Television: Ray's Guide to the Best of the 2000s

We live in an age of television like no other. There was never a better decade for great TV than the 2000s and I can only hope that the 2010s can live up to the hype. There's a lot of great TV out there and I've tried to watch all of it, but it's difficult. I wanted to let you know what to watch so I put together a list of the Top 25 shows of last decade. Now some might feel that I snubbed their favorite show because I haven't seen it in it's entirety. The truth is that I gave every scripted show of any critical acclaim a shot and some of them failed to hook me. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover...but it is more than fair to judge it by it's first five chapters. Which is why I think that a great show should be judged by it's ten best episodes. Serialized television is the best kind of television but it has to be able to pull you in without context. If I turn on the television and somebody is in a dire situation...make me care about it irregardless of whether or not I know how they came to be in that spot.

Here is my list of the ten best episodes of each of the best 25 shows of the last decade. If you want to know if you'll love a show and if you should commit your time to it, just watch my #1 episode and that should help you decide. Please note though that these are only episodes that aired in the 2000s. For instance, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is on this list. However, it's best episode "Becoming (Part 2)" aired in 1999. Therefore, it is not included on this list. The same goes for the best episode of That 70s Show and one of the two best episodes of The Sopranos. Sorry, but I have to stick to the theme. Enjoy. And feel free to let you know if you disagree and would like to debate me in a segment to run next weekend.

25. Dexter

10. Hungry Man
9. The British Invasion
8. Love American Style
7. Truth Be Told
6. Hello, Dexter Morgan
5. Do You Take Dexter Morgan?
4. There's Something About Harry
3. Seeing Red
2. The Getaway
1. Born Free

24. The Sopranos

10. Irregular Around the Margins
9. Pine Barrens
8. Employee of the Month
7. Knight in White Satin Armor
6. Whitecaps
5. Made in America
4. D-Girl
3. Whoever Did This
2. Funhouse
1. Long Term Parking

23. Breaking Bad

10. Kafkaesque
9. Crazy Handful of Nothin'
8. Better Call Saul
7. Pilot
6. Cat's in the Bag
5. ABQ
4. Phoenix
3. Full Measure
2. One Minute
1. ...And the Bag's in the River

22. Oz

10. Dead Man Talking
9. Visitation
8. Cuts like a Knife
7. A Day in the Death...
6. Famous Last Words
5. Good Intentions
4. Exuent Omnes
3. Orpheus Descending
2. You Bet Your Life
1. Impotence

21. Damages

10. Hey! Mr. Pibb!

9. Uh-Oh. Out Come the Skeletons

8. Tastes Like a Ho Ho

7. All that Crap About Your Family

6. Jesus, Mary, and Joe Cocker

5. Trust Me

4. New York Sucks

3. The Next One's Gonna Go In Your Throat

2. Because I Know Patty
1. I Hate These People

20. Life

10. Black Friday

9. Powerless
8. Badge Bunny
7. Hit Me Baby
6. Canyon Flowers
5. Merit Badge
4. Dig a Hole
3. Fill It Up
2. Fallen Woman
1. One

19. Modern Family

10. Game Changer
9. Coal Digger
8. Fizbo
7. Undeck the Halls
6. Starry Night
5. Fizbo
4. Not in My House
3. My Funky Valentine
2. Pilot
1. Hawaii

18. House

10. Lucky Thirteen
9. No Reason
8. Last Resort
7. Euphoria (Part 1)
6. House's Head
5. Frozen
4. Euphoria (Part 2)
3. You Don't Want to Know
2. Three Stories
1. Wilson's Heart

17. Prison Break

10. Scan

9. Safe and Sound
8. Cowboys and Indians
7. The Art of the Deal
6. Bolshoi Booze
5. Riots, Drills, and the Devil Part 1
4. The Killing Box
3. Buried
2. Manhunt
1. And Then There Were 7

16. Dollhouse

10. The Left Hand

9. Spy in the House of Love
8. Belonging
7. Stage Fright
6. Haunted
5. Belle Chose
4. Epitaph Two: Return
3. The Hollow Men
2. Omega
1. The Attic

15. Bones

10. The Verdict in the Story

9. The Hero in the Hold
8. The Knight in the Grid
7. The Con Man in the Meth Lab
6. The End in the Beginning
5. The Pain in the Heart
4. Aliens in a Spaceship
3. The Superhero in the Alley
2. The Blonde in the Game
1. Two Bodies in the Lab

14. Battlestar Galactica

10. The Ties That Bind

9. Revelations
8. Kobol's Last Gleaming (Part 2)
7. Pegasus
6. Unfinished Business
5. Exodus (Part 2)
4. 33
3. The Passage
2. Blood on the Scales
1. Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 2)

13. Alias

10. Reprisal
9. Echoes
8. The Box Part 2
7. Mea Culpa
6. Almost Thirty Years
5. All the Time in the World
4. The Telling
3. Truth Be Told
2. Full Disclosure
1. Phase One

12. 30 Rock

10. Cooter

9. I Do Do
8. The Source Awards
7. Khonani
6. Believe in the Stars
5. Rosemary's Baby
4. Gavin Valoure
3. MILF Island
2. Generalissimo
1. The Fighting Irish

11. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

10. Fool for Love

9. Conversations with Dead People
8. Who are You?
7. The Weight of the World
6. The Gift
5. Villains
4. Once More, With Feeling
3. The Body
2. Restless
1. Normal Again

10. That 70s Show

10. Eric's Hot Cousin

9. Happy Jack
8. Eric's Panties
7. Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die
6. That 70s Finale
5. Cat Fight Club
4. The Immigrant Song
3. Streaking
2. Prank Day
1. It's a Wonderful Life

9. Friday Night Lights

10. Pilot
9. After the Fall
8. New York, New York
7. Tomorrow Blues
6. Hello, Goodbye
5. Mud Bowl
4. The Giving Tree
3. Let's Get It On
2. I Think We Should Have Sex
1. The Son

8. True Blood

10. To Love Is to Bury

9. Frenzy
8. Hitting the Ground
7. I Don't Wanna Know
6. Nothing But the Blood
5. Beyond Here Lies Nothing
4. Hard-Hearted Hannah
3. I Smell a Rat
2. You'll Be the Death of Me
1. I Will Rise Up

7. Arrested Development

10. Out on a Limb

9. The Ocean Walker

8. Amigos

7. Motherboy XXX

6. Pier Pressure
5. Righteous Brothers
4. Making a Stand
3. Good Grief
2. Forget Me Now
1. Mr. F

6. Psych

10. Gus Walks into a Bank
9. American Duos
8. Shawn vs. The Red Phantom
7. Psy vs. Psy
6. Extradition: British Columbia
5. Bounty Hunters!
4. From the Earth to Starbucks
3. Daredevils!
2. An Evening with Mr. Yang
1. Mr. Yin Presents

5. How I Met Your Mother

10. Woooo!
9. Girls vs. Suits
8. The Playbook
7. The Bracket
6. The Pineapple Incident
5. Slapsgiving
4. Game Night
3. Robin 101
2. Slap Bet
1. Intervention

4. The Wire

10. Mission Accomplished
9. Old Cases
8. Cleaning Up
7. Moral Midgetry
6. Final Grades
5. The Buys
4. Sentencing
3. All Prologue
2. Middle Ground
1. Late Editions

3. The Shield

10. The Quick Fix
9. Dragonchasers
8. Streaks and Tips
7. Coefficient of Drag
6. Bottom Bitch
5. Pilot
4. Family Meeting
3. Tar Baby
2. Possible Kill Screen
1. Postpartum

2. Veronica Mars

10. Ahoy, Mateys!

9. Leave it to Beaver
8. Normal is the Watchword
7. The Wrath of Con
6. Mars vs. Mars
5. An Echolls Family Christmas
4. Poughkeepsie, Tramps, and Theives
3. Look Who's Stalking
2. Ruskie Business
1. Not Pictured

1. Lost

10. Whatever the Case May Be
9. The Long Con
8. The Shape of Things to Come
7. LaFleur
6. The Hunting Party
5. Through the Looking Glass
4. The Constant
3. Deus Ex Machina
2. Two for the Road
1. Outlaws

But it's not enough for you to just take my word for it. Here is some video evidence and some exposition on why I like some of the episodes that I like. We'll just look at my Top 8 shows.

1. LOST

Some of the more observant amongst you may have noted that while I spread out my Top 10 LOST episodes over eight different character's centric episodes, I included three Sawyer episode. There's good reason for this. He is easily the most entertaining character. And the man sure does come up with a good nickname. So here is my homage to Sawyer: the man of 1000 nicknames. And this is only Seasons 1-3. There is a whole 'nother video for Seasons 4, 5, and 6.

2. Veronica Mars

There were so many great things about Veronica Mars: the brilliant plot lines, the snarky dialogue, the sex appeal. But at heart I guess I'm just a fourteen-year-old girl because I truly enjoyed the relationship development and romance that it brought to the table. So here's a clip of the defining moment in the Logan and Veronica story. And if you're not a fan don't worry there is plenty of explosions and murder most foul for you to enjoy...and I have all three seasons if you need to borrow them.

3. The Shield

"Post Partum" has to be my favorite episode because it was the game changer for the entire show. However, if The Shield had my the final two episodes (my #2 and #3) "Possible Kill Screen" and "Family Meeting" into one two-hour episode it would have to go down as the greatest episode of any kind to ever hit television. Vic's ICE hearing is so awesome that it can't be put into words. The three words "I've done worse" have probably been said 1000 times on hundreds of other shows, films, blogs, and books, but if you google them your first hit is The Shield. Giving you a clip of one of the greatest Shield scenes would ruin the magic. So, for the show that ended perfectly I've included the final credits just to give you a taste of some of the memories along with a sweet Concrete Blonde song.

4. The Wire

This show was ridiculously well done and offered tremendous social commentary. My two favorite episodes focus on particularly jawing deaths (Snoop and Stringer), but some of this show's best moments were when it looked at the American system and why are streets are the way they are. The reason that "The Buys" is one of my top 5 episodes is because it is summed up most beautifully in D'Angelo's explanation of chess. You see that the street is cyclical and you see why Dukie becomes Bubbles, Michael becomes Omar, and the king stay the king.

5. How I Met Your Mother

The beauty of How I Met Your Mother is how it makes it's best jokes by subverting conventional story-telling tactics and take advantage of it's years down the road format. That's what you'll notice ties together my favorite episodes (well, that and Canada jokes). They get you looking one way and then they go another. Few episodes do this better than my favorite scene from "Intervention" in which Ted explains why there is a hole in the wall next to the door. It dates back to a night when Robin drank of 12-pack of Molson and became super Canadian...

6. Psych

My favorite thing about Psych is their super obscure pop culture references that only myself and a few other people get. I love the running gag when Gus can't remember the name of a film like "Holes", "She's All That", or "The Guardian" despite the fact that the actor who played him, Dule Hill, was in all three of these movies. I love the ridiculous side-kick names that Shawn comes up with for Gus. And I considered posting a clip of Shawn and Gus almost breaking the fourth wall by ripping on The Mentalist for totally snatching their entire schtick three years after the fact. However, the interplay between Shawn and Gus is the best part of this show so I've included a scene of one-upsmanship from one of my favorite episodes, "From the Earth to Starbucks":

7. Arrested Development

What wasn't great about this show. Racism, Sexual Innuendo, Magic, and Puppets...it really had it all. Here, take a look at one of my favorite scenes.

8. True Blood

True Blood often gets lumped in with Twilight and the whole vampire craze, but the truth is that True Blood is a breed all it's own. It's about a lot more than vampires and action. It's about sex, it's about mercy and guilt, and it's a social commentary on equal rights. Vampires are used to represent the ways that minorities were treated in the South and more specifically the way that homosexuals are currently treated in the South. But this show doesn't make it's points by making the vampires any nicer. It let's us know that vampires can be just like humans: some are good and some are rotten. It also bucks the trend with it's portrayal of homosexuals. Lafayette's garish clothing might lead you to the conclusion that he is gay, but most of his other mannerisms are stereotypical of a straight person in this clip, which is one of the best of the series: