Liz's 10 Favorite Episodes of 2007 Some people think I know a fair amount about TV. So I thought I'd pick my ten favorite episodes from the last year, so I can prove how wrong they are about that. This list is a bit more middlebrow than I'd like, perhaps, but as a TV fan it's not like you're rolling in high-brow options (unless you're a fan of The Wire, of course, which I should really get on becoming). Special thanks to Aimee for brainstorming assistance. Special special thanks to TV. I love you.
- The Office, "Money": This is the episode that pushed "The Office" firmly into dramedy territory. But it broke my heart, so that's all right. And huzzah for agritourism!
- House, who can pick?: Guys. I am so in love with Season 4 of House. By completely reinventing a large chunk of the show's formula, with real consequences and fresh new characters (seriously, by week 3 I knew more about some of the candidates than I did about Foreman -- and liked them more than Foreman, too), House solved all of its later-season problems while not sacrificing the quality characters and writing that made it such a powerhouse. It's all pretty amazing, but if I had to pick one episode? "You Don't Want to Know," because I like magic tricks. And lupus!
- Mad Men, "Shoot": Until about minute 58, "Shoot" is just another extremely solid installment of last summer's best drama. Then, the last scene happens. And it just blows the doors off the barn. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say the title? All too apt.
- Doctor Who, "Blink": I feel like I've been pretty clear about this one, but to put it in a personal context: this episode singlehandedly revived my passion for time travel narrative. Some of those in my theater company, forced to make sense of my one-act, rue the day Steven Moffat laced up his Chucks (or whatever shoes he wears to write).
- 30 Rock, "Rosemary's Baby": With this episode, the character that most represents me in the world of TV fiction finally changed from Queer As Folk UK's Vince to Liz Lemon. She's a non-functioning adult who has no idea how to invest her money! She fangirls about Carrie Fisher's writing! She is totally comfortable with selling out to the man! It's like looking into the future. (Fingers crossed.) Oh, and it's also a perfect example of what makes 30 Rock so interesting -- its surface kowtowing to the man covering up an incredibly subversive anti-corporation message. The day GE figures out what Fey and co. are actually saying is going to be a sad sad day for American television.
- Friday Night Lights, "Blinders": I caught up with this series over the course of December, and it was the nicest surprise I got all year. It really is true what everyone says. And this episode, which tackles race issues in a blunt and fascinating manner, is a standout. That's not why I picked it, though. I picked it because of the look on Coach's face when he finds out that Daughter of Coach is playing quarterback in the Powderpuff game. Oh, Coach.
- The Sopranos, "Made in America": Yep. Those are what balls look like. I love it.
- Life, "Pilot": This was, totally unexpectedly, my favorite pilot of the 2007 season -- great characters, a world of intrigue, and tons of possibility. The season that followed was solid TV with a lot of good twists and turns, but man, stellar pilot with beautiful cinematography. Charlie Crews and his fruit. Fresh.
- Heroes, "Distractions": Overall, Heroes is pretty nerdgasm-y, but this episode broke the time/nerd barrier with guest star appearances from Chris Eccleston and George Takai. And by taking one of its most annoying characters (Peter) and giving him a mentor who would call him on his crap (Claude), they found a way to make one of the show's primary protagonists magically likable. When Claude punched Peter Petrelli in the face, I knew that they were onto something.
- How I Met Your Mother, "Stuff": I am listing this episode a bit begrudgingly. Why? Because the b-plot of this episode -- Lily makes Barney attend her theatrical debut, and Barney gets his sweet sweet revenge -- is one of my favorites of the series. And the line "Spoiler alert: the robot falls in love" is one of my favorites of the series. And the first reappearance of Slap Bet! But the Ted/Robin storyline isn't the show's finest work, I think -- it's too petty and immature for my tastes. HIMYM is one of my favorite shows currently, so it definitely deserves a place on this list. But I do wish there was a different A-line on this episode, so I wouldn't feel so bad about it.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: I never really got behind Pushing Daisies or Chuck, but they had solid runs. I wanted to include Life on Mars, but while Season 2 in general was good there was no one episode that I loved. Special kudos to Bones, which I watched only twice this season, but found delightful upon both occasions. And, oh, Prison Break. When faced with the problem of "the actress who plays our main character's love interest has just quit the show," some shows might whine and bellyache. Prison Break chops off Pretty Lady Doctor's head and puts it in a box. Well-played, Prison Break. Well-played.
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posted by Liz # 11:09 AM
Comments:
Her head is so in that box.
# posted byHollywood : January 7, 2008 6:18:00 PM PST
The good news for you is that The Wire aired no new episodes in 2007, so it wouldn't even qualify for your list even if you had seen it!
But please be aware that it will be the Best Show of 2008. It would be that way even if there wasn't a writer's strike going on.
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