Life on Mars: Top 3

Life on Mars is a series that had a lot to offer, and more often than not the stories told were superb, but in retrospect there are always a few moments that stand out above the rest. Listed here are the top three episodes, according to myself, not only for the series as a whole, but also for both series individually.

What's My Line (Part 2)

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Spike kidnaps Angel for use in a ritual to restore Drusilla's sanity, while Buffy contends with the fact that there's a new Slayer in town in the form of Kendra, the girl called after Buffy died at the hands of the Master.

What's My Line (Part 1)

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Buffy tries to work out what the future has in store for her as Sunnydale High's career fair heats up; meanwhile, Spike hires a group of assassins to take care of the town's Slayer threat, potentially risking Angel's life in the process.

Gifted

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Daria and Jodie spend the weekend with their families at a school for the gifted, learning along the way that not all the students at said school are worth knowing. Quinn, meanwhile, spends the weekend hopping between the houses of her Fashion Club friends, unable to find a combination that works for her.

Taking Chances

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Belle is well aware that women in her line of work simply can't make romantic relationships work, but seeing Bambi so happy with Byron makes her think that she might have written off her chances with Duncan far sooner than she should have.

Coming Up: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

Multi-Part episodes, a series of webisodes, and an editorial ranking the top 3 episodes are what you can expect from this week, as Buffy presents a Slayer-related event, the Life on Mars specials come to an end, and Firefly readies itself for the big damn movie.

Week Nineteen

The theme of the week is the end of relationships, in one form or another, whether those relationships are romantic, friendly, or simply of having known one another. The results vary, with some friendships broken, others culminating in a kiss, and a few that end in caskets.

Firefly Special: Those Left Behind

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Figures from both Mal and River's pasts come back to take their revenge while Inara and Book both consider their upcoming departures from Serenity.

Change We Can't Believe In

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Phil and Lem are made to work on a project alone with Veronica while Ted is busy dealing with an overly attached security guard determined to become his new best friend.

Life on Mars Special: La Chica de Ayer

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Samuel finds himself in 1977 after being involved in a traffic accident and is made to work alongside a man with much different values in order to make his way back to 2009 Madrid.

The Dark Age

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Ethan Rayne returns, this time with a demon from Giles' past in tow, revealing a darker side to Giles' history that could put the lives of everyone he loves in jeopardy.

The New Kid

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Daria bonds with Ted, a previously home schooled student, when she's forced into contributing to the yearbook. Their relationship is later complicated, however, when Daria inadvertently rejects him, and the nature of their friendship is called into question.

Potential Hazards

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Hannah/Belle struggles to maintain a professional working relationship with Duncan, while Bambi does the same with Byron. Meanwhile, Ben has decided to end things with Jackie but is unsure of how to go about it.

Coming Up: Thursday, Saturday

One series continues on in Spanish, while another is written into a graphic novel. Life on Mars and Firefly may both have come to an end, but there are still great things to come from both of them.

Week Eighteen

The theme of the week are the lies that we tell ourselves, the lies that we tell to others, and the lies that we are lead to believe. Whether the lies told are about who you really are, or what's really happening around you, ultimately we all know the truth about ourselves.

Firefly Special: Downtime

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Stranded on an icy planet after a job, the crew bides their time trying to enjoy themselves, unaware that a group of bandits is slowly closing in on them. River takes matters into her own hands while keeping the rest of the crew completely clueless to the situation, dispatching her own style of justice.

Beating a Dead Workforce

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When an employee drops dead from being overworked, Veronica tries to parlay the tragedy into a method of motivation to convince the rest of her staff to meet an important deadline.

Life on Mars Special: Life on Mars

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NYPD Detective Sam Tyler is struck down during an investigation and is soon shocked to find himself in 1973 New York. Convinced that solving a similar case in the past is his ticket home, Sam works to solve the case assuming that he will be returned to 2008 as soon as the criminal is behind bars.

Lie to Me

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One of Buffy's old classmates from Los Angeles transfers to Sunnydale High, proving to know far more about Buffy's destiny than he ever previously let on. Unfortunately his interest in her nocturnal activities proves dangerous when he gets himself involved with Spike and Drusilla.

Monster

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Daria and Jane are made to make a documentary about Quinn for a school assignment, assuming that her shallowness will provide an interesting look into an empty psyche, only to learn that there's much more behind her well-groomed facade.

Mechanics and Technicalities

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Duncan, Hannah's publisher, is convinced that her writing style needs a lot more work, while Hannah starts to seriously consider making their relationship somewhat more personal. Meanwhile, Bambi's frequent client starts to become something more, while Ben and Jackie's seem to be having more sex than Belle herself.

Coming Up: Thursday, Saturday

The specials for both Life on Mars and Firefly continue this week, as one is remade across the pond, while the other still appears in print form.

Week Seventeen

The theme of the week is becoming something that's expected of you, or to abandon those expectations in favor of your own desires. For some this could mean anything as simple as a costume change, while for others it could be the catalyst to an entirely different way of life.

Firefly Special: The Other Half

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Charged with protecting a hover-stage coach, the crew of the Serenity is made to deal with the incoming threat of the Reavers as well as a group of Alliance agents determined to take River into custody.

The Great Repression

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Ted and Linda are sent to counseling when they're accused of sexually harassing a fellow employee; meanwhile, Phil and Lem attempt to save the job of a robot when it is replaced by a far less efficient human employee.

Life on Mars Special: Ashes to Ashes

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Police psychologist Alex Drake has spent a great deal of time reviewing the case of Sam Tyler, wondering whether there was anything that could have been done to prevent his leap off the roof. Her investigation is sidelined, however, when she's shot and meets up with Gene Hunt in 1981.

Halloween

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Halloween is, as Buffy explains, an opportunity to "come as you aren't" and show the world what you could be under different circumstances. Unfortunately, the costumes provided to Buffy and her friends are enchanted, changing their identities based on their masks and robbing Sunnydale of its Slayer.

That Was Then, This is Dumb

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A couple of Jake and Helen's old friends come to town, leading the Morgendorffer's to examine precisely how they've changed in their time since college and whether or not they've progressed as they would have liked to.

Playing Into Fantasy

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Hannah's life is made all the more complicated when her sister Jackie comes to stay, proceeds to snoop about Hannah's flat, and falls into bed with Ben. As though that weren't enough, Belle is confronted by an angry Stephanie looking to discuss her depiction in Belle's book.

Coming Up: Thursday, Saturday

These two series may be officially over, but the stories for both of them continue on in one form or another. While some characters are revived in something of a sequel series, others live on in a different format entirely.

Week Sixteen

The theme of the week is trying to be something that you're not, either to impress someone of a different social status, or to hide in plain sight.

Firefly Special: Better Days

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When a job leaves Mal and his crew wealthy beyond their wildest dreams they take it as an opportunity to live out their fantasies, but the crew's bounty seems far less important when they learn that Mal's life is suddenly in danger.

It's Nothing Business, It's Just Personal

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Phil and Lem are at odds with one another when a mysterious red lab coat appears in their lockers, prompting them to fight over who has the right to stand out; meanwhile, Ted earns Veronica's ire when he gives relationship advice to her boyfriend.

Life on Mars Overview

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Sam Tyler is struck down in a car accident and wakes up thirty years in the past, having seemingly lead an entire life in 1973 despite not belonging there. Made to help clean the streets of Manchester's past, Sam continues searching for clues as to how to get home, running into a constant stream of characters that will have a great impact on making him the man he's to become, but never sure whether or not he's helping set things up for his return to 2006 or if he's merely rooting himself further in a life that's not his own.

Reptile Boy

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Cordelia convinces Buffy to shirk her responsibilities for one night to go to a frat party with her, only to find that they've been invited not as guests, but as offerings to a demon. While Xander does what he can to help the girls, he instead is made the target of college humor when he's discovered as a party crasher.

I Don't

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Helen's familial issues are on full display when Daria and Quinn are made bridesmaids at their cousin's wedding, providing Daria with the perfect opportunity to bond with Helen's sister Amy, the black sheep of the family.