Delible
The group at the AV Club has 45 indelible moments of 2009 TV. A lot of them I simply didn't see, but I have a few quibbles with those I did.
By the way, a lot of spoilers will follow. Don't say you haven't been warned.
They have Locke's hanging. I guess I can't complain, since it made #3 on my Lost list. But Don Draper failing Conrad Hilton in Mad Men doesn't compare to a bunch of other moments, especially (and they note this) Guy and the lawnmower.
The list includes something from Nurse Jackie. There was nothing indelible about Nurse Jackie. For that matter, the song about the pit in Parks And Recreation? The whole pit thing which drove the first season is best forgotten.
On Battlestar Galactica, they pick the moment it looks like there'll be a truce which falls apart as soon at the Final Five share their brains. A big deal, to be sure, but I bet there were more indelible moments. (Can something be more indelible?)
On Big Bang Theory, they pick the moment Sheldon reenacts his childhood when Leonard and Penny fight. This is fascinating, since two friends, independently, told me this moment was so bad they thought it might be time to stop watching the show.
They bring up Jon Stewart bitchslapping CNBC. Yes, probably the biggest thing The Daily Show has done lately. I just want to note that what Stewart complained about, CNBC had been doing for years. It only raised his ire when they started complaining about Obama.
Finally, for Breaking Bad, they pick (and this is the biggest spoiler of all if you didn't watch the show) Walt just standing there, allowing Jesse's girlfriend to die. This was one of the most indelible moment in any TV year, but I'm not sure if the analysis does it justice:
Walt breaks into his partner Jesse’s apartment to retrieve the meth he’s stashed there, only to find Jesse and his neighbor/lover Jane in a heroin-induced slumber. Jane wakes up on her back, begins choking on her own vomit, and Walt just stands over her, watching her suffer. Walt knows Jesse’s been slacking because of her, and Walt’s refusal to help in even the smallest way—not to mention the way he stares directly at Jane as she dies—demonstrates the man has fallen far into the deep end.
1) Actually, this scene occurs later, after Walt's sold the meth.
2) He's even more responsible for her death. He tries to wake up Jesse, which movies Jane onto her back where she starts choking. He instinctively moves to save her, then stops himself.
3) There's quite a bit more than just the threat of Jesse slacking off--not that it excuses Walt's inaction. A) Jesse almost made them miss the big deal because of his junkie girlfriend. B) Walt feels as if Jesse's his son, and she's dragging him into a downward spiral which will ultimately lead to his death. C) Biggest of all, Jane's an unreliable junkie who's blackmailing him, and will continue to blackmail him if he allows her to live.
4) He doesn't just stare at her. He looks on in horror, realizing full well what he's doing.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:25 AM
2 Comments:
I also had not seen most of the moments they listed. I agree with some of theirs - Pam's wedding on the office was an excellent two part episode, I thought.
I disagree with their SNL pick - who cares about a curse slip (wasn't it bleeped in the two western time zones anyway?). I would pick the Obama/Chinese President skit (but then, I enjoyed it more than many Obama supporters might have).
Also, I think the defining moment of Glee this year was the football episode, where the losing team wins in the final seconds by playing Beyonce's "Put a Ring on it." It was funny, but it also contradicted stereotypical expectations for TV, in that the mechanic father of the kicker (who is gay and on the glee club) turned out to be understanding, supportive and loving (even protective) of his son.
Lastly, they didn't mention Scrubs. I thought the finale of Scrubs was excellent. It helps that the main character (Zack Braff) has always had vivid imagination sequences, which allowed a wonderful walk through all the past seasons and characters. But Dr. Cox finally admitting he thought a lot of JD was also excellently handled.
Of course, the brilliance of the Scrubs finale has been undermined by ABC bringing Scrubs back, WITH BRAFF! The power of the finale was that he was done, and since the new episodes aren't that great, I'm pretending Braff left the show.
If you haven't already, some comments on the best and worst series finales on TV would be great fun to read.
I don't think it's that surprising the father was supportive of his kid. Look at Heathers 20 years ago, with the line "I love my dead gay son."
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