many different episodes on this list, from 'Fly', 'Half Measures' and 'Full Measures', Breaking Bad Season 3 was one of the best seasons of television that I have ever seen. But if everything I saw on television over the last 12 months stuck me it was the titular One Minute of this episode. I have never been so tense whilst watching a television series than when I was watching Hank fight for his life against the cousins. Not only did it come as a surprise that such a big moment was coming so early in the season but also the fact that there is legitimately no way to know who is going to make it out of the shoot out alive. Of course one scene does not a great episode make, but the ever brilliant Aaron Paul gave one of his best monologues on the show to date (a feat in itself) and Dean Norris proved that he was more than ready to take on the increased role that was being demanded of him. Topped off by fantastic direction by Michelle MacLaren and beautiful cinematography by Michael Slovis and you have yet another pantheon episode of television.1. Mad Men - 'The Suitcase'
Despite Breaking Bad having the (marginally) better season, it wasn't going to go down without a fight. 'The Suitcase' is the kind of episode that only a serialised show can do. Working off of three and a half years worth storylines and plot threads, 'The Suitcase' ties everything together seamlessly within one night of the lives of Don Draper and Peggy Olson. Anger is vented, truths are revealed and tears are shed. With quite possibly the performance of both Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss' lives, 'The Suitcase' is a absolutely stunning episode. After the death of Don Draper's closest friend, the only person in the world who the knows the whole truth behind Dick Whitman, he has no one left to turn apart from Peggy, the girl who all those years ago thought that she would have to sleep with her boss as a natural part of her job. The only man who knows the whole truth about her own hidden pregnancy, the man who gave her such a high placing job in Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Almost four years worth of angst came rushing out over the course of one 40 minute episode and it's amazing in the level of catharsis it is able to give. Maybe Mad Men reached its peak in this episode, but it's not a peak that much else on television will ever be able to reach.
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