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Top Moments in Television (16 – 20)

20: Degrassi High: School’s Out
The story: In a TV movie meant to serve as a finale to the series, the Degrassi gang gets together for what should be one last shits-and-giggles summer before moving on with their lives. Defying fans expectations that this might just involve Zit Remedy putting together one last blowout concert, Joey cheats on Caitlin, Wheels goes to jail for drunk driving, and Lucy ends up paraplegic.
Why it’s great: This show absolutely blew my mind. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: onscreen second and forth base, Caitlin saying the word “fuck,” and a heavier ending than any fan could have imagined. Everyone at my high school was shell-shocked the day after this aired.
Clip: I wish.

19. Alias: Season 3, “Façade”
The scene: Vaughan is trapped on a plane along with a bomb that’s set to explode if the plane drops below a certain altitude. Back at HQ, the rest of the Alias gang are working over the bomb-maker, trying to get him to disable the device. Despite threats of torture and death, he assures them he will not relent. Shortly thereafter, Jack Bristow wraps his big SpyDaddy arm around the bomb-maker’s neck and chokes him to death, uttering these words: “In seven seconds, you'll begin to see spots. You'll think it's a white light, but the last words I want you to hear ever are: there is no white light—not for people like you."
Why it’s great: I could not believe what I was seeing. Which is good, because it was all a ruse. SpyDaddy busts out the defibrillator and revives the man, assuring him he has one last chance, and next time there will be no revival. Jack gets the code and saves the day. Like Lost, Alias was fantastic for creating these scenes that make you say, “That did NOT just fucking happen.”
Clip: Nope. What's great to me is inconsequential to the YouTube community.

18. Arrested Development: Season Two, “Afternoon Delight”
The scene: At the Bluth Company Christmas party, Michael and Maeby decide to get the karaoke session underway by singing together. Halfway in, Michael realizes that the song they’ve chosen might not be an appropriate duet to perform with his sixteen year-old niece.
Why it’s great: Speaks for itself, I think.
Clip: Oh yeah.


17. Mr. Show: Season Two “Van Hammersly”
The sketch: With his unique style of learning by billiards, old timey pool pro Van Hammersly teaches viewers all about the Golden Age of Hollywood, the 1974 Kentucky Derby, and the Great Bus Disaster of 1939.
Why it’s great: This is either to your taste or not. If not, you’re dead to me.
Clip: Hells yeah!


16. Lost – Season 1, “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues”
The scene: Charley and Claire have been kidnapped by “Ethan,” a stranger that had been masquerading as one of the survivors. Jack and Kate pursue. After a vicious beat-down, Jack is told by Ethan that if he doesn’t stop following the trail, someone will die. Ethan gets away. Jack is revived from his smack down, but he won’t be deterred. He and Kate press forward, and further into the woods they discover Charley’s lifeless body hanging from a tree.
Why it’s great: Just like that scene in Alias, it’s the “oh no you di’int” factor. Also, the hero did the heroic thing and someone died because of it. (Well, almost. Jack does manage to revive Charley, and while the CPR revival is a bit cliché, you allow it because you really don’t want things to turn out the way they have.)
Clip: Nope, but there's a wealth of YouTube material that features Sawyer taking his shirt off.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I never saw Degrassi High: School's Out.

Nor did I really get into the Alias craze (although that sounded really cool).

Van Hammersly, though...
Man..

My favourite is the fact he keeps going "Judy Judy Judy" with the Bogart Ball.
:)
Rebecca said…
And you couldn't bring yourself to link to the wealth of shirtless Sawyer clips? There are ladies who read this blog who would have appreciated it!
Anonymous said…
I'm with Rebecca - you could AT LEAST have given us some footage of Sawyer losing the shirt!
Jay said…
The degrassi finale is pretty much the only finale I've actually seen, I think. It blew me away too. But then, I'm so lame I remember crying because I missed the cosby finale. Yeah, I said cosby.

I used to enjoy arrested development, which is rare...and it's probably also why it disappeared. TV and I are not destined to get along. Of course, simply switching days, times, or networks is enough to lose me forever.

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