Best TV of '08

It's that time of year again-time for me to pretend like my opinion matters a lot more than anyone else's and tell you all exactly what the best TV of this year was. Same rules as last year: episodic basis, only one episode per series, and no reality TV since there aren't writers or actors (plus, the only good reality shows are Project Runway and Top Chef). So here they are: enjoy!


10. The Office "Goodbye, Toby"
I have to admit, I haven't been the biggest Office fan as of late, and probably watch the show out of force of habit/crush on John Krasinski more than anything. However, "Goodbye, Toby" flipped my expectations, made me laugh quite a lot, and involved Supertramp. Sold!

9. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life" 
Season 4 of Always Sunny was totally hit or miss, and for some reason had an episode completely revolving around poop, but what could be better than Dennis in an institution with Sinbad and Rob Thomas screaming at him? That's what I thought.

8. Fringe "Power Hungry" 
Ok, so this fall has been all around disappointing in terms of new series, so it's really not difficult for Fringe to emerge as the best new show of 08. And yeah, I fully expect Abrams to ignore it and cross his fingers that things don't go to shit when he leaves, because while he's a genius, he's not the most responsible show creator. However, let's rewind to the genius part--what everyone thought was a rip off of The X-Files has turned out to be...ok, a rip off of The X-Files, but with better production value, interesting characters, a cool evil organization looming over everything paranormal, and classic Abrams cliffhangers. It's so good, in fact, I had trouble picking a favorite episode-so since my stomach is on the weaker side, I'm sticking with the one with ridiculous electricity stuff and a badass elevator crash (Alias homage, anyone?)

7. Gossip Girl "All About My Brother" 
I'm kind of on a this-show-can-do-no-wrong basis with Gossip Girl, and actually Josh Schwartz in general, so it's a little hard for me to be objective. What I'll say is that this episode handled the scandal of "the gay bomb" dropping with realism, drama, and grace, and gave us the biggest and best battling between Blair and Jenny the show has seen to date (ending just as it should!). Oh, and this line: "Dating a gay guy is an honest mistake, but lying to your girlfriends about sex is unforgivable!"

6. 30 Rock "Episode 210" 
I've bitched about 30 Rock's reliance on big-name guest stars to anyone who'll listen, so it's no surprise my favorite episode of the year was one where the most recognizable guest was Grandpa Gilmore. Seriously though, there is nothing to not like about this episode. Exhibit A: Liz Lemon drinking wine from the bottle while running on a treadmill, as well as singing Alanis Morrisette. Exhibit B: "Industry castrates art. The only honor is in suicide" (German sitcoms, of course). Exhibit C: The cast singing "Midnight Train to Georgia".

5. Chuck "Chuck versus the Gravitron" 
Ok, I was pretty tempted to pick "Chuck versus the Sensei" because and only because of Carl Lumbly--but this episode is too damned good ignore. I have to admit I was a little more than apprehensive when they brought in the whole Jill plotline this season, but I think it played out surprisingly well, and in this episode in particular. I love that Chuck grew a pair, and like any good shipper, I love Chuck and Sarah and seeing threats to that relationship quashed is always a good thing.

4. Battlestar Galactica "Revelations" 
When the fleet reached Earth, I cried and cheered as much as the crew members of the Galactica. Then there was a commercial break, and I though "Huh. What now?". The "what now" broke my heart, and prevented me from breathing for quite a while, because that's the thing about this show: underneath the brilliant mythology and badass space battles, all that matters is the people.

3. Pushing Daisies "Circus Circus" 
Fuck you, ABC! Die in a fire! This may shock anyone who's ever heard me talk about Alias at all, but I can honestly say that I've never been more angry over a show's cancellation than Pushing Daisies. Look no further than "Circus Circus" for evidence as to how clever, cute, and perfect this show is. Ok, I hate clowns. A lot. They are absolutely freaky, and weird, and I don't understand what could ever be remotely likable about a clown. Clowns suck like nothing in this world (with the exception of the people making decisions at ABC). This episode is full of clowns and I loved it-it's that good. Well, a mini car full of clowns does die. And then they all get pulled out of a pond, clown after clown, and it's one of the best visual gags this show has done (second only to the MILF bus in "The Norwegians"). Also, poor sad mime in love!!!!!

2. Mad Men "Meditations in an Emergency" 
Every week Mad Men was on this semester I (annoyingly) reminded Tori that come SAG Awards time, her voting absolutely had to recognize this honestly flawless cast, since so far only Jon Hamm has actually won anything. And yeah, I'd like Jon Hamm to keep winning acting awards, but season 2 was all about the women for me, so hats off to January Jones, taking Betty from fragile to frakking crazy. Because I know if I found out I was pregnant with my third child with my estranged cheating husband, I'd go bang some dude I met in a bar and then go home and eat a leg of chicken. But a bigger hats off to Elisabeth Moss, bringing Peggy to come to terms with and clear her conscience of her affair with Pete and the baby that resulted from it. I'm certain her speech towards the end of this episode is what clenched her SAG nod, and I'm sure we'll see it played again come Emmy time.

1. Lost "The Constant"
I've learned something interesting and surprising about myself fairly recently: I'm a girly girl who gets sucked into viewing onscreen romance. This isn't to say I'm disappointing the sixteen year old version of myself and lining up to see chick flicks and romantic comedies; rather, I'm unhealthily obsessed with relationship melodrama. Syd and Vaughn, Buffy and Angel, Jim and Pam, and even J.D. and Elliot--I care about all of these fictional sometime couples and what happens to them way more than a reasonable person might, and still my emotional investment in them pales in comparison to how I feel about Desmond and Penny.
For those of you who aren't avid Lost viewers, allow me to summarize their ordeal to put it into context: Desmond and Penny met following his expulsion from a monastary, and dated long enough to live together with him preparing to propose, only to leave her due to destiny bullshit. They broke up in 1996; in 2001, Desmond set out on a sailing trip sponsored by Penny's father to win his respect and her back, only to wind up on The Island. Meanwhile, in the 3 years he's been missing, Penny's been looking for him.
Regardless of the romance, "The Constant" is a superb 43 minutes and 32 seconds of television, breaking boundaries in terms of narrative structure, making my jaw drop with sound and picture editing, sound effects, and cinematography, as well as showcasing some of the strongest acting performances this show (or any show) has ever seen. I don't know for certain, but I don't doubt, that this is the episode submitted for Emmy consideration that earned Lost its first Outstanding Drama Series nomination since its win in 2005, since it's just that flawless and even works as a standalone episode while still fitting perfectly into the story arc of season 4. However, those reasons are not what drive my emotional response to this episode--that lies in a brief, perfect, important, deserved, and poignant phone call. LOST has given us too many tearful reunions for me to count-here, Penny saves Desmond's life by picking up her phone. Even without those stakes, that she still cares about him eight years later is the kind of stuff that can make even a cranky, cynical, cold bitch such as myself believe in true love and destiny. "There's No Place Like Home, Part 2" ranked pretty high for me, and for a lot of the same reasons, but without "The Constant", the best part of that episode wouldn't have happened--and what a terrible world that would be.
(Sidenote: if Ben kills Penny, I will kill him.)