Episode 321

As 2009 (and Season 3 of my blog) draws to a close, Top 10 lists seem to be the way to close out the decade. I considered making a top ten of the past ten years of TV, but then I realized that ten years ago "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" was one of my favorite shows, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Instead, I have decided to go with:

The Top 10 TV Moments of 2009:
*Note: this will not include such moments as "Kanye drunk stages Taylor", "Oprah says goodbye", "Friday Night Lights announces a new season but it won't air for another year because they just want to make us hate them", etc. While some of these are history-making, others are just awesome.

1) Locke actually is dead. And is Jacob. And our minds are blown. The penultimate season of Lost ends after having redeemed itself with an incredible arc of episodes; the American people realize that 2010 is so close, yet so far away.
2) Jim and Pam get married. This will go down in TV history, and not only because of the brilliant YouTube nod.
3) Glee premieres, creating a completely new television genre, one that incorporates every other amazing aspect of everything else amazing ever (and then Lea Michele sings, sealing the deal).
4) Parks and Recreation hires a new writer's assistant, at which point the show suddenly becomes one of the best on television, thanks mostly to the Andy and Ron moment.
5) Russell finds thee immunity idols on Survivor -- two without any clues -- and re-glorifies the blindside. This might get even crazier by the time the finale airs, but either way proves to us that it's not just Jeff Probst that has made this show last for countless seasons.
6) Dwight and Andy serenade Erin, and then each other, with John Denver in the break room. Musical moments in non-musical shows are, without fail, amazing. (Note: I was hesitant to put two moments of The Office on the list because of the non-world-ending first half of this season, but last night's episode more than made up for it.)
7) Modern Family premieres, reminding us that it is possible to bring back the family sitcom in an age where it's hard to make anything more ridiculous than real-life families.
8) Kevin makes roasted banana, chocolate, and bacon brittle dessert on Top Chef, only to be shot down by the clearly tastebudless judges. All progress Americans have made in the fight against obesity is completely wiped out and we are back to square one. And I'm okay with it.
9) "Legen -- wait for it -- ds of the Fall!" How I Met Your Mother reminds us for the millionth time that its writers are brilliant, almost as brilliant as Neil Patrick Harris.
10) Don Draper dies. Just kidding, I just wanted to be sure you were still reading and I felt bad not putting a Mad Men moment on here.

And while we're on countdowns, 53 DAYS UNTIL LOST RETURNS. 2010, here we come.

Episode 320

There's a new phenomenon spreading through American sitcoms that might be called the anti-Sam and Diane -- or as I would more likely call it, the anti-Dawson and Joey. So many sitcom couples are now happily united with no sign of anything changing in the near future. When it comes down to it, viewers no longer yearn for the will-they-won't-they drama we've been spoon-fed for years. (Side note: I think this is why the whole Jeff and Britta thing on Community isn't taking off.)

As much as we might miss the awkward and perfect flirtations between Jim and Pam, I think we are all much happier after an episode of The Office when there's no drama in the relationship. And now that they're married, we really don't have to worry (pre-marital sex, maybe, but I don't anticipate a divorce). Now we can watch every episode in peace -- that is, if you call watching Michael tell a group of high school seniors that he can't pay for their college education as he had promised "in peace"...

I similarly enjoy an episode of Gossip Girl so much more when there is no tension between Chuck and Blair. Like Jim and Pam, they are so absolutely perfect for each other that even the thought of them not being together makes the viewing experience less enjoyable. Even though Season 1 was by far the best, it was by no means the easiest to watch. And with this economy (yeah, I said it) maybe that's all viewers are looking for.

This tendency is most relevant -- even if subtle -- on How I Met Your Mother. Over the course of four and a half seasons, we have never had to worry about issues in Ted's relationships, because we know he ends up with the right woman, and we know it's not anyone he's dating on the episodes we're watching. So no matter what ridiculous things he does to mess up relationships, there's no tension.

That said, here are my five favorite current television couples - comments welcome!

1) Coach and Tammy (Friday Night Lights)
2) Chuck and Blair (Gossip Girl)
3) Barney and the entire female gender (How I Met Your Mother)
4) Finn and every female viewer ages 14 - 38 (Glee)
5) Jay and Gloria (Modern Family)
*Honorable mention: Don and Betty (Mad Men) -- I don't feel right putting them on the list because I'm not caught up and something tells me it's not going to end well.