Angel: Sense and Sensitivity (1.6)

This is another weak season one episode. It takes an idea that is ripe for exploration (in this case the annoying sense of self-involvement and navel-gazing that has infected so many of us), but goes nowhere with it, creating humor that comes off more than a little phony and embarrassing. It also once again thrusts Kate Lockley center stage, something arguably ill-conceived when you consider how Cordelia and Doyle, even Angel himself, are ripe for their own development.

Buffy: Wild at Heart (4.6)

This understandably feels like a major story arc condensed into one episode, since it was intended to be a story that lasted most of the season. With that in mind, you can almost forgive the show for Veruca's shabby characterization, her iffy motives for wanting to murder Willow, and Oz's eagerness to leave. It feels remarkably fast, and takes away from what should have been a far heavier story. However, the show still manages to make us feel Willow's pain and sense of betrayal. In that regard, the rapid storytelling is almost spookily helpful. Oz's departure comes out of nowhere, and you can totally see that reflected on-screen.

Angel: Rm w/a Vu (1.5)

This isn't an episode about a ghost haunting an apartment. This is an episode about Cordelia Chase, and how she fits into the Angel universe. She brought the funny in the past four episodes, the required compliment to Angel's broodiness. But, up to this point, there was little to her character beyond her dialogue and her shabby L.A. apartment. Here, Cordelia is revealed to be on a similar journey of redemption to Angel, becoming as aware of her past mistakes as her boss is, and sharing the belief that somehow she doesn't deserve anything positive due to how she treated people in the past.

Buffy: Beer Bad (4.5)

This is absolute monkey shit. For the first time in the history of the series, a Buffy episode spectacularly fails on almost every level. Beer Bad is pretty much universally reviled, and for good reason. While hours like I, Robot - You, Jane and Go Fish could at least be interpreted as decent ideas that just didn't work in execution, Beer Bad is one of those extremely rare Buffy episodes that make you really wonder what the hell the writers were thinking.

The X-Files: Agua Mala (6.13)

You can understand why a new writer would want to throw everything into the pot as he starts out on a major show. With Agua Mala, David Amann tries to create one of those 'trapped in a small area and attacked by monsters' episodes, something this show only did well right back in its first season. The script also throws in another appearance by Darren McGavin's vintage FBI agent. But, making this episode's failings even clearer, having missed McGavin's name in the opening credits, I entirely missed that this was the same character from Travelers. He's so tossed in and unnecessary that it's an easy mistake to make.

Nip/Tuck: Christian Troy II (6.17)

'The death of plastic surgery' isn't a groundbreaking concept to explore in Nip/Tuck's final season, but it's something that works for me. When you think about Hollywood right now, few actors are undergoing the full Joan Rivers. It's all about the fillers and the Botox and the injectables. Face lifts and surgery feel dated already, and Sean and Christian are being left out in the cold. Being this show, the story was handled with the subtlety of a sledgehammer with the old patients demanding reversal surgery, the contrived lady-doctor, and the annoying YouTube comments at the end.

Charmed: Hell Hath No Fury (4.3)

The characterization here follows an overly familiar path, with the fallout from Prue's death taking some expected turns here. Piper, the person affected the most by her death, is swimming in a river of denial, evident by the gung-ho demon-vanquishing bender she's embarked on. The story unfolds in as predictable a way as possible, finally ending in the unsurprising 'breakdown at Prue's grave' closer that was inevitable. But Holly Marie Combs is undeniably great in these moments, and that final scene where she visits Paige at work and offers an olive branch of sorts was beautifully performed. She knows it's the right thing to do, opening up to her newfound sister, even though part of her is still holding back after recent events.

Charmed: Charmed Again Part 2 (4.2)

It feels a lot like the writers stretched the season premiere to two hours because they thought it should be two hours based on the subject matter, not because they had a story that needed to be two hours. Charmed Again Part 2 has a couple of interesting moments, but in general it's pretty badly paced, too much time spent on stories that feel kind of silly. The most obvious is the idea of a forty eight-hour 'window' after a witch discovers her abilities, where she supposedly can choose between good and evil. It feels a lot like something casually pulled out of Brad Kern's butt to create some conflict, and it's never truly realized and has little effect.