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Post by otherscott on Jul 31, 2018 7:20:43 GMT -8
The Ringer website came up with a new ranking of the top 100 episodes of the 21st century to this point. It's not a bad list when you consider that it takes into account pretty much all corners of TV, from Keeping Up With the Kardashians to Jeopardy to The Sopranos. I feel a little vindicated that "Total Rickall" ended up in the top 50. The one major black spot is the complete absence of The Shield, not only from the list but also even more egregiously, from a ranking of the top 10 finales since 2000. Which leads me to conclude that no one from The Ringer has seen The Shield.As usual with top 100 episodes lists they restricted it to one episode per show. I think I've seen 33 of the episodes, which doesn't sound great except the vast majority of the remainder are from the types of shows I don't really intend to watch. www.ringerbesttvepisodes.com/
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 31, 2018 9:07:35 GMT -8
Man, those videos on the side of the screen got irritating fast, even without audio.
I've seen 44 of the episodes, which tells me that it is indeed a wide-ranging list. I've never even heard of a couple of these shows. (My reality TV cred is quite low.)
Given how wide they cast the net, there are a great many complaints I can level at the list. For one thing, why are there so few animated shows? Good to have Rick and Morty and Bojack get mentioned, but I was hoping to see some Avatar or Gravity Falls love. And The Simpsons has aired over 400 episodes since the year 2000; surely at least one deserves mention?
Also, the Battlestar Galactica finale made the Top 30? What the frak? I get that there are some fans who like the finale (though I will never understand why), but the best episode of the whole series? And are they saying that "Unfinished Business" is also one of the show's best episodes? Seriously? (I'm not much of a BSG champion as you may notice.)
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Post by otherscott on Jul 31, 2018 10:42:42 GMT -8
I think it all comes down to the make-up of the staff. They have a lot of reality TV people, but I don't think they have a lot of animation fans outside of your typical ones specifically for adults. I think Spongebob was the only "kids" show that made the list. Also to be noted that I don't think a single episode of anime made the list.
I think any list like this is going to be called "terrible" by the vast majority so I try to celebrate what's there instead of dwell on what's not. As someone who makes top 10 lists every year I would be annoyed if people got mad at me for not including a show I never got the chance to see.
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 31, 2018 13:05:46 GMT -8
Well, there are a few things on the list that do I appreciate, even if I don't necessarily agree. The OC pilot being in the Top 10 is pretty cool. And some of the episodes picked are indeed the best of their respective shows ("Two Cathedrals," "Ozymandias," "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?") even if I disagree with their placement in the list as a whole. And some of it seems to be less "Best" and more "Most Memorable" or "Most Iconic" (which is the only conceivable reason why the Tom Cruise episode of Oprah made the list).
So I guess I can maybe ignore things like their #14 pick.
Maybe.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Jul 31, 2018 16:44:06 GMT -8
I actually do want to give The Ringer's list credit for exactly one thing - putting the season finale of the original Survivor at number seven was a stroke of genius, and it almost justifies having the Jersey Shore pilot in the top twenty. (Okay, literally nothing could justify that.)
But yes, they're very upfront that they picked these episodes on account of their contributions to meme culture. (Which makes it kinda weird that "I'm Rick James, BITCH" is number five?) I also think the individual episode choices for a lot of these shows are bizarre - most gratuitously for me, I think listing "The Colonel" as the best episode of The Americans is just plain contrarian. (And I think the best episode of the show is "Dyatkovo." "Dyatkovo" ! )
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jul 31, 2018 17:54:05 GMT -8
But yes, they're very upfront that they picked these episodes on account of their contributions to meme culture. (Which makes it kinda weird that "I'm Rick James, BITCH" is number five?) I also think the individual episode choices for a lot of these shows are bizarre - most gratuitously for me, I think listing "The Colonel" as the best episode of The Americans is just plain contrarian. (And I think the best episode of the show is "Dyatkovo." "Dyatkovo" ! ) I agree with you on that! The final 15 minutes of "Dyatkovo" <iframe width="36.0799999999999" height="4.47999999999999" id="MoatPxIOPT2_5063330" scrolling="no" style="border-style: none; left: 15px; top: -5px; width: 36.08px; height: 4.48px; position: absolute; z-index: -9999;"></iframe> <iframe width="36.0799999999999" height="4.47999999999999" id="MoatPxIOPT2_83792378" scrolling="no" style="border-style: none; left: 1732px; top: -5px; width: 36.08px; height: 4.48px; position: absolute; z-index: -9999;"></iframe> <iframe width="36.0799999999999" height="4.47999999999999" id="MoatPxIOPT2_75133850" scrolling="no" style="border-style: none; left: 15px; top: 145px; width: 36.08px; height: 4.48px; position: absolute; z-index: -9999;"></iframe> <iframe width="36.0799999999999" height="4.47999999999999" id="MoatPxIOPT2_17109614" scrolling="no" style="border-style: none; left: 1732px; top: 145px; width: 36.08px; height: 4.48px; position: absolute; z-index: -9999;"></iframe> are by far the best thing the show ever did imo. The only scenes that come close for me are Philip's freakout at Paige in "Martial Eagle" and Philip's freakout at Elizabeth in "The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears".
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Post by otherscott on Jul 31, 2018 19:07:30 GMT -8
I actually do want to give The Ringer's list credit for exactly one thing - putting the season finale of the original Survivor at number seven was a stroke of genius, and it almost justifies having the Jersey Shore pilot in the top twenty. (Okay, literally nothing could justify that.) But yes, they're very upfront that they picked these episodes on account of their contributions to meme culture. (Which makes it kinda weird that "I'm Rick James, BITCH" is number five?) I also think the individual episode choices for a lot of these shows are bizarre - most gratuitously for me, I think listing "The Colonel" as the best episode of The Americans is just plain contrarian. (And I think the best episode of the show is "Dyatkovo." "Dyatkovo" ! ) "Dyatkovo" is a very fair choice. I sometimes think that great episodes in mediocre seasons often seem better or make better experiences than great episodes in great seasons, partially because of the unexpected nature and partially because it validates the time you've spent watching something less than excellent. I think I would narrow down my favourite episode to either "Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep" (which is just basically "Dyatkovo" with a better guest starring role but less importance to the overall narrative arc - though with the advantage of coming first so there is no hint of retreadiness to it) or "The Summit" because to me Season 6 is pretty far and away the best season of the show and that's where it all comes to a head. On the True Detective thing - I'll allow it because the directing in the first season of True Detective is downright incredible. And it's not just the tracking shot, or even mostly the tracking shot, everything in that season is just top tier directing all around.
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Post by Jay on Jul 31, 2018 19:37:44 GMT -8
I've seen fourteen? I was pleased that "The Devil's Hands are the Idle Playthings" in there because that is an excellent Futurama episode.
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 31, 2018 20:20:31 GMT -8
"Dyatkovo" is a very fair choice. I sometimes think that great episodes in mediocre seasons often seem better or make better experiences than great episodes in great seasons, partially because of the unexpected nature and partially because it validates the time you've spent watching something less than excellent. Pretty much. The final stretch of "Dyatkovo" is pretty strong on its own, but it's elevated due to the relatively mediocre season it's a part of. "Mail Robots" would probably get my pick for best episode, though. Incidentally, I take a small amount of amusement in the fact that one of the most tirelessly popular and overhyped shows of the current decade is just barely clinging on with the #100 spot.
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Post by Jay on Jul 31, 2018 21:00:17 GMT -8
I don't even know that I'd claim that was a good episode by TWD standards. If I wanted to pick something that was actually riveting, I might pick something from the first season, derivative as it was from 28 Days Later. But as I've said, it's less fun to hate on it now that it's obviously bad, largely because people haven't been wised to the show's systemic failings.
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Post by otherscott on Aug 1, 2018 5:41:37 GMT -8
Oh, I definitely think it was a good episode. I would have had my top Walking Dead episode (whatever it turned out being between "Days Gone Bye", "Pretty Much Dead Already", "After", "The Grove", "Beside the Dying Fire") considerably higher than 100. The show was a constant disappointment, but that was partially because the best episodes showed the capability to be so much better than its baseline was.
But anyways I've said enough words about The Walking Dead and would like to move onto a new phase of my life.
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Post by Jay on Aug 1, 2018 9:02:33 GMT -8
But anyways I've said enough words about The Walking Dead and would like to move onto a new phase of my life. Samesies
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