TV Moment: Dec. 15

In honour of the season, from now until Christmas will be my favourite holiday TV moments.

Up first is the Christmas episode from My So-Called Life titled "So-Called Angels". I love the entire episode and the reasons could fill a book, but this is "moment" - singular - so I'll pick my favourite from this incredible hour of television. It's funny because most of my favourite moments from this episode centre around Patty, the mother, who was actually my least favourite character in the whole series. There are great scenes with her and Graham and with Angela, and even a nice one with Ricky.

But my favourite scene is when she's outside of the church searching for Angela and she comes across the homeless girl to whom Angela has given her brand new boots. Bess Meyer is incredible in the scene as she portrays a mother who first refuses to believe that her daughter could ever end up like the homeless girl and then grows desperate when she realises that it could very easily happen. And then she looks at the girl (played very well by Juliana Hatfield) and asks, "How did you die?" The first time I saw it, I was completely in shock. I hadn't expected that at all. But in retrospect it made perfect sense. After hearing the girl's story Patty looks to the heavens in a moment of despair and pleads to God. It's a beautiful moment in a beautiful story. The quiet church courtyard and the understated music make it something I will want to see every Christmas for years to come.