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The Top 25 Once & Again Episodes:
(One Fan's Ranking)
by The Sisko
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Scoring System Explained
25th) Ozymandias 2.0 20th) Life Out of Balance 24th) Standing Room Only 23rd) My Brilliant Career 22nd) Where There's Smoke 21st) Thieves Like Us
What follows are the top 25 Once & Again episodes ranked according to one fan's arbitrary evaluation system. It is not intended to be the final word on the quality of Once & Again episodes, for most us freely admit our favorites can change from day to day, or hour to hour; others of us could never bear to even begin ranking one episode over another -- how can you compare one outstanding beauty to another?
Each episode was watched one or more times for evaluation purposes, and some scenes were rewound and replayed (seemingly) endlessly to feel and understand the full impact of the scene. Ten evaluation categories were selected that meant the most to this reviewer, worth up to 10 points each, for a possible total score of 100. Those categories -- their definitions, their abbreviations, and their order of importance from most to least important -- are as follows:
(Typed in early July, 2001 -- Sisko)
- 1. Emotional Impact (EI):
- How the episode affects us where it counts the most -- in our hearts. You might also call it the "cry factor." This category is often related to category 3, but is ultimately much broader in what it covers.
- 2. Importance (IMP):
- The degree to which the events portrayed in an episode were major milestones, turning points, or defining moments for characters. Viewer hindsight may play a part in this score, since hindsight is available, and the category can be very subjective.
- 3. Romance (ROM):
- Sex, kissing, hugging, lovemaking, suggestive talk, suggestive smiling, or simply anything the viewer deems to have an air of romance about it. Quite a narrowly defined category.
- 4. Black-and-Whites, Fantasies, and Dreams (BWFD):
- A very important category, for the black-and-white "confessionals" are one of the defining characteristics of Once & Again, and for many viewers, it's just not a Once & Again episode without some B&Ws. Lumped into this category are any other alternate-reality visions, like dreams, daydreams, and fantasies. The score in this category usually indicates to what degree such scenes added emotional impact to the episode. It often overlaps with category 1, and can be very subjective. If an episode had no BWFD, it was still granted a score of 6 if the episode worked well enough without them.
- 5. Captivating Conversation or Witty Repartee (CCWR):
- Another hallmark of Herskovitz and Zwick is the fascinating and realistic conversation we are treated to. This is a broad category which basically reflects the overall impact the characters' conversation had on the total quality of the episode. Very subjective.
- 6. Beauty (B):
- The look and sound of the episode, and the emotional impact the look and sound have on the viewer. Slow motion, evocative close-ups, stunning composition of scenes, tinkly, dreamy, or other evocative music (Aaron would love this category), would all be reflected here. Can easily overlap with categories 4 and 10.
- 7. Laugh/Smile Quotient (LSQ):
- The degree to which this episode made us genuinely smile, and quite possibly, laugh out loud. Bears some relation to category 5.
- 8. Intricacy of Design (IOD):
- The fascinating way in which all the pieces fit together to make an episode, especially when lots of pieces are involved. The complexity of an episode, maybe even the genius of an episode. Has a lot in common with category 6.
- 9. Unity of Purpose (UOP):
- Or, what Spencer might call "Unity of Effect" when studying Poe. Measures how well the title of an episode and everything portrayed in that episode work together towards making a single unified point for the characters and the viewers to understand.
- 10. Music, Literature, and Other Cultural References (MLOCR):
- A very subjective catch-all category that covers songs used as background music or songs sung by the characters, literature being read or referred to, references to historical figures or occurrences, and other miscellaneous cultural references. Songs used prominently in an episode score big here, as do literary works when repeatedly and effectively referred to in an episode. Any episode gets an honorary score of 1, for this is, after all, an H&Z creation. Any episode featuring a scene in Booklovers/My Sister's Bookstore gets at least a 3, and some scenes at Pages Alive will garner at least a 2 for the sometime-literary-merits of Lily's place of employment. Many good episodes can suffer in this category, for not every episode can spend valuable time working in "required" cultural references. But then again, this is Once & Again....
- Overall Ranking, and Adjustments --
- In a few cases, the reviewer exercised Reviewer's Prerogative where it was felt an episode deserved a higher or lower placement for reasons not reflected in the scores. In those cases, an adjustment of anywhere from -2 to +3 was used to adjust the final position of the episode. Aside from such adjustments, the following ranking resulted from the scoring of each episode using the 10 categories listed above. Ties were broken by comparing category scores in the order the categories are listed above. And by the way, the lowest score for any episode (44th rank) was 70! And the highest score...... we shall see.
Wherever you see a
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20. Life Out of Balance
Emotional Impact -- 10
Importance -- 10
Romance -- 10
Black&Whites, Fantasies, Dreams -- 9
Captivating Conversation, Witty Repartee -- 9
Beauty -- 8
Laugh-Smile Quotient -- 8
Intricacy Of Design -- 8
Unity Of Purpose -- 7
Music, Literature, Other Cultural References -- 5
TOTAL: 84
20. Life Out of Balance Reveiwed:
(Sisko's Note: This review was started many weeks ago, before 9-11. Whether due to the events of that day, or just due to coincidence, I found it extremely difficult to pick up my train of thought and finish this one. Thank you all for your ongoing encouragement to me to continue, for it finally came together enough to post it, though I don't feel it's quite as thorough as it could have been or should have been. But there's always #19 to get to, and #18, and----- So it was time to put it out there and move on. Thank you for your patience.)
If the title of this episode had instead read "Season Out of Balance", many viewers would have concurred with that assessment. Many fans felt that the beginning of Season Two had focused too much on falling down and learning to drive, on Atlantor feasts and Thanksgiving famines, and not enough on the romance of Richard and Elizabeth that the show was founded on. Life Out of Balance would be the episode that restored some needed equilibrium for many fans, returning the show to its romantic roots.
LOOB opens with, and features throughout, classic Lily moments. In fact, the entire opening quarter of Life Out of Balance is one of the series' very best, in this reviewer's opinion. First -- Lily typing, which she does so beautifully (but then what doesn't she do in that manner?), as Carla and Grace arrive through the front door, chattering about who-knows-what and potentially headed for the kitchen. Lily, suddenly remembering she has left something private somewhere close by, jumps up and starts looking through some nearby grocery bags, as soon as the girls have moved on to another room. Whatever it is, it's NOT in the bags. Quickly now, Lil, check your purse -- it's probably there. Nope! OK, kitchen then. (Hair twirling, face darting, questioning herself -- "where?") Kitchen -- go for it! WAIT!! Girls made it there first! Hang back, act uninterested for a moment while you stand there looking so lovely in your blue/green shirt and jeans. Are they missing the object, too wrapped up in their girl talk? Run your hand through your hair -- quick -- that will keep the scene looking normal. Dare you raise your head to look?? OK, one quick look. Wait, they're leaving. Go for it. There it is! Dive!! (Well, it felt like she was diving by that time.) Got it! Mission accomplished. Pregnancy kit in hand.
Exhale, poofing a wisp of long hair upwards.
And then, that brief but summarizing black&white, hands on face, shaking head: "Help."
But immediately, in the back door walk Judy and Zoe, and the wooly fun continues. First, we catch one of Once & Again's most priceless Lily-looks ever, as Judy and Zoe come in discussing buying in bulk, while Lily faces them, weakly fake-laughing to the subject of their conversation as she distractedly tries to wiggle the box down her behind before they notice it. Her brief sideways glance to herself almost says out loud, "How am I going to fit this box down my tight-@** pants?"
Over the next few moments, Lily's hand holding the box seems to remain surgically attached to her backside, while Zoe comments, "You're standing funny", and Lily responds, "Honey, go upstairs and brush your teeth." Judy ends her sister's unnecessary agony by suddenly asking, "What's in your pants?" Hmmm.... that could make a good Rick line, too, for Season Three...... Bad Sisko!
And frankly, most of my strong impressions from Life Out of Balance do come from Rick and Lily scenes, like when----
The memorability (possibly a new Sisko word) of the episode continues over the last three-fourths of the show, as well. It was a memorable episode for the children, too, but in this particular review, I will continue to obsess about the wonderful Rick and/or Lily moments, for they are what moved me the most:
- Doorbell rings. Rick is arriving with Chinese takeout (what a surprise
- Lily and Rick eat their Chinese takeout to the tune of Lily's (eventual) "I'm late." (Eventual, because although Lily says she's going to come right to the point, it seems to be five minutes later by the time Rick actually hears those words.) When Rick acts mystified, Lily's response of "As in, I'm never late" is also a Once & Again classic.
- And what a classic scene (so many in LOOB): Still wielding chopsticks, Lily begins choking a little on the Chinese. Rick stares a moment, in case his alternate-Heimlich Maneuver becomes necessary. And it is, he decides! Jumping up, he starts slapping Lily on the back, seeming to make matters worse. Lily first puts her hand to her throat, then apparently decides Rick's pounding is the larger threat and raises her hand to ward him off. Unfortunately for her, she lets out another little choke, and here comes the pounding again. "OK! OK! I'm fine!", Lily manages to gasp out, possibly saving her spine in the process. And I'll never forget the comment by one of our Board posters, Kyblue, that just maybe, Rick was trying to knock whatever the h*ll was making Lily "late" right OUT of her.
- Lily's description of a pregnancy test kit: "It tells you very calmly if your life is about to explode."
- Rick, as Lily is about to go upstairs for the big test: "Do you want me to help?" Lily: "Thanks, I can handle it." And what exactly, pray tell, would Rick have done to help, anyway?
- R&L's "misconstrue anything" conversation while the timer ticked, followed by the ding, followed by their slow turns to gaze at the blasted little machine (fading to commercial, and ending one remarkable quarter hour of television).
Later......
- The fortune cookie reading, and Lily's on-her-feet response, "Do not store food cartons in the refrigerator more than two days" as a substitute for having to tell Rick that when her heart speaks, she should listen.
- Lily, answering Judy about how Rick took the news that Lily could have been pregnant: "He took it like a man." Yikes, I hope I never hear that compliment about me again! Wait -- is that why people are always saying that about me??
- Another favorite of so many viewers---
Rick: "Is this Christie Parker's drop-dead gorgeous assistant?"
Lily: "No, it's her middle-aged evil twin."
- The simply wonderful bedroom scene, touching yet so sad. Watching Rick and Lily getting ready to climb into bed, I felt as though I were watching a world-weary couple who had been married maybe 20 years, still so in love with each other, knowing each other so well, yet wondering where the luster might have wandered off to.
Rick: "Hey."
Lily: "Hey yourself."
Rick: "Koyaanisqatsi."
Lily: "What?"
Rick: "It's a Hopi word. It means 'life out of balance'. Sometimes it's just all overwhelming -- Miles, Karen, Jess, Eli......"
Lily, so matter-of-factly adding to Rick's litany: "....Me." (I so loved the way she uttered that single word.)
The accompanying Rick/Lily black&whites are some of O&A's best, ending with Lily's heart-wrenching "I've never felt so alone in my life", the "I've" ironically sounding so very present-tense, though we at least think she meant it in reference to Runaround Jake.
The final moment of the bedroom scene is reminiscent, as I recall, of a particular Thirtysomething shot once used in an episode called (I think) South by Southwest, circling above an occupied bed (which I believe contained Gary and Eve, but correct me if I'm wrong
So lastly, we come to, well the part we all remember. Starting with Lily's garbage can yelp after Rick sneaks up behind her, this scene is probably one of the most popular Once & Again scenes, though usually minus the Eli/Carla interludes. And no, Lily and Rick, I personally don't think you would have gotten divorced had you been the first ones to marry, but maybe that's just the optimist in me, hoping you wouldn't have. And so:
- A Judy-gem that occurred immediately after this scene must also be mentioned:
Lily, about Rick: "What if he really isn't who I thought he was?"
Judy: "Nobody is. We make ourselves up as we go along." Such wisdom in a 35-year-old.....
- In Lily's conversation with Grace in Grace's bedroom, Lily models a black-sweater-cape outfit that looks remarkably like the one that will later catch my eye in Thieves Like Us. Whether it's the same one or an earlier model, it definitely goes to the Lily Wardrobe Hall of Fame.
- Same scene -- what a gem from Grace: "You're getting tears on Bleak House." And while mother and daughter are laughing, at that. As if to say, "Even a book called Bleak House isn't immune to tears born of love falling on it, changing its nature for the better." Of course, that could just be my interpretation of Grace's remark.
Lily: "Rick, there hasn't been a day in my life that, at some moment, I haven't said to myself, you have no idea what you're doing. And then I met you, and it didn't make things easier, or calmer, or less crazy. If anything, they got crazier. But it didn't matter, because we were going through it together." She continues telling him, close to tears and maybe actually crying, that she was becoming so afraid of him cutting and running when the idea of pregnancy came up.
And finally----
Rick, gripping Lily's collar: "Listen to me. I'm not going anywhere."
Lily: "How do you know?"
Rick: "I just know. I may not know much of anything else in my life, but I know that everything I want is right here."
Lily: "In the laundry room."
Rick: "Yeah, in the laundry room."
Rick: "And, a baby, maybe, if that's what we want...."
Many Once & Again fans would rate Life Out of Balance as a personal favorite of theirs, but what, really, is its greater significance among the first 44?
Lily: "A baby maybe?"
Rick: "Shut up."
Lily: "Make me." Love how you say that, Lil. So did Rick, apparently, for after that, no words were uttered.
Several times over the course of the first two seasons, leading up to Life Out of Balance, O&A viewers were witness to several moments of truth for Rick and Lily that would impact the rest of their lives, for better or for worse. Mediation gave us the starkest example of one such moment: the moment in which Rick was prepared to say goodbye to Lily forever, but instead discovered, where love is concerned, there is always another choice. Boy Meets Girl, The Scarlet Letter Jacket, and A Door About to Open gave us other moments of truth, where the immediate contrast in choices seemed less stark, but where making the wrong choice, choosing to move backwards instead of forwards, would likely have insured the same end result.
Not having faced such a moment, really, in Season Two, it was high time for Rick and Lily to experience one again. And as they had on previous occasions, whether overtly or through some inner wisdom, Rick and Lily again, this time in the proximity of garbage cans and washing machines, realized the negative impact their words and thoughts and actions were having on themselves and on each other. They saw, or at least sensed, how easily a pair of lovers wrapped up in their own concerns could backslide to another dreaded parking lot moment. Preservation instinct immediately kicked in. Staring koyaanisqatsi dead in the face, they banished it once and again, with words of love, reassurance, and re-commitment, Thank God. And then -- how sweet to us -- they celebrated its banishment by putting the washing machine underneath Lily through a quick little spin cycle.
Once again, Rick's and Lily's special bond, already tempered by the likes of smoke and fire and carnival walks, found renewed strength on a crisp January night, when it was most needed. Unlike the lack of future effect that Carla's and Eli's tryst seemed to have on Carla before she "moved on", Rick's and Lily's reaffirmation here would make a crucial difference for them in the crisis months that lay ahead, no maybe about it.
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