My TV "Wow" Moments: A Thrown-Together List

Over at Vulture, Matt Zoller Seitz gave a list of his TV "wow moments" - "TV moments that dazzled you artistically, emotionally, technically — you name it — and made you want to stand up and applaud".  He limited his list to five, and it's proven a durable number for those on Twitter who want to participate. I tried to participate in that format, but you know what? Fuck brevity. TV is an embarrassment of riches, so I threw together a much longer list of all the moments that have shocked, surprised, and otherwise astounded me. There's no real order here (expect for maybe the first two or three picks) and I'll only comment on my picks where I think explanation is needed. 

Community - "Conventions of Space and Time"

Season 4, Episode 3

Community delivers its worst episode ever. But why? 

Community - "History 101"/"Paranormal Paternity"

Season 4, Episodes 1-2

Community is back after a long hiatus with a new season and new showrunners, and things feel more than a little bit off.

SNL - "Cristoph Waltz/Alabama Shakes"

Season 38, Episode 14

Christoph Waltz hosts and tries to prove wrong everybody’s fears that he’s a poor decision for a host.

SNL - "Justin Bieber"

Season 38, Episode 13

Justin Bieber hosts and performs, and it’s not as bad as one might expect.

SNL - "Jennifer Lawrence/The Lumineers"

Season 38, Episode 11

Everybody's nerd-crush, Jennifer Lawrence, stops by to host, and The Lumineers twee it up on the musical stage.

Happy Endings - "Fowl Play/Date"

Season 3, Episode 8

Welcome to the special Sunday Night Burn Off edition of Happy Endings, where everything is the same, except with an increase sense of dread over the show’s fate.

Spring 2013 Review Schedule

After the disaster of not-writing that was this past fall, I’m reinvigorated and ready to return anew to this world of amateur television criticism. The new review schedule is after the jump.

The 2012 Television Year in Review

It’s my third time doing an annual review of television, and because I like to keep things fresh, this is my third approach to the subject. This year, I broke down the best of television into two lists – the best of the returning shows, and the best of the new shows. In order to facilitate your knowledge of the new shows (which you are more likely to have missed), I have included episodes suggestions for catching up/getting familiar with each series. Comment, complain, argue, and enjoy.