049. The Debate (The West Wing)

"So when you try to hurl the word 'liberal' at my feet, as if it were dirty, something to run away from, something that I should be ashamed of, it won't work, Senator, because I will pick up that label and wear it as a badge of honor."

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 6th November 2005
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 7, Episode 7
WRITTEN BY: Laurence O'Donnell Jr

The Debate was a special live episode of The West Wing that mimics the real live Presidential debates. They really couldn't have chosen a better subject matter. It's that air of authenticity that is it's biggest asset - it feels like a real debate.

For one night only, Presidential candidates Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick are put under the spotlight to answer questions from the public. The two actors prove more than capable of carrying the episode on their own. They tackle issues like immigration, education, taxes, healthcare and jobs. They're able to cover more ground than any other West Wing episode.

Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits both have a history on Broadway, and so the two actors are well in their element with the small-scale, one-take nature of the show. With the focus on the performance, they create some great scenes. The Debate keeps it simple, and watching the two Politicians spar enthusiastically is a lot of fun. It's like a tennis match, with the debate very even between both sides.

Although it may only be fiction and the fate of the country is not at stake, I guarantee this episode is as entertaining as anything Obama and Romney can produce in this campaign.

048. The Girl Who Waited (Doctor Who)

"I don't care that you got old. I care that we didn't get old together"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 10th September 2011
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 6, Episode 10
WRITTEN BY: Tom MacRae

Karen Gillan's tenure on Doctor Who may have just ended, but here's a look back at one of the strongest episodes from the Moffat era, the Amy-centric The Girl Who Waited, which was really driven by a great performance from our favorite Scot sidekick and one of her best contributions to the series.

Waiting has been a recurring theme for Amy and Rory throughout the series. Amy had to wait years for the Doctor to come back. Rory had to wait even longer to get Amy back when he was a Roman Centurion. And now it's Amy's turn to wait again, as a time travel glitch means that when the Doctor and Rory leave Amy behind, they only manage to catch up to her 36 years later.

Karen Gillan gives a great performance as the bitter and bedraggled older Amy, the make-up effects really helping to sell it. But The Girl Who Waited also uses time travel paradoxes as a way to introduce a complex moral dilemma. If Rory saves the younger Amy, the older Amy will cease to exist.

The set design for this episode is also really great, with the bare white walls of Apapucia' kindness centres creating a very futuristic look in a minimalist way. Amy also has some great fight scenes with the roots. But what sends the episode over the top is the extremely emotional ending which will move you to tears.