Seeing as though Thursday was Thanksgiving and, by extension, this
is some sort of de facto Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it might be a
good time to list some moments in television history that I’m
especially grateful for.
Okay, I didn’t really think that. I just love lists.
Nevertheless, I am grateful for everything single moment that follows. Curious, what are some of yours?
MASH, "Abyssinia, Henry" (1975)
I can’t say for sure, but I think this might just be the first time a
television show killed a major character to explain his/her exit from
the show. In Season 3’s now infamous final scene, Radar announced that
the plane carrying Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, who just received
his discharge, was shot down over the Sea of Japan. The news remains
just as shocking more than two decades later.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "The Gift" (2001)
In the series’ 100th episode and final one on the WB, Buffy went out
with a bang, leaping to her death into a trans-dimensional rift to save
the world yet again. It was made all the more tragic by the
action-packed buildup, in which the Scoobys – including Spike in
balls-out, bad-ass mode – duke it out with Glory to make sure this
ultimate sacrifice isn’t necessary. To be fair, though, this episode is
as good as about a dozen others in the show’s seven seasons.
Duel (1971)
I wasn’t alive in 1971, but I was in 1990 when I saw this Steven
Spielberg-directed television movie for the first time. It’s every bit
as terrifying as Jaws and was, I think, the first time I realized television could actually deliver the same visceral thrills as motion pictures.
9/11 (2001)
The last time I trusted anything an American news network had to say.
Star Trek, "Plato’s Stepchildren" (1968)
By the time I first saw this episode, I was probably eight or night.
Interracial relationships were still taboo in Midwest America. That’s
probably why seeing Captain Kirk plant a kiss on Lieutenant Uhura was
so impactful on me. Later, I discovered its relevance and, though it
turns out it’s not the first interracial kiss on TV I thought it was,
second place ain’t that bad.
Angel, "Not Fade Away" (2005)
Angelwas an uneven series that hit as often as it missed.
Still, the Season 5 finale managed to outshine everything that came
before. As our heroes – or at least those that have survived an
orchestrated attack on demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart – gather in
an alley, an army of demons appears and a giant dragon swoops out of
the sky. Angel, sword in hand, says, "I don’t know about you, but I
want to fight a dragon." Cut to black. That’s it. We don’t discover
what happen; we only know that, no matter what, our champions will keep
fighting, even after we stop watching. Brilliant.
Cheaters (2003)
While confronting a boyfriend who’s cheating on his girlfriend, host
Joey Greco is stabbed by the boyfriend. The act, though violent (and
probably exaggerated for ratings), kind of sums up how I feel about
this sort of exploitation reality television. It’s too bad the point –
sorry for the pun – didn’t kill the show, too.
The Office (British version), "Season 2, Episode 6" (2002)
After two seasons, everyone expected Tim and Dawn to finally hook up.
After all, they were in love and fated to be together. Instead,
creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant opted for a realistic
ending. Dawn stays with the douche bag who makes her unhappy, and Tim
continues at his miserable job without her.
