Best Episodes Breaks the Top 20! Plus King's 'Dreamscapes,' CBS' Switch and Field's Move to TV

Pass the Remote's

Best Episodes of '05/'06

After a week off from the countdown (thanks to Emmy coverage), we're back and we're up to week 4 of Pass the Remote's Best Episodes of the '05/'06 TV Season Countdown. For those who are new to the countdown, here's a refresher on the rules I employed for selecting the 31 episodes that make up this list. All of the shows and their episodes are from NETWORK television only, meaning that I did not take any cable series into consideration (since I only watch a few and felt that it would be unfair). All episodes aired between September 2005 and June 2006. Each episode that made the final list moved me in some way; either by making me laugh out loud, cry my eyes out or just left me with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! This is a summer-long countdown, so I will reveal a few episodes each week all summer until we reach the #1 episode of the past season. Be sure to tune in each Wednesday to see the next set of episodes to make the list. Today, we're going to look at #22-20.


22: "Everybody Hates Food Stamps" - Everybody Hates Chris
One of the best new comedies to emerge from the 2005 crop of fall shows was this delightful treat based on comedian Chris Rock's upbringing. What makes Chris so great is the fact that it's funny - something that other comedies seem to be missing. One of the season's funniest outings was this one featuring the world of food stamps. Julius, who's never eager to part with a dollar, finds unused food stamps and gives them to Rochelle to use the next time she grocery shops. Rochelle, who Chris refers to as a "Ghetto Snob," isn't too fond of the idea because she doesn't want her neighbors thinking that they're poor. She finally agrees to use them, so the kids pile all sorts of goodies into the shopping cart. At the checkout counter, Rochelle is about to pay when she sees her friend Sheila. Instead of using the food stamps in front of Sheila, she decides to dip into the family savings. She doesn't tell Julius, so he begins to make plans on what the family can spend with the extra cash they saved using food stamps. When Rochelle finally comes clean, Julius makes her sell the food stamps to get the cash back. In a hilarious scene at the same grocery store, she discretely attempts to sell them on the black market, while in disguise, until some friends recognize her. The episode shows how far Rochelle is willing to go to protect her image and it has hilarious results. Written by Ali LeRoi and directed by Jerry Levine.


21: "The 23rd Psalm" - Lost
Delving into the mysterious Mr. Eko proved to be one of this show's finest hours this season (but not its only as you'll see as the countdown progresses). The entire episode set up an interesting dichotomy of the character of Eko. There was the kind, gentle Eko that we knew from his time on the island and then there was this gun-touting, drug cartel-ing Eko from a different life. It all began back in Nigeria when Eko was very young. He spared his brother from the horrible fate of shooting a man for the militia. His brother went on to be a priest and Eko, a drug trafficker. All of that changed, though, when Eko's involvement got his brother killed and his body sent on a plane filled with the Virgin Mary statues with drugs inside. The plane, of course, is the same one that Locke and Boone found on the island. Eko found his brother's body in the plane wreckage, and finally got the chance to say goodbye. The episode explains the more faith-inspired side of Eko as he assumed his brother's identity as a priest after his death. Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Matt Earl Beesley.


20: "Lucky in Love" - Medium
This was an episode that just caught you off guard, Sixth Sense style. After Allison dreams that her brother, Michael, is involved in a bank robbery, he makes an unexpected visit to Phoenix. Allison grows more concerned when he brings with him a shady woman (Emilia) that he just met in a bar along the way. After a little digging, she finds that Emilia is involved in a con ring, but the most surprising discovery is still yet to be revealed. Emilia is dead! One of her fellow con artists murdered her and dumped her body along an interstate. The only problem is, she doesn't know it and neither does Michael (who has similar psychic abilities). Allison has to talk Emilia through the ordeal because Michael is unwittingly involved in a plot to get Emilia's things back from the man that murdered her (unbeknownest to him). In the end, a bummed Michael makes a little peace with his ability as Emilia finally moves on. It was a moving and shocking episode that brought a completely different element to the table. Written by Robert Doherty and directed by David Jones. **PROGRAMMING NOTE: You can catch this episode of Medium this Monday, July 17th on NBC.

So, there's a closer look at #22-20. What did you think about them? Do you agree? Disagree? Drop me a comment with your thoughts. If you missed #31-23 or just want to revisit them, click HERE. Next week, we'll reveal the next three episodes on the list including a deadly 911 call, a hilarious baby shower and the consequences of taking it on the lam.


QUICK CUTS

*TV TONIGHT: TNT kicks off its 4-week event Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (9-11 p.m.) with a commercial-free premiere. The miniseries will tell 8 chilling King stories over the course of its 4-week run. Bravo rolls out the 3rd season of Project Runway (9-11 p.m.).

*CBS will air the pilot episode of sister network Showtime's new drama Brotherhood. The episode will air with little commercial interruption and will carry a TV-14 rating, but will be a network modified version of the original Showtime presentation. The critically acclaimed new drama centers around two Irish-American brothers fighting for control of the area of Providence, Rhode Island known as "The Hill." One brother is a politician and the other is on the wrong side of the law. The show premiered on Showtime on July 9th, but you can catch a special encore presentation of the first episode this Saturday night at 10 p.m. on CBS. In other CBS news, the network is switching timeslots for two comedies on its Fall 2006 line-up. Last year's freshman success How I Met Your Mother will now air at 8:30 p.m. on Monday nights instead of 8 p.m., and new comedy The Class will run at 8 p.m. instead of 8:30 p.m.

*Actress Sally Field is joining the cast of the new ABC series Brother & Sisters. She replaces Becky Buckley as the mother of the five Walker siblings. The series also stars Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig. Brothers & Sisters will air Sundays this fall on ABC.

*And finally, actor Kenny Johnson will return to CBS' Cold Case next season according to a posting on his message board. He first appeared in last season's finale as a victim who turned up alive and caused some sparks between his Joseph character and detective Lilly Rush. Johnson writes on his message board, "Cold Case starts this month I shoot 4 out of the 1st 5 ...Maybe that's it, I don't know .. But write to the Cold Case folks for some ideas .... Thank you all for support." Cold Case is scheduled to kick off its 4th season this September on CBS with a move to 9 p.m. on Sundays. (Right: Kathryn Morris and Kenny Johnson from this season's finale. Photo courtesy Kathryn Morris Online.)

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That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Cold Case flashback edition that features an episode with "butterflies and bruises" and a whole lotta hankies! Plus, all the latest television news.


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.