009. Our Mrs Reynolds (Firefly)

"If you take sexual advantage of that girl, you're going to a special level of Hell reserved for child molestors and people who talk at the theatre"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 4th October 2002
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 6
WRITTEN BY: Joss Whedon

I'm not going to make many promises on this list, but here's one I do feel confident of: Firefly will have the highest ratio of episodes featured. Joss Whedon's unfairly-cancelled space western only aired 14 episodes, but they were all pretty good, and you can expect quite a few of them to show up here.

Our Mrs Reynolds was the start of an excellent run. It combines action with humour really well, has some great one-liners, and an excellent guest star. Christina Hendricks really steals the show as the seductive femme fatale Saffron, whom Mal accidentally marries. A simple story about the awkwardness of Mal having a fish-out-of-water new bride would have sufficed, but the episode is elevated to the next level when Saffron's true nature as a con artist is revealed. Hendricks is completely convincing as good girl and bad girl.

But the whole crew are actually on top form, as they react to the bizarre predicament Mal finds himself in. Wash cracks jokes about it, Book offers a stern lecture and Jayne even tries to compete for her affections. Inara's face-off is the most interesting, as even she almost falls for her charms.

It's a shame that such a wonderful character was only in 2 episodes, but that's the problem with Firefly as a whole: there just isn't enough of it.

008. Beyond The Sea (The X Files)

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid to believe"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 7th January 1994
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 13
WRITTEN BY: Gleo Morgan & James Wong

At first glance, Beyond The Sea doesn't seem like a particularly unique episode of the show. The monster-of-the-week format is still present and notable, although the monster is less literal in this case, taking the form of a Death Row convict with psychic abilities, who claims he can help with a current case in exchange for release. But one of the things it's notable for is that it takes the usual X Files formula, and subverts it, with Scully ending up in the role of believer and Mulder as the skeptic.

Why the reason for this role reversal? The case comes at a particularly vulnerable time for Scully, who has just lost her father. The idea that the serial killer might be able to contact the deceased gives her hope. On the other hand, Mulder is too blinded by his disgust of the man to believe anything he says.

Brad Dourif is amazing as Boggs, exerting an unnerving creepiness, even without the aspect of his "gift". Boggs' rendition of the titular tune really stays with you. His relationship with Scully mirrors Clarice and Hannibal's. As with many of the best X Files episodes, the mystery is inconclusive, and there's evidence for multiple interpretations. The line between coincidence and paranormal blurs, leaving the audience and Scully at a crossroads, not knowing what to believe.

An important episode for Scully's character, and one of the most memorable of the series.

007. The Playbook (How I Met Your Mother)

"Why would she be inconsolable? Lorenzo's balloon won't disappear over the Arctic for another week"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 16th November 2009
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 5, Episode 8
WRITTEN BY: Craig Thomas & Carter Bays

It's pretty undeniable that Neil Patrick Harris is the star of How I Met Your Mother. His hilariously shallow life philosophy makes every guy wish they were Barney Stinson. Usually relegated to a few choice words, this episode brings Barney's words of wisdom to the forefront as we are introduced to the playbook, a list of ways Barney picks up chicks.

The playbook segments are reminsicient of short sketches, and an episode full of them would be hilarious in its own right. The more ourageous the lie, the better. And seeing Barney dress up in various costumes, such as Scuba gear, will never get old. Lily plays the role of the voice of reason, scolding Barney about the wrongs of such manipulation.

The point of the episode was to demonstrate that Barney hides his insecurities about himself by constantly pretending to be somebody else. NPH even got to flex his acting muscles and explore a different side to Barney we hadn't seen before, when Barney open up in the finale and admits the break-up with Robin has been tougher on him than he's admitted. It doesn't even matter that it turned out to be a ruse, because the con was impressive and made a punchline.

In the end, Barney is so endearing we don't mind that he has the last laugh.

006. Pine Barrens (The Sopranos)

"You're not gonna believe this. He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 6th May 2001
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 3, Episode 11
WRITTEN BY: Terence Winter

Another one of the big guns out early. Fans of the mob drama frequently mention this among the show's best and it's not hard to see why. It's always a delight to me when I go into an episode with no hype and it blows me away, and then I find out everyone else agrees with me. And for the record, it's complete coincidence this aired on the same day 9 years ago as #5, Modern Warfare.

It's one of the most interesting concepts the show has had. Paulie and Chris have always provided some of the shows funniest moments when they were playing off eachother, so what better way to maximize that than to put them alone in the woods together? By putting the odd couple in a stressful and frustrating situation, you're basically guaranteeing more drama.

One thing goes wrong after another for Chris and Paulie, who start a fight with a Russian they're collecting cash from, try to kill him, let him get away, and get lost in the woods. Watching the episode descend deeper and deeper into farce is a riot. The Sopranos has never been short in the humour department, and this episode definitely delivers. There's great dialogue, great slapstick and many moments that are funny just because of how absurd they are. However, the biggest laugh is probably Tony's reaction to Bobby's winter jacket. It becomes even funnier once you've read what James Gandolfini was really laughing at, too. Look it up.

Once the fun and games are over, the cold and unwelcoming pine barrens starts to become a life and death situation for Chris Paulie. Eventually realising they'll have to work together to survive, the two put aside their differences and stop playing the blame game. It becomes quite a bonding experience for them, showing great character growth.

The episode also leaves you with an unanswered question as to whether the Russian got away or not, but David Chase is good at that.

005. Modern Warfare (Community)

"Come with me if you don't want paint on your clothes"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 6th May 2010
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 23
WRITTEN BY: Emily Cutler

On a show with a reputation for its sharp movie parodies, of which there are many in this episode, Modern Warfare has become a remarkable achievement in its own right, and would come to be known as "the paintball episode". It was so popular it even inspired a sequel of sorts.

The episode begins with Jeff waking up in the middle of a warzone, 28 Days Later-style. A paintball game has turned into a survival horror experience after the announcement of the prize, priority registration. The action movie box is soon checked, with Jeff taking his look from Die Hard's John McClane, also referenced at the end. Senor Chang's look resembles a character from Hard Boiled. The fight scenes resemble The Matrix and the plot is Battle Royale. That's a lot of different elements, but it's a cocktail that works.

Modern Warfare is not only great entertainment, but it creates a tense, absorbing atmosphere. The paintball game was a genius concept. Previous rules were now gone, giving the show a freedom it had never had before. They created a warzone environment that was new, exciting and fun.

Oh, and the Jeff/Britta sexual tension was also advanced, with the couple doing it for the first time. It recieved just the right amount of prominence: Acknowledged, but without taking over the show.

Modern Warfare is a modern classic.

004. Blink (Doctor Who)

"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes 'ding' when there's stuff"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 9th June 2007
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 3, Episode 10
WRITTEN BY: Steven Moffat

Blink owes much of its existence to the considerably less popular Love And Monsters, from season 2. The episode may have had many flaws but introduced an interesting idea...the concept of a non-Doctor centric had potential. Coming in between a wave of formulaic episodes, it felt very fresh. Blink took the early promise and ironed out the creases to present one of the best episodes of the series.

The lead role goes to Carey Mulligan, a fantastic young actress who has now gone over to Hollywood and is receiving Oscar nominations. The plot is also a nice change of pace, as Sally Sparrow tries to piece together the nature of the Angels, the mysterious Doctor and how she fits into their plans. And Moffat's writing shows just why he was given the job as showrunner after season 4.

The Doctor is nothing without his enemies, and the monster design of the Angels was excellent. So many Doctor Who monsters look outdated...sorry, "classic". The Angels were refreshingly modern. They had an interesting and unique backstory - they don't kill people, but send them back in time. (Of course, the emotional impact from their victims isn't lost. The scene where Sally visits a Policeman as an old man is very moving, as they were never allowed to spend any time together.) They're also very scary.

The scares of the episode are mainly due to the expert direction of Hettie MacDonald, who manages to create the impression of the statues moving even when they're not. Close-up shots rack of the tension as the characters try to avoid blinking. The scene near the climax with the Angels getting closer and closer in the flickering light is a very effective scene.

You'll never look at a statue the same way again.

003. All Prologue (The Wire)

"I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 6th July 2003

EPISODE NUMBER: Season 2, Episode 6

WRITTEN BY: David Simon

I knew that I wanted to include The Wire on this list, but I wasn't sure which episodes to choose. It's not a very episodic show, to me. I prefer to think of each season as a whole, and the episodes are just chapters. Like Freamon says, "All the pieces matter". I think this is a solid pick, though.

There are major events that take place in it (spoiler paragraph!) In case you can't remember, I'm referring to the shocking death of D'Angelo at the end of the episode. It's especially ill-timed given what a great job the rest of the episode had done of making him likeable. He'd always been a favourite of mine, and I always knew he wasn't that bad at heart, but you really do start to believe that he is done with that part of his life and turning over a new leaf.

D'Angelo also gets the opening quote, taken from a speech he makes at a book club about how people can't escape their past, something he finds relatable. It also applies to McNulty's situation. Trying to turn over a new leaf, he is ultimately unsuccessful in convincing his wife to take him back.

This episode is also a defining moment for Omar Little. Omar on the stand is one of The Wire's best ever scenes, where he delivers an honest and charismatic performance that encapsulates everything people love about that character. His audacious comparison between himself and Levy wins over the Jury, and takes the Lawyer down a much-needed peg. His adorable tie, just sloppily looped on over his street clothes, is a mark of his eccentricity. 

Strong themes and memorable moments. What more could you ask of an episode of The Wire?