Most Memorable Episodes 2009

Here's the rundown of the most memorable episodes of 2009:

"An Alchemist's Anguish" (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Season 1 Episode 4)
Written by Hiroshi Ōnogi
Directed by Yasuhiro Irie

You won't see this on American animation. An absolute gutter of an episode. Ed and Al visit the home of the Sewing Life Alchemist Shou Tucker, who gained fame by creating a talking chimera two years back, and meets his daughter Nina and her dog Alexander. All seems fine as Tucker offers use of his library for the brothers' research, and the brothers fit in some playtime with the adorable Nina during breaks in their work. Despite Tucker's laid-back facade, however, one notices something is amiss almost immediately. The awful truth finally reveals itself, however, when Ed and Al found that Tucker has subsequently transmuted Nina and Alexander into a chimera in order to regain his certification as a State Alchemist, and that his wife was used in the transmutation of the talking chimera two years ago. The stomach-churning turn of events take a tragic, final twist when Scar, who had been hunting State Alchemists, takes Tucker's life when the latter was in the military's custody, and kills Nina's chimera as an act of mercy because she can never be restored as a human again. Emotionally draining, but utterly compelling, this is a fine example of the very best that Japanese anime can offer.

"And in the End..." (ER Series Finale)
Written by John Wells
Directed by Rod Holcomb

ER's final season was an extended, loving farewell to the longtime staple, and this finale capped it off with the perfect closure. Director Holcomb (who won an Emmy for this episode) and longtime showrunner Wells balanced the day-to-day hectic pace of the ER (including an excellent central case of a teen binge party gone wrong) with a sense of finality as characters reunite for farewells. It was a real treat for a longtime fan such as myself to see Carter, Weaver, Benton and Corday together again, while the cast of the latter seasons deservedly also got their share of the airtime, including Archie, the new head of the ER (who would've thought? Haha). As the final shot pans out of County General for the last time as the staff works on patients from an incoming case, we might have taken leave of the good folks of the ER, but for them in their fictional universe, life goes on. Thanks for 14 years, ER.

"Born to Run" (Terminator: TSCC Series Finale)
Written by Josh Friedman
Directed by Jeffrey Hunt

Not easy to write a finale not knowing whether the series would be renewed or not, but showrunner Friedman came up with this real gem, with a genius of a final scene that would have worked either as a series or season finale. The prison breakout scene was a great homage to the original Terminator 1 & 2 movies, including having part of Cameron's face blown off to reveal the cybernetic red eye below the skin. After Cameron willingly surrenders her chip to John Henry who skips town into the future, John and the T1000 Catherine Weaver (who turns out not to be the villain we all thought she was) jumps too in pursuit. They find themselves in an alternate timeline (or to a timepoint in the current timeline) when the resistance hasn't been acquainted with John Connor yet, and where Allison, not Cameron, was in the group John encounters. So many questions, but yet, in a way, the show has also come to a kind of natural conclusion with the maturing of John. With time travel being such an integral part of the Terminator franchise, it might almost be OK not to have a new season to answer all of the questions posed by that final sequence, because the show has brought the audience to a point where we can speculate on what might happen next, given the clues of what happened in the series.

"Broke" (The Office, Season 5 Episode 23)
Written by Charlie Grandy
Directed by Steve Carell

The Michael Scott Paper Company arc comes to a great conclusion with Michael's standoff negotiation with Wallace, in which he brilliantly got (most of) what he wanted, i.e. his old job back, as well as jobs for fellow defectors Ryan and Pam. Especially loved the brilliant way in which Michael's genius-by-way-of-being-an-oaf is portrayed, as he threatened Wallace that he will just keep opening new makeshift paper companies that take away Dunder-Mifflin's business if his demands are not met. Another highlight is Jim outmaneuvering Dwight as the latter tried to expose Michael's weak bargaining position (the MSPC is actually broke) to Charles. The highlight of a great year 5 for the show, coming off a strike-shortened season.

"Daybreak: Part 2" (Battlestar Galactica, Season 4 Episode 20)
Written by Ronald D. Moore
Directed by Michael Rymer

The finale had its detractors, but the first half at least was as grippingly exciting as the series' best episodes, as Galactica staged an outrageous attempt at rescuing Hera from the Cylons' base proximate to a black hole. The sense of impending doom, despite the audience knowing that Galactica will pull through, was extremely well portrayed. And there was a genuine regret when, after all was done and dusted, Tigh resignedly announced that the ship had finally jumped its last jump. The second part, with the scenes on prehistoric Earth, were contemplative and meditative, and at least for me, served as a nice coda to the series' various characters. This great science fiction series will be missed.

"The Death of the Undying" (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Season 1 Episode 19)
Written by Hiroshi Ōnogi
Directed by Yasuhiro Irie

A perfect epitome of FMA's breakneck pace of storytelling, this one's as emotionally charged as it is thrilling. A battle royale of epic proportions ensues after Roy and his men pursue Barry's human form into the basement of the hospital where the Homunculi had been conducting human experiments. Lust appeared to have Roy and Havoc left for dead, but commits the mistake of not finishing off her opponents when she had the chance. Get this...Roy cauterized his wounds using his own flames, using Havoc's lighter, and goes back and consigns Lust to oblivion by repeatedly burning her until the regenerative powers of her Philosopher's Stone is expended. That has to be the badass TV moment of the year. Lust's last words might very well be among the best parting lines of a villain ever ("I've lost...this is frustrating"), being so devilishly understated. As terrific as the main battle is, the best scene of the episode, for me, comes right before, as Riza found out from Lust that Roy was (apparently) dead. Her complete loss of will to live, after what she knew was an utterly futile attempt to avenge Roy, was heartbreaking to watch, and equally good was Al's stoic protection of Riza as she was about to be killed by Lust. And that's not all the awesomeness of the episode, as the installment still finds time to have Barry come to a tragic, ironic end as his human form ignorantly scratches off his blood seal, and Ed finally comes face-to-face with their long estranged father Hohenheim. Absolutely. Terrific.

"Enemy at the Gate" (Stargate: Atlantis, Series Finale)
Written by Paul Mullie and Joseph Mallozi
Directed by Andy Mikita

SG1's disappointment of a series finale made me wary of SGA's ender, but this was a winner. Atlantis has to rush back to Earth to save the planet from an attack by a Wraith ship made almost invincible by the acquisition of several ZPMs. Ronan being revived by a Wraith after dying onscreen felt like a real cheat, but the final battle between Atlantis and the Wraith ship was appropriately epic. The highlight, thought, was the ending scene, with the city floating adrift in San Francisco bay and the crew gathering around as the sun sets. Yes, it sounds cheesy as I'm writing it, but it works surprisingly well on TV. The show has had its fair share of detractors over the years, but I thought this standalone finished the series (the upcoming TV movies notwithstanding) on a high note.

"The Gypsy and the Hobo" (Mad Men, Season 3 Episode 11)
Written by Matthew Weiner and Cathryn Humphris
Directed by Marti Noxon

The episode that MM fans have probably been waiting for, as Betty confronts Don about the truth of his previous life after she found out about the contents of the shoebox. The confrontation was made all the more unnerving by the genious use of the plot device where Don left his mistress waiting in the car outside while confessing to Betty, leading the audience to fear that things might get worse for Don. How will the series proceed upon this game-changer of an installment, in which the central conceit of Don is now, more or less, known to everyone that matters in his life? The aftermath, in which Betty continue playing the devoted wife and they go trick-or-treating the very next day, suggests that this might all work out for Don, but the subsequent episodes suggest otherwise.

"Lesser Evil" (Burn Notice Season 2 Finale)
Written by Matt Nix
Directed by Tim Matheson

Terrific season finale packs tons into just one hour. Michael's battle of wills and wits with his handler Carla comes to a head, as he and Victor try to uncover incriminating evidence to get Carla off their backs. Carla corners them eventually though, but just when the situation appears dire and all seems lost, Fiona takes out Carla just as the higher-ups arrive. To avoid both of them getting killed by the incoming troopers, Victor tells Michael he has to kill him, and sell himself as the guy who took out the traitor. Left with little choice, Michael is forced to carry out this gruesome task, and then proceeds to reject the higher-up's offer of a job by awesomely jumping from their chopper. Action-packed to the brim, with several eye-popping car chases, this was an extremely satisfying finale to a fine sophomore year for the spy drama.

"Seinfeld" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 7 Finale)
The series finale that "Seinfeld" should have had? Perhaps. I for one liked it much better than the actual one back in 1998, but then, this had the advantage of condensing it to just short snippets, enabling TPTB to feature only the best bits, i.e. the jokes, the biting social commentary (including the hilarious Blackberry head-down thing) and even a little happiness for George in the end. The wider Curb finale was great too, tying very nicely the plots about Larry and Seinfeld's debate on "Having said that", the water stain on the wooden table ("I respect wood") and Larry's reunion with Cheryl. Every scene with Mocha Joe (what a name!) is a must, as is Larry's impersonation of Jason Alexander as George, a character based on Larry. Sweet, scathing and consistently laugh-out-loud funny, this is a gem of an episode.

Honorable mentions:
"7:00pm to 9:00pm" (24, Season 7 Episode 12-13)
"En Garde" (Modern Family, Season 1 Episode 7)
"The Incident" (Lost, Season 4 Finale)
"Mr. Monk and the End" (Monk, Series Finale)
"The Practice Date" (Parks and Recreation, Season 2 Episode 4)

Ten Most Memorable TV Episodes of 2008

As with the Golden (Couch) Potato Awards, this is not a “Best TV Episodes” list…rather what episodes have been the most memorable for me in the 2008 calendar year. In alphabetical order of episode title, kudos to the following shows:

“Allison from Palmdale” (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) Season 2 Episode 4

Written by Toni Graphia

Directed by Charles Beeson

As Cameron, John Connor’s Terminator-protector, Summer Glau has that great robotic-style of acting that suggests that there’s an underlying humanity to Cameron, whilst never letting the audience forget what she (or more correctly, it) truly is. However, in this episode, she lets fly and shows her versatility acting-wise, as Cameron’s malfunction causes the Terminator to have flashes of what seems to be her human origins from the future, from where she was sent (the eponymous Allison). The twist at the end that reveals the true nature of the flash-forwards is both chilling and heart-breaking at the same time.

“Chair Model” (The Office) Season 4 Episode 10

Written by BJ Novak

Directed by Jeffrey Blitz

Michael has to order a new chair, so Pam can get his old one, and Creed can get Pam’s old chair. However, he has trouble deciding, and expectedly gets sidetracked when he falls for the model in the advert for the new chair. Typically innocuous-seeming scenario set in office minutiae has hilarious consequences, as Michael decides he’s too good a catch to be the one who got away, and commands the rest of the office to get him hitched, and Dwight proceeds to find the chair model for Michael. There’s a sweet Jim/Pam moment for the ‘shippers, while “American Pie” has never been sung with as much gusto (and so off-tune) as when Dwight and Michael belted it out in the tag. Comedy gold.

“Chuck vs. Santa Claus” (Chuck) Season 2, Episode 11

Written by Scott Rosenbaum

Directed by Robert Duncan McNeill

Christmas at the Buy More is interrupted by a gunman who crashes into the store after a high-speed car chase with the police. The hostage scenario that ensues seems to take the deliriously comedic lilt that the show is so good at, replete with the goofy hostage-taker who has no idea what he's doing and only wants to return home for the holidays, and a cameo by Die Hard’s Sergeant Al Powell! However, the plot twist mid-episode that it was all a nefarious Fulcrum ruse raises the personal stakes considerably for Chuck, leading to the fateful, dark turn of events at episode’s end. Set amidst the eerie ambiance of a deserted Christmas tree lot, Chuck looks on in horror as Sarah kills the unarmed, already-surrendered Fulcrum agent, seemingly in cold blood. "Chuck" is so amiable so much of the time that this really hits home, especially given the sharp tonal shift from the start of the episode. What will this mean for Chuck and Sarah’s relationship? “Silent Night” has never sounded as haunting as it is used here.

“The Constant” (Lost) Season 4 Episode 5

Written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof

Directed by Jack Bender

Time-traveling chaos as Desmond experiences blackouts during his chopper trip from the island to the freighter, and flashes back to his time in the Scottish Army. Things get worse as the past self seems to juxtapose himself in the present, and he can’t recall anything that happened in the interim. Daniel the physicist tries the salvage the situation by telling Desmond to look him up in Oxford the next time he jumps back in time, where Desmond learns from past-Daniel that this constant time-flipping is very bad for the brain, and he’d better have a “constant”, something or someone to anchor his mind in reality or he risks losing it totally. Desmond naturally chooses Penny as his constant, and with Sayid’s help, calls her right as time’s running out for him. Oh, and the phone call between Desmond and Penny…totally tear-inducing, as the long-separated love-birds finally re-unite (in a manner of speaking). Last scene with Daniel flipping through the pages of his journal, and finding a page saying “If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be my constant” closes this tightly-coiled and eminently satisfying episode on a perfectly enigmatic note.

“Family Meeting” (The Shield) Season 7 Episode 13

Written by Shawn Ryan

Directed by Clark Johnson

Series finale to “The Shield” sees the members of the corrupt police squad led by Vic Mackey get their comeuppance. Almost Shakespearean in its tragedy, as Mackey dodges the bullet by making a deal, but finds he’s been chained to a desk job for the next three years, and long-time associate Ronnie discovers Vic’s deal consigns him to jail. The real stomach-churner, though, is the fate that Vic’s one-time sidekick Shane chose for himself and his family. Is what happened to Vic worse than death? You decide, but this bleak, uncompromising final episode definitely pulls no punches.

“House’s Head / Wilson’s Heart” (House, MD) Season 4 Episode 15 – 16

Episode 15 written by Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, Doris Egan, David Foster, and Peter Blake

Directed by Greg Yaitanes

Episode 16 written by Peter Blake, David Foster, Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend

Directed by Katie Jacobs

Even without this crackling two-parter, “House, MD” has already done much in its fourth year to wipe out what had been a disappointing third season, but “House’s Head / Wilson’s Heart” just puts the icing on top of the cake. The first part is a searing mind-boggler (hence the title) of an episode as House tries to piece together what happened to him in the wake of his short-term memory loss from an accident…the second is an absolute heart-breaker (again, ergo the title), as the folks of Princeton Plainsborough Hospital try to come to grips with the aftermath of the events stemming from House’s revelations, as he finally remembered he was with Amber during the accident. If you’re not a fan of “House, MD” before this, you will be now.

“Oversight” (Jericho) Season 2 Episode 4

Written by Robert Levine

Directed by Steve Gomer

Tension between the townsfolk and the overbearing control of the Ravenwood mercenaries hired by Jennings and Rall reaches a head, as Mimi discovers incriminating evidence of embezzlement by Goetz, the leader of Ravenwood. As Goetz tries to recover the documents, tragedy ensues as the consequent shootout results in Bonnie’s death. No, that kick in the gut you’re feeling is not imagined…I’m feeling it too. Powerful end to the installment, set to Damien Rice’s “9 Crimes”, sets up the all-out confrontation in the next episode.

“Prey” (Smallville) Season 8 Episode 6

Written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson

Directed by Mike Rohl

Atmospheric episode with an almost overbearing sense of foreboding centers on paramedic Davis, who somehow turns up first at a number of crime scenes. Clark believes he’s responsible for the killings, which generates tension between him and long-time friend Chloe, who stands by Davis’ innocence. Clark’s “Spider-man 2” complex of needing to save everyone in the city is, for me, a tiresome rethread of what has been done better elsewhere, but the central plot is so good, it doesn’t matter. Sam Witwer’s conflicted and menacing performance as Davis drives the episode from the start all through to the twist at the end, when he’s revealed as Superman’s nemesis Doomsday. I can’t wait for this battle.

“Ten Sessions” (How I Met Your Mother) Season 3 Episode 13

Written by Chris Harris, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas

Directed by Pamela Fryman

Probably best-known for Britney Spears’ appearance, in which she’s surprisingly good as the receptionist at the clinic where Ted goes to get his tattoo removed. However, the true guest-starring turn of the episode is Sarah Chalke’s Stella, the doctor of the clinic with whom Ted has the titular ten sessions of tattoo removal (folks…think twice before getting a tattoo). The instant rapport and on-screen chemistry between Stella and Ted during these ten sessions are irresistible (a real surprise given how irritating I find Chalke’s character Elliot on “Scrubs”), and she presents a real case that Stella could be The One for Ted (though it turns out she isn’t). The two-minute date that Ted set up for Stella to accommodate her busy schedule, set to Big Star’s “Thirteen”, is probably the most romantic TV moment of the year.

“The Ties that Bind” (Battlestar Galactica) Season 4 Episode 3

Written by Michael Taylor

Directed by Michael Nankin

Brother Cavil, resurrected after being killed by fellow Cylon Natalie in the last episode, turns the conflict into a full-blown civil war by luring the rival faction’s Base-star to a resurrection ship-less part of the galaxy, before opening fire on them. That’s right, the Cylons are killing each other, and there’s no do-over for those killed in this battle. Mutinous feelings stir up in the Demetrius as Starbuck distances herself increasingly from her crew (and let’s face it, Starbuck doesn’t exactly make for an awe-inspiring captain), while back at the Colonial Fleet, Lee exposes President Roslyn’s shady Big Brother plans for the government. And saving the best for last, Callie unwittingly uncovers that Tori, Anders, Tigh and her hubby Tyrol are four of the final five Cylons. The very foundations of her existence rocked, she attempts suicide by trying to blast both her and her baby Nicky out of Galactica’s airlock, only for Tori to talk her down. End of story? Not quite, as Tori, after getting Nicky from Callie, shuts the airlock down on Callie and blows her out into space. Secret is safe. Shocking, disturbing, gutwrenching….I’m running out of adjectives here to describe this turn of events, which still gives me the shivers even as I'm writing them now. Poor, poor Callie. Even for "Battlestar Galactica", I never thought they could go to such a deep, dark place.

Honorable mentions: Double Booked (Burn Notice, Season 2 Episode 8); Heal Thyself (ER, Season 15, Episode 7); The Prodigal (Stargate Atlantis, Season 5 Episode 14)

Top 10 Episodes

hey folks, tis the time for year-end top 10 lists. Here's 10 of the most memorable TV episodes I've seen in 2007, in alphabetical order of episode title:

“Blue Comet” (The Sopranos) Season 6 Episode 20

Tension mounts to breaking point as the feud between the New York and New Jersey mobs reaches a head. Tony’s close aides Bobby and Silvio are killed or incapacitated, as he flees for his life. Powerful conclusion with Tony falling asleep in the safehouse with a shotgun in his hand, in fear for his life. No rest for the wicked, indeed.

“Bon Voyage” (Gilmore Girls) Season 7 Episode 22

News that the show won’t be renewed were only confirmed after filming for the season had wrapped, so there were genuine concerns the show won’t have a proper send-off, but all fears were allayed by this utterly satisfying series finale. We got our answers to Lorelai and Luke, and Rory and Logan, but the true heart of the show has always been the Lorelai/Rory mom-daughter relationship, and the curtains rightly closed on that perfect ending scene with the two of them in Luke’s diner, a call-back to the series premiere. Rory’s “Mom, you’ve given me everything I need” to Lorelai made my cry like a baby. Thanks for 7 great years, Gilmore Girls, I will miss you.

“Chuck vs. The Truth” (Chuck) Season 1 Episode 8

One of Chuck’s strengths is showing how being a spy has affected Chuck’s personal life, and this episode is the perfect example. Chuck, Sarah and Casey try to recover the antidote to the deadly truth serum affecting Chuck’s sister Ellie. What a moving scene in the hospital between Chuck and Captain Awesome by Ellie’s bedside! And to top it off, that heartbreaker of a final reel when Sarah, presumably (but not really) under the effects of the truth serum, told Chuck she didn’t love him. All together now…aww!

“Crossroads” (Battlestar Galactica) Season 3 Episodes 19 – 20

BSG comes to a close in a terrific finale with the conclusion of the Balthar trial, and a wicked gem of a cliffhanger with the revealing of the identities of 4 of the final 5 Cylons. But wait….there’s another cliffhanger coming up! Goodness…the heart isn’t meant to take such shocks. It’s gonna be a long wait till the start of the 4^th season.

“Five Years Gone” (Heroes) Volume 1 Chapter 20

Hiro travels 5 years into the future to meet Future Hiro, who turns out to be so lame (ha!) compared to awesome Present-Day Hiro (geez, what happened to you in the interim, Hiro?). Check out the amazing battle between Future Peter and Future Sylar, and watch for that great twist in the scene between Future Claire and Future Nathan. Yes, Future Me will not use the prefix “Future” ever again.

“Greenzo” (30 Rock) Season 2 Episode 5

Guest-stars galore as David Schwimmer (Ross from Friends) and Al Gore (yes, Al Gore of the Vice Presidential fame) shows up in one of the most hilarious episodes of any show of the year. Schwimmer plays jerks extremely well, and he’s on top form here as a pro-environmental mascot (the eponymous Greenzo) gone overboard.

“The Job” (The Office) Season 3 Episodes 24 – 25

Cynics said it couldn’t be done, but the writers have crafted a finale as pitch perfect as the peerless “Casino Night” of Season 2. Jim, Karen and Michael compete for the corporate job in New York, as Dwight takes over the office, to great comedic consequences. Who ultimately got the job? Look for that awesome twist in the tag at the end. But the highlight of the episode was the wonderful conclusion to the Jim/Pam storyarc that the show had been patiently building towards for 3 whole seasons, that had me literally in tears (yes, I’m mushy like that). What a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful ending!

“Nixon vs. Kennedy” (Mad Men) Season 1 Episode 12

Against the backdrop of voting night in the Nixon-Kennedy Presidential race of 1960, the backstory of Don’s real identity is revealed, as weasly Pete tries to expose him to Cooper. The confrontation in Cooper’s office is absolutely riveting, topped off with Cooper’s indifference of the fact that Don is a fraud. The filming of the debauchery of the staff as they waited through the night for the results of the election is technically impressive, and the real highlight of the episode for me was the scene at the train station, as Don, on the cusp of his new adopted life, looks impassively on at his former adopted family as the train pulls away.

“Slapsgiving” (How I Met Your Mother) Season 3 Episode 9

The hilarious return of the slap-bet (poor Barney) is coupled with Ted and Robin reconciling how to remain friends in the aftermath of their breakup. The “Major Buzzkill” scene is an absolute gem, and cannily set up. Not a lot of shows do a Thanksgiving-themed episode, but this is a winner from start to finish. Added bonus: Marshall sings!

“Through the Looking Glass” (Lost) Season 3 Episodes 22 – 23

A slow start to the 3^rd season of Lost picked up steam over the back half, culminating in this game-changer of a finale, with that jawdropper of a cliffhanger. Charlie, Hurley and Desmond all got their moments to shine, the face-off between Jack and Locke as they called each other’s bluffs is simply compelling, and I hope to goodness the enigmatic Juliet (is she good or bad?), one of the best cast additions to the show, will be back next season. Oh, did I mention the cliffhanger was awesome?