I'm ripping this off of another forum. I found it an interesting list, well compiled and good analysis. These are the Top 50 for Drama. #50 - The Sopranos - 'Watching Too Much Television' (10.27.02) #49 - Everwood - 'Till Death Do Us Part' (11.04.02) #48 - Six Feet Under - 'Death Works Overtime' (05.11.03) #47 - Odyssey 5 - 'Trouble with Harry' (09.06.02) #46 - Ed - 'Captain Lucidity' (02.26.03) #45 - Boomtown - 'Lost Child' (04.20.03) #44 - American Dreams - 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' (01.05.03) #43 - Smallville - 'Rosetta' (02.23.03) #42 - Without a Trace - 'Suspect' (10.24.02) #41 - Angel - 'Apocalypse, Nowish' (11.17.02) #40 - The Dead Zone - 'Wheel of Fortune' (06.16.02) #39 - 24 - 'Day 2, 10:00PM - 11:00PM' (03.04.03) #38 - Mister Sterling - 'Final Passage' (03.14.03) #37 - Buffy, the Vampire Slayer - 'Storyteller' (02.25.03) #36 - NYPD Blue - 'Nude Awakening' (02.25.03) #35 - Alias - 'The Telling' (05.04.03) #34 - Boomtown - 'Blackout' (04.13.03) #33 - The Shield - 'Scar Tissue' (02.25.03) #32 - Six Feet Under - 'Timing & Space' (04.13.03) #31 - Everwood - 'The Unveiling' (02.24.03) #30 - Firefly - 'Ariel' (11.15.02) #29 - American Dreams - 'City on Fire' (05.18.03) #28 - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 'Fallacy' (04.18.03) #27 - Six Feet Under - 'Twilight' (05.18.03) #26 - Alias - 'The Abduction' (12.15.02) / 'A Higher Echelon' (01.05.03) #25 - Everwood - 'Is There a Doctor in the House?' (11.18.02) #24 - Angel - 'Home' (05.07.03) #23 - The West Wing - 'Life on Mars' (04.30.03) #22 - Without a Trace - 'Hang on to Me' (01.30.03) #21 - The West Wing - 'The Long Goodbye' (01.15.03) #20 - Everwood - 'The Doctor is In' (10.21.02) #19 - Alias - 'Phase One' (01.26.03) #18 - Angel - 'Awakening' (01.29.03) #17 - The Sopranos - 'Whoever Did This' (11.10.02) #16 - The Shield - 'Partners' (01.21.03) #15 - Boomtown - 'Pilot' (09.29.02) #14 - The Sopranos - 'Whitecaps' (12.08.02) #13 - Six Feet Under - 'I'm Sorry, I'm Lost' (06.01.03) #12 - The Wire - 'Cleaning Up' (09.01.02) #11 - Buffy, the Vampire Slayer - 'Conversations with Dead People' (11.12.02) Top 10 to follow
#10 - Farscape - 'Unrealized Reality' (08.23.02) Written by: David Kemper, Directed by: Andrew Prowse "Time ... time ... 's up? Time ... flies? Time ... Bandits. Time ... wounds all heal. Time ... Rosemary and T(hy)ime. Time. Time is ... infinite ... relative? You are quite a simple organism to possess the knowledge you do. Time is meaningless and yet it is all that exists." - 'Einstein' and John Crichton Farscape challenges its viewers intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally at a level unlike any other show on television today, and possibly ever. "Unskilled wanderings create unrealized realities." That is the basis of this daring episode. Farscape begins as many stories do ... John Crichton, astronaut from Earth (timeframe: not too distant future), testing a new ship, is suddenly snatched up by a wormhole and sent to a distant part of the galaxy. All he wants to do is return home, but the power to control wormholes is beyond the grasp of even the most advanced aliens he encounters ... until one day, beings from another connected realm -- for reasons unknown to him -- bury the information needed to control them deep within his mind in such a way that if he can figure it out, then he is worthy of possessing the knowledge ... the most powerful knowledge in the Universe ... and now everyone wants to control him. "Are you afraid of this knowledge?" "No." "There is still time." Wormholes, time travel, parallel universes ... these are all common and popular concepts in science fiction, and more often than not -- particularly with the current Trek regime -- they are handled in an embarrassingly pedestrian manner and crumble under any intellectual scrutiny. 'Unrealized Realities' seeks to change that. Through a series of circumstances over the years, John has acquired the ability to predict the location of a wormhole opening but has no idea how to control the travel within it and consequently the destination. While observing a particularly interesting entrance, he is snatched up by a force within the wormhole (playfully referred to by John as "Einstein") and instructed -- through experience -- as to the true nature of these anomalies. "Space and time are fused," he says. You cannot travel through space without traveling through time. The same applies to wormholes. They may alter the path between two points in space, but this also means they alter the path between two points in time. The amount of wormhole entrances/exits is infinite (but at an aleph lower than that of total points), and each portal occupies a unique space and time. Returning to the same space prior to the time in which you left is like a pebble sending a rippling effect through the ocean. By design, the only space-time signatures that can be realized are ones familiar to the traveler, and the Ancients who implanted the knowledge in his head have given him the ability to recognize those portals. They are, however, surrounded by "unrealized realities" and the rippling effect of the pebble that arrives before it left brings them into being. One of the phrases used by fans trying to bring the show back to life after the insidious atrocities committed by Hammer is, "This isn't your father's science fiction." It most certainly is not. There's no standard linearly circular time paradox to be found with this concept. "Traversing wormholes is an art, not a science," we are told, and this episode approaches the subject in this manner as well. Instead of charts and exposition detailing the logic behind this construct, John is subjected to increasingly absurd variations of these unrealized realities until ultimately he realizes how dangerous the circumstances really are (which incidentally was the point of his meeting with Einstein). The presentation of these unrealized realities shows just how remarkably talented the cast and crew for this show really are. Previous episodes play out before our eyes, first with only subtle differences in character traits all the way to the point where each actor is portraying another character entirely or even a hybrid of multiple characters. It's completely absurd and yet is presented brilliantly. Amazingly, this episode strives even higher as there isn't a single wasted moment. Countless questionable events from seasons past are answered to perfection, and the path for the future episodes is laid forth in incredibly subtle ways (even within the unrealized realities) to a point that repeated viewings serve to reveal more each time. It's mastery of script, direction, and acting to cram so much plot content juxtaposed with challenging science fiction ideas in a manner that makes sense to the thoughtful viewer. The opening scenes with Aeryn trying to learn English and practicing ironically with the word "existence," the Wizard of Oz theme slipped in when you're not looking ... all skillfully presented. "The space-time signature will be familiar ... powerful." John can find his way back to Moya if he just concentrates, follows his instincts, and focuses on familiar signatures. He repeats to himself "Moya ... after. Moya ... after." Viewers would expect the king of pop culture references to say, "there's no place like home," but he doesn't have to ... we know that's what he's thinking. "What do you desire with wormholes?" "To go home ..." And shockingly, that's precisely where his instincts lead him ... home. Earth. But when? This episode stands incredibly strong on its own merits, but in the final scene it does something few shows have the guts to do. Instead of dangling the carrot in front of us in the spirit of dren like Voyager, we are abruptly dropped off the one place we didn't expect to be until ratings sagged or the show was preparing to end. With at least another season and a half to go and the highest praise of the network that would shortly stab them and television viewers everywhere in the back, they did the unthinkable and without any intention of a Trek-like "reset," setting up an incredible 13 episode run to an even bigger season finale (which at present is the series finale). The crime that took place when this series was yanked from television cannot be quantified and cannot be forgiven. People who know me know that I watch anything and everything, no matter what its content or where it airs, but never before in the decades I've been a television fanatic have I ever been so disgusted as to completely blacklist an entire network refusing to ever watch another thing they broadcast. Episodes like this are the reason why. #9 - Everwood - 'Home' (05.19.03) Written by: Michael Green & Rina Mimoun, Story by: Greg Berlanti & Vanessa Taylor, Directed by: Sandy Smolan "This is the story of Colin Hart and Andy Brown. It's the story of a town that lost its center and strove to regain it. This is the story of Everwood." - Irv Harper Who knew? Honestly ... who knew? I'm not kidding ... if you knew, go ahead and say so ... take full credit for it, because I had no idea. I had no idea that I would be so completely swept away by what appeared on the surface to be just another family drama. Part Northern Exposure, part Once & Again, part Six Feet Under, Everwood isn't for everyone, but for those of us looking for the perfect family drama, it's a heartwarmingly beautiful show that reminds us how precious and painful and wonderful life truly is. And maybe that's the best way to describe this series: alive. The town of Everwood is so alive we feel that we could hop on a plane to Denver and drive there ourselves. It's life ... everything that it is and everything that it can be. From its spectacular visuals to its richly drawn characters, this is a beautiful show, and it's the type of programming that could only find a home on the WB. On that note, I cannot say enough about how the WB has elevated the level of quality on network television in its short life. The way they've shown such confidence in this show by offering it an early pick-up before announcing its Fall schedule and renewing it so quickly is another sign that they not only recognize by also appreciate and stand by quality. In this episode, everything comes full circle ... but the show has evolved from the story of a man who's lost his way to the story of a town. The opening narration to the premiere episode began, "I wasn't there the day Dr. Andrew Brown's life changed forever ..." In this season finale, we begin differently: "I wasn't there the day Colin Hart's life changed forever." Everwood has helped make this broken man whole again, and it's now time for him to return the favor. One wonders if the town can even bear it if he doesn't succeed. For many of the characters, this episode marks an understanding or a realization of things that have weighed heavily on them. Bright gets forgiveness from Colin. Colin (the Second) realizes that he really does love Amy, not because he used to or he's supposed to, but because he just does. Dr. Brown realizes that this may very well be why he was put on this Earth, and Ephram finally finds some peace with his life, knowing that whether he can have Amy or not, Everwood is his home. Everwood makes perfect use of contemporary music (and not in the gimmicky way other WB shows have done), and the sounds of Jump Little Children's "Cathedrals" playing over the final scenes leaves your heart just hanging, wondering how you'll make it until next season's premiere. It's difficult to select the best episode of this show's first season, but I'm choosing this one for the way it represents how these characters have grown and affected each other over this year and because it captures the heart of the series as a whole. I'm reminded of something Patman said about this series after this episode aired: "This show does so many things right when it could easily and understandably get them wrong." I look through this list, at all the incredible television compiled here, and I find that there is no show whose return I look forward to more than Everwood. Knowing how much television I watch, I think that really means something. Who knew? #8 - The Shield - 'Dominoes Falling' (04.01.03) Written by: Shawn Ryan, Directed by: Scott Brazil "You watch your back around these people, ok?" - Danny Sofer What a great way to finish the season. Aceveda has recommended the Strike Team be fired as the election is around the corner, and it's time to hit the Money Train. Everything this season has been about is coming to a head, but Vic is distracted by trying to track down the death of Claudette's ex-husband as it leads to a potential shooting he can prevent. It's go time, and he's not there, but he shows faith in Shane (aka Cletus Van Damme) by telling him that he trusts him to go it alone. Things get ugly as the Armenians turn on themselves and leave dead bodies at the scene. Meanwhile, Danny takes the fall for the Armadillo incident as she is fired from the Force along with the intolerant punks who have been harassing Julian, and somehow -- to the shock of everyone -- Acevedo actually wins the election for City Council (likely due to his speech about holding himself accountable for the failure of his team, when in truth, he's being forced out by his boss). Things are going to be changing, and it starts with Claudette, who will be taking his job. She knows what Vic's been up to and doesn't approve of any of it, and now she's his boss. Danny's gone, Julian gets the **** beat out of him in a blanket party arranged in his honor, and Dutch is charged with investigating the body at the site of the heist. In another piece of brilliant song selection, Live's "Overcome" plays over these scenes, and we are left watching the Strike Team staring at the ungodly sum of money they just acquired and completely overcome by the reality of what they've just done. Nothing's the same anymore for any of them. #7 - The West Wing - 'Commencement' (05.07.03) Written by: Aaron Sorkin, Directed by: Alex Graves "Bookbag's been taken. We're black. Go to black." - Wes Davis Brilliant. I try not to use the word too often, but it applies here. Much is made about the talent assembled in this cast, and it is all completely deserved, many times over in fact. However, the penultimate episode of the 4th season achieves a level of greatness through skill of direction, music selection, and editing in a manner we haven't seen before during the series' run. NBC's promotional department did everything they could to make this episode look like an eye-rollingly typical sweeps stunt, but once again The West Wing finds a way to transcend its manipulative network and present a incredibly powerful episode. Little events that have been building this season all come to a head. Zoey is leaving with Jean-Paul, and Charlie's attempts to woo her away from him haven't fully worked. Andie's only days away from labor and still refuses to remarry Toby, and he finds out the full reason why after making a wonderfully romantic gesture on her behalf. Danny finally has a story on the death of Shareef, and the disappearance of Qumari radicals as well as an unaccounted shipping container places the President in the position of revealing to his staff that he did in fact have him assassinated. All of this is setup for a mind-blowing final sequence set against a techno-style dance track ("Angel" by Massive Attack) that provides a powerfully foreboding atmosphere to the overlapping scenes that follow. It begins with Donna and Amy discussing whether or not Josh is angry with her for an offhand remark she made earlier that day, then folds into C.J. and Danny figuring out what he's going to be able to print in regard to the assassination, and ultimately settles on Zoey and Jean Paul as she realizes he's spiked her drink with Ecstasy. As the scenes weave through one another, each leaves us hanging -- we fade out from Donna unable to answer Amy's inquiry whether she's in love with Josh and a few moments later fade from C.J. unable to answer whether the White House expects retaliation for the assassination, until we're back at the nightclub ... where Zoey's gone, Molly's dead, and we close with Leo running across the grounds to inform the President. A typical kidnapping storyline is spun into a powerful presentation and a reminder that this series is still one of the best on TV. 6 - Boomtown - 'The David McNorris Show' (12.01.02) Written by: Laurie D. Arent, Directed by: Peter Werner "David? David's dead." - David McNorris One of the really cool things about Boomtown is its flexibility. The talent in front of and behind the camera is so strong that it can be a standard cop drama or a time-shifting detective story or a one-man character study and succeed immensely in each pursuit. This series really does seem to have limitless potential, but I do think the schizophrenic way it changes from week to week is disconcerting to the average viewer, and next season they should probably choose one method of storytelling and stick with it. If not, though, we can only hope they continue to produce quality like this episode. There's an interesting crime story being told here ... in fact, considering that it's the B story, it's really quite amazing how good this story of a young girl's murder is told. For as horrible as the crime is, you can almost sympathize with the horrific past of the killer and the set of circumstances that led him to commit such an atrocity. As the title implies, though, this isn't about a young girl's murder but -- in the words of his wife -- the radiant glow of the David McNorris Show. He is such a commanding presence on screen with his bleached hair and piercing blue eyes, but he's also a commanding presence within the scope of his own life, and he's running from many demons, most notably his father. He maintains a forceful control of his life and his surroundings, walking a fine line of morality. He's an alcoholic and a womanizer and is disgusted with how he's become precisely the man he never wanted to be, but he is able to walk that line, until a wealthy movie producer offers to further his career in exchange for helping his son evade capture on a murder charge. Caught up in his desire to control events, he sells his soul to this lowlife, but the horror of what he's allowed himself to become eats away at him, and he sets himself on a drunken self-destructive path that's painful to watch. The time-shifting perspectives work perfectly in this episode as we see most of the major story play out in the first 40 minutes, and through the eyes of the detectives, it all seems very plausible. We then relive the day through McNorris' eyes and see how ingeniously he manipulated everything to make it play out in just this manner. The murder is of little consequence, though, and it turns out the kid he's protecting didn't even do it. This is an intense character study played brilliantly by Neal McDonough. Who knew the new bridge officer (aka dead man walking or red shirt) from First Contact would shortly be one of television's best actors? Must be something in the water up in Dorcester, the hometown of both McDonough and Wahlberg, because who knew the goofy looking New Kid would be this good either?
#5 - The Wire - 'Sentencing' (09.08.02) Written by: David Simon & Edward Burns (III), Directed by: Tim Van Patten "Sometimes things just gotta play hard." - Kima Greggs I'm sitting here trying to think of a way to describe this show. Is there a word that encapsulates its essence? Entertaining? Absolutely. The characters and stories are amazing. Entrancing? Yep. The way this crime saga plays out just sinks you deeper and deeper into its greatness. Brilliant? No doubt. I could say so many things about this series, and then it hit me ... one words that describes the show in a nutshell: perfection. The Wire is a perfect show. No filler. No bad episodes. Just an incredibly engrossing story that gets better with each week. And yet, what possible reason could we ever have to suspect otherwise? Take the man behind Homicide: Life on the Street and The Corner, put him together with his writers and producers (and even some cast) from The Corner, and put it on the station that understands quality television unlike any other, and you're as close as you're going to get to guaranteed quality. It just boggles my mind that people didn't start watching this when it aired. What were they thinking? It's cool, though. They'll see. Slowly, the critics are starting to find this show, and while it doesn't exactly lend itself to episodic recognition, and for all the hype and love we have for The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, The Wire is quite possibly the best thing on all of television. No more is that displayed than in the finale of its first season. The case is winding to a close, they've run Barksdale's group out of his club and for the time being out of the high-risers, and they're putting together as many arrests as they can. They didn't want to be in this position at this time, but politics win out over police work, so this is where they stand, trying to build a case with what they've got. This episode gives us so many powerful scenes, most notably D'Angelo's inner struggle as he discusses his deal with the prosecution. His impassioned plea to just get out of the game speaks volumes for what this show is about, a sense of inevitability and futility on all sides, from both the cops and the dealers. As Omar says at the end, "... all in the game." So much is brought to a close with this episode, and yet so many doors are left open, and many new threads are just beginning. We see the harsh reality of this situation as the convictions don't all go through as they want them to, and Stringer is able to maintain a lot of real estate. Familiar, but until now unimportant, faces step up to get things back up and running. New locations are found, new product is brought in, new guys are learning the system ... the game goes on. It's the painful reality that this series neither glorifies nor vilifies. It's just the way it is ... the more things change, the more they stay the same. Actually, I must amend that earlier statement. Having now seen most of Season 2, there's no "quite possibly" to it. Let me say this as plainly and clearly as possible: The Wire is the best show on television. #4 - Buffy, the Vampire Slayer - 'Chosen' (05.20.03) Written by: Joss Whedon, Directed by: Joss Whedon "I want to see how it ends." - Spike When this finale aired, most everyone commented that this was a "fitting" end to the series, and I agreed, but I think it succeeds more than just on that level. Watching it again, months later and distanced from the emotional build-up and anticipation felt during its original airing, I find that it holds up incredibly well and gives me a warm feeling about the end of this wonderful chapter of television. After moving from the Frog to the Mountain for its 6th and 7th seasons, Buffy had pretty much done everything already. How many times can you die saving the world from an apocalypse before it gets tired ... how can the next Big Bad be bigger and badder than the last? What more can possibly done with this show and these characters? The sixth season tried to take the show in a darker direction -- which I think on paper was a very good idea -- but for whatever reason (my guess, Joss was stretched too thin), the writing couldn't keep pace with the difficult line of story-telling, and though the 6th season finale was strong, the audience came into this final season a bit uneasy. I know I did. And as the season progressed, we were fed stories about not just the end of the world, but the end of "Good" and how the First Evil was going to end the balance forever and blah, blah, blah. It was a solid idea, and I was entertained enough, but I just felt as though we were stumbling through this final season with no real direction. In fact, in this episode, it is eloquently noted that the First Evil may just as well be known to all as The Taunter. Much of the season felt this way; while there were some stand-out episodes and moments, the audience felt a bit like we were just being taunted with the storyline. And then something changed. Whether it was the plan from the beginning or Joss's personal reaction to the show ending its run is unknown, but the "fun" slowly crept into the closing episodes, and by the time this finale aired, the series was back to what could be referred to as its "old self." The world was about to end (again), everyone was going to die horrible deaths, Evil would reign triumphant, and ... and ... "what are you guys gonna to do tomorrow? I was thinking about shopping, as per usual. I'm having a wicked shoe craving." They've saved the world before. They (or someone else) will have to save it again. So it is in the Buffyverse and the constant struggle between Good and Evil. Sure, there was an epic battle and some grand speechifying, but this finale wasn't just a return to form ... it was a celebration of it. From start to finish, 'Chosen' focused on all the beautiful qualities that made this series so unique and wonderful, giving characters a chance to make peace with each other and pay homage to some of the great moments that brought us to this point. The writing was clever and on target, the music was grand in scope, and the performances were energetic and alive with an intensity that hadn't been so prevalent recently. It tapped into the very soul of the entire 7-year run and accomplished the overwhelming task of wrapping it up while still leaving a possible future. I gave considerable thought to this (perhaps too much), and the "safe" choice in making this list would be to rank 'Conversations with Dead People' higher, but sometimes you have to go with your heart. After all, it is my list. There is a lot of great television out there, but there are few shows that I truly love; Buffy is one of them. This finale is not without its flaws, but watching it, I find that I feel content and at peace with the end of this series ... that's not an easy task, and in truth, I could ask for nothing more. In the end, we are treated to the best payoff we could ever desire: the weight of the world removed from Buffy's shoulders. For at the core of this show was always one lonely girl trying to find her place in a crazy world, and now she finally has the chance. Perhaps the girl who's returned from the dead twice may finally rest in peace. "Yeah, Buffy, what are we gonna do now?" #3 - Six Feet Under - 'Perfect Circles' (03.02.03) Written by: Alan Ball, Directed by: Rodrigo Garcia "Go ahead ... open the box." - Nathaniel Fisher Ignorance is bliss. The more we understand about the Universe, the more disturbing it becomes. In fact, many of the great minds who helped formulate what we now refer to as quantum physics spent a lifetime trying to disprove what was being theorized, as the reality of it all (or lack thereof) raised such undesirable questions about our very existence. I guess some background may be necessary here, so I'll give a brief overview for the unfamiliar, but by no means is this a complete representation of the state of quantum physics, and if I explain it poorly, I apologize ... it's been a long day. Those who want a lifetime of sleepless nights can research all these subjects further. Anyway, most high school students are familiar with Heisenberg Uncertainty: the more precisely the position of a particle is determined, the less precisely its momentum is known. This isn't a big deal on a macroscopic scale, since the effect is negligible, but on a subatomic scale, it becomes quite the problem. Quite simply, the way we observe the Universe is with light, as photons bounce off objects and reflect information to the observer. On a subatomic scale, the act of bouncing a photon off a particle to find its position alters its momentum, and we can never know both with any certainty. That really sucks, and it's why the Enterprise crew is unhappy when the mythical Heisenberg Compensators are on the fritz ... but that's only the beginning. The double-slit experiment (also hopefully performed in high school or early college courses) demonstrates that light is (for lack of better terminology) both a particle and a wave, and in conjunction with numerous other observations and experiments (namely Bohr's model of the atom), de Broglie put together what's often referred to as the "wave-particle duality" of matter. When taken to the next level, using single photons one after another, the double-slit experiment shows that independent particles interfere with one another in a most puzzling manner. Not to be outdone, Schroedinger developed a wave equation describing the behavior of atomic and subatomic particles and showed that wave and matrix mechanics were mathematically equivalent. Poor guy. Bohr came back into the picture, along with Heisenberg and many other great minds of the period, and built the Copenhagen Interpretation on Heisenberg's principle and Schroedinger's equation, opening the door to perhaps the biggest philosophical debate of all time: a particle exists as a wave form probability until it is "observed," at which point the wave form collapses and it "decides" its position and "exists." Until observed a particle can only be described as a probability of its potential existence; in fact, quantum mechanics dictates that it is a superposition of all potential outcomes until observed. Schroedinger was not to keen on the fact that his equation was being used in this manner, so he set out to demonstrate the complete absurdity of the Copenhagen Interpretation in a "thought experiment" known as "Schroedinger's Cat." He sought to demonstrate that there is no "line" between the macroscopic world that is described through our own observation and the microscopic world that is supposedly affected by it. Take a radioactive isotope with a 50/50 chance of decaying within an hour and place it in range of a Geiger counter that is connected to a vial of poison such that if the isotope decays, the poison will be released. Enclose this toy with an unsuspecting kitty cat in a steel box and wait. According to quantum physics, the isotope is both decayed and non-decayed until it is "observed." Consequently, the cat is both alive and dead until someone opens the box to check on him. This most certainly cannot be the case ... or can it? Detractors of the Copenhagen Interpretation have raised many valid questions, and I'm just giving background, not asserting how you should interpret this ... but the fact remains that every experiment performed in the last 70+ years intended to analyze this has done nothing but support the concluded results. An alternate view (which is also supported with results) is that each wave form collapse creates two parallel universes where each scenario occurs. This isn't science fiction; as crazy as it sounds, the model works in describing the behavior of subatomic particles. As Feynman says, "You’ll have to accept it ... because it is the way nature works. You don’t like it? Go somewhere else ... to another Universe, where the rules are simpler, philosophically more pleasing, more psychologically easy. I can’t help it, okay?" Why the model works is a subject of intense debate as it questions the very nature of our own existence. Have no fear, though ... Schroedinger's Cat is just a thought experiment, and you can rationalize it away with arguments over what constitutes "observation" of a particle. The related Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox, however, will make your head spin. Now, wait a minute ... isn't this a list of the Top 50 dramatic television episodes of the season? Don't blame me ... I didn't write the episode. In a stroke of what can only be referred to as genius, Alan Ball seamlessly merged quantum physics' most dazzling mystery with one of television's most impressive shows. Nate is dead ... and he's not. Observe the following discussion with his father: Nathaniel, Sr.: Do you believe that your consciousness affects the behavior of subatomic particles? Nate: Am I alive or am I dead? Nathaniel, Sr.: Do you believe that particles move backwards and forwards in time and appear in all possible places at once? Nate: And if I am dead, is this heaven or hell? Nathaniel, Sr.: Do you believe that the Universe is constantly splitting into billions of parallel universes? Nate: WHAT THE **** DO I CARE?!? Nathaniel, Sr.: You only get one choice, so you may want to think about this. Nate: Just tell me. Am I dead? Yes or no? Nathaniel, Sr.: Yes ... and no. Some places you’re dead, some places you’re alive. Some places you never even existed. Possibly, theoretically ... or who knows, this could just be the anesthesia talking. Go ahead ... open the box. It's been a while since I've been in such complete awe of a television episode, but when this first aired I just stared at the screen, completely mesmerized by what I was seeing, in large part because the episode works just as well for those who have no knowledge of Schroedinger and his dead-alive cat. We see many different possibilities of Nate's existence or non-existence. He could have returned a vegetable. He may have married Lisa ... or Brenda. Perhaps his father didn't die in the accident that Christmas eve a few years back ... or maybe he didn't even have Nate to begin with. We find out in this episode that Nate's existence wasn't planned by his parents, and this set in motion the chain of events that leads to the Fisher family as we know it. We see all these possibilities, and then his father says, "you only get one choice, so you may want to think about this." Does our consciousness affect the behavior of matter? Does the observer affect the observed simply through observation? Do particles only exist when observed, and as such, is existence just a function of our own consciousness? On my first viewing, I thought some of the references were a bit much, but in retrospect, I think it works to perfection. Note in the vegetable reality that David is trying to get him to form the word CAT. Todd obsesses over his child's refusal to stop playing with a cat at his get-together. Observe the melodramatic soap opera playing in the background of the white trash reality: Woman: That was Dr. Schroedinger. Kitty, didn’t make it. Man: So ... the universe has split in two. Woman: Two? Try two billion!!! What’s gonna happen to us? Man: There, there. We always end up a Universe in which we exist. Remember Copenhagen? Women: Ah, yes! The Eigenvalues in bloom! Man: You just keep telling yourself everything that can happen, does ... somewhere. The second half of the episode focuses on this reality in which Nate exists and sets up the threads for the rest of the season. In doing so, we see countless instances of "interference." As mentioned earlier, one of the theories on the wave-particle duality is that parallel universes or "shadow" potential outcomes affect interfere with particles, and we see this in Nate's life as events from the other realities manifest themselves in his current reality. At the time, I had hoped that we would see more such interference throughout the season and further travel down this path, but I cannot fault the direction they chose to go. This season premiere was such a complete shock in so many ways. It flipped the series completely upside down and did so with brilliant reference to one of the great scientific questions of our time. As the episode draws to an end, David sings "Some Other Time" from On the Town over a montage of the current state in the lives of the Fisher family. We close on a final scene with Lisa and Nate (and one final interference) discussing the nature of our existence and how meaningful the choices we make are: Nate: Surely we're more than just things that happen. Lisa: Maybe we are ... maybe we're not. #2 - Farscape - 'Bad Timing' (03.21.03) Written by: David Kemper, Directed by: Andrew Prowse "You're gonna find, when you have your own, you want 'em to pass you, be better, climb higher; because if that's the measure, I'm the greatest Dad on Earth." - Jack Crichton "And finally ... on Farscape ..." How do you end the most visually stunning and possibly the most thematically ambitious series in the history of television? Pretty difficult, I would think. Now, how do you end it when you've already built a cliff-hanger around a guaranteed 5th season only to find out on the last day of shooting that the scumbags who made that guarantee are weaseling out of their contract? Simple ... you don't. Farscape isn't my favorite show of all time, nor is it even my favorite current show, but I find that I have a level of respect for this series unmatched by anything I have ever seen. Farscape is many different things to many people. At its core, it's a beautiful love story; on the surface, it's a thrilling science fiction adventure; and in between, it is consistently the most daring program on television, unafraid to try anything. David Kemper made it clear to the fans in the weeks leading up to this episode that he had the opportunity to tweak this season finale and make it a series finale, but to avoid spoilage, he wouldn't reveal anything about what they did or did not do. He would only say that the inner circle of the series (behind and in front of the camera) got together, discussed it, and unanimously agreed on how they wanted this finale to play out. After it aired, the audience could see precisely what he meant. This episode could very easily have been tweaked to wrap everything up nicely, and probably without even adding any extra shots ... but that wouldn't be very Farscape, now would it? Still, we are treated to some great scenes fitting of a closing episode, with Rygel convincing Pilot to collapse the wormhole, Aeryn and John sorting out their issues, and a touching final conversation between John and his father. The show could have ended this way, and I wouldn't have been unhappy. It would have been a solid end. However, my respect for this show stems from the fact that it has never cheated its audience, and this finale proved no different as we are dangled over the edge of oblivion, rescued in the nick of time, and just as we find comfort and safety on solid ground, we are shoved over the edge from behind in possibly the most gut-wrenching moment of the show's 4 year run, and the series fades out with the echoes of D'Argo's guttural roars. Those sounds still haunt my dreams, and as the episode closed, I had to consciously remind myself to breathe. And then ... like a giant middle finger to the frellniks who conspired to destroy science fiction television in this country ... #1 - The West Wing - 'Twenty Five' (05.14.03) Written by: Aaron Sorkin, Directed by: Christopher Misiano "I think it's a fairly stunning act of patriotism ... and a fairly ordinary act of fatherhood." - Will Bailey From the opening scene, the audience knew this was the episode to see, and if this is the last time Sorkin writes for this show, he was going out on top. Following the graduation of his daughter, the Bartlet family and friends have gathered around and are reminiscing her childhood while looking through old pictures. And then Leo shows up, out of breath, sickened by what he has to tell his best friend. No dialogue is heard as Leo pulls him away from the party and explains the situation. President Bartlet is holding a glass, and you fully expect it to fall from his hands and shatter on the floor in typical dramatic fashion, but instead he loses grip of the family photos, and they litter the floor. As the camera zooms in on a childhood picture that looks remarkably like the Zoey we're used to, the glass then falls from above (without shattering) spilling ice and liquid all over the photos. The look of horror on the President's face is all his wife needs to see to know precisely what has happened. No words ... just emotion. As this season wound to a close, viewers of The West Wing had to be prepared for some sort of cliff-hanger. They've done it each season, and they've done it incredibly well. The resignation of the Vice President was a big blow and was topped the following week by the apparent kidnapping of Zoey Bartlet. This would be more than enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats during the summer months, but the series showed an impressive amount of courage as they pushed the audience even further to the edge and did so with yet another in a long list of absolutely perfect casting decisions. "We're in control. The government is functioning. This is the most important press conference of your life." How everyone reacts in the next few hours will not only control the fate of the President's daughter but the nation as a whole, and the question of who holds that control is on everyone's mind. Leo tries to reassure Bartlet that he's surrounded by good people who won't let him do anything stupid in his time of grief, but that's not good enough. Legally, they have to follow his orders, and in their hearts they know what has to happen next. And yet 'Twenty Five' is more about parenthood than anything else as Toby's children are born in untimely contrast to Zoey's abduction, and Richard Schiff steals the show with a command performance. The terror he faces is one many of us face -- will he be a good father? -- but it's made worse by his fear that he won't love his children the way he's heard about. As his ex-wife pointed out earlier, he's a very "sad" person, and he fears he's just not capable of the kind of life-changing love everyone tells him follows the birth of children. The moments he shares with his newborn children are touching and beautiful and some of the best scenes of the entire television year. "This isn't going to mean anything to you, but Leo was right ... Leo was right." Moments later, seeing home videos of the Bartlets on the News, he realizes he has to return to the office and now: "the President's got to get out of the West Wing. I don't know what we've been thinking." "How are the babies? Are they OK?" Leo asks. "Yeah, they're great. And if someone was hurting them, I'd drop napalm on Yellowstone to make them stop. Letting some prisoners out of jail would be nothing, and I've known my kids for 45 minutes." With that statement, he sums up both situations perfectly as he finally understands what that fatherly love is, and he also understands why Bartlet cannot be in control of the country. There are many great scenes packed among the action -- Charlie inches away from beating the crap out of Jean Paul, Toby informing his staff that his children were born while they're panicking over the abduction, Abby losing sanity and preparing to make a plea to the press, saying "I've just seen other mothers do it" and finally President Bartlet turning over the powers of the Presidency to the Speaker of the House. Throughout the episode, when asked what they'd do in the event of certain scenarios, each character would always reply, "Leo will know what to do." And so they gather in the Oval Office to transfer power, and they slowly start to debate how they announce this. C.J. suggests the first thing they do is make it clear to the rest of the country there's someone in charge. Josh notes that first they have to make it clear to the world, and Will points out they need to make it clear to the terrorists. The Speaker interrupts, detailing the sequence of events that led to World War I, following with "someone needs to make it clear to the people in this room that someone's in charge." Bartlet steps up to defend them pointing out that they haven't slept in a long time, and the Speaker curtly informs him that he is relieved of duty. Without fanfare Leo assumes the responsibility everyone's entrusted in him all episode: "you're relieved, Mr. President." Even after an average season -- by its standards -- there isn't a doubt in my mind that The West Wing is the best series on network television, and they finished this season with 3 incredible episodes (each of which appears on this list). To have such a large cast and still be able to paint such wonderfully deep and diverse characters is a truly remarkable accomplishment. I can only hope that the departure of Sorkin and Schlamme from the series can be weathered. I debated this in my mind over and over, as the thought of choosing 'Perfect Circles' appealed to my sense of awe, and 'Bad Timing' is clearly the sentimental favorite, but I cannot deny a simple truth: 'Twenty Five' is a perfect hour of television. Acting, writing, direction, editing, and score ... it's the bar that all shows should strive to achieve. The last two seasons, I have rewarded daring and powerful uniqueness. This season, I choose to recognize execution ... flawless execution. It may not be a popular choice, but I believe it's the right one.
I don't know if it's for this year or ever but... Probably the best episode of any T.V. show ever is the Partridge Family where Danny becomes an honorary member of the Black Panthers and leads them to rescue a fire house run by Richard Pryor. The group wasn't called the Black Panthers in the show, but they were a black militant organization practicing martial arts when Danny walks in on them. Now that is some great writing!
man i haven't seen any of those shows other than the sopranos. the best i could do is like the top 10 seinfeld reruns of this year.
I don't watch most of those shows, so I couldn't really comment about a list for this year. If you're gonna make a list of the last decade though, the top 45 episodes are all Seinfeld. Nothing, NOTHING, compared to that show. The final 5 episodes would be rounded out by The Simpsons, Scrubs, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, and The Simpsons again.
I watch Six Feet Under almost religiously. Its a fabulous show, and from what I understand, the parts about the funeral home are correct - even down to the gay funeral director (David). For those of you who have HBO - its well worth the hour that you spend watching it. Notice the show is in the list several times. Buffy is a twit, but the finale was a great show. West Wing and Boomtown are also excellent shows to watch on any given day you happen to catch them.
I liked the episode of the "Andy Griffith Show" where the barber came out of the closet. A single tear rolled down my cheek ...
