The Top 40 Episodes of 2004, 10-1

#10. South Park “Douche and Turd” (Original Airdate: October 27, 2004) – After eight years and well over a hundred episodes, it would seem logical that South Park’s satirical and envelope-pushing edge would’ve diminished. I am glad I'm wrong. A dead on parody of groups that encouraged voting, but who really only wanted more votes for the candidate they supported, PETA, and picking out between two undesirable candidates, both of whom had adamant supporters, South Park is the sharpest satire on TV. Highlight: P Diddy’s “Vote or Die” rap.

#9. Nip/Tuck “Sean McNamara” (Original Airdate: September 28, 2004) – A chilling return of serial rapist, who attacks Sean in his shower warning him not to fix any more of his victims, marked the penultimate episode of this amazing second season. Another return, of Christian’s bitter (and now HIV positive) ex-lover Gina (the terrific Jessalyn Gilsig) was a wake up call to the ladies man. While he turned out negative, him laying in her hospital bed in the end was an incredibly touching moment.

#7-8. Lost “Pilot” (Original Airdates: September 22 and 29, 2004) – A plane crash on a deserted and mysterious island was all it took to wake up scripted network TV, suffocating under a pile of sensationalist reality TV, and the ABC network. No one a year ago would’ve put “break out hit” and “ABC” in the same sentence before Lost came along. A man was sucked into a jet engine, and it was love.

#6. 24 “Day 3: 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM” (Original Airdate: April 18, 2004) – Unfortunately postponed, it’s a shame that some of 24’s fans missed this episode due to a shift schedule change. Chappelle’s final hour was the one where we finally saw his humanity. Underneath the stuffy exterior of CTU’s boss lay a sad, lonely man who wound up on a terrorist’s list. The last few minutes are incredibly intense and difficult to watch, but from beginning to the silent ticking clock at the end it is a knock out.

#4-5. Angel “A Hole in the World” and “Shells” (Original Airdates: February 25, 2004 and March 3, 2004) – Shortly after the cancellation of Angel was announced, fans had their hearts ripped out of their chests again courtesy of series co-creator and master heartbreaker Joss Whedon. Amy Acker delivers one of the best performances of the year as sweet, beautiful Fred fades away when the ancient demon ruler Illyria takes control of her body. Her death and the aftermath were certainly Angel’s answer to its sister show Buffy’s “The Body” in dealing with how we deal with the loss of someone we love and how sometimes people die for nothing.

#3. The Office “Christmas Special” (Original US Airdate: October 23, 2004) – Yes, technically this shouldn’t be included because it didn’t originally air in 2004, but since it didn’t premiere in the US until this year, it is included. For a show that broke so many conventions and could be awfully painful to watch (in a good way), one of the funniest shows I've ever seen went out with a happy ending that was quite conventional, but it was believable and moving. It was a special event where you could laugh hysterically, cry and cheer and it all worked.

#2. The Sopranos “Long Term Parking” (Original Airdate: May 23, 2004) – Tony Soprano and his gang of thugs are the ultimate anti-heroes. And David Chase loves to remind the viewer of the brutal nature and the true evil within their souls. This resulted in the tragic loss of Adrianna, played to perfection (and earning a well deserved Emmy) by the beautiful Drea de Matteo. We were crushed as we saw Adrianna’s dream of getting away from these awful men give way to the reality of her being driven to her own execution, having been tricked by her fiancé Christopher and Tony after Chris discovered that she’s been talking to the feds. Her worry as her case came to a head was so palpable, and made for one of the most shocking and exhausting hours of TV in 2004.

But before we go to number one, let's see my choice for the worst episode of the year:

Six Feet Under “That’s My Dog” (Original Airdate: July 18, 2004) – They probably had the best intentions when they made this episode. They were hoping that this episode would be the episode that would make them a shoe in for every applicable Emmy and fans would be enthusiastically talking about it the next day. They were talking, but it was more to the effect of "I am never watching Six Feet Under ever again" or "If they ever pull that again I will hunt them down and kill them." This is the episode that killed Six Feet Under. Millions tuned out after David’s 25-minute (uninterrupted) kidnapping, essentially to show that David’s doormat qualities go to absurd lengths. After absurd and sadistic plot twists people screamed “Enough already.” Some found it harrowing, most thought it was nauseating. With a story that would make Kim Bauer from 24 say “Man, you’re stupid,” “Dog” was a turkey and the rest of the season couldn’t recover from a massive blow like that.

And now, the number one episode of the year
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#1. Angel “Not Fade Away” (Original Airdate: May 19, 2004) – 2004 had a few very high profile exits. Sex and the City, Friends and Frasier both went off with huge numbers. But another exit, one that came out of the blue and still confuses fans, was the cancellation of cult hit Angel. Fans were outraged, but few could complain about how the show went out. They didn’t spend the hour hugging and crying like most series finales. They preferred to go out in a blaze of glory. With the Circle of the Black Thorn being taken out one by one (a perfect way for Joss to vent his frustration at myopic WB executives), Angel did about as good a tribute to the baptism scene from The Godfather as possible. A shocking ending that helped nail the theme of the ongoing fight against evil, Angel took his final bow with class.

2004 was a great year for TV. Hopefully 2005 will be even better. I'll keep you posted about what moves me, disgusts me, makes me laugh and every other reaction I could have about TV. Until then, the remote is yours.