Best Episodes Continues with 'Cops,' Voodoo & Greek Week

After a week off to cover the nominations for The Awards That Shall Not Be Mentioned, we're back and continuing with the summer-long countdown of The Best Episodes of the Season. But before we get to this week's entries, here's a look at the rules for this year's winners. I ended up with 30 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. 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 2006 and June 2007. 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! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, I will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in on Thursdays to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 18-16.

18: "Our Cops is On" - My Name is Earl
Earl used to be a low-life criminal, so it's no surprise that he and his buddies all wound up on an episode of Cops. After all, it was destined to happen, but who knew that it was going to be this funny? From the bumbling cops to Earl stealing the cop car to Kenny pretending to be straight on TV and everything in between, this episode was packed with classic moments. Of course, it also served to further prove how far Earl has come since his days as a hardened criminal and all-around lousy guy. But it wasn't just Earl who had changed. It seemed that everyone around him had become a slightly better person. Perhaps, one good deed does lead to another. Written by Timothy Stack and directed by Ken Wittingham. (Photo courtesy nbc.com)

17: "Git 'Er Done" - Friday Night Lights
With a show of this caliber, pretty much every episode could make this list, but how fair would that be to all of the other wonderful programs on TV? So, brilliant episodes like this one shone bright enough to stand out among all the other amazing hours this season. It's decision time for Coach Taylor as he deliberates between the dedicated Matt Seracen and the talented Ray "Voodoo" Tatum for the starting quarterback position. The only problem, he can't make up his mind. In a classic scene, he pops in to talk to his guidance counselor wife and asks her for some, well, guidance. When she gives him her opinion, he wants to know if it's his wife talking or her guidance counselor alter ego. During the big game, Voodoo gets the start, but his blatant disregard for Coach Taylor's plays gets him kicked out of the game and off the team. In the closing moments while the team is celebrating its big win, Coach Taylor gets some bad news regarding Voodoo's initial eligibility, casting a cloud of doubt over the victory. Written by John Zinman and Patrick Massett and directed by Mark Piznarski. (Photo courtesy nbc.com)

16: "My Big Fat Greek Rush Week" - Veronica Mars
If you watch a lot of television and movies, then you know all sorority girls are dumb, sleep around, like to say "like," and throw massive parties that encourage underage drinking, right? Of course, they also have tons of money, drive nice cars and LOVE to shop. Well, that's the stereotype anyway. Apparently, Veronica Mars watches a lot of television and movies. She was thrilled to get her first big assignment from the school paper because it meant exposing these girls and their social groups, but in the end, she wound up quitting the paper due to her own code of ethics and how they conflicted with the editor's. Turns out, the sorority girls were hiding something, but it had nothing to do with the aforementioned stereotypes. They were growing marijuana to help their house mother cope with the side effects of her cancer treatments. With Veronica's story published, the marijuana was confiscated, the house mother lost her job, and Veronica was left with a huge feeling of remorse. Throw in a hilarious scene where Veronica runs into Dick and an awesome social experiment with students posing as inmates and guards and you have another perfect hour on Mars. Written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by John T. Kretchmer. (Photo courtesy vm-caps.com)

So, there's a look at episodes 18-16 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Be sure to come back next week to find out which episodes are next on the countdown!!