Chosen Ones


If you were trying to convince a Joss Whedon virgin of the writer-producer-director's televisual genius, you could do a lot worse than this list of the "25 Best Whedonverse Episodes" assembled by EW. I could quibble with the ordering-- as good as it is, I suspect Firefly's "Our Mrs. Reynolds" benefits more from its Mad Men connection than its own inherent quality--but there wasn't one episode listed that I could disagree with, and that's a rarity when it comes to the intense passions cult shows like Whedon's tend to inspire. Every show is represented (even Dr. Horrible!), and reading through the list made me want to break out the DVD sets again, which is really what these kinds of exercises should, in the end, inspire.

Oh, and their number one choice? It wouldn't be mine-- I'd go with their #2-- but it's certainly a brilliant episode, and a reminder that Whedon's greatest contribution to television is remembering that the scariest demons we face are also the most human.

Comments

Bob Westal said…
Yeah, "The Body," as good as it was certainly wouldn't be my choice.. To me, a certain amount of fun is part of what makes Whedon Whedon. Actually, my choice was -- rather shockingly -- not on the list at all: "Objects in Space" the nearly perfect final episode of "Firefly." In fact, one of the saddest things about the show being canceled and "Serenity" not making enough at the box office is we may never see Jubal Early again.

On the other hand, I would have had "Our Mrs. Reynolds" about where it was, or higher, actually -- and I felt that way long before Christina Hendricks became Joan Holloway.
dave said…
Bob, I agree with you on the final episode of Firefly--and I too enjoyed "Our Mrs. Reynolds." The moment when both Hendricks's character and Inara are simultaneously trying to seduce each other--and then realize it, simultaneously--is great.
Brian Doan said…
Hey Dave and Bob,
I do really like the "Our Mrs. Reynolds" episode, I just thought the piece emphasized Christina Hendricks (and Joan) to such a degree that it seemed more based around that than the ep. But talking about Christina Hendricks is never a bad thing.

I really need to look at FIREFLY again-- I've only been through it once (when I was sick with the flu, of all things) and I really need to rewatch some of the episodes they mention.

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