041. Living Doll (CSI)

"Okay, we're in a David Lynch movie. Where's the dwarf?"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 17th May 2007
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 7, Episode 24
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Goldfinger & Naren Shankar

It's an unusual CSI when the audience sees the killer before the team get them. But this special treatment isn't so surprising in context - seeing as the "miniature killer" story was the culmination of a season-long arc, we'd already had time to get to know the killer as a faceless entity. Now it's time to meet her in the flesh and see what makes her tick.

The miniature killer is a great villain. Making her female was a great choice as it already played with expectations. She's appropriately aloof but still credible as a formidable opponent. Her backstory is interesting. Her signature move is perfect for making her stand out but there's also something genuinely uncomfortable about her handiwork.The living doll scene is just creepy.

The scene where Gil gets his throat cut was a brilliant shock. Sure, it turned out to be a fake-out - but it was worth it. There's still a great cliffhanger to end the show on, as it ends with a close-up of Sara in the car wreck, leaving a question mark about her fate. Because the miniature killer plot isn't the only running storyline to reach a head - Gil's relationship with Sara also comes out in the open...and there has never been a more crucial time to make it relevant.

Overall, one of the most exciting and unsettling CSI episodes of all time, which proves the show can do great arcs as well as self-contained stories.

040. Baelor (Game Of Thrones)

"I grew up with soldiers. I learned how to die a long time ago"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 12th June 2011
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 9
WRITTEN BY: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss

The motto of Game Of Thrones is "you win, or you die". That's never been more evident than here. Ned Stark stands accused of treason, but has too much honour to deny the truth - that Joffrey is not the real heir - until his daughter's life is threatened. But then, in a twist, Joffrey demands Ned's head anyway. Another show would have a happy ending to this story, and somebody save him - but not this show. The final moments are nothing short of unbelievable.

It's a sickeningly cruel plot twist and a major shock to anyone who hasn't read the books. Sean Bean was marketed as the main lead. He is the only character on the season 1 DVD box. Ned should not die. It established Game Of Thrones as a ruthless world where anything goes. And George RR Martin is ruthless in killing off his characters...no-one is safe.

The war between the Starks and the Lannisters is also kicking up a gear. Tyrion has an amazing scene with Bronn and Shae the night before battle which really gets to the heart of revealing the essence of his character. We don't see much of the final battle, for reasons that will become apparent once you watch, but Tyrion getting KO'd was a hilarious moment. We also see Jon Snow's conflict in helping his family and keeping his oath.

With season 2 set to air next month, I'm very excited for the prospect of what's coming next, and this episode demonstrates just how great this show can be.

039. Company Man (Heroes)

"You didn't grow inside your mother. You grew inside our hearts"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 25th February 2007
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 17
WRITTEN BY: Bryan Fuller

Heroes has always been slightly derivative of Lost, but this one borrows the flashback episode format completely. It works well though, because Mr Bennett (or, "Horn-Rimmed Glasses" as he's sometimes known) is one of the most mysterious characters on the show and seeing his past was the best way to gain an understanding of who he was, as well as answering a few mysteries.

Bennett has been seen doing countless bad things, and the company he works for is nothing short of evil. His professional appearance cuts an image of a cold, ruthless individual. But the one thing that humanizes him is his love for his family. This episode shows Bennett beginning to form that bond with his adopted daughter, and how it has defined and changed him.

We get a glimpse at some of the other characters in their younger forms, most notably the Haitian. Christopher Ecclestone makes his (sadly) final appearance as Claude the invisible man. He was one of the highlights of the show. Here he remains mysterious, enigmatic and morally ambiguous. When Mr Bennett tries to kill him, he reminds him that they are both guilty of the same crime.

Company Man also has plenty of action. One key scene involves the indestructible Claire (Hayden Panettiere) running into a burning building to stop Ted going nuclear. There are tense stand-offs, involving Bennett, Ted and Matt Parkman.

But the heart of the episode is its emotional power. Bennett being willing to take a bullet and a mind wipe in order to protect Claire turns a stone-cold killer into a sympathetic character.

038. You Only Move Twice (The Simpsons)

"On your way out, if you want to kill somebody, it would help me out a lot"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 3rd November 1996
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 8, Episode 2
WRITTEN BY: John Swartzwelder

You Only Move Twice is a wacky, far-fetched but totally brilliant episode. The majority of it takes place outside of Springfield, but Cypress Creek manages to be a fresh new setting. Besides, the Simpsons are funny enough that it doesn't matter where you put them.

Hank Scorpio is an amazing character. His eccentricity evolves into insanity as the episode goes on. Albert Brooks aways delivers, but this is easily his best character. I loved the secret agent theme, especially all the Bond references.

We see a re-enactment of the classic Goldfinger laser cutter scene, a diplomat suggesting that maybe the bridge Scorpio blew up "collapsed on its own", and a frantic shootout at the end. But the best part is that Homer doesn't even seem to notice he's working for a supervillian, or is completely indifferent to it.

Bart's special class produces a lot of laughs. From a whole class on the letter A to a game of musical chairs everyone wins, it's a nightmare and insult to his intelligence. His fellow classmates all produce a laugh too. Meanwhile, Lisa discovers she has hayfever and is betrayed by a chipmunk.

Overall, You Only Move Twice manages to be outlandish but still grounded. And that makes it one of the best episodes of the series.

037. The Zeppo (Buffy)

"I brought Marshmallows! Occasionally I'm callous and strange"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 26th January 1999
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 3, Episode 13
WRITTEN BY: Dan Vebber

Truly an underrated gem in Buffy's catalogue, The Zeppo is a fresh, original and inventive episode that began to expand the limits of the show.  The influences this episode has since had are numerous, but most notable is on Russell T Davies' Doctor Who reboot, which had several Doctor-lite episodes inspired by this Xander-centric tale.

The episode deals with Xander's insecurity in the group. A regular Joe in amongst a Slayer, a witch, a vampire, and a werewolf makes him feel he has little to contribute. Seeing the show through Xander's eyes is fun, as the apocalypse plot takes a back seat to undead hijinks.

Very meta and self-aware, the episode gets a lot of laugh from cranking up the melodrama and deliberately ommitting supposedly "important" scenes and playing it straight. But let it be said that The Zeppo is a very funny episode in its own right. What is zombie frat boy Bob's first reaction to being pulled out of his grave? To catch up on his favorite TV show. There's also the brilliant scene where Xander's questioning ends early after his subject gets his head knocked off by a mailbox.

The format takes a little while to get used to, but once it gets going, it's a riot.

036. David Bowie (Extras)

"Pathetic little fat man. No-one's bloody laughing. The clown that no-one laughs at, they all just wish he'd die"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 21st September 2006

EPISODE NUMBER: Season 2, Episode 2

WRITTEN BY: Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant

Extras season 2 was a drastic improvement on a show that was already good. I firmly believe it is Gervais' best work. The concept of a no-name extra scrambling for fame has taken a new development, as Andy does become a star, yet finds it isn't what he expected. Many laughs are delivered as hi day goes from bad to worse. Cleaned out by a tramp, blowing his chance of a date, to being the laughing stock of a whole club.

This episode also fully utilizes the Barry/Darren dynamic, often the unsung heroes of the show. Seeing them squabbling over Darren's payment for Barry's roofing is a great scene, as is their cringe-inducing attempt at picking up girls. There are plenty of other great scenes too, and Maggie has one of her best moments as she tries to salvage a botched autograph attempt.

David Bowie is the guest of the week, and whilst he doesn't really play with his persona as other guests have done, he provides plenty of laughs with his song, serving as the cruelly hilarious finale. It's mean-spirited, but that often makes the jokes funnier. Andy being mistaken for a frog in the same episode is another example of Gervais being able to laugh at himself. It can be argued Andy brought the incident on himself, which is why I love the end scene so much when he goes to spend time with the fans that he had previously mocked and been condescending to. I guess sometimes he actually does learn a lesson.

035. Jaynestown (Firefly)

"Our love for him now ain't hard to explain. The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 18th October 2002
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 7
WRITTEN BY: Ben Edlund

There's a lot of great characters in Firefly, but this episode was Jayne's chance to shine, as we arrive on a planet where he's hailed as a hero, after accidentally dropping a bag of money onto the houses of the "mudders".  But obviously not everyone is happy to see Jayne back, and Boss Higgins plots to take him down. Jayne proved he was up to the task of having an episode center on him and was brilliant throughout.

The scene where the minstrel sings the song about Jayne is some brilliant comedy. Simon's reaction is the funniest, wondering if he is "going mad", seeing his nemesis being heralded with praise. And if you want more laughs, check out Book's hair.

The concept of the episode was great, because Jayne is the character least deserving of hero status. He's selfish, arrogant and completely lacking in morals and class. And he knows it. The guilt he feels when his secret is exposed feels genuine, and gave it a sombre climax.

It also leads to a great ending, where Mal explains that the people needed something to believe in, whether it was true or not. He then caps the episode off with a great quote: "every guy who got a statue made of him was one kind of sonuvabitch of another".