TV Meme--Day 6
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
"Favorite" is not the same as "best," as I mentioned when I did my top 10 favorite Doctor Who episodes. I think my pick for the best episode of "The West Wing" might be "17 People," just for sheer brilliance of construction, in the juxtaposition of the incredible tension of the Toby/Leo/Bartlet scenes with Sam and Ainsley and Josh and Donna flirting and bantering and eating Chinese food. But I think my favorite episode is "Celestial Navigation." Mostly because it's, well, hilarious from beginning to end, while also being touching. Aaron Sorkin employs his favorite technique of telling the story in flashback, and it doesn't hurt that it's my favorite character, Josh, who tells the story. And the episode--as absolutely, ridiculously quotable as all West Wing episodes are--shows off the most amusing aspects of each character in the ensemble. Sam is endearingly dorky (extolling dental hygiene and navigating by the North Star that turns out to be the Delta shuttle from LaGuardia), Toby is endearingly cranky ("He's a crazy man out to ruin my life"), the President is endearingly snobby (complaining mainly that his Cabinet member calling someone racist resorted to *cliche* to do it), Josh is endearingly cocky ("Hey there, cats and kittens!"), and C.J. is endearingly, well, C.J. (how can you describe C.J. in just a parenthetical?).
frakup said that she was going to quote her favorite episode, but would have ended up quoting the whole thing, and yes, this is tempting. But instead, I have settled on just this wonderful exchange:
C.J.: I’m experiencing some pain.
Sam: For how long?
C.J.: About a month now, but it’ll go away by itself.
Sam: When?
C.J.: When I die, Sam.
Trust me, it's all in the delivery.
Past
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled: Dirty Sexy Money
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching: Gossip Girl
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season): White Collar
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever: The West Wing
Day 05 - A show you hate: Robin Hood
Future
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death