Succession was a HBO show that got the world talking, and won a ton of Emmys throughout its run on the air. With that series (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) in the rear view, star Matthew Macfadyen has returned to television with Netflix's Death By Lightning. And while both of those shows had him playing "weaselly" characters, he spoke to CinemaBlend about their differences.

The Succession cast was super strong, but I've got to say that Tom Wambsgans was absolutely my favorite character. I loved that Tom came out on top in the Succession series finale, and I had to bring him up while speaking to Macfadyen about his new series (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). He compared Tom to Death By Lightning's Charles J. Guiteau, saying:

Some serious points were made. Because while I saw some similarities between these two characters, the shows are very different in setting and tone. While Death By Lightning is set in the 1880s, Succession was a modern-day satire of the ultra rich. The production design alone puts them in entirely different worlds, as did the costuming and hair styling for Macfadyen.

Indeed, the Deadpool & Wolverine actor is rocking a full beard in Death By Lightning. For many of his scenes he's also pretty filthy, which stands in stark juxtaposition to Tom's clean cut, expensive look. That discrepancy seemingly helped Macfadyen transform into Guiteau without having to specifically worry about distinguishing those two TV characters.

I'm curious is fans who watched both Succession and Death by Lightning see the similarities between Matthew Macfadyen's characters. They're both trying to use charm and gain power, without actually having all that much influence. Of course, Tom Wambsgans is a businessman while Charles J. Guiteau is primarily known for killing president James Garfield.

As someone who isn't a history buff, I didn't the story about Guiteau and Garfield prior to tuning in for Death by Lightning. Then again, this is part of why Michael Shannon returned to TV to play the late US President. The four-episode season is full of wild twists, and it's almost hard to believe it's based on a real-lie story.

Death By Lightning is streaming in its entirety on Netflix as part of the 2025 TV schedule. Fans of Matthew Macfadyen can also stream his tenure on Succession on HBO Max, which also features his iconic performance in Pride and Prejudice.

The streaming wars have been in full effect for years, and each service has its own supply of new content. Those with a Netflix subscription were recently treated to House of Guinness. One of the best Netflix shows to binge watch right now, the series tells the story of the family behind the famous beer company in the 19th century. I've been flying through its first season, but I think there is one problem with the recipe (pun intended).

House of Guinness includes some mind-blowing history about the company, and follows the titular family after the death of patriarch Benjamin Guinness. His kids are left to squabble and fight for power, while also trying to keep the business going. Take away the beer of it all, and it sounds kind of like the Emmy-winning series, Succession.

I Wanted More Dark Humor From House Of Guinness, A La Succession

For years those with a HBO Max subscription followed the Roy family on Succession. While that acclaimed series was full of drama and had heartbreaking episodes like Logan's funeral, the show was also a comedy and satire of the wealthy. Guinness has these moments too, especially when the siblings are together, but I wish that it leaned more into the dark comedy of the new Netflix show.

If Succession simply followed the spoiled, mega-rich Roy family from a dramatic perspective, it might have been difficult to watch. But, because Jesse Armstrong's series was constantly poking fun at the Roys, we were able to follow these wildly flawed characters through their various misadventures.

The drama of Guinness is there, including some surprisingly violent sequences throughout its first season. I think, though, that adding more dark comedy about the family would have helped to buoy its first set of episodes. Like the Roys, the members of the Guinness family are all seriously messed up when we meet them, and struggling to connect with each other and keep the beer business going. Leaning into these antagonistic sibling relationships might have helped to mine more comedy out of the popular series.

At the time of writing this story, the series is no longer trending in Netflix's Top 10 TV shows. But, because it was released in its entirety in late September, that could explain why it's less popular. As such, we'll have to wait and see whether or not Steven Knight's collaboration with the streaming service ends up continuing with a second season. The critical response has been rather positive, so things are looking hopeful in that regard.

House of Guinness' full eight-episode season is streaming now on Netflix as part of the 2025 TV schedule. Meanwhile, fans can also re-watch Succession with the use of an HBO Max subscription.

The biggest names in television were honored Sunday at the Primetime Emmy Awards, as Stephen Colbert was given multiple ovations, and The Studio and Adolescence dominated their respective categories, but amidst all the Emmys’ biggest winners, there was plenty to talk about in the name of celebrity fashion. Justine Lupe had one of the night’s most phenomenal looks, but her butt cheek admission is wild.

Justine Lupe, who played Willa on Succession, was not nominated for an Emmy as the ceremony aired on the 2025 TV schedule, but she attended as part of the cast of Nobody Wants This, which was up for Outstanding Comedy Series. The Netflix original series may not have won the trophy, but there were no losses to be had when looking at this gown:

The naked dress, reportedly from Carolina Herrera’s Fall 2025 collection, was constructed entirely of chains and silver disks — reminiscent of Miley Cyrus’ safety pin dress from last year’s Grammys — as the actress freed the nipple in her low-cut haltertop. She accessorized with diamond rings and dangling diamond earrings, letting her blonde hair fall in waves over her shoulders.

It seems her team considered an additional accessory as well, as Justine Lupe revealed to ET that attempts were made to tape her butt cheeks together. Why? The actress explained:

It sounds like Justine Lupe wanted to channel one of Rihanna’s favorite Met Gala looks with a little butt cleavage — a look that’s also championed by Kim Kardashian. So did it work out? She responded:

We sure do love it when celebrities get real.

Along with the Nobody Wants This actress, Jenna Ortega had another of the night’s standout looks, donning a jeweled top that would likely make her Wednesday character break out in hives. She showed off quite a bit of skin in what turned out to be a deconstructed chandelier from Sarah Burton's Givenchy collection.

The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star, however, didn’t go full naked dress, as many celebrities have at recent events. Just last week Margot Robbie gave us her gorgeous spin on the trend in a bejeweled gown in honor of the late Giorgio Armani at the London premiere of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.

It’s always fun to see what the stars are wearing to these big Hollywood events, but I have to admit I hadn’t previously given much thought to the importance of a little butt crack and the tricks to creating such a look. If you want to see more of Justine Lupe, you can stream Succession with an HBO Max subscription or Nobody Wants This, whose second season hits the 2025 Netflix calendar on Thursday, October 23.

The 9-1-1 universe is expanding amid the 2025 TV schedule with 9-1-1: Nashville. At the center of this spinoff is a new firehouse set in a new city for the franchise, and fans are going to want to brace themselves. I don't say that simply because it feels like there's an opportunity for a crossover with 9-1-1. It's because EP and showrunner Rashad Raisani teased the emergencies that will be in store for Firehouse 113. As exciting as that is, though, the shows Raisani mentioned while describing the series really have me pumped.

Some Of The Emergencies That'll Be On 9-1-1: Nashville Sound Wild

Up to this point, few details had been revealed about the exact first-responder situations that will be handled on the show, aside from a teaser previewing a fire tornado. Thankfully, Raisani finally revealed some of the "crazy emergencies while speaking to TV Insider. He specifically mentioned two, and I'm already feeling a bit anxious:

I'm not that surprised that Nashville will feature some major and crazy moments from the jump. After all, I'd imagine that Rashad Raisani and co. want to match the intensity of the 9-1-1 franchise's crazy emergencies. (I mean, that plane crisis from the mothership show isis hard to top.)

Still, the Airstream trailer situation sounds intense, and I'm already wincing at the thought of seeing someone impaled on a water tower. For Raisani's part, he seems very keen on upping the ante after showrunning Lone Star, which ended earlier this year. All in all, it sounds like viewers won't be left wanting when it comes to true thrills on Nashville. However, based on Raisani's other tease about the show, emergency-related drama isn't all that's in store.

Nashville’s EP Mentioned Two Major Shows While Teasing The 9-1-1 Spinoff

Obviously, with the show being set in the 9-1-1 universe, it’s to expected that that Nashville shares with share plenty of similarities with its two predecessors in certain respects. However, Rashad Raisani also revealed that this series will be a bit more dramatic than its sister shows. And, if you want an indication as to what he's going for, read on to see the two high-profile drama series Raisani's looked to for guidance:

Not only are Succession and Dynasty major shows, but they both have intricate soap opera elements to them. Of course, both 9-1-1 and Lone Star are filled with subjects related to romance, mental health and more. However, the shows Raisani mentioned have a lot of camp, and a similar vibe could make Nashville a very fun watch. Additionally, the cited drama shows deal heavily with power dynamics that are interesting and over-the-top. Considering that Nashville is set at the busiest firehouse in the city, power struggles could be quite entertaining to see on the show.

After hearing these latest teases, I'm feeling even more confident in the notion that 9-1-1: Nashville isn't just a copy of its sister programs. It seems there will be some keen elements that make it stand out. Of course, we'll just have to wait and see if that proves to be the case, but I'm pumped over the prospect of an ample amount of intense action and soapy drama. The upcoming 9-1-1 spinoff premieres on Thursday, October 9 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, and it'll be streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

I think I speak for many when I say audiences love it when characters from two (or more) different movies or TV series come together in one special event, such as the epic monster movies featuring both Godzilla and King Kong, or when Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. appeared on Supernatural. Of course, for all of the mind-blowing crossovers we have been blessed with, there is still much to be desired in the realm of bringing two big-screen or small-screen franchises together.

In that respect, let’s let our imaginations run wild and dream up the movie or TV crossovers that would be incredible to see. Now, I cannot promise that many (or all) of these ideas are legally or even humanly possible, but why should we let that get in the way of the fun?

Toy Story And Small Soldiers

The first, and still one of the best, Pixar movies, Toy Story, showed us the world from the point of view of sentient toys in 1995. Three years later, Small Soldiers offered the same perspective, but with more of an edge and a more realistic approach. Seeing Woody (Tom Hanks) and other innocent children's playthings crossing paths with Major Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his AI-powered, militaristic action figures sounds like one wonderfully warped animated flick, if you ask me.

The Office And Parks And Recreation

As recalled by MovieWeb, co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels initially conceived Parks and Recreation as a spin-off of The Office before it turned into its own separate and equally beloved TV sitcom. Still, there is no reason why Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his former Dunder-Mifflin co-workers could not somehow cross paths with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and other Pawnee residents in a mockumentary-style special.

Drive And Fast And Furious

A famous example of misleading movie marketing is 2011's slow-burn, Neo-noir thriller Drive, which one woman assumed would be more of a high-octane action thriller like the Fast and Furious movies, inspiring her to file a lawsuit, according to The Guardian. Honestly, I see this as a reason to give the people what they want and release a movie that sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew facing off against Ryan Gosling's Driver.

Succession And Yellowstone

Having both premiered in 2018, Jesse Armstrong's Succession and Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone would become subjects of comparison, with some even calling the Paramount Network hit "Succession with cowboy hats." I think seeing the wealthy and vindictive Roys indulging in a rivalry with the also wealthy and vindictive Duttons would make for one epic feature-length special or miniseries.

21 Jump Street And Men In Black

Among the hypothetical crossovers presented here, not all are too much of a stretch from the realm of possibility. In fact, there were actual plans for a film called MIB23, which would have brought Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) from the 21 Jump Street movie into the world of the Men in Black franchise. Unfortunately, plans were scrapped in 2019, but I still have hope this insane sci-fi/comedy mash-up could work.

Poker Face And The Thing

Imagine if human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) from the Peacock original TV show Poker Face was trapped in one place with a group of people who may or may not be shapeshifting extraterrestrial organisms in disguise, like the 1982 horror movie classic, The Thing. She would be the only one who could suss out the imitators, but the rest of the group might be too paranoid to confidently trust her judgment. I think Rian Johnson should give John Carpenter a call.

Star Wars And Marvel Cinematic Universe

As a fan of both the Star Wars movies and of Guardians of the Galaxy, I love the idea of seeing the cosmic warriors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe visit George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Considering both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are owned by Disney, this intergalactic epic is entirely possible, as long as the timeline is respected, of course.

RoboCop And Terminator

Omni Consumer Products' half-man, half-machine crime-fighting tool has crossed paths with Skynet's mechanical killer before, but only on the pages of a Dark Horse comic book series from Frank Miller. Why Hollywood has not yet tried its hand at a movie that pits the hero from RoboCop against any of the antagonistic cyborgs from the Terminator franchise is beyond me.

James Bond And Jason Bourne

The Matt Damon-led Jason Bourne movies are often cited as the inspiration for the James Bond franchise's grittier tone, especially after Daniel Craig took over as 007. If there could be a way to get the American amnesiac assassin and the suave MI6 agent together in a room (which would likely be destroyed by the end), that could make for one of the best spy movies ever.

Sherlock And Doctor Who

Two of the BBC's most popular series, Sherlock and Doctor Who, both involve a highly intelligent, fashionable, and sometimes arrogant protagonist who is accompanied by a reliable companion. For that and many other reasons, I think it would be amazing to see them come together in a special or miniseries in which Holmes, hitting a wall with a case that defies logic, finds unexpected help from The Doctor.

DC Universe And Marvel Cinematic Universe

The two biggest comic book publishing companies in the world have not always been rivals and have indulged in creating stories that see DC heroes and Marvel heroes fighting side by side. Considering his strong ties to the MCU, it can't be out of the question for DC Studios head James Gunn to at least call a meeting with Kevin Feige to discuss bringing this kind of crossover to the big screen, which might end up being the greatest superhero movie ever made.

John Wick And Kill Bill

While largely differing in tone, the John Wick movies and Quentin Tarantino's two-part Kill Bill saga are pretty similar in concept, following two retired, legendary assassins waging a vengeful war on those who wronged them. Who is to say that Keanu Reeves' gun-fu master and Uma Thurman's The Bride never crossed paths in their deadly heyday?

The Evil Dead And The Exorcist

Two of the most popular franchises of demonic possession movies, The Exorcist and The Evil Dead, could not be more different from one another, which is exactly why I want to see them converge. In my pitch, grown-up Regan MacNeill's (Linda Blair) expertise in devilish activity is enlisted to help with a new case, but when it spirals out of control, the only one who can help is chainsaw-headed Deadite hunter, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell).

Inception And A Nightmare On Elm Street

When you think about it, Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb from Christopher Nolan's Inception essentially has the same job as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Just imagine how much more challenging his team's adventures through the subconscious would be with Robert Englund's sadistic, badly burned boogeyman invading the same dream.

Alien, Predator, And Jurassic Park

You know what I think the Alien vs. Predator movies were missing? Dinosaurs. Putting these two fearsome extraterrestrials in yet another battle, but while trapped on one of the prehistoric animal-infested islands from the Jurassic Park films, could result in one of the most exciting entries from any of these franchises. You would not even need human characters to make it work because seeing both the Predator and the Xenomorph knocked down a peg by the T-Rex as a common enemy would be more than enough.

Ghostbusters And Casper

We already know that Casper and the Ghostbusters exist in the same universe, thanks to Dan Aykroyd's cameo as Ray Stantz in the Friendly Ghost's 1995 live-action feature adaptation of the animated series. I am sure Casper would happily help the paranormal exterminators take on a few evil spirits, even after an awkward misunderstanding were to happen when they first meet.

Mad Max And Dredd

The great thing about post-apocalyptic movies is that each has a different, intriguing interpretation of what a dystopian society would look like. However, what if the Wasteland from George Miller's Mad Max movies existed just across the (dried up) pond from Mega City One in Dredd? The gritty, visually stunning possibilities are endless.

Blade And Twilight

Allow me to make one thing clear: I am not suggesting that Marvel Comics' vampire hunter, originally played on the big screen by Wesley Snipes, should show up in the Twilight movies just to see Robert Pattinson's Edward, Kristen Stewart's Bella, and other bloodsuckers get slaughtered. I actually think Blade's presence could give the persistent haters of the films based on Stephanie Meyer's YA novel series a reason to treat the franchise with a little more respect.

Indiana Jones And Marvel Cinematic Universe

Since Disney owns both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, I wonder if anyone there has ever tinkered with the idea of putting a character like Indiana Jones in the MCU. I mean, he and Steve "Captain America" Rogers would have been alive around the same time and, as staunch anti-fascists, probably would have gotten along great. I doubt Harrison Ford's casting as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World would cause much confusion, either.

Monk And Psych

The USA Network used to run promos bringing characters from their respective series together, including one in which Tony Shalhoub's eponymous detective from Monk suspects that Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) is not a real psychic. It makes me wish that we could have seen an official crossover episode that would have seen plenty of funny bickering between the carefree Shawn and someone as neurotic as Adrian Monk, who at least might have gotten along with Gus (Dulé Hill).

Power Rangers And Godzilla

By combining their respective, animal-shaped vehicles into one large Megazord, the Power Rangers have managed to face off against bizarre creatures of all sizes, which means they could realistically take on Godzilla. However, if I were to pitch this crossover, the rangers would eventually have to join forces with the King of the Monsters after an even larger creature emerges to wreak havoc on Angel Grove.

Bill & Ted And Wayne's World

Perhaps we never saw Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) take Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) on a trip through time because we are not worthy of such an excellent idea. Then again, if Myers and Carvey can still get together for Wayne's World reunions on SNL and Reeves and Winter could come back for 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music, who says it doesn't have potential?

Dirty Harry And Death Wish

I think the greatest Dirty Harry movie we never saw would have put Clint Eastwood's Lt. Callahan on the case of a murderer targeting the most vicious gangs in San Francisco, which would turn out to be Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey from Death Wish. Inevitably, I think Harry would be lured into an alliance with the vengeful vigilante, coming to believe that his more permanent methods of justice align with his own.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer And Sabrina The Teenage Witch

It's a shame that there was never any attempt to make an official crossover between Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Melissa Joan Hart-led Sabrina the Teenage Witch while they were still on the air. The coming-of-age supernatural series may have differed dramatically in tone, but that is just what would have made the collaboration such a blast.

Harry Potter And The Dresden Files

If fans of the Harry Potter movies have ever been interested in trying out something a bit darker and grittier, there is another literary modern-day wizard with the same first name: Harry Dresden, played by Paul Blackthorne on the SyFy series, The Dresden Files. I think it would be fun to see J.K. Rowling's The Boy Who Lived helping author Jim Butcher's Chicago-based P.I. solve a grisly mystery in which magic is involved.

The Munsters And The Addams Family

They may have been on different networks and produced by opposing studios, but how in the world has there never been an attempt to introduce the Munsters to the Addams Family? I would even be open to getting the actors from Rob Zombie's reboot movie to star alongside the cast of Netflix's Wednesday if it meant getting just a glimpse at these creepy, kooky families finally coming together.

It And Terrifier

There are no two villains in the subgenre of creepy clown movies more iconic than Pennywise from It and Art the Clown from Terrifier. I can't imagine a horror fan being against the idea of bringing Bill Skarsgård's shapeshifting fear demon from Andy Muschietti's blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King's novel and David Howard Thornton from Damien Leone's shocking indie slashers together for one brutal showdown that would have blood and white face paint smeared across the screen.

Hocus Pocus And Trick 'R Treat

In Disney's cult favorite, family-friendly witch movie, 1993's Hocus Pocus, our young protagonists go through a lot of trouble to defeat the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). I cannot help but wonder how easily those sinister spellcasters could have been taken care of by the mischievous Sam from the 2007 anthology horror movie favorite, Trick 'r Treat.

Hoarders And Storage Wars

You know those people on the show Hoarders who compulsively keep hold of any item they possess, no matter how unnecessary or even unhealthy it may be? I have a potential idea to help them: put them on another A&E reality show called Storage Wars and tell them that they must outbid other experienced collectors if they want to maintain ownership of their junk.

Johnny English And The Pink Panther

While it barely held a candle to Peter Sellers, I cannot deny that I enjoyed Steve Martin's portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in his Pink Panther reboot. I even more enjoyed Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling Bond-wannabe in the Johnny English movies. I imagine that having the clueless French detective and accident-prone British spy cross paths on a case would result in some real comedic dynamite (especially if real dynamite is involved).

Sister Act And The Nun

After watching Whoopi Goldberg's Academy Award-winning performance in Ghost, I am convinced that a sequel to Sister Act in which Deloris Wilson-Van Cartier must contend with the habit-wearing demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) from the Conjuring movies would be a riot.

Big Brother And Survivor

Big Brother and Survivor are both competitive reality shows that make social interaction a key element to winning, with the biggest difference being the setting. If I ran CBS, I would send the most famous all-stars from Big Brother to a remote island, bring Survivor champs to the Big Brother house, and see what happens.

There is a famous saying that claims, “Comedy is tragedy plus time,” and it appears that some artists like to put an extra emphasis on the more tragic element of that equation. Some of the all-time funniest movies and best TV sitcoms boast a plot that would normally be found in a serious drama if it were not for their more absurd or quirky tones. Hopefully, you have never felt too guilty for laughing at any of these darkly humorous classics of the big and small screen.

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)

A film by Stanley Kubrick about a group of politicians and military personnel desperately struggling to find a solution to an imminent nuclear catastrophe sounds like an intense thriller. In truth, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, based on author Peter George's Red Alert, is a blistering, gut-busting satire, brilliantly led by Peter Sellers in three distinct roles.

Barry (2018–2023)

Just about the best thing starring former Saturday Night Live actor Bill Hader, which he also co-created with Alec Berg, is Barry, which follows a hitman struggling to put his past behind him when he takes up an interest in acting. The HBO series starts off as a clever comedy with effective moments of intense drama before slowly evolving into an intense drama with moments of clever comedy.

The Hangover (2009)

Most films set in Las Vegas, no matter the genre, fixate on the more glamorous aspects of the Entertainment Capital of the World, but not The Hangover. As seen through the eyes of three groomsmen (played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis) desperate to find the groom (played by Justin Bartha) after a bachelor party they can't remember, Todd Phillips' hilariously unhinged blockbuster boldly embraces the "sin" in Sin City.

Beef (2023)

Road rage is already nothing to joke about, but even an incident that small can evolve into a conflict of uproariously disastrous proportions. This is demonstrated brilliantly in Netflix's Emmy-winning A24-produced TV show, Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as two sides of a feud that slowly spirals out of control.

After Hours (1985)

Martin Scorsese is most definitely not a filmmaker who is commonly associated with comedy, but he has a few funny flicks on his resume, such as After Hours. The relatively overlooked '80s movie, in which an unassuming New Yorker (played by Griffin Dunne) becomes embroiled in a series of dangerous situations over the course of one night, actually does sound like an on-brand effort for the Goodfellas director based purely on its plot description.

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

BoJack Horseman is one of Netflix's darkest original series, depicting the life of a self-destructive, narcissistic, washed-up actor and the negative effect he has on the people he encounters. The series might not be as funny if it were not animated and the title character (voiced by Will Arnett) was not an anthropomorphic horse.

Evil Dead II (1987)

Even on a shoestring budget, writer and director Sam Raimi achieved "the ultimate experience in grueling terror" with the first installment of his Evil Dead movies. However, the second chapter, following Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and his fight against possessive spirits, is one of cinema's most perfect blends of horror with comedy of a most nonsensically cartoonish degree.

Rick And Morty (2013–present)

The fate of the world, and even other worlds, often rests in the hands of the titular duo from Rick and Morty: an alcoholic scientist and his anxious teenage grandson. In fact, even some of the bizarre situations they find themselves in, while undeniably threatening, are pretty ridiculous, such as when an alien race challenged Earth to an intergalactic singing competition in one of the best Rick and Morty episodes, "Get Schwifty."

In Bruges (2008)

In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two Irish hitmen who are forced to take a holiday in a mundane Belgian vacation spot after a job goes horribly wrong. Only a storyteller with a sense of humor as bleak as writer and director Martin McDonagh could construct such a witty romp out of an increasingly dark plot such as this.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present)

Perhaps the most definitive example of cringeworthy comedy on television is FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The dim-witted gang of bar owners (played by Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito) often get themselves into situations that are certainly infantile, but also deeply hazardous.

Fargo (1996)

In retrospect, it's a good thing Joel and Ethan Coen's Oscar-winning satirization of midwestern culture, Fargo, is not based on fact, as they claimed, because audiences might feel guilty for laughing at a story of an insurance scheme gone violently awry. Creator Noah Hawley's spin-off series would honor that same tone by telling new, seasonal stories set in similar rural locations and with the same quirky tone.

Succession (2018–2023)

Sibling rivalry of even the most immature kind can last long into adulthood. Exhibit A: the Roy Family from HBO's Succession, a wealthy patriarch (played by Brian Cox) suffers a stroke that sparks a war over his corporate empire between his three youngest children.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

The life of a vampire, which involves committing murder to satisfy their insatiable bloodlust, is a horrifying concept. However, the beloved horror-comedy movie What We Do In the Shadows (which begat an equally hilarious spin-off series on FX) offers a documentary-style glimpse into that sort of existence that is somewhat relatable and even charmingly funny.

Only Murders In The Building (2021-Present)

A TV show about two elderly men and a young woman teaming up to produce a podcast documenting their investigations of mysterious deaths that occur in their New York apartment complex does not sound very funny. However, with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez in the lead roles and scripts boasting a razor-sharp wit, Only Murders in the Building is a comical delight.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Anyone familiar with the work of Martin McDonagh should have been able to expect that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri would not hold back on its heartbreaking material. However, the story of a grieving mother (played by Frances McDormand) at odds with local law enforcement regarding her teenage daughter's unsolved murder, creates a light aura of false security early on with its bold use of humor.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve is a wildly acclaimed series chronicling the intense cat-and-mouse game between a spy (played by Sandra Oh) and a skilled assassin (played by Jodie Comer). The thriller is renowned for its unique blend of high-wire suspense with absurdism.

Death At A Funeral (2007)

In director Frank Oz's English comedy, Death at a Funeral, anything that could go wrong at a gathering for a deceased loved one does go wrong, and then some. Daniel (Matthew McFadyen) deals with issues that include the wrong body being delivered to his childhood home, a guest going berserk after unwittingly taking a hallucinogen, and a stranger (played by Peter Dinklage) appearing to reveal a secret about his father's past.

Shameless (2011–2021)

One of the best American TV shows based on a U.K. series is the hit Showtime original, Shameless. Developed by John Wells, the series follows the Gallaghers – a large family from Chicago facing extreme poverty and other various, debilitating struggles, with little to no help from their patriarch (played by William H. Macy).

The Menu (2022)

At first glance, The Menu seems like the kind of delicious food movie that fine dining enthusiasts could get a nice laugh out of. Indeed, director Mark Mylod's acclaimed hit starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult is funny, but Ralph Fiennes' Chef Slowik has something planned for his carefully selected guests that proves to be truly "to die for."

Weeds (2005-2012)

Mary Louise Parker received three Emmy nominations for her performance on creator Jenji Kohan's dramedy, Weeds, as a widowed suburban mother who relies on drug dealing to make ends meet. It is easy to understand why Vince Gilligan was accused of ripping off the Showtime original when he proposed the idea for Breaking Bad (which he revealed at the Paley Center for Media), but anyone would agree that this show is much funnier.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Save a few notably fanciful moments (especially at the end), Beau is Afraid is regarded as a relatively authentic representation of what it is like to live with anxiety. Writer and director Ari Aster – known for his more earnest A24 horror movies, Hereditary and Midsommar – achieves this feeling by exaggerating every inconvenience our eponymous hero (played by Joaquin Phoenix) faces to the most absurd degree.

Bad Monkey (2024-Present)

How do you make a complex murder mystery funny? Well, for one, Carl Hiaasen's 2013 novel that inspired the Apple TV+ original series, Bad Monkey, already boasted a satirical tone. However, Vince Vaughn's performance as the hero, sarcastic former detective Andrew Yancy, especially brings the humor to the surface.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Former SNL writer and Anchorman director Adam McKay started to gain newfound respect with his humorous approach to more earnest topics in Oscar-winning movies The Big Short and Vice. He would follow those with an even darker satire, Don't Look Up, in which two astronomers (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) struggle to warn humanity about Earth's impending doom.

After Life (2019-2022)

Creator Ricky Gervais stars in the Netflix comedy series After Life as a man grieving his wife's death, but does nothing to make the process any easier for him. Tony goes as far as adopting an off-putting, devil-may-care attitude to push away anyone who offers solace or assistance.

The Death Of Stalin (2017)

Some of the best movies about politics offer a farcical take on even the darkest days in history. Case in point, Armando Iannucci's star-studded satire, The Death of Stalin, which is a hilarious and surprisingly accurate depiction of the aftermath of the notorious Soviet dictator's demise. Though some liberties are taken with the actual history.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

Not every TV show about zombies needs to be as stone-cold serious as The Walking Dead, especially if you change the rules of reanimation, like in Santa Clarita Diet. The unfairly cancelled Netflix original series stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as married real estate agents forced to turn to murder when Barrymore's role mysteriously becomes a walking corpse who thrives on raw human flesh.

World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Robin Williams stars in writer and director Bobcat Goldthwait's pitch black comedy, World's Greatest Dad, as dissatisfied teacher Lance, who begins to attract overwhelming attention following the news that his teenage son, Kyle (Daryl Sabara), has taken his own life. However, in truth, the insufferably rude Kyle's death was an accident of embarrassing proportions, which Lance has covered up with a phony suicide note in order to take advantage of the subsequent fame.

Dead To Me (2019–2022)

The phrase "misery loves company" serves as the essential hook for creator Liz Feldman's darkly comic Netflix original TV show, Dead To Me. Christina Applegate stars as the recently widowed Jen Harding, who crosses paths with the also grieving Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini). What starts off as the friendly bond that each of them desperately needs son evolves into a complicated grouping that sparks trouble for both.

Burn After Reading (2008)

One of the Coen Brothers' most overlooked dark comedies is Burn After Reading, which imagines what happens when investigative intelligence crosses paths with a severe lack of intelligence. It follows a pair of gym employees (played by Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who find a disc holding classified information left by a retired CIA agent and attempt to profit from the discovery.

Search Party (2016-2022)

Search Party stars Alia Shawkat as a young woman who decides to take it upon herself to find her missing past acquaintance. Of course, bizarre hijinks ensue, causing it to evolve into a far crazier situation for her and her friends over time.

Better Off Dead (1985)

One of John Cusack's earliest romantic comedies boasts a premise that would be a challenge to get made in modern times. He stars in the coming-of-age film as a young man who repeatedly tries and fails to take his own life.

Sweetpea (2024)

Ella Purnell earns laughs and screams leading the Starz original series, Sweetpea, as a lonely young woman who adopts a penchant for murder.

When it comes to specific channels on television, there is but one that has produced television shows that have genuinely taken the world by storm and got people talking for years on end. And that, my friends, is HBO. The premium channel – known as “Home Box Office” – has created some of the biggest shows of the last thirty years or so. And here are some that truly got the world talking.

Game of Thrones

You knew Game of Thrones would be on here somehow. The series, based on the novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin, was the biggest show for years on HBO, with several huge Game of Thrones shocking moments and a Game of Thrones cast that exploded onto the scene and became household names. It’s one of the best shows of the last decade.

Westworld

Running for three seasons, Westworld was a sci-fi western based on the novel of the same name. It was a huge show when it first came out. The Westworld cast was large and impressive, and the story took so many twists and turns that it was almost hard to keep up with it.

The White Lotus

Did you ever think a series about guests at a five-star hotel resort would become the phenomenon that it’s become? Because I sure didn’t. The White Lotus, which began as a limited series, has run for three seasons so far and has captured the hearts and attention of viewers worldwide, with views growing steadily with each new season.

Insecure

Created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, Insecure is the kind of comedy-drama that everyone needs to see. With five seasons total, the series followed two young Black women who are navigating their twenties and just trying to survive everyday life. It’s hilarious, won several awards, and was popular for all the right reasons.

True Detective

With a new cast each season and a new mystery to solve, True Detective kept coming back with even better stories and excellent acting. From the lands of California to the snow landscape of Alaska, this series finds new ways to surprise its audience each time, making viewers return for more whenever a new season is confirmed.

The Last of Us

Based on the video game franchise of the same name, The Last of Us ended up becoming one of the biggest shows on the channel, as well as on Max, the streaming platform for HBO. The series follows the life of Joel, a smuggler in the apocalypse, and Ellie, a girl who is immune to the virus. They journey across the United States, where her immunity might be the cure to this whole thing. The series is beloved by most, and is one of the best video game adaptations out there.

Deadwood

Considered one of the best Western shows, Deadwood is the series to watch if you want a good, classic crime drama with some of the best acting. Featuring an all-star cast with so much to love, the show was so popular that it spawned a movie after it ended, which also premiered on HBO.

Euphoria

While there have been years between seasons of this show, there’s no denying that Euphoria is one of those series where, when it premieres, the world stops to watch. Starring an impressive Euphoria cast led by Zendaya, the dark teen drama altered pop culture when it premiered and has remained iconic years later.

Big Little Lies

Based on the novel of the same name, Big Little Lies is a mystery and dark comedy in which you never truly know who to trust. With two seasons and cast members who are mega-stars like Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and more at the helm, this series got people talking and more.

House Of The Dragon

While the Game of Thrones universe has continued to expand, the first series that came out after the main show concluded was House of the Dragon, based on the novel Fire and Blood. With more dragons than ever before, a civil war that has fans on the edge of their seats, and acting that takes your breath away, this series was primed to become one of the biggest shows out there the moment it premiered.

Six Feet Under

For five seasons, one of the biggest shows on HBO was Six Feet Under, a series that followed the lives of a family who ran a funeral parlor. I know, at first, that kind of premise sounds like it wouldn’t mean much entertainment, but this was a very well-received series and one that fans absolutely loved.

The Wire

Whenever anyone thinks of an HBO show, one of the first that comes to mind is always this one. The Wire was a crime drama set in Baltimore and told a different storyline each season about a new institution of the city, from drugs to the lack of education in the city. It’s extremely well-told.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

There are some comedies out there that become huge, and then there’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, a show that ran for twelve seasons, 120 episodes, and continued to remain critically praised for years. Fans could not get enough of Larry David in the lead role and the hilarity of the story that his fictional self would get into in this iconic HBO series.

Mildred Pierce

A miniseries on HBO, Mildred Pierce, is based on a book by the same name and stars Kate Winslet. Through five episodes, we watch a divorcee of the Great Depression trying to find herself again and establish a business within the restaurant industry while also dealing with her problems. The miniseries was a massive hit for HBO and earned several Emmy nominations – and a couple of wins.

Big Love

Running for five seasons, Big Love was a drama that took the world by storm. It followed the story of a Mormon man and his three wives who lived in modern-day Utah. The series was another huge hit for the channel and earned several major awards during its run.

The Sopranos

I mean, obviously, I have to include The Sopranos. I feel like The Sopranos is as synonymous with HBO as Game of Thrones is. The series made the channel huge and won many awards. The Sopranos cast is filled to the brim with incredible talent, and even now, years later, it has a long-lasting legacy.

Girls

Created by Lena Dunham, Girls was a comedy-drama that aired over six seasons and followed the lives of four women living in modern-day New York City. It had some hilarious storylines but wasn’t afraid to dive deeper into modern themes and darker subjects, which made the show such a hit.

Chernobyl

When I think of some of the best miniseries on HBO, Chernobyl is one that comes up every time. The series tells the true story of the Chernobyl disaster and was critically praised for its acting, accuracy, and fantastic cinematography. Once you watch Chernobyl, you’ll never return to who you were before.

Veep

I could go on and on for hours about Veep and how amazing it was. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the Veep cast was hilarious. It told the story of a U.S. vice president and how she tried to deal with the modern-day politics of America while also working with an idiotic president next to her. It’s hysterical in every way, shape and form.

Watchmen

Based on the same comic series, Watchmen is an HBO miniseries that truly redefines the superhero drama of television. It tells bold and dark tales of a world of crime and justice. It also has an incredible cast that only cemented its legacy on HBO. I always wished there was a Season 2, but I’m content with it running for the one miniseries we got.

Barry

For four seasons, Barry was the best dark comedy on the channel – and later, it really turned into more of a drama than anything else. The series, starring Bill Hader as the lead of the spectacular Barry cast, tells the story of a hitman who finds some purpose in acting in L.A. and begins to question his life. The show takes twists and turns you would never expect.

Mare Of Easttown

This miniseries, Starring Kate Winslet, was a huge hit for HBO. With seven episodes, it tells the story of a detective who investigates a murder in a small town outside of Philadelphia while also dealing with her own personal life. The series won several Emmy Awards and was talked about for weeks.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers ran for three seasons, but it cemented itself on HBO’s roster the moment it did, and people still talk about it today. The series follows the lives of people on Earth who were left behind when 2% of the entire population of the world vanished. Now, it’s up to the leftovers to survive.

The Righteous Gemstones

The Righteous Gemstones is one of those series that has a cast that is too good to be true. The show stars Danny McBride, Adam DeVine, John Goodman, Walton Goggins, and so many other major stars – and what makes it better is that it’s so funny. With four seasons, the series follows a family of televangelists and their personal lives, and it’s just as hysterical as you can imagine it would be.

Band Of Brothers

The miniseries Band of Brothers was based on the novel of the same name and is a war drama that was praised for its impressive Band of Brothers cast, as well as how realistic the series was. The show was so popular that it spawned two spinoff shows years later – The Pacific and Masters of the Air.

Succession

Oh, you knew this show would be on here somehow. Succession was a huge HBO show that followed the story of a family fighting for control over their father’s media conglomerate when his health was put into question. The series was praised for its acting, from the incredible Succession cast, as well as its storyline that anyone could get into.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

While it’s not a scripted series like many of the others on this list, this talk show has become a massive hit for HBO and has won several Emmys throughout the years. Starring John Oliver, the talk show covers what has happened in the world in a funny way, mostly regarding politics, and always features clips that end up becoming huge on social media.

Silicon Valley

Running for six seasons, Silicon Valley is a comedy series that is exactly what you expect it to be—a series about tech bros in the iconic Silicon Valley of California and the struggles of working there. The series earned plenty of award nominations during its run, including Emmys, and was a major hit.

Oz

If you’re looking for a prison drama, then Oz is one that you have to check out, and it became a huge deal for HBO. The series follows the lives of prisoners and guards and everyone else involved in a maximum security prison, with enough drama to last a lifetime that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I May Destroy You

This single-series show took the world by storm. I May Destroy You is a black comedy about a young writer who is trying to rebuild who she is and her life after suffering a horrible sexual assault. The show was nominated for many awards and was a significant success for the channel.

Sharp Objects

Starring Amy Adams and based on the novel of the same name, Sharp Objects is about a reporter who is covering the murder of two girls and has to return to her hometown. Her hometown is filled with memories of her past that haunt her to this day. The miniseries was an award-winner and earned several acting nominations.

Mr. Show With Bob And David

While it’s one of the oldest shows on this list, Mr. Show with Bob and David was what kickstarted the careers of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. The series was a sketch comedy that ran for four seasons with hilarious bits and moments that really cemented the two lead stars in the world of comedy.

There are so many other great HBO shows that people loved, but these are just a few of the ones that I enjoy watching every time I get the chance. If you haven’t checked them out, you need to now!

In any television show out there, some episodes genuinely take the cake for their dark themes – or rather, just being dark overall. Some shows are darker than others, but there's always an episode that genuinely makes people sit there for a moment and contemplate what they just watched – those are the kinds of dark episodes we are going to get into today.

Oh, and also, spoiler alert!

'The Rains Of Castamere' (Game of Thrones)

I mean, of course, I have to put "The Rains of Castamere" here. It's one of the most shocking Game of Thrones moments ever, when we watch basically a third of the Stark family get taken out by traitors. And yes, I will still never forgive the Boltons or the Lannisters for what they did.

'The Day Will Come When You Won't Be' (The Walking Dead)

It would be a sin for me not to put "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" here. It features Glenn's demise, one of the most heartbreaking The Walking Dead deaths, and really shows the entire group that we have come to love for six seasons straight get absolutely blasted with the arrival of Negan and his Saviors. It's still a dark episode, one I skip on any The Walking Dead rewatch.

'Ozymandias' (Breaking Bad)

There are some fantastic Breaking Bad episodes, but oftentimes, most of them are pretty dark, and "Ozymandias" is one of those. Considered one of the best television episodes ever by many critics, this episode really capped off the damage that Walt had done to his life when he watched Hank, his brother-in-law and DEA agent, get shot dead.

'To You, In 2000 Years - The Fall Of Shiganshina: Part 1' (Attack On Titan)

There are plenty of great dark anime out there that I could steal episodes from to put on this list, but I have to say the winner must be "To You, in 2000 Years—The Fall of Shiganshina: Part 1." I mean, you really can't get darker than having your mom get eaten in the first episode of your series—right in front of you as you're being dragged away. No wonder Eren was so messed up.

'Pretty Much Dead Already' (The Walking Dead)

For a time, The Walking Dead was the show out there that everyone talked about each week, and one of the darkest episodes of that time was "Pretty Much Dead Already." It was the first midseason finale for the show and featured a stumbling Sophie coming out of the Greene farm when everyone had been looking for her for several episodes already. Breaks your heart every time.

'The Hellfire Club' (Stranger Things)

I don't really consider a lot of Stranger Things dark, but I will say that as the series has progressed, these episodes have gotten a lot scarier, and the first that comes to mind is "The Hellfire Club." The episode starts off well enough—including the introduction of Stranger Things Season 4 All-Star Eddie. But then Vecna makes his first appearance at the end of the episode, and it is a horrorfest that instantly turns the entire thing darker than ever.

'Phoenix' (Breaking Bad)

Walter White has done some pretty horrible things as a human being, and one of his darkest moments, for sure, in Breaking Bad, was in "Phoenix." We already knew that Walter didn't like Jane, but standing there, watching her overdose right next to Jesse, was another level of darkness that I didn't think he was capable of.

'Heaven's Half Hour' (Daredevil: Born Again)

There are many moments in the original Daredevil series that I could point to, but I have to give it to a recent entry, Daredevil: Born Again, and the premiere episode. We literally open up with Matt and his friends just getting a drink, and BOOM, Foggy is shot, and Matt literally hears him die by the sound of his heartbeat. Darkness to the brim.

'The Dance Of Dragons' (Game Of Thrones)

While "The Dance of Dragons" isn't a super dark episode in itself, it's a moment in it that makes it super dark. One of the most heartbreaking Game of Thrones deaths happens here when Stannis burns his daughter alive because of Melisandre's ridiculous nonsense about a king's blood sacrifice. And then we watch her die. It's messed up in the worst ways.

'Living Doll' (The Twilight Zone)

I think The Twilight Zone is one of those shows where the episodes might not seem so dark now in comparison to what we have experienced on TV, but there are still some good ones there, and one is "Living Doll." The episode is all about a husband who is annoyed by a talking doll his stepdaughter has, but the doll begins to talk back to him, saying how much she hates him and how she wants to hurt him—it gets really dark, real quick.

'The Bent-Neck Lady' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

Honestly, every Mike Flanagan TV show has some incredibly dark episodes, but "The Bent-Neck Lady" is by far the darkest. It shows Nell finally realizes that the visions and ghosts that have been haunting her all her life are actually her. The reveal is incredibly sad and dark and one I often think about.

'72 Hours' (The Golden Girls)

I'm sure that at first glance, you would never expect me to put something like The Golden Girls on this list, but "72 Hours" is a very dark episode. Rose's doctor reaches out to her and says that her blood transfusion may have included HIV-positive blood, and now she has to wait for three days for results. It's a very harrowing episode for a show that is, at its core, a sitcom.

'Honor' (The Walking Dead)

There are plenty of moments in The Walking Dead that I could put on here, but one of the darkest episodes was "Honor." I'm sure most don't even know it because it happened in Season 8, but it was the episode where Carl, Rick's son, ended up getting bitten while trying to save a doctor for their community. It's literally one of the darkest episodes of the entire series, especially watching Rick and Michonne wait for the gunshot that signals Carl's death.

'Bullets Over Bel-Air' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was an iconic sitcom for many reasons, but it also wasn't afraid to go dark in some of its episodes. One of which was "Bullets Over Bel-Air," in which Will is shot by a robber and then Carlton goes out and buys a gun to try and be safe. It's an entire episode focused on gun violence.

'ABQ' (Breaking Bad)

There are plenty of Breaking Bad episodes out there that are genuinely dark, but one I always think of is ABQ, which is the finale of season 2 of the show. While most of the episode isn't necessarily super dark, the ending moment is where Walt watches as two planes crash above his home, sending debris to the ground, because the air trafficker's daughter just died – you know, the daughter that Walt watched overdose and didn't do anything about it.

'Bad News' (How I Met Your Mother)

At first, we all think that the "Bad News" in this episode is going to involve a fertility test with Lily, but the bad news is suddenly broken to Marshall that his father has suddenly passed from a heart attack. It's so out there that it creates a devastating episode in this sitcom.

'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' (Game Of Thrones)

The episode 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' isn't necessarily dark itself, but rather the ending scene. After Sansa is forced to marry Ramsay Bolton, he forcefully assaults her on their wedding night. Meanwhile, Theon (Reek at this point) is just standing over there forced to watch. My god.

'To The Lost' (Boardwalk Empire)

Boardwalk Empire wasn't afraid to venture into dark territory, and one of its darkest episodes was "To The Lost," mainly because of the death that happens when Nucky shoots Jimmy, a protege of his, because he failed to start a feud. The moment is shocking, considering that throughout the series, these two have basically been side by side, and now, all of a sudden, it was over.

'Coda' (The Walking Dead)

I will never forgive The Walking Dead for what they did to Beth in "Coda." One of the darkest episodes of the series, it shows the group reuniting with Beth only for her to get shot in the head when she stands up for herself. She didn't even get to reunite with her sister again. Talk about awful.

'Long Term Parking' (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos cast is filled to the brim with epic talent, which only means there will be epic episodes that tend to lean a little darker. When Silvio finds out that Adriana's slipping info to the FBI, she's taken out. It was dark and scary and showed just what happened when you crossed the Soprano family.

'Connor's Wedding' (Succession)

With how talented the Succession cast is, I wouldn't be surprised if they made half of their episodes darker, but the darkest I could point to was "Connor's Wedding." At first, it feels like just a normal episode, but all of a sudden, Logan Roy drops dead, and we, as well as the kids, are left to deal with the fallout of what occurred as the episode progresses.

'Two Storms' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

First of all, this episode is an absolute unit of cinematography. It's shot beautifully. But aside from me geeking out about how amazing it looks, "Two Storms" is dark because it's so creepy, and we keep seeing Nell's casket repeatedly getting moved or messed around with.

'Hardhome' (Game Of Thrones)

The first half of "Hardhome" is pretty tame, honestly. It's all about watching Jon and the Wildlings try to come to a compromise to, you know, survive. But then the White Walkers come and literally destroy it all, and the number of deaths that occur makes it one of the most brutal episodes for me to watch ever.

'Please Remain Calm' (Chernobyl)

I. Can't. Stand. This. Episode.

At all.

As someone who recently rewatched Chernobyl, I find this to be the darkest episode of the miniseries. Watching those three brave souls go into the factory to drain the radioactive water and try and stop this madness was terrifying, but seeing their lights go out at the end? Good god. The entire episode is shot beautifully, but man, is it dark in many instances.

'Endure And Survive' (The Last Of Us)

As someone who is one of the biggest fans of The Last of Us franchise, this episode took it out of me, both mentally and physically. I already knew that Henry and Sam (from The Last of Us cast) would die from playing the game but man, they made this episode twenty times darker with the ending and it still makes me jump and look away each time I've watched it.

'Papa's Got A Brand New Excuse' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has some serious moments that often lead to darker episodes, and one of those was definitely "Papa's Got A Brand-New Excuse." Will's father shows up out of nowhere, but, of course, by the end, he gives an excuse not to spend actual time with Will. We get an entire monologue from Will about how he doesn't need his father before he breaks down. It's so sad.

'Alone Again, Natura-Diddly' (The Simpsons)

There are some side characters on The Simpsons that you might have forgotten about, but one was taken out in the darkest possible way. In "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly," Ned Flander's wife, Maude, is struck in the head by a t-shirt and then knocked to her death. Yes, this happens in real-time on The Simpsons. This is an actual episode from Season 11.

'Too Far Gone' (The Walking Dead)

You want to talk about dark episodes of The Walking Dead? "Too Far Gone" is up there. The episode is the midseason finale for Season 4 and shows the all-out war that happens at the prison. But before then, we also watch The Governor completely snap and kill Hershel, who was hands down the group's moral compass for a long time.

'Teddy Perkins' (Atlanta)

This episode is just creepy, man. It's creepy in all the right ways. Aside from the social commentary that every episode of Atlanta seems to have, seeing Donald Glover dressed up in full prosthetics and makeup and creeping out Lakeith Stanfield is an episode I will never quite get over.

'Playtest' (Black Mirror)

There are plenty of dark episodes on Black Mirror, but one that I always think of is "Playtest," specifically for its ending. There are so many twists and turns that it's hard to keep up with it, and then the main subject, Cooper, is just killed because everything was all in his head and nothing was real—it's just too much and too dark so quickly.

'Chikhai Bardo' (Severance)

Severance is an excellent Apple TV+ show, and usually, I don't think I'd put an episode here, but "Chikhai Bardo" is a dark episode because we find out what really happened to Gemma and how she's essentially a slave for Lumon, forced to carry out multiple Severance scenarios for whatever grand design they are planning. It's messed up in so many ways.

'The Female Of The Species' (The Boys)

As someone who loves Kimiko in The Boys, the first episode, where we really see her and get to know her, is one of the darkest of the series. We see just how violent and terrifying she really is. She is not for those who have a weak stomach, but man, I love it.

What are some dark episodes that you would think of? I need to go watch some of the best rom-coms as a palette cleanser now. Goodness gracious.

Mild SPOILERS are ahead for The Parenting, now streaming on Max.

One of the new movies streaming to definitely check out this weekend is The Parenting – which is an easy sell once you see the cast assembled for the horror comedy. The likes of Brian Cox, Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris and Parker Posey all come together for a hilarious haunting movie at a remote getaway. While I wasn’t expecting Brian Cox being the actor of the bunch to get possessed, what surprised me more was what happened when I interviewed the cast and filmmakers. I got two different answers regarding Cox going nude for the movie, and no, I wasn’t even looking for the answer to that question from the get go.

First off, when I spoke to the director of The Parenting, Craig Johnson, he spoke to nabbing Brian Cox for the movie. In his words:

Especially since he was part of the Succession cast, and the actor has been known to be critical of the Hollywood industry, Johnson admits he really didn’t expect Cox to say yes to his silly movie. But, when he did, it allowed the production to get so many huge names to round out the cast.

During my chat with Dean Norris, famously from Breaking Bad, he shared his wonderful experience working with the 78-year-old, but I wasn’t prepared for him to out Cox for showing his actual butt in the movie. As Norris said:

While I was talking to Norris, The Parenting actor applauded Brian Cox for taking on the role, especially as a kind of foil to his role of Logan Roy in Succession in recent years. The Scottish performer is also a classically trained Shakespearean actor who has won two Laurence Olivier Awards for productions he was part of in the ‘80s.

After the revelation, which occurs in the movie while Cox's character becomes possessed by an entity in their cabin, I followed up with Johnson on the detail and he had something else to say about the scene:

I’m not sure what to do with this range of answers. But honestly, it matters less to me if Brian Cox actually dropped his pants for The Parenting, and more that there’s actually a butt double discrepancy here. Is Dean Norris just messing with us and his new friend Cox? When you’re talking to actors, it can be hard to tell exactly what’s honest and what's a great performance sometimes, but it was certainly believable when he brought it up.

No matter, someone’s butt is in The Parenting, and it’s a funny moment amidst a lot of fun improv throughout the movie. Another cast member also told us about a Friends moment that happened with Lisa Kudrow on set as well.

From Downton Abbey to the Red Keep to 742 Evergreen Terrace, there are so many cool houses I'd love to explore from television shows. Some have even gotten quite famous for their use on these shows. Obviously I understand these are mostly sets on a soundstage with an exterior of a completely different house, but let's take a moment to use our imagination and talk about how fun and cool these houses I've always wanted to explore would be.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Of course with have to include Uncle Phil and Aunt Bev's house on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. Most of the show pretty much takes place in two rooms, the kitchen and the living room, with other scenes in various bedrooms and occasionally other spots. There must be so much more to see!

The Addams Family

Who doesn't want to explore a house like that of the Addams family? It's creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky! It's got a dismembered hand running around, a cousin covered in hair, and an uncle who can light up a light bulb in his mouth! This is the kind of house I want to learn a whole lot more about!

Friends

Much has been made about the apartments on Friends and how unrealistic they are. Sure, that may be true, but that doesn't mean they aren't cool, especially where Monica and Rachel live. As someone who lived in a shoebox in the East Village for years, this is the kind of place I'd love to explore and dream about how I could have been living... in a fever dream.

Full House

The Painted Ladies in San Francisco are some of the most iconic houses in the entire United States Of America. For that reason alone it's worth it to explore the Tanner home on Full House. I might not have a chance to explore one otherwise (not that would in this fictional scenario anyway!)

Succession

Let's be honest, I can't stand the Roy family and it makes it hard for me to love the show Succession, because I need someone to root for and there is no one on this show worthy of that. Except maybe the houses and locations, those all look amazing. So that's decides it, I'm rooting for fictional houses.

Game Of Thrones

I've included the Red Keep here from Game of Thrones, but really it's a stand-in for basically every castle, keep, and ancestral home on the show. They all look really cool and I love old European castles, so an architectural tour of Westeros is right in my wheelhouse. Winterfell, Dragonstone, the Eyrie, Sunspear... they are all amazing. Even the ruins of Harrenhal would be awesome to hang out in for a bit.

Gossip Girl

I lived a very different life in my shoebox in the East Village when I lived in New York than the families in Gossip Girl lived. Frankly, every location looks incredible in its own way and I want to see them all and the well-dressed people who live in them.

Frasier

Frasier Crane doesn't live in the most extravagant condo in TV history, but it still seems like a really cool place. Seattle is a beautiful city and the view they had would make a quick tour very worthwhile. Plus, who doesn't want to have a good sit in Martin's chair?

Diff'rent Strokes

The 1980s was filled with over-the-top residences, and the Drummonds apartment in Diff'rent Strokes is close to the top of the list. We really only got to see a little bit of the two-story New York apartment, as almost every scene was in the living room, kitchen, or Willis and Arnold's bedroom. I want to see more! There must be a cozy study in there somewhere with a fireplace filled with many old books and rich mahogany!

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is one of the few fictional houses on this list that one can actually spend some time in. The house, which is known as Highclere Castle in real life, is open for tours to the public, and not only can you explore the grounds, but many of the rooms from the show as well. I've not done it yet, but I'd love to do the tour at some point.

Silver Spoons

As a kid of the '80s, the Stratton's mansion on Silver Spoons is close to the top of my list of houses I wished I lived in. There was a train running through the living room, multiple arcade games, and a racing car bed! It's everything I ever wanted and more. Plus, we never got to see much other than a couple of rooms, there has to be so much to explore!

Dynasty

The 1980s were a time when incredibly rich families stirred up melodrama among themselves on shows like Dynasty. Set in Denver, the show's family, the Carringtons, lived in an amazing home. The exteriors of the home were actually a palatial home in Pasadena called Arden Villa.

Modern Family

Jay and Gloria Prichett's house on Modern Family fits the name of the show well. It's...well... modern and it's the kind of house I like to stalk on Zillow. It's not the most over-the-top, or biggest (nor the smallest, for sure), but it seems like a really awesome, realistic house that would be perfect for a week-long AirBnB rental.

Mork & Mindy

This is one of those homes on TV that actually seems like a place I could actually afford and live in. It's a simple house in Boulder, CO, where the show is set and while the prices all over Colorado for real estate are kind of insane, it's still a very cool looking, sensible house. Mork (Robin Williams) is the only thing that isn't sensible about it.

The Munsters

There are few houses in TV history as iconic as the Munster's mansion from The Munsters. Though I'm not a big fan of horror movies, even I can appreciate all the Easter eggs and tributes to old monster movies that must be hidden all over the house. It's the kind of place that is a museum of the weird as much as it is a home.

The Brady Bunch

I love Mid-Century Modern architecture, especially houses. There is no better example of a cool Mid-Century Modern house in TV history than the house designed by Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch. It's also one of the rare shows where we basically see every room in the house in almost every episode. The one part we never see is where Alice lives, so that's something new to explore.

The Golden Girls

I'm a total sucker for those weird Florida gated communities like the one in The Golden Girls and for that reason, I'd love to check the house shared by the four retired roommates in the classic NBC sitcom. It's not the most extravagant, nor the most interesting, but it's still the kind of realistic house I love.

The Sopranos

This is a little bit of an outlier because really, the house in The Sopranos is everything I kinda hate in a house. It's pretty much a standard suburban McMansion, so that means my exploration would really be to make fun of it. I get that it's not a great idea to criticize Carmela's decorating or Tony's house in general, but it's a risk I'd be willing to take.

Mad Men

Don Draper's apartment in Mad Men looks amazing. It's not the biggest home on this list, but it's so perfectly set in its time, it would be amazing to spend a few hours in listening to some jazz and smoking cigarettes.

Dallas

Southfork Ranch is a real place. It's a popular spot in Dallas to hold weddings and other events. That means that exploring the house, which is home to the Ewing clan in Dallas is possible, but I'd want to go back in time and see it as it was when the Ewings lived there (on the show anyway). There would be so much to see across all of the property.

The Simpsons

There are few addresses as famous as 742 Evergreen Terrace. It's not the grandest house on this list, obviously, but still, it's just so iconic. I can just see myself having a Duff on the back patio while Homer relaxes in his hammock, or lying on the floor with Lisa and Bart watching the latest episode of Itchy & Scratchy. Maybe even helping Marge in the kitchen cooking pork chops for dinner.

Dexter

Okay, I'll admit, this one is the most depraved choice on this list. Checking out Dexter's apartment from Dexter is sure to be disturbing and morbid, so it's the kind of place where it's good to keep in mind this is all fictional! Demented and sad, but fictional!

Seinfeld

Jerry's apartment on Seinfeld is probably the smallest home on this list. It's really just the kitchen and living room open-plan space (that doesn't actually make sense) and Jerry's bedroom, but there is always some cool stuff in the background, like Superman memorabilia and cereal boxes. Those are worth exploring, right? Maybe not, but Kramer may have the hot tub open in his apartment.

Charmed

Like a few others on this lit, visiting nd exploring the house on Charmed is less about the house - though it does look stunning - and more about learning about what is really going with these three witches. It has to be fascinating to see how they live when they aren't fighting demons and the like.

The Nanny

I'll admit I'm pretty fascinated by huge New York City apartments. It's just so different from how most people live in the city. The opulence and ease of living in multi-story dwellings in the city must be amazing, and the home on The Nanny certainly fits the bill like others on this list.

Desperate Housewives

This entry isn't about one house, it's about all the house and the neighborhood that makes up Wisteria Lane on Desperate Housewives. There isn't anything particularly special about any one house, but wow what a subdivision to live in! My suburban street was nothing like this... or maybe it was and I was just ignorant of it. Probably not.

The Crown

There are a lot of palaces and castles in Netflix's The Crown and all of them are real places, though none of the show was actually filmed in them, of course. Of all the castles and palaces that Queen Elizabeth is seen in on the show, the coolest and most interesting has to be Balmoral, her castle in Scotland where she ultimately died in real life. That's the castle and grounds I want to explore.

Billions

Even by TV show standards, Bobby Axelrod (Damien Lewis) on Showtime's Billions has a ridiculous beach house in the Hamptons. I mean, it looks like a country club clubhouse or a hotel, it's insane. It feels like you could spend a month there and never hang out in the same room twice.

Ozark

I've been to the Lake of the Ozarks a bunch of times in my life and while it's a super fun place, you don't really think of it as having interesting houses. On the show Ozark, the Byrdes definitely live in one that you wouldn't ever expect to see there, and it's based on a real place there. It's exactly the kind of house I love. It's also one of the few places that is actually based on a real thing at Lake of the Ozarks, as the show was primarily shot in Georgia.

Beverly Hills, 90210

As someone who grew up watching Beverly Hills, 90210 every week, this is definitely a very personal choice. I just always thought the house was really nice looking and I'd love to spend some time hanging out with the Walshes.

Arrested Development

Yes, it's only a model house, and yes, it's basically cheap construction of plywood and chewing gum, but still, the house in Arrested Development would be a wild place to hang out for a while. You could look for George in the attic, or count the number of blue handprints on the wall... there's just so much. I wouldn't mess around with the cornballer though.

Falcon Crest

One of the wildest wealthy fictional families on TV in the '80s was the Channing/Gioberti clan on Falcon Crest. It's a show that no one talks about anymore, but the house, set in a fictionalized version of Napa Valley is amazing and really, we should be talking about it as the star of the show, though Jane Wyman is pretty fantastic on the show too.

The so-called "Golden Age" or "Peak TV era" of television is broadly (and roughly) defined as the running from the debut of The Sopranos to the finale of Better Call Saul. This isn't a perfect description, as there are still some really amazing shows that continue part, like, say, Severance, just to name one. But, for this article, we're going to stick to those parameters. Without further ado, here is our list of some of the truly great shows from the Peak Era of television.

Game Of Thrones

We certainly couldn't make this list without the grand dragon on them all, HBO's Game of Thrones. Though the ending made a lot of people mad and you can argue that the show declined greatly in its last couple of seasons, it doesn't diminish the greatest of the show's early years. With some of the most shocking moments in TV history, the show was must-watch TV for all eight seasons.

Atlanta

Creator and star of Atlanta Donald Glover proved yet again that he is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Over six years and four seasons the show and its star were showered with acclaim and industry awards, including multiple Golden Globes and Emmys. Not only did Glover win an Emmy for acting on the FX series, but he became the first African-American to win Best Director at the Emmys in the show's first season.

The West Wing

There aren't a lot of network TV shows on this list, but one that simply has to be is The West Wing. For seven seasons in the early 2000s, the NBC hit was one of the best shows in network history. Featuring a long list of stars that included Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, and many other cast members, The West Wing gave us all a look into all that government can be if we want it to be.

Lost

Pardon the pun, but it's fair to say that ABC's Lost lost its way towards the end. A confluence of events, including a writer's strike, left fans more than a little annoyed with the show's final couple of seasons, but those first few years were simply incredible. The show, which debuted in 2004, was one of the first shows that was ever described as "bingable" and with good reasons, the cliffhangers were amazing.

Mad Men

In a lot of ways, AMC's Mad Men kind of came out of nowhere. Set in the 1960s, it was unlike anything on TV at the time and the longer it went on, the better it got, which is rare for any show. It made a star out of Jon Hamm and fascinated viewers each week both with its wonderful storytelling and its look back at one of the most turbulent and interesting decades in American history.

The Office

In an era when sitcoms were evolving and struggling to keep up with their dramatic counterparts, The Office was one of the biggest shows of all time (that's what she said). Steve Carell's performance as the worst boss in the world became one of the most quotable and memed shows ever. It's true the NBC show did suffer some when Carell left after Season 7, the legacy of the show was well-established by then.

Downton Abbey

If you had bet on a period piece set on an opulent estate during Edwardian England would be a massive hit, most of the time, you'd lose. If you placed that bet on Downton Abbey, however, you'd have won big. There are no action sequences, stunts, or special effects. It's simply a wonderfully told story with fantastic characters played by excellent actors.

Better Call Saul

As a spinoff to another Peak TV era show, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul found its own place in television history. It's a very different show from the show that birthed it, as it's a little more surreal and, frankly, funny. In some people's eyes, the AMC's show's finale in 2022 marks the end of an era.

The Wire

Famously, The Wire was never a monster hit for HBO. Certainly not on the level of The Sopranos, which ran during roughly the same few years. Still, it has maintained a spot at the top or near the top of almost any list of "Best TV Shows in History." The Wire plays out like a 60-hour movie or a great book. The character development is unrivaled and the storytelling is heartbreaking, uplifting, and frustrating (in a good way). There is no doubt that the show will be remembered as one of the best for a long, long time.

Breaking Bad

What can we write about Breaking Bad that hasn't already been written. Widely considered the best (or close to the best) TV show of all time, the Bryan Cranston-led show was wildly popular with both fans and critics alike. It is one of the darkest shows in history, but that never diminished the love for it.

Narcos

Netflix landed itself a massive hit with Narcos in 2015. Wagner Moura, who played the kingpin Pablo Escobar stole the show with his uncanny and incredible performance as the notorious drug lord and Pedro Pascal found a new level of fame as one of the DEA agents trying to bring Escobar down. The show's third season, which shifted away from the Escobar story after the character's death wasn't quite on the level of the first two, but the show was popular enough to launch a spinoff, Narcos: Mexico, which ran for three seasons as well.

The Sopranos

The Sopranos' debut on HBO in January of 1999 marks the unofficial beginning of the Golden Age of Television - or at least the modern Golden Age. The production value, storytelling, and acting on the show were unlike anything anyone had ever seen. the characters were fully formed almost from the moment they first hit the screen and the story that unfolded, about a mafia boss played by the late, great James Gandolfini trying to keep both his crime family and his actual family together was simply unparalleled. Right down to the end and the show's much-talked-about finale.

Grey's Anatomy

As one of the longest-running prime-time shows in history, Grey's Anatomy has run for almost the entire era of "peak TV." Since its debut in 2005 and over more than 20 seasons and 400 episodes, the show has just kept chugging along with a devoted fanbase who stayed with it over the decades and though the endless cast changes can be frustrating, the show is remarkable.

24

One of the very first "bingable" shows would have to be 24. The Kiefer Sutherland-led action show from Fox kept viewers on the edge of their seats for nine seasons, one TV movie (24: Redemption), and a couple of spin-offs. It all made 24 one of the most bankable franchises of the era.

Six Feet Under

The early 2000s were an incredible era for HBO. Along with The Sopranos and The Wire, the network had another one of the best shows of the era with Six Feet Under. The show told the story of the Fisher family and their trials and turbulations running the family business, a funeral home. Mix in some supernatural elements and HBO had a unique hit on their hands.

Modern Family

Network sitcoms that enter the general cultural zeitgeist are few and far between these days. Certainly not like they were in their heyday of the 1970s and '80s. There are still a few that break through though, like Modern Family. For a time, it seemed as those everyone in the country was watching the ups and downs of the most dysfunctional and wonder families in TV history. For 11 seasons, the ABC hit dominated the ratings and is still a hit on streaming years after airing its finale in 2020.

Orange Is the New Black

Orange Is the New Black wasn't the first "prestige TV" show from Netflix, but it's safe to say it solidified Netflix's spot among the biggest players in the industry. For seven seasons over six years, the prison comedy-drama told the semi-autobiographical story of Piper Kerman, whose book of the same name was the basis for the show. Kerman spent a year in prison and many of the stories in the show reflected or told the experiences she had while in jail.

Deadwood

Many of the best Westerns on film came out many decades ago. On TV, there were big hits in the '50s and '60s like Gunsmoke and Bonanza, but the best Western television show of the 21st Century, Deadwood has almost nothing in common with any of those. The show was dark, crass, and unlike anything else on TV. The verbose language and insane moments made must-see TV at the time. Sadly it was never quite as popular as it should have been and that made for some herky-jerky starts-and-stops between seasons, but the show never dipped in quality.

Friday Night Lights

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," from a speech by Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) in Friday Night Lights has become part of the television canon, just as the show has. Based on the movie starring Billy Bob Thornton about the spectacle that is high school football in Texas, the show has outshined its source material in almost every way.

Veep

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is unique. She not only starred in the biggest sitcom of the 1990s, Seinfeld, but she's followed it up with two more hot shows. First in the '00s she won awards for The New Adventures of Old Christine and then in the 2010s had maybe her best performance as the hapless, power-hungry Vice President on HBO's Veep for which she won an incredible seven Emmys in a row.

House Of Cards

In 2013 Netflix loudly announced it was ready to be a player in the Peak Age of TV with House Of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Based on a British show of the same name, the show highlighted the darkest corners of politics and despite the show losing some steam when Kevin Spacey got caught in the middle of a serious legal battle forcing him off the show and effectively ending his career, it still deserves recognition for all six seasons it ran for.

The Walking Dead

Over 11 seasons and 177 episodes, it's fair to say that not every moment on The Walking Dead was peak TV. That doesn't tell the whole story though, because when The Walking Dead was great, it was really great. The AMC zombie show was a ratings monster and cultivated one of the most dedicated fanbases ever, which led to multiple spinoffs that will seemingly run forever.

Boardwalk Empire

When Boardwalk Empire premiered on HBO in 2009, it came with a lot of hype as the mind behind it, Terrence Winter, had been of the key creative minds behind The Sopranos. While Boardwalk Empire never quite reached the lofty heights of The Sopranos, it was still one of the best shows on TV in its time.

Sons Of Anarchy

Like a few other shows on this list, FX's Sons Of Anarchy isn't a perfect show. There were some ill-advised plot decisions, like moving the gang to Ireland for a while, but like those other shows, when SOA was good, it was really, really good. The characters became our own dysfunctional family who we laughed, cried, and died with over the show's seven seasons. A spinoff, Mayans M.C., wasn't as good, but it also found a fanbase and lasted for five seasons.

The Americans

Of all the shows on this list, the one that maybe flew under the radar more than most has to be The Americans. The FX show was just... cool. It was a spy thriller that brought the Cold War back to U.S. television. Set in the '80s and starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, the show ran for six great seasons and never really fell off as so many other shows do.

30 Rock

How do you follow up an incredible run as a star and head writer on SNL? Well, if you're as talented and funny as Tina Fey, you create one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 21st Century with 30 Rock. If nothing else, the show left us with the important bit of advice that you should never go with a hippie to a second location.

Justified

FX's Justified updated the Western for the 21st Century. Based on a book for Elmore Leonard and starring Timothy Olyphant as a 21st-century lawman with with his heart in the 19th Century, Justified was as noir as you'd expect from a story by Leonard and the acting is, across the board, fantastic.

True Detective

One of the darkest shows during the Peak Era of TV had to be True Detective, especially the first season. The unconventional storytelling was brought to life brilliantly by stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and while the show was still great for a couple of more seasons, it really was that first season that stood out and above the others.

Succession

On HBO's Succession, the entire Roy family are all awful people. It's a show entirely made of characters we love to hate. We hated them so much, we couldn't wait to tune in each week to see what awful things they would do and it made the show unique and magical in that way.

Homeland

Showtime's Homeland started with a bang in its first season, or rather, almost ended its first season with a bang that never happened. The spy thriller starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis was the ultimate nail-biter as no one really knew how the season would end. While the end of that first season was probably the pinnacle of the show, it ended up airing for seven more excellent seasons.

Battlestar Galactica

Interestingly, though there are some exceptions, Sci-Fi wasn't a huge part of the era. One of those exceptions was Battlestar Galactica, a reboot of the old series from the 1970s. The new version was a mystery wrapped in a space adventure and featured some of the craziest twists of any show from the time.

Barry

It's always cool to see an actor known primarily for their comedic talents take on a more serious role and Bill Hader in Barry is a perfect example. Sure, there is some dark comedy in the show of course, but, especially as the show went on, the character played by Hader was as complex as any character we've seen on TV and Hader is amazing.

The Roy brothers are back in competition, and Succession fans couldn’t be happier about it. That's right, both Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin landed on the list of 2025 Oscar nominees in the same category. So, considering the Kendall and Roman Roy actors are going up against each other again and they reacted to their nods in very on-brand ways, fans are making all the Succession comparisons, and they’re glorious.

How Jeremy Strong And Kieran Culkin Reacted To Their Oscar Nominations

Both Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin were nominated for and won Emmys for their work on Succession. However, Strong’s work in The Apprentice and Culkin’s performance in A Real Pain landed them their first Oscar nominations.

So, to celebrate this massive moment, Strong, who earned his nomination for playing Roy Cohn in the well-reviewed The Apprentice, gave a statement to CNN, noting that this is a “realization of a lifelong dream:”

This statement was supplemented with an adorable photo of the actor outside the 1993 Oscars too, showing that he has been dreaming of this since he was a child.

Strong also acknowledged the discourse surrounding this film about Donald Trump and the challenges he and Sebastian Stan – who played Trump – faced while trying to make and promote this movie, noting that their nods were “absolutely miraculous.”

Meanwhile, while Strong took the earnest and deeply reflective route, Kieran Culkin and his wife Jazz Charton were popping the champagne and bringing that LFG energy, as you can see in Charton’s IG stories below:

Keeping the hype alive as they celebrated Culkin’s nomination for his hilarious and tragic performance in A Real Pain, Charton posted:

Overall, these two were celebrating big time, and they deserve to.

Truly, both men deserve this acknowledgment and the chance to celebrate. What makes this all even better is how Kendall and Roman Roy coded these reactions were, and fans couldn’t get enough of it.

How Succession Fans Reacted To The Roy Brothers Oscar Nominations

These Succession cast members really played into their characters’ vibes, and the fans couldn’t ignore that fact. They also couldn’t get over the notion that these two actors, who played competing siblings for years, are now set to compete against each other…again. So, yeah, references and comparisons to Succession were flying left and right, as you can see by @mrswambsgans post:

Meanwhile, in the comments on a viral post that showed off Culkin’s Roman Roy-coded reaction to his nomination, fans were really going hard in the comments with their callouts to the HBO hit:

• succession casting could not have been more correct -@finelylesberg
• I love that the sibling rivalry continues -@emmiebe18
• you take the actors out of succession not succession out of the actors -@towniee_ele
• Life imitates art -@alandakariza

Of course, there were a lot of “eldest boy” memes flying around in reference to these competing nominations too, and they looked a lot like this:

Considering Culkin beat Strong at the 2023 Emmys and he’s the frontrunner for the Oscar this year (he’s already taken home a Golden Globe and is expected to win at other upcoming award shows), tweets like this are hilarious. However, let it be known, there’s no bad blood between these two, and hopefully, we get to see them reunite and interact at the Academy Awards.

Now, the race is really on as we wait to see who takes home the Oscar on March 2. In the meantime, you can go back and watch the Roy brothers in Succession with a Max subscription. And you can check out their Oscar-nominated performances by streaming Culkin’s A Real Pain with a Hulu subscription and renting The Apprentice to see Strong’s performance.

Sometimes, you get to a point where you need a new show to binge – and thankfully, there are plenty of great dramas out there that are readily available. Whether it’s some of the best shows to binge on Netflix or some of the best HBO shows out there, there are so many dramas that you can dive right into. Here are some of the best that I would recommend.

Yellowstone (2018 – 2024)

Running for five seasons, Yellowstone is one of those neo-Western dramas that just exploded when it first came out. The series follows the lives of those who live on a large cattle ranch – the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch – as well as the Broken Rock Indian reservation and the land developers who want to take it all away. I can literally think of no other drama to dive headfirst into other than this one.

Narcos (2015 – 2017)

Narcos, a Netflix series with three seasons, follows the story of Pablo Escobar, a real-life drug lord, and how he became the legend we all know him as. Season 3 follows the aftermath of his defeat. As someone who loves a good crime drama, I think this show is one of the best to sink your teeth into.

Game Of Thrones (2011 – 2019)

There is no better cast out there than the Game of Thrones cast, and you will think the same thing once you watch this series. The legendary HBO show is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin. It follows the story of several influential individuals who all look for one thing – to rule Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, as well as the lives that are taken in the process. With eight seasons, it’s an easy binge.

Outlander (2014 – Present)

Based on the novels of the same name, Outlander takes romance and history and makes it into the steamiest drama that you’re going to love. The series follows the story of a World War II military nurse who is sent back in time to the 1700s and falls in love with a Highland warrior. Yes, this is a legit series, and it takes so many twists and turns that you’ll love every second of it.

The Wire (2002 – 2008)

The Wire is considered one of the best HBO shows of all time, and for good reason. The crime drama is set in Baltimore, Maryland, and each season discusses a new part of the city and how it’s related to the legal system there, from education to drugs. While it’s shocking that the series never won Best Drama at the Emmys, it’s still an incredible show, one that deserves so much praise.

Stranger Things (2016 – Present)

While plenty see Stranger Things as sci-fi (for good reasons), it is, at its core, a fun drama that features some really cool mysteries. The series begins in the 1980s with Will Byers going missing and his mother and friends trying to find him in a town full of secrets. The series itself is one of Netflix’s biggest hits, so it’s certainly worth the time to watch.

The Bear (2022 – Present)

I legitimately don’t care what people say. This show is way more drama than comedy, and I stand by that. The Bear follows the story of a young chef who travels back to Chicago in order to save his brother’s restaurant after he passes and tries to turn it into a fine-dining restaurant. The series has an incredible The Bear cast and is constantly nominated for so many awards. It’s so good.

Ozark (2017 – 2022)

Over four seasons, Ozark follows a married couple as they move to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri to launder money for the Mexican drug cartel. However, as they arrive, they run into trouble that turns their lives upside down. The series was a huge hit on Netflix and earned plenty of praise during its run.

Silo (2023 – Present)

One of the best Apple TV+ shows will have you on the edge of your seat. Silo, which is based on the trilogy of novels Wool, Shift, and Dust, follows the story of a community that somehow lives in a vast underground silo that has 144 levels and the conflicts that arrive in this dystopian world.

Lost (2004 – 2010)

When we think of dramas, Lost certainly tops the list. The series, which aired for six seasons, follows the lives of plane passengers who survive a crash on a distant island. However, they start to realize that this place is not a typical island and that there are deadly forces at work. While the Lost finale is highly discussed as one of the worst out there, the rest of the series is great to watch.

House Of The Dragon (2022 – Present)

If you love Game of Thrones, chances are you’ll enjoy House of the Dragon as well. The series, based on the novel Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, focuses on the story of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and how she fights for the throne in the legendary Dance of Dragons when her half-brother takes it. It’s undoubtedly one of the best fantasy shows right now.

Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022)

Starring Cillian Murphy as the iconic Tommy Shelby, Peaky Blinders is a period crime drama that follows the lives of the Peaky Blinders crime gang and their rise to power in Birmingham after World War I.

Bridgerton (2020 – Present)

If you’re looking for a romantic drama to dive into, then Bridgerton is the one for you. With three seasons (so far), the series follows the lives of the Bridgerton children back in the 1800s in England, with each season focusing on a new romance filled with scandalous drama and steamy moments.

Squid Game (2021 – Present)

Squid Game is hands down the biggest Netflix show of all time, and for good reason. This drama, hailing from South Korea, tells the story of a group of competitors who all play children’s games in order to win a large amount of money – but the competition takes a deadly twist when people are literally eliminated from life when they lose the games.

The Walking Dead (2011 – 2022)

The Walking Dead was, at one point, one of the biggest shows on television, and as someone who has watched all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, I still think it’s a great series to dive into. Based on the comics of the same name, the show mainly follows Rick Grimes, a former cop, who leads his group of survivors as zombies – known as “walkers” – take over the world.

Yellowjackets (2021 – Present)

Yellowjackets is hands down one of the best Showtime shows, and I will always recommend it to anyone who wants to dive right into it. The series follows two timelines—one in which a high school soccer team must survive in the Canadian wilderness when their plane crashes over the mountains and do whatever it takes to make it out alive, and the other decades later, where the survivors are still dealing with the consequences of their actions.

The Last Of Us (2023 – Present)

If you want to talk about the best video game adaptations out there, I can think of nothing better than The Last of Us. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, The Last of Us follows Joel Miller, a survivor of a zombie outbreak, who is tasked with getting a teenager across the United States because she might be the cure for the rest of the world.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

I only put one miniseries on this list, but trust me when I say The Queen’s Gambit is the best miniseries to dive into. The series, based on the novel of the same name, follows the story of a young woman named Beth Harmon in the 1950s and 60s as she rises to fame as a chess player but also deals with substance abuse. The series was a huge hit and was a career-changing role for star Anya Taylor-Joy.

Barry (2018 – 2023)

I could go on about Barry for years. The series follows the life of a former U.S. Marine who takes on a new job as a hitman, but when he goes to California for a job, he finds himself drawn to the life of an actor and questioning his role in his life. The Barry cast is so talented, and all four seasons are so intense you’ll want to binge it for hours.

Alice In Borderland (2020 – Present)

Japan has always had some amazing dramas to dive into, and one that I love is Alice in Borderland. The series, based on the manga of the same name, follows the lives of two young people who work together to survive dangerous games in Tokyo. If they don’t succeed, they are killed by lasers shot from the sky. Yes, this is an intense drama, but it’s worth every second watching.

Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

I have to put Breaking Bad on this list. The famous AMC series follows the life of a high school science teacher who turns to a life of crime in order to provide for his family after his sudden cancer diagnosis. Considered one of the best dramas of all time, Breaking Bad is worth every second watching – and of course, the Breaking Bad cast is incredible as well.

Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022)

If you’ve seen Breaking Bad, then Better Call Saul is the subsequent drama that you should dive into. The series, which is a spinoff of Breaking Bad, follows the beginning years of the iconic lawyer, Saul Goodman, who originally began as Jimmy McGill. But throughout six seasons, we see him fall into a life of crime.

This Is Us (2016 – 2022)

This Is Us is one of those dramas that only comes once in a lifetime because, I swear, there is something that we can all connect to with this show. The series mainly revolves around the lives of three siblings and their connections to each other from across the United States, as well as seeing flashbacks of their past to growing up with their parents. It doesn’t sound like it would be dramatic, but trust me when I say you’ll find something to cry about with this show in the first episode.

The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)

The Sopranos is another great drama that I think everyone thinks of when they hear the word “crime.” The series, which comes from HBO, tells the story of Tony Soprano, a mobster from New Jersey, and how he deals with his personal and professional life with the mob and the problems he runs into.

Black Mirror (2011 – Present)

There are some excellent anthology shows out there, but Black Mirror is the type of drama that will have you on the edge of your seat. The series has different episodes each season, and all of them display some strange dystopian concepts in a not-so-far future that will truly shock and entertain you, from strange afterlives to how we view social media.

All Of Us Are Dead (2022 – Present)

South Korea has some of the best horror shows out there, and one that I will always recommend is All Of Us Are Dead. The series follows a group of high school students who must survive when a zombie outbreak begins within their walls and how they try to communicate to the outside world that they need help.

You (2018 – Present)

Oh, hello there, you. Yes, you, reading this, because surely, you’ll end up being the next thing Joe Goldberg is obsessed with. You is a drama that follows Joe, a seemingly normal man who falls in love way too quickly – and when he loves, he loves hard and will take out whoever threatens that relationship or your life.

Black Doves (2024 – Present)

Starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, Black Doves is the latest spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seats. The series follows a young woman whose identity is revealed, putting her life in danger. Her employers send an old friend to keep her safe, sending them on a whirlwind espionage adventure.

The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)

There are plenty of Mike Flanagan TV shows to check out on Netflix, but I always recommend The Haunting of Hill House before any of the others. The series alternates between two timelines: one of a family moving into a seemingly normal house with a dark past, and the next day, the family comes back together to face the darkness they had once encountered in their new home.

The Crown (2016 – 2023)

The Crown, which detailed the life of Queen Elizabeth II, had six seasons that followed her rise to become the monarch we all knew her as and how her reign changed as the decades progressed. The series earned several awards and nominations over its six-season run.

Dexter (2006 – 2013)

While plenty of people talk about the Dexter finale, the series itself is still a great drama to drive into. Following the titular character, Dexter is a blood splatter analyst by day and a serial killer by night, who uses his job to find horrible people and take them out as a way to suit his dark urges. But when one other killer starts to challenge him, he decides to take matters into his own hands and end them.

Succession (2018 – 2023)

HBO has been a huge producer of dramas for years, and Succession is hands down one of the best in the last decade. The series follows the Roy family, a hugely successful family that owns an entertainment conglomerate. Their lives are thrown upside down thanks to a health scare from their patriarch. Now, the question of who will own the company after he passes causes drama.

These are just some of the best dramas out there to check out – all of which are great ways to spend a weekend. I think it’s time for another binge. Who’s up for a marathon?

Some of the best TV characters are the ones that drive us crazy. Whether it's because they are villains, or simply just because they are obnoxious, we can't wait to see what they do next. Here is our list of all the characters we just love to hate.

Brenda Walsh - Beverly Hills, 90210

Brandon and Brenda Walsh may have been twins on Beverly Hills, 90210, but really, they couldn't have been any more different. Brandon was seemingly loved by everyone, including the audience, while Brenda was the ultimate teenage villain. It probably didn't help that the late Shannen Doherty was also controversial behind the scenes of the show, eventually leaving after Season 4.

Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) on The Big Bang Theory was an incredibly funny character. He was also an incredibly annoying and obnoxious character that fans of the show just loved to hate. He was laughed at and with through the show and was so popular (and despised), that the character got his own spinoff, Young Sheldon.

Cersei Lannister - Game Of Thrones

Without a doubt, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in Game of Thrones is one of the greatest TV villains of all time. She was universally hated by fans, which is the biggest compliment you can give Headey as the one portraying her. She was so hated that even her death by getting crushed by thousands of pounds of rocks wasn't satisfying enough to fans of the show.

J.R. Ewing - Dallas

"Who shot J.R.?" is arguably the best TV cliffhanger of all time. It wasn't just that fans wanted to know who shot him, but if he survived the shooting. Plenty of people would have been satisfied had the villain on Dallas not made it. Of course, he did make it, and he was only more hated for it - in the best way.

Rebecca - Cheers

Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca on Cheers walked into a pretty difficult assignment when she joined the show in Season 6. She was essentially replacing another character fans loved to hate, Diane, played by Shelly Long. Still, both the actress and the character slipped right into the sometimes villain, sometimes friend role and fans loved to hate her for it.

Dennis Reynolds - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

The gang in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia are all pretty terrible people. It's why we watch them, to see just how awful they can be. There is little redeeming about any of them, but the worst has to be Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton). There's no way anyone would ever be friends with a person like that, and that's why we love him... and hate him.

Dr. Robert Romano - ER

Dr. Robert "Rocket" Romano was one of the great TV villains of the 1990s in ER. He was brash, obnoxious, demanding, and mean. Audiences really hated him on a level that few TV villains are. It was a visceral hatred. That made his ridiculous death all the more satisfying, even though it was pretty over-the-top and somewhat silly.

Gemma Morrow - Sons Of Anarchy

Katey Sagal's portrayal of Gemma Morrow in Sons Of Anarchy was one of the highlights of the whole show. She was wonderful throughout the whole thing. And her character was simply a terrible, self-centered, shockingly sociopathic person. She was great.

Sue Sylvester - Glee

Even shows like Glee can have the most epic villains that audiences can't get enough of. Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) fits the bill better than most on this list, too. She's brilliantly funny and shockingly mean all at the same time.

Dwight Schrute - The Office

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is the kind of work frenemy we all are grateful we don't have to deal with. He is obnoxious and overbearing and just simply annoying. Worse, he can be destructive. Of course, that only makes us love him more as a character. We may root for Jim, but secretly, we want to see what Dwight says next.

The Governor - The Walking Dead

Over its 11 seasons, there were a lot of great villains on The Walking Dead and while Negan may be the most notorious, he was pretty much just hated in every way (at least until the end). The Governor (David Morrissey) in Seasons 3 and 4 was the first villain we all truly loved to hate.

Livia Soprano - The Sopranos

Livia Soprano, played by the late Nancy Marchand on The Sopranos, was the worst mother imaginable. The way she dealt with her kids, and the rest of the world, was simply despicable. Had it not been for Marchand's untimely death after Season 3, who knows just how much more she would have been hated by fans of the show. One thing is for sure though, we all loved the late Marchand for her work as Livia.

Gus Fring - Breaking Bad

There aren't a lot of heroes in Breaking Bad. At best Walter White is an anti-hero. Gus Fring, however, is a truly great villain. Giancarlo Esposito's portrayal of Walter's rival is unparalleled in TV history. Fans simply could not get enough of the villain and he'll long be remembered as one of the best parts of one of the most rewatchable shows of all time.

The Entire Roy Family - Succession

When it comes to the HBO hit Succession, it's impossible to pick the worst member of the Roy family. They are all so terrible, and seemingly in competition with each other as to who can worse, that we just have to nominate them all for this list. They are all just awful.

Homelander - The Boys

Of all the shows on streaming, there may not be a bigger concentration of terrible people than the characters on The Boys. There are only one or two redeemable characters on the whole show, and the worst are all completely awful. At the top of the list of characters we love to hate though, is Homelander. How could it not be?

Francis Underwood - House Of Cards

Even setting aside the camera controversies of Kevin Spacey, Frank Underwood on House Of Cards was a shockingly terrible person. His quest for power was unrivaled in television history and his willingness to do anything, including commit murders, made him so easy to hate. Yet we couldn't stop watching, could we?

Joffrey Baratheon - Game Of Thrones

Joffrey Baratheon on Game Of Thrones was such a hated character that a rumor once started that it actually affected actor Jack Gleeson's career negatively (it didn't). That not only says something about the character and how much we loved to hate him, but it also says something great about Gleeson who played the evil tyrant so well, that some people can't separate the actor from the character.

Louie De Palma - Taxi

Danny DeVito may be most famous today for playing another terrible person, Frank on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, but he got his big break in television playing the awful Louie De Palma on the classic '70s sitcom Taxi. Louie was the worst kind of tyrant boss.

Steve Urkel - Family Matters

Steve Urkel, played by Jaleel White, is hated for a very different reason than many on this list. He's just the most annoying TV character ever created. Fans who loved Family Matters also loved how obnoxious he was. People who weren't fans of the show just found him unbearable. A tribute to White's portrayal of the annoying neighbor.

Mr. Burns - The Simpsons

If there is one character on The Simpsons who does his best to be purely evil, it's C. Montgomery Burns. This is a guy who even tried to block out the sun from shining on Springfield. Of course, on any list of the best Simpsons characters, he'd be near the top, too.

Sawyer - Lost

Make no mistake that by the end of Lost, Sawyer (Josh Holloway) would become a hero. It takes him a long time to get there and in the early seasons, he's a pretty terrible person. That doesn't stop us from laughing at the creative nicknames he comes with or some of the snarky lines he has.

Eric Cartman - South Park

Eric Cartman is the worst kid in South Park. He's also the funniest character on the show (except for maybe Randy). Just about everything Cartman does is awful. He's one of the most self-serving and selfish people on TV, ever, yet, we can't stop coming back for more. We can't wait to see what obnoxious thing he will do next.

Ross Geller - Friends

Even the most die-hard Friends fan will admit that Ross Geller is a pretty awful person. Actor David Schwimmer was so good as Ross that it's hard to separate him from the character and that's too bad because Schwimmer seems like a great guy, while Ross is usually very much the opposite. It makes the "great" love story between him and Rachael (Jennifer Aniston) all the more confusing for fans.

Screetch - Saved By The Bell

The late Dustin Diamond played one of the most annoying nerds ever on Saved By The Bell. Screetch did basically nothing right and why anyone ever stayed friends with him is a complete mystery. Still, he was one of the reasons - if not the main reason - we laughed so hard at the show.

Sylar - Heroes

NBC's Heroes started off so strong before it sadly faded almost as quickly as it came out of the gate. However, throughout the show's short run, the one consistently great character was the one we all hated the most, the villain Sylar (Zachary Quinto).

Frank Burns - MASH

Everyone loved Hawkeye, Trapper John, and BJ Honeycutt on MASH. Everyone equally hated Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) who did everything he could to ruin everyone else's fun. It made it a critical character in the early seasons of the show, and his replacement after Linville left the show, Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) was equally loved and hated.

Glenn Quagmire - The Family Guy

Quagmire on The Family Guy is just a horrible, horrible person. He's obnoxious and gross. Why the rest of the gang stays friends with just a terrible person is a mystery, though it might be because his awfulness makes him completely hilarious. That must be the reason, actually. It's a character we simply love for being so gross.

Gob Bluth - Arrested Development

Gob Bluth, played by Will Arnett, is the funniest character on Arrested Development. The screwup son and magician is also just awful in every way. He's selfish, rude, and honestly, not very smart. He's also occasionally racist. But again - he's the funniest character on the show and it's not because fans are laughing with him, they are laughing at him. Will Arnett deserves all the praise for that too, because it's not easy to be both.

Scrappy Doo - Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

Scrappy Doo is just the worst. We don't love to hate him because he's a great character, like so many others on this list. No, we love to hate because everything about the character, from his introduction to everything he does just sucks. We love to be angry at him, for real.

Janice Soprano - The Sopranos

There are a lot of characters with awful motivations in The Sopranos and among the worst of those is Tony's sister Janice Soprano. Aida Turturro plays the unlikable character so well that there is really very little redeeming about her. There are moments when we feel sorry for her, sure. She goes through some terrible stuff, but none of it makes her actually likable. In fact, anytime we start to like her, she does something to remind us how much we hate her.

Ben Linus - Lost

Ben Linus, played by the great Michael Emerson, on Lost, is a bit of an enigma. There are times when we almost start to like him, or at least feel empathy towards him, but inevitably he ruins that pretty quickly and fans are reminded that he's not a likable person, like, at all.

Georgina Sparks - Gossip Girl

Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg) is the classic high-society mean girl in Gossip Girl. She is so unlikable for her manipulative ways and awful attitude that fans can't wait for her to do something that they can be mad about. The perfect kind of villain.

There are some crazy popular TV shows out there. There are also some big characters from those TV shows that have gone on to become fan favorites. But there are also plenty of other characters as well that have fallen into a long hole of forgotten characters that we still can barely remember. So today, we'll get into some of the most obvious.

Heath (The Walking Dead)

It would be a crime if I didn't include Heath on this list. In all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, I have never seen a character more forgotten than Heath. He seemed important, but then, after one bad zombie run, we literally never see him again and don't even know if he's alive or dead. There was some solution later, one where we found out Jadis traded him over to the Commonwealth, but that came years later.

Mark Brendanawicz (Parks And Recreation)

The Parks and Recreation cast is filled to the brim with talented stars and great characters, but one who was part of the main cast in Season 1 was Mark Brendanawicz. He was actually a love interest for Leslie and Ann, but he instantly left in Season 2 because he had an epiphany. And we never saw him again.

Sunshine Corazon (Glee)

There have been many characters on Glee who have come and gone from the limelight, but one I have to point out is Sunshine Corazon. She is a transfer student who dared threaten Rachel's spotlight in Season 2 of the show, so much so that Rachel tricked Corazon into going to a crack house. We saw Corazon one more time in the show before, but we never heard from her again despite her killer vocals.

John Bennett (Orange Is The New Black)

It felt like during the first few seasons of Orange Is The New Black, we would find a way for John Bennett to stick around. Eventually, he ends up leaving Daya and their baby alone when he has cold feet. And then we literally never hear about him again. I mean, the Orange Is The New Black cast was still stellar without him, but he just up and left.

Lincoln (The 100)

I really do love The 100 and think it's one of the best shows to binge if you want a series that you have no idea where it's going to go next. But sometimes, I forget the times when the series was grounded, and Octavia fell for a man named Lincoln, who taught her everything about being a Grounder – only for him to be executed a few seasons later and spurring her into the fighter she becomes. But I feel that we all forgot about him, right?

Nicole (Zoey 101)

It's really a sad story about what happened to the actress behind Nicole in Zoey 101, and I stand by her in what she has done standing up to the wrong situations behind the scenes at Nickelodeon. But that doesn't change the fact that her character, Nicole, was also completely forgotten in the show. Out of all the characters in the series, she didn't have much of a story and ended up getting written out entirely as the show went on.

Cathay Simms (The Office)

While Jim and Pam are certainly the most significant relationships in The Office, there have been plenty of other women in Jim's life. One of those was Cathay Simms, a young woman who tried to sleep with him on a business trip, but the trip itself fell apart. However, even when they get back to Scranton, she is literally never seen again.

Simon (The Walking Dead)

I might get some flack for this, but I swear, on my rewatch of The Walking Dead, I forgot Simon even existed until I saw him again. I think the main reason is that Negan became such a tremendous character that most of his followers felt like complete background people, even when some of them – like Simon – played essential roles in the plot. He was killed anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Ames (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

While Tyra Banks has gone on to appear in plenty of movies and TV shows, she made her acting debut in Season 4 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where she played Jackie, a friend of Will's from childhood. Their romantic chemistry is off the charts. Still, after a bad night of partying and her fed up with Will's behavior, she leaves. From then on, Jackie is not a part of the show anymore.

Scott Rosson (Gossip Girl)

Yeah, what happened with this? It felt like the fact that Dan and Serena had a half-brother was such a massive part of Gossip Girl for a bit, and then he just vanished without a trace. They even had a family reunion, but it's pretty much never brought up again. Like, how do you forget about a half-brother?

Abby Day (New Girl)

Believe it or not, Jessica Day has a sister—Abby Day, who the lovely Linda Cardellini played. We saw her once, and then we legitimately never saw her again during the series, which is pretty surprising because New Girl has some good consistency with a lot of its characters.

Santiago Herrera (Friday Night Lights)

This is another case of someone just vanishing from a TV show. He was a major recurring character in Season 2 of Friday Night Lights and had a pretty good story, but then he just vanished the next season. Legit, no one knows what happened to his character.

Frank Jr. (Friends)

Remember when Phoebe from the Friends cast got pregnant for her half-brother, Frank Jr.? Yeah, I barely did, too, but that did happen. Frank Jr. seemed like he was going to be a bigger part of the overall story, but then, after she gave birth to the triplets in the one-hundredth episode, we really don't see him or his family that often again.

Olivia Burke (Gossip Girl)

There are a lot of random people I forgot guest-starred in Gossip Girl, and one of those was Hilary Duff, who played Olivia Burke. The character was only there for six episodes, which explains why we forgot about her so quickly, but when looking back, it really feels like she should have been part of a bigger Gossip Girl cast. She was a good addition.

Robin Sylvester (Glee)

Sue had a daughter.

Yeah, that's right, I'll tell you again – Sue Sylvestor had a daughter, whom she named after her deceased sister, and then we rarely ever see her again—a baby. Don't even try to pretend you remembered because I sure as heck didn't.

Detective Daniels (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Alright, while what happened to Detective Daniels isn't that surprising, it's still a good thing to point out. This character was introduced in the pilot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but we never see her again after. This isn't the first time a show has cut people out from the pilot, but still, a character that we totally forgot about.

Tara (The Walking Dead)

Out of any forgettable character on The Walking Dead, Tara is one that stuck around for several seasons, and I still needed to remember her. Maybe it was because her stories felt like they were pushed far in the background in comparison to what else we were all going through, but man, every time I've rewatched this show, I always forget that she becomes a decently big character.

Tori Scott (Saved By The Bell)

Tori was a new character introduced to Saved By The Bell in her later years. While she made friends with the group and even dated two boys, she was gone ten episodes later and is barely mentioned again.

Matt Rutherford (Glee)

The Glee cast is endless, and it feels like there are always new characters coming and going, but man, everyone forgets about Matt Rutherford. He was a background character in Glee in the first season, and there were so many other crazy characters there that it's honestly not that surprising he was just gone in Season 2. We will always remember to forget you, Matt.

Charles Miner (The Office)

I swear to God, every time I watch The Office, I always, always forget that Idris Elba guest-starred. He's a new VP for Dunder Mifflin, and he doesn't get along with Michael at all. While he was hilarious on the show, it wasn't enough for his character to last super long and be memorable.

Ben Geller (Friends)

I remember back in Friends Season 1, it was a big deal that Ross was going to have a baby with his ex-wife, but then we barely got to see him throughout the show. Thankfully, we did see him grow up a little when young Cole Sprouse played him, but before then, it was like Ben Geller never even happened.

Dani (Glee)

As a young bisexual woman, seeing Dani on Glee basically altered my state of mind. I wished she had stayed on the show forever because she and Santana seemed like a power couple with their voices. However, Dani (and Demi Lovato) ended up not staying on the show for long—and inevitably, Santana went back to Brittany anyway.

Isaac Lahey (Teen Wolf)

These teen supernatural dramas are filled to the brim with characters that just come and go all the time, and one to point out is Isaac Lahey, a student at the primary school of the franchise who was there and then just not the following season.

Ruby Lucas (Once Upon A Time)

Ruby is a character that seemed like she was going to have a big part in Once Upon a Time, but as any fan of this show knows, more and more storylines began to converge and push out other ones that could have been great, and Ruby's was sadly one of them. Eventually, she does get her happy ending, but no one ever really remembers her that much now.

Tina Pinacotti (That ‘70s Show)

Remember that Donna had a little sister? Yeah, I didn't either. We see Donna's supposed little sister, Tina, in an episode about a party, but then we never hear from her again after that episode. And then, we see Donna say several episodes later that she's an only child, so that got retconned.

Chuck Cunningham (Happy Days)

For those who have watched Happy Days, you might remember Chuck Cunningham, the brother of Richie and Joanie. However, he ended up becoming a background character and then vanishing altogether.

Morales (The Walking Dead)

We see Morales one other time in The Walking Dead besides Season 1 of the show, where we watch him leave the leading group with his family. And then, when he suddenly shows up as part of Negan's crew, he's killed by Daryl. Why bring him back to die? Ridiculous.

Mutt Schitt (Schitt's Creek)

Alexis from the Schitt's Creek cast has certainly had her fair share of love interests, and one of those was Mutt Schitt. That fling ended up fading away just as quickly as it began, and then soon, he was gone—which is honestly a shame because he was pretty funny.

Isla (Succession)

The Succession cast is so talented, and the characters have so much depth. One of those that continued to grow over the course of its four seasons is Roman Roy. But do you remember that in Season 1, he had both a wife and a daughter? Her name was Isla (the daughter), and yeah, we legit never heard about this little girl, like, ever.

Cooper Anderson (Glee)

Blaine had a brother who Matt Bomer played, and they actually had some sick duets on the show. But yet again, we legitimately never see him again. He was actually a great addition and really gave Blaine a kick in the butt to become better at singing (even though he already was), but we don't even see him in the finale or anything.

Otis (The Walking Dead)

There are plenty of The Walking Dead deaths that are pretty much forgotten about, and one of them, hands down, has to be Otis. One of the farmhands on Hershel's farm, Otis, is devoured by zombies thanks to Shane leaving him behind. We only saw him for a few episodes, and he was never mentioned again.

Ken Tanaka (Glee)

Ken Tanaka was the former coach of the football team at McKinley and was engaged to Emma. However, after suffering a nervous breakdown, he's gone from the show, and Coach Beiste takes his place. We never see him again after Season 1, despite him playing a big role in the first season.

Did any of these picks stir your memory? They certainly stirred mine—and now I have to rewatch all these shows to see them all again.

It may seem that your favorite character from your favorite TV show was always part of the main cast, but that might not be the case. In fact, some of the most iconic TV characters were never meant to last more than one or two episodes until a behind-the-scenes decision changed their fate. The following are some famous examples that might have you looking at your favorite show's next guest star differently.

Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

It was not just three-time Emmy winner Aaron Paul's brilliant, empathetic performance as Jesse Pinkman that kept him in the Breaking Bad cast until the end. Creator Vince Gilligan had a pitch for the early demise of Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) student-turned-partner that shocked studio executives so deeply, that he scrapped the idea and, thankfully, kept the fan-favorite character alive.

Andy Dwyer (Parks And Recreation)

The lovably absent-minded Andy Dwyer was originally meant to appear in just six episodes from the first season of Parks and Recreation when he was still dating Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones). Michael Schur found future blockbuster leading man Chris Pratt just too funny not to keep around, leading to his series regular promotion and Andy's eventual romance with April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza).

Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli (Happy Days)

The role that made Henry Winkler a star would eventually be the star of Happy Days. However, "Fonzy" was originally introduced as a small-sized character before the audience's rousing enthusiasm convinced producers to make his presence more frequent.

Frasier Crane (Cheers)

Kelsey Grammer's stint in the Cheers cast as Seattle-based psychiatrist Frasier Crane was originally meant to last only a few episodes. Yet, he became one of the NBC sitcom's most popular characters and went on to lead his own self-titled spin-off that was arguably as good as the original series.

Spike (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Spike started out as just another vampire for Sarah Michelle Gellar's titular hero to fight when he was first introduced in the second season of Joss Whedon's hit series. However, his subsequent popularity would ensure that James Masters got a regular role in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast and even became a love interest for Buffy.

Chandler Bing And Phoebe Buffay (Friends)

Before Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow were added to the Friends cast as Chandler and Phoebe, the sitcom was going to mainly focus on just four young New Yorkers. That was until the actors' natural charisma convinced creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman that they deserved starring roles instead of occasional appearances like they initially envisioned.

Carol Hathaway (ER)

If the pilot of ER were filmed exactly as it was originally written, it would been the first and last episode featuring Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), who was initially going to take her own life. When test audiences made note of the nurse manager's chemistry with George Clooney as Doug Ross, the head writers kept her alive and on the show until Margulies left in Season 6.

Luke Danes (Gilmore Girls)

Diner owner Luke Danes was originally written as a woman, but creator Amy Sherman-Palladino did a gender swap when the network asked for more male characters. It was not until they noticed the chemistry between Gilmore Girls cast members Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham that their will-they-won't-they dynamic was incorporated into the dramedy.

Lafayette Reynolds (True Blood)

In only the second novel from Charlaine Harris' book series, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Lafayette Reynolds is murdered. However, the psychic cook's onscreen counterpart (played by Nelsan Ellis) lived on in the HBO series adaptation (and one of the best horror TV shows on Max), True Blood, after developer Alan Ball realized how well the character fit in the world.

Castiel (Supernatural)

Played by Misha Collins (when possessing the body of Jimmy Novak), Castiel first appeared on Supernatural in Season 4 for what was intended to be just a three-season arc. Soon after, however, Collins was promoted to a series regular and the angel would remain a trusted ally to Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester.

Steve Urkel (Family Matters)

At first, ABC's spin-off of Perfect Strangers followed the lives of the Winslows, until the family sitcom's star family took a backseat to their nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel. After Jaleel White's Season 1 guest spot rescued the show from cancellation, he made more appearances and was promoted to a series regular in the Family Matters cast in Season 2.

Andy Bernard (The Office)

Ed Helms' role as The Office character Andy Bernard was introduced in Season 3, which was initially conceived as his sole year on the mockumentary sitcom. However, creator Greg Daniels really liked the character and brought him back from anger management to be a permanent fixture of the Dunder Mifflin family.

Sgt. Fin Tutuola (Law & Order: SVU)

While most famous for a song about killing cops, rapper Ice-T's most famous acting role is, ironically, a police officer on Law & Order: SVU. Also ironic is the fact that Fin Tutuloa was originally conceived as a five-episode guest role in 2000, but would remain a regular part of the cast.

Jack Shephard (Lost)

Before Matthew Fox joined the Lost cast as Jack Shephard, the character was supposed to die in the pilot to establish that no character was safe in the survival drama. In fact, Michael Keaton signed on to play the role under this condition but dropped out when they decided to make him the lead because he did not want to commit to a series at the time.

Felicity Smoak (Arrow)

Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, Felicity Smoak was initially introduced in the first season of Arrow in a recurring role. Emily Bett Rickards would be promoted to series regular, however, when the role was promoted to Oliver Queen's primary love interest.

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things)

A prime example of a character who underwent a major personality change is Steve Harrington (Joe Kerry), who was initially introduced in Stranger Things' first season as some archetypal '80s high school bully with an expiration date. However, fans' unexpectedly positive response, thankfully, led to the character's revamping and ensured Keery would be a valuable member of the Hawkins crew.

Boyd Crowder (Justified)

Watching U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and career criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) flip back and forth is one of the most addictive elements of Justified. Thus, we are thankful Boyd survived the pilot episode instead of being killed, like in Elmore Leonard's original short story, "Fire in the Hole," and that Goggins was promoted to series regular.

NoHo Hank (Barry)

Anthony Carrigan is easily one of the standouts of HBO's Barry cast for his performance as Chechen criminal NoHo Hank. It is no wonder his role expanded beyond Season 1 despite initial plans to kill him off.

The Armorer (The Mandalorian)

The Armorer (Emily Swallow) is one of the most fascinating and multi-layered characters from Disney+'s Star Wars Universe TV show, The Mandalorian. Her arc nearly ended with the first season in a scrapped scene that depicted her sacrificing her life.

Logan Roy (Succession)

No one could have succeeded in the role that Logan Roy played in HBO's Succession cast, but there could have been a major void left in his place had things gone as originally planned. Brian Cox's role was meant to die after Season 1, but instead survived and became one of the hit dramedy's most beloved characters.

Topanga Lawrence (Boy Meets World)

In creators Michael Jacobs and April Kelly's TGIF favorite, Topanga Lawrence was first introduced as that one weird girl in Cory Matthews' (Ben Savage) class. Soon enough, however, Danielle Fishel would be promoted to a series regular in the Boy Meets World cast after it was decided that the character would be Cory's love interest.

Gunther (Friends)

James Michael Tyler was merely hired on Friends as a background actor for scenes taking place at the Central Perk at first. In Season 2, however, the coffee shop manager was given the name Gunther, and the actor was promoted to a recurring supporting role that went on to appear in 185 episodes total.

Janitor (Scrubs)

The unnamed Janitor was originally conceived as a recurring role because it was going to be revealed at the end of Season 1 that he only existed in J.D.'s (Zach Braff) imagination. Creator Bill Lawrence decided to scrap that idea and make Neil Flynn a main part of the Scrubs cast after noticing the actor's improvisational skills, which ended beautifully for the character.

President Josiah Bartlet (The West Wing)

When Aaron Sorkin first conceived the idea for his Emmy-winning political drama, it was meant to focus primarily on the White House staff, with the President of the United States only showing up every so often or even not at all. Luckily, that changed and Martin Sheen's performance in NBC's The West Wing cast as Josiah Bartlet became one of the most beloved and inspiring highlights of the series.

Elijah Krantz (Girls)

Broadway theatre sensation Andrew Rannells first joined the cast of HBO's Girls as Hannah's formerly closeted college boyfriend Elijah Krantz in a very minor role before coming back occasionally during the first three years. By the dramedy's fourth season, creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner decided to add Rannells as a series regular and Elijah went on to become one of the series' most memorably funny characters.

April Ludgate (Parks And Recreation)

April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation is more than just a character who was not originally planned for a big role. There were no plans for her to be a part of the show at all until creator Michael Schur met Aubrey Plaza during the casting process and was so impressed with her talent that he invented a role just for her.

Aram Mojtabai (The Blacklist)

In the first season of NBC's The Blacklist, Aram Mojtabai was brought in by the FBI as a cyber crime consultant for what was only meant to be one episode. However, the writers responded well to actor Amir Arison's ad-libbing, started calling him back for more episodes, and made him a series regular in Season 2. 

Summer Roberts (The O.C.)

Rachel Bilson had very little screen time in the first episode of The O.C. and her character, Summer Robert, was practically written as an unnamed friend to Marrissa (Mischa Barton). Creator Josh Schwartz found the actor's grasp on the character to be very compelling and her chemistry with Seth actor Adam Brody led him to write her a much bigger part for the coming-of-age drama.

Joshua Rosza (The Originals)

Steven Krueger was first brought in for a minor recurring stint on The Originals as Joshua Rosza. However, by season 5, the vampire character became a regular role in the hit supernatural drama.

Killian Jones/Captain Hook (Once Upon A Time)

When ABC's fantasy series Once Upon a Time brought in Killian Jones (who is really Peter Pan's nemesis, Captain Hook), it was initially meant to be for a five-episode run in Season 2. While he quickly became a fan favorite due to his chemistry with Jennifer Morrison, his promotion to a regular role really came about when the cast and crew became deeply impressed with Colin O'Donoghue's performance.

Brittany S. Pierce (Glee)

Heather Morris was initially brought on to the Glee set to help teach the cast members how to do the dance from Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video before she ended up landing a guest role as Brittany Pierce. However, after he discovered her comedic talents, co-creator Ryan Murphy began giving the once-frequently silent cheerleader more things to say before making Morris a series regular.

Kima Greggs (The Wire)

While filming the first season of The Wire, Sonja Sohn discovered by accident that her arc as Shakima "Kima" Greggs was originally intended to end in the 10th episode of the crime drama. Luckily, HBO executive Carolyn Strauss expressed interest in the character, convincing showrunner David Simon to have her survive her planned shooting and come back for the remainder of the series.

Some TV shows stumble their way to the finish line, such as these series that went on way too long. But others end the race cruising to victory, with final seasons and series finales that satisfyingly wrap up the journey their characters were on over the years. From classic comedies like Cheers to acclaimed dramas like The Americans to sci-fi standouts like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, here are TV 32 shows that absolutely nailed their farewells. (WARNING! Obviously there are spoilers ahead!)

Succession

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong could have milked all of that Shakespearean family drama for one or two more seasons but smartly decided to end the hit HBO drama after four seasons because "this was simply how this story had to go," Armstrong told Vulture. And it ended in brutally brilliant fashion, with outsider Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) sniveling his way to the top of Waystar Royco over Roy siblings Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Armstrong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook). 

Breaking Bad

It was inevitable: after five seasons of greed and ruthlessness, chemistry teacher-turned-meth cooker Walter White (Bryan Cranston) had to die. But what a way to go, with an explosive, critically acclaimed final run — both halves of season five won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2013 and 2014 — that not only offered up some of the drama's greatest episodes ("Ozymandias" is one for the history books) but cemented the TV series as one of the best ever.

Newhart

Nowadays, the "it was all a dream" twist has become a cliché but when the CBS sitcom Newhart pulled that very move back in 1990, it cemented itself as one of the most memorable moments in pop culture history. In the final minutes of the comedy's series finale, lead character Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart) woke up after getting knocked out by a golf ball in Vermont — the surprise was that he was now in a Chicago bedroom as Bob Hartley, his famous The Bob Newhart Show character, with TV wife Emily (special guest Suzanne Pleshette) by his side.

Mad Men

Fitting for an iconic and complicated character like Don Draper (Jon Hamm) — and finally earning the actor that much-deserved Emmy for Best Actor — Mad Men left viewers with quite an ambiguous conclusion when it ended in 2015 after seven seasons. The existential finale saw the advertising executive searching for inner peace at a meditation retreat, or was he really just tapping into some Zen as inspiration for that famous Coca-Cola advert? We'll never know!

The Leftovers

Grounded by a standout performance by Carrie Coon as Nora Durst, the conclusion of HBO's The Leftovers was ambiguous yet sentimental, a gratifying and thematically fitting send-off for the complex drama. Following Nora in her decision to enter a radioactive machine that could reunite her with her husband and children who vanished in the "Sudden Departure," the series finale didn't so much answer all of our questions about all the ones who left — we still don't entirely understand the quantum mechanics of it all — as it did give hope to the ones left behind. 

30 Rock

The seventh and final season of 30 Rock said goodbye to Liz (Tina Fey), Jack (Alec Baldwin), Tracy (Tracy Morgan), Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) and Jenna (Jane Krakowski) in equal parts hilarious and heartfelt fashion, with all of the nostalgic callbacks, witty one-liners and delightful absurdism that fans have come to know and love from the NBC sitcom. The series finale also movingly said farewell to the real-life behind-the-scenes folks from 30 Rock by casting them as the TGS crew. 

Parks And Recreation

Co-written by lead Amy Poehler, the series finale of Parks and Recreation warmly said goodbye to both beloved characters and the city of Pawnee. The sweet two-parter took place mostly in the future, with happy endings for all: Garry (Jim O'Heir) being elected mayor (with Christie Brinkley as his wife, no less); Andy (Chris Pratt) and April (Aubrey Plaza) becoming parents; Ron (Nick Offerman) taking over as superintendent of the Pawnee National Park; and Leslie (Poehler) continuing her life of political service...potentially all the way to the White House?

Fringe

The final episode of the Fox sci-fi drama Fringe was a bittersweet one for Olivia (Anna Torv), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter (John Noble). The fifth season had jumped far into the dystopian future overtaken by the Observers. Walter sacrificed himself and took Michael (Rowan Longworth) into a wormhole even farther into the future to stop the Observer invasion from ever happening in the first place. In the process, the story reset back to 2015, where Walter sadly no longer existed, but through time-travel magic, he still managed to send his son a drawing of a white tulip.

Justified

The story of Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) continued with the sequel series Justified: City Primeval, but the end of its predecessor Justified was a more than satisfactory closing chapter in and of itself, especially in wrapping up Raylan's rivalry with friend-turned-foe Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). The Harlan County criminal was an endlessly quotable character across all six seasons of the FX drama, but his final words — “We dug coal together" — prove he saved the best line for last.

The Shield

One of the most gripping crime dramas of the 2000s, The Shield lived up to its own reputation with its bold finish, which saw Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) trying so hard to stay out of prison that he got a fate worse than incarceration: with blood on his hands, his family running from him, and him banished to a desk job. With police sirens blaring in the distance, Vic grabbed the gun from his desk drawer and left the ICE building. Where he went, we'll never know, but it surely can't be good. 

Cheers

It can be hard to leave those special places where everybody knows your name, but if you have to, at least take "One for the Road." Such is the title of Cheers' standout series finale, which poured one out for all of our beloved barflies: Woody (Woody Harrelson) was elected Boston councilman; Norm (George Wendt) finally got his coveted city job; Cliff (John Ratzenberger) was promoted at the Post Office; and Sam (Ted Danson) chose between reconciliation with the one who got away, Diane (Shelley Long), and the real love of his life, the bar itself. 

MASH

It's the most-watched finale of all time for a reason: seen by a TV audience of 121.6 million, the 1983 end of MASH beautifully brought closure to the dysfunctional members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. With the Korean War coming to a close, the camp had to go their separate ways, but no departure tugged at our hearts quite like the one between Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and B.J. (Mike Farrell), which saw the former leave on a helicopter only to spot the latter's parting message: the word "GOODBYE" spelled out with rocks on the ground below.

The Sopranos

One of the most polarizing TV finales of all time was also one of the most powerful. That shocking The Sopranos ending was a masterclass in embracing ambiguity and racking up tension, with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) seemingly enjoying a simple diner meal and some Journey tunes with his wife (Edie Falco) and son (Robert Iler) while keeping an eye on every patron entering the establishment. As the diner door opened and the bell rang, Tony looked up — and the screen cut to black. Was it Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), who finally found a parking spot? Or was it someone far more nefarious? Frustratingly and fantastically, we will never know. 

Six Feet Under

It seems so obvious now to end a series about a family that owns a funeral home by fast-forwarding into the future to see how each character dies, but the laying to rest of the HBO drama Six Feet Under felt clever and emotional when it aired back in 2005. An episode of television dominated by death doesn't sound all that cheerful, but getting to see the Fishers years down the line — particularly Claire (Lauren Ambrose), the last one standing at 102 — felt as right and cyclical as life itself. 

Friday Night Lights

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose." Such was the motto of football coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and the showrunners of Friday Night Lights took it to heart when it came to graduating the high school-set drama series. Despite the gleam of game glory blurring his vision — the East Dillon Lions happily won that tense match-up against the Dillon Panthers — Coach Taylor clearly saw that it was only right for him to leave Texas behind by the series' end, moving to Philadelphia to support his beloved wife Tami (Connie Britton) and her new job as dean of admissions at Braemore College. Couple's goals, much?

The Wire

One of the best episodes of The Wire is its last, which managed to wrap everything up while also leaving things intriguingly open. It showed that Baltimore and all of its complexities would continue long after the credits roll. Things could change — Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) could become governor, Templeton (Tom McCarthy) could win a Pulitzer, Michael (Tristan Wilds) could become the new Omar, McNulty (Dominic West) could leave the police department — but, devastatingly, many things would always stay the same. 

The West Wing

The end of The West Wing was the end of an era — literally, as the seventh and final season chronicled the last weeks of President Jed Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) administration. The series finale was a heartfelt farewell to the former POTUS as well as all of the government employees and officials in his orbit, including C.J. (Allison Janney), Leo (John Spencer), Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney). But it didn't languish in nostalgia: "What are you thinking about?" Stockard Channing's Abbey asked Jed at the show's end. "Tomorrow," he replied. 

ER

The medical drama came full circle for its grand finale, which echoed its premiere episode 15 years prior by taking place over the course of 24 hours in the emergency room of Cook County General Hospital. The cases are dramatic and dizzyingly varied, from emergency cesarean sections to terminal cancer diagnoses to triage patients from an industrial explosion. As the theme music played, the camera pulled out for ER's final, effective shot: the entire exterior of the hospital, seen for the first and only time in the show's history, with all of that curative frenzy happening within. 

Battlestar Galactica

After years spent traversing the stars and avoiding being blown to smithereens by enemy Cylons, the Battlestar Galactica crew and the last remaining humans finally made it to Earth — well, the Earth of the distant past — at the end of the Sci-Fi Channel series. That primitive planet eventually evolves into modern-day civilization and the epilogue picks up 150,000 years in the future, where half-human, half-Cylon Hera has been announced as a "Mitochondrial Eve," the progenitor of modern-day humanity. Leaving us with Jimi Hendrix's warning cry "All Along the Watchtower," the finale chillingly questioned whether humans are doomed to repeat themselves. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

There's a lot of pressure with being the "Chosen One," as Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) no doubt learned through seven seasons of the iconic fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But after 140-plus episodes of single-handedly saving Sunnydale and suffering greatly in the process, Buffy recognizes that she doesn't have to do it all alone. In the series finale, the Hellmouth crumbles and Sunnydale is destroyed but Buffy has the Scooby Gang and a new crop of Slayers by her side, and a whole future ahead of her.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

"We kept putting off writing that last show," said executive producer Allan Burns as he accepted The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1977. "I think it said what we wanted it to say. It was poignant." Poignant, yes, but also plenty funny, with Mary (TV icon Mary Tyler Moore), Lou (Edward Asner), Murray (Gavin MacLeod) and Sue Ann (Betty White) ultimately getting fired from WJM-TV. From that group shuffle to the tissue box to the swan song of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," the finale had us laughing and crying in equal turns.  

The Americans

With a high-stakes show like The Americans, it seemed only inevitable for Russian spies Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) to be exposed and have to flee the United States for Mother Russia. Despite that eventuality, the FX drama still managed to end on a tensely unexpected and devastating note, with both their American-born children Paige staying behind. That shot of Paige (Holly Taylor) standing on the platform as Philip and Elizabeth's train pulled away will haunt us for years to come.

Parenthood

Over six seasons, Parenthood fans came to love the Braverman clan like their own family, which made it all the harder to say goodbye when the show ended in 2015. But even though the series finale was a tearjerking one, with patriarch Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) dying peacefully in his sleep, a hopeful time-jump showed that all would be well with the Bravermans, with weddings, pregnancies, graduations, vacations and puppies at Christmas all happily in their futures. 

Better Call Saul

It's hard enough to make a great spin-off of an already great show. But to end that spin-off with as much acclaim as its predecessor is a whole other thing entirely. Better Call Saul, part of the Breaking Bad universe, did just that with its sixth season, which saw Jimmy McGill-turned-Saul Goodman-turned-Gene Takavic (Bob Odenkirk) finally facing the consequences of his choices. However, as co-creator Peter Gould told AMC, Saul's end can actually be seen as hopeful: "In spite of the fact that he's in prison, which is terrible, Jimmy is Jimmy again. He's recovered his soul."

The Good Place

Though diehards of The Good Place would have wanted to spend eternity with all of its beloved characters, the NBC afterlife comedy did come to an end in 2020 after four seasons and 53 episodes. But it did so with a characteristically funny and cathartic conclusion, which saw Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) ready to step through the door and move on from the Good Place, and Michael (Ted Danson) made human and allowed to live out a normal life down on Earth. 

Angel

Trying to save the world from evil forces is a nearly impossible but always worthwhile task, as the Angel series finale "Not Fade Away" powerfully showed. After a season of loss, including the deaths of both Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Fred (Amy Acker), it would have been very easy for Angel (David Boreanaz) and the rest of the Angel Investigations team to wallow in their grief and raise a white flag. But, even knowing that it would likely end in their own demise, Angel, Spike (James Marsters), Gunn (J August Richards) and Illyria (Acker) chose to go into battle against the supernatural baddies and fight for good.

Friends

What Friends got so right in its tenth and final season was showing how transient of a town New York City is, especially when you grow from those lively twentysomething years to your more settled thirties. "The Last One" saw Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) adopt twins and move out of that famously purple-walled West Village apartment for the suburbs. After Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and the recently reunited Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross (David Schwimmer) returned their keys, Chandler landed one final hilarious quote before they went — where else? — to Central Perk one last time.

The Office

Sure, there's an argument to be made that The Office should have ended after Steve Carrell's Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and Scranton, PA, at the end of season seven. But though the show was shaky in the years following that character's exit, if it had ended years earlier, fans wouldn't have gotten that sentimental happy ending, with Michael pulling off the perfect surprise at the wedding of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) to serve as best man and drop the final "That's what she said." 

Star Trek: The Next Generation

All good things must come to an end, and that includes the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In the farewell to sci-fi favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Jean-Luc Picard mentally jumps around in time: from the present, then back to the ship's first mission seven years ago and then 25 years into the future. In each era, Picard makes it so that the Enterprise stops a temporal anomaly, which destroys the ship but saves humanity. It all ends up being a test from Q (John de Lancie) but Picard passes, and in the present, he finally joins the crew's poker game.

Fleabag

After the brilliance of Fleabag's first season, it seemed impossible that Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Co. could match the sharp wit and gut-punching emotion with a season 2 of the BBC One dramedy. But PWB managed to prove every naysayer wrong with that devastatingly romantic and electrifyingly funny second — and, judging by that fourth-wall-breaking final scene, last — season, which famously saw our nameless heroine meet and fall for a "quite hot" priest, played by Andrew Scott. 

Veep

The end of Veep, one of the most consistently hilarious shows in all of television, saw Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) get everything that she always wanted: namely, the Oval Office. Yes, the seemingly perpetual Vice President became POTUS by the series finale, a ruthless political rise that saw her betray those closest to her, especially her loyal aide Gary (Tony Hale). But Selina gets a viciously hilarious comeuppance when, 24 years in the future, coverage of her funeral is interrupted by the breaking news that American icon and "Philadelphia 2 star" Tom Hanks has died. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The epic four-part finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender not only gave every major character their chance to shine but also cemented it as one of the best-animated shows of the 21st century. In his spectacular final face-off against Ozai, Aang stays dedicated to pacifism and decides not to kill Fire Lord Ozai, instead using energy bending to remove his firepower as punishment for his crimes. In doing so, the final installments offer up a philosophical exercise that's far more mature and sophisticated than anyone would expect from a "kiddie" show. 

Succession was a monster hit for HBO, producing breakout stars like Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Sarah Snook. For Snook, Shiv Roy was the character of a lifetime, as she possessed a tough-as-nails exterior and allowed audiences to see her vulnerabilities as the series went on. Now, the Succession cast member is taking on a new role, as the actress will be leading a new Peacock series titled All Her Fault, which will see her taking on a whole new genre. 

According to a report by Variety, Snook’s new Peacock series will feature the Succession alum in the lead role, playing a mother who drops her son off at a playdate. When she returns to retrieve her son, the mother she left him with isn’t there and the woman who answers the door doesn’t have her child. The series will be adapted from the novel of the same name written by Andrea Mara. Megan Gallagher will be the showrunner, and Snook will also receive a producing credit on the project. 

This is Snook’s first television role since Succession. After the HBO mega-hit ended in 2023, she signed on to lend her voice the stop-motion Memoir of a Snail movie, and she returned to the theater for a production of The Picture of Dorian Gray in London’s West End. The role won her the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, and Snook is expected to take the role to Broadway next year. 

However, the book-to-screen adaptation of All Her Fault will mark her return to the small screen, a continuation of her post-Succession success. It's a big role, and a major career move for the Australian actress. Snook’s first love seems to be the theater, but thankfully she isn’t leaving her television career behind her. 

Succession fans will also be excited to see another member of the incredible ensemble cast having a great career after the finale aired last year. We’ve already gotten to watch the ensemble branch out. Matthew Macfadyen is joining the Deadpool & Wolverine cast. Jeremy Strong will appear in the buzzy Trump-centered 2024 film schedule entry, The Apprentice. And Kieran Culkin is already receiving praise for the Jesse Eisenberg-directed drama A Real Pain. The cast is truly killing it, and hopefully, Snook’s role in All Her Fault is just as juicy and complex as her Succession tenure. 

A thriller seems like a great direction for Snook, who showcased her high-intensity acting talents on Succession. While the HBO series was more of a family drama/dark comedy than a thriller, the way the characters in the show approached the world they existed within was equally as intense. 

Succession had all the hallmarks of a good thriller, twists and turns you never saw coming, characters with sinister motivations, and even a murder. Snook’s experience playing Shiv Roy will likely help her naturally transition into the star leading a Peacock thriller head-on, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Emmy winner back on screen.

All Her Fault is currently in the early stages of the production process, but fans with a Peacock subscription will be able to see it on the platform in the near future. You can also revisit Sarah Snook’s award-winning performance in Succession, which is available in its entirety for Max subscribers. For more information on other exciting shows premiering and/or returning soon, make sure to consult our 2024 TV schedule. 

Some of Hollywood’s most fun celebrity interactions in recent months came thanks to two of HBO’s biggest headline-makers in recent years: The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal and Succession’s Kieran Culkin. From the latter’s Golden Globes jab at Pascal to the Game of Thrones’ vet’s comeback on the Emmys stage (in which he facetiously blamed Culkin for an arm injury), they’re a fun pair to watch. And it’s a particularly good time seeing the Roman Roy actor reacting to The Mandalorian star’s strangely enigmatic method of remembering his lines.

With fans waiting patiently for The Last of Us Season 2 to hit the TV premiere schedule, and for Culkin’s new movie A Real Pain to get a release date, the two actors took part in a SAG-AFTRA Foundation interview along with Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen and The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup. Pascal shared a particularly horrifying anecdote about whiffing his lines during a Shakespeare in the Park performance, and soon befuddled his fellow thespians by retrieving a seemingly random chart of letters, explaining it as his current go-to method. In his words:

The chart itself sparked the first completely understandable reaction from Kieran Culkin, which is presumably similar to how most non-actors reacted after seeing it in the video.

And before anyone else could make a move to compare Pedro Pascal to a murderous lunatic, he was already all over that when he continued trying to explain his process without ever quite doing so in full.

Really, the sheet of letters is almost secondary to the amusingly scrambled explanation that Pedro Pascal goes with. It's not quite irony that he's unable to ad-lib a concise description of this part of his performance-building process, but it's in the same ballpark.

Not that understanding the idea from front to back would make it any less bonkers that it exists in general. Which isn't to say that his method of memorizing the first letters of lines is ill-conceived or faulty, since it's clearly working for him and anyone else who engages with it. But I think we can all agree that Kieran Culkin's facial expressions during Pascal's chat are perfectly relatable.

He goes from "What in the world?" to "Who even is this guy?" to "What is anything?" And I'm there with him every step of the way. Though with slightly less snazzy hair. (And my hair is sorta snazzy.)

Check out the full interview below, with the line-memorization discussion happening around the 20-minute mark.

Both Succession and The Last of Us are available to stream with a Max subscription. Check out some of my favorite Cousin Greg lines from the now-concluded drama while pondering how co-star Nicholas Braun committed them to memory.

Waystar media mogul Logan Roy is one of the scariest characters to ever appear on the small screen, and Succession star Sarah Snook recently revealed that the actor who plays her onscreen father, Brian Cox, can be just as "terrifying" as the man he's portraying. 

During an interview with Mariella Frostrup on Times Radio, the Australian actress — who scored an Emmy win for her performance as Siobhan "Shiv" Roy in the HBO drama's fourth and, sadly, final season — discussed how Brian Cox, who famously played the menacing and manipulative Roy patriarch, was prone to outbursts of "diabetic rage" while filming the acclaimed series. Via Deadline, Snook jokingly said:

The legendary 77-year-old actor has previously admitted to experiencing "hanger" onset, which Kieran Culkin — who plays Logan's son Roman Roy in the series — publicly poked fun at him about during an interview with Esquire. (He added that "there's no actual weight" behind Cox's outbursts.)

Cox, who has type 2 diabetes, responded to his co-star jibes, telling ITV’s This Morning during an interview last year: 

Justine Lupe, who played Connor Roy's bride Willa Ferreyra, echoed her co-stars' sentiments about Cox, telling Times Radio: 

We're not surprised that Cox could be intimidating on set. Even after Logan Roy's death in the game-changing wedding episode in Succession Season 4 (yes, year-old spoiler there, people), the character's powerful presence was felt long after his funeral. It then stretched into that shocking finale episode where the Roy father passed over each of his four children or any of his actually business-minded colleagues to take over Waystar Royco and instead chose to leave the company to his sniveling son-in-law Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen). (Justice for Gerri!) 

He even managed to freak us out by popping up in an Emily in Paris-inspired commercial, which, though comedic, still featured Logan's trademark ruthlessness and thunderous roar. 

Sarah Snook likely won't have as imposing of a co-star in her Succession follow-up, the stop-motion drama Memoir of a Snail, where she stars as "a lonely misfit who collects ornamental snails and has an affinity for romance novels." However, if you want to see Snook deal with Brian Cox's Logan Roy in all of his rageful glory, you can rewatch all four seasons of Succession with a Max subscription. 

Sarah Snook was an absolute force as Shiv Roy for four seasons on Succession, competing against her brothers (and, ultimately, her husband) for control of their father’s company. Two Golden Globes and a Primetime Emmy win later, Snook’s schedule has opened up a little with the completion of the HBO saga, and we now know what the Succession star is doing next. The actress is set to team up with Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot for the stop-motion drama Memoir of a Snail.

I can’t say this is what I would have predicted for Sarah Snook in her first big move since Succession ended, but it’s certainly not surprising that the highly sought-after actress would join forces with Adam Elliot, whose award-winning directorial debut Mary and Max has been lauded by critics and audiences alike. Elliot also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2004 for Harvie Krumpet.

In Memoir of a Snail, Sarah Snook will voice protagonist Grace Puddle, Deadline reports, who is described as a lonely misfit who collects ornamental snails and has an affinity for romance novels. The animated feature is a coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Australia, following Grace after her family is ripped apart and she is separated from her twin brother. Snook’s character spirals in anxiety and depression until she becomes friends with an eccentric elderly woman named Pinky.

Sarah Snook may have been magnificent in the comedy-tinged drama of Succession, but it actually makes sense that she’s challenging herself in a new genre, given the variety of projects she’s worked on just in the past year. In 2023, for instance — in addition to a magnificent performance in the HBO drama’s final season and contributing some of the best lines of Succession’s series finale — she starred in both the Apple TV+ dramedy The Beanie Bubble alongside Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks and the Netflix psychological horror Run Rabbit Run. 

She is also set to kick off a 14-week run playing all 26 characters in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray at Theatre Royal Haymarket on London’s West End. Memoir of a Snail will be Sarah Snook’s first leading role in an animated feature.

Other members of Memoir of a Snail’s voice cast were previously announced, including Jacki Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dominique Pinon, Magda Szubanski and Eric Bana, who reunites with Adam Elliot after Mary and Max.

It’s certainly hard to let go of the Roy family, but I do love seeing these actors take on new characters. Jeremy Strong, like his TV sister, has returned to the theater post-Succession, with An Enemy of the People premiering in late February, while Matthew Macfadyen — who played Shiv Roy’s husband Tom Wambsgans — is set to appear in the upcoming MCU movie Deadpool 3.

As we wait for more news regarding Sarah Snook’s next role, we can always relive all of the Roy family in-fighting — and all of those perfect Cousin Greg quotes — by streaming all four seasons of Succession with a Max subscription. 

The Culkin brothers and the Skarsgård brothers are two very dominant acting families in 2024. For the Culkins, Macaulay is one of the most famous child actors of all time, and Kieran just had an incredible run playing Roman Roy on Succession, which won him several awards. For the Skarsgårds, Alexander Skarsgård's best projects include True Blood and Big Little Lies, as well as arthouse favorites like Infinity Pool and The Northman. In addition, Bill is best known for his star-making performance as Pennywise in the IT movies. With both families having such cultural relevance, some people on the internet pondered about who would win in a fight between the families, and Kieran Culkin recently gave his two cents on the matter.

In speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the Emmy’s red carpet, Culkin became aware of this bizarre internet debate, and he was very quick to give his opinion. A fight with the Skarsgårds did not seem like something the Succession cast member ever would want to participate in, and the mere size of them would ensure that the Culkins would lose. He said:

The interviewer brought up that some people on the internet thought the Culkins' speed and small stature would actually be an advantage in a fight, and they may be able to overpower the Skarsgårds with their nibble quickness. To which the 2024 Emmy winner doubled down and insisted that “size matters,” and the Culkins would definitely lose if they had to take on the famously tall Swedish acting family. 

The only way he thought they might have a shot was if the Skarsgårds were maimed and tied up before the fight. You can see his full answer in the clip from the red carpet interview below: 

As much as I want to believe that the agile Culkins could use their brains to their advantage to win against the Skarsgårds in a brawl, I have to side with Kieran Culkin on this one. 

Not only are the Skarsgård brothers very very tall, they are also in insane shape. Alexander Skarsgård’s physique in The Northman is mind-boggling, and he probably would be able to take on all six Culkin brothers by himself. And with the other five Skarsgårds in the mix, it doesn’t seem like a fair fight. However, I still loved hearing the arguments to the contrary. 

Even though this is a pretty silly debate, it’s exactly the kind of tomfoolery that Kieran Culkin probably loved hearing about. The actor has a wonderful sense of humor, he and loves an opportunity to joke around. He even couldn’t help but add in a silly jab at Pedro Pascal when he accepted his Golden Globe Award last month. This is the exact kind of witty energy he brought to Succession and his new indie film with Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain. 

This quality alone is probably why some thought he and his brothers could overpower the Skarsgårds, but unfortunately when it comes to a physical fight, as Kieran put it, “size matters.”

You can see Kieran Culkin in Succession with an HBO Max subscription. In addition, A Real Pain is getting tons of buzz out of Sundance, and it will likely have a wide theatrical release later this year. For more information on other exciting films heading to cinemas in the near future that star the Culkins and the Skarsgårds, make sure to check out our 2024 movie schedule. 

It’s been nearly a year since it was first confirmed that the Harry Potter franchise was in development as a television series. The streaming service it will be on was still known as HBO Max at the time. Since then, we’ve heard very little about the new series, but it appears the wheels have been turning. And they may be about to speed up, as it’s being reported that the showrunner is close to being chosen, and fans of other HBO series might be excited.

Deadline reports that Francesca Gardiner, who was a consulting producer on the third and fourth seasons of Succession, as well as an executive producer of HBO’s His Dark Materials series is one of the finalists for the gig. She also co-produced AMC’s critically acclaimed Killing Eve.

Gardiner certainly has some strong credentials, as well as a history working with Warner Bros. Discovery that may help her get the inside track on the new Harry Potter TV series. There are reportedly two other writers being considered alongside Gardiner.

Four other writers had been previously reported by Deadline as being under consideration, The Last Kingdom’s Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, who is currently working on a TV adaptation of The Decameron, Tom Moran, who created The Devil’s Hour for Amazon, and Michael Lesslie, who most recently wrote the screenplay for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The other two writers under consideration are likely among those four, but there’s no indication which they could be.

The Wizarding World franchise has been named by WBD chief David Zaslav as one of the franchises that is seen to be key to the studio’s future, ripe with opportunity for creating more movies and series. While this first series is expected to be a new adaptation of J.K. Rowling's original novels, there is interest in creating multiple projects within the Wizarding World.

While the initial Harry Potter films were a massive success for Warner Bros., and some were among the best movies of the 2000s, the follow-up Fantastic Beasts series failed to catch on with audiences, with each film doing worse than the last. At one point, there were plans for five Fantastic Beasts films, but following a trilogy, it appears to be done.

With the race apparently down to three, a decision is likely imminent. Once they have settled on a showrunner who has a direction for the new series, pre-production will likely get underway in fairly short order, though that process will still take time. We’re probably still at least two years away from seeing this show on Max.

The Wizarding World will still expand in the interim. This week’s Universal Orlando Resort confirmed that a third Wizarding World theme park land would be coming to its new Epic Universe park, scheduled to open in 2025. 

Is that "Logan Roy's Not Really Dead" Theory real after all? Last we saw the Succession patriarch (played by Brian Cox), he was very much not alive on one of his many private jets, during the awards-worthy "Connor’s Wedding" episode of the show's fourth and, sadly, final season. But now the fictional media mogul has seemingly resurrected to make a very unexpected cameo in an Emily in Paris-inspired commercial for the French TV festival Series Mania.

Along with fans being totally baffled by Cox showing up in this silly ad, it has inspired other crossover ideas between Succession and other popular series. And honestly, I'd love to see some of these. However, before we get into the crossovers, take a look at this wild ad for yourself:

In the "Emily in Lille" parody, real-life Emily in Paris star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu —who plays ultra-chic chief-marketing boss Sylvie Grateau in the Netflix series — is joined by her plucky employee "Emily Cooper," though here it's not Lily Collins playing the role but Series Mania's director Laurence Herszberg. 

Together, they're trying to conceive a marketing plan for the festival, when "Emily" pitches a teaser "with international guests and celebrities." In the middle of their brainstorming, though, Sylvie gets a FaceTime call...from none other than Logan Roy himself. She is, understandably, confused:

However, after reassuring that he's "never felt better," Cox's Logan reveals that he's taking over Series Mania, before cackling like an evil cartoon character and leaving Sylvie and Co. scrambling to fix the marketing mess. 

Though the parody clip isn't an actual Emily in Paris video—though, per the credits, the festival received approval from both Netflix and series creator Darren Star—it's got Succession fans talking over on social media about the humorous and unlikely crossover between the two series. 

One Twitter user, @timmythick77, expressed their shock at the realization that "Succession and Emily in Paris are in the same universe:"

Another poster, @remyedenmaria, joked that they can't believe the iconic character of Logan Roy was "resurrected" for the comedic clip:

Yet another, @samiwittwer, hoped for more future onscreen interactions between Logan Roy and Sylvie Grateau:

And it got Succession fans thinking beyond the world of Savoir—what about seeing Alan Ruck's Connor Roy ranting about cold butter on The Bear, as @gottafanmyself suggests?

Other social-media users, like @cowbojs on Twitter, are all for seeing Succession's "human grease stain" Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) pop up in an episode or two of Sex and the City: 

While @superlax wants said crossover to eschew the small screen altogether and instead have the Waystar Royco crew do a full Succession takeover of the upcoming Knives Out 3 movie.  

Who knows exactly where Logan Roy will pop up next, but if you want to see him barking orders back in the Waystar world, you can rewatch all four seasons of Succession with a Max subscription. 

And if you want a little French-accented reprieve, you can tune into the first two seasons of Emily Cooper's Parisian adventures with a Netflix subscription while you await Emily in Paris Season 3.

If you are looking for the odd crossover event of Emily and Paris and Succession, just rewatch this hilarious ad.

The ongoing awards season has been huge for Succession star Kieran Culkin, who finally landed a pair of major wins for his work as the foul-mouthed and foul-minded Roman Roy. He first took home the Golden Globe, and then celebrated an Emmy win just a week later. Even his speeches went viral, as his hilarious pot shot at Pedro Pascal was later followed up by a far more personal bit: asking his wife to have another kid. The wildly authentic moment was a hit with viewers, but Culkin reportedly voiced regrets about how he handled it.

As those who watched the most enjoyable Emmys telecast in years will probably remember, while Culkin was on stage accepting his Outstanding Lead Actor trophy, he expressed love for his wife and two children (Kinsey Sioux and Wilder Wolf). Followed by the admission that she’d previously agreed lightheartedly to consider having a third child if he came out the winner: “You said maybe — if I win.” CinemaBlend reported on the actor’s post-ceremony explanation for his comments, which seemed all in good fun, but allegedly expressed some regret in hindsight. 

According to OK Magazine’s sources, the Igby Goes Down actor came around to thinking that a live TV ceremony may not have been the most ideal surroundings for such a life-changing topic. 

Thankfully, any rueful or remorseful feelings Kieran Culkin may harbor over his speech request don't seem to have been sparked by any negative reactions on the homefront. On the contrary, the outlet reports that the couple are indeed planning to go forward with the decision to try for a third child, saying:

Awards can't grab a glass of water or a remote control for tied parents the way that kids can, either, so that's a bonus. Although awards don't yank people out of deep sleep with glass-shattering squeals at 3 a.m., so there's always a balance. 

Roman Roy said it best himself: “We just made a night of good TV.” And Culkin has delivered on that as well with each of his award speeches, which also includes the one he gave after winning Actor in a Drama Series at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. To be fair, Pedro Pascal did get him back at the Emmys prior to the child-rearing request, with the Last of Us star facetiously explained his slinged-up arm by saying Culkin "beat the shit out of " him. But I think we can all agree that the Succession fave is a lover, not a fighter.

Though the Roy family may be long gone from our TV screens, Kieran Culkin will soon be back in a new role, Benji Kaplan, for the upcoming dramedy A Real Pain, in which he'll co-star with writer/helmer Jesse Einsenberg for the Social Network vet's directorial debut. 

Meanwhile, all of Culkin's stellar performances as Roman Roy can be restreamed in full with a Max subscription.

Succession has been seeing a lot of love this awards season after wrapping its series last May, picking up multiple awards at the Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys and Critics’ Choice Awards. As such, fans like myself have gotten to reminisce on the phenomenon that was its fourth and final season — including that ridiculous finale. One of my favorite moments from “With Open Eyes” was the bathroom brawl between Greg (Nicholas Braun) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), but after hearing Kieran Culkin’s account of the shooting of that scene, I like it even more. 

Why Greg And Tom’s Bathroom Brawl Was Such A Huge Moment 

Of all the toxic relationships that existed within the world of Succession, the one between Greg Hirsch — first cousin of the Roy siblings — and Shiv’s husband Tom Wambsgans was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining. While the two were always friends of sorts, Tom was a constant punching bag for his in-laws, and he in turn regularly punched down at Greg, the one family member who seemed less powerful than him.

That’s what made the finale fight between the two such a big deal — because Greg (who delivered hilariously perfect quotes throughout Succession’s four seasons) actually stood up to his fellow Disgusting Brother after informing Kendall that Tom was being named the new CEO of Waystar Royco. Tom pulled Greg into the bathroom to confront him, and after smacking Greg on the head and calling him a “little prick,” Greg retaliated by slapping Tom across the face — hard. The two scuffled, but Tom didn’t get any huge licks of his own in before retreating to do damage control.

It was a huge win to see Greg defend himself like that, and the loud smack across the face was delightfully shocking. Hearing Kieran Culkin talk about it, though, makes it even better.

Kieran Culkin Recalled Watching The Filming Of That Fight Scene 

Nicholas Braun and Matthew Macfadyen had quite a few intense scenes together on Succession, so when it came time to throw down in the bathroom, the actors apparently decided to just go for it. If you wondered how real Greg’s slap across Tom’s face really was, just ask Kieran Culkin, who said he got to witness the moment. Culkin told People: 

Kieran Culkin, who played the sarcastic Roman Roy, heard Nicholas Braun slap Matthew Macfadyen from a whole room away. That is super intense, and I can imagine that was as shocking for Culkin to watch as it was for the audience at home. Props to Macfadyen for agreeing to take that hit — four times, too, as they apparently shot multiple takes of that scene. The actor’s sacrifice paid off, as Macfadyen won best supporting actor awards at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes.

That was only one of countless great moments from the epic finale — which ultimately saw Tom named head of Waystar Royco’s US division by Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), and chose to bring Greg along with him. Another fun scene, and a favorite of producer Mark Mylod, was Kendall’s “Meal Fit For a King” — which provided one last glimpse of frivolous joy for the Roy siblings.

You can relive the entire Roy family saga by streaming Succession with a Max subscription, and be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon. 

The 75th annual Emmy Awards gifted us with big wins and plenty of joyful celebrity run-ins, from good-natured jibes between Pedro Pascal and Kieran Culkin to that nostalgia-inducing Grey's Anatomy reunion between Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo. However, one of our favorite encounters from the night was between Succession star Matthew Macfadyen and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri regarding Pride and Prejudice and how it got the actress grounded.

The TV stars had a lot in common on Monday night, with their respective shows dominating the awards and each actor taking home an individual trophy — Macfadyen for his role as "human grease stain" Tom Wambsgans in the HBO drama and Edebiri for playing talented young chef Sydney Adamu in the FX comedy. But it looks like their connection runs even deeper, because in between giving updates on The Bear Season 3, the actress hilariously revealed that her childhood crush on the actor's Mr. Darcy once got her grounded, and TikTok is loving it. 

What Did Ayo Edebiri Say About Matthew Macfadyen?

Per a TikTok post from Entertainment Tonight, The Bear cast's leading lady told the Succession cast member backstage at Monday night's ceremony that she was grounded by her father when she was young, because she had a screensaver of Macfadyen as the swoon-worthy Mr. Darcy from 2005's Pride and Prejudice adaptation. 

In the clip, you can see the actors cracking up over the story, with Edebiri impersonating her stern dad: 

The British actor, of course, portrayed Jane Austen's moody and mysterious Mr. Darcy in the Joe Wright-directed drama, opposite Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennet. His memorable take on the character included a rain-drenched proposal, a sexually-charged hand flex and a lengthy sequence in which his Darcy hunkily strides through a dewy field toward Knightley's heroine while wearing a flimsy white shirt and a floor-length duster. So, it makes sense why he was the actress's background.

However, Macfadyen wasn't remotely offended by her father's censorship. Himself a father of two, the actor jokingly told the outlet: 

It wouldn't be the only Succession-meets-The Bear crossover of the night — we also spotted a backstage hug between Macfadyen's onscreen spouse Sarah Snook and Edebiri's co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach (both of whom also took home their own Emmys as Lead Actress and Supporting Actor, respectively) during Monday's telecast.

But the sweet, silly moment between Ayo and Matthew was the one that seemingly bewitched fans' bodies and souls, and many took to TikTok to discuss the encounter. 

TikTok Reacts To Ayo Edebiri And Matthew Macfadyen's Moment

There were seemingly a lot of Pride and Prejudice diehards in those TikTok comments, with many praising Edebiri for relatably being a "Mr. Darcy girly":

• "As if I couldn’t like Ayo enough 🥲 she understand the love for Mr. Darcy 🫶🏻" - Lr0.8
• "She’s living the fan girl dream😂😂👏👏👏" - djmelusina1
• "With the beautiful hair. She’s so real for that" - Clydie
• "She’s the goat for loving the guy in the coat 😂✨" - Jacqueline Conde
• "She shot her shot. Yes. If I ever get the chance, me. 😂" - Melonie

And others were absolutely shocked that the guy behind icky Tom Wambsgans is also the star of one of the best romantic movies around:

• "…. HES MR. DARCY??? WAITTT WHAT" - Jasmine
• "THAT'S WHERE IVE SEEN HIM BEFORE" - Pandalandalopalis
• "Wait….. he was Darcy?!?! Whhhhaaaattt!!!! Did you guys know? Tell me I’m not alone!! 😐😳" - Moni

So, yes, it seems like Ayo Edebiri has a lot of company in wanting to love up on Matthew Macfadyen. And it proves that everybody's got an embarrassing childhood crush that might get them in trouble...even Emmy winners!

For four seasons, Kieran Culkin portrayed one of TV’s most sarcastic characters in the sexually repressed Roman Roy, but the billionaire’s skittishness about having kids was nowhere to be found during the actor’s acceptance speech at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. (See the night’s biggest Emmy winners here!) Rather, upon earning television’s loftiest acting prize, Culkin took the moment to publicly address his desire to have another kid with wife Jazz Charton, and later explained where that impulse came from.

Kieran Culkin's Emmy Request

Just a week after Culkin became a 2024 Golden Globes winner for the first time as a solo actor, his name was once again called out as one of the final winners at the delayed 2023 Emmys, and after tearfully thanking his mother and manager, jokingly referring to the decades that he’s worked with the latter, he addressed his potentially growing family with the following:

That emotional and slightly charming plea was a far cry from his Globes acceptance speech, which was arguably most memorable for Culkin taking a shot at Pedro Pascal, a fellow Best Actor nominee honored for his work in The Last of Us. (Incidentally, Pascal landed a zinger of his own by jokingly blaming his injured shoulder on the Succession star.) It likely would have been a far different night had Culkin brought up having more kids with Pascal.

Kieran Culkin Explains Why He Brought Up Having More Kids

The adorable on-camera moment sparked a sweet reaction from Jazz Charton herself, who mouthed "I love you" to her hubby from the audience as he thanked her. And both she and seatmate Sarah Snook were taken aback when the baby request came out. Speaking with press behind the scenes (via THR), Culkin said it's a conversation that they've danced around before, with the Emmy nomination serving as something of an unofficial catalyst. As he put it:

As far as professional accomplishments go, Kieran Culkin hit the apex by kinda-sorta sweeping awards season so far with wins for his final season as Roman Roy. And one can understand why it might have seemed like a lofty enough stipulation to put in place far ahead of time, especially if there wasn't any overarching confidence about emerging victorious. 

Still, Kieran Culkin addressed that it was possibly the wrong medium to make such a personal appeal, calling it a "rude" move after the fact. He continued:

And in case anyone wondered, Culkin flat out denied that he would choose to name their potential third child anything "cute" like Roman or Emmy. Personally I'm hoping he goes for the completely ironic moniker of "Eldest Boy," in reference to Jeremy Strong's best series finale quotes as Kendall Roy. 

The 2023 Emmy Awards can be streamed in full now with a Hulu subscription, and the next edition will presumably be arriving later this year, without any strike delays holding the TV Academy's efforts back.

It’s never too late to celebrate the best in television, and while the trophies are being handed out a little later than usual, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards are finally upon us. Usually set for September, the entertainment industry strikes pushed the 2023 ceremony into the new year. So even as the 2024 TV schedule is kicking into high gear, the stars were out on January 15 for a celebratory look back at the best performances and series of the past year.

Succession, The Last of Us and The White Lotus led the nominations heading into Monday night’s awards show, but only one of those walked away with the most wins. The Fox telecast — which is being hosted for the first time by Anthony Anderson — will be available to stream with a Hulu subscription on January 16, for anyone who missed the memorable acceptance speeches from Paul Walter Hauser and Quinta Brunson, or the cast reunions for Grey's Anatomy, Cheers and other TV classics.

This story will be updated with the winners throughout the broadcast. After jumping into the night's honorees, keep reading for some of the winners from the previous weekend's Creative Arts Emmy ceremony, where The Last of Us landed several awards. Now let's celebrate the best that TV had to offer in the voters' opinions, for what was possibly my favorite awards telecast in years.

Outstanding Drama Series Winner: Succession

WINNER: Succession

Andor

Better Call Saul

The Crown

House of the Dragon

The Last of Us

The White Lotus

Yellowjackets

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Winner: Kieran Culkin

WINNER: Kieran Culkin, Succession

Jeff Bridges, The Old Man

Brian Cox, Succession

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Pedro Pascal, The Last Of Us

Jeremy Strong, Succession

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Winner: Sarah Snook

WINNER: Sarah Snook, Succession

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters

Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale

Bella Ramsey, The Last Of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Winner: Matthew Macfadyen

WINNER: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession

F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus

Nicholas Braun, Succession

Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus

Theo James, The White Lotus

Alan Ruck, Succession

Will Sharpe, The White Lotus

Alexander Skarsgård, Succession

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Winner: Jennifer Coolidge

WINNER: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus

Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus

Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus

Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul

J. Smith-Cameron, Succession

Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus

• Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series: Mark Mylod - Succession
• Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series Winner: Jesse Armstrong - Succession

Outstanding Comedy Series Winner: The Bear

WINNER: The Bear

Abbott Elementary

Barry

Jury Duty

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Only Murders in the Building

Ted Lasso

Wednesday

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Winner: Jeremy Allen White

WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Bill Hader, Barry

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Winner: Quinta Brunson

WINNER: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Christina Applegate, Dead To Me

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

Jenna Ortega, Wednesday

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Winner: Ebon Moss-Bachrach

WINNER: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Anthony Carrigan, Barry

Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

James Marsden, Jury Duty

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

Henry Winkler, Barry

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Winner: Ayo Edebiri

WINNER: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

• Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series Winner: Christopher Storer - The Bear
• Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series Winner: Christopher Storer - The Bear

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Winner: Beef

WINNER: Beef

Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Daisy Jones & the Six

Fleishman Is in Trouble

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Winner: Steven Yeun

WINNER: Steven Yeun, Beef

Taron Egerton, Black Bird

Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales

Evan Peters, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Michael Shannon, George & Tammy

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Winner: Ali Wong

WINNER: Ali Wong, Beef

Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is In Trouble

Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy

Dominique Fishback, Swarm

Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & The Six

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Winner: Paul Walter Hauser

WINNER: Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird

Murray Bartlett, Welcome To Chippendales

Richard Jenkins, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Joseph Lee, BEEF

Ray Liotta, Black Bird

Young Mazino, BEEF

Jesse Plemons, Love & Death

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Winner: Niecy Nash-Betts

WINNER: Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome To Chippendales

Maria Bello, BEEF

Claire Danes, Fleishman Is In Trouble

Juliette Lewis, Welcome To Chippendales

Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & The Six

Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things

• Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie Winner: Lee Sung Jin - Beef
• Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie Winner: Lee Sung Jin - Beef

Outstanding Reality Competition Program Winner: RuPaul's Drag Race

WINNERS: RuPaul's Drag Race

The Amazing Race

Survivor

Top Chef

The Voice

Outstanding Talk Series Winner: The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

WINNER: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Problem with Jon Stewart

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series Winner: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

WINNER: Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage

The Oscars

75th Annual Tony Awards

• Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series Winner: Liz Patrick - Saturday Night Live
• Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special Winner: Hamish Hamilton and Shawn Carter - The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna
• Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series Winner: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
• Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special Winner: John Mulaney - John Mulaney: Baby J

Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners

• Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series - Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso)
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series - Judith Light (Poker Face)
• Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series - Nick Offerman (The Last of Us)
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series - Riley Abel (The Last of Us)
• Outstanding Animated Program - The Simpsons "Treehouse Of Horror XXXIII"
• Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program - RuPaul (RuPaul's Drag Race)
• Outstanding Host For A Game Show - Keke Palmer (Password)
• Outstanding Structured Reality Program - Queer Eye
• Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program - Welcome to Wrexham
• Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series - I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson

Succession's highly quotable final episode may be the final time we saw the Roy family on TV, but it's clear the HBO drama's cast and crew will be winning out the rest of awards season, with The Bear only just gearing up as an undisputed beast. And watch out if Beef somehow ever manifests a follow-up season. 

Expect the next Emmy Awards to come sneaking up sooner than later, with the 2024 ceremony currently still aiming to take place during the traditional September time frame. See you there!

The 2024 Golden Globes arrived with plenty of classy looking celebrities from one end to the next — check out the list of Globe winners here — and Jo Koy kicked things off with a viewer-roasted monologue that kind of set a low bar for the night's attempts at comedy. But leave it to Succession's Kieran Culkin to deliver one of the biggest and most genuine laughs of the night with his acceptance speech, which took an adorable shot at Last of Us star and fellow nominee Pedro Pascal.

Someone from Succession was bound to take home the trophy for Best Performance By An Actor In A Drama Series, with both Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong also being nominated in the same category. But this was finally the Roman Roy portrayer's year, as he took landed the win for the first time.

Upon taking the stage, a clearly surprised Kieran Culkin acknowledged the fact that he'd twice in his life given up on the idea that he'd ever win a Golden Globe. (Well, after burping a bit.) He then ad-libbed a quick shot at fellow HBO star Pedro Pascal.

The moment sparked big laughs throughout the room, and Pedro Pascal gave the camera one of the best "actor in the audience" reaction shots, as his hearty laughter turned into a faux grimace. 

It was a moment that I'm pretty sure Roman Roy himself would have been proud of, even if Culkin didn't drop any barbed F-bombs. (An unfortunate turn of events, if an understandable one.) Those who didn't watch the telecast live can check out the speech in the video below.

Nobody needs to feel too badly for The Last of Us just because Pedro Pascal didn’t win out. The HBO horror drama (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) already landed quite a few trophies at the Creative Emmy Awards that were held on Saturday, January 6. The Last of Us won 8 total awards, including Nick Offerman earning the prize for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and Storm Reid winning for Outstanding Guest Actress. 

For those who want to see more, the Golden Globes can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. Head to our 2024 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way that may end up being nominated for awards by this time next year, even if The Last of Us Season 2 and future seasons of Succession will be absent from that list. 

When it comes to those channels that we all need to pay a little extra for – such as Showtime, Starz, etc. – they all seem to produce some of the absolute best shows. But you want to know which channel I think has made stars even bigger? HBO. 

The channel, which stands for 'Home Box Office,' has produced some of the best TV shows of the last twenty or so years, and with that, several actors and actresses have come and gone and left their mark, earning plenty of awards recognition for their work in the shows. Today, we'll be going over 32 of them. 

Emilia Clarke (Game Of Thrones)

Of the Game of Thrones cast, Emilia Clarke probably became one of the most-known actresses in the world after her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen. On the show for the entirety of its eight seasons, Clarke earned plenty of awards recognition and was nominated several times for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the show, including her last nomination in the Lead Actress category. 

Jonathan Groff (Looking)

While Jonathan Groff never earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his role in the LGBTQ+ show Looking, he did win plenty of other awards for his time on the show. Groff is known to be a triple threat with his acting, singing, and dancing talents. He was even a part of the original Hamilton cast, but his starring role in Looking brought on plenty of recognition.

Zendaya (Euphoria)

The Euphoria cast is filled with talent, but let's be honest – Zendaya is the main star we're all looking towards. Nominated several times for the show for a Primetime Emmy, Euphoria has taken this once Disney Channel star and given her the chance to show off her incredible acting skills, one I'm sure she'll continue to do. 

Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones)

Peter Dinklage has been around in movies and TV for some time, but everyone recognizes him as Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, a performance he did for eight show seasons. Out of the entire cast, Dinklage was the one to be nominated for the most Primetime Emmys – and he won four times. 

Lena Dunham (Girls)

Girls lasted for six seasons and gave plenty of stars shining lights, such as Allison Williams, Adam Driver, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and more, but Lena Dunham was certainly the award-winner of the group. The actress, who also created the comedy for HBO, earned several nominations at the Primetime Emmys, the Golden Globes, and more. 

Tony Hale (Veep)

The Veep cast is highly talented, and Tony Hale is just one of many. And his role as Gary Walsh in Veep is undoubtedly one of his best. Among several other awards that he was nominated for this role, he won the Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series twice before the series ended. 

Bill Hader (Barry)

This show – especially Barry Season 4 – was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end, and Bill Hader's performance has been hailed as one of the best of the show. Hader has been nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards, and the show has also been nominated for Outstanding Comedy.  

Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under)

While Michael C. Hall gained a lot of fame for another role he did – the still rewatchable Dexter on Showtime – he gained a lot of fame at first for his role in Six Feet Under, where he played David, one of the brothers who owns a family-funeral home. His role in the show earned him several nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. 

Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Succession’s success is awesome to watch, growing larger and more prominent over the years, and one of the lead actors, Jeremy Strong, has gained a lot of award recognition throughout the series' four seasons. Among Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Drama Series, and more, Strong has also earned nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones)

Cersei Lannister is undoubtedly one of the most-hated villains of Game of Thrones, but I don't think anyone could hate Lena Headey's performance. Throughout the series, the actress earned several nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, among several other awards at the Golden Globes, the Poppy Awards, and more. 

Anthony Carrigan (Barry)

I don't know where it came from, but NoHo Hank became my favorite character in Barry, and I think it's because of Anthony Carrigan's portrayal of him. While Carrigan's character didn't get as much hype at the beginning of Barry, the actor has earned several awards for his role in the show, including Primetime Emmy nominations. 

Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones)

Olenna Tyrell had to be the best player in Game of Thrones, and I'm pretty sure we all were heartbroken when Diana Rigg passed away. The actress earned several nominations for her role in the show, including Primetime Emmys for her guest appearances. Who could ever forget Olenna? 

Brian Cox (Succession)

I don't think anyone could forget Brian Cox as the patriarch of the Roy family in Succession, Logan Roy, the leading man we were all following for years on end. And, of course, Cox earned plenty of praise for his portrayal in the show, including several Primetime Emmy nominations and wins. 

Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus And Euphoria)

Sydney Sweeney is an exceptional case on this list, as two of her shows on HBO have earned her nominations. She was a part of The White Lotus Season 1 cast, which earned her a Primetime Emmy nod, and for the second season of Euphoria, she also earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Both of which were certainly deserved. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

As the lead of Veep, I don't think we could get through a list like this without mentioning Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her role as Selina Meyer. The series, which ran from 2012 - 2019, was a massive success for her and earned the actress several nominations and wins for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy and the series for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)

We can only have an HBO list by mentioning James Gandolfini from The Sopranos. As the patriarch of the Soprano family, Tony, James Gandolfini won several awards over the series, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys three times. The show itself also won Outstanding Drama Series several times. 

Evan Peters (Mare Of Easttown)

Mare of Easttown was a limited series on HBO, and the entirety of the cast was incredibly impressive. Evan Peters has gained fame over the last decade for his roles in movies like X-Men and the anthology series American Horror Story, but his role as Detective Colin Zabel has been hailed as one of his best. His portrayal earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, among other awards. 

Henry Winkler (Barry)

Henry Winkler is a TV legend from Happy Days, but his role in Barry is one of my favorites. And the people who award these actors agreed too, as Winkler earned several awards for his character, Gene Cousineau, including Primetime Emmy wins. 

Kate Winslet (Mare Of Easttown)

Kate Winslet was the star of Mare of Easttown, a limited series on HBO, and out of everyone on the cast, she won the most awards for her time on the show. Some of her accomplishments include Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Primetime Emmys, TV Film of Miniseries Lead Actress of the Year for the Gold Derby Awards, Best Television Movie or Miniseries Actress for the Critics Choice Awards, and more. 

Edie Falco (The Sopranos)

For the six seasons of the American crime series The Sopranos, my favorite out of the entire cast was Edie Falco. Carmela was possibly the best TV wife out there and was the only person who would keep up with Tony's mess. Falco's portrayal of her went down in history. The actress was nominated for (and won) several Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and more. 

Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos)

Michael Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti, the protégé of Tony in The Sopranos and someone who seemed to get some of the best storylines in the show. During his time on the series, Imperioli was nominated for his role in several awards, such as  Emmys, Golden Globes, Prism Awards, and more. 

Jake Lacy (The White Lotus Season 1)

The White Lotus cast for Season 1 had some impressive talent, but everyone seriously loved to hate Jake Lacy's character, Shane Patton. But everyone also loves his performance — which earned the actor several nominations across awards shows, including a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game Of Thrones)

Game of Thrones created several big names for Hollywood, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is another that we saw plenty of in the awards sphere. His character of Jamie Lannister is often credited as having one of the best character arcs in television and earned several award nominations, including the Primetime Emmys. Game of Thrones itself won Outstanding Drama Series several times. 

Sarah Snook (Succession)

The entire Succession cast is filled with talent, but one of my favorites has always been Sarah Snook, who played Shiv in the popular HBO series. Portraying the character for all four seasons, Snook has been nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. 

Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus, Season 1)

Daddario has been in the industry for some time, but her role in The White Lotus Season 1 is considered one of her best. The anthology series gave the actress the chance to shine as Rachel, and she was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Primetime Emmys.  

Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Season 1)

True Detective is an anthology series from HBO, and many lovers of the show agree that Season 1 had one of the best storylines, led by a captivating performance from Matthew McConaughey. The Academy Award-winning actor earned several awards for his lead performance in the first season, including a Crime Thriller Award, a Critics' Choice Award, a Primetime Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, and more. 

Issa Rae (Insecure)

Insecure is a comedy-drama from HBO, featuring co-creator Issa Rae in the show's lead role. The series was extremely well-received, and Rae was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys and Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. 

Kit Harrington (Game Of Thrones)

Jon Snow is probably the most known character from Game of Thrones aside from Daenerys and Tyrion – which is not surprising considering the character is getting his own Game of Thrones spinoff series. The actor behind him, Kit Harrington, was nominated for several awards during his time on the show, including the Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for the show's final season. 

Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus, Seasons 1 And 2)

While The White Lotus is an anthology series, Jennifer Coolidge was a part of the main cast for the first two seasons (and only the first two). And her time on the show as Tanya was exceptionally well-received and loved. Among many other awards, Coolidge won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series of Movies. 

Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)

Anthony Hopkins is one of the most critically acclaimed actors of our time, and of course, he has been praised for his TV performances. This time around, it's Westworld, where he earned several nominations from the Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, and more. The series was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus Season 1)

Murray Bartlett was a part of The White Lotus Season 1 and he was honestly one of the show's funniest characters. For his performance as Armond, Bartlett earned several nominations. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series for Season 1.

Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)

Jeffrey Wright is a great actor who has been in various movies and TV shows, but one of his most critically acclaimed roles was portraying Bernard Lowe in Westworld, a series he starred in for some time. Wright earned several nominations, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. 

There are so many amazing actors and actresses who have gone on to do incredible things. And truthfully, this makes me want to see all these shows again to see their talent. Is anyone up for a Game of Thrones rewatch?

If you love The White Lotus and you're looking for shows like it, we have you covered. 

So you've been waiting for Season 3 of The White Lotus – same here. Since the first season of The White Lotus came out, fans worldwide have turned to this excellent anthology series about guests who stay at various locations of a resort chain, known as The White Lotus. The first season's cast was amazing, as was The White Lotus Season 2 cast. 

But now, it's been a year since The White Lotus Season 2, and while filming and production was delayed for Season 3 due to the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Strike, both of those have thankfully come to an end, and Season 3 will hopefully be on the way soon. However, you can watch plenty of shows like The White Lotus to pass the time. Let's talk about them. 

Nine Perfect Strangers (2021 – Present)

Released on Hulu, Nine Perfect Strangers is based on the book of the same name, and it will truly be the craziest ride of your life. 

It follows the story of strangers who are at different points of their lives who all gather at a health and wellness resort that aims to solve everything wrong in their lives, but everything is turned upside down by its unconventional methods. 

I could go off about Nine Perfect Strangers for some time. The Nine Perfect Strangers cast is filled to the brim with talent, and the story will capture your interest in seconds. If you love the idea of people getting stuck at strange resorts such as The White Lotus and escalated tensions, this is the show for you. 

Stream Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu.

The Flight Attendant (2020 – 2022)

In one of Max's best original shows, The Flight Attendant, Kaley Cuoco stars in one of her best roles, where she plays a flight attendant who wakes up in a hotel bed next to the dead body of a passenger and no memory of the night before. Now, it's up to her to figure out what happened. 

The White Lotus Season 1 featured a great murder mystery that people tried to figure out as time passed, as everyone wanted to figure out who was in that coffin that went on the plane. While The Flight Attendant isn't as dramatic as The White Lotus can be, it's still just as well-told and hilarious with Cuoco as its lead. 

Stream The Flight Attendant on Max. 

Succession (2018 – 2023)

Ooh, you like family drama? Succession is the show for you. The HBO series features the story of the Roy family, a wealthy crew of billionaires constantly at each other's throats because they all want a piece of the family fortune and their chance to run it all when their patriarch starts to show health problems. 

There are many reasons to watch Succession if you like The White Lotus, but the main one is that both feature heavily on family drama and the impacts of certain decisions on people's lives that lead to how they live later. The Succession cast is brilliant, and the story is second to none. 

Stream Succession on Max. 

Fleishman Is In Trouble (2022)

Fleishman is in Trouble is an excellent series about a middle-aged man named Toby who is learning to date again. He suddenly finds his world upside down when his separated wife suddenly vanishes without a trace after dropping off their children one morning. 

Season 2 of The White Lotus talked a lot about love, jealousy, and manipulation within couples, and Fleishman is in Trouble is the perfect show that embodies that in many ways and more. The Fleishman Is in Trouble cast is excellent, led by outstanding performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes. 

Stream Fleishman is in Trouble on Hulu.

Yellowjackets (2021 – Present)

Yellowjackets is a Showtime series that tells the story of a soccer team whose plane goes down in the woods of Canada while traveling to a national championship game. To survive, they have to do drastic and dangerous things – which come back to haunt them more than two decades later. 

While Yellowjackets and The White Lotus have very different premises, one thing connects them – the fact that fans debate over who was murdered and use every little detail they can find to get some clue. The murder mystery is real with this one – and guess what? There's even a Yellowjackets Season 3 confirmed. 

Stream Yellowjackets on Showtime.

Enlightened (2011 – 2013)

Mike White created The White Lotus, but before that, he started Enlightened. This HBO series tells the story of a young woman who suffers a breakdown and goes to a spiritual retreat. And from there, she decides to rejoin her company from the bottom and take it all down to rebuild her life. 

If you love the humor and drama of The White Lotus, then you have to check out Enlightened. Arguably, it features one of Laura Dern's best performances and has a great story that anyone could relate to about wanting to move forward and make better choices. 

Stream Enlightened on Max. 

Big Little Lies (2017 – 2019)

Like The White Lotus Season 1, this show uses a murder mystery as the inciting incident that gets the plot going. Big Little Lies follows the story of a community thrown right into a murder investigation. 

The show has many stars and two seasons, but what makes it like The White Lotus is how it subtly addresses significant issues. From domestic abuse to classism to much more, it won't be long before you're captured by the incredible story Big Little Lies tells. 

Stream Big Little Lies on Max. 

Dynasty (2017 – 2022)

More family drama comes in the form of Dynasty. This popular CW show is based on the 1980s show of the same name and follows the daily lives of the Carringtons, a wealthy family constantly at each other's throats.

While I think Dynasty is a bit more forward with its drama than Succession is, it's still a fun show that fully details what money can do to a family and how it can lead to corruption, which The White Lotus touches on a lot. Plus, you have an outstanding leading performance from Elizabeth Gillies. 

Stream Dynasty on Netflix.

The Resort (2022)

In this Peacock original, The Resort follows a married couple who go on a trip to Yucatan while working on their marriage. While there, they find a flip phone that could lead to figuring out a long-unsolved mystery regarding two teenagers who went missing. 

While The White Lotus uses mystery as one of its crucial storytelling factors, The Resort dives fully into it, making it the primary source of entertainment. But let me say it's one of the best mysteries you'll watch this year, with twists and turns around each corner. Not only that, but William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti are fantastic. 

Stream The Resort on Peacock.

Severance (2022 – Present)

Lastly, we have Severance. This great Apple TV+ show tells the story of a dystopian world where people can split their consciousness between their work lives and their personal lives so they do not intersect, which causes massive problems and conspiracies down the line. 

The setting of Severance is quite different, but it's the fact that you will be theorizing about this show for hours that makes it such a great binge, just like you would for The White Lotus. You can binge the first season while we wait for Severance Season 2. 

Stream Severance on Apple TV+. 

You can check out these great shows while waiting for The White Lotus Season 3. Hopefully, with the 2024 TV schedule about to start rolling out, we will soon get the following story of the famous resorts, but until then, you have these shows to turn to. 

When your favorite TV show is said and done, it’s kind of hard to pick which episode is the best of the bunch. But that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss, as according to the voters at IMDb, there’s a definitive answer for the highest rated episodes for 32 of beloved TV series like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Friends. Prepare to be amazed by these potential conversation/argument starters! 

“Ozymandias” - Breaking Bad - Season 5

In Breaking Bad’s five seasons of TV, the Rian Johnson directed “Ozymandias” is easily the victor. A perfect 10/10 in its IMDb vote, many have heralded this chapter of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his crime saga as the finest. Which is probably because of all the acclaim spotlighting one word that this installment seems to embody: “payoff.”

“Plan And Execution” - Better Call Saul - Season 6

Much like its predecessor Breaking Bad, it’s the setup to the punchline that made Better Call Saul’s crown jewel a fan favorite. “Plan and Execution” is so close to the finale that you can feel the series’ finality, but at the same time you might be surprised to know that the climactic betrayal and death of Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) was actually the mid-season finale of Bob Odenkirk’s swan song.

“Connor’s Wedding” - Succession - Season 4

How was Succession ever going to send out Logan Roy (Brian Cox) with a bang? Well, in the episode “Connor’s Wedding,” the answer was simple: you kill him by surprise, and early on in the final season. Stuff the episode with the sort of tragically awkward Succession moments that we all know and love, and you’ve got a recipe for a story that brings down the house.

“Finale” - The Office - Season 9

The Office’s series finale, aptly titled “Finale,” tied things up with a beautiful knot, which just happened to include Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) tying the knot. Also, Steve Carell’s big return as Michael Scott still circulates online as a true moment of joy from this landmark chapter. 

“Pine Barrens” - The Sopranos - Season 3

Even after The Sopranos pretty much answered the pressing question of whether or not Tony Soprano was wacked, Season 3’s “Pine Barrens” still contains an unsolved mystery. So on top of Steve Buscemi’s directorial chops, and watching Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Chris (Michael Imperioli) spend some time in those Jersey woods, people are probably still watching this episode in hopes of answering, “Is Valery dead, or not?” The world may never know.

“Modern Warfare” - Community - Season 1

What happens when a mile-a-minute pop culture joke machine like Community dedicates an entire episode to some of the best action movies of all time? Well, you’d get the Justin Lin directed “Modern Warfare,” an all-time heater that sees Jeff (Joel McHale) battling it out for priority registration. It’s an episode that blew people away so hard, that much like Die Hard, it got a couple sequels. 

“The Constant” - Lost - Season 4

Through Lost's best episodes, it was a series that bent people’s minds in all sorts of directions, and left them wanting more. “The Constant” is a firm example of that, as the time travel-centric episode went down the usual rabbit holes the show was known for. However, throwing in that romantic plot line between Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) probably stuck the landing for this one in the hearts of fans. 

“The One Where Everybody Finds Out” - Friends - Season 5

It’s not hard to see why “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” is Friends’ highest-rated episode on IMDb. With Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) finally seeing their clandestine love affair outed to their whole group, it's a watershed moment for the pair. It's also considered one of Matthew Perry's best Friends episodes, so there's something else to consider.

“Everyone’s Waiting” - Six Feet Under

Would anyone be surprised to learn that Six Feet Under’s series finale “Everyone’s Waiting” is the highest rated entry? Alan Ball’s darkly comic dramedy about death went out on a fitting note, showing the entire Fisher family’s final fates. Sia’s “Breathe Me” still brings people to tears when thinking about it.

“How Your Mother Met Me” - How I Met Your Mother - Season 9

Getting the answer to who “The Mother” was in How I Met Your Mother was only the beginning of the road for the series’ endgame. With Season 9 bringing fans closer to Tracy (Cristin Milioti) and her marriage to Ted (Josh Radnor), “How Your Mother Met Me” took the time to fill us in on every hysterical and heartbreaking moment that led these two to each other.  

“Once More, With Feeling” - Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season 6

There are several reasons “Once More, With Feeling” probably topped the list of Buffy the Vampire Slayer favorites. Known forever as “the musical episode,” the keen gimmick introduced us all to the silky smooth singing of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) just as he was heading out the door. Also, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Spike (James Marsters) had their first actual, non-magically influenced kiss. 

“The Stockholm Syndrome” - The Big Bang Theory - Season 12

Sitcom characters are a good example of systems so delicate that the wrong type of change could sink them rather quickly. The Big Bang Theory managed to seemingly avoid that with its series finale “The Stockholm Syndrome,” which both gave Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) everything he wanted, and the audience an ending they didn’t know they needed. Seeing a very married, and very loving Sheldon is the ingredient that more than likely made this curtain closer one fans still remember.

“The Contest” - Seinfeld - Season 4

When an episode of a sitcom happens to be so good it invents pop culture slang that still lands to this day, as well as finds itself referenced in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you know its done the trick. One of Seinfeld’s best episodes, “The Contest,” fits both of those bills, as the New York gang of idiots challenge each other in a very personal way. 

“Connection Lost” - Modern Family - Season 6

Sometimes, you need a good format breaker to keep things fresh. In the sixth season of Modern Family, the powers that be recognized that and gave us “Connection Lost,” a story where Claire (Julie Bowen) plays a literal game of telephone to investigate what may or may not be happening with daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland). 

"The Inner Light" - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 5

"The Inner Light" is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that's so popular, all you need is music to spark its memory within the fandom. A touching story of bittersweet devastation and empathy, this could be the episode that epitomizes who Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is, and what he's always stood for in this landmark sci-fi franchise.

“Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” - The X-Files - Season 3

Story driven series like The X-Files sometimes strike it big with the occasional one-off episode. In the case of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s third season of action, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” was one such episode, following the case of an insurance salesman (Peter Boyle) who knows when people are going to die. Properly spooky, but also slyly witty, it may be Mulder and Scully’s greatest victory against the show’s shadowy conspiracy. 

“Middle Ground” - The Wire - Season 3

“Middle Ground” is the type of episode that shows like The Wire live for. Well regarded by fans and critics alike, the Season 3 heater saw Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) ringing on the streets of Baltimore for the last time. With Omar (Michael K. Williams) helping punch his ticket, this endgame between these legendary characters is still the episode to beat.  

“The Suitcase” - Mad Men - Season 4

“THAT’S WHAT THE MONEY’S FOR!” You could probably hear a pin drop after Don (Jon Hamm) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) had their infamous argument over who deserved the true credit for the Glo Coat ad. “The Suitcase” saw perhaps the greatest fracture between this mentor/mentee team, and its effects would reverberate through to the series’ finale. Also, that quote did become one hell of a meme; so that helped in the longevity department of this Mad Men champion.

“Eye Of The Beholder” - The Twilight Zone - Season 2

Technically, The Twilight Zone has two episodes tied for the highest rating in its iconic collection of episodes. If you guessed Nightmare at 20,000 Feet as the technical tie, you’re absolutely correct. However it’s Season 2’s  “Eye of the Beholder” that still wins out, based on a higher volume of votes. And if you want to guess why that is, it’s probably because this episode has one of the biggest twist endings in Twilight Zone history, complete with truly frightening prosthetics.

“One Last Ride” - Parks and Recreation - Season 7

Sorry Parks and Rec fans, even with Chris Pratt’s legendary improv “Flu Season” isn’t the NBC series’ highest rated episode. Rather, the series finale “One Last Ride” is the best regarded installment of the pop culture hit. Though if you’re a true fan of the Amy Poehler-led ensemble series, you’re probably not sorry, as this is the episode that gave everyone a pretty happy ending.

“Two Cathedrals” - The West Wing - Season 2

“Two Cathedrals” is both one of the darkest hours and finest moments of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen). The episode where he ponders running for another term, in light of an MS diagnosis and the loss of close friend and colleague Mrs. Landingham (Kathryn Joosten). The reason this episode is the top of the class is, unquestionably, Sheen’s enraged monologue in discussion with God; which became a real bilingual tongue lashing of fury.

“Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse” - The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air - Season 4

If you ever need inspiration to cry in a rush, put on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s Season 4 episode “Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse.” When you get to the end, in which Will (Will Smith) expresses his heartbreak of being abandoned by his father again, you’ll understand why this is the episode that still has fans singing its praises.

“11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.” - 24 - Season 1

24 was a massive cultural hit when it first premiered, and eventually spawned the story of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and the worst days in his life. The best rated episode of his adventures, “11:00 pm - 12:00 am” saw Jack’s deadly battle with the Drazen family come to an explosive conclusion; but at a cost. With the loss of his wife Teri (Leslie Hope) and the escape of traitor Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke), the path of his life would be set for years to come.

“Crossroads: Part 2” - Battlestar Galactica - Season 3

Talk about a “payoff” episode, as Battlestar Galactica's "Crossroads: Part 2" not only brought Starbuck (Katee Sackoff) back from the dead, it also revealed the Final Five Cylons hiding among the Galactica’s crew.  So depending on where your head is at as a fan, you’ve got two different reasons to choose from, and both lead to Earth! 

“Happy Ending” - Schitt’s Creek - Season 6

When a comedy can make you laugh as much as Schitt’s Creek has, the ability to make the audience cry in-between laughing fits is seen as a bit of a superpower. “Happy Ending” closed out the ensemble series with tears of joy and sadness, as David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) finally got married. With the Rose family splitting off for fates unknown, a truly happy ending was had as all of our favorite characters grew into the beautiful beings we saw in this final frame.

“On The Beach” - ER - Season 8

Good luck talking about this episode of ER without breaking into tears. Serving as the tearful goodbye to Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards), watching a dear friend make peace with his mistakes before his death was a heart smasher. To this day, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s cover of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” is an easy emotional trigger. 

“Abyssinia, Henry” - M*A*S*H - Season 3

M*A*S*H is a unique animal. “Abyssinia, Henry” proves that point rather well, as the departure of Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) went from bittersweet to downright devastating. With the series regular dying in a finale that even surprised the cast, you could imagine how fans felt when they first saw it.

“Raincoats And Recipes” - Gilmore Girls - Season 4

Gilmore Girls fans, you know exactly why you voted “Raincoats and Recipes” as the top rated episode on IMDb. If you’re a fan of Lorelai (Lauren Graham), you love this episode because it’s her first kiss with Luke (Scott Patterson). If you’re on Team Rory (Alexis Bledel), then the rather complicated moment of her and Dean (Jared Padalecki) trying to “salvage their friendship” is probably the high point.

“An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux” - Sex and the City - Season 6

Before both movies and the formation of the legacy-quel And Just LIke That would change history, Sex and the City landed its grand finale with “An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux” as Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) fairy tale reunion with Mr. Big (Chris Noth) seemed like the happy ending fated from square one.

“Always” - Friday Night Lights - Season 5

The last dance with Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his East Dillon Lions resulted in “Always,” the series finale to the ever popular Friday Night Lights. With a State Championship on the line, as well as Coach’s own future in football, the results weren’t the draw for those who followed the show. It was, as always, about clear eyes and full hearts. 

“Lucy Does A TV Commercial” - I Love Lucy - Season 1

Legendary sitcoms like I Love Lucy have those gags that always land on t-shirts, trivia questions, and fan favorite roundups. “Lucy Does A TV Commercial” gave the world one such moment, as Lucy (Lucile Ball) talks her way into a medicine commercial for Vitameatavegamin. Let’s just say the side effects of that elixir are what make this episode very “poopular.”  

“One For The Road” - Cheers - Season 11

There is no Cheers without Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Full stop, no exceptions. The series finale “One For The Road” got that right out of the gate, and seeing Sam realize it in the closing moments is probably why fans love it so much. It’s good to know that there’s always somewhere where everybody knows your name.

Fans know what they love from their favorite series, and the episodes that top the charts only prove it. So remember that whenever your favorite show takes its final bow, it'll eventually be contributing to the history of moments and plotlines like the ones shown above.

Regarding movie and TV characters that have withstood the test of time, I can think of no better characters than the sarcastic ones. These people we remember the most years later for their hilarious jokes, awesome one-liners, and deliveries that just can't be beaten. Today, we'll review the most sarcastic TV characters and the ones from movies. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

Out of the entirety of the Friends cast, I don't think there's been another character that stands out just as much as Chandler Bing. From his first moments on the series to his last, Chandler was hands down the most sarcastic of the leading group, and some of his lines have lived on for years long after the series ended. Friends was undoubtedly one of Matthew Perry's best TV shows.

Deadpool (The Deadpool Franchise)

Deadpool from the Deadpool franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is sarcastic by nature. No matter what fight he's dealing with, there's always a joke that comes flying out not that long after, whether it be a lighter joke or a very much Rated-R quip, Ryan Reynolds' character always has a quick remark.

Roman Roy (Succession)

The Succession cast is always serious about what is happening in the show – as they should be. It's a lot of money they are dealing with. 

But Roman Roy? He is the most unserious character ever and will break any tension with a sarcastic quip that will undoubtedly sit in viewers' minds for hours long after the TV show ends. Kieran Culkin was a beast at his delivery. 

Tony Stark (The MCU)

Out of the original Avengers, Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr. in one of his best roles) is hands down the most sarcastic. I'm pretty sure half the time, it was just Downey Jr. acting like himself on screen because he's Tony Stark in real life. I'll never get over how he called one of Thanos' henchmen, Squidward, literally. 

Sherlock Holmes (Elementary & Sherlock) 

It's hard to pick just one Sherlock – so why not both? Benedict Cumberbatch from Sherlock and Jonny Lee Miller from Elementary both perfectly capture what it's like to play Sherlock Holmes – as well as his sassy and sarcastic nature when solving the case. They are some of the best portrayals of Sherlock out there – I'll give Robert Downey Jr. an honorable mention, too, for his role as Sherlock in the Sherlock movies.

Max Black (2 Broke Girls)

Kat Dennings has probably some of the best one-liners in all of 2 Broke Girls as Max Black. Coming from a broken home, the character came swinging right out the gate with hilarious one-liners and wits that made me laugh for hours on end – even if deep down, we all know she uses sarcasm as her emotional shield.  

Comic Book Guy (The Simpsons)

Few characters on this list have been around for decades, but Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons was primed for that. Appearing in the second season of The Simpsons, the character has remained a mainstay in the series for his sarcastic nature and love of all things comic books, making snide comments to anyone who challenges his mastery of the medium.

Juno (Juno)

Juno from Juno is probably the most relatable teenage character in movies (besides, maybe, the whole teen pregnancy part). She's witty and sarcastic and uses it in situations where you probably shouldn't use humor, but it's what brings you comfort. Admittedly, Juno was my favorite movie character for a long time. 

Gregory House (House)

There are many medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy, New Amsterdam, and so many others, but nothing can beat House and its namesake doctor, Gregory House. A man who is incredibly smart but has a drug problem, he uses sarcasm in his everyday job, which not only makes him hilarious but also causes him to run into some interesting patient situations. 

Hades (Hercules)

I will stand by the fact that Hades is hands down the best Disney villain overall. Not only is he so sarcastic and makes jokes about death and Greek mythology all the time, but he's able to use that hilarity and turn it sinister, turning into a pretty scary villain when he needs to be. But you can't hate him because he's just so funny. 

Roger Sterling (Mad Men)

When I first watched Mad Men and attempted to find someone I liked from the cast, the first person that came to mind was Roger Sterling. Portrayed by John Slattery, Sterling had some of the best storylines on the series – and brought that sarcasm despite all his heavy problems. 

Tyrion (Game Of Thrones)

There are some great Tyrion quotes out there that I could reference for hours about how sarcastic this man is, but they wouldn't do it justice. Honestly, rewatch Game of Thrones for Tyrion's sarcastic nature – I assure you, you will laugh just as much the first time you watched this series thanks to Peter Dinklage's excellent performance. 

Seinfeld (Seinfeld)

I mean, come on. Of course, we must put Jerry Seinfeld from Seinfeld on this list. The man was born to be a sarcastic comedian, and in every episode of this series, something will come out of his mouth to make you laugh. 

Miranda Bailey (Grey's Anatomy)

The Grey's Anatomy cast has ebbed and flowed so often throughout its long run that it's sometimes hard to remember everyone there. But Miranda Bailey, played by Chandra Wilson, has been in the show for years, and honestly, she's one of the few that I see the reason why. Not only is she hilarious in her sarcastic nature, but her facial expressions are to die for. 

Lucifer (Lucifer)

When you're the ruler of Hell, you tend to have a sense of humor from all the darkness going around, and of course, Lucifer from Lucifer is very much like that. And he has a sense of humor that is unlike anyone else. I'm pretty sure Lucifer can charm anyone with his sarcastic nature and pretty smile – and yes, he would most likely delight me, too, with his sarcasm.

Alex Russo (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

As someone who grew up watching Wizards of Waverly Place, Alex Russo is why I am the person I am today. Funny, quippy, and sarcastic, this girl always knew how to make anyone laugh, regardless of the situation. And it's certainly a show to watch if you love Selena Gomez, as she plays Russo. 

Fallon Carrington (Dynasty)

If you want a character that genuinely lives for drama, then Fallon Carrington (played by Elizabeth Gillies) from Dynasty is the one for you. She grew up with money and power, but because everyone was always fighting each other within her family, she learned how to stand up for herself quickly – which manifested into some of the most sarcastic moments of the show. 

Stiles (Teen Wolf)

I'm 99% sure Stiles from the Teen Wolf cast can use his sarcasm as a weapon. Before he was affected by any supernatural forces, he was genuinely just a funny kid who used sarcasm in every way possible, and yes, I am still missing Dylan O'Brien in this role, because he was just the best. 

David (Schitt's Creek)

In modern-day television, no one is as sarcastic as David from the Schitt's Creek cast. Played by Dan Levy, this character had so many moments of sass that they are printed on t-shirts all over the place now. I still laugh just as hard when he says, "You look like the downfall of society," years later. 

Charlie (Two And A Half Men)

Fun fact – I binge-watched Two And A Half-Men for the first time in 2023, and yes, I am now aware of how funny Charlie Sheen was in this show as Charlie. He is probably the most sarcastic TV character I've ever gotten the chance to watch – and no matter how many times I view the episodes, I still laugh just as hard. 

Seth (Superbad)

The Superbad elevated many people among its cast up to fame, and one of those just happened to be Jonah Hill, who played Seth in the film. From there, we see how hilarious and sarcastic Hill could be when he played Seth and somehow made me laugh despite his strange nature – and his weird obsessions. 

April Ludgate (Parks And Recreation)

Aubrey Plaza's best TV shows certainly includes her role in the Parks and Recreation cast, where she played April Ludgate. Her deadpan-style comedy and the way she responded to any joke is what made her such a great addition to this cast, and in any rewatch, she's always the standout star. 

Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)

Arguably, you could place anyone from the Big Bang Theory cast on this list, but Sheldon stands out. He's sarcastic, intelligent, and pretty much the face of the franchise – I mean, he got his series afterward, so it's not surprising he's on this list. 

Betty Rizzo (Grease)

Betty Rizzo is an exciting pick on this list because while she is undoubtedly sarcastic and a mean girl, we all know she's going through some serious personal stuff. Regardless, she channels her emotions into her sarcasm and truly comes up with some funny one-liners that have lived on – and of course, we can't forget the sarcasm queen's song, "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee."

Miranda (Sex & The City)

Miranda Hobbes from the Sex and the City cast was the sarcastic and funny friend I'm sure we all want in our thirties. Portrayed by Cynthia Nixon, Miranda is a career-minded woman who has probably one of the most cynical takes on relationships and men in general, and she makes it known plenty through her sarcastic quips.  

Daria (Daria)

Daria's sarcasm from the show Daria is what made her famous. The adult animated sitcom -- a spinoff from Beavis and Butt-Head -- was released in the late 1990s and featured the story of Daria, a cynical high school student who was hilarious in every way. Let's be honest; we all wanted to be her. 

Sterling Archer (Archer)

Archer is all about Sterling Archer – who makes this animated series so much more fun with his sarcasm. As a secret agent who is as narcissistic as he is sarcastic, he makes this show as hilarious as some of the best TV shows.

Loki (The MCU)

I must include the supervillain (or hero, depending on how you look at him), Loki. From his first appearance in the MCU to his TV show on Disney+, Tom Hiddleston has made Loki one of the most sarcastic supervillains in the MCU. It's no wonder he keeps coming back again and again. 

Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

"Florals? In the spring? How original." You can't get better than Miranda Priestly. Meryl Streep portrayed the character in The Devil Wears Prada cast, and this character used her sarcasm as a weapon to anyone who dared go against what she wanted. Truly, no one did it as well as Priestly. 

Severus Snape (The Harry Potter Franchise)

While Severus Snape was a man of few words in most of his appearances in the Harry Potter franchise, he was full of sass and sarcasm. Played by Alan Rickman, Severus Snape was a powerful wizard, and in some of his best moments, he used his sass and sarcasm against everyone, especially his students. 

Saul (Better Call Saul)

I mean, it's Saul Goodman. He's the king of sarcasm. There's a reason why Bob Odenkirk received an entire spinoff dedicated to the character after starring in Breaking Bad – he's an okay-ish lawyer with no shortage of sarcasm to offer. He can somehow always get someone out of trouble.

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

What do you do when all your friends and family have bending abilities but you don't? You use sarcasm as a weapon, of course, and that's what Sokka did in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hands down, Sokka was the funniest of the leading group of characters in the popular Nickelodeon show.

Richard Hayden (Tommy Boy)

David Spade is another iconic actor known for his sarcastic characters, and one of his best is Richard Hayden from Tommy Boy. His scenes with Chris Farley made him all the funnier and stands out as one of his best movies. 

Billy (Billy Madison)

Adam Sandler is known for being sarcastic in many of his movie roles, and one of his most iconic was Billy in Billy Madison. A spoiled man, Billy was hilarious in every way and used his sarcasm and dimwitted nature to get whatever he wanted – which, later on, hilariously backfires. 

There are plenty of great sarcastic characters out there to love and enjoy, but these guys certainly stand out as some of the best. Now if you don't mind me, I'm going to look up a compilation of Chandler Bing's funniest moments and laugh my butt off again and again. 

Even though Succession came to a close when Season 4 ended in May 2023, this hasn’t stopped fans from buzzing about questions left unanswered by the HBO series. One of these questions will perhaps always be who the late Logan Roy really wanted running Waystar Royco. Many believed it was Jeremy Strong's Kendall Roy, whose name was in Logan’s non-legally binding will. However, this assumption was drawn into question by an ill-placed line scribbled onto the paperwork, creating a debate, whether Logan intended to cross out Kendall’s name or underline it. The line is incredibly ambiguous, with intention being unclear. Show creator Jesse Armstrong just gave major revelation about the debate, however, it still didn't change my feelings about the ending.

Armstrong made an appearance at an event for the Financial Times in London where someone asked him if Kendall’s name was crossed out or underlined by Logan. While he admitted to hating the idea of answering such questions while Succession was still airing, he was happy to make his huge revelation now that the series has wrapped. He said:

The almost definitive answer to the debate surprised and delighted fans who attended the event. You can see a video from Armstrong answering the question from Twitter below:

While this is definitely huge news for fans, it doesn’t really change how I feel about the ending of Succession. When Kendall sees the paper for himself and questions if his dad intended for him to run the company, he asks Frank what he thought Logan would’ve wanted. He confirms in the moment that sometimes Logan wanted Kendall in the CEO position, and that constantly changed over time. It is confirmed in the show that the paper was old, so even if Logan did underline Kendall’s name, we never will know what Logan would’ve wanted at the time of his death.

This confirmation also doesn’t change my own personal theory about the underlined/crossed out debate. The line in question is ambiguous, throwing Kendall into a spiral about his father’s true feelings and faith in him. I believe Logan intended on making the line purposefully vague, knowing his children would argue about it after he was gone. Throughout the show, Logan acted as a puppet master, often pitting his children against each other for his own gain. He would promise the company to someone, and then take it away just as quickly. Even after his death, his presence loomed large, affecting everything his children did. This was one last way to still have a controlling presence from beyond the grave. 

Even if Logan did plan on underlining Kendall’s name as Armstrong suggests, at the end of the day, Kendall was never meant to be CEO of the company. In the end, Logan put the sale of Waystar in motion, placing Tom at the top. Kendall is left behind, hitting a new low, and leaving it to the audience to decide the tragic hero’s true fate. It’s a perfect finale for the tortured soul at the center of the series. It truly doesn’t matter what his father may have intended for him, because his ending is the same regardless. This shows the brilliance of the show Armstrong and the crew created, and how even a big reveal like this still doesn’t change the story in context. 

You can revisit the underlined/crossed-out debate for yourself by streaming Succession, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription. For more information about other great shows airing on the streaming service, check out our feature on the best shows on Max right now. 

The Succession finale will go down as one of the best television conclusions of all time. The filmmakers wrapped up the iconic HBO series with surprising twists, shifting power dynamics, and immoral Waystar Royco employees that we all grew to love over the course of the four season run. There is a lot to love, and it’s hard to pick just one moment from the finale as a favorite. However, Succession producer and director Mark Mylod has a distinct favorite from the series finale. And it just so happens to be the last scene they shot.

In a recent interview with Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast, Mylod opened up about filming the last episode of the iconic drama, and what moments stuck with him strongly. He singled out the “Meal Fit For A King” scene, where Roman and Shiv Roy create a disgusting milkshake filled with all sorts of non cohesive household snacks and make their brother Kendall drink it after conceding the CEO position to him. Mylod said:

It’s no surprise that Jeremy Strong actually drank the milkshake blend in every take. The actor is notoriously committed to giving his all to a scene and a character, citing  acting as a "religious experience." So it’s definitely fitting that he would want to fully immerse himself in whatever Kendall was experiencing at the moment. It’s even grosser when you remember that “Shiv” actor Sarah Snook spits in the blender before Kendall drinks the smoothie. Now that's some serious commitment. It was Strong’s final moment as the character, and he even let his co-stars shave his head after they wrapped, symbolically ridding himself of the weight of Kendall Roy, and leaving the tragic character behind. 

The scene in question is unique to the episode, as it offers a bit of catharsis before the devastating final moments of the episode. The siblings are goofing around just like siblings would, laughing in the kitchen and getting along while messing with the older brother. It’s one of the rare Succession moments where the audience gets a glimpse into a silly sibling dynamic and we see our characters let their childlike selves shine through. It also feels like a bad omen, because as most fans of the show know, any moment of pure happiness and relief is quickly squashed by gut-wrenching betrayals, and cutting remarks. 

However, even while it’s fleeting, it’s always a joy to watch the Roy siblings have fun and the occasional bright moment. The Succession cast plays off each other so well, and I can totally see “Roman” actor Kieran Culkin really making an effort to make the smoothie as gross as possible to mess with his scene partner. Mylod also probably had a blast shooting the scene, and capturing the pseudo-sibling relationship of the cast being translated into the characters. Succession is notorious for letting the cast improvise, so sitting back and watching the iconic trio bring the best out of each other probably was incredible to behold. It’s certainly worthy of being a favorite moment. 

You can see this scene and other well constructed moments from the Succession finale by rewatching the series now with a Max subscription. Also, check out some of our thoughts following the series finale of the HBO favorite, and some of the iconic lines from the final episode, “With Open Eyes.” 

Now that we’re all currently suffering from a dearth of in-development entertainment, given the ongoing statuses of both the WGA writers strike and the SAG-AFTRA actors strike, it’s easy to forget how recently the cast of HBO’s Succession was lighting up the small screen with F-bombs, back-stabby grenades, and more. Though star Sarah Snook largely remained mum in the aftermath of the drama’s shocking finale, she’s now opened up with more of her thoughts on Shiv and Tom’s combined fate, and she doesn’t seem to think it was even close to a winning resolution for her character.

With the Emmys on the way in September, HBO is poised to potentially celebrate many wins, as Succession’s stars dominated the nomination announcements. And as part of that awards-specific wave, Snook spoke with Variety about saying goodbye to the acclaimed conversation-starter, and shared that it was as she was reading the script for the final episode, “With Open Eyes,” that she discovered Tom would be the character set to take over in Logan Roy’s stead. And she was taken aback, saying: 

As disappointing as Tom’s rise to the top was for those expecting and hoping to see Shiv take over throne, it wasn’t so difficult to make the mental leap to thinking that she might be content playing backseat warlord with her hubby as a maneuverable and wounded puppet. Getting to partake in all the power without having to be the direct target of others’ wrath, so to speak. But Shiv isn’t really a backseat-taker, even if she literally is always being driven around by family staff. 

No, Shiv had grown very weary with the idea of being at the right hand of the power without being the source of it. She’d long chased the carrot of responsibility that her father dangled above the heads of all his children (sans Conner, probably), and is likely still seething over the idea of subsisting on Tom’s table scraps instead of running the whole shebang.

Of course, Succession's series finale could have gone in a completely different direction had Shiv stuck with the original family-minded plan to vote for Kendall to take over as CEO. Which technically wouldn't have put her any closer to the gig itself, but would have given her more agency in the final call. And unlike some viewers may have suspected, Sarah Snook says Shiv's choice regarding the vote wasn't a chess move to better Tom's position, at least in her mind. Here's how she put it:

For Shiv, it always seemed to be easier for her to side with Kendall (as well as Roman) whenever he was feeling down and out and at a complete loss for what his next move will be. On the flip side, anytime Ken is fully confident, energetic and ready to rock'n'roll, that's when she seems more likely to drop the goodwill and let her fangs protrude. I would love to know where she ends up after everything that happened on the show, and to see just how fucked up her and Tom's kid will be over time. Now if only creator Jesse Armstrong was willing to make that happen a few years down the road.

While waiting to see how well Succession’s cast and crew do at this year’s Emmys, all four seasons can be streamed in full with a Max subscription. And then check out all the best shows to stream on Max when you need a break from the Roy family’s acidic relationships, and don't forget to check out Snook's 2023 horror thriller Run Rabbit Run with a Netflix subscription.

Succession is one of HBO’s most critically acclaimed shows to date. It's already been the recipient of over a dozen Emmy wins, and more could arrive, thanks to the phenomenal fourth and final season. It may feel like the drama series couldn’t get more recognition, yet a recent report predicting Emmy nominations suggests the series will be a major contender in this year's awards race. In fact, performances from the fourth season could see the show taking up a large chunk of one category with nominations, and I’m in awe of this series’ dominance. 

A recent report from GoldDerby predicts that the show will lead the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama category, with four slots being taken up by members of the Succession cast. For context, recent years have had eight actors being represented in the category, so if this happens, half of the category would be taken up by the cast of the HBO series. At the 2022 Emmys, the beloved drama dominated three slots of the category, with nominations for Kieran Culkin, Nicholas Braun, and Matthew MacFadyen, who took home the gold statue. 

This is even more impressive, because Kieran Culkin is no longer competing in the Supporting Actor category. His character, Roman, had a more significant role in Season 4, so competing in the Lead Actor category alongside co-stars Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox. Strong won the Emmy in 2020 for playing Kendall Roy and has been considered a lead throughout the program's run. Cox campaigning in the Lead Actor category is more controversial this year, though. While the family patriarch Logan Roy has clearly been a lead in the past, the final season saw Cox’s Logan die in the third episode. As a result, performances by the other actors became more prominent throughout the remainder of the season. 

With the Scott Pilgrim alum no longer being considered a Supporting Actor, this means that two additional actors could rise to the occasion and be considered for Emmy nominations. Alan Ruck’s performance as Connor in the “Connor’s Wedding” episode is strong enough to earn him a nod, and Alexander Skarsgård is campaigning in the supporting actor category rather than guest actor, which he competed in previously for his performance as Lukas Mattson. That character has an increased presence in the final season as well. Nicholas Braun and Matthew MacFadyen are also predicted to receive nominations again for their respective roles as Greg and Tom. 

The category dominance may seem unsurprising, as Succession has been one of the most-talked-about shows of the year, but its rise to power was slow. While always a critical darling, it was essentially a sleeper hit, with its popularity growing throughout its run. I was a loyal watcher from the beginning and find it interesting to watch a relatively quieter show grow such a massive following. The show garnered an unexpected audience in young women and became a stan Twitter darling seemingly out of nowhere. Somehow people fell in love with the despicable wealthy cast of characters, and the brutal A+ insults they fling at each other. Of course, it's not the social media acclaim that earns a show Emmy nods. We'll just have to wait and see how things shake out when the nominations are announced.

Emmy voting ended on June 26th, and the nominations will be announced on July 12th. In the meantime, fans can catch up on the spectacular performances from the last season of Succession, which is now streamable alongside the other three with a Max subscription. For more information on other shows hitting the small screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 TV schedule. 

When it comes to the latest and greatest in streaming services, there’s no one doing it quite as well as Max, originally known as HBO Max, which is certainly one of the best streaming services to subscribe to. If you happen to have a Max subscription, you’re certainly going to want to take advantage of any of these shows that are on there available to binge right now, some of which are coming out as part of the 2025 TV schedule whether you’re into high-stakes dramas or something that’s a little more family friendly. Let’s get into it.

Fun For The Whole Family

From Teen Titans to some of the best sitcoms out there, here are the best family friendly shows that you can watch on Max right now.

Friends

Probably one of the most iconic TV series of all time, Friends follows a group of friends in their mid-twenties living in New York City and trying to just survive and find their own paths, all while relying on each other along the way. The Friends cast is filled to the brim with talent and all went on to have great careers, and while some of the jokes can be a bit risque, the show still has plenty for families to enjoy.

Stream Friends on Max.

Abbott Elementary

You’ll be feeling that Philly love by the end of this hilarious series. Abbott Elementary takes place at the fictional school in Philadelphia, and follows both the professional and personal lives of the teachers and employees there in a classic mockumentary way. The series has earned several awards, and is absolutely hilarious for the whole family.

Stream Abbott Elementary on Max.

The Big Bang Theory

Think Friends, but with socially inept physicists. The Big Bang Theory follows a group of Caltech graduates who try to solve the mysteries of the universe, but they can’t really do much from their little apartment while struggling to even talk to women. However, when a new neighbor moves in across the hall, everything changes.

Stream The Big Bang Theory on Max.

Adventure Time

I really don’t think I can recommend Adventure Time enough. This show is probably one of the best kids/family shows of the two decades, following the tales of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human as they travel across vast lands to take on the ultimate adventures. The series was so popular it inspired a spinoff series called Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake – but that one is more for adults. Stick to the original Adventure Time for the kids.

Stream Adventure Time on Max.

Full House

It doesn’t really get more family friendly than Full House. Starring the wonderful Full House cast, the show mainly focuses on the widowed Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his three daughters, as he raises them from little girls to beautiful young women with the help of his friends.

Stream Full House on Max.

Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

In West Philadelphia, born and raised, a legend was born with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Starring Will Smith, the iconic sitcom follows a native Philadelphian who travels to Bel-Air in order to stay out of the trouble he was getting into at home, and live with his uncle and his family, causing mayhem as time goes on.

Stream The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Max.

Looney Tunes

I mean, obviously. This iconic series is probably one of the most known cartoons of all time and it pretty much shaped my childhood. Looney Tunes follows a cast of cartoon characters on the most wacky adventures, like Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and many more that I’m sure everyone reading this article knows about. Do I even need to get into why you should watch it? Just watch it. Your family will laugh your butt off.

Stream Looney Tunes on Max.

Regular Show

Hailing originally from Cartoon Network, Regular Show follows the day to day lives of Mordecai and Rigby, anthropomorphic animals who have jobs at the local park as groundskeepers and have to deal with their intense boss, Benson, on a daily basis. As someone who watched this show as a kid, it’s hilarious.

Stream Regular Show on Max.

Big Drama, Crimes Of Passion, And More

Backstabbings, intense fantasy, and so much more – here are the best dramas on the platform that you can watch.

True Blood

Based on the novels, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, this series was a HUGE hit for HBO when it came out. True Blood follows the lives of vampires who are able to live amongst the general public when a synthetic blood product helps them, and how they fight for fair rights while several humans fight against them – all while a human and a vampire fall in love.

Stream True Blood on Max.

Succession

One of the most successful dramas of the last few years is Succession. With four seasons to watch, it follows the story of the wealthy Roy family and the patriarch's work to figure out who is the next one best fit to run their media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. With the great Succession cast, there is so much to love about this show.

Stream Succession on Max.

The West Wing

In this political drama, we mainly follow the (fictitious) U.S. presidency of Josiah Bartlet. Throughout seven seasons, we see what truly happens in the west wing of the White House – and the drama that goes on behind the scenes.

Stream The West Wing on Max.

The Pitt

Starring Noah Wyle, The Pitt is the kind of medical drama that I think all of us love, and since it’s so new, I need to talk about it as much as possible, especially since it was just renewed for Season 2. The series is done incredibly well on Max, and follows a single work-night at an emergency department in Pittsburgh, where each episode is one hour of the 15-hour shift. Yeah, this is serious, and every episode is so incredibly well-done.

Stream The Pitt on Max.

Love And Death

What would you do for love? Kill someone? Love and Death, starring Elizabeth Olsen, is the true story of Candy Montgomery, and how she supposedly murdered the wife of the man she was having an affair with, and the criminal case that came from it.

Stream Love and Death on Max.

Boardwalk Empire

Taking place during the 1920s and ‘30s, Boardwalk Empire mainly follows the life of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, who controls Atlantic City during the Prohibition era and the people (and criminals) he runs into during the time period there. The series earned critical acclaim for its five seasons.

Stream Boardwalk Empire on Max.

The Wire

One of the most popular HBO original shows of all time, The Wire is a crime drama that takes place in the city of Baltimore, and details how crime affects the city, with the stories of a number of criminals, cops, and civilians all explored.

Stream The Wire on Max.

Dune: Prophecy

Oh, you knew this would be on here somehow. Set in the same universe as the Dune films and set as a prequel, the series follows the story of the Bene Gesserit, a group of powerful individuals who gain abilities after years of laborious training. There’s already a Season 2 in the works after the successful first season.

Stream Dune: Prophecy on Max.

The Last Of Us

With Season 2 coming out in 2025, now’s the time to watch The Last of Us. The show, starring the talented The Last of Us cast, follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a man who is assigned to bring a special young woman all the way across the United States in a world that is infested by monsters and creatures that can kill you in seconds flat, all of which used to be humans.

Stream The Last of Us on Max.

Game of Thrones

What can I say about Game of Thrones that hasn’t already been said? When the king of Westeros suddenly dies, it’s an all out war to see who is the next to sit on the Iron Throne. There are backstabbers, betrayals and so much more in this epic HBO series that made the Game of Thrones cast incredibly popular.

Stream Game of Thrones on Max.

House Of The Dragon

So you’ve watched Game of Thrones but you’re not that satisfied by that ending and you’re still looking for that dragon fix – then this is the show for you. House of the Dragon takes place about two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, and follows the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons, where two heirs to the throne fight for power. There are two full seasons you can watch as we all wait for House of the Dragon Season 3.

Stream House of the Dragon on Max.

The Outsider

This limited series is the kind of show that will make you shudder. The Outsider is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, and is a psychological thriller-horror that follows the story of how a local town tries to solve a young boy’s brutal murder, but there are strange forces surrounding it that turn everything upside down.

Stream The Outsider on Max.

Big Little Lies

When a murder occurs in a small town, it turns the lives of a group of mothers who never thought this would ever happen upside down – especially when they get tangled up in the murder investigation.

Stream Big Little Lies on Max.

Watchmen

Based on the comics of the same name, Watchmen is the kind of dystopian drama that you will absolutely love because I adored it. The series takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma and follows a detective as she looks into the resurgence of a white supremacist group that leads to her finding conspiracy after conspiracy about vigilantes and the plans that run deeper than she ever could have imagined.

Stream Watchmen on Max.

The Sopranos

Arguably one of the best TV shows of all time, The Sopranos is a crime drama mainly following Tony Soprano, a mafia leader, and how he struggles to somehow be a normal everyday man for his family while also keeping the criminals who work for and with him in line.

Stream The Sopranos on Max.

Comedies Of All Kinds

Max has plenty of comedies to laugh at, whether you want something lighter or as dark as comedy can get. Here are the best.

The Boondocks

Based on a comic strip, The Boondocks is an animated show and mainly follows Huey and Riley Freeman as they live their lives in a dysfunctional family after settling into a white neighborhood, offering different takes on social commentary such as stereotypes, social classes and more.

Stream The Boondocks on Max.

Sex And The City

Starring the impeccably talented Sex and the City cast, the show mainly follows Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sex/relationship column writer, and her escapades in NYC with her friends (who are in their thirties and forties) as they navigate life, love, and their professions. There’s even a spinoff series called And Just Like That…

Stream Sex and the City on Max.

Barry

Starring Bill Hader, Barry tells the story of the titular character, Barry Berkman, a former Marine who turns to a life of crime in order to make money, but when he travels to Los Angeles for a target that he must kill, he finds his life completely turned upside down by the theater community. The series is entirely complete, so you should check it out.

Stream Barry on Max.

Rick And Morty

Get in on all the inside jokes and Rick Sanchez being the absolute worst. Rick and Morty follows the titular characters as they travel through the galaxy together as grandfather and grandson – while getting into tons of hilarious trouble along the way.

Stream Rick and Morty on Max.

The White Lotus

With two complete seasons and a third one currently airing, The White Lotus is the perfect show to get into if you’re looking for a great comedy that’s a little more mature. Originally a limited series but turned into an anthology because of how popular it was, each season follows vacationers who travel to The White Lotus, a luxurious hotel chain across the world, and the drama they get into. The first season takes place in Hawaii, while the second is in Italy, and the third is currently in Thailand.

Stream The White Lotus on Max.

Veep

Veep is the political satire show that you want to see. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as the incredible Veep cast, the show mainly follows her Selina Meyer as the Vice President of the United States, and how she has to deal with a ridiculous president, and all her crazy political co-workers in a modern day America.

Stream Veep on Max.

South Park

Come on down to South Park, we’ll have ourselves a time! South Park is the iconic animated dark comedy that has gone on for many, many years now, mainly following Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman, fourth-graders who get into trouble consistently at home, whether that means starting the whole COVID-19 pandemic, impersonating Hitler, or something else crazy.

Stream South Park on Max.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Last but not least, we need to take a look at Curb Your Enthusiasm. Starring Larry David, the show takes a fictionalized look at his life, following the man as a semi-retired writer and producer living in L.A., as he gets up to trouble with his former co-workers, other actors, and so much more – all while making you laugh your butt off. There are twelve seasons in its entirety, so check it out.

Stream Curb Your Enthusiasm on Max.

There are truly so many shows to watch on Max, and this is just the beginning of what you could check out. No matter what you pick, you will be entertained for hours.

Major spoilers for Succession’s final season are ahead!

Succession’s last season was a tour de force of incredible performances, heart-wrenching episodes, and I thought it had some of the most memorable television moments of all time. One of the highlights was the third episode, “Connor’s Wedding” which featured a game-changing twist involving one of the show’s central characters, Logan Roy. Now, Kendall Roy actor Jeremy Strong is talking about the moment that shook the internet’s core, and how it compares to Top Gun: Maverick, dramaturgucally of course.

The Emmy winner recently talked about the pivotal episode from Season 4 where we see Logan Roy die, and his children's reactions to the news. He revealed the production was very fortunate to have the critically-acclaimed episode come together so well, comparing it to the last scene in Top Gun: Maverick, when the flight team completes the mission. Strong sat down for a roundtable with other actors from prestige dramas for the LA Times, noting,

The episode was a momentous technical feat, with much of the hour-long piece filmed in one take and on film, functioning almost like a play. Everyone delivered, but I’m not sure it was quite like a Top Gun miracle. 

Succession has an incredible cast of accomplished actors, and it’s hard to go wrong when a show has such amazing talent. Also, while I understand it’ll be hard to top Succession, Strong is a fantastic actor, and I really hope he doesn’t go into a desert and die, robbing audiences of what he does next. However, it would be a very “Kendall Roy” thing to do.

The episode in question was so pivotal for the final season, which meant it took a lot to keep the big reveal a secret for an entire year during filming. Brian Cox was even present when the cast shot the funeral episode, just in case photos were taken while they were in production. Similar to many of the crazy stunts in Top Gun: Maverick, the episode was a massive risk, due to it being very early in the season and Logan being such an important character. However, it was the right move, as it made for an intense final season, and an A+ final episode.

Also like Top Gun: Maverick, Succession was a major cultural moment. Starting as a moderate success for HBO, it slowly became one of the network's most successful programs, even being considered by some critics to be one of the best shows of all time. Top Gun: Maverick has been credited with bringing audiences back to the theaters after the pandemic, and showing what can be possible with practical effects. Both were a reflection of a moment in time, catching lightning in a bottle with great personnel behind the scenes, and they showed what is really possible when great filmmaking is involved.

You can check out Jeremy Strong in Succession, which is available to stream in its entirety with a Max subscription. Top Gun: Maverick is also available to stream for Paramount+ subscribers who may have missed its record-breaking theatrical run. For more information on other projects coming to streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2023 TV schedule. 

While Succession had a great four-season run, the HBO original series that captured so many eyes and told the story of the Roys has finally ended. The finale was crazy, with even more intense episodes during Season 4, and so much more. But what is the cast going to do next? Here is what we know. 

Brian Cox (Logan Roy)

Arguably the face of the franchise, Brian Cox as Logan Roy was a huge deal and truly captured what it was like to run a major media conglomerate while also being the patriarch of a ruthless family, and I don’t think anyone else could have played the part so perfectly. So, it’s not that much of a surprise that this veteran actor has plenty lined up after his lead part in the show. 

Cox is set to star in a new Netflix film from famous duo of Joe and Anthony Russo, called The Electric State, according to NME, and is set to come out in 2024. He is also set to appear alongside star Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, and Dustin Hoffman in the new feature, Riff Raff, according to Deadline. Additionally, he appeared in a Paramount+ original movie, Little Wing, in 2024, and is set to voice Santa Claus in an upcoming animated feature for Netflix called That Christmas, according to Variety. 

Also, Cox will spread his talents to the world of fantasy as he is a part of the voice cast for the upcoming anime, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, according to Deadline.  

Jeremy Strong (Kendall Roy)

Another face of the franchise, Jeremy Strong was the perfect Kendall Roy and he was even better in Season 4 of the series. While his father on the show, Brian Cox, has plenty lined up in television and film, Jeremy Strong is actually going to be switching mediums for a bit. 

Strong appeared in the Broadway play, Enemy of the People since then, but is set to appear in The Apprentice according to Deadline, a movie regarding Donald Trump. 

Sarah Snook (Shiv Roy)

Shiv Roy was another one of my personal favorites from the television series, and she was portrayed by the amazing Sarah Snook, who had an amazing run as the character. Snook has also appeared in the Apple TV+ movie, The Beanie Bubble, which also featured a star-studded cast with actors such as Zach Galifiankis, Elizabeth Banks, and Geraldine Viswanathan. Coming up, she’ll be in a new series called All Her Fault, according to Variety, and has a new film, Memoir of a Snail, releasing in theaters after it premiered at a film festival in June 2024.  

Matthew Macfadyen (Tom Wambsgans)

Matthew Macfadyen as Tom ended up becoming a sleeper hit performance for me on Succession, and over time I ended up really loving his character, so it’s no surprise that the actor has some new projects coming out. 

Macfadyen just has a major release with his role as Paradox in Deadpool & Wolverine, and will have a new film called Holland, Michigan releasing on Amazon Prime, according to Deadline. Additionally, he has a new miniseries releasing on Netflix, titled Death By Lightning, where he will co-star beside Michael Shannon.

Kieran Culkin (Roman Roy)

Roman Roy is a character you can’t truly ever forget from Succession, and he was played by the amazing Kieran Culkin, who has some roles lined up after the show. He reprised his role as Wallace in a voice role in the anime Scott Pilgrim Takes Off in 2023. He first played the role in live-action in the 2010 film, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. 

Culkin is also set to appear in the upcoming movie, A Real Pain, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, according to Collider.  

Alan Ruck (Connor Roy)

Alan Ruck portrayed Connor Roy in Succession, and he has plenty of new projects set up for the next few years. In 2023, he appeared in the Amazon Prime movie, The Burial. According to Deadline, Ruck is set to appear in a new movie called Crust. He is also going to star in Wind River: The Next Chapter. 

Justine Lupe (Willa Ferreyra) 

Willa was another character I didn’t think I’d end up liking as much as I did, but Justine Lupe did an excellent job portraying her. Soon, Justine Lupe will appear in a Netflix comedy series called Nobody Wants This, according to Deadline, alongside a star-studded cast of Kristen Bell, Adam Brody and more. 

Nicholas Braun (Greg Hirsch)

Oh, I could go on for hours about cousin Greg, but for now, we’ll just talk about Nicholas Braun and how awesome he did portraying the character. He appeared in Dream Scenario in 2023. Braun is set to appear in the upcoming Saturday Night as Jim Henson, according to Deadline,  and will appear in a new film called Three Bags Full alongside several other stars like Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and more. 

Peter Friedman (Frank Vernon)

Frank Vernon was another character that was around for a while, and he is played by Peter Friedman. The actor is currently working on a short film titled X, but he was also  in the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as George, so he’s certainly working outside of the Succession world already. Recently, Friedman has been active in theater, with a role in the show Job. 

Fisher Stevens (Hugo Baker)

Hugo Baker ends up making it all the way to the end of Succession and he is played by Fisher Stevens. The actor, who has been in Hollywood for some time, has appeared in several Wes Anderson movies, including Asteroid City. He also appeared in a film called Coup!, and will be in a new movie called In The Grey, according to Deadline. 

David Rasche (Karl Muller)

Karl Muller was another associate of Logan’s and Waystar on Succession, and he was played by David Rasche. He was in About My Father in 2023, and now has a new miniseries that he will co-star in, titled Dying for Sex, according to Deadline. 

Hiam Abbass (Marcia Roy)

While Marcia Roy sort of stopped appearing as much as the series went on, Hiam Abbass’ incredible performance will live on forever. Abbass was in Insidious: The Red Door in 2023, but so far she has nothing new coming out, so we’ll keep an eye out for new news. 

Arian Moayed (Stewy Hosseini)

You just gotta love Stewy and his attitude, and he was played by Arian Moayed. He appeared in a new film alongside Liam Neeson called Retribution, and has several projects coming out. A new film called House of Spoils alongside star Ariana DeBose and Barbie Ferreira, per Variety, is in the works, as well as another movie called Shell, according to Deadline. Additionally, the actor will be in a new movie for Apple and Skydance called Fountain of Youth. 

J. Smith-Cameron (Gerri Kellman)

Gerri was another character that I ended up loving on Succession until the end, and she was played by J. Smith-Cameron. She appeared in Turtles All The Way Down in 2024 for Max, and appeared in the popular TV show, Hacks and the TV show In The Know. There’s nothing set up just yet but I’m sure it won’t be long before we see more of Smith-Cameron.  

Alexander Skarsgård (Lukas Matsson)

Last but not least, we need to talk about Alexander Skarsgård, who played Lukas Matsson in Seasons 3 and 4, a very prominent role. He appeared in a film called Eric Laure with Judy Greer and appeared in a small role in the Amazon Prime series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the actor still has so much coming up. 

He will also be in a new feature, The Tiger, according to Deadline, where he will co-star with Dane DeHaan.

Skarsgård will also be in the thriller, The Pack, with leading lady Florence Pugh, according to Deadline, and the latest war film, Lee. And lastly, he’ll be in a new Apple TV+ series, Murderbot. 

This cast is honestly full of so much talent it’s going to be hard to keep track of where they are over the next several years, but just know you’ll be getting plenty of new movies and fun television shows from all of them. I’m so eager to see what they accomplish next. 

For all the things that Succession’s series finale did right — such as delivering myriad memorable lines of dialogue — there are always going to be complaints to bring up for any show’s final episode, since endings aren’t magnets for agreements. That said, I’d think many would agree that one such possible foible was creator Jesse Armstrong not giving Gerri a true moment in the sun to kick off the post-Roy era at Waystar (or in any of the last few episodes, really). Star J. Smith-Cameron kinda feels the same way, and revealed a couple of Gerri-positive moments actually were filmed for “With Open Eyes,” but got snipped out along the way. For shame, I say!

J. Smith-Cameron spoke with Time about her feelings and emotions about Succession ending, and shared her own surprise over seeing that some of Gerri’s final moments on film, as it were, were left on the cutting room floor. And it sounds like they would have been brief enough to make the cut without complicating things, while also giving the character a minor last hurrah. Here’s how she put it:

The finale did at least clue viewers in on the idea that Gerri was likely going to continue to have it made in the shade, and without the continued annoyance (to put it as lightly as possible) of Roman Roy. Tom made it clear to Greg that he wanted to keep Gerri on, saying that she “gets it” and that “she’s not afraid of the dark.” Though that still leaves the possibility that she could turn Tom’s offer down, while the deleted scene cleared that detail right up in a fun way. Because Gerri deserves the money, people! Tom, professional sponge that he is, also counts as deserving of the money, but in a far less authentic and palate-cleansing way.

But even if we didn’t lock in on the idea that Gerri and her beau would have it made in the financial shade, it also would have been very meaningful to see her and Tom in their first moments together, as a bookend to the first time fans saw her and Logan share a scene together. Even if Tom is the one in charge, Gerri is in the legacy role, and it’s important to know that she would actually want to stay on and work with Tom during after the GoJo takeover. I don’t like thinking about her doing it out of necessity and nothing else. 

To reiterate things lovingly, Gerri is one of the relatively few Succession characters who deserved happiness, so I really wish it could have been displayed a bit more palpably. J. Smith-Cameron did talk a little more about it falling ever so short in that regard, even if she still found the episode to be a winner. Here’s how she put it: 

Her assessment does hold true, of course, since this show was always about the succession of it all, and not necessarily about the supporting players helping make the Greek tragedy elements all the more effective. Still, it's hard having the show end with Matsson's shit-eating grin and no such similar closing glance from Gerri. 

Unless creator Jesse Armstrong suddenly announces that he really really wants to dive back into the world of business and finance with a possible Succession spinoff, fans will likely need to rewatch the show with a Max subscription in order to get their shitshow and the fuck factory fix. And during that rewatch, maybe keep track of any A+ lines from Nicholas Braun’s Cousin Greg that I may have failed to highlight. 

This past weekend was full of huge TV finales, particularly on the cable side of things. HBO delivered the Season 2 conclusion for Somebody Somewhere, which was preceded by the respective series finales for Bill Hader’s adored Barry and the awards magnet Succession. The latter finally delivered an answer for the show’s title, and the finale featured some of the best lines on TV of any weekend, with fans split on how successful the swan song was. But you know who isn’t wading through those particular internet debates? Known TV enthusiast and horror mastermind Stephen King. 

As one of Twitter’s more outspoken pop culture cornerstones, King has lavished praise on many TV shows over the years, with Peacock’s Poker Face being a 2023 highlight for the genre enthusiast. (With “pulp” being the genre of choice in that case.) But here we are, two days after Succession’s fourth-season capper, and the bestselling author took to Twitter to share not a tribute but a mini-roast of HBO’s critical darling, as seen below.

Tell us how you really feel, Stephen King! Clearly, the author did not think it to be worth his time to join the masses in following the Roy family’s journey surrounding the legacy of their media company Waystar Royco. Which, in some ways, does make a lot of sense. Whenever King isn’t spotlighting under-the-radar horror novelists and heaping praise on whatever he happened to be watching — he was a big fan of DC’s upcoming blockbuster The Flash — his Twitter feed tends to populate with political posts and opinions.

Considering Logan Roy and other characters’ existences are based in part on real-life moguls, business heads and politicians. Somebody who abhors dealing with that kind of content in their daily lives doesn’t always love diving into that kind of material as escapism, even if it’s on a fictional scale. And I can imagine a lot of the hyper-batshit situations that played out in Succession would ruffle more than a few of King’s feathers.

Now, does that mean King had to be so direct as to point out that people such as himself don’t care about Succession? It maybe seems a little unnecessarily soapbox-y in place of something more wittily snarky or dismissive. Not entirely out of character, but a pretty pointed jab for someone who doesn’t seem to have any high-falutin rivalries going with creator Jesse Armstrong.

Would I understand it better if King had followed up by saying he was too busy watching Showtime’s Yellowjackets to watch Succession? Definitely. The horror drama’s super-twisty Season 2 finale aired at the same time on Sunday night, and would have been a good attention-grabber, since he definitely praised that show in the past. But no, I guess this is just King straight up not giving a shit about Kendall, Shiv and Roman’s constant shit-talk on the HBO drama.

For what it’s worth, Stephen King has shared up-and-down opinions about some of his own projects and adaptations in the past, with his take on CBS’ Under the Dome remaining a highlight amongst all of his reflections.  

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the series finale for HBO’s Succession, so be warned!

“T- to the O-M. Wamb to the S-Gans.” That isn’t nearly as catchy as Kendall’s unforgettable rap song dedicated to his hard-hearted father, but it might be the one that Tom’s child eventually sings to him, presumably as an homage, at some big gala celebrating his life atop Waystar Royko as the official successor to Brian Cox’s late bazillionaire. In the end, Matthew Macfadyen’s foul-mouthed sycophant earned the spot at the head of Succession’s boardroom table, in large part due to Shiv the Shiv gutting Kendall when he most needed to remain un-Shived. It definitely took a while to get to that reveal, though, with 75+ minutes of Jesse Armstrong & Co.’s brilliantly savage, quirky, and endlessly quotable dialogue. 

So instead of talking the ins and the outs of how Tom will do as Matsson’s powerful puppet, let’s celebrate the best of the best lines from Succession’s series finale, “With Open Eyes,” since they’re almost definitely the last lines we’ll ever hear from the Roy family and the few characters who actually deserved happiness in the end.

Kendall: I fucking got this, Telly Bear.

While only a C+ line in the moment, it became an A+ line in retrospect, when comparing Kendall’s untethered optimism to the haggard look on Jeremy Strong’s face in the final shot as Ken’s staring out over the water. No moment in Succession was more worthy of Ron Howard’s Arrested Development Narrator popping in with a quick “He didn’t” than this gem. 

Shiv: This is separate feelings aside: Tom will honestly suck the biggest dick in the room. That’s just my assessment.

It’s almost heartbreaking to think that Shiv’s purposefully half-assed attempts to keep Tom employed beneath Matsson’s wing very directly helped to convince Matsson that her metaphorical dong-gobbling hubby would be the perfect Stepford CEO for him to control. 

Kendall: New Jess, New Jess.

I’m not sure if Succession ever did pinpoint the name of Kendall’s new assistant before the finale ended, possibly because I was too amused by him initially calling her “New Jess.” It sucks that Juliana Canfield wasn’t around to conclude things, but at least her wrongfully attributed name was there to make up for some of it. 

Catherine: Yeah, I don’t like to think of all these blobs of jelly rolling around in your head. Just…face eggs.

Harriet Walter’s performance in “With Open Eyes” makes me wish she’d been around so much more often to share her specific distaste for human eyes and other peculiar details. “Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those face eggs?”

Kendall: Cunt is as cunt does.

This line would easily be too sleazy a Kendall bumper sticker if not for how it foreshadowed Shiv’s umpteenth betrayal. In other shows, the mere fact that he spoke of her in such a way might have been the thing that provoked the betrayal, but this is Succession, after all, where not even Shiv’s future breast milk off-limits.  

Tom: I have an excess of vigilance, I think, and I have a very high tolerance for pain and physical discomfort.

Fans have so often seen Tom punching down when dealing with Greg and others below his pay grade, so seeing him show his true colors as a brown-nosing parasite is always a joy. And this particular selling point sparked quite the chuckle, and it was all the more hindsight-hilarious after Greg fought back during their bathroom mini-rumble. 

Greg: Hey, so..okay so, I have something huge. Dude, I’m in the center of the fucking universe with, like, knowledge to…to fucking, like, take down solar systems, man.

By and large, Nicholas Braun’s Greg has delivered my favorite lines in all of Succession, and while he didn’t get quite as many zingers as I would have liked in the finale, he was once again a lynchpin in bringing a house of cards down. (And through the cleverest of means, by using his phone to translate Matsson’s crew while they gossipped.) It’s too bad that the solar system his information ended up taking down was Kendall himself. 

Greg: Can I quad it up? Like, full quad?

Anytime Greg takes another shot at making #QuadGoals happen, I am all over it and then some. The joke really is on the Roy siblings, though, since Greg will still be living large at Waystar under some of his own terms, while the others will be wallowing in their own respective forms of misery. (Granted, Shiv will probably work Tom over to get her way sooner rather than later, but still.)

Telly: I think it hasn’t been great for credibility, The Incredible Fuck Brother Bandwagon.

Who knew the blonde-o Telly would make two appearances in this list, and that he would actually get one of the big lines? I love that he got to tell Kendall and Roman that their co-CEO venture has been summed up by the outside world in carnival sideshow terms, and that it was over the phone where no one could do anything about it. And big props to the editors for keeping in the take where Kieran Culkin subtly muffed repeating the name back. It’s a hard phrase to say out of the blue. 

Shiv: Persuasive. What else did he say when no one was around? That he was the Zodiac Killer? That he did Tupac?

Is it really THAT out there to think that Logan might take credit for some of the biggest unsolved murder cases in the last 100 years? He probably wouldn’t drop those confessions into Roman’s ears, admittedly. 

Roman: Or he played you like a big fiddle. Like a pregnant cello.

Another instant laugh-out-loud line from Roman, who couldn’t help but add a quippy insult to injury as Shiv was realizing her big play had dissolved beneath her. 

Roman: You get the bauble. Congratulations. It’s haunted and cursed and nothing will ever go right, but…yeah, enjoy your bauble.

Another line that was rock solid in the moment, only for it to get upended by the time the credits rolled. The only bauble that Kendall actually took on was the imagined trinket his brother sarcastically offered him, and yet it still managed to haunt and curse him. 

Caroline: Fine. That fucks Christmas up, doesn’t it? Oh, don’t touch that, that’s Peter’s cheese! God’s sake. I made that mistake myself. His special cheese. He gets really boring about it.

So. Goddamned. Good. The up-and-down-ness of this line was so perfect, and Harriet Walter’s delivery was indeed good enough to send the siblings into the giggle-fits that ensued. Maybe not enough to cause Roman to slosh his tongue over every inch of Peter’s special cheese, but he rarely needs further provoking. 

Peter: Fucking waste of time.

Power to Pip Torrens, who knocks every appearance as Peter out of the park, and I don’t think anyone in this show was dealt a better final line than this. I’m sure his idea was shit, too, and he should have known better than to try and sell the Roy kids on it. 

Logan's Delivery Of The Losers List

Though Brian Cox filmed a scene or two for the funeral episode, that was just to throw off onlookers. The finale, however, did feature a “new” Logan scene that was definitely worth waiting for, as he delivered the politically minded Losers List at a dinner party with Conner, Kerry and the Waystar higher-ups. The whole thing was solid, and even though it was split up by others’ dialogue, it still warranted a spot on this list. 

Conner: I’m a little teapot. Fuck off!

Now I need a whole run of just Roy siblings parodying classic kids songs as if Logan was the one singing them. Conner didn’t even need to keep singing this one. Two-lined perfection. 

Hugo: Big, big day on the ol’ salami line, huh?

This would have been a humdinger of a Fisher Stevens line even if Karolina hadn’t just voiced to Shiv an interest in firing Hugo as soon as possible. I suppose I see her point.

Kendall: Bullshit. Bullshit. You like pancakes and waffles and you kiss guys on Molly. You’re not the heart of darkness. You’re…you’re a grilled cheese with a sucked dick.

Succession sometimes takes it bro-baby shit-talk to baffling places, such as when Kendall called Stewy a “grilled cheese with a sucked dick.” Is that really the opposite of the heart of darkness? Does one reach the River Styx, take a hard left turn, and then there’s the land of grilled cheeses with sucked dicks somewhere yonder?

Kendall: I’m the eldest boy!!

Kendall has hit so many new lows during Succession’s four seasons, with arguably the biggest 1-2-3 combo being “being involved in that waiter’s death,” “confessing his involvement to Roman and Shiv,” and then “lying and saying that confession was all bullshit,” with the latter happening in the finale. Oh wait, you say you have that much further to fall, Ken? Ah, yes, screaming the phrase “I’m the eldest boy!!” in the midst of an argument with your brother and sister, within an office with glass walls that aren’t soundproof. That’s somehow the dumbest low Kendall could have stooped to. Since it’s pure whining, and also isn’t even true.

Roman: Hey! We are bullshit.

Even though Kieran Culkin’s wholly defeated Roman rattled off a bit more about just how nothing they are as a family, the line above could easily serve as an epitaph for any one of the siblings, Conner included, or even Logan himself. Just spray paint that rumination across the front of the family crypt, I’d say. 

Honorable Mentions

• Shiv: Are there any, uh, positives about the nightmare we’ve shared?
• Caroline: Seem to have landed myself the only hellhole in paradise.
• Shiv: Just a bit of horseplay gone wrong. Just a biff to the head and a bonk to the noggin. 
• Shiv: You can smile, bitch.
• Roman: Oh, it’s a BAG of frozen knobbies. 
• Kendall: Don’t go down on Peter’s special cheese. 
• Roman: I haven’t seen Frank run like that ever.

Succession may be done with delivering new episodes, but fans can always rewatch the four-season run to their hearts’ content with a Max subscription. 

Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty, the improvised sitcom that one man thinks is a real criminal trial, has become a runaway hit. Much of this is thanks to the star power and brilliant comedic timing of James Marsden, who committed to playing an exaggerated version of himself for hours at a time all while managing to ensure that our hero, Ronald, was none the wiser. With the success of Jury Duty one can’t help but wonder if there will be a second season, and who will step into the Marsden-esque role of being the actual celebrity on set. Well, one of the writers has an idea, and it’s a Succession star.

I caught up with Mekki Leeper, who also plays Noah on the show, and asked who he would bring into the fold for Season 2. While his response isn’t what I expected, it kind of makes sense:

When Mekki Leeper speaks of Jeremy Strong's commitment, he’s undoubtedly referring to reports of the Succession actor’s intense method. This has landed him under scrutiny in the past, as an awkward profile critiqued his behavior, and his on-screen father Brian Cox flippantly referred to his techniques as religious. Some of his collaborators, including Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin, came out in defense of his commitment to the artform, and Strong continues to stand his ground. One can understand the commitment required to get in the mind of a character like Succession’s Kendall Roy, who consistently manages to hit new lows. 

So, would Jeremy Strong fit in on the cast of Jury Duty? I’d say that’s probably a stretch. The Emmy winner has found outstanding success on the show, so to take on a project like Jury Duty on a brand new platform like Freevee would be a very interesting career move. 

Then again, James Marsden wasn’t exactly desperate for work when he took on the role, as he’s coming off the success of projects like the soon-to-be Sonic The Hedgehog trilogy. In all fairness, this may have been less of a sincere pitch and more of wishful thinking with a tinge of goofiness. Leeper also suggested that Oscar-winner Daniel Day Lewis, who has retired from acting, could potentially take on the role. So, do what you will with that information. 

While we’re not sure if Jury Duty will return for Season 2, it is still gaining momentum a fan-favorite feel good TV show, and you can catch it right now on Amazon Freevee! As for Succession, of course it’s one of the biggest shows in the world, and you can watch the final season unfold right now on Max, previously known as HBO Max.

This will be a big weekend for HBO viewers and fans with Max subscriptions, as they can watch the conclusions of Succession and Barry. Both acclaimed shows are coming to an end, but because of the length of the finales, Succession is going to impact the usual schedule. 

The news is great for those who want to see as much Succession as possible before the end (and happy endings for certain characters), because the finale will be super-sized. Unfortunately, it will come at the cost of Barry airing at its normal time, as the finale will be bumped later in the night, and viewers will have to wait just a bit longer to see what will become of Bill Hader's Barry Berkman, his family, and the other wild characters. 

Succession's Finale Will Be Nearly 90 Minutes

HBO revealed that Succession will have a feature-length finale that will clock in at 88 minutes, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. The extended episode length will no doubt feature many surprises and unexpected moments, though I'm still not sure I'm a believer in Brian Cox teasing that Logan isn't really dead. I mean, why go to all the trouble of hiding the character's death for a year if it wasn't really going to take? 

Barry's Finale Will Be Delayed As A Result

While an extra-long Succession finale could be great for fans, it's could also be confusing for those who don't watch the show and are tuning in for Barry. The silver lining is that viewers won't have to wait too much longer than usual to see the thrilling conclusion to Bill Hader's show.

Barry will air its series finale on Sunday, May 28th at 10:30 p.m. ET. The finale isn't going to be much longer than the standard episodes, as Somebody Somewhere is kicking off its final two episodes at 11:05 p.m. ET. I'm surprised Barry didn't have its own super-sized finale planned because I can't begin to imagine how this whole story is going to wrap up. Maybe Larry David was right in his opinion about having the story end with Season 3. 

The Good News: Memorial Day Is On Monday

Normally, I would call it bad form to push the finale for an acclaimed series a full 30 minute back in the night. HBO gets a pass from me this time, though, because Monday is Memorial Day, and a number of people will have the day off. Those who still have to work early in the morning can reserve full rights to gripe about this, especially if they aren't Succession fans. Thankfully, we live in an age of streaming and DVR, so anyone who can't tune in can always catch it another time. 

Succession airs its finale on HBO on Sunday, May 28th at 9:00 p.m. ET, and Barry will follow at 10:30 p.m. ET. All episodes will premiere at their respective times on Max and will be available to stream after for anyone who can't stay up to watch them. 

Spoilers below for anyone who isn’t yet caught up on Succession’s latest episodes, so be warned!

Whenever the history books close on 2023 TV — an act common for history books, no? — I’d put money on Succession’s Logan Roy being recognized as the year’s most noteworthy small screen death. Fans were still getting used to the idea that the show would be ending with Season 4, and then along came the awards-worthy episode “Connor’s Wedding” with its expectation-shattering turmoil for the Roy family. The HBO drama soared highly and mightily again with the funeral-centric penultimate ep “Church and State,” during which Logan’s body was interred within a ridiculously opulent mausoleum. Unless that wasn’t actually his body inside the coffin! An idea that would sound a lot more baffling if it weren’t for Brian Cox himself keeping the “Logan Isn’t Dead” theory alive going into the finale.

Succession will wrap up completely (and presumably for good) whenever the series finale “With Open Eyes” airs on Sunday, May 28. Fans can probably take comfort in the idea that creator Jesse Armstrong won’t be pulling any fast ones on viewers by having Cox’s Logan step out from the shadows to reveal it’s all been a ruse, but I can’t help but be lovingly fascinated by the Scottish actor playing up the idea that his character isn’t actually dead, all while bemoaning the fact that his (fake) death went down so early in the fourth season. Speaking on the BBC Two program Amol Rajan Interviews, Cox brought up his previously shared take on Logan’s potential survival. In his words:

Frequent Succession director Mark Mylod and Jesse Armstrong have offered logical and justifiable enough explanations for why Logan’s death episode was filmed in such a way that his body was shown as infrequently as possible, with only a single shot putting any kind of focus on his face and head. And it did indeed help to create an offbeat tension throughout the runtime, though at the same time ran counter to TV tropes and expectations. Because as many viewers are well aware: unless you see someone’s body rotting in the ground without a head, there’s a pret-ty decent chance that character could return down the line. Even if the HBO series won’t actually still be airing after May 28.

Most actors try to avoid this kind of arguably unnecessary speculation about a character’s fate, since it usually leads to years of fans continuously asking the same kinds of questions about it. But Brian Cox DGAF, and he’s here to pour lighter fluid all over this speculation bonfire. Because by all means, if there’s any character on TV who is schemey, duplicitous and all-around rich enough to pull off a faked-death scenario such as this, complete with a highly populated funeral (complete with Cox’s real-life wife) that nearly broke Roman’s brain, it would be Logan Roy 110%. (Inflated numbers, just as Kendall likes em.) 

Kieran Culkin’s self-loathing Roman is the one character on the show who has himself expressed the belief, albeit as a form of emotional denial, that Logan isn't dead. He said it in Episode 403 after noting that he hadn't seen the body, and then during his funeral meltdown, he questioned if his father was actually in the coffin. I was honestly hoping that someone would pop that sucker open, even if that might have traumatized ol' Romulus for the rest of his nihilistic existence. Especially since Cox was actually on site to thwart speculation that it was his funeral being filmed. Alas, the coffin stayed shut, and the youngest sibling will be possibly be mourning his father without closure for years to come. (No happiness for him after the finale, which is fine.)

In any case, Brian Cox doesn't actually think there will be any plans to bring Logan back, either on the show or off of it, saying:

I'm really hoping the main reason Cox is keeping that line of thinking open is because there's another minor clue in the finale that it could be a legit twist. Even though Succession's final episode will be focused on Kendall, Roman, and Shiv's respective attempts to take over the family business through backstabbing ruthlessness, I can't imagine the whole shebang will play out without Logan's name and impact being referenced throughout. 

Maybe someone will see an unknown number listening in to a board meeting, or will see a gray-haired gent standing around nearby who just so happens to disappear when he's chased around a corner. Although I guess that might sound more like the Waystar offices are haunted...and that might actually be what I want more than anything: a fifth season or spinoff that spins its financial drama into a paranormal thriller. I think I need to start writing that. 

Succession's final episode ever will air on HBO on Sunday, May 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET, and will be available to stream with a Max subscription. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what other shows are on the way that Logan Roy also won't be haunting as a ghoulish specter. 

Spoilers below for the penultimate episode of HBO’s Succession, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched what’ll presumably be the most elaborate TV funeral of 2023.

To be expected, Succession delivered a tour-de-force gut-punch with its second-to-last installment, “Church and State,” which boasted a runtime of 65+ minutes that was almost entirely dedicated to Logan Roy’s rather regal funeral ceremony. Save for the first act laying down the chaos running rampant across the country due to Jaryd Mencken being recognized as the new President Elect, that is. That outside-world reaction came crashing down on Kendall’s already crumbling optimism, while Roman was crushed by his inner emotions boiling up to the surface, and while Shiv rather swiftly cemented her alignment with Matsson, with a bit of help from Justin Kirk’s divisive politician. And somehow, the entirety of that mess was eclipsed by a short and shockingly sweet scene involving Logan’s four mistresses, with the previously unrevealed paramour being someone quite important to star Brian Cox.

Logan's Four Mistresses Met, And It Was Glorious

I truly expected some highly flammable sparks to fly in all the directions once Harriet Walter’s Lady Caroline approached Zoë Winters’ Kerry inside the church, especially after her encounter with Shiv was such a judgmental and icy exchange. And it certainly continued to give off such explosion-y vibes when Caroline ushered in a character viewers had never met before, and had them all sitting in the front row across the aisle from the Roy siblings. In Logan’s ex-wife’s words: 

But while it first came across as a harsh and possibly malicious way to rub Logan’s infidelity into others’ faces, it soon became more clear that it was just Caroline taking charge and knocking down the barriers meant to keep the four somewhat like-minded women away from one another, despite their shared love (at different times) for the late billionaire. Even Marcia appeared ready for mental blows, only to find herself softening and understanding that to continue carrying any grudges after Logan’s death would be a needless burden. It might not be how everyone would react in such a situation, but it speaks to whatever Marcia’s innate goodness quotient is that she made the effort to show a crying Kerry physical comfort. (Now she’s even more justifiable as a candidate for the characters I feel deserve a happy post-finale outcome.)

The four women sharing such an important time together so cordially speaking volumes about the kind of women Logan was affectionate for, and speaks further volumes about how far in the other direction his children are on that emotional spectrum. They’re a collective mess (except for maybe Conner?), and their only instincts and loyalties are to the company that Logan built, instead of the man himself. Granted, they didn’t view their pops in the same way that Marcia, Caroline, Kerry and Sally-Anne did — well, maybe Roman’s gross ass — but there’s so much the sibs could learn from his inamoratas. 

The Actress Playing Sally-Anne Is Brian Cox's Real Wife

Considering Kerry brought a lawyer in case she was blocked from getting into the church, she definitely didn’t expect to be welcomed into anyone’s group, and one would imagine Sally-Anne felt the same way after all these years. But no reason to suspect her portrayer, Nicole Ansari Cox, would be steered away from the premises, since she’s the real-world wife to star Brian Cox. I love that kind of easter egg that doesn’t go too hard on the winking. Had she said, “I wish I’d have known what it was like to be married to him,” or something, that would have been too much. 

One of the reasons why the actress might have been around on the set that day was because Cox himself was also part of the funeral’s filming. The actor explained in the aftermath of Logan’s death episode, the equally fantastic “Connor’s Wedding,” that he went out and filmed a scene or two around the cemetery and church in order to keep fans from speculating that it was his character’s funeral being filmed. So it’s possible he knew he wouldn’t need to be around that much, and made a family trip out of it. Or maybe Jesse Armstrong looped Nicole Ansari-Cox in because she’s already a talented and established TV actress. Having started her acting career as a child in Germany, Ansari-Cox has been in episodes of Deadwood, The Blacklist, FBI, and most recently a Law & Order ep in January 2023.

“Church and State” also finally gave viewers answers for Logan’s sister Rose thanks to Ewan’s powerful eulogy that helped turn Roman into an emotional wreck. Fans can relive the chaos with a Max subscription while awaiting the series finale. 

Jesse Armstrong’s HBO hit Succession is a powerhouse drama in every sense of the word, from its yearly Emmy wins (including last year’s Outstanding Lead Drama victory) to its game-changing episodes that take over pop culture convos. But for a show that gets as serious as the Roy family’s saga can get, Succession also wins out for the irreplaceable presence of Nicholas Braun’s Greg Hirsch. (Or more formally Gregory Hirsch, or most formally “heir apparent to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg twelve times removed,” depending on the season.) Though Brian Cox’s Logan Roy arguably holds the Best Quote trophy for his signature “Fuck off!” Greg would earn dozens upon dozens of honorable mentions in that realm.

Now, with Succession ending after Season 4 wraps, it’s as good a time as any to round up a batch of the show’s most awkward, perfect, and unforgettable Greg lines that I’ll no doubt still be quoting and referencing years after watching the finale. And yes, it’ll probably be while I have Kendall Roy’s “L to the OG” rap blaring somewhere in my house. Let’s kick things off with one of Braun’s first big scenes in the series premiere. (All episodes can be streamed with a Max subscription.)

"You scratch my back... I’m not gonna say I could scratch yours. It’d be too considerable of a space. But is there an angle there, perhaps?"

• From Season 1's "Celebration"