FILM: The Breakout Stars of 2010

NOOMI RAPACE
Breakout Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Impact: Every year, Hollywood betters foreign relations by praising a foreign actor and inducting them into the American market. In 2007, it was the French actress Marion Cotillard, who shocked viewers with her spot-on impersonation in La Vie en Rose. In 2008, it was the British Indian Dev Patel, who repeatedly fought to be with the girl of his dreams in Slumdog Millionaire. In 2009, it was the Austrian Christoph Waltz, who managed to make a Nazi seem funny without mocking Hitler in Inglorious Basterds. And this year, it was the Swede Noomi Rapace, who successfully recreated one of the most infamous characters in popular contemporary literature. She's not only set the standard for the American actress Rooney Mara, who's been tapped to play the role in the American adaption of the series, but for future Swedes and foreign actors who hail from places most Hollywood actors don't.
Upcoming Films: She has a super secret role in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel; the vampire horror film The Last Voyage of Demeter with Ben Kingsley; and the Alien prequel.

ANDREW GARFIELD
Breakout Film: The Social Network
Impact: He's been a well-kept secret for a while now ever since the jarring British indie Boy A. It wasn't long before critics were applauding him for his work with Robert Redford in Lions for Lambs, Terry Gilliam in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and the indie adaptation Never Let Me Go. And it wasn't clear how much he was being watched and groomed until after David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's Social Network was released—until it was announced that he would be playing the webbed crusader in the Spider-Man reboot. That's not exactly where anyone thought his career was going. Indie after indie after indie and now a blockbuster franchise. Not to mention, he's British and not American. To purists, it was like hiring an American to play James Bond or a black guy to play Superman. But they're unaware of what Mr. Garfield is capable of. If you see only one film of his, watch Social Network. Watch as he goes from a supportive and protective best friend to a greedy, power-hungry, girl-crazy entrepreneur to an insulted and betrayed victim. While everyone else had dollar signs in their eyes and girls on the brain, he made it clear that his character had one message: I thought we were friends. And no matter the circumstance, that message was ever-present. Who better to play a superhero with burgeoning inner conflicts than a man who can illustrate them with just one look?
Upcoming Films: He's currently filming the new Spider-Man with Emma Stone.

JADEN SMITH
Breakout Film: The Karate Kid
Impact: There is only one non-white actor in Hollywood who can successfully sell a film in all markets and garner huge returns at the box office. You'd imagine that that would be a hard legacy for his children to live up to. You'd imagine that there's no way his kids could be as talented or blockbuster-worthy. You might even imagine that like the Spellings and the Kardashians, they'd just ride on the coattails of their dad's street cred and forgo having any actual talent. That is not the case—not even a little bit. If you rewatch the Karate Kid trilogy, you'll notice that even though Ralph Macchio was 20 at the time, his karate skills suck. And if you watch the remake, you'll notice that the karate skills and stunts done by 12-year-old Jaden DON'T. In fact, you actually believe that Jackie Chan trained him—because he did. That child spent an enormous amount of time building his muscles, stretching his body to the limits, and training with professional martial artists. He has put more effort into filming his first starring role than most actors do in their entire career. Hell, he even put Taylor Lautner to shame. Now studios know what kids are capable of. He's raised the bar tremendously. He's not just Will Smith's son anymore. He's Jaden.
Upcoming Films: He has nothing schedule as of yet, but there are rumblings that there will be a sequel to Karate Kid and he's still training.

CHLOE MORETZ
Breakout Films: Kick-Ass and Let Me In
Impact: Women are rarely given meaty roles. Young girls are even worse off. They're usually relegated to playing daughters—daughters who are kidnapped, daughters who have died, daughters who are bratty, daughters who are adorably annoying, daughters who are homicidal, etc. They're treated like templates that are inserted into a movie to drive the plot or to create a catalyst. It's rare that a role like a vengeance-seeking, gun-toting badass is given to anyone that isn't Angelina Jolie a 13-year-old—let alone a 13-year-old girl. And even more rare for that girl to be convincing. Watching a child spit out expletives, like "cunt sucker" and "motherfucker," and shoot a gun should be cringe-inducing. Yet you find yourself rooting her on and mentally planning your Halloween costume. Where does a 13-year-old go from here? Disney movies? Playing the daughter of a single-but-reluctantly-searching dad? Signing up for one of the hopelessly romantic teen adaptations? No, playing a lonely preteen vampire in an American remake, and viciously murdering defenseless neighbors. She may not have broke the mold when it comes to casting these young actresses, since that honor goes to Dakota Fanning, but she certainly reinvigorated it.
Upcoming Films: A comedy vignette in the vein of Love Actually called Movie 43 with several well-known actors, including Emma Stone, Kieran Culkin, and Kate Winslet; the crime thriller The Fields with Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan; the Martin Scorsese family mystery Hugo Cabret with Jude Law and Sacha Baron Cohen; the indie drama The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea with Jessica Biel and Zach Braff; the indie drama Hick with Kirsten Dunst; the ballet comedy Dance of the Mirlitons with Kirsten Bell and Jackie Earle Haley; and, of course, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall.

HAILEE STEINFELD
Breakout Film: True Grit
Impact: She's apart of a wave of young ladies who are finally getting meaty roles. Having impressed not only the Coens, but Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon at only the age of 14 is an impressive feat in and of itself, but to also forgo the Disney-intro into Hollywood for a shoot-'em-up Western just makes her seem fearless. Watch out Chloe Moretz. You've got yourself some competition.
Upcoming Films: Nothing yet, but I'm sure she's fielding offers like a grade-A juggler.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 
Breakout Film: The Social Network
Impact: If you told a Hollywood exec ten years ago that a Mickey Mouse club alum would one day costar in one of the most pop culture-approved movies in biographical film history, he would've laughed in your face. The key to success in Hollywood is constant reinvention—most importantly to evolve and not devolve, to move into a better project or profession, not lower yourself. Timberlake has found that path and isn't treading it lightly. It's rare for singers-turned-actors to act well, and even more rare for such actors to be male. He went from bringing sexy back to playing the dude who once facilitated the robbery of his music. Now that's called progress.
Upcoming Films: The comedy Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel; the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits with Mila Kunis; and the sci-fi thriller Now with Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, and Olivia Wilde.

MIA WASIKOWSKA
Breakout Films: The Kids Are All Right and Alice in Wonderland
Impact: It's been obvious over the last decade or so that the Aussies are the new Brits, and Masikowska is currently benefiting from the new wave of imports. She has a delicate way about her, like a Brit, an exotic look, like a Russian, and an air of curiosity that projects the innocence of a teenage girl despite the fact that she's already 20. This year, she proved that she could pull off fantasy, period pieces, and contemporary indies, adapting effortlessly. She's more of a chameleon than any actress her age, which is a feat that only male actors and older actresses have mastered to date.
Upcoming Films: The adaptation Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench, and Jamie Bell; the dark romantic drama Restless with the late Dennis Hopper's son Henry; and the Glenn Close-written drama Albert Nobbs with Aaron Johnson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE
Breakout Film: Winter's Bone
Impact: I did not watch this film, BUT I can assure you that last year when Lawrence was playing Bill Engvall's mischievous teenage daughter on his self-titled TBS's family comedy, she did not expect to one day be singled out for her starring role in a dramatic indie. She was an unexpected addition to the new young Hollywood. While everyone was gushing over Emma Stone, she snuck in through the back door.
Upcoming Films: The romantic drama Like Crazy with Anton Yelchin; Jodie Foster's indie dramedy The Beaver with Mel Gibson; the prequel X-Men: First Class playing the young Mystique; the horror flick House at the End of the Street with Max Thieriot; and the dramatic indie Truckstop with Jackson Rathbone and Melissa Leo.

JONAH HILL
Breakout Films: Get Him to the Greek and Cyrus
Impact: You know that fat guy who makes self-deprecating jokes and/or acts as the comic relief in a rom-com or plays a sidekick who wishes to live vicariously through the leading man? What was his name again? Seth Rogen? Danny McBride? Dan Fogler? Josh Gad? Oh yeah!! Jonah Hill!!! They're easily interchangeable. The trick, in Hollywood, is to make yourself indispensable—to introduce a game-changer. Having graduated from the school of Apatow, acing the course "How to turn your weed addiction into a profitable Hollywood career," he's not only managed to prove he can bring a different kind of funny with Cyrus, but that he has larger ambitions, by taking on the task of writing and producing the adaptation of 21 Jump Street.
Upcoming Films: The baseball drama Moneyball with Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman; the family comedy The Sitter with Sam Rockwell and Ari Graynor; and the adaptation 21 Jump Street with Channing Tatum and Juno Temple.

JAY BARUCHEL
Breakout Films: She's Out of My League, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Impact: Of all the actors who appeared in Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up, one of the least likely to become a leading man was Jay Baruchel. Fortunately, he popped up onto the scene at the same time that audiences were beginning to warm to the idea of a clutzy, scraggily anti-hero due to Shia Labeouf's success with Transformers. So while Labeouf teams up with Gordon Gecko to conquer Wall Street and Jesse Eisenberg invents a communication platform for a generation of narcissists, the roles of the meek, jilted TSA agent who manages to bag the hottest traveler he's ever seen, the scrawny Viking who does the unthinkable and befriends a "vicious" dragon, and the science geek who unleashes an evil sorcerer and must learn magic to defeat him are left up for grabs. Sure, the rom-com bombed and the fantasy flick was critically mocked (mainly because of Nicholas Cage's hair), but he now has an animated franchise to fall back on after every indie dud.
Upcoming Films: The hockey comedy Goon with Liev Schreiber and Sean William Scott.

GEMMA ARTERTON
Breakout Films: Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia, and Tamara Drewe
Impact: Rarely are British actresses introduced as smoking hot. Proper? Yes. Refined? Yes. Scrawny? Almost always. But sultry and seductive? Rarely, if ever, and sometimes only after a few films. Arterton's first big role, however, was as a sex object—a Bond girl no less. And it would seem that every role that followed echoed the last's belief that she was a walking, talking, full-figured inferno.
Upcoming Films: She just got married, so I imagine she's a little busy.

FILM: The Actors with a Bad-Year Report Card for 2010

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FILM: The Top 10 Performances of 2010

Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Getting into the mind of such a well-known and openly-hated person like Mark Zuckerberg can be considered difficult...especially since it's not like he let Eisenberg shadow him. But through depositions, interviews, and the news, he managed to cobble together a likeness of the guy who entranced millions of people with the prospect of talking to their friends and getting to know strangers through a different medium. He put his bumbling, insecure dork routine aside for a second, and slipped into a role that called for a more calculated and obsessive persona, possessed by the desire to be respected, worshiped, and, ironically, forgiven. He had the difficult task of not just painting Zuckerberg as this backstabbing, friendless, sharp-tongued plagiarist, but also as a brokenhearted, misguided ingenue. He couldn't just be the villain with scathing put-downs and juvenile comebacks. He also had to be the victim. The only way the film would be fair is if everyone saw both sides of the argument, and hearing both sides of the deposition wasn't the key. The key was to also show that Zuckerberg was human, and that he admitted his mistakes, acknowledged his acts of betrayal, and regretted them wholeheartedly. Without Eisenberg's reflection of that during those tense and silent scenes, Zuckerberg's story would've been incomplete.

Emma Stone in Easy A
I'm going to be honest with you: Easy A was just an okay film. Funny enough for a teen comedy, but not exactly ground-breaking. What was impressive, though, was Emma Stone's ability to ooze such a strong personality, complete with impeccable comic timing and strong feminist ideals, a rarity at such a young age. Most comedic actresses don't come into their own until they're old enough to write their own scripts or to be taken seriously as more than a sex object, especially if they're fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to even be considered a sex object. But Stone has been consistently bringing the funny film-after-film, forgoing vanity to get a laugh, and Easy A was the climax of all of her hard work.

Logan Lerman in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Banking on the success of Percy Jackson, Lerman was hoping to parlay his first major role into an audition for one of the biggest franchises in the industry: Spider-man. Unfortunately, he prematurely celebrated before they surprisingly crowned the Brit Andrew Garfield the heir to the web-adorned throne. But the whole year wasn't a wash. While Greek mythology isn't exactly what the kids are into these days, Lerman did prove that he had just the right amount of charisma to carry a film, perfect comic timing, despite the juvenile material, and athletic ability minus the action star body. Taylor Lautner may aspire to become the next Tom Cruise, but it's Lerman that projects the same mischievous grin and rebellious flare in his eyes that Cruise did back in his Top Gun days.

Michael Cera in Youth in Revolt
I know most people find Cera to be as repetitive as a cuckoo clock, but like Jesse Eisenberg, this was his year of reinvention. Had he scored such a buzzed-about film and topic as The Social Network and Facebook, then his life would have changed too. But he didn't because his settings for evolution were the critically-pandered Youth in Revolt and the cult-indie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Hear me out before you cite how immature YIR was and how similar his SPTW character was to his previous personas. Sure, in both films he plays a nerd/geek/dork/loser who falls for a girl who is totally out of his league and he somehow manages to get the girl anyway. But in YIR, he also plays a villain of sorts—an alter ego with a knack for mischief, ranging from arson to seduction. Did you ever think that Cera would one day seduce a woman convincingly? Then in SPTW he fulfilled every pale gawdy teen's dream fantasy and became a comic book action star, complete with stunts and K-Os. Again, did you ever picture Cera knocking someone out successfully without running away screaming like a girl afterwards? That's called progress.

Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love
I haven't seen many Javier Bardem films. Actually, I've only seen one, No Country for Old Men, where he played Chigurh, the relentless assassin. That means that I've never seen him be romantic or vulnerable. Perhaps he was in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Love in the Time of Cholera, but I've never seen nor intend to see those films. When I signed on for Eat Pray Love, I thought I was going to witness the rebirth of Julia Roberts, but instead I was amazed by how much more emotion he showed. I honestly don't think Roberts is capable of emotion anymore—she's fallen flat many times since her return—like the paparazzi have annoyed her to the point of introversion and robotic acting, like she refuses to give anymore of herself to the Hollywood machine. Not even fake tears. Bardem, however, was a ball of emotion, torn apart by his divorce, the distance of his son, and the rapture that engulfed him when he first crashed into her. I can assure you, if you watch NCFOM and EPL back-to-back, it would be like night-and-day.

Keir Gilchrist in It's Kind of a Funny Story
I love Keir Gilchrist. His incredibly believable portrayal of a closeted preppy gay teen on Showtime's "United States of Tara" is my favorite part of the series. Even though I'm not a gay teenage boy, I could relate to his outsider persona and feelings of unrequited love. So I was eager to see him in his first major starring role and eager to see if he could suck me into the film with this character as he did with the other. The film itself tried a little too hard to be relevant. As a coming of age story, it was a little too tidy at the end for such a serious topic as attempted suicide. But Gilchrist did the best he could with the material that he had and showed signs of a Paul Rudd-like appeal, the lovably awkward boy-next-door who was cool in his own right.

Emily Blunt in Wild Target
A majority of Blunt's roles have been hostile Brits, dainty Brits, or misunderstood Americans. She has managed to skate past the entire rom-com career path that other starlets have adopted to succeed. And even once she did give into the genre with this British indie caper, she didn't go the traditional route of falling for the young bad boy/fixer-up, but instead for an older mama's boy. Blunt doesn't look like your average leading lady and, therefore, doesn't go for your average roles. It was great to see her be rebellious and seductive, and still be a Brit—sort of saying Brits can have fun too...this one in particular.

Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek
Most people know Russell Brand as the sexaholic that was tamed by the voluptuous, pop-singing, bombshell Katy Perry. And, if you're familiar with his acting, you probably think he's a perpetually high/drunk, spirituality-spouting, seductive hippie rockstar. He's a walking, talking joke. Just looking at his frizzy, unkempt hair and hearing his thick British accent makes him seem like a gothic clown. And you would expect that he'd continue—as most comedians do—playing the same character over and over in every comedy. But Get Him to the Greek, despite his character's rockstar status, was a departure from his normal roles. Aldous Snow may have funny lyrics in his songs and a ridiculous lifestyle, but he spent a majority of the film seriously rethinking his life choices and making his first real friend. It was a taste of what he's capable of, and this role was a perfect mix of the two to do so.

James Marsden in Death at a Funeral
He's one of those guys who's always in a ton of movies but has never quite made it as a leading man. He's like Michael Angarano. Who? Exactly! If it were not for the popularity of Enchanted and his 90s career, no one would even know his name. But it's clear that some studio exec took notice of how well he does physical comedy and how willing he is to be the butt of everyone's jokes. I'll admit, when I first heard they were unnecessarily remaking the British dark comedy Death at a Funeral, I was a little skeptical. I was even more skeptical when I saw that Marsden was playing one of the two token white guys in the film, especially since the role was pretty hilarious the first time around. But there was no need to worry. He nailed it. He was the best part of the whole movie—the only part that outdid the original.  

Clark Duke in Kick-Ass
If you've seen "Greek," then you know Clark Duke has the uber dork persona down. But after three years of watching Duke in the role and then seeing him play the shit-talking smart ass in Sex Drive, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Kick-Ass, I think he nearly missed his calling. He's really good at sardonic humor. Chiding his friends and kicking them when they're down seems to almost come naturally. Kick-Ass is the best and most-viewed example of this. Even though he only had a handful of lines, he had the audience's arrested attention every time he spoke them.

FILM: Best Film Posters of 2010

Here are my favorite movie posters of the year. They say more than just the title. They almost tell the story.

TV: Best New TV Shows of 2010

Of the new shows that survived the season, here are the best in each genre:

Best New Drama Series: "Boardwalk Empire"
Period pieces are a hard sell to broad audiences. It has to be the right period with the right content. "Tudors" has it easy because of all the sex, "Merlin" because of all the cool magic, and "Spartacus" because of the buckets of fake blood it went through each week. Trying to sell the Prohibition Era is a little bit harder. Unless of course you're Martin Scorsese and mobsters, Al Capone included, are involved, then it's nearly a piece of cake. After those two ingredients, you just need to throw in some double-crossing dames, gather several factions of money-grubbing schemers, add a student-becomes-the-master theme, stir in a corrupted, justice-seeking lawman, sprinkle in a few hundred bullets, and top it all off with a one-eyed, gurgling sniper, and you've got yourself a crime drama worth sitting still for 60 minutes. Some might say that it could've done well no matter who was cast. But I truly do believe that without the conflicted brow of Steve Buscemi, the self-righteous glare of Michael Shannon, the consistent inner tumoil within Michael Pitt, the innocent obedience of Jack Huston, and the pitbull bravado of Stephen Graham, the series just wouldn't be the same.

Best New Conspiracy Series: "The Event"
In the absence of "Lost," many networks have tried to fill the void that was the intricately mysterious sci-fi enigma. AMC failed with the quickly canceled "Rubicon" and Syfy managed decent ratings with the "X-Files"-esque "Haven," but NBC was the channel that got it right with "The Event." Not only did it have good pacing, revealing just enough each week to make us tune back in, but also an intriguing plot with multiple storylines that all lead to one huge mystery. We may not know what the main event is just yet, but learning that the aliens have the proverbial Fountain of Youth and that humans are willing to kidnap little girls and experiment on them to find it, is enough to assuage viewers who may be getting antsy. The series also boasts a stellar cast and characters, something I think ABC's "FlashForward" was missing. Jason Ritter plays the tireless hero trying to save his girlfriend, Laura Innes plays the leader of the alien colony, both compassionate and deadly, and Hal Holbrook, who despite his age, manages to be the creepiest and most sadistic villain ruled by vanity and ego. Hopefully, the series can keep up the consistent surprises and suspense, and the event isn't a total disappointment.

Best New Cop Series: "Rookie Blue"
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy watching McGarrett screw with Dano on "Hawaii Five-O," Raylan Givens lay down the law on "Justified," Jim Longworth toy with perps before nailing them on "The Glades," and I even thought the season finale of "Rizzoli & Isles" was worth tuning in for, but the best new cop series didn't even have detectives at the forefront. It turns out rookies, fresh out of training camp, eager to please, learn, and get their hands dirty, can provide the most interesting content. Sure, it's fun to watch the detectives cockily get everything right, but it's almost just as entertaining to watch newbies fumble a few times and learn lessons along the way. The series also has a great handle on balancing romance and dramatic criminal cases. They don't only get the bad guys but fall for the wrong ones. Missy Peregrym has finally found a role that allows her to be both emotionally vulnerable and blindly courageous. And we're lucky enough to have been introduced to the reluctant hero Ben Bass and the dreamy authoritarian Noam Jenkins.

Best New Action Series: "Nikita"
"Undercovers" has already been canceled, "No Ordinary Family" is trying desperately to pick up where "Heroes" left off, and "Covert Affairs" must've bribed someone to get that Golden Globes nomination, because the most consistently entertaining, dramatic, and clever action series that debuted this year was actually a remake. That's impressive in and of itself. Two relatively unknown actresses, Maggie Q and Lyndsy Fonseca, managed to successfully revive a beloved cult classic, presenting a solid revenge plot fueled by love, convincing us that they can kick ass, and going up against formidable enemies. My only gripe is that I would've preferred them being on USA or TNT, so that the teeny boppers who frequent The CW sporadically when they're not surfing the net wouldn't tank them in the ratings. Now the producers are promising more romance and less sad storylines. That sounds very foreboding. Generally when teenagers are kidnapped and forced to kill people...it's sad. Lord knows what they'll mutate the story into now, but at least they had a good solid 11 episodes of genuine emotion and unrelenting sisterhood.

Best New Comedy Series: "Raising Hope"
This season has produced several comedies. Some of them are one-note, but quite funny (Mike & Molly and Outsourced); others are still finding their footing and audience (Running Wilde and Better With You); and one in particular I find absolutely no humor in (Bleep My Dad Says), despite it's stellar ratings. "Raising Hope," however, is the one new comedy that sets itself apart. I'm surprised ABC didn't think of it. It reminds me of "The Middle"—blue collar people with blue collar problems and a very dysfunctional family that loves each other no matter what. The series doesn't try to knock poor people either. It's not "Married with Children," where the mother and daughter are skanks, the son's an idiot, and the father hates them all openly. The mother is doting and overbearing and the father sacrifices and mentors. They're basically responsible adults...who were never taught how to be responsible, so they make up their own rules in a noble effort to do right. Some might even liken it to a mixture of "Roseanne" and "Malcolm in the Middle," complete with an insane grandmother and a spunky kid. The cast really elevates the series as well. It's really hard to sell "a caring teen mom who hoards appliances in her shed and uses a baby to get into the church's Nativity scene," or "a pool-cleaning father who frightens his son every Halloween in order to get his annual hug and brings his baby to a rock star audition," or "a grandmother who mistakes her grandson for her deceased husband and frequently runs outside topless," or even "a teenage boy who sleeps with a girl he just met, who turns out to be a serial killer." They're a bit of a hard sell. But Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Cloris Leachman, and newcomer Lucas Neff do a great job of balancing the humor with the heart, and delivering deadpan lines like they're as solid as scripture. They may not be a modern family, but they're more realistic than most.

Best New Teen Series: "Pretty Little Liars"
The topic of "Hellcats" is so past its prime that the star of the last popular cheerleading film, Kirsten Dunst, is now making a comeback. And "Glory Daze" is so obviously a "Greek" knock-off, poorly constructed might I add, that it's almost embarrassing. The best new teen series was actually created by the new teen network, ABC Family—eat your heart out CW. They adapted a teen mystery novel, taking the vapid bobbleheads of Mean Girls and plopping them in the middle of a "Veronica Mars"-type scandalous mystery. Each week they reveal clues as to who their taunter might be. Viewers distrust everyone, especially newcomers, compiling suspect lists, complete with motives. And in the midst of this whodunit tale, these girls battle the pressure to produce all-As, closeted bisexuality, falling in love with the wrong guy, impending poverty, high school hierarchy, backstabbing best friends, vindictive older sisters, and, their worst enemy of all, insecurity.

TV: Best TV Episodes of Fall 2010

Sometimes a TV series doesn't have the best season or isn't even the best show, but it is fortunate enough to have a few good episodes, worth a second and fourth look. Here are the scenes that make them the best:


"30 Rock"

- Gentleman's Intermission: Jack runs baby names by Liz and proceeds to infer what the girl will be like when she grows up if given a certain name. Claire: gay. Jacqueline: "a little Jack, but with boobs." Daphne Donaghy: Dorky. Kylie: a girl who strips her way through community college. And the best: Christina: she'd be nicknamed Tina, a name notoriously given to judgmental bitches. Oh yeah Tina Fey? Really?
"90210"
- 2021 Vision: Naomi accidentally overdoses on sleeping pills, Silver nearly gets date-raped by Mr. Cameron, and Teddy sleeps with a guy, revealing that he's gay. It was a major climax in the storylines of two seemingly vapid characters.
- How Much is that Liam in the Window: Jen finds out that Naomi was raped and, in a rare moment of selflessness, apologizes for not being there for her.
- I See London, I See France...: Oscar inadvertently helps Naomi uncover who Mr. Cannon really is, but when the police go to retrieve him, he's nowhere to be found. It's the beginning of a relationship between two people who are kind of perfect for each other, and a cliffhanger that keeps viewers on edge until he returns.
- Holiday Madness: Adrianna's songwriting secret is revealed to the press, Annie sleeps with Liam after he's brutally beaten, Ivy realizes her estranged father only reconnected with her to get out of paying for her college education, Dixon catches Teddy kissing Ian, Navid and Silver admit that they have feelings for each other, and Mr. Cannon lies in wait for Naomi as she returns home. It was a jam-packed mid-season finale and the cliffhanger was the cherry on top of a scandalous sundae.
"Boardwalk Empire"
- Nights in Ballygran: Jimmy's once-optimistic prostitute Pearl commits suicide after Sheridan's men scar her for life. She seemed like she could give Jimmy the hope that he was so desperately in need of, and once she died, he seemed drained of any further compassion. It was what officially led him to be the gangster he would soon become.
- Family Limitations: Jimmy, Joe Torrio, and Capone double cross Sheridan and his men after pretending to bury the hatchet during a secret meet-up. It was unexpected, but very much appreciated. And it was the first time Torrio looked at Jimmy as more than just Capone's right hand man. He planned it and suggested it, and that turned him into an asset.

- Home: There is only one member of Sheridan's crew that is still alive and Jimmy manages to find him at a diner. He pretends to forgive him and then moments later Harrow, the veteran with half a face, takes him out with a rifle across the street. Aside from the awesome take-down, it was the first time we meet Harrow and we're shown another type of broken soldier. Some are broken on the inside, like Jimmy, and some are broken on the outside, like Harrow. They're inclined to be compassionate, but they no longer feel like they have a place within society and instead resolve to destroy it.
- A Return to Normalcy: Jimmy, Capone, and Harrow take out the D'Alessio brothers in the best mobster shoot 'em up montage since...The Godfather? Also, Van Alden deals with the aftermath of having murdered his corrupt partner and learns that Lucy is pregnant with his baby. No matter how many times he tries to cleanse his soul of sin, he always seems to miss a spot. 
"Bones"
- The Doctor in the Photo: Brennan starts to hallucinate as she over-identifies with a deceased doctor, who she believes shares many characteristics with her. The less she sleeps the more she relates and the more she begins to regret her life choices. In the end, she confesses to Booth that she wishes she had chosen him, and he clarifies that Hannah isn't a consolation prize and that he loves her. It was a bit overacted by Deschanel and out of left field, but I'm sadistically glad she got shut down. After all, that's what happens to faulty robots. 
"Bored to Death"
- Escape From the Castle!: There have been many bizarro cases for the idiot detective, but this one took the cake. He was asked to help an Asian tranny escape his/her's strict family so he/she could be with his/her lover. It was unclear as to whether the virgin, old dude knew his guy/girl was in fact a transvestite, but all the shenanigans they went through to rescue her were extremely entertaining, so it didn't matter.

"Chuck"

- Chuck Versus Phase Three: Ever since Chuck and Sarah got together, she's been kind of soft. This was the return of the feisty Sarah. She kicked major ass in order to get Chuck back. She reminded me of Sonya in Mortal Kombat.
"The Closer"
- Help Wanted: A law enforcement agent rapes and murders nannies, threatening them with deportation to make them comply. In the end, the man takes Brenda hostage, causing Fritz to use a rifle to take him out. Meanwhile, Detective Sanchez unofficially adopts the murderer's son unbeknownst to the rest of the team. It was a great episode for showing us how devoted Fritz is to her, despite the fact that he barely spends any time with her, and for showing what a true softie Detective Sanchez really is.
- Heart Attack: A local free clinic doctor is killing gang members and harvesting their organs for little kids who are dying. Brenda has to choose between saving the gang-banging rapist or let a little girl die. It was one of those satisfying moments where you got to see a criminal get what they deserve.

"Community"

- Epidemiology: It was one of their infamous homage/genre/pop-culture-references-filled episodes where they re-appropriate their plot and characters to fit the structure of a popular film or TV show. In this one, their Halloween episode, they did an homage to zombie movies, complete with fake zombies and melodramatic acting. They managed to fit an entire movie into less than 30 minutes. Extra points for Abed's Alien costume, which seemed believably DIY and yet totally authentic.

- Aerodynamics of Gender: As another homage episode, the cast recreates the drama in Mean Girls with Abed as the Queen B. It was inspired. They could've easily had one of the girls do it, but Abed, being the king of observation, was definitely the perfect choice.

- Conspiracies Theories and Interior Design: Troy and Abed build a fort in their dorm room, using sheets, pillows, and chairs. The fort starts to spread all over the dorm, creating an underground community with subsections for every club and culture. That would definitely be a college brochure selling point.
"Eureka"
- I'll Be Seeing You: Zane finally realizes that Jo is in love with him and that they once had a life together in an alternate time period. It's about time! It was excruciating watching him ignore her. He kisses her at the end and sort of reciprocates the affection, but then Zoe comes in and takes him away. It makes your heart drop, but gives you hope.

"The Event"

- For the Good of Our Country: This is the episode we discover what the evil head honcho Mr. Dempsey is really after. In the last scene, he takes some type of medication that makes his facial features younger, which would imply that what he's after is the "Fountain of Youth." Still no clue as to what The Event is, but that was a big reveal.

- Your World to Take: Sophia decides to deal with the traitors in her organization, especially Isabel, who's been manipulating her son. Cornering Isabel near a lake, she makes her an offer: she can either be shunned by their people and made an outsider, or she can shoot herself in the knee. For such a soft-spoken woman, she certainly rules with an iron fist.

"Fringe"

- Amber 31422: This was one of the coolest cases they had. It involved the amber statues and frozen landscapes that are all over the alternate universe. The Ashmore twins guest-starred for a double-crossing twist and a heartwarming plot.

- Entrada: Peter finally learns that FauxLivia isn't the real Olivia, and Olivia figures out a way to get back. I'm rooting for them, but I just can't help but hate Peter for not realizing it sooner...like before he slept with her multiple times.

"Glee"

- Audition: Rachel meets her match in the form of an exchange student named Sunshine, played by Oprah-discovered, Filipino singer Charice. I love when they bring talented guest stars to add to the already amazing vocals of the cast.

- Brittney/Brittany: Brittany finally gets to show off her dance moves and her rockin' bod. Sometimes pushing a supporting character into the forefront can fall flat, but Brittany just gets better with every episode.

- Never Been Kissed: We get to meet The Warblers who did an incredible rendition of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" that melted Kurt's little gay heart, and we witness his first kiss, which is unfortunately with his tormentor Karofsky, who is still in the closet. It was both a coming of age story and an important PSA against bullying.

- The Substitute: Gwyneth Paltrow did a bang-up job filling in for Will as the glee coach. Her rendition of Cee-Lo's "Forget You" was not only surprisingly good, but impressively performed. Never in a million years did anyone think Paltrow had rhythm, let alone flavor. And, as an extra note, it is very much appreciated that she didn't spend the entire episode promoting her upcoming country singing movie. That would've been painful.

- A Very Glee Christmas: Brittany reveals that she still believes in Santa, to everyone's shock, especially her new boyfriend Artie. Hoping to let her down easy, Artie has the brilliant idea to take her to see Santa. Of course, it backfires when she asks him to give Artie the ability to walk. The gleeks get Coach Beist to dress up as Santa and break the news to her. Then the next day Artie discovers a machine underneath the tree that helps him walk. Of all the times that this show has made me cry, this moment hit me the hardest.

"Good Wife"

- Poisoned Pill: Alicia thinks she wins a big case against a grandstanding lawyer played by Michael J. Fox, but it turns out she settled for a lot less than she could've gotten. She learns an important lesson: Sometimes a victory only seems like a victory on the surface.

- On Tap: While going through government phone taps, Alicia accidentally overhears one of Will's phone conversations, where he alludes to two voice mails he left her. She rushes out of the room to search through her phone and listen to it and realizes how he feels about her. Of course, he's already moved on, so she's screwed. But at least we know she's open to the idea of being with him.
"Gossip Girl"
- Belles de Jour: I like how it was like a Parisian love story slash mystery. For a teen series, they really step it up.
- War at the Roses: Chuck and Blair hilariously negotiate the terms of their separation, complete with representatives, and then chuck it all to have "meaningless" sex with each other.
- The Witches of Bushwick: Vanessa, Juliet, and Jenny mastermind a doppleganger plot that successfully allows Juliet to kidnap and drug Serena. It was ridiculous, because none of them look like her, but Juliet managed to outsmart even her own conspirators, proving once again that Vanessa and Lil J truly suck at plotting.
- The Townie: Dan and Blair go on a road trip together—I love when they get pushed together—and discover not only that Serena made Damien into the man that he is, but also that her first love was her English teacher, who her mother unlawfully sent to prison. Then at the end of the episode, we get the feeling that Dan and Blair will spend the holiday break together...possibly softening to each other. Bring it.
"Grey's Anatomy"
- These Arms of Mine: The episode was documentary-style and surprisingly very well-executed. I thought it would be boring or contrived, but it was the perfect way to show us how tense the environment was and witness how broken they had become.
- Something's Gotta Give: Alex tries to sleep with April and when she asks for him to slow down, he yells at her, sending her into Avery's arms and causing him to punch Alex in the face. It turns out Alex was just looking for a distraction after learning that his little brother had to be committed for trying to murder his little sister. I feel like whenever Alex isn't around them, he's appearing on "Jerry Springer." His life is so not normal outside of Seattle Grace, so it's hard to hate him whenever he acts like a douchebag.
- Slow Night, So Long: Lexie tries to help Avery through his trauma, and even though he refuses her help, he uses the case of another patient to say in a roundabout way that his best friend died and he feels guilty that he got to live. I was disappointed after they returned that he and Christina weren't closer, since he was the one who gave her the confidence to do the surgery-at-gunpoint, so I was glad that Jesse Williams finally got to do something besides be attractive.
"Haven"
- As You Were: This episode was like Agatha Christie's And Then There Was None, guests getting picked off one by one. It's also the episode where Nathan reveals that he can feel Audrey's touch. That's epic. If only we all had a way to find our soulmate so absolutely.
- Spiral: Audrey figures out the mystery surrounding an old newspaper clipping photo of a woman who looks just like her and it turns out that it is her, which means that she is also apart of The Troubles. dum-Dum-DUUUMMM!
"How I Met Your Mother" 

- Natural History: Barney discovers his biological father's identity and Ted uncharacteristically shows Zoey that she has more confidence in her than her own husband. It was a rare dramatic moment for the series that was done very well.

- Subway Wars: They run through all of the peculiar things that make a person a New Yorker, and as a New Yorker, it's pretty funny that it's all true.

- Blitzgiving: We learn about the concept of the Blitz, a running joke about a person who is cursed to never be around when awesome things happen on a wild and crazy night. I love when they make up things and try to make it apart of pop culture.
"Mad Men"
- Waldorf Stories: The new art director Stan Rizzo refuses to cooperate with Peggy, so they hold up in a hotel room in order to get a campaign done, and she dares him to strip down to see if he's really immune to nudity. It was Peggy at her most daring in a time when women weren't allowed to be.

- The Suitcase: Don forces Peggy to stay at work on her birthday to work on the Samsonite campaign. It was like The Breakfast Club. They argued. They reconciled. They drank. They commiserated. Don tells her about Anna's death, Peggy got dumped by her uber patient and docile boyfriend, and Duck drops by and drunkenly fights Don.
- Hands and Knees: Lane tries to get his dad to accept his girlfriend, and his dad had a different plan...when he caned him and told him to get his shit together.

"The Mentalist"

- Red Moon: A serial killer's final words, "Tiger, Tiger," are a haunting message sent by Red John that alludes to William Blake's poem "The Tiger," in which the tiger represents the Devil. Just when you think a case is just your average bag-em-and-tag-em, one of Red John's followers shows themself.
"Modern Family"

- Strangers on a Treadmill: First of all, the title is hilarious because it alludes to the Hitchock film Strangers on a Train, which is about two dudes who agree to kill someone for each other, which is technically what Mitchell and Claire plotted to do. Mitchell had to get Phil to not make an embarrassingly unfunny speech at his realtors' banquet and Claire had to get Cameron to stop wearing incredibly tight bike shorts. Cue the awkward subliminal messages. Meanwhile, Gloria challenges Jay who swears he doesn't stereotype, causing him to spend an entire evening pretending he knows people at a wedding when he's actually supposed to be at a quinceanera. Somewhere in there the "father" kissing the "daughter" on the mouth became a red flag. They really take awkwardness to a new level on this show.

- Unplugged: This episode was awesome because Claire dared everyone to see who couldn't use technology the longest and somehow some way, Haley outsmarts them all, pretending a bar of carved soap is her phone to get them to cave. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron teach us about the preschool hierarchy system and how racist and un-PC it truly is.

- Halloween: Mitchell gets stuck in a Spiderman costume at work and Gloria tries to curb her accent so people will stop mocking her, somehow managing to make her accent worse.

- Dance Dance Revelation: Cam and Mitchell realize that Lily is a biter, and proceed to say and do hilarious things that make her seem like Hannibal Lecter.
"Nikita"
- Resistance: Nikita learns that the man whose life she saved, Owen, is also the Division cleaner that murdered her fiance, forcing her to decide if she'd do to him what she always said she would. Meanwhile, Alex gets put to the test, pretend-kidnapped and interrogated to see if she would crack under pressure. In the process, she murders a trainee and escapes, making the Division higher-ups see her in a new light.
- The Recruit: This was kind of tough to watch. Division promises prestigious positions in the company, but those who can't cut it as field agents are forced to become guards within the facility. One recruit in particular can't take the idea that he'll never amount to anything, and goes on a shooting spree within the compound. After he is restrained, the head honcho doesn't execute him, but promotes him to Cleaner, and so we are shown in one episode an example of how one becomes a willing member of Division.
- All the Way: Nikita gets captured and Alex works diligently to get her out while not compromising her cover. Unfortunately, Thom gets caught in the crossfire and dies, giving her the opportunity to frame him as the mole and stay on to take down Division for not only her parents, but him too.

"No Ordinary Family"

- No Ordinary Sidekick: Here Daphne learns once and for all that Katie's new boyfriend not only has powers but is desperate to keep them and will do anything to do so. He pushes himself into the house and wipes Daphne's memory so far back that she doesn't even remember that they went on the trip and got their powers. It shows just how powerful and desperate their enemy is. He really is the most interesting part of the series.

"The Office"

- Counseling: Michael beat his teenage nephew in front of the entire office in order to reprimand him for his poor work ethic. As a result, corporate considered this assault and forced him to have mandatory therapy with his HR rep Toby. Michael, being Michael, refused to cooperate, but Toby somehow managed to trick him into talking about his stress and anger issues, and they bond over mocking Gabe. Meanwhile, Pam finally admits that she's a horrible saleswoman and ingeniously figured out how to get a non-commission related position that's simliar to her secretary job, but pays more: office manager. 

- Costume Contest: Jim spends the entire episode refusing to put on an embarrassing Popeye costume to match Pam's Olive Oil costume, until Danny (Timothy Olyphant) reveals that he never called her back after their date because she was too dorky. Giving into her costume request and helping her find out the truth with minimal jealousy makes him the best husband ever.

- Viewing Party: Gabe throws a "Glee"-viewing party at his apartment and Michael does his best to ruin it, including shutting down the power. Erin becomes furious and implies that his opinion of who she dates means a lot to her because he's like a dad to her. Any insight into why Erin is so weird is always appreciated.

- China: Dwight is abusing his building manager status and making the lives of his coworkers miserable. As office manager, it's Pam's job to negotiate with him, but she keeps failing. She breaks down in the staircase as she suddenly realizes that she's a failure at every profession she aims for. Overhearing everything, Dwight sets out to help her regain her confidence, by getting his assistant to slip her building regulations that overpower his authority. Dwight can be so sweet sometimes, especially to his secret bffs Jim and Pam.

- Classy Christmas: Jim unwittingly initiates a snowball fight war with Dwight, not realizing to what lengths Dwight would go to win this time. The best of all the terrifying attack scenes was at the end when Dwight stationed at least 20 snowmen outside of the office, so when Jim left he had no clue which one he was hiding in. I know that's sick, but Jim is sort of overdue for payback.

"Outsourced"

- The Measure of Manmeet: Todd discovered that even though Manmeet spends a lot of time on the phone, he's not actually selling any of the company's products. He's flirting with women from all over the U.S., and conducting several long-distance relationships with them. In order to keep his job, he has to spend all night breaking up with these women, so that he can get his sales up. Todd gets the brilliant idea to soothe these women by selling them a Manmeet replacement, like objects with recordings of his voice. It's the most adorable and hilarious montage of breakups.

"Parenthood"
- Orange Alert: Max takes a big step and conquers his fear of fire so he can go inside of a haunted house just like the other kids. If you watch the show, you kind of become his cheerleader.
"Pretty Little Liars"
- There's No Place Like Homecoming: This series is incredibly good at suspense and the cliffhanger of Toby attacking Emily really kept you at the edge of your couch.
- Keep Your Friends Close: The girls go to a Glamp birthday party, and when Hanna figures out who A is, she gets hit by a car. It's just the greatest culmination to a teen whodunit.

"Raising Hope"

- Happy Halloween: I really can't think of one comedy that has ever managed to make Halloween a heartwarming holiday, but this one did. Every year Jimmy would be terrified to go out for Halloween because a creepy man would jump out and scare him as he was walking through his neighborhood. And every year he runs back to his house and jumps into his father's arms. It turns out, it was his father that was scaring him because it was the only way to get Jimmy to hug him. That's sweet isn't it? Ok the part where he gets his friends to steal his baby and pretend to drop it off at the firehouse for adoption (weird) was a bit much, but he did get his annual hug.
"Rizzoli & Isles"
- Born to Run: A vengeance-seeking woman plots the murder of the men responsible for her sister's suicide, joining the Boston Marathon and killing them during the race. That's...creative.
- When the Gun Goes Bang, Bang, Bang: Frankie gets shot and Jane has to shoot herself in the rib cage to shoot their captor and end the standoff so the paramedics can get to Frankie. The scene was done in slow motion and I rewatched it like 4 times. It was awesome! It was actually way better than the first time I saw such a scene in Live Free or Die Hard when Bruce Willis shoots a terrorist through his own shoulder.

"Rookie Blue"

- Fresh Paint: Andy accidentally arrests an undercover cop on her first day. It was pretty embarrassing, but a great meet-cute story for her future potential love interest.

- To Serve and Protect: Sam secretly helps Andy investigate a murder that implicates her father, and Chris and Dov try to figure out who keeps pretending to be a masked vigilante. It's both a great bonding episode and a funny one.

"Rules for Engagement"

- Mannequin Head Ball: The girls enjoy an exclusive TV show: surveillance video of the boys playing a makeshift hockey game in an empty store.

- Fun Run: Audrey sleep-runs throughout the city as if she's in a race. That's definitely a first.
"Smallville"
- Homecoming: In this episode, Clark gets to see what his life will be like if he told Lois everything. She was understanding and supportive, and they were more in love than ever. I'm so desperate for them to get it over with that it was comforting to see the future end result.
"True Blood"
- I Got a Right to Sing the Blues: Tara finally escapes Franklin's grasp by bashing his head in with a spiky mace.
- Night on the Sun: Eric avenges his family and murders Russell's lover Talbot.
- Everything is Broken: Russell murders news anchors, takes over the TV airwaves, and announces his plot to enslave mankind and murder his enemies.
- Evil is Going On: Eric risks his life to trap Russell in the sunlight and kill him.

"Vampire Diaries"
- Kill or Be Killed: Sheriff Forbes learns that the Salvatores are vampires and that so is her daughter. It's pretty sad to watch Caroline be rejected, but it was an interesting look into how parents must feel to see their children become a walking corpse.
- Masquerade: Bonnie meets a witch she's related to, the boys can't harm Katherine because of a spell that makes Elena feel everything that she does, and Tyler accidentally kills a girl when Matt is forced to attack him, activating the wolf curse.
- By the Light of the Moon: Caroline helps Tyler through his first transformation, holding him through the excruciating pain, and Elena strikes up a seemingly clever deal with Elijah to get Stefan out of the cave, to force Katherine to stay in the cave, and for all of her friends and family to be safe. Whatever Elijah's plan is, it doesn't seem to involve killing Elena. Meanwhile, we discover that Bonnie is being manipulated by the new warlocks in town, so that they could get the moonstone.
"Warehouse 13"
- Merge with Caution: Pete and Myka switch bodies, and Pete goes to Myka's high school reunion in Myka's body. He manages to get her high school crush to like him but behaves like a total dude. It's beyond funny.

- Vendetta: Claudia suspects her ex-boyfriend of being a bad guy and he suspects her of being an assassin. After almost attacking each other, she eventually discovers that he's in the witness protection program.