TV is at its best when it manages to surprise you. No one wants to get bored of a great TV show but if it fails to keep you on your toes and hooked to the screen, no matter how great it once was, there is only a number of more episodes you can take, hoping for a show to recapture the glory of it’s early days, before you likely turn off the TV- or more appropriately for me, take the disk out of my laptop.
But great TV shows know exactly what to do to keep the fire in your hearts for it burning. Moments that reignite your interest in a show to levels you never expected. Moments that manage to catch you completely off guard. Moments that make a good TV show a great TV show. I am not talking about easy cliffhangers or moments we have seen time and time again here, I’m talking about real show stoppers- plot twists you never saw coming or character realizations you thought would never work until they did.
This list collects some of my favorite moments from some of my favorite shows that completely changed the way the story was headed or made my love for the show reach intense levels of depth. Every moment on this list had me talking nonstop about it for an entire week (until the next episode) and were powerful enough to still be fondly remembered to this day.
I have a varied taste in great TV drama’s stretching across vast genres, so there is bound to be a moment or two on this list that you will have fond memories of. If I have missed any of your personal favorites, know that this is only my 10, but I’d be fascinated to hear yours in the comments section (know also that this isn’t a top 10 list, and has no specific order).
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28 Comments
I don’t know how to can admit to liking Glee and hate on Lost. It makes no sense. LOST at it’s worst was entertaining, (mostly) very intelligent, and the most talked about show ever. Glee, at it’s best is cliche, unoriginal and borderline racist (With perhaps an exception for most of the first season and the Joss Whedon episode).
I’ve also never understood peoples hatred of the last episode. It was a fantastic episode, but just not a good LAST episode. Although we got pretty much every single answer with a few exceptions.
I don’t want to have to go into this all over again, but LOST’s ending made the whole show truly terrible. I was watching to be wowed by an original idea, and waht we got instead was no idea at all… just a bunch of interesting scenes with no point to them.
Lost is the LEAST intelligent show I have ever watched… it gives the illusion of intelligence, when in fact there is no intelligent idea on the entire show. Especially considering that even a child knows a story is supposed to have a beginning, middle and end… with the end perhaps being the most important element of the three. Truly terrible TV.
And if you think we pretty much got all the questions answered then you obviously weren’t really paying attention to the series. The only answers that I wanted answered were never answered. The questions they raised in the last season (like what the flash sideways were) were really the only questions they answered, and no one really cared about them. It makes me angry that I spent 6 years of my life watching and loving a show which in the end a monkey could have written.
Glee is so much better than Lost, you just have to appreciate it’s genre is all. It is highly original and yes cliche, but in an ironic, satirical way. Don’t take Glee so seriously, remember that it isn’t supposed to be a realistic drama, and you will have A LOT of fun with the program. And I think it is funny all the people who talk about the first season like it was so great… the other seasons have been just as good and much less ridiculous than the first. Terri faking her pregnancy, Josh Groban appearing as himself in the third episode,
sorry, accidentally sent… My point is that the first season of Glee is the most ridiculous (but with some amazing scenes) yet everyone goes on about how much they love it. There is a lot more to glee than that season.
The biggest problem with Lost was that it tried to be something it wasn’t (an intelligent science fiction show) and had to lie and pretend it was all about the characters when it failed on all of its empty promises. At least Glee know what kind of show it is.
You lose any credibility by liking Glee over Lost, and lost clearly has a Beginning- the plane crashes, a middle, seasons 2 to 5, and an end with Jack dying and Hurley becoming the new protector of the island, I think your problem is you fit in the category I have found with everyone who didn’t like Lost’s end, not casual enough to just watch the show, and Not hardcore enough to make mental notes of all the clues interweaved into the show to give answers to pretty much anything. And I disagree with both parties claiming lost was about either characters or Mysteries, Lost was about discussing your theories with friends and trying to find answers yourself. Thank Christ the creators had the good sense not to pander to those who wanted everything spoon fed and ruin the greatest aspect of the whole show. And I assume you hate twin peaks as well seeing as it didn’t answer anything with its finale? No? Didn’t think so.
I don’t understand people like you who try to defend Lost. I was absolutely a hardcore watcher and I came up with me own theory which unfortunately was a million times better than any one the creators gave us. Lost absolutely didn’t answer the questions that many of us wanted answered so you obviously weren’t paying attention or life I suspect, will forgive the show of anything because you were such a fan of it for six seasons.
As for Twin Peaks, it had a more simple mythology than Lost and although perhaps the answers were kind of lame, I don’t think Twin Peaks set its self up to be quiet the mystery that Lost was. Twin Peaks was really about discovering who killed Laura Palmer and we found that out, so it did give us most of the answers to our questions regardless of whether or not they were lame answers… Lost absolutely did not. Personally I had no problem with Twin Peaks because it was a different genre to Lost (a quirky, surreal mystery) and apart from the cliffhanger ending, I got what was going on in the show (even if it is pretty weird).
And do not be silly about me loosing credibility about liking Glee over Lost… You lose credibility obviously for not liking Glee and forgiving Lost when even the writers admit they didn’t know what the hell was going on. TV series have to be judged by their own genre, the enjoyment factor and what they are trying to achieve. Glee is a more successful show because it manages to pull off its simple concept much better than Lost managed to pull off it’s ridiculous concept. Also, I am not in a massive minority here. Many many critics hated the way Lost ended thus hating the show. Also, at least throughout its first season, Glee was one of the most loved show critically speaking and pretty much won all the awards. Maybe Glee isn’t your sort of thing, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
You have to research the mythology behind what is shown. Almost every small detail is a significant aspect, even down to the numbers, names and beliefs. The writers have not stated “they had no idea what was going on”, they new from the beginning what was going to happen. Yes, some stories were complicated, complex, and sometimes even harrowing. Still, the show is more intelligent than Glee; Glee is shallow, it has no density, everything you see is on the surface. I disagree with your statement.
As much as I respect a difference of opinion I would so hate to believe what you do.
First off, if you have to research the meanings behind things then that really doesn’t count… a TV show or fictional story of any kind should give you the answers… and besides, I was a huge Lost fan, and I researched the crap out of that show in order to work out it’s meanings… and guess what, it doesn’t really have any. Yes, the small details are intentional for some reason or another which link back to metaphors or symbolisms of some religion or other culture… but all together everything is so mix matched and makes no logical sense.
And I don’t know what interviews you have been reading but I know the writers have admitted to not really knowing what the hell they were talking about a lot of the time. Abrams admitted the show didn’t end how he had planned it to from the beginning, and many of the individual episode writers have also admitted to not being told how the show would end and including many signs and symbols and even major plot points that no one knew how they would end and didn’t.
Your are blinded by your love of this highly unintelligent show (though well directed, acted, and the occasional character story well written) that you can’t accept that deep down it didn’t exactly end how you would have hoped from the beginning. And if it did, then you had very low expectations, aren’t really all that observant, or you simply haven’t seen that many great TV series’. The show started off great but ended up a huge embarrassment. Abrams is great at coming up with ways to hook the audience in but it is well known that he is terrible at finishing his stories… Alias’s mythology makes pretty much no sense, Fringes mythology is often all over the place… not to mention every last one of his films has somewhat of an unsatisfactory ending (what was the Rabbits Foot in MI3… Abrams couldn’t even be bothered to work it out himself so never gave an explanation). All of those writers and creators have gone on to be somewhat of a disappointment, and that is because they were never all that good, they just tricked you with smoke monsters, supernatural children, random animals and creatures and stupid time travel. The show had no idea what it was talking about, and it died a very painful death… Time won’t look back at this series fondly- most critics will already admit what a huge let down the show was.
Also, you can’t really compare the two shows, Glee and Lost. They are both entirely different genres. That said, Glee is a much better show in it’s genre than Lost is in it’s genre. And better still, Glee isn’t trying to be something it isn’t. It knows exactly what it is, and if you hate it that is your choice, but it doesn’t trick its audience or blatantly make huge lies in order to keep people interested.
As a science fiction show, Lost started off great but ended up an abomination to the genre. Science fiction should be about intelligent ideas which all come together at the end, not just interesting scenes and moments for the sake of it… In this respect Lost is a far more shallow show than Glee is.
Obviously, I won’t be able to change your mind so this whole conversation is really a waste of my time, but I just wish you could be more critical of the show. If 50% of people hate how it ended, there must have been good enough reason for this. And it is my experience that most of my intelligent friends hated the ending, and most of the people that weren’t really paying all that attention loved it (of course, then there are the crazy fanatics who will love anything as soon as they become a fan).
seriously? 24 when teri died should most def have been on the list, changed bauer character for a “pussy” to the lovable hard working torturing killingmachine we know him as!
It’s a good list, albeit an incredibly contemporary one. Stuff like Susan dying in Seinfeld and the prison takeover in OZ seem to be more shocking, to me.
I’d also say that I think Buffy’s mom kicking the bucket was probably the most emotional, shocking moment of the whole series.
You gotten to Deadwood, yet, boy?!
Oh, and I’ll also want to add, I think it’s the 6th episode of Spartacus, in which you find out one of the main characters has been killed after a five episode absence. It’s a moment that if you hadn’t been engaged in the show up to that point already, you’re instantly and entirely hooked. It turned a decently entertaining show into a wildly emotional and addictive one.
But I’d also like to say for your list that I understand when people come on here and say stuff like, “Uh, what about?” or “I’m sorry, but you totally missed…” because they assume every list is all-inclusive and definitive. Which is never the case. This is a good list of contemporary show-shocks, and while I may have additions and replacements, I certainly understand that you can’t put on everyone’s favorites. So, good show!
Thanks man. Yes, unfortunately I am an incredibly contemporary person, and haven’t really seen a great deal of shows from that weren’t made within the last 20 years (and most of the shows I have seen have been shows from the last 10). Twin Peaks was a while ago though…
Although Buffy’s moms death was definitely the more emotional, I don’t think it really changed the series all that much and was no where near as shocking when a random sister was introduced and no one knew what the hell was going on. I could have also included Buffy’s death as a game changer, however I only wanted to include one moment from one series.
I was considering including when Nate died in Six Feet Under, but because that came almost at the end of the series, there wasn’t really enough time for it to change the series all that much. It did have a massive effect on the last run of episodes though.
Never seen Spartacus because I have heard really bad things about it? Is it actually all that worth seeing compared to other great shows? I guess also if I had gotten around to watching Game of Thrones yet, when Sean Bean died could have easily had its place on this list, although because that moment happened in the books, it probably wasn’t all that surprising.
No, haven’t gotten around to Deadwood yet. Something about it isn’t making me all that excited tbh. Though, having said that, I only started watching Breaking Bad this year because I initially thought I wouldn’t like it but now it is one of my all time favorite shows. In fact, the same can be said with Dexter (which I started last year) and Six Feet Under (again last year)… shows I thought I would hate but ended up loving.
So maybe, when and if I finally watch Deadwood, the same can be said for that. However, because it is fall, and all the shows are starting up again, I have too many current series that I am watching that if I were to start another series now I don’t think I could possibly keep up. I usually wait until the Christmas break or the Summer break to make my way through TV box sets.
I’ve only watched the first season of Spartacus. It’s by no means as glorious and phenomenal as Rome, but it’s quite addicting. It’s a bit too stylized, graphic, and sexual for violence and sexual’s sake, but it’s highly addictive. I’ll normally give a series five episodes before I give it up. Spartacus’ sixth episode was its game changer. From that point on, you’re glued to the screen.
Yeah, I have seen one episode and I found it looked a little too much like a music video for my taste. I’m sure it must be an alright show, but there are too many great shows on my list of what to watch that I have yet to see. Got a few box sets piled up.
thr 4400. one of the main characters gets stuck in a dream and marries a women, they live for years together until she wakes up and only 1 day has passed yet they have been in love for years. they meet up and get married for real. mental storyline.
IMO 4400 was a great series than many people overlooked.
Thanks for this. I remember hearing good things about this show from friends but I never got around to seeing it. That storyline sounds a little INCEPTION-y to me, which I loved… and I do genuinely love storylines like you just described. I probably will never get around to seeing the show though.
you really should. it was well worth a watch and you can see how many shows after stole so much from it. plus it all wrapped up nicely after 4 seasons.
it wasnt inception mind bending but it had certain episodes that blew my mind :)
plus it had jeffrey combs in it for a while. cant argue with jeffrey! :)
You picked the season 1 finale over the season 3 finale of Lost? Tisk Tisk. Season 3′s finale really was a game changer. Also, you have several grammar mistakes, as do all the writers on this website. Not to be nit picky or anything.
Grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes… all of the above- don’t I know it. To be fair though this website puts out so many new articles a day and so quickly- I spend roughly 3 hours a so working on an article and when it is finished I check it about twice before sending it in. Also, I am genuinely terrible at spelling anyway, but this never stopped me from doing particularly well in English class at school.
Secondly, I actually chose the season 2 opener of Lost not the season one finale. That was definitely my favorite scene. If the episode you a referring to is when Charlie died, I thought it was alright but not amazing… I can’t remember why it was a game changer though so you would have to refresh my memory…
Thanks for reeading
Good list. I especially agree with the Buffy one. Personally Id add most episodes of The Sopranos, particularly episodes towards the end – spoiler alert btw people – it was obvious people would get killed off, but it threw in deaths at unexpected times and not just for the shock value, it genuinely improved the story every time. Christopher, a popular and main character goes four episodes before the end in a brutal way. Leading to the most tense penultimate episode of anything ever…and then of course that ending which is really -
Ha Ha… I will admit to you that although I have the entire Sopranos box set I have yet to watch the show (embarrassing I know) although I do get your joke at the end of your post. My only excuse for not seeing the show is that I am young and naive. Thanks for liking the list and for reading.
Not true that Jane would have died without Walter being there. Jane had explained the importance to Jesse of sleeping on your side, so as not to choke on vomit. Walt rolled her on to her back.
Man, sorry. I must have completely overlooked this. I can’t remember the exacts of the scene but if this is true (and I believe you) then this changes the dynamic of that scene somewhat… but not too much. He is more responsible yes, but he didn’t do this on purpose and the only reason he allowed her to die was because he knew that had she lived she would have probably have gotten the both of them killed eventually, and he couldn’t allow that to happen to Jesse.
Thanks though for pointing this out. Would have gone completely overlooked had you not, and I like to know everything that is going on.
Appreciate it.
Good list Dan. I can’t get on board with the whole Glee thing but that’s another issue.
I have two suggestions, both from House. There’s a moment in Season 5 when House believes he has ‘cured’ himself and is no longer hallucinating when all of a sudden Amber starts singing and he realises that he is not cured at all. The song and House’s facial expression just changed the whole direction of the show for me.
The second is a continuation of my point above. Season 5 Finale – House realises that he has hallucinated his night of passion with Cuddy and you see a mentally broken man.
Thanks for this.
It’s a major shame you can’t get on board with the Glee thing because as long as you don’t take it too seriously and understand the genre it is playing it is in my opinion one of the greatest shows on TV. I at first wasn’t on board either, but this was only really due to people bad mouthing the show and not on the shows merits itself. I probably can’t convince you but it is honestly much better than it gets credit for being.
Likewise… as you can’t get on board with the whole Glee thing I can’t get on board with House either… seen a couple of episodes, not really my kind of show. But I am sure the episodes you suggested have merit. Thanks for reading.
I’d just read through a few of the of the other comments and I think I’ll state that I don’t like the genre the Glee fits into. Just not my thing.
I would highly recommend giving House a try from the start though, unless it’s the genre you don’t like ;)
Thanks. I completely respect that and can understand why many people simply hate Glee’s genre. As long as it isn’t for some ignorant reasons or because you’ve heard it’s “uncool” to like the show then I completely respect your opinions. There are many perfectly great shows that I just don’t watch because I don’t like the genre… House fits into that unfortunately- Not a big fan of medical shows to be honest, but I have heard it is great for those that like that sort of things.
Thanks again.
I don’t understand why you didn’t like Lost. Please enlighten me.
Are you kidding me? For the reason 50% of people didn’t like Lost… the terrible “spiritual” ending that answered none of the questions most people wanted answered and just proved the writers had no idea what they were really doing throughout the whole show.
I can’t really be bothered to get into it all again. If you want my argument, I think you can find it on my 10 Greatest TV Pilot list (which in all fairness to Lost, I places at number 2) in the comments section. If you can’t be bothered to find that, just type into Google why people might have hated Lost, and the last season/ season finale and those are most likely the reasons I hated the show.