-
10. 'True Blood's' Bizarre Sex Scene
'True Blood' viewers should be used to the show's disdain for convention by now -- the damn vampires can fly, for some reason -- but they still managed to shock people this season with some vampire sex that was somehow more perverted than usual. Remember Bill and Lorena? Let's just say the guy really turned her head.
-
11. 'The Simpsons' Mocks Fox News
It was far from the first time that the show had mocked Fox News, nor the first time this year that they've bit the hand that feeds them (remember the Banksy opening?) but this succinct visual gotcha seems to have scored a direct hit. Fox deleted the clip before running the episode online, but not before it was seen all over the web.
-
7. Lady Gaga / Elton John
It seemed like just the usual over-the-top Lady Gaga performance at the opening of the Grammys, but a hidden stage with dual pianos led to a stellar duet of "Speechless" with Elton John himself, both decked out in post-apocalyptic Gaga-wear. The two are planning a duet for the upcoming Disney film Gnomeo & Juliet, and we'll take more of them working together, any way we can get it.
-
9. 'Breaking Bad": I F T
Infidelity's never fun (never ever!), but its revelation at the end of this episode of Breaking Bad was devastating, not least because Skyler was so justified in her decision to sleep with her co-worker Ted. Brian Cranston' Walt had been lying to her for two seasons, after all. Still! No amount of Saul Rosenberg yukks could brighten this episode.
-
6. Don Draper...Proposes?!
The season four finale of "Mad Men" opened with a visual depiction of the love triangle between Don Draper, Dr. Faye Miller and his secretary Megan and by the end of the episode ("Tomorrowland") Don had shocked the audience by proposing to the 25-year-old phone answerer. Viewers soon divided into Team Megan, Team Faye and Team WTF?
-
8. 'Glee’s' Rocky Horror Picture Show
"Glee" is the campiest thing on television right now (Glenn Beck notwithstanding), so its Rocky Horror episode wasn't a major departure from the formula. But oh, how they sold it!
-
4. 'The Walking Dead' Premiere
From the get-go, "The Walking Dead" let you know it wasn't your standard sci-fi show: Sherriff Rick tries to help what seems to be an abandoned little girl. Whoops, she's a zombie, and he's got to dispatch her with his pistol. With that, 5.3 million viewers leaned forward in their seats and Tivo'd the season.
-
5. “I’mona Let You Finish” at the Oscars
Short documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams humbly stepped onstage to accept his Oscar for "Music by Prudence" when out of no where the project's estranged producer Elinor Burkett co-opted the mike for the sake of "the women." Williams was later invited to Larry King to finish his speech, but was, ironically, rushed for time and once again couldn't finish!
-
1. Conan O’Brien’s Sign Off
After an NBC exit interview conducted by Steve Carell, it was cathartic to see Conan, at Will Farrell's insistence, "strap on that axe" and join him, Ben Kweller, ZZ Top and Beck Hansen for a stellar performance of "Free Bird." Not long after that, he signed with TBS, and the rest as they say is history.
-
3. '30 Rock' Live Episode
Stellar additions like Alec Baldwin's magic tricks, Julia Louis Dreyfus' cameos as Liz in flash backs, and Tracy Morgan's welcome return to ruining live TV made the episode an event to remember. They even managed to squeeze in some Jon Hamm.
-
2. The End of 'Lost'
Okay so there were unanswered questions. What was with that giant foot statue? Why was Jacob's cabin surrounded by ash? And how on earth does that frozen wheel work? Then there were also about 5,000 other ones. But you had to have a heart made of stone not to be moved by the episode's emotional highpoints, like Kate and Jack's goodbye. Oh, and that final shot of the eye closing. Verklempt!
