June 24, 1997
Best Episodes of '97
I had intended this week to list what I thought were the best episodes of the season. In fact, back in January I began making a list of episodes that really affected me, that had me cheering or doubled over in fits of laughter or left me a little teary-eyed. A few I will list right now:
Babylon 5 "Into the Fire" -- this episode wrapped up the main plot that had been unraveling for three and a half years: the war between the allies of Babylon 5, the Shadows, and the Vorlons. Creator J. Michael Straczynski served up a slam-bang space battle and then stopped the action for a little philosophizing on the nature of conflict. The resolution of the whole affair was brought not by weapons but by skillful persuasion, which hopefully proved the point to viewers that often words and reasoning are more powerful than trying to blow people to bits.
The X-Files "Momento Mori" -- Scully's discovery that she has inoperable brain cancer allowed leads Gillian Anderson and David Duchovmy the opportuity to display their talents as two of TV's best actors. I would very much like to see Anderson recognized at Emmy nomination time.
The Practice (Episode title unknown.) The loudest cheers from me on any show came when the little law practice that could beat the big tobacco company in a negligence suit. Add to that the surprising revelation that the man who shot down his daughter's killer was influenced by the words of his rabbi, and we have an episode that managed to shock and delight with big emotions in one splendid hour.
When I looked at the rest of the list, only two other shows were represented. One is a classy yet underwatched drama, the other a highly-rated and critically-praised show whose last few years have been a little rocky.
The drama is Homicide: Life on the Streets, which provided many memorable episodes this year. My three favorites were (1) the New Year's Eve episode, where Brodie shows his amusing documentary on the homicide unit which unmasks the "Lunch Bandit"; (2) the powerful episode in which Lewis attempts to calm the suicidal Kellerman, whose life has been turned upside down from the events of the past year; and (3) another Lewis/Kellerman showcase and the final fate of drug lord Luther Mahoney (I won't tell you what happens -- you should be watching the reruns on Lifetime). Homicide was, by far, my favorite show of the last half of the season.
The comedy -- no shocker, probably -- is Roseanne. The shocker is that Roseanne's ground-breaking show, whose last couple of seasons have been horrendously unfunny, ended on such a rich, positive, and thought-provoking note. Almost all of the reviews of the final episode that I have read have been negative, pouncing on what was perceived as a Dallas-like "the last season was just a dream" ending. If you didn't catch the show yourself, the following is a quick synopsis.
Near the end of the episode, as all of the important characters gather around the famous kitchen set to eat dinner, Roseanne begins an odd voice-over. She speaks about each of the characters as both fictional and real, as if she were describing them in an epilogue to a novel. In fact, that is exactly what it is; Roseanne has written a book about her family, changing and improving the pieces of her life as she sees fit. For example, in "reality" Becky is married to David and Darlene to Mark, but Roseanne always thought it would make better sense the other way around. Her mother she has made a lesbian, in an effort to give some identity to an abused woman who simply grew up in the wrong era. The most startling revelation is that Dan died of the heart attack he suffered at the end of last season; his death is what prompted the "real" Roseanne to write the book.
In this nifty plot twist are many bigger ideas: a reminder that this show (and all other television) is simply fiction, and should be written to be both entertaining and thought-provoking; that reality is only what one perceives it to be; and that happy endings can be created if your imagination is strong enough. I will watch this past year's episodes of Roseanne in reruns in a new light. I doubt they will be any more humorous now, but I have a greater appreciation for the experimentation and thought Roseanne brought to all nine years of the show. And... I would not have said this last year... I will miss this show.
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