#130. An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
The Twilight Zone, Season 5, Episode
22 |
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I can't believe I forgot about
this one until now, as it is not only a work of art, but probably my
favorite Twilight Zone episode. It started as a short film that
was honored at Cannes, and you can tell. The artistry is amazing,
the cinematography, editing, sound and music all far above your average
episode of television. The story sees a Confederate spy about to
be hanged by the Union, and the set-up of the hanging is excruciatingly
long. But, as we're in the Twilight Zone, the rope magically
breaks, and what follows is his beautiful, eerie, and exciting trek home
to his wife and children, all the while evading the Union soldiers.
Rod Serling: Winner of the Cannes Film
Festival of 1962, as well as other international awards, here is a
haunting study of the incredible. |
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#129. Our Mrs. Reynolds
Firefly, Season 1, Episode 6 |
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We open with a glorious
frontier scene of a chariot being held up, and then an awesome shoot-out
where Mal, Jayne, and Zoe take out the robbers. And then we get
our first excellent Saffron episode. The jokes are nonstop,
especially in the scene where the crew finds out about her ("As one
married man to another...") but all Mal episodes are by default Inara
episodes, and their relationship here is perfectly shadowed. "I
only fell is all" is another of my favorite jokes. And of course I
love the scene where Saffron tries to seduce Inara, and all scenes of
Saffron acting submissive, and "a special kind of Hell," and the
epilogue where Mal tracks her down to a snowy planet.
Wash: We always hoped you two kids would get
together. Who is she? |
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#128. Fairway, My Lovely
Andy Barker, PI, Season 1, Episode 2 |
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Any Barker, PI is a short-lived
show that sees Andy Richter play an unassuming CPA who is mistaken for a
PI and ends up becoming one. His partner is played by Tony Hale,
the guy who owns the video store below his office, and together, they
take on crimes, mostly accidentally and always with hilarity. In
this one, Andy's golfing with a client who decides to race Andy to a
hill, and ends up having a heart attack. But his wife claims it
was murder, since he's "in the prime of his life," and
everyone but Andy sees his attraction. Meanwhile, Andy's secretary
shows up awesomely, and Tony Hale runs into her and immediately gets
jungle fever. Tony Hale is hilarious in this show, offering to
watch with the secretary Jungle Fever "or Taxi with Jimmy Fallon and
Queen Latifah." Easily the best episode of Andy Barker, PI.
Brian: I like boobs. |
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#127. The Visitor
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 4, Episode 3 |
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At one time, this was the most
popular episode from all of Star Trek, ironically from the least popular
incarnation. Over time, Deep Space Nine has grown more popular,
nonbelievers turning toward the space station show for its emphasis on
politics and character. And The Visitor is a uniquely Deep Space
Nine story, revolving around the relationship between Captain Sisko and
his son. We open in the future, Old Jake a writer who shelters a
young girl lost in the swamps around his house, and he tells her a tale
of his youth, an awesome story about an accident on the Defiant.
We see Future Nog, Future Bashir and Future Dax, all amidst this
intimate tale of Jake trying to save his father. And awesomely,
the scene of Kira and Jake foreshadows the Season 6 premiere and the
series finale, but I refuse to ruin any more of this story.
Nog: Fish? When these woods are
crawling with perfectly good slugs? |
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#126. Notapusy
Arrested Development, Season 3, Episode 4 |
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The Church and State Fair ("An
integration we can all get behind"), the Inner Beauty Pageant, Lindsay
and Tobias coaching Maeby's competitors and not recognizing Maeby
("That's where I know her from"), Lindsay competing with Hope Loblaw for
Bob's affection, Ann singing with a camel tow, the "justifiably bitter
Surely," Rita eating paper when Michael startles her, Rita in the men's
restroom, GOB sounding sinister about mundane things, the two Startled
Straight tents, George Sr. encountering a Popemobile and a Hum V and
taking the bulletproof one, Buster trying to sign George-Michael up for
the army, the hang being "slightly easier than the slide," Oxycontin,
fag in A Thoroughly Polite Dust-Up, and "Hey, possible nephew."
Tobias: Have sex with this girl right now.
Do it, go. Get in there, have some sex with her, right now.
I didn't think so. |
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#125. Donut Run
Veronica Mars, Season 2, Episode 11 |
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I love the concept of Veronica
playing everyone, including the audience, as she and Duncan try to save
his baby from the Mannings. I love: Kendall, the fake
break-up, Sheriff Lamb coming to arrest Veronica, the returns of Celeste
Kane and Vinnie Van Lowe, Veronica's conversation with Vinnie (and then
her hiring of him), Lucy Lawless, "I'll take a coffee when you get a
chance," Keith Mars in every scene ("You played ME, Veronica!"),
Veronica realizing that Keith protected her, "You're cool, Mr. Mars,"
and the send-off of my least-loved character. Duncan, baby Lilly,
Astrid, and Vinnie driving off in the sunset is perfect, but I care more
about how it affects Veronica, and we finally learn what's on the
fortune he gave her.
Dick: Well the one they call Bootsy told
me no, and went on to suggest I perform sexual intercourse upon my own
person. |
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#124. My Screw Up
Scrubs, Season 3, Episode 14 |
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I only kept this one so long to
mess with Ryan (and I'll leave it to him to do a better write-up), but
it also proves that there are tons more great episodes. The A-plot
is outstanding Scrubs drama (without once going overboard) and the
B-plot is some of my favorite comedy from the show. Everyone knows
the A-plot, when Ben returns and pulls a Sixth Sense with Dr. Cox, and
the accompanying subplot involves Turk and Carla arguing over Turk's
mole and Carla's last name while Elliot prepares to remove her bunion
and Ted fires a Worthless Peon. But the best part is the end as JD
and Dr. Cox arrive at Ben's funeral as "Winter" plays to great effect.
Ben: My sister Danni is more of a gentle
kisser, don't you think? But I find Jordan is loaded more along
the lines of teeth and tongue. |
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#123. A No
Rough-Stuff Type Deal
Breaking Bad, Season 1, Episode
7 |
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I don't know if Vince Gilligan
knew this would be the last episode before the Strike, but it is a
perfect season finale. Walt and Jesse pass the point of no return,
and that final scene gives them second thoughts without either of them
actually suffering from the meth business--it's beautifully
orchestrated. I particularly loved Walt's major scenes with his
wife and with Hank. Walt and Hank discussing the importance of
legality was so tense, and then Walt was so close to spilling the beans
to his wife, two glorious, character-enhancing scenes. Also, when
Walt leaves that message on the video camera for his unborn child, it's
the most moving scene yet. We do get the comedy of course, with
Jesse's open house interrupting them making meth in the garage, but the
drama keeps ratcheting up in this wonderful, accidental finale.
Tuco: What are we doing way the hell out
here? What, did they close the mall or something? |
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#122. Hide and Q
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1, Episode
11 |
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Moving on from Picard, but
probably only in an attempt to get to Picard, Q tries to tempt Riker
with the power of the Q. There is so much to love about this
episode: the many forms Q takes (an Aldebaran serpent, an admiral,
a French marshall, Data, and a friar), Q's game (pitting Picard's senior
staff against alien troops), the penalty box, Q's conversations with
Riker, Q and Picard fighting with Shakespeare (the best scene of
course), Wesley getting stabbed through the heart, and Riker making
Geordi not blind, Wesley an adult, and Data human. It's not a very
substantial episode, even in characterization, but it's fun, and a
necessary second step in Q's relationship with Picard.
Riker: I feel like an idiot.
Picard: Right, and so you should. |
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#121. All Prologue
The Wire, Season 2, Episode 6 |
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The triumphant returns of
Shardene, Judge Phelan, and Levy! The latter two are both a part
of Bird's trial, which further shadows the awesome relationship between
McNulty and Stringer and gave Omar an opportunity to call out Levy on
his own role in the drug trade. Phelan earns his keep in my heart
by laughing off Levy's request for a perjury investigation.
Shardene helps Greggs, Greggs' bitch, and Prez track down the Russians.
What's more, this is the funniest episode yet, with McNulty molesting a
mannequin at his ex-wife's work, and Omar getting plenty of laughs in on
both lawyers. Nick settles Ziggy's score, but it's clear that all
three Sobotkas have no idea how far in they are with their respective
crimes, and D'angelo tells his mom he's out, snubs Avon, and opens the
final chapter in his tragic story. Prop
Joe: Fool, if it wasn't for Sergei here, you and your cousin both
would be cadaverous mother-fuckers. |
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