Every fan of any series, the type who follows it with that sometimes frightening devotion, plays favorites with episodes. A fan of The West Wing could tell you that seasons 1-4 are easily better than the rest (when Aaron Sorkin was no longer running the game) and they could also tell you that some of the best episodes came out of the second and third seasons. A fan of Futurama could ramble off a list of the 5 best episodes - and these are universally agreed upon, for the most part - without blinking an eye. The point being, making "favorite episode" lists is the basic makeup of a TV fans hobby. It happens. There's no stopping it.
More rare however, is the insight as to the favorite episodes of a show's creator or its cast. You might be able to glean some of the information from an audio commentary, but for the most part it's not a subject that comes up with anyone but the most fan-loyal television makers (take Joss Whedon for example).
Thus, seeing what Kyra Sedgwick chooses as her top 15 episodes for The Closer, while a definite marketing ploy to sell some individual episodes on iTunes, also tells you a little something about how she thinks the show has progressed over the years.
For a full list, see below the jump...
You can download the top 15 episodes here. And here's the list:
1. The Series Pilot
2. Season 1: Episode 6: Fantasy Date
3. Season 2: Episode 3: Slippin'
4. Season 2: Episode 8: Critical Missing
5. Season 3: Episode 1: Homewrecker
6. Season 3: Episode 3: Saving Face
7. Season 3: Episode 4: Ruby
8. Season 3: Episode 8: Manhunt
9. Season 3: Episode 9: Blindsided
10. Season 4: Episode 3: Cherry Bomb
11: Season 4: Episode 7: Sudden Death
12: Season 4: Episode 9: Tijuana Brass
13: Season 5: Episode 7: Strike Three
14: Season 5: Episode 11: Maternal Instincts
15: Season 5: Episode 12: Waivers of Extradition
What's sorely missing from the list, however, is a little bit of explanation. Or any at all. Not only are the episodes listed in order of appearance by season instead of preference, but there's no explanation as to why she chose these episodes. However, you'll notice a definite concentration in episodes from the third season, so if you're going to take anything away from this list, it's that Kyra Sedgwick seems to think the third season was the best.
