15 Best TV Moments Of 2017

9. The Atomic Bomb - Twin Peaks: The Return

Twin Peaks The Return Atomic Bomb
Showtime

Twin Peaks: The Return was unlike any TV show to come before it (and that includes the original Twin Peaks), and within that we had Part 8, an episode unlike any other. A ridiculously ambitious and avant-garde hour of TV, it was more than just a showcase for David Lynch's weirdest sensibilities, but actually a hefty dose of mythology expansion that also spoke to a key influence on Lynch's career.

The atomic bomb and the feeling of America that came after - the discontent, greed, and violence that lurked just under the surface - is a factor into much of Lynch's work, so it makes sense that it makes an appearance here. The black screen going to the bomb is a dizzying sequence, accompanied by haunting visuals and Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima to create a true cognitive dissonance.

It's not only an indelible image, it also serves as an unthinkably great origin story for BOB, and a powerful commentary on evil that would later tie into the season's final moments and, indeed, the entire ethos of the show.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.