Top 25 -- The List So Far
I get paid to surf the internet at work, and you all know that. It's what led to the creation of this list. Well, I thought to myself one boring summer night, why not take the next logical step and narrow it down? I decided to weed through each individual episode of each show under the first two lists (because those are the ones I've seen all of -- more importantly, if I haven't seen all the episodes of a show, there isn't much chance of that particular show producing an episode worthy to be on this list) and choose my favorite episodes. I ended up with a list around one hundred episodes long.
But why not take it even further (which is a question I've decided that I like asking)? Why not narrow it down to the best twenty-five? But this was way harder than I thought. Some I would try to sneak on the list just because I love them, but upon further evaluation, were found to be lacking in comparison to others that just needed to be on the list. (And another note about bias -- I am totally for it. So, if you're looking for a non-prejudiced list of the 25 most perfect hours of television ever, go somewhere else. Frankly, it's a miracle that this entire list wasn't made up entirely of Buffy and Battlestar Galactica. So. NO WHINING.) Then there were the cases of those episodes that don't really work alone because their stories begin and end in other episodes -- episode arcs. For the most part, I steered clear of those, because if an episode isn't mostly self-contained, it can't function on its own. As much as I love them, i.e. the First storyline on Buffy and practically the entirety of Farscape, most of those episodes are impossible to appreciate unless you've seen the episodes -- and sometimes entire seasons -- leading up to them. Also, there are no ordinary episodes on this list. I intend for every episode on this list to be a shining and perfect example of everything that TV should be trying to do at all times.
And, my final disclaimer. I compiled this list in the summer of 2008. Any and all episodes I see, whether airing for the first time on TV or just watching them on DVD, beginning now are not subject to consideration. Now, sometime in the future I may decide to revamp this list, and maybe then some of these puppies will get kicked off in favor of newer fare. Only time will tell.
Starting on Monday, July 7, I will begin posting my list. I will post one episode each Monday (barring complications), until all twenty-five have been revealed, with number one being posted in early 2009. The purpose of this exercise is twofold: a) I like doing it because I'm a freak and b) It'll keep me busy until Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost come back in January '09. Excited? You should be. They don't call me the Queen of Television for nothin'.
Twenty-Five Perfect Hours of Television
25. "Tempus Fugitive," Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ( Recap )
24. "The One With the Prom Video," Friends ( Recap )
23. "Smooching and Mooching," Freaks and Geeks ( Recap )
22. "A Trip to the Dentist," Veronica Mars ( Recap Part I, Recap Part II )
21. "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" Gilmore Girls ( Recap )
20. "Greatest Hits," Lost ( Recap )
19. "Phase One," Alias ( Recap )
18. "Small Potatoes," The X-Files ( Recap )
17. "Gay Witch Hunt," The Office ( Recap )
16. "Secrets and Lies," 30 Rock ( Recap )
15. "Milagro," The X-Files ( Recap )
14. "Flight of the Phoenix," Battlestar Galactica ( Recap )
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But why not take it even further (which is a question I've decided that I like asking)? Why not narrow it down to the best twenty-five? But this was way harder than I thought. Some I would try to sneak on the list just because I love them, but upon further evaluation, were found to be lacking in comparison to others that just needed to be on the list. (And another note about bias -- I am totally for it. So, if you're looking for a non-prejudiced list of the 25 most perfect hours of television ever, go somewhere else. Frankly, it's a miracle that this entire list wasn't made up entirely of Buffy and Battlestar Galactica. So. NO WHINING.) Then there were the cases of those episodes that don't really work alone because their stories begin and end in other episodes -- episode arcs. For the most part, I steered clear of those, because if an episode isn't mostly self-contained, it can't function on its own. As much as I love them, i.e. the First storyline on Buffy and practically the entirety of Farscape, most of those episodes are impossible to appreciate unless you've seen the episodes -- and sometimes entire seasons -- leading up to them. Also, there are no ordinary episodes on this list. I intend for every episode on this list to be a shining and perfect example of everything that TV should be trying to do at all times.
And, my final disclaimer. I compiled this list in the summer of 2008. Any and all episodes I see, whether airing for the first time on TV or just watching them on DVD, beginning now are not subject to consideration. Now, sometime in the future I may decide to revamp this list, and maybe then some of these puppies will get kicked off in favor of newer fare. Only time will tell.
Starting on Monday, July 7, I will begin posting my list. I will post one episode each Monday (barring complications), until all twenty-five have been revealed, with number one being posted in early 2009. The purpose of this exercise is twofold: a) I like doing it because I'm a freak and b) It'll keep me busy until Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost come back in January '09. Excited? You should be. They don't call me the Queen of Television for nothin'.
Twenty-Five Perfect Hours of Television
25. "Tempus Fugitive," Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ( Recap )
24. "The One With the Prom Video," Friends ( Recap )
23. "Smooching and Mooching," Freaks and Geeks ( Recap )
22. "A Trip to the Dentist," Veronica Mars ( Recap Part I, Recap Part II )
21. "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" Gilmore Girls ( Recap )
20. "Greatest Hits," Lost ( Recap )
19. "Phase One," Alias ( Recap )
18. "Small Potatoes," The X-Files ( Recap )
17. "Gay Witch Hunt," The Office ( Recap )
16. "Secrets and Lies," 30 Rock ( Recap )
15. "Milagro," The X-Files ( Recap )
14. "Flight of the Phoenix," Battlestar Galactica ( Recap )
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