The Best Episodes of 2011 (Part 1 of 5)

THE BEST EPISODES OF 2011 (Part 1 of 5)

Well, it's that time of year again when pop culture websites around the interweb publish article after article of lists. The lists could be about which soda defined 2011 most, or which Lady Gaga outfit said the most about American culture in the calendar year. Usually, though, the lists count down the best in television, film, books and video games in numerically descending lists (people ADORE numerically descending lists). Naturally, I'm going to abstain from using numerically descending lists for the second year in a row. The reasons aren't multifold or complicated. I feel ranking an episode by number only (to denote its quality) is as arbitrary an undertaking as letter grades for individual episodes (again, to denote its quality). Just imagine: you're a professional TV writer who spends a laborious amount of time breaking stories, pitching ideas, writing outlines, drafting scripts until the production draft's locked and ready for action. During the 8 day production process, there are various re-writer and changes to accommodate the logistics of production. Once principal photography's finished, the episode enters post-production, which is a multi-week process. Sometimes, an episode isn't finished until the day its supposed to air; other times an episode is completed several days prior to its broadcast date or even a week in advance (usually the first batch of episodes when production has two month head start). So, the insane amount of work done in a condensed period of time is finished, the episode airs, hordes of people write about the episode, another horde of people comment on the episode, and the most noticeable part of any review is the damn letter grade ('Hm. Such and such thought this was a B. Hardly--more like a C-minus). Commenters will spend more time debating the merits of the awarded grade moreso than the episode itself (the look, the writing, the characterization, the brilliance of a scene v. the non-brilliance of another scene, the excellence of the A story v. the forgettable and 'what-was-the-point-of-THAT?' B or C story). I'd mention the belief that writers must feel annoyed by the instant reaction to their series on a weekly basis, but many writers understand the reasons why people write so quickly about an episode of their series (except for David Simon, who scoffs at weekly episodic reviews). Ben Blacker, a writer for Supernatural and host of the Nerdist Writers Panel, understands his role as a craftsman. Like a craftsman, he and his partner are responsible for the construction of an episode that will be consumed, appreciated, but inevitably forgotten and discarded as time passes. Writers don't seem to feel bothered or annoyed when someone such as me writes 1200 words about an episode that took 6 weeks to produce in 90 minutes.

I suppose lists AREN'T designed to critically think, argue, and discuss an episode, or series, that aired during a calendar year. Lists are designed to recognize greatness, consistent greatness, in a calendar year. Editors-in-Chiefs want their loyal readers to easily consume and digest posts. Lists are easy to debate, which means the comment section will explode, which means the site's traffic will be very good indeed (traffic should remain the same for this site, though). I also suppose blogs and popular culture websites AREN'T designed to critically think and argue about episodes of television. Barely read academic journals exist for that purpose; academic journals that exist to bolster the ego of any professor working in an English department. Perhaps, then, the letter grades are just fine to use on a website or blog. As arbitrary as letter grades are, the internet's full of arbitrary things (like tumblr). Regardless, I don't want to compile a list of the Top 25 episodes of 2011. Last year, I wrote about the 25 best episodes of the TV season, with no numbers attached to a list episode. The same will happen for this year's best episodes week-long celebration.

2011's been an up-and-down year for television. Homeland single-handedly saved critics and snobby TV fans who think Sunday nights are made for quality television from spending their nights drinking too much Wild Turkey and yelling about how The Wire is the greatest series of all-time. Some critics would've struggled mightily to find enough to TV shows for a 'Top 10 New Shows of 2011' list because the bulk of new TV shows sucked. Naturally, I never watched an episode of Homeland. I was drawn back into the world of literature this fall, which meant I spent less time watching TV than last year (so no Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, SOA, Breaking Bad, or GLEE, on this year's Best Of). Instead, I read all five books of A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as Infinite Jest, The Postmortal, and The Stranger. I still watched plenty of TV, so much so that I forget what I actually watched this year, which meant I went into the archives to figure it ALL out. I still forget what I watched. For example, just now, I am reminded of Parks & Recs Flu episode. I digress. 2011 was another year in which we're all reminded that cable TV produces the quality TV and networks produce the trash, except for a small group of shows.

Let's launch into the first batch of the best episodes of 2011.

GAME OF THRONES' "The Wolf and the Lion"--Written By David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; Directed By Brian Kirk

The fifth episode of GOT's first season kicks off the best episodes of 2011 in style. "The Wolf and the Lion" blew me away when I watched it. I already liked the series enough to write verbose musings about the previous four episodes. I felt somewhat detached from the show, though. The episodes were too busy. Benioff and Weiss needed to service too many characters, introduce a ton of plots and subplots, and develop a formula and identity for a show. #105 is the episode when the parts of GOT meshed together to create a coherent whole. There's a difference between the book and the show. The inability to use the POV device of the novels is unfortunate. The POVs alone can be sprawling. "The Wolf and the Lion" provided the most coherent picture of Westeros and its characters. It's also the turning point of season one. Ned and Jamie fight. Arya heard two shadowy figures plotting the death of her father. Ned and Robert nearly came to blows during a council meeting in which Ned advised the king against assassinating Daenaerys Targaryen. Cersei and Robert share one of the greatest scenes of 2011--a scene about their marriage and their responsibilities as king and queen of the Seven Kingdoms. On first viewing, it's a tense and emotional hour. On second viewing, it's worse because you want to yell at certain characters for how they're acting and advise them to get the hell out of King's Landing.

PARKS & RECREATIONS' "The Flu"--Written By Norm Hiscock; Directed By Wendy Stanzler

"The Flu" aired way back on January 27, 2011. The comedy series was already celebrated. Season 2 was the one that motivated critics to declare the sitcom the very best on network television. I've since stopped watching Park&Recs because the mockumentary style didn't appeal to me at all. However, "The Flu" is a terrifically funny hour of TV. Rob Lowe's outstanding. My favorite scene closes the episode out, when a flu-ridden Leslie Knope delivers an outstanding speech that helps her department get funding for the upcoming festival.

LOUIE'S "Duckling"--Written & Directed By Louie C.K.

"Ducking" was a super-sized episode of Louie (I don't think NBC uses the term 'super size' anymore for its comedy lineup). FX gave Louie 45 minutes to tell a story about a USO trip to Afghanistan to entertain the troops. Early on, Louie discovers a duckling in his suitcase, put there by his daughter who wanted him to take the duckling with him for his own safety (a good luck duckling). Louie travels to several camp bases and performs his stand-up. In between sets, he talks to the other entertainers about their previous experiences in the Middle East. One day, in the air towards another camp, the helicopter suddenly lands because of complications. A group of native Afghans run into the military group. Guns are drawn. Both sides shout at the other, unable to communicate because of the language differences. Suddenly, the ducking emerges from Louie's bag, Louie goes after it, falls, and breaks the tension instantly. Both sides come together, shake hands, laugh, relax, and a potential disastrous situation transforms into a moment of beauty. This won't be the lone Louie episode included in the Best Of.

IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA's "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games"--Written By Charlie Day & Rob McElhenny; Directed By Matt Shakman

The television business has produced so many bottle episodes that I couldn't tell you just how many bottle episodes exist. Bottle episodes aren't always enjoyable (as any viewer of Dawson's Creek could attest to). "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games" is an example of a creative, original, funny, and entertaining bottle episode. The gang's bored. Their hopeful Mac's arrival will end the boredom. Eyebrows rise in excitement and anticipation when Mac dances through the door, spinning around, soaking up the cheers of his friends, and then he reveals he's got nothing idea-wise to end the collective boredom in Paddy's. The gang decides to play Chardee MacDennis again, though Charlie and Mac hate the game because they always lose. Frank's intrigued, though, so the game of games is played, and it's spectacular. It's one of those episodes a person needs to watch in order to appreciate. I won't bother describing it. Just trust me: it's one of the best episodes of 2011.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM's "Palestinian Chicken"--Story By Larry David, Alec Berg, David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer; Directed By Robert B. Weide

This episode has one of the funniest sex scenes ever filmed. A whole mess of drama's created when a Palestinian Chicken place opens in town. Funkhauser, a suddenly devout Jewish man, takes umbrage with the business. Funkhauser hopes Larry will join his side because he, too, is a Jewish man; however, the chicken's so exquisite that Larry's willing to sacrifice his upbringing and belief system. Larry eventually meets, dates, and has intercourse, with a woman who runs the Palestinian Chicken places. The Palestinian woman hates Jews and takes out her rage during angry sex with Larry as he EATS the chicken (because he wants to combine the experiences for the Ultimate experience).

And thus concludes part one of the Best Episodes of 2011 list. So far, the comedies are represented well. Will it continue? Come back to The Foot tomorrow afternoon for Part 2.

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