Episode review grading

This is some basic information about how I grade episodes of "Dollhouse." I will not be grading episodes of "Dollhouse" against other episodes in the series. Instead, I will be reviewing episodes against the vast body of intelligent TV work found on the airwaves today.

Grading scale explanation

A+ episodes
These are television achievements of the highest order. These episodes are superb in their artistry, directing, writing, and acting. These episodes are extremely memorable and tend to be name-dropped in the media as the crowning glory of their respective show. Some will also make up the basis for all comparisons in each show.

Just for clarification, not EVERY show has a specific A+ episode.

Here are some examples of A+ episodes.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – “The Body” (Episode where the mom dies)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – “Once More With Feeling” (Musical episode)
• Lost – “The Constant” (Desmond episode)
• Heroes – “Company Man” (HRG/Noah flashback episode)
• Battlestar Galactica – “33” (The TV-series first episode; the cylons attack every 33 minutes)

A episodes
These episodes are superb. They perfect that difficult balance of tone, writing, and directing, and depending on the show, humor. The thing that separates this from an A+ show is simply that the episode is lacking something the A+ episode has. Maybe a scene runs a little long, a line of dialogue feels wasted, or an actor chews the scenery.

A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, or D- episodes
These are episodes that exist in difference variations of excellence and terribleness.

F episodes
An F episode is truly, truly awful. There is absolutely no redeeming value. To qualify for an F episode, it has to be so terrible that audiences will consider the show to “jump the shark” or compare all other crappy episodes in the future of the series to it. It has to be well-known in the show’s audience as the exemplar of all suckitude. There are a few obvious episodes that would fit into this category:

• Battlestar Galactica – “Black Market” (The episode where Lee Adama dates a hooker, children are molested, and everything pretty much sucks).
• Lost – “Stranger in a Strange Land” (The episodes where Jack gets a tattoo from Bai Ling… Possibly a “D” because of Diana Scarwid is in it, and she is awesome, but the “D” qualifies only for Wonderfalls fans).
• Alias – “Façade” (The episodes where we have to experience terrible writing not once but twice, one from Sydney’s perspective and one from Mellissa George’s perspective, because she is eeeeevil).