Norman Reedus has spent more than 15 years in The Walking Dead universe, which is a wild sentence when you really sit with it. Daryl Dixon went from a character who never existed in the comics to one of the franchise’s most beloved survivors, and now Reedus is reflecting on what sounds like the end of a very long, very bloody road.

Norman Reedus Shared His Goodbye To The Walking Dead

Reedus looked back on sorting through photos from the final episode after returning from Mongolia in a recent Instagram post. He did not post anything too spoiler-heavy, but his caption made it clear that wrapping this chapter hit him hard. He wrote:

It's a very on-brand caption. He sounds loose and heartfelt, while also sounding proud, exhausted and deeply attached to the work. And when the man who has played Daryl since 2010 says it “hits just way different this time,” longtime fans are probably right to start emotionally preparing now.

Daryl’s place in The Walking Dead is unusual. He was not part of Robert Kirkman’s original comic, but Reedus’ performance quickly turned him into a fan favorite. Over the years, he became one of the show’s emotional anchors, surviving the original series, carrying major storylines after Andrew Lincoln’s exit and eventually leading his own exciting spinoff, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. So, naturally, fans were very emotional about the post.

Fans Are Emotional Over Reedus’ Walking Dead Goodbye

As expected, the comments section did not treat this like a normal season wrap post. Some of the most emotional reactions included:

• karen7771lopez: “I am soooo very Excited for this yet it is not going to be easy watching it without my Mom ‘THE FAN OF THE WALKING DEAD’ she passed this past February.”
• _gonza_flow: “I've been following you since I was 6 years old, when the first season of The Walking Dead premiered... You don't just play Daryl, you are Daryl.”
• normanispoetry_writingsandart_: “Hits way different here as well. I have never been good at goodbyes and I hope that somehow the story continues cause Daryl is not someone I want to say goodbye to 🥺”
• norman.reedus.romanian.fan: “Thank you very much for 16 years of Daryl Dixon. Daryl Dixon is a hero, a survivor, and a cool person.”
• _twd.survivor: “We all want to see Daryl and Rick back together again. Their story isn't finished yet..‌ 💥"
• normanreedusarmy15: “An era ends, but Daryl Dixon lives on in all of us 🔥❤️💥”
• natcarrington.official: “I’m so excited to watch it but also don’t know if I’m ready for it to end! It’s been a glorious ride 💗”
• reedusnetwork: “Can’t wait! But it will be bittersweet, I don’t want Daryl Dixon to end! Going to miss him! 😢🩷”

That reaction makes sense. For many viewers, Daryl is not just another character on the 2026 TV schedule. He has been part of their lives since 2010. Fans have watched him go from a volatile outsider to a loyal protector to a full-on franchise lead. He has carried grief, loyalty, rage and a crossbow through more apocalypses than any one person should reasonably survive.

There is also still one big thing fans clearly want: a Rick and Daryl reunion. Several comments brought up “Rickyl,” and it is hard to blame them. After everything these two have been through separately, the idea of ending Daryl’s story without another meaningful moment between him and Rick Grimes would feel like leaving a walker hand sticking out of the grave.

For now, Reedus seems confident the final season will land with the emotional force fans are expecting. Given how much history is packed into Daryl Dixon, I believe him. After more than 15 years, this goodbye will be painful.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 4 does not yet have a confirmed release date, but the series is officially scheduled to premiere on AMC later this fall. In the meantime, the first two seasons of the series, along with the OG Walking Dead, are available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

The Walking Dead might have ended back in 2022, but the universe continues to expand thanks to its spinoffs. Chief among them is Dead City which follows Maggie and Negan in New York City (streaming with a Netflix subscription). Season 3 is coming in July, and both Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan seem thrilled about the major changes coming to their characters' dynamic. Let's break it all down.

After its premiere, some fans were surprised by how much they enjoyed The Walking Dead: Dead City. On top of providing a new adventure in the apocalypse, the show is also emotionally impactful thanks to Maggie's history with Negan, who famously killed her husband Glenn. During an interview with EW, Morgan confirmed that they're no longer going to be at odds in Season 3, saying:

That's certainly going to be a new color for Dead City's pair of protagonists. Their relationship is a fascinating one, and we've watched as Maggie has tried to kill Negan, betray him, and eventually become his ally. Season 3 will show them finally moving on from the violence of their shared history, and it should be fascinating to see how that changes the action of the Walking Dead spinoff.

In the same interview, Maggie actress Lauren Cohan also spoke about the change in her relationship with Negan in the third season of Dead City. In her words:

This shift of dynamic is just one reason why I can't wait to see what happens when The Walking Dead: Dead City returns to the small screen in July. Then there's the cliffhanger about Hershel, who has remained in New York with The Dama instead of staying with his own mother. Plus there's the ongoing conflict with New Babylon. Clearly there are plenty of narrative threads to pull from.

The Walking Dead: Dead City will return to AMC on July 26th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see how well Negan and Maggie work together now that they're leaving their history in the past.

Various eras of TV history have graced the viewing public with some peak shows, many of which remain beloved to this day. However, there are also some shows that start off strong, but end up losing their way as they go on. I can personally think of a few TV series that fit that unfortunate bill. Apparently, social media users can think of some prime titles as well, based on the recent responses they shared on the matter. Some may also not be surprised to know that a show featuring a super-powered cheerleader is mentioned as well.

Historically, a number of pop culture aficionados have congregated on Reddit to share their thoughts on given topics. So it wasn’t surprising to me at all that plenty of TV watchers took to the site after someone posed a question: “What's a TV show that started great but fell off badly?” The first show to be named was NBC’s Heroes, which was notably panned after the first of its four seasons. From there, users threw out more suggestions, like a certain Arrowverse series and a long-running AMC drama. Take a look:

• RochesterThe2nd: [Heroes is a] great series. The writers’ strike hit the second season, and all the heroes just powered up way too fast. When there was a point to it “Save the cheerleader, save the world,“ and everyone just had one power, it was a truly great show.
• DirectConsequence12: Flash was one of the craziest fall offs I’ve ever personally experienced.
• Knosmo78: Weeds. I refuse to believe anything happens after Season 3. Perfect ending.
• SetObvious7411: Walking Dead stopped making sense when the zombies stopped being dangerous.
• Jackdupp27: Happy Days. Literally gave us the saying ‘jumped the shark.’
• Crazylunaticfringe: Game of Thrones broke my heart.
• True-Ad7203: Riverdale after Season 1 went completely off the rails.

Over the years, plenty of fans have spoken about these shows positively in some regards, but the complaints listed above have also been shared. The Flash, which aired its final episode after nine seasons in 2023, has been critiqued for an apparent decline in quality. Viewers have also had problems with Riverdale over the course of its seven-season run due to its wild twists and turns. And do we even need to mention the brouhaha that continues to surround Game of Thrones’ final season and finale.

Heroes remains a prime example, though, of what happens when a TV show apparently peaks too soon. The show – which initially focuses on a group of people coming to terms with the fact that they have superhuman abilities – provides stellar storytelling during its first season. The next three seasons, however, have been derided for offering narratives considered subpar compared to those of Season 1. Nevertheless, after the show’s initial run from 2006 to 2010, a sequel series called Heroes Reborn, aired in 2015 (and was not renewed).

For me personally, there are a few shows I enjoy that decline a bit in quality as they go on. I’m a huge Smallville fan, for example and, while I think the show is entertaining overall, some of the later seasons do drag a bit. A more blatant instance of a show jumping the shark would be Family Matters, which only descends further into sci-fi shenanigans due to Steve Urkel as it goes on.

I’d argue that no TV show is perfect, even though a few select series like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and The Wire are nearly there. So I won’t disown a since-ended show – or one on still going on the 2026 TV schedule for that matter – for losing some luster during its run. If anything, when it comes to those kinds of shows, I just appreciate the better seasons even more than the lackluster ones.

MCU fans hoping to see a lot of bone-crunching and bullet-whizzing action only have a little while longer to wait until the one-shot special The Punisher: One Last Kill punches a hole through the 2026 TV schedule. The upcoming Marvel TV release brings the skull-shaped spotlight back to Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle for his first (and maybe last) standalone MCU storyline. The actor’s been hyping fans up for his vigilante’s post-Daredevil: Born Again return, and his latest post drew fun comments from former Walking Dead co-star Sarah Wayne Callies and a DCU fave.

Bernthal took to Instagram to share a black-and-white pic of himself that could easily be a visual stand-in for the term “world-weary,” with this as his caption:

Though it wasn't an official still of Frank Cast, and he wasn't actually decked out in any Punisher gear, Bernthal's caption likely resonated with Daredevil fans. It's the way Frank explained to Matt that they're two sides of the same coin, with Punisher's willingness to kill being the line that Daredevil vows not to cross. But just as any given Sunday can give an underdog football team a win, one bad day could be all it takes to shatter Matt's moral compass.

But since the lawyer currently has his hands full with Wilson Fisk, there's no need to bring him further along in this story. Instead, here's a comment shared by Bernthal's former Walking Dead romantic interest, to put it in the least complicated way possible, Sarah Wayne Callies:

• SARAH WAYNE CALLIES: i sure hope not 😂❤️

The Lori Grimes actress likely wasn't playing into the Daredevil reference there, and it seems apaprent she was playfully poking fun at Jon Bernthal's mug. He does kind of look like the exact opposite of TWD's ever-popular quasi-villain Shane, whose head was nearly clean-shaven when he was taken out of the equation.

Another standout comment on the actor's post came from another machismo-centric action star who somewhat recently beat the dogsh-t out of a superhero, only on the DCU side of things. I'm referring to Peacemaker and Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo, who chimed in on Bernthal's post with:

• FRANK GRILLO: you wanted to be a tough guy. 😎🥊🥊🥊

The thought of Frank Grillo and Jon Bernthal facing off on-screen is the kind of thing that 1,000% needs to happen before either of them calls it quits on stunt-heavy action. It's legitimately shocking that there aren't already 12 examples of it across TV and cinema. (Or even a video game.) And you can imagine that the fans reacting to the above went straight to Grillo's MCU history, calling for a Crossbones Vs. Punisher fight. Does it matter that Crossbones is dead? Nope.

Check out the trailer for One Last Kill below, and there's no judgment if anyone wants to imagine a zombified Frank Grillo's Crossbones showing up in the middle of it.

If all it takes is one bad day to turn into Jon Bernthal, then I hope I have 100 of them in a row. But it definitely won't be a bad one on Tuesday, May 12, when The Punisher: One Last Kill is available to stream via Disney+ subscription. (And then don't forget he'll also be reteaming with Tom Holland for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.

The Yellowstone universe’s first modern-day follow-up, Marshals, is almost here to finally answer some big fan questions, such as what happened to Monica, and how Beth and Rip’s absences will be explained as they gear up for their own spinoff. Shockingly enough, one of my other overarching concerns about Marshals’ arrival on the 2026 TV schedule has actually already been answered thanks to the latest bit of casting news.

Ahead of its March 1 series premiere, Marshals has added the former star of another highly successful genre series with a high spinoff rate: The Walking Dead vet Michael Cudlitz. He’s set for a recurring guest star role, according to EW, but it doesn’t sound like he and Kayce Dutton are destined to be BFFs in the foreseeable future.

Who Is Michael Cudlitz Playing In Marshals?

Seen most recently opposite the Man of Steel as Superman and Lois' Lex Luthor, Michael Cudlitz won't be playing a character who's quite so univerally recognizable in Marshals, but I won't go on the record saying this dude will be a lot nicer. He's set to portray Randall Clegg, the gruff patriarch of another legacied ranching family in Montana. Their time on the land doesn't stretch back quite as long as the Duttons', but I don't foresee Randall willingly copping to being the second most noteworthy clan in the area.

While it's not specified just how many installments Cudlitz will appear in, his arrival will take place in the episode airing on CBS on March 15. So fans will get a couple of episodes to get to retouch base with Kayce and meet his squad of fellow Marshals.

How Cudlitz's Randall Clegg Soothes One Of My Yellowstone-Related Concerns

To date, Marshals’ storyline has mostly been described as centering on Kayce following up on all the family’s ranch-related drama by joining the U.S. Marshal Service and leaning into that brand of frontier justice — pun fully intended — by guiding a team of brave badasses through the physical and psychological turmoil that comes with the badge. Combine that logline with CBS’ long history with job-centric procedural dramas, and like me, you might expect for Marshals to also fall into a case-of-the-week pattern.

But Cudlitz joining the series means that Marshals will indeed keep some of Yellowstone's serialized storytelling intact, which is definitely what I was hoping for from this show. Nothing against procedurals, but it'd be too much of a jolt to go from one extreme to the other without some crossover.

As well, Randall Clegg seems like he'll fill the role of a central villain, even if only in a recurring capacity, which is an element that always made Yellowstone better in my eyes. The Duttons are only so interesting without a charismatic and captivating antagonist standing in the way, and I love the lack of intimidation that comes across when Cudlitz shows up in the trailer below.

It's not much, granted, but it's enough to get me pumped about what could go down between those two a bit later in the season. Maybe they can both fight that bear from the first trailer.

Check out the rest of the announced cast below.

• Logan Marshall-Green
• Arielle Kebbel
• Ash Santos
• Tatanka Means
• Gil Birmingham (From Yellowstone)
• Mo Brings Plenty (From Yellowstone)
• Brecken Merrill (From Yellowstone)
• Guest star: Country music star Riley Green

Michael Cudlitz played the flame-haired fan favorite Abraham for several seasons of the flagship Walking Dead drama's core run, and he played heavily into the most controversial episode of that horror-drama's run. I cannot foresee the same kind of plotline playing out on Marshals, but then again, I wouldn't have guessed how Yellowstone Season 5 played out, so I'm willing to keep an open mind.

Marshals kicks off on CBS starting on Sunday, March 1, with episodes available to stream the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

While he doesn't have a huge role in it, Matthew Lillard can currently boast being part of the biggest movie of the weekend, the critically eviscerated sequel that fans can’t get enough of, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The goal is for him get a more worthwhile amount of screen time in a hypothetical third feature, and I sincerely hope it happens, since he’s easily the most watchable human in either movie. As it happens, Lillard was nearly one of the most watchable parts of an entirely different mega-popular horror franchise, The Walking Dead.

Personally, I think it’s fun to imagine a world where the Scream vet (and upcoming Scream 7 co-star) portrayed the role of Carl Grimes, son of Andrew Lincoln’s Rick, but I know that doesn’t make any sense. In reality, Lillard very temporarily grasped the role of the show’s skull-demolishing antagonist Negan, at a point when Jeffrey Dean Morgan seemed like he might not jump on. Speaking to Comic Book Resources about FNAF 2, Lillard shared the following:

The majority of TV roles do not require casting directors to call in household celebs for four auditions, but Negan was certainly an exception to many rules of the small screen, and his arrival helped The Walking Dead both reach its peak audience, while also being the cause for the viewership to cascade downward. Not that it was Jeffrey Dean Morgan in and of himself that turned fans away, but rather the character's brutally unforgivable actions upon his arrival in Season 6, which then carried into the Season 7 premiere.

So how close did it get? Well, if Jeffrey Dean Morgan had dropped his phone in a toilet or had an untimely cold, Walking Dead fans might have had an entirely different reaction to the villain's game-changing introduction. Lillard continued, saying:

Wowzers and then some. To think that Matthew Lillard could have gone from Twin Peaks' enigmatic return season to playing one of the most celebrated comic book villains of the modern era. This is totally one of those points in life where I wish Sliding Doors-esque situations where possible, and I could watch a parallel universe's version of The Walking Dead where the SLC Punk vet is the one filling out Negan's leather jacket while swinging his beloved bat Lucille down on character's busted skulls. Also in that alt-dimension, Rick Grimes is played by fellow Scream killer Skeet Ulrich.

Lillard doesn't think he would have shared the same story arc as JDM's Negan, given their physical differences and performance types, and I wonder if things would have skewed closer to the comics in that respect. The Walking Dead has long treated Negan as something of an unkillable anti-hero, with two seasons so far of the spinoff Dead City focused on his continued survival. That said, I think it wouldn't have been long before Lillard's version also attained anti-hero status, give how affable the actor is.

Also, for what it's worth, Lillard gave Morgan props, saying "He's great - different and masculine." In that other reality, I wonder if Lillard would have bulked up to fill out that leather jacket that much more snugly.

Without any zombies around to massacre, the actor can be found in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, currently playing in theaters, with upcoming arcs in one of my most anticipated upcoming horror TV series, Mike Flanagan's Carrie and the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. Here's hoping he lands a DCU role with his Scooby-Doo director James Gunn.

Long before Thanksgiving and its Black Friday and Cyber Monday follow-ups arrive, the consumer world is already invested in cheery, snow-covered Christmas vibes. All the smiling reindeer and blinking lights may be antithetical to the general gloom and doom of the horror genre, but that doesn't mean fanatics can't find plenty of ways to take advantage of all the huge sales happening throughout the weekend.

So while waiting for all those upcoming horror movies to hit theaters, and for the small screen to be flush with upcoming horror TV series, I've rounded up some of the best Cyber Monday deals on Amazon for those who love to be creeped out. Not every single here will be a hit for every single fan reading, but I'm pretty sure everyone will find at least one option that appeals.

We're not just talking about films and shows, either, since that's obviously not the only realm where fear runs rampant. However, that does seem like the best place to start. So join me in stepping into the Red Room.

More Cyber Monday Horror Blu-Ray And DVD Deals

• The Monkey [Blu-Ray] (2025): Buy Now For $14.26 (Was $34.98, Save 59%) - We loved Osgood Perkins' bonkers horror-comedy, which would make for a gory stocking stuffer.
• Sinners [Blu-ray + Digital]: Buy Now For $10.95 (Was $29.98, Save 63%) - One of 2025's most celebrated movies of any genre, Ryan Coogler's Sinners is a must-own for any fan, and likely won't get cheaper than this.
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• Saw: 10-Film Collection [Blu-ray + Digital]: Buy Now For $37.49 (Was $64.99, Save 42%) - The entire (current) legacy of Tobin Bell's Jigsaw is available all in one time-jumbling collection.
• The Walking Dead: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]: Buy Now For $94.49 (Was $174.99, Save 46%) - The spinoffs may never stop coming, but the full original series is here for purists to rewatch at their leisure.
• Event Horizon [4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital]: Buy Now For $14.99 (Was $25.99, Save 42%) - It's one of Hollywood's freakiest space horrors, and arguably Paul W.S. Anderson's best work. (Don't skip out on the comic book prequel Event Horizon: Dark Descent.)
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From one form of scripted entertainment to another, let's jump to the immersion-filled world of video games.

More Cyber Monday Horror Video Game Deals

• Silent Hill f [PS5 Amazon Exclusive Day One Edition]: Buy Now For $49.94 (Was $69.99, Save 29%) - While we're already hyping up the resurgence of Silent Hill on the video game side of things, the newest entry in the franchise is already enjoying a solid discount just two months after its release.
• Little Nightmares III [Nintendo Switch 2]: Buy Now For $44.92 (Was $59.99, Save 25%) - The latest sequel for the haunting Bandai Namco universe tasks players with guiding Low & Alone out of the Nowhere. (The same discount is available for the PS5 and XBox Series X versions of the game.)
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered [PS5]: Buy Now For $29.99 (Was $49.99, Save 40%) - It's one of the most acclaimed video games of any era, and one that is currently being adapted for the live-action HBO series, with more emotional horror than physical gore at times.
• Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition [Xbox Series X]: Buy Now For $39.88 (Was $59.99, Save 34%) - A sequel that digs even deeper into its David Lynchian influences, Alan Wake 2 is worth playing for the bonkers musical segments alone. (Discount also available for PS5.)
• Poppy Playtime Triple Pack [PS5]: Buy Now For $18.99 (Was $29.99, Save 37%) - With merchandise available alongside Funko and other collectibles, the Poppy Playtime game trilogy can be scooped up all in one try with this deal. Fun fact: it also includes a sheet of stickers.
• Cronos: The New Dawn [PS5]: Buy Now For $39.99 (Was $59.99, Save 33%) - This team-up between Skybound Games and the genre masterminds at Bloober Team isn't technically on sale for Cyber Monday, but the deal was too good not to mention here.

For those who prefer to read rather than watch or play anything, here are a few more applicable suggestions.

Cyber Monday Horror Novel And Graphic Novel Deals

• Stephen King's Creepshow: Buy Now For $12.60 (Was $19.99, Save 37%) - The illustrated adaptation of Stephen King's Creepshow screenplay is a feast for fans of EC Comics and similar titles from the Golden Age of pre-code Horror.
• How to Survive a Horror Story (Deluxe Edition) By Mallory Arnold: Buy Now For $8.70 (Was $17.99, Save 52%) - With a hook geared for Clue and escape room enthusiasts, this novel sees a group of horror writers attempting to secure a legendary novelist's fortune by facing his riddle-filled challenges within a house that may just be seeking something of its own.
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• EC Epitaphs from the Abyss Vol. 1 by Various: Buy Now For $12.94 (Was $19.99, Save 35%) - Speaking of EC Comics, the brand's relatively recent relaunch has been a huge success, and this collection of sordid and malicious tales is best-suited for horror fans.
• 20th Century Ghosts [2025 Special Edition]: Buy Now For $9.98 (Was $19.99, Save 50%) - Joe Hill's award-winning collection of short stories, featuring the movie-inspring tale "The Black Phone," was rereleased in 2025 with a snazzy new packaging and foreword from the author.
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Buy Now For $11.85 (Was $19.00, Save 38%) - One of the most celebrated horror books stemming from south of the border, this gothic horror tale was considered a masterpiece as soon as it was published in 2021, and its legacy has only grown.

Hopefully everyone found something above either for themselves or for a loved one. Because that's what the spirit of horror fandom is all about, which just so happens to coincide with the spirit of Christmas and other holidays. Happy savings!

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has played some pretty shady characters in his career, including The Boys’ “devil-on-Butcher’s-shoulder” Joe Kessler and The Walking Dead’s Negan, who’s only one of the most ruthless villains in TV history. In real life, though, he seems like the biggest sweetheart, as he just shared an amazing tribute to his wife Hilarie Burton — which included a shout-out to her fantastically punny tank top.

Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have been married since 2019, and the couple share two children. After what seems like a particularly hectic week for the One Tree Hill alum, Morgan posted a sweet message to Instagram to show his appreciation for all that she does:

OK, I am fully here for the “just because” tribute. It’s not Hilarie Burton’s birthday, and their sixth anniversary passed weeks ago. This is just a man paying attention to everything she’s doing as a mother, wife and activist and letting her know she’s seen. And come on, how is he NOT going to mention that shirt? Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s caption says:

Ugh, I love this couple so much. In addition to keeping hher hubs giggling, she’s got me laughting, too, with the “Nailed by Negan” tank top. We’re definitely picking up the double entendre he’s putting down, and you guys, this is not a man who masturbates 20 times a week.

The shirt is an obvious reference to JDM’s character on The Walking Dead and Negan's weapon of choice — a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire (which is close enough to nails for me). The bat was famously named Lucille after Negan’s wife, and when the AMC show delved into the big bad’s backstory in Season 10, it was none other than Hilarie Burton who was cast in the role of Lucille.

She even joined the cast of The Walking Dead: Dead City to reprise the character of Lucille Smith for an episode in Season 2, which aired earlier on the 2025 TV schedule.

As far as being “Nailed by Negan,” Hilarie Burton seems proud of both her tank top and her husband, as she commented:

I agree. I'm always here for deeply inappropriate merch, and I'm definitely here for this couple.

If all this talk of getting nailed has you wanting to relive this iconic TV character’s journey, you can stream The Walking Dead and Season 1 of The Walking Dead: Dead City with a Netflix subscription.

The American South is full of lore and stories. The nature of the United States is such that every region is unique, and that means every region has its own legends and history to draw from. Over the years, television has tapped into that rich culture of the South with some of the best shows of all time. This is dedicated to those shows and those stories, the TV shows of the American South.

Atlanta

The city of Atlanta has been called "the capital of the South," so it only makes sense that the show named for the town, Atlanta, starring (and created by) Donald Glover, should feature on this list. The show won a slew of awards for its storytelling in the modern South of a music manager (Glover) helping his client, played by Brian Tyree Henry, navigate the music industry, and America, for that matter.

Matlock

There isn't a more classic Southern show than Matlock. We're talking about the original here, of course, the one set in Atlanta starring Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock. It's a stone-cold classic show (and frequent butt of jokes, especially on The Simpsons), and no list about shows about the South would be complete without it. The modern remake is great too, but alas, it is set in New York City.

Friday Night Lights

High school football is a huge part of modern Southern culture, and Friday Night Lights tells that story better than anything else. Over five seasons, following a small town high school football team led by Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chadler), which is based on a book (and a movie that followed) by Buzz Bissinger, the show did a deep dive into the culture and brought it to life in inspiring fashion.

Treme

New Orleans is the most unique city in America. It's truly like no other place on this continent. Treme brings the city to life like no other show ever has. Like creator David Simon's other famous HBO show, The Wire, the city is the main character here. The people who live in the city are what make it New Orleans, and in Treme, we see every aspect of life in the Crescent City.

A Different World

While the show that A Different World was spun off from, The Cosby Show, was set in New York City, A Different World follows Huxtable's daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) as she goes off to college at the fictional Hillman College in Virginia. Bonet left after just one season, but the show still went on to become an iconic Black sitcom.

Bad Monkey

There's an old saying that the further south you go in Florida, the more north you get, but author Carl Hiaasen, who wrote the book that Bad Monkey is based on, has the great ability to show the Southern side of all of Florida. The show, which you can watch with an Apple TV+ subscription, is just a wonderful and hilarious look into life in the Sunshine State that you don't see on the tourism ads.

Dallas

There's nothing like the drama of a rich Southern oil family to get people excited, right? Dallas captivated audiences for 14 seasons and included one of the most celebrated cliff-hangers of all time with "Who Shot J.R.?"

Eastbound & Down

Danny McBride has really figured out how to tap into the humorous side of Southern culture. With shows like The Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals, and perhaps his best example, the over-the-top-but-wonderful Eastbound & Down. The show, which is available with an HBO Max subscription, is one of the funniest shows about the South ever, even if it strayed in the later seasons. That first season will always be pure comedy gold.

Designing Women

In the 1980s, no sitcom defined Southern charm than Designing Women. Yet another movie set in the great city of Atlanta, the show about the all-female team of a design firm had one of the best casts of any sitcom from the era. A cast that included Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Jean Smart, and Annie Potts. In the later seasons, Jan Hooks got in on the fun as well.

The Walking Dead

Though The Walking Dead is a story that could happen anywhere, almost all of it takes place in the South. The show starts in Atlanta (including an early mission to the CDC in the capital of Georgia), and ends with the crew mostly living outside of Washington, DC, in the Virginia suburbs.

Nashville

Well, as the name says, Nashville is set, of course, in the capital of Country Music. In recent years, starting around when this show debuted in 2012, Nashville, TN, has become the place to live in the South. Everyone from recent college graduates to big stars is flocking to the city with one of the richest music histories in the United States.

The Golden Girls

You might not think of Miami as the South, and to be fair, it doesn't have a ton in cultural common with say, Birmingham, but it's right there on the map, as far south as you can get in the continental U.S., so Golden Girls counts here! The show, which has lived on for decades in syndication, is famous for its zingers and, in the end, its heartfelt message of friendship. It really needs no introduction, does it?

The Waltons

Even if you've never seen The Waltons, a show about a Depression-era family living in the Virginia Appalachian Mountains, you probably know how each episode ended with the tight-knit family saying good night to each other. It oozes Southern sensibilities.

The Dukes Of Hazzard

One of the most popular and most controversial shows on this list has to be The Dukes of Hazzard. Beloved for its daredevil driving scenes and the humorous relationship between cops and bandits, the show was a staple of '70s and '80s TV. In more recent decades, the show has been criticized for its use of the Confederate flag painted on top of the General Lee (which is still a really cool car, regardless).

Tyler Perry's House of Payne

Tyler Perry is a proud resident of Atlanta, and he's invested heavily in developing what has become one of the movie-making capitals of the world. It makes perfect sense that the first sitcom he ever created, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, would be set in the city. The show, which balances silly moments with serious themes, has had a remarkable run on TBS first, and later on BET. It's gone well over 300 episodes, making it one of the most successful sitcoms with a predominantly Black cast.

The Righteous Gemstones

From the demented (and wonderful) mind of Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones is simply brilliant. The show, which aired on HBO for four seasons, has a fantastic cast, including McBride, alongside John Goodman, Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, and some sublime supporting work from Walton Goggins.

The Andy Griffith Show

There may be no show on this list that espouses the gentile way of life in a small, southern town like The Andy Griffith Show. The name of the fictional town in North Caroline, Mayberry, has even become a noun to describe wholesome small towns all across the United States. The legendary show aired a total of 249 episodes over eight seasons on CBS. It also helped launch the career of Ron Howard, of course.

Army Wives

While not strictly a show about life in the South, Army Wives is set on a naval base in Charleston, SC. The popular Lifetime show didn't have the broadest appeal, to be sure, but it had a dedicated fanbase for the seven seasons it was on.

Dexter

Like some others on this list, we'll admit that Dexter doesn't always feel like a "Southern show" since it is set in Miami, but Florida, even South Florida, should definitely count here, right? How much really needs to be said about the now-iconic Showtime show about a serial killer hunting serial killers? At least we can acknowledge that Jon Lithgow plays one of the most ruthless villains in TV history.

Justified

There aren't a ton of shows set in Kentucky, but Justified would probably be the best, even if there were others. This is a show that has shown incredible legs over the years, remaining as popular–if not more popular–than it was when it first aired on FX.

NCIS: New Orleans

NCIS has had a whole lot of spinoffs. NCIS: New Orleans was the second in the franchise when it was spun off in 2014. Though it was surprisingly canceled after it's seventh season on CBS, it still ended up a very successful show in the popular franchise.

CSI: Miami

One of the most popular TV franchises of the early 21st Century is, without a doubt, the CSI group of shows on CBS. The original, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (set in Las Vegas), first hit the airwaves in 2000, and just two years later, David Caruso returned to TV as Horatio Cane in CSI: Miami. For many, including myself, Miami was just as good as its parent show, and ratings showed that. The show aired for 10 seasons and more than 200 episodes.

True Blood

Anne Rice may be the most famous teller of vampire stories to hail from Louisiana, but Charlaine Harris, who wrote the books upon which HBO's True Blood was based, is a close second these days. True Blood is set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, LA, but it is anything but "good times" for the residents, as this neo-gothic classic show highlights again and again.

In The Heat Of The Night

Based loosely on the book and the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier of the same name, In The Heat Of The Night followed a small town police chief (Carroll O'Connor) and his top detective, Virgil Tibbs (Howard Rollins). The show, which aired first on NBC before moving to CBS, was set in Sparta, Mississippi, and it was unafraid to tackle complex subjects like racism and police corruption.

One Tree Hill

For nine seasons, One Tree Hill transported fans to Wilmington, North Carolina, in the CW TV show. One of the more popular shows among many Millennials, the show still has its die-hard fans today, more than a decade after ending its nine-season run.

Reba

Reba McEntire first entered our hearts as an actor in the cult classic Tremors. She's wonderful in it, and after another decade of parts here and there in movies and TV, the country music legend landed her own sitcom, appropriately called simply Reba. The hard-working McEntire was born and raised in Oklahoma, but the show was set in Houston. In fact, it's weirdly one of the few shows ever set in the Texas metropolis.

Fresh Off The Boat

ABC's Fresh Off The Boat is a unique take on the Southern show, as it features an immigrant family from Taiwan working to make the American Dream happen for them in Orlando, Florida. Constance Wu gave her breakout performance on the show as the hard-charging daughter, Jessica.

Ozark

I get it, some people might push back on Missouri being in the South. I'm from the Show Me State, so I understand. That said, southern MO, especially in the area around Lake of the Ozarks, definitely has more Southern influence than Midwest, so I just have to include the brilliant Netflix original, Ozark.

I Dream Of Jeannie

"The South" might not be the first thing you think of when you think of I Dream of Jeannie, but it was set in Florida. Tony Nelson, Larry Hagman's character who lives with Jeannie (Barbara Eden), is an astronaut, if you remember, living where so many other NASA pilots lived, Cocoa Beach, FL.

True Detective

When I talk about True Detective, I'm usually talking about that brilliant first season. Other seasons of the anthology show have been set in California and Alaska (two states that are definitely not The South), but the first season was set in that most southern of states, Louisiana. The third season was also set in the South, in the hills of Arkansas.

Hart of Dixie

Any show called Hart of Dixie can't be left off this list. It's also one of the few TV shows set in Alabama, so we just had to squeeze in the popular show from The CW, starring Rachel Bilson as a fish-out-of-water New York doctor living in small-town Alabama.

Saving Grace

One place that doesn't feature in a lot of TV shows or movies is Oklahoma City. Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter, bucks that trend. The TNT show, which aired for three seasons in the late '00s. The show often featured famous spots in the town, and, honestly, it's one of my favorite Holly Hunter roles. The show is underappreciated for that alone, never mind the rest of the excellent cast.

Television is a popular pastime, to say the least, and there are more options than ever in the 2025 TV schedule thanks to traditional network offerings, premium cable shows, and a seemingly constant resupply of series on streaming platforms. While there are some projects that won over a lot of fans during their time releasing new episodes, others have fans who wish that they'd jumped ship a lot sooner than they did. As a TV completionist who often sticks with shows to the bitter end, I have to say: I relate with some of the most popular picks and have.

TV moments that made viewers want to instantly quit became a popular topic of conversation on Reddit recently, and I was quite unsurprised by some of the shows that were mentioned over and over and over again. Some were a little bit more surprising, but lots of valid points are named.

The Walking Dead seemed to be the most popular answer, with many citing Glenn's brutal murder, Glenn's fake-out death shortly before he was murdered, Beth's nonsensical end, Carl getting bit by a zombie, and Negan never dying as the reasons why they quit. I can relate – Beth was the first strike for me back in the day, followed by Glenn diving under a dumpster, and I probably should have quit before I got to Glenn meeting Negan (and Lucille).

Many people brought up Bobby's death on 9-1-1, which was one of the most recent moments to have people rage-quitting and then ranting about it on Reddit. Killing off Peter Krause's leading man was definitely a shocking choice from the show back in the spring. Others channeled their rage from Bones, starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz from 2005 - 2017. The handling of their relationship in the final seasons had some detractors, while others brought up that tragic twist for Sweets, played by John Francis Daley.

I related hard to people who mentioned Downton Abbey, because I vividly remember seeing Matthew's death in a Christmas special and then not wanting to watch ever again. Not even for Dame Maggie Smith's one-liners! The 100 got more mentions than I expected for a show that aired on The CW, with commenters citing Lexa's demise. If I'd quit when that happened, I could have spared myself from seeing Bellamy's ridiculous ending.

Orange is the New Black was mentioned for how Poussey was heartbreakingly killed, as were many of the wildest Grey's Anatomy twists from the past two decades. (Special shout out from me to how the medical drama wrote out Alex Karev.) Arrow was chosen for that time that Felicity very suddenly regained the ability to walk and then immediately walked out on Oliver.

Game of Thrones viewers had no shortage of moments from the final couple of seasons to choose from. Personally, I was already much too far in to quit by those last couple of seasons, but the closest I ever came to giving up on Game of Thrones was when Sansa was married to and then brutally assaulted by Ramsay in Season 5. A lot of people mentioned The Last of Us Season 2 for killing Joel, which was surely a massive surprise for anybody who hadn't played the video games or been thoroughly spoiled on his death like I was.

Other shows that got special attention include Prison Break, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, The League, and For All Mankind. On the plus side, reading about all the terrible twists that turned viewers off of certain shows gives me a new appreciation for some of the shows that I stuck with and definitely don't regret. (That's doesn't mean I'll ever rewatch The Walking Dead past Season 4, though.)

Even some of the series that were most frequently mentioned by commenters were excellent up to a certain point, and many can be found on various streaming services for anybody who wants to give them another chance... or just rewatch your favorite episodes while pretending that certain moments never happen.

It’s that time again during the 2025 TV schedule when we address that age-old curiosity: just how often do celebrities masturbate, and is it directly comparable to the size of their hands? Actually wait, no, that's not something we ever talk about during any particular TV schedule, but the Internet provides nonetheless. After Walking Dead: Dead City star Jeffrey Dean Morgan learned he was the subject of a viral video hypothesizing his self-pleasuring habits, he shared a good-natured response.

Since there’s no truly proper way to introduce such a video about this subject, just give it a watch. But probably not around any impressionable children or at work or during a funeral or anything.

Stand-up comedian Jon Shefsky has been sharing videos under the shared titled "The Jacket Report" that, quite obviously, hypothesizes about how often celebs are cranking one out. Given his semi-behemoth size, it's surmised that he likely masturbates upwards of 20 times per week, which is a highball number for anyone's self-love habits.

Always a good sport, Morgan shared quite the tickled reaction to the viral vid, sharing it on his own IG Stories while also leaving a comment on Shefsky's post, starting with:

Can we assume this was his face after reading that?

So often when someone can "neither confirm nor deny" something, the answer is 100% yes, and they're desperately hoping to keep the outside world from knowing it. In this case, however, JDM's incredulousness implies he actually does NOT masturbate 20 times a week, on average or otherwise. I'm sorry to any gamblers out there who wagered big on that one.

Morgan continued, pointing out why it would be difficult for him to find the time, energy and then some to make the viral vid true.

Those duties technically don't even account for his new-ish gig hosting the competition series Destination X, limiting his time even further. Granted, that show isn't among the reality TV series where masturbation is frowned upon, but one can just assume that jerking off in the wilderness wouldn't have been a great move either.

I can only imagine how amused his wife Hilarie Burton Morgan was when she saw the video. The duo are among the most adorable couples in Hollywood (or outside of it, technically), and definitely share an offbeat sense of humor that can appreciate hyper-personal assumptions about masturbation habits. It's also fitting since she portrayed The Walking Dead's human Lucille, the namesake inspiration for Negan's barb-wire bat of the same name. I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions about that bat-centric comparison.

We'll have to wait and see if Norman Reedus gets this same under-the-microscope treatment whenever Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon kicks off, though I'm sure there's already some fan-fic out there about Daryl and Rick's eventual reunion that would be applicable here.

Though fans still haven’t seen The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s third season just yet, we already know the curtain will close on this particular upcoming TWD show with its fourth season, as that news was announced during this year’s Comic-Con. Knowing that storyline is ending is a worry to fans who are hoping beyond hope that Norman Reedus will get a long-awaited on-screen reunion with Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes. I’m still optimistic it’ll happen, even though the actor’s latest comments about the complications do make a lot of sense.

Seeing Carol and Daryl back together again helped Season 2 rebound after that major death we still haven’t fully gotten over yet, but those characters were destined to share the screen as soon as the spinoff was first conceived. The fact that the characters are in Europe made it impossible for either to drop by during the solo season of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, even if that finale did feature a couple of reunion-specific guest stars. But could there be a point where the storyline allows the characters to cross paths anew?

Speaking with SFX on CinemaBlend’s Darren Scott, longtime TWD star Norman Reedus addressed potentially reuniting with former Walking Dead-verse co-stars, and despite being personally interested in the idea, he addressed why it’s not as easy as throwing them all together in the same setting, and why it might happen differently from the idealized version in fans' minds. As he put it:

Wouldn't that be the biggest pisser imaginable to be a Walking Dead fan who has stuck it out for all these years, and whose biggest pop culture desire is to see Daryl and Rick tag-teaming once more to take down a horde of walkers, only for them to see each other again and not get along at all?

The more chaotic side of my personality would actually enjoy the hell out of that outcome, sinc eit would potentially create a unique dynamic for these characters that wouldn't just arbitrarily have them on the same side just because of their history together. Daryl and Rick did get into it pretty heavily before the Season 9 bridge explosion that left Rick's fate a mystery, so even though Daryl spent years trying to track his friend down, it's possible that finding him won't necessarily lead to a perfect rekindling.

Reedus continued, telling SFX that he also doesn't think Daryl and Carol's exploits in Europe can easily be concluded by just jettisoning them back to the U.S. In his words:

Now, for all that I can understand the logic behind Norman Reedus’ explanation, I also think that there is indeed at least one way to get Rick and Daryl back together again in a way that not only appeases fans but also works inside the narrative parameters without their respective adventures causing any strife.

Showrunner David Zabel previously talked about having a reunion plan that was discussed with Reedus, and during the TWD: Daryl Dixon panel during San Diego Comic-Con, he explained that the spinoff’s story was intended to last four seasons, and that the ending was put into place early on in the creative process, saying:

It wouldn't take a whole lot of imagination to read into Zabel's comments as possibly teasing an ending that brings Daryl and Carol back into the lives of other familiar TWD characters. (Unless, of course, he's hinting at one or both of those characters dying, which would make the whole reunion idea slightly harder to pull off successfully.)

Before any of that can play out in full, though, we still need Season 3 to arrive on the 2025 TV schedule. Speaking of...

Watch The Season 3 Trailer For The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is among the list of exciting upcoming horror TV shows, and Season 3 will arrive on AMC starting on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Characters come and characters go, at least that’s the case for these beloved shows. Whether it’s on one of the best sitcoms of all time, an exhilarating epic fantasy series, or crime dramas holding down a spot on the primetime lineup for decades, these programs all have one thing in common: they lost a fan-favorite before the final episode (or even final season).

Here are 32 TV shows that lost their lead character during their run…

The Office (2005 - 2013)

After being the best character on The Office for the show’s first seven seasons, Steve Carell’s Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office back in 2011. Though he would return in a guest capacity in the final season, the absence of the awkward, excitable, yet hilarious regional manager could be felt in the series’ final days.

That ‘70s Show (1998 - 2006)

That ‘70s Show had one of the best runs of any sitcom introduced in the final years of the 20th century, one that would carry on until May 2006. However, the sitcom’s main character, Topher Grace’s Eric Forman, wouldn’t be there for all of it. The actor, whose popularity was rising at the time, left the show after its seventh season. He would return in the series finale one year later.

Two And A Half Men (2003 - 2015)

Amid contract negotiations and a string of controversial incidents, Charlie Sheen left Two and a Half Men and stopped playing fan-favorite Charlie Harper, following the hit sitcom’s eighth season in 2011. One of the most popular shows on TV at the time, the CBS comedy would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher coming on to play Walden Schmidt

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

A mainstay of Cheers for the show’s first five seasons, Shelley Long’s Diane Chambers left the friendly Boston bar for good when she was given the opportunity to become a professional writer. However, Diane would later return near the end of the show’s final season in 1993.

ER (1994 - 2009)

Whether it was Anthony Edwards’ Mark Greene being killed off in a spectacular way or George Clooney’s Doug Ross departing following a major scandal, ER lost several of its main characters throughout its 15-season (and 331-episode) run on NBC. However, the show always seemed to rebound from even the biggest losses.

Law & Order (1990 - Present)

Countless beloved characters have come and gone from Law & Order over the years, including NYPD detective Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), who was a mainstay of the legal drama for 12 years. The series is still on today (after being revived in 2022), but few of the detectives on the show have come close to touching the greatness of the wisecracking cop.

Three’s Company (1977 - 1984)

The late Suzanne Somers became a household name for her portrayal of Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company back in 1977. One of the three leads through much of the show’s run, Somers departed the series after its fifth season. The sitcom would run for three additional seasons after Somers left.

Scrubs (2001 - 2009)

Though Zach Braff’s Dr. John Michael “J.D.” Dorian was technically part of the Scrubs cast until the very last episode of Season 9 (he’s also returning for the upcoming reboot series), he only showed up in less than half of the final run. Maybe it was for the best, because those episodes were of a far lower quality than the previous eight seasons.

Bewitched (1964 - 1972)

This is an odd one simply because the Darrin Stephens character on Bewitched was written off, but instead recast near the end of the show’s run. Played by Dick York for the first few seasons, Elizabeth Montgomery’s on-screen husband was later played by Dick Sargent in the final years of the landmark sitcom about a witch trying to hide her true nature from the world around her.

Mom (2003 - 2021)

When the main star of a show leaves partway through the series run, it can be a nightmare for their co-stars and crew members, and that was the case when Anna Faris departed the hit CBS comedy Mom in 2020. Though the show continued for one more season after Christy Plunkett was written off, the absence of the former lead could be felt.

One Tree Hill (2003 - 2012)

One of the biggest shows of the 2000s, One Tree Hill was a perennial favorite of The WB (and later The CW) through much of its nine-season run. However, the good times didn’t last the whole time, as Chad Michael Murray, who played lead Lucas Scott, departed after season 6 alongside Hilarie Burton’s Peyton Sawyer.

Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - Present)

One of the longest-running shows in TV history, Grey’s Anatomy has always been known for its tremendous cast of characters. And while there are some, like Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, who have been there all along, others have come and gone. One of the biggest is Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd, aka "Dr. McDreamy," who was killed off in the show’s 11th season.

Glee (2009 - 2015)

In the middle of Glee’s successful run on Fox, the popular musical series lost one of its main characters when the actor who played him tragically died. In July 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died at the age of 31.

The Walking Dead (2010 - 2022)

So many characters came and went on The Walking Dead, which is to be expected considering it was a show set in the zombie apocalypse. However, one of the biggest departures came in the show’s ninth season when Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes was written off the massively successful show.

House Of Cards (2013 - 2018)

House of Cards was a show with one shocking moment after another, including the time the Netflix series had to find a way to get rid of its main character before the sixth and final season. After Kevin Spacey found himself in legal trouble, the show’s producers decided to kill him off and carry on.

Blue’s Clues (1996 - 2006)

Steve Burns’ Steve was primarily the only human character on the hit Nick Jr. series, Blue’s Clues, for the show’s first four seasons. However, the actor left the animated show and was replaced by his character’s younger brother, Joe (Donovan Patton). Burns would later go on to appear in the Flaming Lips’ wild 2008 sci-fi film, Christmas on Mars.

The O.C. (2003 - 2007)

One of the main characters through the show’s first few seasons, Mischa Barton’s Marissa Cooper was killed off in heartbreaking fashion in The O.C.’s Season 3 finale. Following the departure of the tortured teenager, the show lasted one more season before coming to an end.

Charmed (1998 - 2006)

Prue Halliwell, played by the late Shannen Doherty, was one of the main characters in the first three seasons of Charmed. Though her fate was initially left up in the air following a Season 3 cliffhanger, it was later revealed that Prue died after her run-in with a powerful demonic assassin.

Laverne & Shirley (1976 - 1983)

One of the most popular spinoffs of all time (the characters originated on Happy Days), Laverne & Shirley ran for eight seasons on ABC between 1976 and 1983. However, while Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio stayed around for the whole run, it was a different story for Cindy Williams’s Shirley Feeney. Williams, who was pregnant at the time, departed partway through what would ultimately be the final season.

Game Of Thrones (2011 - 2019)

Though Game of Thrones had numerous “main” characters over the course of its eight-year run, Sean Bean’s Ned Stark was one of the biggest in the first season. Creating one of the most shocking moments in TV history, Ned lost his head before the end of the first year, which set the tone for the unpredictable nature of the series moving forward.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 - 2017)

The Vampire Diaries was on the air for eight seasons between 2009 and 2017, but The CW’s popular book-to-screen adaptation lost its main character, Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert, two-thirds of the way through. Though her character didn’t die, Debrov left for other opportunities.

Spin City (1996 - 2002)

The popular satirical comedy series, Spin City, ran on ABC for six seasons between 1996 and 2002, with most of those being led by Michael J. Fox as New York City deputy mayor Mike Flaherty. However, a couple of years after Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the actor left the series after its fourth season, with his character being written off by moving to Washington, D.C.

The Wire (2002 - 2008)

The Wire’s cast was full of incredible actors playing some of the best characters to ever grace the small screen. One of the major players in the landmark HBO series’ first three seasons was Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell, a ruthless and ambitious drug lord who aspired for more than running the corners in Baltimore. However, he made far too many enemies and he was brutally killed in the show’s Season 3 finale.

Oz (1997 - 2003)

Though Oz had a killer ensemble cast throughout the HBO series’ run between 1997 and 2003, it lost one of its lead players when Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Simon Adebisi was killed off in the show’s fourth season. Imagine fans’ reactions the following year when he showed up in 2001’s The Mummy Returns.

Roseanne/The Conners (1988 - 2025)

Not long after Roseanne was brought back to TV in 2018, its star, Roseanne Barr, was fired in the fallout of a controversial tweet. The show was quickly cancelled and morphed into The Conners, which ran for seven seasons before coming to an end in 2025.

NCIS (2003 - Present)

A lot of people have left NCIS over the years, but the CBS crime drama continues to be one of the most popular shows on network TV. Perhaps the biggest character to come and go since the show’s 2003 debut is NCIS Supervisory Special Agent and Special Agent in Charge Leroy Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, who stayed on through the 19th season. Talk about longevity.

8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002 - 2005)

8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, later shortened to 8 Simple Rules, had a nice little run on ABC back in the early 2000s, and even helped launch the career of Kaley Cuoco. The series was originally led by John Ritter, but his character, Paul Hennessy, was written off after the Three’s Company and Problem Child star suddenly died at the age of 54 while shooting the second season.

Lost (2004 - 2010)

Much like the show’s story, talking about main characters dying on Lost is a bit confusing, considering the non-linear structure of the long-running ABC drama series. Numerous characters like Shannon Rutherford (Maggie Grace), Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau), and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) were written off and brought back later on in the series.

Homeland (2011 - 2020)

A once-great show that went on way too long, Homeland had its fair share of shocking moments and final episodes for major characters. At the top of that list is Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a former prisoner of war whose true alliances are ambiguous through much of the show’s first three seasons. However, his time would come to an end a few years into the run when Brody was hanged in a public execution in Iran.

Boardwalk Empire (2010 - 2014)

Michael Pitt’s Jimmy Darmody was pretty much the 1B lead to Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson in the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire, but the up-and-coming gangster wouldn’t survive the 2011 season finale. The series would run for another three seasons before coming to an end in 2014.

Downton Abbey (2010 - 2015)

Dan Stevens’ Matthew Crawley was just one of multiple fan-favorite characters to be killed off during Downton Abbey during the show’s original run. The third-cousin, once removed of the Earl of Grantham, the character didn’t make it all that long in the grand scheme of things before dying in a car accident during the show’s third season.

Sons Of Anarchy (2008 - 2014)

Sons of Anarchy had an epic run on FX in the latter part of the 2000s through the early 2010s, and in that time, so many fan-favorites got killed off. The most horrifying came in the show’s fifth season when the beloved Opie (Ryan Hurst) was brutally murdered in prison. Some never came back after that.

Interview with the Vampire is a beloved novel, and has had a number of book to screen adaptations over the years. That includes the recent AMC TV series (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription), which is showing no signs of slowing down. And a producer of AMC's Anne Rice content recently threw shade at The Walking Dead when talking about the possibility of spinoffs.

TWD became a huge sensation upon its release, and there are still upcoming Walking Dead shows and movies coming down the line.... despite how long the flagship series has been off the air. Deadline recently spoke to network exec Mark Johnson, where he was asked if Interview with the Vampire or Mayfair Witches will have spinoff shows. He responded plainly, offering:

Shots fired. It sounds like Johnson has no intention of expanding the Anne Rice AMC shows in this manner. What's more, he doesn't seem thrilled with the concept of spinoffs as a whole, looking at them as more of a writing issue than a creative way to expand the narrative.

While fans want to see Mayfair and Interview with the Vampire crossover, it sounds like spinoffs are off of the table for the time being. Both of the shows are doing quite well, so it makes sense that the network might want to focus on quality instead of quantity. As such, we shouldn't expect any side characters to suddenly get their own show.

Interview with the Vampire was one of the best shows of 2022, and its second season really brought the twists and turns. What we know about Season 3 is limited, but it seems like the focus will go from Louie to Lestat, with the latter vampire being a rock star following a significant time jump. And really it feels like the possibilities are endless.

Walking Dead fans will know that the show exists solely through spinoffs nowadays. Rick and Michonne got their own show, as did Daryl Dixon. But the apocalyptic drama isn't nearly as popular anymore, a fate that Johnson is seemingly trying to avoid.

It's currently unclear when Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire will return for more seasons, and if it'll be during the 2025 TV premiere list. One thing is clear: spinoffs are not coming.

You know when some good relationships on television make you want to squeal the moment you see them? Yeah, these are the relationships down below. Sure, we can spend some time watching the best rom-com movies, but what about several seasons of build-up to a relationship that makes it all worthwhile? Here are some couples that define “goals.”

Chandler And Monica (Friends)

Chandler and Monica are the couple from the Friends cast, and I will not be asking any other questions about it at this time. Ross and Rachel were what people talked about, but these two? I love them. They are defined as “goals” based on how much they love each other, even if they didn’t have the typical start. Friends-to-lovers is one of the best.

Ian And Mickey (Shameless)

There was a time when Ian and Mickey were literally all I saw on my Tumblr feed back in the early 2010s. The Shameless cast featured plenty of great relationships, some healthy and others…not so healthy, but Ian and Mickey were a relationship that made it until the end. There’s nothing quite like them.

Rebecca And Jack (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast defined my time in college when the show was airing, and Jack and Rebecca were the blueprint for how I wanted my future marriage to go. I have never seen two people just so in love with each other on TV, but also portray such a realistic marriage.

Corey And Topanga (Boy Meets World)

I think Corey and Topanga were the couple for the '90s kids. I didn’t grow up watching Boy Meets World, but I know from many that watching these two grow into teenagers and then young adults was one of the best aspects of this series. And honestly, I love that for you.

Jim And Pam (The Office)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sure, there were moments between Jim and Pam in later seasons that felt a little out of character, but these two were the defining relationship from The Office cast. We were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning of the series when these two were just friends, and we wanted them all to get together.

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

Leslie and Ben from the Parks and Recreation cast are the perfect example of a relationship that took its time but blossomed beautifully. Ben was the type of person who always let Leslie shine and never tried to dim her light, which is something that I love about them. They always supported each other no matter what.

Marshall And Lily (How I Met Your Mother)

There have been so many relationships that have come and gone in How I Met Your Mother, but you want to know what one of the best was? Obviously, Marshall and Lily. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as many warm fuzzies as I did watching these two.

Stefan And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Team Stefan and Team Damon? Nah, Elena was always going to pick Damon and me, but Stefan and Caroline? Perfect, excellent. There are absolutely no notes on that couple because, honestly, they were better suited for each other. Sorry.

David And Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

I’m pretty sure watching David and Patrick in Schitt’s Creek altered my brain chemistry because I don’t think another TV couple has stood out the same as them. The Schitt’s Creek cast is filled with memorable characters, but watching the progression of their relationship throughout its five seasons was something that I will always adore. These two loved each other so much.

Luke And Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Look, I know that we’re all here for Team Jess or Team Dean or whoever we’re rooting for with Rory, but to me, as an adult woman now, I like Luke and Lorelai’s relationship a heck of a lot more. It feels more mature, more natural, and less dramatic. Please, give me this rather than the craziness of teenage romance.

Nathan And Haley (One Tree Hill)

The definition of high school sweethearts that somehow worked out. They definitely had their moments of doubt throughout the nine seasons of the show, but these two loved each other so much and ended with a happily married life with two children, which is all you can really ask for in most teen drama romances out there.

Phil And Vivian (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see Phil and Vivian on this list because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air isn’t really known for its romances. But honestly, Phil and Vivian are the perfect couple. They complement each other perfectly, know when to be each other’s rock or to stop the other from making a poor decision, and took care of Will as well as their biological family in the perfect way. I have no complaints.

Santana And Brittany (Glee)

The Glee cast is filled to the brim with couples, so much so that it’s hard to keep up with them. But my personal favorite was always Santana and Brittany. Not only was their relationship a great stepping stone for many lesbian/bisexual relationships on TV back in 2010, but it’s really one of the few that made it to the very end of the series. They were best friends turned lovers turned to something really real, and it ended with them getting married!

Randall And Beth (This Is Us)

“Perfectly imperfect” is a phrase that I still use to this day, ever since Randall uttered it to Beth in This Is Us. These two exemplify what it means to not only marry your best friend, but also marry a partner. They will stand by each other, support each other, and when someone is messing up, they will make them own up to it. There’s no sliding, and that’s what a genuine relationship should be like.

Jess And Nick (New Girl)

New Girl is one of those shows where relationships come and go, but there are always a few that stick the landing for the long haul. Jess and Nick were one of those, and we rooted for them, watching them fall in love, fall apart, and then fall back in love all over again.

Uncle Jesse And Aunt Becky (Full House)

I mean, of course, I have to put Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky. I feel like Full House literally never would have been the same without them. Their relationship started very early on, and it’s always fun to rewatch episodes of the show and watch them fall in love with each other time and time again.

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

While I do love the specialness of Penelope and Colin and the steaminess of Daphne and Simon, there’s just something about Anthony and Kate that gets me going every time. These two, a classic enemies-to-lovers romance, clearly love each other so much by the time the season ends and Season 3 rolls around.

Claire And Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander, in general, is one of the best Starz shows, but a big reason is Claire and Jamie. Their love has transcended literal timelines. I don’t know how you can get more perfect than that.

Mitch And Cam (Modern Family)

I think when it comes to couples in Modern Family, Mitch and Cam are the perfect example of how two people work so well together, and to the outside, people wonder how the heck they function with how crazy they are. But throughout the several seasons of the show, there’s no denying that these two love each other dearly.

Lucy And Ricky (I Love Lucy)

I can’t have a relationships list without putting the OG’s here. Lucy and Ricky are the definition of “goals.” They were the first people on television to show you how in love with each other they are, no matter the amount of shenanigans that they may put the other through. You can’t get better than these two.

Phil And Claire (Modern Family)

I always see Phil and Claire as the much calmer couple of Modern Family, which is saying something because they still have their fair share of hilarious moments in their household of three kids. But what I love about Phil and Claire is that there is evident respect there, and Phil will support Claire no matter what and stand up for her, while Claire will do the same, regardless of what others think. They’re a team, through and through.

Killian And Emma (Once Upon A Time)

God, there are so many couples in Once Upon a Time, but I think the one we always return to is Killian and Emma. Whether it’s their steamy chemistry or their genuinely emotional story, they are an amazing romance with plenty of fantasy aspects that I just love.

Willow And Tara (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

As someone who loves looking back on legendary relationships that paved the way for others, I know there’s no one better to bring up than Willow and Tara. The couple was a significant landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in television and showed two people who clearly loved each other.

Kev And Veronica (Shameless)

These two were freaky, don’t get me wrong – but they were also freakishly in love with each other. Kev and Veronica stood by each other, and when someone dared to threaten the other, it was on sight. They would fight anyone to protect their love and their relationship, and no matter what, always strived to make time for the other.

Fran And Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

I’m pretty sure that if you’ve ever read any rom-com novel, then these two are who you picture when you think of the nanny and the billionaire falling in love. But what I love about Fran and Mr. Sheffield is that it’s not an instant lust between them. It’s more of a relationship built on respect and friendship before love was even considered.

Jake And Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast features some hilarious characters, but personally, I always came back for Jake and Amy. I always saw them as rivals-to-lovers, but it feels so real watching them turn from competing with each other to becoming friends to going on dates and so much more.

Jane And Rafael (Jane The Virgin)

These two are in a strange situation, considering they didn’t even know each other when Jane fell pregnant accidentally. But watching their relationship grow organically throughout the show’s seasons is always something that I love to view.

Rick And Michonne (The Walking Dead)

When you think of couples who would literally kill for each other, I can think of no better than Rick and Michonne. Not only are they one of the best Walking Dead relationships, but there was a whole spinoff series dedicated to them finding their way back to each other after years apart. Now that is true love right there.

Poussey And Soso (Orange Is the New Black)

It hurts to even write about Poussey and Soso because it feels like they weren’t given enough time together in Orange is the New Black, but from what we were able to see, they really did work well together. Poussey was the kind of friend that Soso needed, and that blossomed into something brighter between the two of them before it was snuffed out. I needed so much more.

Morticia And Gomez (The Addams Family)

I mean, talk about a man who is obsessed with his woman. In any iteration of The Addams Family, Gomez always loves Morticia, but of course, we have to put the OG here from the 1960s TV series because these two were so in love that they ruined our expectations for all real-life romances.

Glenn And Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I’m sad even writing about these two because the way it ends is something I don’t like to think about. But for the five seasons that we got with these two together, they were a light in the darkness that was the world of The Walking Dead. They loved each other, protected each other, and stood by the other until the very end.

Hopper And Joyce (Stranger Things)

God, I visibly remember screaming when these two finally got together in Stranger Things because it was just so apparent that they were into each other. Hopper literally risked his life for Joyce, and she risked hers to save him, and I love them together.

This just makes me want to revisit all of these television shows and watch these couples all over again. I’m in need of some cute TV romances. It's time for a binge-watch.

With James Gunn’s Superman set to kick off a new live-action DC Universe, with Creature Commandos having set the animated foundation, any and all hopes of seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprising the role of Thomas Wayne have been vanquished. Which remains disappointing, especially given Zack Snyder’s plans to adapt the revered “Flashpoint” storyline, with Morgan donning a revised cape and cowl as Batman. Even hearing the Walking Dead actor reflecting on it now gets me riled up.

Morgan is currently promoting AMC’s latest zombie spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City, with the second season hitting the 2025 TV schedule in early May. But his deadly anti-hero Negan wasn’t the only comic book character on tap for an interview with him and co-star Lauren Cohan shared on Den Of Geek’s TikTok. When asked if Snyder cast them as Thomas and Martha Wayne as a jokey TWD reference, JDM pointed out that he wasn’t in that world yet. In his words:

“Unfortunately” is underplaying things considerably, especially with the idea that Snyder already had some goalposts in mind for how he wanted to adapt Flashpoint’s timeline-changing narrative. It’d be one thing if that was just a fleeting pipe dream of an idea in Snyder’s brain when casting Jeffrey Dean Morgan for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

But we were closer than ever to seeing Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's timeline-shifting arc come to life, with Justice League setting up the pieces, and Morgan seemingly down to reprise the role of Thomas Wayne in whichever capacity was landed on. Somehow, though, amidst all the behind-the-scenes turmoil over Justice League's production and Ezra Miller's controversies, we only ever got Andy Muschietti's The Flash movie in its place.

Maybe one day Zack Snyder will turn his "Flashpoint" ideas into a novelized narrative, or even a storyboarded comic or something. Even an audiobook would work, so long as Morgan returned to voice Big Papa Batman.

Circling back to the topic of sharing the screen with Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan said that the Batman v Superman casting may have been the catalyst that inspired The Walking Dead's showrunner to reach out when casting Negan. As he put it:

All things considered, Morgan still has quite a few years left to go before he would be wildly out of place to play Thomas Wayne age-wise. So here's hoping James Gunn doubles down on the idea of telling Elseworlds tales, and takes that opportunity to give "Flashpoint" another go.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan can be seen reprising the role of Negan alongside Lucille and Lauren Cohan's Maggie every Sunday night on AMC, with new episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City airing at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Your mileage on the best era of basic cable television likely revolves around your age. For example, some Gen-Xers might point to the late ‘90s MTV era that gave us cartoons like Beavis and Butt-Head as the best era of basic cable. Others might point to the early 2000s, where we got shows like The Shield, Monk, and Psych.

And, while I think there’s definitely something to be said about both eras, I think there’s a very strong case for the Breaking Bad-era of AMC as being the best time in basic cable history, and I have a few reasons why everyone should say its name.

You Have Two Of Arguably The Greatest Shows In TV History Airing On The Same Network At The Same Time

Now, let me just set some parameters on what is actually considered “basic cable.” It may seem obvious, but networks like HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax wouldn’t be categorized as “basic,” as they were premium networks that you had to pay extra for. In that way, even though shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Spartacus, Outlander, Dexter, and Shameless are often considered excellent programming for their era, they were not basic cable shows.

Again, it might seem obvious, but now that pretty much everybody has migrated from cable to streaming services, there might be a segment of people who don’t remember the basic cable days. When I talk about basic, I mostly mean the channels that we got with packages, such as TNT, TBS, FX, USA, SyFy, just to name a few.

Well, out of the select channels we received, one of them was AMC, which is short for American Movie Classics. American classics were what the channel had to offer early on, but with the advent of cable networks creating television series, we got the miniseries Broken Trail in 2006. And, it was good! But, it wasn’t until the next year, when we got Mad Men, and then the year after that, when we got Breaking Bad, that AMC truly hit its stride.

Because, and I’m sure you already know this, Mad Men and Breaking Bad are often considered two of the greatest TV shows that have ever existed, and not just on basic cable. I mean period.

Often referred to as “The Golden Age” of TV (which included both Breaking Bad and The Wire), the time period from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s is usually looked back upon as the halcyon days of modern TV. That said, Breaking Bad and Mad Men weren’t on the premium networks. They were available to everybody with a basic cable subscription. Honestly, you really couldn’t get any better than those two shows. However…

We Also Got A Cultural Phenomenon In The Walking Dead, Which Was TV's Biggest Scripted Show For Several Years

I stopped watching The Walking Dead long before it ended (and I wasn’t alone), but I don’t think anybody could have predicted how big the show would be when it debuted back in 2010. Here you had this zombie show that was based on a comic book, and it just seemed to conflict with the seriousness of shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Rubicon. (My beloved, one season Rubicon).

However, The Walking Dead EXPLODED! Those first few seasons, all the way up to Glenn’s death (though, some may argue that the show fell off a cliff before that), amounted to a cultural milestone, and it was mind-blowing that AMC could juggle both its prestige shows AS WELL AS a super popular genre show.

And, to be quite honest, The Walking Dead was really good at times. Looking back, the show followed the comics as much as the creative teams could, keeping close to story arcs that were super impactful. It was honestly when the show deviated from those story beats that I felt as if it was going astray, but I digress.

What’s important to keep in mind is that The Walking Dead was, in a lot of ways, the show that people actually tuned in to AMC for. Yes, Mad Men and Breaking Bad were seen as highly lauded, respectable shows, but it wasn’t until Breaking Bad made its way to Netflix that it finally found its audience.

No, it was The Walking Dead that truly made AMC the destination for basic cable, which in turn made much lesser shows on the network seem like required viewing, which brings me to my next point.

Even AMC’s Lesser Shows Felt Like Important Television

For this one, you really had to be there, but AMC was on such a roll back in the Breaking Bad/Mad Men/The Walking Dead days that even far lesser shows seemed like important television back then.

The one that instantly comes to mind is The Killing. Based on the Danish series, Forbrydelsen, The Killing ran for 3 seasons (well, 4 if you count when it went to Netflix), and was popular…for at least the first season (Some people didn’t like how the first season ended).

Hell on Wheels, which was a western, was also well-watched. This is kind of strange when you come to think of it. Unlike neo-Western shows like Yellowstone and Justified, Hell on Wheels was an actual western-western, taking place in the 1860s (It was about the construction of the railroads).

I bring these two shows up because even though a lot of people might not talk about either of them today, back when they were both running concurrently with the big three (BB/MM/TWD), they were also seen as interesting (if not as important) television shows that people watched just because they were on AMC.

Sure, by the time we got to shows like Into the Badlands, Preacher, and Fear the Walking Dead, the channel had lost a bit of its allure, but, with Better Call Saul debuting in 2015, the network still had a reason to tune in.

This Was The Last Real TV-Specific Era Before Streaming Services Changed The Game

Lastly, the Breaking Bad-period was arguably the last true era before most people migrated to streaming services.

By the time Breaking Bad ended in 2013, you had people interested in the cast of Orange is the New Black, or engaged with shows like House of Cards on Netflix. Hell, as I mentioned earlier, Breaking Bad truly found its audience because of the streaming platform (I’ll never get over all the people who I tried to get into Breaking Bad who declined, only for them to tell ME about the show once they discovered it on Netflix).

That said, AMC truly represented a time when people actually showed up week after week to watch a program together. There was none of that binge-watching crap (yes, I called it crap) that is absolutely ruining TV. Instead, like the olden days, people had to actually wait each week to find out what happened next, which was excruciating if you really wanted to know the futures of Don Draper, Walter White, and Rick Grimes.

Yes, there were other shows in this period–I know a lot of people loved Sons of Anarchy, and Burn Notice–but no other basic cable network really had a stranglehold on viewers like AMC did back in the Breaking Bad-era.

But, what do you think? Were you there BEFORE Netflix and the rest became the one-stop shops for everybody? I’d love to hear your memories.

SPOILER WARNING: This article discusses the end of the second episode of The Last of Us Season 2. If you are not caught up on what has been happening in the story so far, please proceed with caution as you read on.

I am not much of a gamer and have never played The Last of Us franchise, so watching HBO’s video game adaptation has been a unique experience for me. So, you can probably imagine how surprised I was to see one of the show’s central protagonists, Joel, tragically pass away, and in only the second episode of its sophomore season.

The death of Pedro Pascal’s survivalist character called to mind one of the most heartbreaking moments from a show quite similar to The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, and you might assume you know what episode I am referring to. I’ll start by taking a second to acknowledge how Joel’s passing compares to a certain fan-favorite TWD character’s death first, before I get into which scene I was actually reminded of.

Abby's Brutal Actions Drew A Lot Of Comparisons To Negan Killing Glenn

To avenge her father, who was a doctor killed by Joel in the Last of Us Season 1 finale, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever in her most sinister and powerful role yet), takes advantage of a chance to lead him, along with Dina (Isabela Merced), to her group’s sanctuary. After revealing her true intentions, she proceeds to mercilessly beat him to death with a golf driver until it breaks before slowly stabbing him in the neck with the remaining handle, while Joel’s surrogate daughter, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), watches.

You could easily compare this harrowing scene to what many believe is the most heartbreaking death from The Walking Dead: Glenn (Steven Yeun). In the Season 7 premiere, the former pizza deliverer is murdered – not out of vengeance, but to set an example – by the cruel Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) with his barbed baseball bat, Lucille, right in front of Glenn’s wife, Maggie (Lauren Cohan). The similarities are clear. However, I admittedly had to be reminded of that scene after the fact, because the TWD moment that Joel’s death first brought to mind for me might be a controversial choice.

The Details Surrounding Joel's Death Actually Reminded Me Of Lori's Death In The Walking Dead

I realize that Lori Grimes is one of the least beloved Walking Dead characters (something actor Sarah Wayne Callies told IGN never bothered her, actually), but I was never part of that camp. So, when she passed away while delivering her daughter, Judith, I was pretty shaken up and still regard it as one of TWD’s most shocking deaths, considering that such an important character was being killed off in only the fourth episode of the show’s third season.

I experienced that same shock from seeing Joel pass away even sooner into his series’ run. However, the similarities do not even stop there, since both Joel and Lori’s demises take place while their respective communities are attacked by hordes of what The Last of Us characters call “The Infected” and are referred to as “Walkers” on TWD. Of course, there is one other shared detail that is especially heartbreaking to me.

Both Lori And Joel Died While On Bad Terms With Those They Loved Most

It is never explicitly stated why Ellie refuses to speak to Joel in the early episodes of The Last of Us Season 2, but we know that something happened in the five-year gap between seasons to dismantle their once-strong bond. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old never had the chance to formally reconcile with her father figure.

The same goes for Lori’s husband, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln, who led the Walking Dead cast before leaving the show in Season 9). His relationship with his wife was also rocky at the beginning of Season 3 due to a combination of issues, including Lori’s affair with Shane (Jon Bernthal) while he was assumed dead, and the ways she manipulated her husband’s actions. There were hints they could have been able to make things work between them at the beginning of the episode in which Lori’s dies, which makes Rick’s breakdown after discovering her passing even more disheartening.

I imagine that this is not exactly a moment from The Walking Dead that anyone would like to revisit, but you could right now with a Netflix subscription. Plus, there are five more episodes of The Last of Us Season 2, which air on HBO Sunday nights and are concurrently available to stream with a Max subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will bring Tom Holland's title character back to the shared universe. There's some fan casting swirling around online, and as a Walking Dead fan I hope one actually comes true.

What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is limited, but the recently revealed title is an exciting step forward. Fans are wondering who might be joining Tom Holland in the project, including chatter about Sadie Sink having a role. Some fans on Reddit notice the director was following Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun on Instagram, and think he'd be a great choice to bring Mister Negative to life on the big screen. And I am personally completely sold on this casting.

Yeun was a fan favorite on The Walking Dead before Glen's infamous death, and has taken a variety of exciting projects in the years that have followed. That includes his Emmy-winning performance in Beef, as well as movies like Jordan Peele's Nope. And after voicing the title character in Invincible (streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription), it seems like the perfect time to give him a live-action superhero role.

Mister Negative is a Spider-Man villain who has had less time on the page, debuting back in 2007. His Darkforce abilities give him a variety of powers, and is a primary foe of the wall crawler. He's perhaps best known for being the primary villain of Sony's Spider-Man video game, as well as his appearance in the sequel. Ever since these games became so wildly successful, fans have been wondering when the character might make the leap to live-action.

Of course, Destin Daniel Cretton is following on social media isn't any real indication as to what villains he's planning on including in the fourth Spider-Man movie. But fans spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, and are emotionally invested in the fan favorite character. So the theories, rumors, and fan castings will likely continue until some official announcements occur.

Yeun is clearly a wildly talented actor, but as someone who was a Walking Dead superfan during the flagship series' run on AMC, I'm ready to see him kicking ass on the screen again. He did a ton of actions dispatching zombies as Glenn, and watching him go toe to toe with Tom Holland's Peter Parker sounds thrilling.

Moviegoers are curious about what comes next for Holland's hero after Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending, which saw him erased from the memories of anyone who knew him. Brand New Day is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 31st, 2026, so I'm not expecting any footage coming with the 2025 movie releases.

"We're all going to be cool like Fonzie" are the words that Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) says in Pulp Fiction. It's not random, of course, that he chose Henry Winkler's character from Happy Days to define cool. The Fonz remains one of, if not the coolest characters in television history, but he's hardly alone on the small screen for his coolness. This list includes many of those cool characters you could always see yourself being friends with.

Rico Tubbs - Miami Vice

Often on cop shows, you'll get one buttoned-up straight cop and one "cool" cop. On Miami Vice, that wasn't the case. Both detectives oozed '80s cool, but in very different ways. James "Sonny" Crockett (Don Johnson) was aloof most of the time, but cared when it mattered. Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs cared all the time, but played it off as pure cool.

Charlie Harper - Two And A Half Men

Charlie Sheen has been some wild ups and downs in his personal and professional life, but his character on Two and a Half Men has always been the definition of laid-back cool. Maybe too much, compared to the other characters around him. He does bring a great balance, though.

Bunk Moreland - The Wire

The Bunk, Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce), on The Wire, is well-dressed and as smooth as his silk ties. He's one of the best "murder police" in the Baltimore PD, and he never misses a trick. It's easy to understand why he's on this list.

Thomas Magnum - Magnum P.I.

There are a lot of cool TV detectives, but the top of the list has to be Thomas Magnum from Magnum P.I. He drives a Ferarri, he wears short shorts, and he's got some of the best facial hair in the game. The ladies want him, and the gentlemen want to be him. He's got all the game, and he gets to live on a giant estate in Hawaii. That's winning.

Carol Peletier - The Walking Dead

In the beginning of The Walking Dead, Carol Peletier didn't seem like much of a survivor. She suffered at the hands of an abusive husband and seemed well out of her depth when the zombie apocalypse started. She used everything she learned, though, and by the end, she wasn't just one of the baddest survivors on the show; she was also one of the coolest.

Barney Stinson - How I Met Your Mother

This one might be a little controversial because despite having a ton of amazing quotes and having a classic aloof nature, Barney Stintson is pretty swarmy. Of course, everyone has a friend like that, and almost everyone lets those friends get away with their bad behavior because they are so cool.

Sydney Bristow - Alias

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) on Alias is the epitome of cool under pressure. She always knew what to do and was as capable as any spy in Hollywood history. She deserves a spot high on any list about cool characters.

Mrs. Maisel - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Any woman in the 1950s who chooses to strike out on her own and take a chance like Midge Maisel should be cool in anyone's book. When she's as funny as Mrs. Maisel, it's an open-and-shut case. She's the coolest.

Chandler Bing - Friends

Chandler on Friends, played by the late Matthew Perry, isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's hard to deny his coolness. Of all the friends, he's easily the coolest. There is an aloofness to him that lends itself to cool, and compared to Joey and Ross? It's not even a race, really, Chandler wins every time.

Michael Knight - Knight Rider

Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) had a great perm, he wore an awesome Members-Only-looking leather coat, and he drove a Trans Am that talked to him. By any standard, that is cool. By the standards of the '80s? It was the top of the mountain. Everyone loves David Hasselhoff.

Fonzie - Happy Days

Here we are, at the coolest of the cool. Arthur Fonzarelli, or "The Fonz" or "Fonzie," if you like. He could do things like fix jukeboxes just by hitting them. He rode a motorcycle and wore a leather jacket. And he had that great hair! Plus, he's everyone's favorite person, including all the parents and authority figures. It just doesn't get cooler.

Al Swearengen - Deadwood

He's mean, he's nasty, and he makes an enemy out of everyone. Yet, for some undefinable reason, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) is definitely cool. Maybe its his verboseness, or maybe it's his confidence, it's hard to pinpoint exactly. Even though he's a violent criminal, he's still really cool.

Daria - Daria

For an entire generation of disaffected teenagers in the 1990s, Daria on Daria summed up everything they were feeling. Unimpressed with the world, beaten down by modern life, and more interested in being sullen than anything else, Daria was everything a cool kid was in the '90s.

Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead

Of all the characters on The Walking Dead, none were cooler than the cross-bow-wielding, motorcycle-riding, complete stud, Daryl Dixon. He was soft-spoken, but when he did speak, everyone listened. He didn't have to say much to be cool, he just had to be himself. He was always ready for a fight and always backed his friends. He's just the best.

Don Draper - Mad Men

The mid-20th Century produced a lot of "cool." Don Draper, who led the charge in culture, defines that cool. There are a million moments in Mad Men where Draper (Jon Hamm) proves just how cool he is. He may have been living a lie, but man it was a cool life!

Cosmo Kramer - Seinfeld

To paraphrase Jerry on Seinfeld, Kramer does nothing, falls backward into money, mooches food off your neighbors, and hooks up without dating. While actor Michael Richards has had a checkered career since starring on one of the best sitcoms of all time, his character on the show was always cool. He was the one we all wanted to be.

Fleabag - Fleabag

Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is so cool, she doesn't even need a name. That's really saying something. She's smart, funny, cynical, and yeah, sometimes angry or mean, but most of the time, it's her biting wit that puts her on this list. There are a lot of people who strive to have that kind of wit, but very few ever do. Cool.

Sam Malone - Cheers

Anyone who owns a bar like Cheers is going to have to be on this list. He's loyal to his friends and regulars, he's an ex-pro athlete, and he never has problems dating beautiful women. He's also one of the funniest characters from one of the funniest sitcoms ever. We all want to be Sam, in some ways.

Face - The A-Team

Templeton "Face" Peck is the coolest character on The A-Team and usually the coolest under pressure, too. He's most likely to be the one that to go undercover because of it. He's also got some of the best lines on the show. Everyone on the team is cool in their own way, but Face takes the cake when it comes to real "coolness."

Mary Richards - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

She's gonna make it after all! Mary Richards oozes everything cool in all seven seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She showed girls and women everywhere that they, too, could make it in the corporate world and in the news business, all while looking sheik and being insanely cool.

Spock - Star Trek

Of all the characters in the original Star Trek, Spock has to be the coolest, right? Bones seems like the most fun, and Kirk would be hilarious to hang out with, but Spock has them all beat. He's cool, calm, and collected at all times, and he has just even of a human side to make him real. He has all the facts, too, which is good for all those arguments in a bar, right?

Tyrion Lannister - Game Of Thrones

The list of "cool" Lannisters on Game of Thrones is a short list. It's a list of one, really, and that one is, of course, Tyrion. From the way he dances to his trial, or the way he stays as loyal as he can to people until the end, he's the one family member you can trust. Obviously he's also a lot of fun.

Columbo - Columbo

What can we say about Peter Falk's amazing character, Columbo, in the show of the same name? He plays the bumbling detective who actually knows exactly what is going on at all times. He doesn't put on airs, and he doesn't care what people think of him at first blush. In fact, his nonchalant nature is exactly what makes him so effective - and cool.

Sonny Crockett - Miami Vice

One half of the coolest '80s TV detectives, Sonny Crockett oozes cool. He drives exotic cars, looks great in a white suit and pastel shirts, and he is, in the end, Don Johnson. Don Johnson is as cool as his character, and it all comes across on the screen. With all the wild guest stars in Miami Vice history, he had to hold his own, and he more than did.

Lucy Ricardo - I Love Lucy

Lucy Ricardo was a television pioneer in every way. She not only had one of the first legitimately huge hits on the medium, she did it as a women. That only is enough to make her cool enough for this list. The fact that her character on I Love Lucy was a little goofy and a little batty only adds to the cool factor.

Buffy Summers - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Talk about a character who became a role model for teenagers everywhere! The way Buffy Summers from Buffy The Vampire Slayer always handled herself made her formidable, but cool as heck while she was.

Lester Freamon - The Wire

"Cool Lester Smooth" is just one of Lester Freamon's nicknames on The Wire. He does have a certain tweed impertinence, but he's got all the answers. The show is too realistic to have a real Holmsian character, but Lester, played brilliantly by Clarke Peters, is as close as the show comes, and everyone knows that's cool. Plus, he looks out for his friends and has endless patience. Oodles of coolness.

Silvio Dante - The Sopranos

Every kingpin needs a trustworthy #2, and for Tony Soprano, that's his consiglieri, Silvio Dante. He is as loyal as it comes, and he does a mean Al Pacino impression. It helps that the character is played by a bona fide rock star, "Little" Steven Van Zandt from the E Street Band. Silvio was "peak cool" from the peak era of prestige TV.

Arya Stark - Game Of Thrones

Unlike the Lannisters in Game of Thrones, there are a lot of cool Starks. How can you pick just one among Ned, Robb, and all the rest? Well, really, it's easy. Arya is the coolest. In fact, she's pretty much the coolest character in the whole series, both on screen and in the books.

Sawyer - Lost

Okay we'll admit, Sawyer on Lost is often a jerk. But man, he's so cool sometimes. If you like bad boys, he's the ultimate bad boy and as we all know, bad boys are cool. It's just the way it goes. It's a fact. Plus, that hair... that hair is awesome.

Lisa Simpson - The Simpsons

This is a hill not a lot of Simpsons fans will die on, but those of us who will, will go down fighting. Lisa Simpson is the best. She's the best family member and the heart of the show's morality. If Lisa disapproves, you should do that thing. She's also really fun when she wants to be, even if some people disagree. Nerds are cool!

Wednesday Addams - Wednesday

Just like bad boys are always cool, bad girls are too. Wednesday Addams is as bad a girl can get, in the very best way. That means she's the coolest. The level of aloofness is frankly incredible and means she has to be on this list.

We knew this day was coming. It is a day of reckoning. It is the day when I pick my favorite apocalypse lead character, and it’s a tough choice but...

Ok, it’s really not a tough choice, but we’ll get into that in just a bit.

If you know me, you know I love zombies. I am the epitome of a zombie girl. I love the best apocalypse movies and TV shows, and of course, two of them happen to be The Walking Dead and The Last of Us.

But both of those happen to have lead men who have also survived for quite a long time in two very different zombie worlds. As a girl who literally trips on her own two feet to go to the fridge to grab water, I would certainly need one of them to have a single chance of survival. There’s a clear pick, so let’s get into it.

I Love Both Shows So Much, And Both Mean So Much To Me

My credentials for making this pick are solely based on the fact that I devoted a good half of my brain to both The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. At this rate, I’m pretty sure I’m half-zombie.

Jokes aside, I really do love these shows. As much as I harp on it, I enjoy The Walking Dead universe, and, as a die-hard fan, I have watched all of the spinoffs so far and enjoyed every second of them. I can’t wait for the following seasons. Heck, I’m eagerly awaiting The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 – even if they did kill off a main character in a way I find so annoying, but whatever.

The same goes for The Last of Us. I’ve gone on at length in other articles about what those games mean to me and the show, so I won’t do it here. However, just know that I have a calendar that has been actively counting down the days of the 2025 TV schedule until The Last of Us Season 2 comes out.

I love these shows and their main characters, Rick and Joel. Granted, you could say that Ellie is also the main character of The Last of Us, but for the sake of this, we’re focusing on the lead survivors, i.e. the ones who bring in the big guns, the ones who will legit do anything to protect the people they love. Who would I pick?

Yeah, sorry, it’s not even a competition.

Both Rick And Joel Are Great Survivors, But I Have To Give The Lead To Joel

Rick Grimes is a character that has been in zombie pop culture for a long time. Joel was huge in gaming and obviously blew up with the release of the TV show on Max. But to me, the answer is obviously Joel for many reasons.

The biggest is that The Last of Us world has expanded longer than The Walking Dead timeline. While TWD is undoubtedly getting up there in years, we aren’t at the twenty-year mark quite yet within the canon of the shows. The Last of Us is already there, which means that chances of survival with someone at that point who has made it that far are pretty high.

However, the biggest reason that I point out is that Joel’s world is much scarier. His zombies are legitimately terrifying.

While The Walking Dead has certainly made strides over the last few years to create different kinds of zombies, they are all relatively slow. We haven’t seen any (aside from a few experiments in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon) that create walkers that will run at you like the ones in The Last of Us or who are as terrifying as the clickers in the HBO show.

The Last of Us, on the other hand, gives us several different kinds of zombies – runners, stalkers, clickers and (of course) bloaters. All of them are terrifying in their way, and if you can survive those, then you’re golden. Joel has proven time and time again how he survives them and more.

Rick is a good leader and great at keeping people together, but in terms of maintaining someone by my side, Joel is the one I would always pick – and if he happens to look like Pedro Pascal, that’s just extra.

Either Way, They’re Both Great Shows – And Make Me Very Happy I Don’t Live In Either Of Them

Look, both of these shows are great. I love ‘em to death and I’m just happy that I don’t live in either of these worlds. I would die relatively quickly if I didn’t have someone by my side.

But all I’m saying is that Joel could easily survive in TWD, but Rick would probably bite the bullet in The Last of Us unless he somehow found a clan to lead. That’s what he’s good at: getting people together to fight. I still love him – and would love another season of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – but Joel is top-tier.

The Last of Us Season 2 is literally around the corner, and I’m eager to see more of Joel (for as long as I can, as a game girl who knows his story in Part 2). Until then, I’ll be enjoying my rewatch of the series and recommending The Last of Us to all who need to know about him and my love of the famous survivor.

BEWARE, there are spoilers here for a number of shows, including Severance, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Lost.

This might sound a little harsh because I do think Severance, which can be watched with an AppleTV+ subscription, is a brilliant show, but it’s starting to run the risk of tripping down the same path of shows like The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones, and Lost. Those shows almost crumbled under the weight of their constant cliffhangers and ever-sprawling stories. I am worried about Season 3 and whether we’ll get satisfying conclusions about everything.

Just How Big Is This Conspiracy?

With each season, the story of Severance gets bigger and bigger. It’s no longer about a small group of macrodata refining innies doing Keir’s work on the severed floor. Now we have Gemma and her dozens of innies (plus her outie). We have Helly R. fighting with her outie doing the bidding of her father. There is an entire cult built around Keir that seemingly has its fingers in every section of the economy and the culture, not to mention entire towns dedicated to the company. Just how big is this show going to get?

The Walking Dead, instead of staying with one group of survivors and telling their story, continued to add locations, characters, and situations until the whole thing just sprawled way too far. I bailed out when Rick (Andrew Lincoln) was seemingly rescued by a helicopter from a well-outfitted group of mysterious people who were maybe some kind of government agency in Season 9. I dunno, I didn’t stick around to find out what happened. It had all grown too unwieldy and I was done.

Now that Severance has fully embraced adventures outside of the Lumon headquarters, how far afield do they plan on taking us? The “bottle episode” aspect of Severance was its greatest trick and now that those mysteries have been answered I’m concerned the show can’t recapture the magic. The mystery was small, but now it’s huge, and getting bigger. Is Lumon going to be like the Widmore Corporation in Lost with its tentacles in everything and no oversight from anyone? Just how far does the conspiracy spread? How can two people trapped on the severed floor stop it? The mystery may be lost.

Sometimes A Story Just Needs To Wrap Up

Shows don’t need to air forever, some of the best shows tell their story, wrap up, and the creators and actors move on. Shows that just get more and more sprawling, with characters moving further and further away from each other are complicated to wrap up in a satisfying way. When they are always asking more questions than they are answering, or asking bigger and bigger questions, they rarely stick the landing.

Even worse, dragging them on and on like this often ruins their legacy completely. No one loves Lost as we did when it started. The passion was lost (no pun intended). The same applies to The Walking Dead. The cliffhangers meant nothing, and fans didn’t trust the show to ever wrap up in a satisfying way. This has never been more true of a show than Game of Thrones (which has its own connection to the Severance finale). I don’t want to see this happen with Severance.

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.

Since screen media was invented, music has had a symbiotic relationship with both movies and television, from musical scores that enhance their films, memorable pop songs making up some awesome movie soundtracks, and, of course, classic TV theme songs that could have been radio hits. There are also many famous songs written by artists who are clearly pop culture fans, based on the obvious or cryptic references to cinematic or small screen favorites in the lyrics. These are some of the most iconic and even most surprising examples of songs that took inspiration from a movie or TV show.

“Walk This Way” Aerosmith (Young Frankenstein)

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is the source of many iconic spoof movie moments, including when Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way," referring not to their direction but to his odd limp. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 that the band saw the 1974 horror-comedy movie classic while on break from recording Toys in the Attic and were especially amused by the "walk this way" bit, which gave producer Jack Douglas a great title for a song.

“Married With Children” - Oasis (Married… With Children)

In addition to plenty of controversy during its 10-year run, Married... with Children also inspired none other than Noel Gallagher of Oasis to write a song of the same name (sans the ellipsis) that appeared on 1994's Definitely Maybe. Gallagher told Melody Maker (via Brit Pop Reunion) that he saw a lot of himself and his then-girlfriend, Louise Jones, in the classic TV sitcom's dysfunctional central couple, Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg Bundy (Katey Segal), and channeled that into the song.

“Total of the Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler (Nosferatu)

The video for Bonnie Tyler's heart-aching ballad, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – the lead single from her 1983 album, Faster Than the Speed of Night – boasts a gothic vibe that calls to mind a great horror movie like Nosferatu, which is actually no coincidence. The Welsch singer told The Guardian that writer Jim Steinman first started writing the song when he was working on an unfinished musical adaptation of the original silent-era vampire movie from 1922.

“Laura Palmer” - Bastille (Twin Peaks)

Bastille frontman Dan Smith is a huge fan of David Lynch's movies (which he discussed in an interview with Audacy), as well as the late filmmaker's most successful small-screen venture, Twin Peaks. As he revealed to 3voor12, he named the eerie fifth single from the band's 2011 debut album, Bad Blood, after Sheryl Lee's character, Laura Palmer, whose murder sets the plot of the subversive crime thriller in motion.

“Heartlight” - Neil Diamond (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Neil Diamond was faced with a lawsuit for lyrics to "Heartlight" that MCA felt was too close to the narrative of the beloved sci-fi movie that inspired it, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The clues to the 1982 ballad's influences are not very subtle, with references to a young boy who makes a friend with a glowing chest, taking a “ride across the moon" with him, and becoming sad when that friend is forced to go away.

“Floyd The Barber” - Nirvana (The Andy Griffith Show)

A show as lighthearted and funny as The Andy Griffith Show seems like an unlikely choice as the inspiration for a Nirvana song. However, it makes a little more sense when you pay close attention to the lyrics of "Floyd the Barber," from 1989's Bleach, and realize Kurt Cobain has reimagined Howard McNear's eponymous role and other central characters from the 1960s sitcom as sadistic murderers.

"Me And Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (La Strada)

The most famous rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee" comes from Janis Joplin's posthumously released 1971 album, Pearl, but the song was originally written by Kris Kristofferson. His inspiration, as he told Wide Open Country in 2022, came from Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning 1954 drama, La Strada – particularly a moment when Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) rides around on his motorcycle while Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) plays the trombone.

“Any Friend Of Diane’s” - Weezer (Cheers)

"Any Friend of Diane's" is the name of an episode from the first season of the long-running NBC sitcom, Cheers, named after Shelley Long's character. According to an interview with The Independent, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo took the episode's title and based a song that pays tribute to the many women who have supported the band over the years around it.

“Space Oddity” - David Bowie (2001: A Space Odyssey)

The similarity between the title of the opening track from David Bowie's self-titled second album and 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly no coincidence as Stanley Kubrick’s iconic space movie was the inspiration, which he revealed to Performing Songwriter. Fun fact: the release of the song, which is the tragic tale of an astronautical mission gone wrong, was actually rushed out to coincide with the Apollo 11 landing in 1969, which is a very questionable publicity method, if you ask us.

“Dragula” - Rob Zombie (The Munsters)

An essential track for every Halloween playlist is Rob Zombie's 1998 single, "Dragula," which any fan of The Munsters knows is named after a car belonging to Al Lewis' Grandpa, who is really Count Dracula. The rock star-turned-filmmaker is a lifelong fan of the early 1960s sitcom about a creepy, creature-some family and even wrote and directed a feature adaptation of the series that was released in 2022.

“Yoda” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Empire Strikes Back)

"Weird Al" Yankovic has released many songs that are directly inspired by pop culture, including more than one based on the Star Wars movies. For instance, "Yoda," which appears on 1985's Dare to be Stupid, is a retelling of the events of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back – particularly Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) training under the eponymous, green "little runt" (played by Frank Oz) – set to the melody of The Kinks' "Lola."

“The Actor” - Jason Kimmel (How I Met Your Mother)

“The Actor” is the first single by musician Jason Kimmel and tells the story of a young man who goes to a bar and meets a woman named Sara, who admits the narrator reminds her of Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, but not in a good way. Still, he is flattered by the comparison as he is a fan of “the actor,” How I Met Your Mother cast member Josh Radnor, whom Sara does not know by name, although she is a fan of Barney actor Neil Patrick Harris.

“Bad Moon Rising” - Creedence Clearwater Revival (The Devil And Daniel Webster)

Just like many other songs with "moon" in the title, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" contributed to a memorable musical moment in the horror movie An American Werewolf in London but was actually inspired by the 1941 adaptation of another dark fantasy story, The Devil and Daniel Webster. John Fogerty explained to Rolling Stone in 1993 how the film’s depictions of “nasty weather” as a result of a deal with Satan gave him the idea for the lead single from 1969’s Green River.

“Bloom” - Radiohead (The Blue Planet)

Thom Yorke was watching BBC's 2001 nature docuseries, The Blue Planet, narrated by David Attenborough, when he got the idea for "Bloom," which is the opening track from Radiohead's 2011 album, The King of Limbs. The English rock band would later collaborate with Hans Zimmer to record an orchestral version of the song for the docuseries' follow-up, Blue Planet II, bringing this story full circle.

“Wind It Up” - Gwen Stefani (The Sound Of Music)

As she revealed to MTV in 2006, "Wind it Up" fulfilled Gwen Stefani's dream to incorporate her favorite movie, The Sound of Music, into a song. While the lead single from the No Doubt frontwoman's second solo album, The Sweet Escape, does not have much to do with the story of the 1965 music movie classic, it does sample "The Lonely Goatherd" to impressive effect and pays tribute to it in the video.

“Mach 5” - The Presidents Of The United States of America (Speed Racer)

There may not be a pop culture car more deserving of a musical tribute than the Mach 5 from the classic animated TV show, Speed Racer, yet it would not become a reality until 1996 when The Presidents of the United States of America put it on their second album, II. However, while the song's title may reference Speed's prized vehicle, frontman Chris Ballew revealed to Songfacts that the lyrics reflect the maniacal ways he would destroy his toy cars as a child.

“Night Moves” - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (American Graffiti)

In 1973, Bob Seger saw a film now considered one of the best movies of the 1970s called American Graffiti – writer and director George Lucas' coming-of-age dramedy following a group of teens cruising the streets of L.A. after hours in the early 1960s. The Silver Bullet Band leader told Mix that the film inspired him to tell stories from his own youth, which led to the creation of the title track from his ninth studio album, 1976's Night Moves.

“Fingers Crossed” - Billie Eilish (The Walking Dead)

In 2017, when she was still an up-and-comer, Billie Eilish told Junkee that the first song she ever recorded was called "Fingers Crossed," which was the product of a songwriting class assignment that required her to watch a movie or TV show and write lyrics related to it. The then-12-year-old chose The Walking Dead and came up with a song that, as she describes, "sounds more like a longing heartbreak song" but is really about the zombie apocalypse.

“Godzilla” - Blue Öyster Cult (Godzilla)

While Blue Öyster Cult was best known for earnest rock 'n roll hits about love and death like "Don't Fear the Reaper," they proved they had a sense of humor with their tribute to the King of the Monsters. The opening track from their 1977 album, Spectres, alludes to the plot of the original Japanese horror movie classic, Godzilla, quite accurately but also with a few tongue-in-cheek references to the eponymous creature's destructive tendencies at Tokyo's expense.

“Bedrock Anthem” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Flintstones)

Only a comedic musical genius like "Weird Al" Yankovic could make a medley of Red Hot Chili Peppers song parodies with lyrics based on Hanna-Barbera's prehistoric animated classic, The Flintstones, work so seamlessly.

“Chain Saw” - Ramones (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

In 1989, the Ramones released a song called "Pet Sematary," which was written specifically for Mary Lambert's adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Years earlier, another classic horror movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, inspired the punk giants' 1976 song, "Chain Saw," which calls out Tobe Hooper's nightmarish 1974 hit by name.

"The Twilight Zone” - Rush (The Twilight Zone)

Legendary drummer Neil Peart was a huge fan of Rod Serling’s seminal horror anthology TV show, The Twilight Zone, and actually wrote several Rush tracks inspired by various episodes. One song named directly after the show, which appears on Side B of 1976's 2112, references two classic episodes, “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" and "Stopover In a Quiet Town."

“The Union Forever” - The White Stripes (Citizen Kane)

Jack White was trying to learn a song that appears in 1941’s Citizen Kane called “It Can't Be Love.” Instead, he wound up writing an entirely original song for him and Meg White of The White Stripes about co-writer and director Orson Welles’ masterful debut feature called "The Union Forever." Included in the lyrics are references to the movie,

“Continental Farewell” - Hal Ketchum (Saturday Night Live)

Christopher Walken is one of those stars who has hosted SNL so many times that he has his own recurring characters, most notably "The Continental." The bumbling bachelor was popular enough to inspire a song by Hal Ketchum called "Continental Farewell," as the late singer-songwriter revealed to Songfacts.

“The Prisoner” - Iron Maiden (The Prisoner)

Much of Iron Maiden's music is known for its compelling narratives, such as in "The Prisoner." The third track off the metal band's hit 1982 album, The Number of the Beast, was inspired by an influential 1960s British sci-fi miniseries of the same name and even opens with audio clips from it.

"Motorpsycho Nitemare" - Bob Dylan (Psycho)

While largely better known for ballads sung in protest of sociopolitical oppression, it turns out Bob Dylan is a cinephile, too. His song "Motorpsycho Nitemare" from 1964's Another Side of Bob Dylan was inspired by the terrifying 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho, as evidenced by lyrics like, “She said, ‘Would you like to take a shower? / I’ll show you up to the door’ / I said, ‘Oh, no! no! / I've been through this before.’”

“House Of Glass” - Cage the Elephant (I Am A Killer)

The fifth studio album by Cage the Elephant, 2019's Social Cues, features an ominously titled track called "House of Glass," which is sung from the point of view of a soft-spoken murderer. According to Consequence of Sound, the song was envisioned while guitarist Brad Shultz and his brother, Matt, were watching the Netflix true crime docuseries, I Am a Killer, which interviews people on death row for homicide.

“Eyes Without A Face” - Billy Idol (Eyes Without A Face)

The 1983 Billy Idol song, "Eyes Without a Face" was inspired by the 1960 horror film of the same name about a surgeon obsessively trying to give his daughter a new face after she suffers a terrible accident. He even namedrops the original French title, Les yeux sans visage, in the lyrics

“Missing You” - Ingrid Michaelson (Stranger Things)

In 2019, Ingrid Michaelson released her eighth studio album, Stranger Songs, which consists entirely of tracks inspired by the hit Netflix original sci-fi TV show, Stranger Things. The lead single, "Missing You," specifically references the love triangle between Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).

“Why Didn't Rosemary?” - Deep Purple (Rosemary’s Baby)

According to Derek Lawrence, who produced Deep Purple's self-titled third album from 1969, the band went to see Rosemary's Baby and, soon after, wrote a song about it. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" asks questions about the Oscar-winning 1968 horror classic about a woman unwittingly carrying the spawn of Satan, such as, “Why didn’t Rosemary ever take the pill?”

“Man on the Edge” - Iron Maiden (Falling Down)

In an interview with Songfacts, Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley revealed that "Man on the Edge" from the band's 1995 album, The X Factor, is largely influenced by director Joel Schumacher's 1993 thriller, Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas as... well, a man on the edge.

“Gumby” - Aimee Mann (Hoarders)

"Gumby," from Aimee Mann's 2012 album, Charmer, actually has nothing to do with the eponymous claymation character. According to Joco Cruise, the singer-songwriter just thought it sounded like a great name for someone who would be profiled on the reality show Hoarders, which was the true inspiration for the song about a person refusing help that they clearly need.

With all due respect to some classic central TV show protagonists, there are times when it is a good idea to shift gears a bit and show things from another character’s perspective. This has actually become a relatively common practice as many modern small-screen favorites have given a scene-stealing supporting character (or even a never-before-seen character) the chance to almost completely steal the show for an episode. The following are some of the most revered examples.

“Lower Decks” - Star Trek: The Next Generation

According to TV Tropes, episodes that put supporting characters in the spotlight are referred to as “lower decks episodes.” The term is borrowed from the title of a classic episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation from Season 7 which focuses on a group of younger characters who are working their way up in the ranks at Starfleet.

“Five-O” - Better Call Saul

Sometimes a character becomes such a memorable scene-stealer that they earn their own equally great spin-off series, such as when Breaking Bad's Jimmy "Saul Goodman" McGill (Bob Odenkirk) became the star of the prequel, Better Call Saul. In just its first season, the AMC hit proved that Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) could have led his own series, too, in "Five-O," which peers into his origins as a former Philadelphia police officer.

“Dear Sigmund” - M.A.S.H.

One character from M.A.S.H. whom you could always rely on to give sage advice is Maj. Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus), who got to the be star in a Season 5 episode called "Dear Sigmund." The Alan Alda-directed episode sees the recurring character penning a letter to legendary psychiatrist Sigmund Freud while visiting the 4077.

“Life Of Brian” - My So-Called Life

A great '90s show that ended far too soon was My So-Called Life, which starred Claire Danes in the Golden Globe-winning main role of struggling teen Angela Chase. One of the few episodes not narrated by Angela is the revered "Life of Brian," which primarily focuses on the personal struggles of her friend, Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall).

“Musings Of A Cigarette Smoking Man” - The X Files

The first episode of The X Files in which David Duchovny's Fox Mulder does not appear at all and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is only seen briefly in archival footage from the pilot episode is "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man." The Season 4 episode sheds light on the past of the mysterious recurring role (William B. Davis), portraying him almost as a Forrest Gump-like figure for historical assassinations, such as JFK.

“The Zeppo” - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

In the Season 3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, "The Zeppo," the titular teen warrior (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is faced with a problem that is merely the B-plot. The main storyline focuses on Xander (Nicholas Brendon), who likens himself to Zeppo Marx, feeling like the gang's most expendable member, until he must singlehandedly take on a group of reanimated corpses conspiring to blow up his high school.

“His Story” - Scrubs

There are several episodes of Scrubs that pass narrative duties from J.D. (Zach Braff) onto another character. The first of the bunch was Season 2's "His Story," which follows Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) as he speaks with his therapist about issues he is experiencing in his personal life.

"How Your Mother Met Me" - How I Met Your Mother

After finally meeting Tracy "The Mother" McConnell (Cristin Milioti) in the Season 8 finale, watching her mingle with the rest of the gang, and catching glimpses of her relationship with Ted (Josh Radnor) throughout Season 9, we finally got to know her personally in How I Met Your Mother's 200th episode. Chronicling the series' entire timeline up to that point all from her perspective (during which she experiences heartbreaking tragedy, tough life decisions, and The Naked Man), "How Your Mother Met Me" is easily considered one of the best HIMYM episodes.

"Chapter 5: Return Of The Mandalorian" - The Book Of Boba Fett

After Tamuera Morrison took on the iconic role of Boba Fett on The Mandalorian Season 2, he became the star of his own seven-part spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett. However, the fifth chapter sees the limited series essentially become The Mandalorian Season 2.5 as it focuses entirely on Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, who ends up becoming the star of the show from that point on.

"Long, Long Time" - The Last Of Us

The most widely celebrated episode of HBO's series adaptation of the popular video game series, The Last of Us, spends the least amount of time with our central protagonists, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). The Emmy-winning "Long, Long Time" is also the first and last episode to feature the characters of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), tracing their loving relationship over several years after the cordyceps outbreak.

"Teddy Perkins" - Atlanta

Arguably, the best episode of Atlanta has very little to do with creator Donald Glover's Earn or Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) but does heavily feature Glover in a whole different kind of role. The main focus of Season 2's "Teddy Perkins" is Lakeith Stanfield's Darius, who is seeking to buy a piano from the episode's reclusive, eccentric title character (played by a nearly unrecognizable Glover under heavy makeup, who is discovered to be hiding a disturbing secret.

"Almost Got 'Im" - Batman: The Animated Series

Many DC fans agree that the best episode of Batman: The Animated Series is one that shifts the perspective from Kevin Conroy's Dark Knight to the five most notorious members of his rogues gallery. In "Almost Got 'Im," Poison Ivy, The Penguin, The Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc gather for a Poker game, during which they trade stories about the times they came closest to defeating the Caped Crusader.

"Wilson" - House

Considering how the titular diagnostician from House (played by Hugh Laurie) is inspired by Sherlock Holmes (whose stories are narrated by John Watson), it is funny that the medical drama is not told from the perspective of the "Watson" in his life. That would change in Season 6 with the airing of "Wilson," which follows Robert Sean Leonard's Dr. James Wilson racing to save the life of his friend, Tucker (Joshua Malina).

"The Ricklantis Mixup" - Rick And Morty

Technically, this classic Rick and Morty episode shows more of the titular duo than any other but because it is really told from the point of view of their many alternate selves, it deserves a spot. The misleadingly titled "The Ricklantis Mixup" is essentially a mini-anthology movie that takes place during a day at the Citadel of Ricks from various perspectives.

"Exposé" - Lost

Out of the many survivors of the plane crash, only a chosen few were recognized as main members of the Lost cast but one episode revealed the backstories of two lesser-seen survivors. "Exposé" begins with Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro) found dead before flashing back to the couple's lives before the island and their experiences on it.

"A Jury In Jail" - American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson

The eighth episode of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson still depicts a great deal of the legendary trial from the perspective of the accused former athlete (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) and the opposing legal teams. However, the focus does shift more heavily to the jury and their alternates as sequestration begins to have a challenging effect on them.

"Beard After Hours" - Ted Lasso

In Season 2 of one of the best Apple TV+ original TV shows, Ted Lasso, "Man City" sees Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) go off on his own after AFC Richmond suffers a tough loss. The following episode, "Beard After Hours," sees what the character went through after he walked away, which involves an epic, night-long journey of debauchery, self-discovery, and near-death experiences.

"Pine Barrens" - The Sopranos

Tony (James Gandolfini) and his souring affair with Gloria is the B-plot of the Season 3 Sopranos episode, "Pine Barrens." The central focus is Christopher (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie (Tony Sirico), who come close to freezing to death after getting lost in the woods after being tasked with running collections for the flu-ridden Silvio.

"Blink" - Doctor Who

One of the most acclaimed (and frightening) modern episodes of Doctor Who, "Blink," barely features David Tennant's eponymous time lord or his companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), due to them becoming stuck in the year 1969. Thus, it is up to a woman from the present day named Sally Sparrow (Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan) to prevent statue-esque creatures called Weeping Angels from taking control of the TARDIS.

"What Wood You Wear?" - Dave

While FX's Dave is a fictionalized look at the rise of Dave "'Lil Dicky" Burd (who also co-creates and stars as himself), the humorous hip-hop artist was sure not to hog the spotlight for the first season's entirety. In the seventh episode, "What Wood You Wear?," Dave's buddy Elz (Travis "Taco" Bennett) takes center stage as it follows him DJing at a silent disco and sparking a romantic connection with Emma (Christine Ko).

"Live Bait" - The Walking Dead

Season 3 of The Walking Dead ended with The Governor (David Morrissey) wiping out most of his crew and taking off with the last of his loyal henchpeople. The sixth episode of the fourth season, "Live Bait," fills us in on what he had been up to since then, showing evidence of redemption since Woodbury's destruction as he bonds with a small family but also evidence of a further descent into madness, which leads to his attack on the prison.

"A Quick One, While He's Away" - BoJack Horseman

In addition to any of the main characters from Netflix's animated acclaimed TV sitcom, BoJack Horseman, Will Arnett's eponymous washed-up celebrity does not show up, nor is he mentioned by name in Season 6's "A Quick One, While He's Away." However, the episode does focus on characters who have been heavily, and mostly negatively, affected by his actions, based on their implied references to him.

"Teacup" - Man Seeking Woman

Creator Simon Rich's absurd romantic fantasy satire, Man Seeking Woman, is told largely from a male perspective (specifically that of Jay Baruchel's Josh Greenberg) but flips the script with Season 1's "Teacup," which makes Josh's sister, Liz (future Severance cast member, Britt Lower), the star. Liz experiences common pains of modern dating in a ridiculously exaggerated manner, from becoming jealous of a group of married girls who are much younger (elementary school age, to be exact) to literally Frankensteining the perfect man for her, only to learn he is gay.

"Zuko Alone" - Avatar: The Last Airbender

One of the most interesting ways that a TV show can shake things up is by making its main antagonist the star of an episode, such as "Zuko Alone" from Nickelodeon's original Avatar: The Last Airbender series. The seventh chapter of "Book Two: Earth" sees the Firebender (voiced by Dante Basco) reminiscing about his childhood after he is exiled from his village.

"New York, I Love You" - Master Of None

In a Season 2 episode of Netflix's Master of None called "New York, I Love You," Dev (co-creator Aziz Ansari) and his friends only appear in the bookend scenes. Instead, the focus shifts primarily toward the intersecting lives of a group of never-before-seen working-class New Yorkers, including a doorman, a deaf cashier, and a taxi driver.

“Ballad Of The Lonesome Loser" - High Fidelity

Much like the classic music movie Nick Hornby's novel inspired in 2000, Hulu's series adaptation of High Fidelity follows the romantic challenges of record store owner Rob Gordon (Zoë Kravitz)... except for Episode 8. In "Ballad of the Lonesome Loser," Rob's gay friend and coworker Simon (David H. Holmes) gets the chance to break the fourth wall and discuss his romantic struggles.

“The Algae's Always Greener" - SpongeBob Squarepants

Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) has been the primary focus in a few episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants, the funniest and most amusing of which would have to be "The Algae's Always Greener." Fed up with always failing in his attempts to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula, the pint-sized Chum Bucket owner uses a special device that allows him to experience life from the perspective of his longtime rival, Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown).

"A View From The Gallery" - Babylon 5

Years after Star Trek: The Next Generation helped coin the "lower decks episode" term, Babylon 5 – a sci-fi series that earns many comparisons to the Star Trek franchise – released its own. "A View from the Gallery" is told largely from the perspective of the eponymous space station's custodial crew.

"Tarrare" - Atlanta

The Season 3 finale of Atlanta, "Tarrare," provided an eye-opening explanation for Vanessa's (Zazie Beetz) unusual behavior, showing that she has adopted a bizarre alternate personality, and a French accent while living in Paris. Donald Glover's Earn is the only other main character to appear in the episode but does not show up until the even weirder post-credit sequence.

"5 To 9" - House

After dedicating an entire episode to Robert Sean Leonard's Wilson, House gave Lisa Edelstein's Dr. Lisa Cuddy the same treatment. Season 6's "5 to 9" follows a day in the life of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Dean of Medicine and Chief Hospital Administrator.

"Symphony Of Illumination" - How I Met Your Mother

In the Season 7 episode, "Symphony of Illumination," How I Met Your Mother cast member Cobie Smulders' Robin Scherbatsky takes over as the narrator to tell her future son and daughter about her and Barney's (Neil Patrick Harris) pregnancy scare. However, she later discovers that she is actually unable to have children and the kids she was talking to only existed in her imagination.

“Relevance” - Person Of Interest

Season 2 of CBS' Person of Interest introduced a new character named Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) in an episode that made her the star of most of the action.

There is nothing that makes one’s heart melt quite like a person declaring their desire to spend the rest of their lives with another. This does not just go for real life but also for fictional marriage proposal on both the big and screen alike. The following are some of the most unique and romantic examples we have ever seen.

Maggie Proposes To Ike (Runaway Bride)

In one of Julia Roberts’ best romantic comedy movies, 1999’s Runaway Bride, her character, Maggie Carpenter, spends the entirety of the movie struggling with her ability to commit and her tendency to leave her grooms at the altar. That is until she meets columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) and shows how far she has come from the moment she fell for him by popping the question herself.

Patrick Proposes To David (Schitt's Creek)

Schitt's Creek is one of the most heartwarming and simply best sitcoms of all time and a key reason is the romance between David Rose (co-creator Dan Levy) and Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid). Their relationship hits its adorable peak when Patrick takes David to his favorite spot to make the "easiest decision" of his life and presents him with a set of four engagement rings to match the four rings he usually wears on his right hand.

Jamie Proposes To Aurelia (Love Actually)

Easily one of the more uplifting storylines from 2003's Love Actually is that of cuckolded writer Jamie (Colin Firth), who falls for Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) while spending the holiday at his French cottage. After they part ways, he learns her language (and almost gets all the words right) to ask her to marry him in front of a full crowd at the restaurant where she works.

Dexter Proposes To Rita (Dexter)

After his girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) becomes unexpectedly pregnant with their son, Dexter Morgan (Michael. C Hall) finds the courage (and the right words, which he borrows from another murderer) to make the ultimate commitment to her despite his commitment to slaughtering Miami's worst. Unfortunately, their marriage came to a tragic end in the fourth and, arguably, the best season of Dexter when, in one of TV's most shocking cliffhangers, he discovers his wife has been killed by The Trinity Killer.

Robbie Proposes To Julia (The Wedding Singer)

In just about Adam Sandler's best romantic-comedy movie, 1998's The Wedding Singer, Robbie (Sandler) ultimately stops Julia's (Drew Barrymore) impending nuptials to the wrong guy with an impromptu serenade on a plane with help from first-class passengers, including Billy Idol as himself, and the airline staff. He never says "Will you marry me?" but the next scene is their wedding so we can assume they were essentially engaged at this moment.

Schmidt Proposes To Cece (New Girl)

In the pilot episode of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) was forced to donate a $5 bill to the Douchebag Jar after proclaiming he would marry Cece (Hannah Simone) the day he met her. He would then present that exact bill to her when he finally popped the question after several frustrating seasons of back-and-forth dating and flirting.

Ian Proposes To Toula (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

The big question that leads to the eponymous main event from My Big Fat Greek Wedding is, actually, one of cinema's more simple marriage proposals, occurring spontaneously while Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) and Ian Miller (John Corbett) are lying together in bed. Still, it is a memorable scene from the 2002 hit and a memorable moment for the romantic-comedy movie genre in general for how well it depicts the couple's mutual passion.

Jim Proposes To Pam (The Office)

The two-part Season 5 premiere of The Office marks a pivotal moment in Jim and Pam's relationship timeline, as Pam (Jenna Fischer) has been taking art classes in New York. When Jim (John Krasinski) requests to meet her halfway (but actually "not halfway," based on Pam's math) at a gas station in the pouring rain, he surprises her with the question she (and viewers) have been waiting for.

Andrew Proposes To Margaret (The Proposal)

In 2009's The Proposal, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) initially blackmails her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), into marrying her so the Canadian-born editor can avoid deportation. However, after she catches genuine feelings and cancels their fake wedding, he realizes his true feelings and makes a genuine proposal to her.

Chandler Proposes To Monica (Friends)

One of the most famous tearjerker moments from Chandler and Monica's relationship timeline on Friends almost begins in disaster after a surprise run-in with Monica's (Courtney Cox) ex, Richard (Tom Selleck), on the night Chandler (Matthew Perry) planned to propose. This convinces him to feign disinterest in marriage to savor the surprise, but that only seems to make things worse until he turns out to be the surprised one, showing up at their apartment to find Monica surrounded by candles. When she tearfully can not finish her own attempt to pop the question, Chandler finishes the act.

Harry Proposes To Sally (When Harry Met Sally)

Harry's (Billy Crystal) climactic confession to Sally (Meg Ryan) at the end of 1989's When Harry Met Sally during a New Year's Eve party is not exactly a marriage proposal per se. However, it is an admission that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her (and wants the rest of his life to start "as soon as possible") and in one of the most beautifully constructed speeches in cinematic history.

Jake Proposes To Amy (Brooklyn Nine-NIne)

Arguably the best episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine sees the precinct participating in their fifth annual Halloween heist, which Det. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) believes she has won when she finds the championship belt in the evidence locker. However, her boyfriend, Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), advises her to take a better look at the inscription on the belt, which reads, "Amy Santiago, will you marry me?"

Landon Proposes To Jamie (A Walk to Remember)

A memorable Nicolas Sparks adaptation that predates The Notebook is 2002's A Walk to Remember, in which troubled teen Landon Carter (Shane West) unexpectedly falls for shy Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). After discovering that she has leukemia, he decides to propose to her under the night sky as a comet passes by so that he can marry her before she succumbs to her illness.

Niles Proposes To Daphne (Frasier)

On Frasier, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) attempts to plan the perfect marriage proposal to Daphne (Jane Leeves), complete with a string quartet, kid actors dressed as angels, and a dinner prepared by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. However, when Daphne arrives at the apartment with the flu, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) must help his brother covertly escort the performers out. It is then that Niles decides it is still the perfect time to pop the question.

Johnny Proposes To June (Walk The Line)

Director James Mangold's 2005 music biopic, Walk the Line, sees Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) make two attempts to propose to June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). After his first go at it on a tour bus has unfavorable results, The Man in Black tries again by interrupting a public musical duet and tells her that he cannot finish the song until he gets an answer. She tells him, yes.

Ben Proposes To Leslie (Parks And Recreation)

In the fifth season of Parks and Recreation, the future seems uncertain for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) because the latter might be forced to move to Florida for work. Instead, at the end of the episode, "Halloween Surprise," he unexpectedly shows up to propose to the politician, who interrupts him a couple of times to better remember how perfect everything in her life is at that moment.

Wade Proposes To Vanessa (Deadpool)

The way Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) pops the question to Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) is perfectly on brand for 2016's hilarious superhero movie, Deadpool. The future Merc with a Mouth's engagement ring of choice (which is revealed to have been hidden between his butt cheeks) is a Ring Pop.

Blaine Proposes To Kurt (Glee)

For the moment when Blaine (Darren Criss) popped the question to Kurt (Chris Colfer) on Glee, the show depicted the moment the only way it could have. Kurt's friends from McKinley help perfect the proposal by participating in a rendition of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."

Nick Proposes To Rachel (Crazy Rich Asians)

Admittedly, the scene from Crazy Rich Asians in which Nick Young (Henry Golding) asks Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) to marry him is a bit cliché-ridden, especially since it takes on an airplane. However, considering the ups and downs the couple had faced in director Jon M. Chu's hit 2018 adaptation of Kevin Kwan's novel, they deserved an old-fashioned storybook climax.

Mike Proposes To Rachel (Suits)

Before her marriage to Prince Harry captured the world's hearts, Meghan Markle, as Rachel Zane, shared a captivating onscreen romance with fellow Suits cast member Patrick J. Adams as Michael Ross. The lawyer first lists off all the reasons why he loves the paralegal-turned-attorney before presenting her with his grandmother's ring at the moment he asks for her hand in marriage.

Jim Proposes To Katherine (Hidden Figures)

The astonishing true story depicted in 2016's Hidden Figures is complemented by an astonishing marriage proposal by military officer Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) to mathematician Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson). He begins by cooking her and her family a special dinner before surprising her with a ring and an admission that he called his mother the day after he met Katherine to tell her that she was the one he would marry.

Barney Proposes To Robin (How I Met Your Mother)

The two-part Season 8 mid-season finale of How I Met Your Mother reveals that nearly everything we have seen Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) do that season has been part of an elaborate ruse from his famed Playbook. However, the ultimate goal of the play is not to get his off-and-on lover Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) into bed but to finally reignite their relationship and get her to make the ultimate commitment with him, which she tearfully accepts on the rooftop of the World Wide News building.

Edward Proposes To Sandra (Big Fish)

In director Tim Burton's 2003 fantasy Big Fish, Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) experiences love at first sight with Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman) and, despite her having a fiancée, proceeds to ask this woman he barely knows to marry him multiple times. She finally breaks off her current engagement after Edward picks thousands of daffodils, her favorite flowers, and gathers them in an unbelievable assortment outside her house.

Brian Proposes To Charlie (Shrinking)

In the acclaimed Apple TV+ series, Shrinking, Brian (Michael Urie) creates an elaborate plan to ask his longtime boyfriend, Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), to marry him, which includes singing a song with help on piano from Jimmy (Jason Segel), who ruins it by drunkenly regurgitating. A frustrated Brian then admits his intentions to Charlie, who, before Brian can even compose himself to officially ask the question, readily accepts.

Mr. Darcy Proposes To Elizabeth (Pride And Prejudice)

Director Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice features one of the most romantic movie quotes of all time. Despite his once rivalrous relationship with Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden) tells her, "You have bewitched me body and soul," during one of the multiple times he asks for her hand in marriage.

Ben Proposes To Miranda (Grey's Anatomy)

One of the most romantic moments from Grey's Anatomy begins in the middle of an operation when Ben Warren (Jason Winston George) expresses his disappointment that he and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) were unable to work on the daily crossword. In the OR, Miranda pettily begins completing the puzzle herself and comes to discover that the answer to the clue, “My question to you,” is, "Will you marry me?" and that the entire crossword was crafted by Ben.

Ronny Proposes To Loretta (Moonstruck)

In 1987's Moonstruck, Loretta Castorini (Cher) becomes engaged to Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) but unexpectedly falls into an affair with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage). Everything works out, however, when Johnny calls off the engagement for his mother's sake and, seconds later, Ronny borrows the ring to ask for Loretta's hand in marriage.

Glenn Proposes To Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Taking place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun with reanimated corpses, The Walking Dead is not quite what one would call a romantic show but does give audiences a romance to root for between Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Green (Lauren Cohan). The former pizza deliverer would make his relationship with her official by presenting her with a ring he pulled off a walker's finger.

Andrew Proposes To Melanie (Sweet Home Alabama)

Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey) is, ultimately, not the man we are supposed to root for Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) to end up with in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama. However, the way he pops the question by walking her into a room full of various engagement rings for her to choose from is a dream scenario.

Toby Proposes To Kate (This Is Us)

Toby Damon (Chris Sullivan) pays a good amount of money to make his unique way of proposing to Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz) a reality on This is Us. He unzips multiple hoodies that each read a different section of the phrase, "Will you marry me?"

Jeremy Proposes to Kristen (Think Like A Man)

In Think Like a Man, commitmentphobe Jeremy Kern (Jerry Ferrara) is so overwhelmed with emotion when popping the question to Kristen (Gabrielle Union) that he accidentally says, "I want to be your wife, and I want to be your husband," before quickly correcting himself. It is easily one of the sweetest moments from the 2012 adaptation of Steve Harvey's self-help book.

Ross Proposes To Emily (Friends)

While Ross Gellar's (David Schwimmer) marriage to Emily (Helen Baxendale) proved to be ill-fated, his spur-of-the-moment decision to ask her to marry him right before she is supposed to leave for London is still one of the sweetest moments from Friends.

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.

Sometimes, there are moments on television that truly break the internet – whether in a good way or a bad way. Sometimes, there are moments from the past (before the time of social media) when a moment so big in a television show spreads by word of mouth. But no matter how you hear about it, it rocks your world — here are the TV moments from huge television shows that fit the bill of that.

Oh, and also, spoiler alert for SO many TV shows down below.

The Red Wedding (Game Of Thrones)

If you want to talk about the most shocking Game of Thrones moments, I'm pretty sure The Red Wedding is high on that list. It was everywhere when it happened, and I'm sure that by the end of the series, people still agreed that the Season 3 moment is genuinely what tops the list of most in the show.

Max Somehow Surviving Vecna Through Music And Friends (Stranger Things)

You could not escape "Running Up That Hill" in the summer of 2022. What a time to be alive. No matter where you went on social media, it was always about Max running out Vecna in his strange alternate dark world, trying to look towards the light of her friends. Ugh, I get chills every time I think about it.

Cassie And Maddy's Fight (Really That Whole Play) (Euphoria)

Okay, so in comparison to many other spots on this list, this moment is hilarious in the way it rocked the world. Euphoria Season 2 had a lot of moments that worked well and others that didn't, but there was no other big one than Cassie and Maddy fighting each other on stage during that play – heck, Lexi's play in itself inspired so many memes and parodies online. It was indeed a time.

Wednesday's Dance (Wednesday)

Wednesday is one of the best shows on Netflix to binge-watch. Still, I can almost guarantee that most of you remember her dance in one of the episodes – one that wasn't even themed to "Bloody Mary" by Lady Gaga but exploded everywhere on the internet. And now, we can't get enough of it.

Hershel's Death (The Walking Dead)

There are so many heartbreaking deaths in The Walking Dead, but I'm pretty sure Hershel's death is high up there. I mean, I think we had a feeling it was all coming — The Walking Dead was known at the time to take characters out as if they were nothing every few episodes. But man, it still hurt, and we talked about it for ages to come.

When Joe Kills His Love (You)

There are so many crazy moments in You that I could talk about, but one that genuinely had the internet in a chokehold for a while was when Joe killed Love. Everyone loved Love (his wife) in the series because it felt like she was such a perfect counterpart to him. But I suppose he couldn't handle it – granted, she also tried to kill him, but crazy=crazy, right?

Poussey's Sudden Death (Orange Is The New Black)

The Orange is the New Black cast is filled to the brim with incredibly talented actors, but one that I wasn't expecting to leave the show was Samira Wiley, whose character, Poussey, was killed off in a prison riot in the show's Season 4 finale. It was a heartbreaking moment that was so sudden—and it came at a time when the world was really at a political divide, so it was double the heartbreak.

Villanelle Breaks Into Eve's House For The First Time (Killing Eve)

This show is really filled to the brim with intense moments, but the first time that Villanelle breaks into Eve’s house in Killing Eve is a major one that was huge. Nothing major happens during this scene, but the tension is enough to cut with a knife, and it makes for excellent television for this cat-mouse game.

The Opening Scene Of The Boys (The Boys)

I mean, duh. I love The Boys just as much as the next person – it's one of the best Amazon Prime shows for a reason. But there is literally no bigger moment in this series that makes the internet talk than the very first scene when we literally see someone explode from the inside out because of a literal fast-human running through them. Disgusting.

When We Find Out Who Nell Has Always Been (The Haunting Of Hill House)

I could talk about Mike Flanagan's horror shows for hours on end, but my favorite will always be The Haunting of Hill House, just because it's a beautiful story. However, the moment that everyone was in a chokehold was no doubt when Nell, the youngest daughter, found out that the person who had been haunting her for her entire life was actually just herself in the future – the bent-neck lady. What chills.

Walt Watches Hank Die In The Desert (Breaking Bad)

Breaking Bad is one of the best TV shows of the 21st century thus far, and there are plenty of moments I could point to. Walt, watching Hank die in the desert in one of the last episodes of the series, will always sit up there, and the internet would not stop talking about this. The episode itself, "Ozymandias," is considered one of the best TV episodes of all time.

When Fonzie Jumped The Shark (Happy Days)

I had to put this here somehow. The moment is so big that an entire catchphrase was made around it. When the Fonz jumped the shark in Happy Days, it coined the response, "Oh, that show jumped the shark," meaning the show ran out of so many ideas that it came up with a ridiculous one to keep it going. Hilarious.

Glenn's Death (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I have to put Glenn on here. We can't not talk about Glenn. The moment he was killed in The Walking Dead, many fans stopped watching the show. It was a momentous death that really shook the world and all who enjoyed the classic zombie series, and dare I say, TWD was never quite the same again.

Lexi Getting Shot (The 100)

While I do believe that The 100 is one of the best CW shows out there, I will never forgive it for killing Lexi, this kick-butt warrior commander of the Grounders and how, when she and Clarke finally got together, she was shot by a gun no less. Despicable – and the internet agreed.

Wanda Becoming The Scarlet Witch (WandaVision)

You know, sometimes I think about WandaVision, and it feels like a fever dream because everyone was so into this show. And, of course, when Wanda finally became the Scarlet Witch at the very end of the miniseries, and we see her fully embrace her power – oh yeah, we were into this and could not stop talking about it.

Discovering Who Hodor Really Is (Game Of Thrones)

For most of Game of Thrones, we always thought of Hodor as just this bumbling giant full of love who would always be there to protect Bran, but it turns out his backstory is much darker than we thought. And when we all found out the reason why he says "Hodor" – precisely because of Bran and everything else – it's just heartbreaking and something we always talk about.

Bill And Frank's Backstory (The Last Of Us)

As a huge fan of The Last of Us video games, I could not approve of them changing up Bill and Frank's love story more than what they did in the show. While we barely got a scratch of them in the game, we were given a romance that truly shook the internet and had people crying for hours afterward—myself included. I can still remember all the reaction videos.

When Ned Stark Loses His Head (Game Of Thrones)

Of course, I have to put Ned losing his head here. It wouldn't be a list of big TV moments without it. Let me tell you that it's very hard to surprise my father, who is a TV junkie, and when Ned's head was cut off, he legit did not believe it for a good few days until everyone began talking about it. It's just one of those moments that alters your brain chemistry.

Walt Watching Jane Die (Breaking Bad)

Oh, Breaking Bad. The show broke my heart over and over again, no matter what the time of my life was like. While Jane wasn't necessarily good for Jesse (and neither was he to her, really), watching Jane overdose and then seeing Walt do absolutely nothing as he stands there and watches still hits me even now, knowing what happens. And most people out there feel the same way.

Kang Sae-byeok Dies (Squid Game)

It felt like everyone and their mother was watching Squid Game when it was released, and let me tell you, there were edits everywhere on Sae-byeok. I could not escape this woman. But, the moment everyone talked about was when she actually ended up dying towards the end, despite being one of the final three – by a stab wound, nonetheless. It still makes me sad thinking about it, as it did the rest of the world.

Klaus Kills Jenna (The Vampire Diaries)

For a time, it felt like The Vampire Diaries was legit everywhere, no matter where I turned. But one of the moments that everyone talked about was when Klaus killed Jenna in order to break a hybrid curse that made his werewolf side dormant. Everything about it was well done and definitely made the internet talk.

Buffy's Mother Suddenly Dying (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Before the internet was as huge as it is now, people still found a way to talk about plenty of crazy moments, and one was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Buffy's mother dies. It's so sudden and makes you blink in shock before you realize what the heck is going on – and it was all anyone could talk about with this series.

Finding Out Walt Poisoned Brock (Breaking Bad)

There are plenty of instances in Breaking Bad where you find out that Walt is actually a terrible human being. One is when we see that he did indeed poison Brock to get Jesse in line—mainly because of the Lily-of-the-Valley plant that he has in his backyard. This is truly despicable and something we all talked about.

Jon Snow's Death (Game Of Thrones)

This moment had people theorizing for months about whether Jon was truly alive or dead. How could he just be dead? Like legit, everyone and their mother could not stop talking about him and whether he was gone or not. Thankfully, it was resolved not that long after, but man, it was a time to be alive on the internet.

Sybil Passing After Her Daughter's Birth (Downton Abbey)

I mean, it's sad whenever anyone passes away from childbirth, as it's a real-life thing that can happen to anyone. But I think what made this moment such a big one online is that it was just so heartbreaking. Watching someone as life leaves their eyes and knowing there is nothing you can do about it – it breaks your heart.

Ted's First Major Panic Attack (Ted Lasso)

As one of the best TV shows on Apple TV+, there is a lot to love about Ted Lasso and its titular character, Ted. But I think we all started to love him even more when we found out that Ted actually suffers from panic attacks – and we see that first real one at a club. And, out of nowhere, Rebecca comes to comfort him. Fans everywhere could not get enough – and it made this show that much better.

Walt's Death (Breaking Bad)

I mean, we all had a feeling that Walt was going to die at the end of Breaking Bad – he had a death sentence with his cancer regardless at that point – but actually seeing him die and fall to the ground in the Breaking Bad finale was all over the internet, and everyone talked about it for hours and theorized if he actually did die – which, newsflash, he did.

Jinx And Ekko's Fight (Arcane)

There are some tremendous adult-animated shows on Netflix, and one I love to point to is Arcane. There are plenty of rocking TV moments on there I could point to, but man, Jinx and Ekko's fight takes the cake. The amount of edits, moments, and videos I've seen of this fight, in particular from Season 1 on that bridge, has seriously messed me up—but in a good way. Don't ever stop talking about it.

Rhaegal's Death (Game Of Thrones)

Look, I knew that when Daenerys lost Viserion, it was only going to be the beginning of death for these dragons, but it still shocked the heck out of me – and millions of other people – when we saw Rhaegal suddenly get speared out of the sky and fall to his death. Like, my GOD – give a girl a warning next time!

The Rumbling (Attack On Titan)

I quite literally can't think of another modern-day anime that has made as much of an impact as Attack on Titan. While I could point out so many moments from that series, the moment Eren begins the Rumbling sits with me, as well as many others. It was the moment everyone knew what was going to happen and the pain we were going to experience. It still gets to me even now.

Rue Fighting Her Mother And Sister (Euphoria)

Zendaya is a great actress, and honestly, watching her in this scene in Season 2 of Euphoria is just proof of that. She had everyone talking about the moment she had a breakdown against her mother and sister and fought against them to find her drugs. It was powerful and emotional and had you on the edge of your seat.

Rick Is Taken (The Walking Dead)

While The Walking Dead wasn't at the heights it once was at this point, everyone was talking about when Rick left the show in Season 9 of The Walking Dead – or, instead, Andrew Lincoln left the series in a blaze of glory before we see that Rick was taken up in one of those mysterious helicopters. I mean, it still led to his TV series in The Walking Dead universe years later, but still, a moment we all talked about nonetheless.

What moments are you always going to remember as instances that rocked your world? All I know is that I'm just waiting for the next significant moment – and for the emotional trauma that is bound to follow.

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?

Is there a single TV show that, for the entirety of its run, managed to keep its story going without any retcons? For one reason or another, it is common to see a popular series amend or completely disregard a pre-established story or character detail, often leading fans to wonder if they are losing their minds. Don't worry: you're not crazy but merely a victim of some confusing or even just annoying TV retcons like the following.

Cory And Topanga's Origins (Boy Meets World)

The romance between Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) could have been the perfect sitcom love story if the classic TGIF comedy could keep the details of their relationship straight. When Fishel first joined the Boy Meets World cast, she was initially introduced as the weird student in Cory's elementary school class but, when she is later reinvented as his love interest, the show tries to play them off as sweethearts since childhood.

Dan Is Alive (Roseanne)

Not only is Season 9 of Roseanne, in which the Conners' lives change when they win the lottery, revealed to be a fantasy in the series finale but we also learn that Dan (John Goodman) was dead the entire time, having suffered a heart attack. This controversial plot twist was ignored in 2018 when the sitcom was revived for a tenth season before it was rebranded as The Conners.

The Fate Of Frasier's Father (Cheers/Frasier)

On one episode of Cheers, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) tells his friends at the bar that his late father was a research scientist. However, in Frasier's self-titled and equally beloved TV show spin-off, we see Martin Crane (John Mahoney) is alive and well and a retired cop. In an episode where Ted Danson appears as Sam Malone, the show tries to explain that Frasier's dad was "dead to him" at the time after a bitter argument.

Sara Was Not Dead After All (Prison Break)

In the third season of Prison Break, Michael (Wentworth Miller) learns that Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) was kidnapped and beheaded, only to see her come back in Season 4, which reveals it was never actually her head. In reality, the reason for the character's demise was due to a dispute involving Callies' contract but, when she was able to work out a deal to return to the series, her earlier death was rewritten as a head fake.

Jimmy Olsen Was Not Who We Thought He Was (Smallville)

In its sixth season, the acclaimed DC TV show Smallville introduced the iconic character of photographer Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore), only to kill him off three years later. It is at his funeral that we learn that his real name is Henry James Olsen and that the real Jimmy Olsen was his never-before-seen little brother the whole time.

Kramer Was Originally Named Kessler (Seinfeld)

In the pilot episode of Seinfeld, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) calls his next-door neighbor by the name Kessler but, from the next episode on, Michael Richards' character is referred to as Kramer, after Larry David's real-life friend on whom the role is based. The series tries to explain this in Season 9's "The Betrayal" with a flashback to the characters' first meeting when Kramer tells Jerry that the name on his buzzer is incorrect.

Bobby's Death Was All A Dream (Dallas)

When Patrick Duffy decided to quit the CBS primetime soap opera, Dallas, his character, Bobby Ewing, was written off the show in Season 8 when he was run over by his sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth (Morgan Brittany), and was buried after succumbing to his injuries in the Season 9 premiere. However, after the writers urged the actor to come back to the cast, the Season 10 opener revealed everything that happened in the previous season was imagined by his wife, Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal), in her sleep.

Gossip Girl's True Identity Does Not Make Sense (Gossip Girl)

As revealed in the series finale of Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was the mysterious blogger the entire time but, if that's true, why does he act surprised by several posts about him, his friends, and his relatives in earlier episodes? Furthermore, Gossip Girl publicizes the fact that Dan and his girlfriend, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), share a half-sibling, which he adamantly wants kept secret. So, why on Earth would he make that public, even anonymously?

What Ever Happened To Judy Winslow (Family Matters)

YouTuber Vee Infuso debunked an urban legend believing that the youngest Winslow child, Judy, once walked up the stairs in a Season 4 episode never to be seen again. While Jaimee Foxworth's actual final appearance in the Family Matter cast came later that season in "Mama's Wedding," her subsequent absence (due to the writers having nothing interesting to come up with for her) was never explained nor acknowledged for the remainder of the series.

The First Time Chandler Said "I Love You" To Monica (Friends)

In one of the most ridiculous Friends episodes, "The One Where Everyone Finds Out," Chandler (Matthew Perry) is coerced by Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) feigned seduction into admitting that he is in love with Monica (Courteney Cox) to everyone's surprise, including her own. However, the otherwise touching moment seems to forget about an earlier Friends Thanksgiving episode, "The One With All The Thanksgivings," in which Chandler lets his feelings for Monica slip when she surprises him with a turkey on her head.

A Time Lord's Maximum Number Of Regenerations Changes (Doctor Who)

Early on in the long-running, classic sci-fi TV show's history, it is established that the title character of Doctor Who, like all Time Lords, can only regenerate a total of 13 times. However, that rule has since been negated as the 13th Doctor actor, Jodie Whitaker, was later replaced by Ncuti Gatwa.

The History Of Superheroes Dates Back Longer Than We Thought (Arrowverse)

After adopting his vigilante alter ego at the beginning of the hit series, Arrow, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is said to have become the first superhero. Yet, later down the road as the Arrowverse franchise would continue to evolve with its multiple spin-offs, it was discovered that superhero teams have existed as early as World War II.

Kimmy Gibbler's Sibling Count (Full House/Fuller House)

When Kimmy Gibbler is first mentioned in the 1987 pilot for Full House, D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) says she has three sisters but the character (played by Andrea Barber) says in Season 3 that her parents stopped having kids after her. This could imply she is merely the youngest in her family but she was also known to mention having an unseen older brother named Garth. Furthermore, in Netflix's revival, Fuller House, we are introduced to her younger brother, Jimmy (Adam Hagenbuch).

Dean Loses His Urban Philosophy (Gilmore Girls)

When Jared Padalecki first joined the Gilmore Girls cast as Dean, the character was introduced as a Chicago native who had moved to Stars Hollow fairly recently and loves obscure books and movies. However, when New York transplant and obscure book and movie lover Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) is brought into the mix, Dean is suddenly reinvented as a more rural individual who has lost his cultural interests and thinks of Stars Hollow as his true home after living "most of his life" there.

The Disappearance Of Donna's Sister (That '70s Show)

We are willing to bet that, even if you considered yourself a huge That '70s Show fan, you had absolutely no recollection that Donna (Laura Prepon) had a sister. Tina Pinciotti (Amanda Fuller) makes one appearance in Season 1 and is subsequently mentioned only once more in a throwaway joke from Season 2's "Vanstock" but, from that point on, Donna is referred to as an only child.

Daenerys Goes Bad (Game Of Thrones)

Here is an example of something that is not so much a retcon but a deeply confusing and quite maddening TV character evolution that suddenly comes out of nowhere. One of the most heavily criticized aspects of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones sees the normally level-headed and fair Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) become a coldhearted tyrant who commits unimaginably brutal crimes without a second's hesitation.

Are Jason And Cheryl Really Twins? (Riverdale)

There are a number of notable inconsistencies regarding the characters in the Riverdale cast, but one of the more glaring involves Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and her brother, Jason (Trevor Stines). While initially established as fraternal twins, later episodes of the Archie Comics-inspired dramedy imply that they are in two different grade levels at school.

Who Made Spike A Vampire? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

A lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans like to count the sudden appearance of Buffy's never-before-seen younger sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) as a retcon. However, the sentient form of power's inclusion is explained by fake memories implanted into the characters' minds after she is sent to Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to protect, so we are not counting that. Instead, we will mention how Spike (James Marsters) refers to Angel (David Boreanaz) as the vampire who turned him until it is later revealed that Drusilla is his true sire.

Why Sheldon Knocks Multiple Times (The Big Bang Theory)

One of the most iconic running gags on The Big Bang Theory is Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) compulsion to knock on people's doors three times, which was only first introduced in Season 2. However, in Season 10, he explains that he formed the habit after accidentally walking in on his father having an affair and wants to give people enough time to "get their pants on" with his courteous and incessant signal.

When Claire Gets Her Powers (Heroes)

In the first season of Heroes, it is established that Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) developed her rapid healing ability later in life when she hit puberty. However, in a later episode when she meets her birth mother, it is revealed that she was indestructible even when she was an infant.

The Rules Of Being A Vessel Are Inconsistent (Supernatural)

At one point in the 15-season run of Supernatural, it is established that being a vessel for a spiritual entity will result in the host's death once the entity no longer requires their physical form. However, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles), and even the Lucifer-possessed President Jefferson Rooney (David Chisum) end up just fine after their time as a vessel ends.

Tina Admits She Was Faking Her Stutter (Glee)

When Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is first introduced in the first season of Glee, she speaks with a stutter that suddenly disappears after she joins the glee club. She eventually reveals she faked it hoping that it would make Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale) like her more.

Randy Suddenly Gains An Uncle (Monk)

Even a detective show as clever as Monk has been known to make a few logical errors from time to time. For instance, Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) says at one point that he has two aunts but no uncles but, in the Season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm," he inherits land from a recently deceased family member... his uncle, Harvey (Jack Kehler).

President Barlett's Death Tax Repeal Veto Is A Surprise (The West Wing)

In Season 2 of creator Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, it is mentioned by political commentator Mark Gottfried (Ted McGinley) that President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen) vetoed a Republican-backed education package. However, in the following season when he vetoes a repeal of the "death tax," it causes an uproar as people claim he had never used the veto before.

Barney Suddenly Knows How To Drive (How I Met Your Mother)

In Season 2 of How I Met Your Mother, we discover that Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) not only does not know how to drive a car but is absolutely terrified to get behind the wheel. Yet, two seasons later, in one of the best HIMYM episodes, "As Fast as She Can," he makes multiple attempts to get a speeding ticket to prove he can talk his way out of one and is also seen driving plenty of times afterward. Perhaps he could have worked up the courage to finally learn how to drive by then but there is absolutely no mention of it, making his sudden acquirement of this skill a bit sudden.

Fans Still Missed Moriarty (Sherlock)

At the end of Sherlock's third season, a message from the detective's archnemesis, Moriarty (Andrew Scott) suggested the criminal mastermind would play a pivotal role in the following season. Unfortunately, fans would discover that he had no involvement in Season 4, which is less of a retcon and more of an infuriating cop-out.

Walker Blood Is Not A Source Of Infection (The Walking Dead)

Early seasons of The Walking Dead established that getting blood from one of the undead in your eyes or mouth or in a wound would prove fatal, yet later seasons ignore this rule almost completely. This retcon goes further than just the TV series as it is an acknowledged and important detail in the Robert Kirkman-penned comic book series that inspired the AMC hit.

Al Dreamt Peg's Pregnancy (Married…. With Children)

By the end of Married… with Children's first season, half of which saw Peg (Katey Sagal) pregnant, it is revealed to have been all Al's (Ed O'Neill) dream but there is actually a dark truth to this retcon. As the actor explains in her memoir, Grace Notes, Sagal's real-life pregnancy at this time was written into the show but when she suffered a miscarriage, it was decided that the show would not bring another child into the cast.

SpongeBob Knew Sandy As A Child (SpongeBob SquarePants/Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years)

In the second-ever episode of SpongeBob Squarepants, "Tea at the Treedome," we see the title character (voiced by Tom Kenny) meet Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence) for the very first time. However, the prequel spin-off, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, suggests that the sea sponge and the squirrel knew each other when they stayed at the eponymous camp as children.

Peggy's Mom Keeps Changing (King Of The Hill)

The first time King of the Hill introduces Peggy's mother, she is depicted as a suburban homemaker but is later reinvented almost completely as the wife of a bitter old rancher. That is not even counting the fact that, in an episode when Bobby's secret admirer turns out to be his grandmother playing a trick, the elderly woman in question is neither Hank's nor Peggy's mother.

Andy's Father's Name Changes (The Office)

In NBC's The Office, after proposing to Angela (Angela Kinsey), Andy (Ed Helms) refers to his mother and father as Andrew and Ellen Bernard, implying that he is Andy Bernard Jr. However, when we meet his parents in "The Garden Party," the father is identified as Walter Bernard Sr. (Stephen Collins) and Andy explains that he used to be named Walter Jr. before his younger brother (played by Josh Groban) was deemed more worthy of the moniker.

The Rules For Transferring Powers (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)

In Season 2 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, when Jason (Austin St. John), Trini (Thuy Trang), and Zack (Walter Emanuel Jones) are forced to leave, the team needs to acquire a special sword to transfer their powers to Rocky (Steve Cardenas), Aisha (Karan Ashley), and Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch). However, in the following season, when Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) needed to give her powers to Kat (Catherine Sutherland), she just handed over her power coin.

Alright, we always end up loving the side characters. While they may technically be part of the main cast of movies and TV shows, they are not the main characters that we are all supposed to follow. And yet, somehow, we always end up liking them more than the person we are supposed to pick the most – and here are just some of the classics that I need to bring up.

Frozone (The Incredibles)

When it comes to the best Pixar movies, The Incredibles tops the list, but you want to know who’s even better than the titular family? Their best friend, Frozone, another superhero with ice powers. Granted, he only has a little bit of screen time in comparison to most, but it’s thanks to his hilarious nature, and Samuel L. Jackson’s excellent voice-acting that makes him a fan-favorite.

NoHo Hank (Barry)

I think there are a lot of characters in the Barry cast that you could like way more than Barry himself, but the best example is NoHo Hank. I wrote a whole article about why NoHo Hank became one of my favorite TV characters ever since I watched Barry, and I still think he’s utterly hilarious.

Megan (Bridesmaids)

The Bridesmaids cast is filled to the brim with comedic talent, but let’s be honest – when we think of Bridesmaids, we think of Melissa McCarthy, and when we think of her, we think of Megan, the character that made her famous. She’s hilarious, and because of her role, she earned an Academy Award nomination.

Mike (Breaking Bad)

The Breaking Bad cast is filled to the brim with characters that are morally grey in every sense of the word, but Mike is one of those that you can’t help but love way more than Walter. He’s calm under pressure, has this stoic thing going on about him, and has appeared in both the mainline series and Better Call Saul.

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Do I even need to say it? Zuko is the most-loved character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko’s character arc is one of the best on television, and I have always been a Zuko lover because of it. Heck, I’ll rewatch the show specifically for him, not really for Aang anymore.

Amy (Pitch Perfect)

Amy, otherwise known as Fat Amy, felt like she was going to be a punching bag in the first Pitch Perfect film, but she ended up becoming one of the best parts. Rebel Wilson’s iconic performance, the hilarious singer showcased someone who was unashamedly herself and spoke her mind, and we loved her for that.

Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

There are so many side characters where, at first, they look like they are the epitome of “jerk” or could probably beat you up. Rosa is definitely the latter, but she secretly has the biggest heart of gold, and out of everyone on the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she’s the person I connected to the most on the show.

Rizzo (Grease)

Grease is overrated, and I stand by that even now because I personally can’t stand Danny or Sandy. But you know who I can? Rizzo. She has depth, emotion, and the voice to match. Sure, the actress does not look like she belongs in high school, but who really does in this film?

Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)

Obviously, I had to put Daryl Dixon on here. I’m pretty sure that he became the entire show once Rick left the series. He has his spinoff now called The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. There was a whole campaign that said “If Daryl Dies, We Riot.” Heck, the character wasn’t even part of the main cast in Season 1 until Norman Reedus turned him into the loveable redneck that we all know him as today.

Ian Malcolm (Jurassic Park)

Jurassic Park is a quintessential ‘90s film, but I’m going to be honest and say most of the characters in there, to me, are forgettable. You watch the movie for the fantastic dinosaurs and epic action. But you want to know who isn’t? Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum. But that’s not fair, because Jeff Goldblum makes every side character better than the main one.

Genie (Aladdin)

Arguably one of Robin Williams’ best movies, Aladdin is a great Disney princess flick, but every time I think of it, I think of the Genie. He’s hyper, hilarious, and a great friend to Aladdin, even when Aladdin treats him selfishly at one point. You can’t get enough of him.

Urkel (Family Matters)

There are certain iconic TV shows that you know about just from a particular character. Urkel is the definition of that with Family Matters. Sure, I loved the hilarious sitcom for years, but the first thing that comes to my mind whenever it pops up is Urkel’s famous catchphrase, “Did I do that?”

Emily (The Devil Wears Prada)

The Devil Wears Prada cast is filled to the absolute brim with stars, but when you watch it, it’s really Emily Blunt’s character, Emily, that steals the show and her absolute love of fashion and all things Miranda Priestly. It’s actually amazing to think back on this film because this is the movie that made Emily Blunt into a household name because of how amazing she was in this role.

Titus (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

I will always love Titus in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. There was just something about this fabulous man that I could not get enough of, and I wanted so much more from him. I will never forgive Netflix for canceling this show. Titus Burgess (the actor behind the character) portrayed him so well, and I just need to see more.

Brienne Of Tarth (Game Of Thrones)

The Game of Thrones cast is ridiculously huge, so it’s almost impossible to pick side-characters that outshone the core six – Daenerys, Jon, Sansa, Tyrion, Jaime, and Cersei, because those were the ones we cared about. But in terms of side characters that surrounded their stories, there’s no one better than Brienne of Tarth. She was strong, fought for what she believed in, and arguably had one of the best endings out of everyone on this show.

O’Ren Ishii (Kill Bill)

I am an avid lover of Kill Bill because I adore watching women kick butt. If we’re being honest, I always rewatch the fight between Black Mamba and O’Ren Ishii. She is just so awesome, and her fighting style gives me chills every single time.

Troy And Abed (Community)

The Community cast is excellent, but let’s be honest here - Jeff, as a main character, is pretty boring, but it’s all the side characters around him that make him great, and Troy and Abed are the definition of that. Their friendship is iconic, but it wasn’t the same when Donald Glover left the series.

Dwight Schrute (The Office)

There are plenty of side characters in The Office that could make this list, but I think the biggest one is Dwight Schrute. The weird office worker had a certain charm about him that everyone loved—and I think it’s really in part to Rainn Wilson’s great performance of him.

Fonzie (Happy Days)

He is the definition of a side-character-turned-fan-favorite. He was a side character until fans ended up loving him so much that the show turned him into a main character for Happy Days. Granted, they ended up doing too much, and it ruined his character – hence the phrase, ‘jumping the shark’ was born – but still. It’s a great example.

Lisa (Girl, Interrupted)

Girl, Interrupted is a very serious movie that is tough to watch, but there’s no denying the excellent performances. Winona Ryder is terrific as the main character, but let’s be truthful here – Angelina Jolie as Lisa stole the show and then some. There’s no beating her.

Sam (The Lord Of The Rings)

While Frodo is the main character in The Lord of the Rings, everyone talks about Sam. He’s a great friend to Fordo, but he’s also kind, loyal, and utterly wholesome in comparison to everything else in the movies.

Bronn (Game Of Thrones)

There are so many side characters in Game of Thrones, but the one I have to point out that I love so much is Bronn. I feel like we always forget he’s there, but when he’s on screen, he just steals every scene he’s in. He’s hilarious, doesn’t hold back what he wants to say, and is a great fighter. You can’t help but love him.

Yelena (Black Widow)

Okay, so maybe this is a slight stretch, but I think when Black Widow came out, so many people had already moved past Natasha dying in Avengers: Endgame that it was hard to connect with her in this new film. But you want to know who people are really connected with? Yelena, Natasha’s adoptive sister, ended up becoming a tremendous character, and people wish to be back in the MCU. It catapulted Florence Pugh’s career.

Schmidt (New Girl)

The New Girl cast has so many great characters, but I’m going to be honest and say that Schmidt is undoubtedly my favorite. Jess is great and all but I don’t find myself laughing uncontrollably when she’s on-screen – I’m rooting for my man Schmidt and how he somehow comes up with the most hilarious moments that make me snicker.

Dionne (Clueless)

Clueless is a great ‘90s film, but Cher is one of those characters that you either love or hate because of how she acts. However, the one person I think we can all agree with is fantastic: Dionne, played by the impeccable Stacey Dash. She’s a fashionista who sticks by Cher’s side, and you have to respect that.

Grogu (The Mandalorian)

Alright, so I do love Din Djarin, and I will legit support anything that man does, but it wasn’t his face plastered everywhere after the first season of The Mandalorian – it was Grogu, who was first known as Baby Yoda. And, I mean, he is pretty cute, so I can’t really complain.

Darius (Atlanta)

Atlanta is a series that toed the line between drama and comedy during its four-season run, but one of the best characters that fit in with both of those was Darius. Played by Lakeith Stanfield, Darius is calm, if not a little weird, but does it so well and with a smooth nature.

Steve (Stranger Things)

It would be an absolute travesty if I did not include Steve Harrington on this list. He’s Steve—you know, the babysitter of all these kids, and will legit do anything to protect him? His character growth is impeccable, and I will stand by him until the end of this show. Joe Keery plays him so well.

Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

There are so many side characters in anime in general that people love more than the main character, but my top pick has to go to Levi Ackerman in Attack on Titan. If you know, you know. But if you don’t, he’s literally coined Humanity’s Strongest Soldier and proves it several times throughout the course of the series, and yet, behind his stoic nature, he is a good (if not morally grey) man. And fans eat that stuff up -- including myself.

Lexa (The 100)

As someone who was a devout fan of The 100 for many years, I don’t think any other side character came along that changed the game quite like Lexa did. Not only was she badass, but she ended up becoming a love interest for the main character, which spawned an entire shipping war, which was a time to be alive. She was only in this show for a few seasons, but she made her impact.

April Ludgate (Parks And Recreation)

The Parks and Recreation cast is hilarious in so many ways, but of course, I have to point out April Ludgate, played by the hysterical Aubrey Plaza. There was just something about her deadpan responses and the way she reacted to everything that made her the best character on this show. I would watch a whole spinoff of her.

Negan (The Walking Dead)

While Negan is no doubt a very complex villain-turned-antihero by the end of The Walking Dead, there is no denying that people loved him. I swear, fans were rooting for him to win in that war during Seasons 7 and 8, and honestly, I think it’s because Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrayed him so well. And he continues to do so in The Walking Dead: Dead City. You can’t beat Negan.

There are so many great side characters out there that I might have missed, but these are certainly my favorites. Now, we have to have a little marathon to enjoy all of them in their splendor once again.

Alright…we have to talk about this.

I am the biggest The Walking Dead apologist. When I first began watching this show, I was really into zombies as a genre, and over time, this evolved into a loyalty to this Walking Dead universe that was pretty hard to beat.

But, I've rewatched The Walking Dead countless times, all eleven seasons, and all the spinoffs, and I have to say that my knowledge of this series has expanded tenfold—as has my perception of when this series really fell off a cliff, and how I feel about certain seasons.

Many have said that Glenn's death in the Season 7 premiere was the beginning of the end, but after my most recent rewatch, I personally think it was way sooner—or at least the very beginning of the end. Let's get into why.

Glenn’s Death Was Super Impactful, And I Recognize That

I'll preface this article by agreeing that Glenn's death was impactful, and no one is saying it's not. Like, seriously, I was destroyed.

I still remember when it happened. It was my second month in college. I was lying on a little twin bed in my dorm room with my tiny 30-inch TV, cuddled up in my boyfriend's arms, both of us absolutely sobbing our eyes out as Negan brought the bat down on Glenn's head. It was a TV moment that truly rocked the world and one that I will never, ever forget.

Glenn was one of my favorite characters—hell, he was everyone's favorite character. He had a great moral compass, a sense of humor, and was a badass to boot. His Walking Dead relationship with Maggie still has its impact long after he's gone. His death is probably the most heartbreaking Walking Dead death there is.

However, I still don't think that was when the series began to fall off. I recognize that there was a steep drop in viewers afterwards, but I think the seeds of doom were planted a few seasons ahead, and you might be surprised to see where I place them.

However, I Think The Second Half Of Season 4 Is Where Things Began To Tumble

Now, hear me out.

Again, as I said in the introduction, I'm a steadfast TWD apologist. Many of the earlier seasons are excellent television. The first three are near-perfect and tell complete storylines without overextending the plot.

I thought Seasons 4 and 5 were about the same. But my opinion has really changed now.

Season 4's first half is all right, if not a little slow. We're still reeling from the Governor's attack at the end of Season 3 and sort of waiting for him to attack again, all while the prison is dealing with a sickness. After the intense mid-season finale, we see our group split up into different storylines, meeting different people, all trying to get to one place—Terminus.

Now, don't get me wrong. There are some great episodes in the back half of Season 4. I think "The Grove" features an incredible performance from Melissa McBride and is an essential marker on Carol's timeline in the series. The episode that focuses on Beth and Daryl is also a good one.

Through every few good episodes, though, there are others that…feel like filler or a means to introduce a new character that might die in the next season or not be nearly as important as we expect them to be.

Even with the good episodes, most of them lead to nothing. There's some great character development and some good storylines, but many tend to fall flat as the series goes on…which brings me to Season 5.

The First Half Of Season 5 Is Really Where I Realized This Show Wasn’t The Same

Season 5 of TWD is where things really began to tumble.

The first episode, where Rick and the crew take down Terminus and Carol blows it up from a distance, is a great way to start the season, but then it sort of…fades. We lose Bob after one season because, of course we do – we can never have someone alive for too long in this show if they're not Daryl or Carol.

The cannibal storyline also ends very quickly, and I could see that lasting a long time in this world. The biggest offender, though? Spending the entire first half of Season 5 focusing on Beth and trying to find the survivor, only for her to be killed in the mid-season finale for shock value.

I get that this is The Walking Dead, but throughout most of the show to that point, none of the main characters really died for shock value. Most either had a reason why they were killed or died a hero – hell, even Merle died in a relatively heroic way. Beth died in the dumbest way possible after we spent so many episodes learning to love her and looking forward to what she would do next. Only for her to stab Dawn and get shot in the head and for all of that to go down the drain.

Heck, it didn't even matter in the end because the one person she literally got killed for – Noah – dies a few episodes later! What happened to storytelling? To things meaning something? That's my biggest issue here. And Season 5 was only the beginning of that.

Then Season 6 Came Along And I Knew It Wasn’t Going In A Good Direction

Do you know how people call Season 5 of Community the gas-leak season? I see TWD Season 6 as that. The season isn't horrendous – at least not as bad as Seasons 7 and 8 – but it's not great and so dull.

Season 6, upon rewatching, has only a few really good episodes—one of them being the Morgan-centric episode—but most of the show just doesn't hold a candle to previous episodes anymore. The beginning is just about trying to take out a bunch of walkers. We get a whole season teasing Negan, only for him not to show up until the finale. We see that there's more to the world, but most of the new characters, aside from Jesus and Aaron, are so forgettable.

It's just not that great, now that I think about it…and then the Season 7 premiere with Glenn's death came along and put the final nail in the coffin.

The Show Did Pick Itself Up Again, But Those Few Seasons Took Their Toll

I'll say that TWD picked itself back up. I personally really liked Seasons 9-11. They did some relatively good storytelling there. I've also enjoyed the spinoffs. As a Daryl Dixon-girl, I've been caught up with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 (even if I didn't like a death in it, but that's alright).

I'm looking forward to Dead City Season 2 as part of the 2025 TV schedule. I was a massive fan of The Ones Who Lived.

But man…those few seasons took their toll on the flagship show.

TWD still has a relatively large enough fanbase for a cable TV show, enough that the spinoffs keep going, and people do tune in to watch them, such as myself. But long gone are the days of fans gathering on Twitter, YouTube, or the like to discuss the most significant thing that happened in this week's episode because it just didn't feel the same in the later seasons.

It's a shame, because I really do think this series could have gone down as one of the all-time greats. Like most shows like this, we got too much of a good thing, and it didn't last. At least now, I have a different perspective on it.

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.

This list is all about the most spectacular ways that some of favorite characters - the ones we love and the ones we love to hate - have been killed off on screen. Movies and TV have both produced some pretty incredible moments like this. So whether it's the hero or the villain, here are some of the most insane deaths ever seen in movies and on TV.

Marion Crane - Psycho

Almost more than any director in film history, Alfred Hitchcock wrote his own rules. One of the most interesting things he ever did was to kill off who was seemingly the main character in Psycho, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) in the first act of the movie. Of course, her murder in the shower has become one of the most iconic scenes in film history.

Radio Raheem - Do The Right Thing

The tension in Do The Right Thing slowly simmers just under the surface until it boils over when Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) burst into Sal's Pizzeria and demand changes. After Sal smashes Raheem's boombox, the cops arrive and in the struggle, Raheem is choked out by the police, leading to the destruction of Sal's. It's amazing that the movie is more than 35 years old and we're still talking about the same issues.

Robb Stark - Game Of Thrones

Is there any death on this list more dramatic and shocking than Robb Stark's on Game of Thrones? The Red Wedding is a legendary TV moment, among the best ever broadcasted. It shocked anyone who had not read the books and remains one of the most spectacular deaths, along with his wife, his unborn baby, and his mother, ever filmed.

John Coffey - The Green Mile

It's one of the most heartbreaking moments in film history when John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) meets his inevitable end in The Green Mile. Still, he goes out spectacularly with sparks flying and tears flowing.

Charlie Pace - Lost

ABC's Lost had some pretty memorable deaths, but none more so than Charlie Pace's last moments as he warned about the incoming boat and sacrificed himself in one of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history.

Hans Gruber - Die Hard

It's hard to believe that Hans Gruber in Die Hard was Alan Rickman's first movie role. His death, as he falls from Nakatomi Tower, looking up at the camera as he goes, is iconic. It's become one of the most meme'd scenes in movie history and is easily one of the most spectacular deaths in film history.

Gus Fring - Breaking Bad

For years, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was one of the most despised characters on TV. His death was worthy of such an amazing villain as he is not only blown up but survives long enough to walk out of the room where it happened and button his jacket before collapsing to the floor.

Thelma And Louise - Thelma And Louise

When Thelma And Louise was first released, the ending completely shocked people. No one expected the movie's heroes to go out like they did, by driving their car off the cliff. Still, it was on their own terms and they did it together, making it all that much more spectacular.

Adriana La Cerva - The Sopranos

There were quite a few deaths over the seasons in The Sopranos, but the episode when Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) is rubbed out is maybe the most incredible. The tension in the episode is impressive even by The Sopranos standards as no one wanted to see Adriana go, even though everyone knew why it was happening.

The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard Of Oz

"I'm melting" is one of the most iconic lines in Hollywood history as the Wicked Witch of the West is dying in The Wizard of Oz. There really isn't much more that needs to be said about this spectacular death.

Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator

For years, Maximus (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator obsessed over avenging his family's death and taking down Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Despite Commodus playing dirty in their final showdown, Maximus finally prevails, killing Commodus before he collapses and dies.

Tony Stark - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd movie in MCU history and so it was only appropriate that Tony Stark - the character that started it all - would be the one to finally take Thanos out by snapping his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet on. It led to his spectacular death, of course, but it was worth it.

Col. Kurtz - Apocalypse Now

After building for two hours, the climactic death of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) at the end of Apocalypse Now is one of the most dramatic and violent moments in film history. The scene, juxtaposed with the sacrifice of a cow, is terrifying and amazing.

Glenn - The Walking Dead

The death of Glenn (and Abraham) was one of the most controversial moments of The Walking Dead. That was partly due to the extreme violence that turned a lot of people off, but it was mostly because Glenn was such a beloved character. Still, it was a death that was totally unforgettable.

Kong - Dr. Strangelove

Peter Sellers may be the most celebrated member of the Dr. Strangelove cast (and for good reason), but Kong, played by Slim Pickens steals the show at the end with his death by riding a nuke down as it drops towards it's target.

Kenny McCormick - South Park

We couldn't make this list without including poor Kenny McCormick, the hapless member of the South Park crew. Kenny has been killed over 100 times over the show's incredible run and in some of the most ridiculous and fantastic ways, like getting crushed by a tree, getting hit by a volcanic boulder, and dozens of other ways.

Rosalind Shays - LA Law

Rosiland Shays' death by falling down an elevator on LA Law was one of the most shocking moments in television history. It came completely out of nowhere in a time in television when a death like that wasn't common at all. It actually changed TV storytelling.

Mark Greene - ER

Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) was one of the most beloved characters on ER and his death, while a different kind of spectacular than most of the others on this list. It wasn't a shocking moment, as it was a tragic slow death by cancer. It was still among the most heartbreaking moments ever.

Zoe Barnes - House Of Cards

For the first season of House Of Cards, Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) was one of the most important characters. The journalist was both investigating and getting a little too involved with Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Her surprising death shocked audiences as Frank threw her in front of a subway train. It came completely out of nowhere, and yet made total sense in the context of the show.

Roy Batty - Blade Runner

The death of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) at the end of Blade Runner has become one of the most legendary deaths of all time. It is not at all what anyone in the audience expected when the main villain of the movie turns into a hero at the very end, saving Deckard (Harrison Ford) before smiling as he dies. Time to die.

Alec Trevelyan - GoldenEye

You knew there was no way this list was going to be complete without including at least one death by a Sean Bean character, right? There have been so many spectacular deaths over the actor's incredible career, but for our money, you can't beat the death of his character Alec Trevelyan in the James Bond movie GoldenEye when Bond drops him to his death and he is crushed to make sure it's final.

Lane Pryce - Mad Men

Mad Men was unlike any other show on TV at the time and Lane Pryce's death by suicide is the perfect example of why. The character, played by Jared Harris was a fan favorite and while story-wise his death made perfect sense, it was still shocking.

William Wallace - Braveheart

Braveheart might be one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made, but William Wallace's death at the end is still pretty spectacular ( and not all that different from what really happened to the Scottish hero). We can't go into all the violent details here, but if you know, you know.

Nick Chevotarevich - The Deer Hunter

One of the most tragic characters in '70s cinema has to be Nick Chevotarevich, played by Christopher Walken. Even after the Vietnam War draws to a close and his best friend makes it back home after escaping a POW camp, Nick gets stuck in Saigon, playing dangerous games of Russian Roulette for months. When Mike (Robert De Niro) finds him, Nick is completely checked out, and that makes his horrible death all the more sad.

Quint - Jaws

Quint (Robert Shaw) is the grizzled fisherman who promises to catch "the fish" in Jaws, but in the end, it's the fish that catches him. As has often been pointed out, one of the most effective things about the classic movie is that the shark is rarely seen, so when Quint is eaten it's one of the scariest and most exciting moments of the movie.

Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom - Con Air

Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) in Con Air is one of the most over-the-top movie villains of the '90s, so of course he had to get killed in an over-the-top spectacular way. First, he is knocked out and handcuffed to a firetruck that crashes into a bridge, tossing Cyrus into some powerlines, and electrocuting him, but that's not all. He then falls into the path of a pile driver doing road work, which comes down on his head.

Private Pyle - Full Metal Jacket

Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) is, at the beginning of Full Metal Jacket a hopeless Marine recruit who can't do anything right. As the first act of the movie plays out, he gets more competent but also starts to lose his marbles. It all culminates in an incredibly tense scene when he shoots and kills his drill sergeant before turning the gun on himself.

Marissa Cooper - The O.C.

Say what you want about about The O.C., but the creative decision to kill off one of the main characters and star of the show, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) in Season 3 was a bold one. The way she died, in the arms of Ryan (Ben McKenzie) after a car wreck is just as dramatic as the decision to have the character die.

Jack Torrance - The Shining

That final image of a frozen Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining is one of the most enduring snapshots of a movie filled with incredible visual moments. A spectacular villain like Jack deserves a death as memorable as it is.

Sgt. Elias - Platoon

Platoon, as is said in the movie, is a battle for the soul of Chris (Charlie Sheen) between Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Barnes (Tom Berenger). Barnes wins the battle between himself and Elias when he shoots Elias towards the end, but Elias wins Chris' soul with his spectacular death as the helicopters lift away and Elias is left with arms outstretched as the Vietnamese soldiers gun him down for good.

Gennaro - Jurassic Park

We just had to include this one. Donald Gennaro isn't the main character of Jurassic Park, in fact, he's not even one of the main supporting characters. But him getting eaten by the T-Rex while hiding on the toilet is one of the silliest, and most insane deaths, of any movie, ever.

John Doe - Se7en

The ending of Se7en is one of the most talked about and debated, moments in film history. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) completely manipulates David Mills (Brad Pitt) into doing exactly what wants, completely the complete over-the-top murder spree ever seen on the big screen.

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.

In the coming months and years, we’ll find ourselves staring down the armies of the undead with all these upcoming zombie movies and TV shows on the way. In addition to all these upcoming horror movies with supernatural elements, iconic slashers, and creature features we have to look forward to in the near future, we will also be dealing with all kinds of ghouls and ghoulish situations on the 2025 movie schedule and 2025 TV schedule.

Come with us as we break down what could be the next additions to the list of great zombie apocalypse movies and TV shows, including a return of Danny Boyle’s horror franchise, a pair of projects from the Romero family, and the long-awaited adaptation of one of Marvel’s best comics of the 21st century.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2

There are quite a few The Walking Dead spinoffs out in the wild, including Dead City, which primarily focuses on Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), two of the most well-known franchise characters. The series, which premiered on AMC back in June 2023, will be coming back at some point in Spring 2025, as revealed by The Walking Dead YouTube in October 2024.

Judging by the footage we’ve seen so far, The Walking Dead: Dead City will once again be set in Manhattan, which has been cut off from the United States mainland. Expect to hear more, including an exact release date in the near future.

28 Years Later - June 20, 2025

Though there is a case to be made for Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later not being a proper zombie movie, the groundbreaking film more times than not gets lumped into the genre due to similarities between the Rage virus and traditional zombie bites, not to mention the film’s focus on a society brought to its breaking point by a plague. The long-awaited sequel, 28 Years Later, which will act like 2007’s 28 Weeks Later didn’t happen, will revive the franchise on June 20, 2025.

Though story details are being kept quiet, we know a lot about 28 Years Later at this point, including the cast made up of Cillian Murphy, Ralph Fiennes, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the creative team behind it (Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland are both returning), and that it will be the start of a new trilogy.

Marvel Zombies - October 2025

One of the most anticipated upcoming Marvel TV shows, Marvel Zombies is something comic book fans have wanted for a very long time. And at some point in October 2025, we’ll get just that. A few years after one of the most popular (and brutal) comic book runs of the 21st century was given an episode in the MCU’s What If…? animated series back in 2021, it’s getting a full series treatment featuring Marvel favorites like Captain Marvel, Shang-Chi, and so many others.

Though we don’t exactly when the four-episode limited series, which takes place in Marvel’s Phase 6, will drop next October, it will definitely be something we’ll be watching in the lead-up to Halloween.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3

No surprise here, but The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 is happening. Just after the Season 2 finale wrapped on AMC, the network shared a quick teaser announcing that we wouldn’t have to wait that long to see Norman Reedus’ iconic character. Though no exact date was revealed in the 36-second compilation of clips, it’s slated to premiere at some point in 2025.

Expect to hear more about the next set of adventures in the lives of Daryl and Carol (and some other beloved The Walking Dead characters) in the coming weeks and months.

We Bury The Dead - TBD

Daisy Ridley will be returning to the Star Wars franchise at some point in the future, but before she plays Rey once more, she’ll make a pit stop with We Bury the Dead. According to Variety, Ridley will lead Zak Hilditch’s upcoming survival thriller as a woman who joins a body retrieval unit in hopes of finding her husband following a military experiment, only to discover that some of the corpses are coming back from the dead.

There’s no word on when, or how, We Bury the Dead will be released here in the United States, but the latest film from the director behind 1922 and Rattlesnake, premiered in Australia in November 2024.

Queens Of The Dead - TBD

Tina Romero, the daughter of the late George A. Romero, is following in her legendary father’s footsteps with her long-in-the-works Queens of the Dead. According to Deadline, the upcoming horror comedy will follow a group of drag queens and club kids as they attempt to put aside their differences and survive the zombie apocalypse.

Though we don’t know when the movie will hit the big screen, Queens of the Dead will see Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Margaret Cho, and numerous others don some wild outfits and dispensing legions of the undead in various, and comedic ways.

Twilight Of The Dead - TBD

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Twilight of the Dead, an upcoming zombie movie based on a George A. Romero script left that was left unfinished at the time of his 2017 death. According to Deadline, the movie is being helmed by The Machinist director Brad Anderson and will take place on a tropical island and follow the last humans on Earth as they fight for survival on a planet now dominated by zombies.

And while we don’t know the Twilight of the Dead release date at this point in time, Resident Evil franchise star Milla Jovovich and Get Out actor Betty Gabriel are set to lead the cast.

More Tales From The Walking Dead Universe - TBD

In 2023, ComicBook.com reported that AMC was in the process of making yet another series set in its popular zombie universe. With the working title More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe, the show will reportedly be a six-part short-form scripted series set in a world destroyed by the undead. There hasn’t been any word on what the show will be about or if it will bring back Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes, but here’s to being optimistic.

We should know more about all of these upcoming zombie movies and TV shows as time marches on, but for now, check out our breakdown of the best horror movies of all time.

So, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon just concluded its second season as part of the 2024 TV schedule. And I have to say…I enjoyed it. Mostly. I mean, it's hard for me not to, you know?

As someone who was a fan of The Walking Dead for nearly its entire run and stayed through until the bitter end with all eleven Walking Dead seasons, I practically feel like these characters are family now. Sometimes you hate them, sometimes you love them, but you can't really get rid of them no matter how hard you try, assuming you're not a brainless chomper.

With even more upcoming Walking Dead shows on the way that'll keep expanding this universe, we'll no doubt be meeting plenty of other future victims as the months go by. But I will say that Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon had me feeling some way about one character's death—and I don't think I'm alone on this, so let's talk about it.

The Overall Season Was A Good Continuation

Again, with a series like this, it's tough to mess it up. Daryl was such an integral part of The Walking Dead that anything he touches within that universe is guaranteed to be successful and draw attention, which is what this show has done. So overall, I did enjoy the season.

I think it lost a little bit of its initial glamour of Daryl being suddenly across the world and trying to survive in a new land, but there was still a lot to love here. It really builds on that typical found-family trope, almost reminding me of HBO's The Last of Us in specific ways. They further expanded the world out there. The story, while coming across as a little rushed, was packed with action throughout every episode, which is really what you want from a show like this.

The biggest strength of this show is still the fact that Daryl is in Europe and giving viewers a look at how the apocalypse has effected the other side of the planet. We were always so focused on what was happening in Alexandria or the Commonwealth or whatever that we never really questioned what was in the far distance. Plus, this spinoff is paying off Dr. Jenner's comments in Season 1 of TWD, where he revealed the French were the last to be working on a vaccine.

Now, we get to really see the effects on Europe and what people have done to survive, and through the eyes of everyone's favorite character, no less. So I'd say that's still plenty ready to watch the show.

Bringing Carol Back To Deal With Her Traumas Was A Great Move

I've said it once, and I'll repeat it: Carol's aura is unmatched, and it continues to thrive in this show.

There is something so gratifying about seeing Melissa McBride back in action as Carol. It's almost funny to me because, for a long time, I wouldn't say I liked her character. It took some understanding to truly get into the depths of who she is as a person. And then, over time, I just grew to love her—and enjoy how much more badass she becomes.

Her addition to Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon already was a great decision even before she got the Book of Carol subtitle, I mean, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride's chemistry has always been unmatched by the original show, and the plan was to have them do a spinoff together. Still, McBride had to back out because of a scheduling issue.

Now, they're back together, and it really feels like no time has passed. And truly, this whole story of her attempting to outgrow her trauma from losing Sophia twelve years ago (in the TWD timeline) hits hard. Sometimes, we really forget how much this poor woman has gone through because of how much she has grown, but sometimes, she's still just that mother back at the barn watching her daughter stumble out.

The mix of flashbacks and new footage successfully managed to show Carol's growth while still reflecting her etertain pains, which might have been a bit too depressing without Daryl around as her best friend.

Still, for as welcomed as Carol was, her arrival cut short another character's journey, and I have to complain about it for a few, since it's a death that got me reeling.

How Could They Do My Girl Isabel Like That?

Let's be honest here – The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon's cast was filled to the brim with new faces for Season 1, but there were very few faces that made it to Season 2, as we all know in the TWD world. One of those was Isabel and, of course, her nephew, Laurent.

You know, the two people we spent basically the entire first season getting to know, only for Season 2 to kill off Isabel just one episode after she and Daryl shared an emotional kiss.

Look, I'm not even upset about the fact that Daryl missed out on having a relationship with a woman who genuinely seemed to really love and care for him after everything he had done to take care of them and earn such love. I'm more upset about the fact that he missed out on yet another chance of having a close personal relationship with someone whose life he isn't fully tasked with saving. It could have been bliss, but then they killed her off.

I love Daryl and Carol's friendship, but it doesn't always have to be just that set-up. Isabel was a perfect way to implement the idea that maybe she could have been Daryl's partner-in-survival or perhaps just another close friend. to shoot the shit with. Instead, she was killed off for what I felt was merely shock value, something this franchise has always been guilty of, especially regarding The Walking Dead's most heartbreaking deaths.

It just baffles me – why spend all that time showing them getting closer, showing the connection, showing them kissing – all for it to be taken out in one episode? I get that this is the perfect path to making a character's death feel meaningful, but it doesn't justify the death happening in and of itself.

It reminds me of Daryl and Beth in Season 4 of TWD. Granted, Beth was a hell of a lot younger than Daryl, and I don't think I would support that strange relationship as an older person now, but episodes, hell, an entire SEASON had Daryl looking desperately for Beth, only for her to get shot in the head.

Another potentially vital chemstry-filled friendship ruined. And now Isabel is right there with her.

Can Someone PLEASE Let Daryl Be Happy For ONCE?

I am so tired for this man's mental health, even if he'll never been written as if he's visibly traumatized.

Remember when I said earlier that, at this point, these characters are like family to me? I really mean that. I feel my heart get torn apart and ripped out, and not in a significant way, whenever something happens to Daryl. At first, I could understand it. It's character development; it pushes him forward, whatever.

But he never gets a break. Ever. I swear to God, the only time I've ever seen this man happy are the few times he's brought to hug Carol or Rick after suffering some of the most heinous things imaginable. Obviously Carol has had so many heartbreaks as well, but she gets emotional catharsis every so often, while Daryl's ugly cry meme essentially nixed similar moments in the future.

I don't know what would have happened with Isabel. I don't know if it would have ended well for them. But I just wanted him to have something that lasted for a bit. We've had The Walking Dead relationships that have stood the test of time – heck, Rick and Michonne had a whole damn show about it. Why can't Daryl have that happiness?

Maybe I'm digging too deep into this. Maybe Daryl is content being with his buddy Carol, and maybe that's fine. But I also know Daryl cares deeply for Laurent, and he wouldn't care deeply for the kid if not for Isabel. I'm just sad that we missed out on this great opportunity to at least explore what could have been.

But nope, it's gone now, vanished in the wind. And now we can only wonder, 'what-if?'

Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is already confirmed, so it's not like this is the end of the story. But I will say this does leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. And I hope that Daryl finds that kind of happiness one day. But until then…I suppose I'll stick with Daryl and Carol being best buddies.

Only mild spoilers below for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s Season 2 finale, for those who haven’t yet watched on AMC or with an AMC+ subscription.

After years of waiting, The Walking Dead fans watched as Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride once again shared the small screen as Daryl and Carol for the second season of AMC’s horror-drama spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Granted, it came only two years after the flagship series’ emotional series finale, but considering McBride was meant to be the Season 1 co-star as well, the gap felt longer. But what about seeing Reedus opposite Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes?

At the moment, that idea is but a mere pipe dream in Walking Dead fans’ heads, but its potential to become a reality was kinda-sorta addressed by Daryl Dixon showrunner David Zabel, who talked to THR about where things wrapped up for Season 2 and teased what the early Season 3 renewal has allowed the creative team to work on thus far during production. What’s more, Zabel sounds extremely optimistic about potentially lasting for many seasons yet to come, saying:

Even if Daryl Dixon's weekly viewership numbers in no way can compare to TWD' s mid-run ratings highs, it's clearly doing well enough to justify plenty of support from AMC and at least one more impending season with European zombies and their evolved brethren. Only two of The Walking Dead spinoffs lasted a single season: the anthologized Tales of..., and the Rick and Michonne reunion drama The Ones Who Live.

Considering both Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln are busy with actor careers and families, and neither spoke much about being 100% in on an extended return to this post-apocalypse, neither of them are fully expected to return. Especially since fans got that glorious shot of Rick and Michonne reuniting with Judith, and R.J. meeting his dad for the first time.

But for those of us who never say never to the possibility of seeing beloved characters popping up anew in this universe, David Zabel's further thoughts about Daryl Dixon's future absolutely point to other familiar faces showing up in this spinoff, even if Rick isn't the one he namechecks. Discussing the all-around lack of story restrictions, he said:

Now, Zabel obviously brought up one of The Walking Dead franchise's other most popular characters, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan, when talking hypothetically about what could happen in a future season of Daryl Dixon. Negan is obviously gearing up raise all kinds of hell in NYC on TWD: Dead City, with Season 2 set to arrive amidst the 2025 TV schedule, so unless that show is already on its last legs, it's not so likely that either Negan or Lauren Cohan's Maggie will span the Atlantic for a crossover episode.

Plus, if we've learned anything from interviews with creatives and actors from Marvel, DC, Star Wars and other entertainment monoliths, it's that nobody gives legitimately organic answers to questions about characters who might return. Because answering randomly could very well spoil future plans that the person answering is entirely unaware of. As such, because Zabel specifically suggested Negan as a potential later-season cameo, no part of me believes that will ever come to pass.

But I do think it theoretically leaves the door open for anyone besides Negan to appear on Daryl Dixon. And while it'd be cool to see him crossing paths again with Lauren Ridloff's Connie and Khary Payton's Ezekiel and others, it remains wild to me that the last time Norman Reedus and Andrew Lincoln were together as Daryl and Rick was early on in Season 9 back in 2018. And this franchise cannot wrap itself up without more of that.

I fully understand why The Ones Who Live had to get Richonne back on the same fertile ground, but if there's anything else that Rick Grimes needs to do in this fictional world, it's man-hug Daryl again. And like, actually raise his own kids or whatever, but for the purposes of making viewers squeal with glee, Rick should probably start swimming so that he can make it to Europe by the time Season 6's timeline starts off.

Both seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon are available to stream on AMC+.

Almost every show that goes for multiple seasons eventually does the thing fans dread the most: the jump the shark. Not every show jumps the shark, but it's usually inevitable for long-running shows.

Jumping the shark can mean a few different things. Sometimes, it's the creative pinnacle of the show and everything that comes after feels like coasting. Sometimes it's a moment so absurd, that there is simply no way for the show to ever recover from it. Here is our list of some of the best shows and the moment they jumped the shark.

The Principal And The Pauper - The Simpsons

When a show has been on the air as long as The Simpsons, it wouldn't be surprising to see fans arguing over when it actually jumped the shark. However, for The Simpsons, it's usually agreed upon that "The Principal And The Pauper" is the moment all was lost. Fans hate it, cast members hate it... it's just... hated. It's hated for ruining the canon of the show and creating a fake Skinner.

Cousin Oliver Joins The Bradys - The Brady Bunch

Another way people sometimes refer to the jump-the-shark moment is by calling it the "Cousin Oliver" moment. That's when a new, younger, and cuter cast member is added to a family sitcom when the original kids get too old. It's easy to point to the Cousin Oliver moment on The Brady Bunch since it's the genesis of the term.

The Connors Win The Lottery - Roseanne

The charm of the Connors on Roseanne is their working-class family dynamics. It was something that was rarely seen on TV in those days and it made the "real" to fans of the show. Then they won the lottery and all of a sudden everything that made them real was gone. Womp womp.

Joey And Rachel - Friends

Friends really started getting ridiculous when Rachel and Joy started hooking up behind Ross' back. Two couples within the group of six was enough, no one needed a third. Luckily it didn't last long and the show recovered a little from it, but it was definitely the beginning of the end.

Matthew Crawley's Death - Downton Abbey

One of the things that made Downton Abbey so interesting in the beginning was the dynamic between the established family at Downton with the heir they never knew in Matthew Crawley. When things were finally getting resolved, Matthew was suddenly killed off in a car crash and we had to start all over again. The show never recovered to its early heights.

Jim And Pam Get Married - The Office

It was the moment everyone was waiting for. Jim and Pam finally got married! We all laughed and cried tears of joy. The problem? Where does The Office from there? Yeah, it seems no one really knew and even though the show soldiered on, it never quite regained the magic it had before that wonderful moment.

Season Nine Was A Dream - Dallas

Not only was the big reveal at the end of Season 9 that Bobby Ewing was alive and the whole season had been a dream the moment that Dallas jumped the shark, it made fans furious. Everyone felt cheated and in a way, they were. It's always a mistake to pretend to kill off a character.

Jefferson D'Arcy Moves In - Married... With Children

Ted McGinley is a great actor with an unfortunate reputation of being one reason shows jump the shark. TV fans point to shows like Magnum PI and The Love Boat as examples, but the most famous example is when he joined the cast as D'Arcy's new husband on Married... With Children. For lack of any better moment, we'll go with this one.

Sam Sells The Bar - Cheers

A show jumping the shark in the first episode of a season is very rare, but that's what Cheers did. Season 5 of Cheers ends with Diane (Shelley Long) leaving Boston, never to return. Season 6 opens with Sam having sold the bar to sail around the world. The show might not have gone off the rails with Diane leaving, but Sam selling the bar ended the golden age of the show.

Zoey Barlett Getting Kidnapped - The West Wing

One of the best cliffhangers in TV history comes at the end of Season 4 of The West Wing when Zoey Bartlett (Elisabeth Moss) is kidnapped. It's a moment that writer Aaron Sorkin set up way back in Season 1. It was the pinnacle of the show and after Sorkin left at the end of the season, the show really struggled to reach its early heights. IT never really did.

Negan Kills Glenn And Abraham - The Walking Dead

Negan is the ultimate baddie in The Walking Dead and once he was introduced and he murdered Glenn and Abraham, there was simply nowhere for the show to go to reach a more emotional peak. That was it. The show continued on, but it never came close to that moment ever again.

McNulty's Serial Killer - The Wire

The Wire didn't jump the shark until its final system, but when McNulty invents the serial killer, suddenly a show famous for being grounded in reality went way off the rails. It's still a point of contention with fans of the show and it always will be. It's not one of McNulty's best moments, that's for sure.

West Beverly Grads Go to College - Beverly Hills, 90210

A show about high school, even a classic like Beverly Hills, 90210 is always going to struggle when the main cast graduate. 90210 did an okay job making the transition and it had more seasons after high school than before, but it was never as good as it was in the first three seasons. Donna Martin Graduates!

Fonzi Jumping The Shark - Happy Days

You knew this one had to be on the list, right? The Fonz jumping the shark while wearing his leather jacket in Happy Days is the origin of the term and one of the most infamous moments in all of TV history.

Not Penny's Boat - Lost

Lost is one of the most controversial shows in history. Fans love it, and those same fans also hate it. Almost no one thinks the show ended well, but everyone agrees that the moment we learn that the boat supposedly coming to save the castaways isn't what they think it is is the creative peak of the show.

Sam Joins The Drummonds - Diff'rent Strokes

In one of the most famous examples of the "Cousin Oliver Effect," Diff'rent Strokes introduced Sam, a new kid living with the Drummonds. The show was simply never the same again.

John Dutton Becomes Governor - Yellowstone

Yellowstone was never a show that was grounded in much reality, but when a sociopath and criminal like John Dutton (Kevin Costner) gets elected governor, it's a bridge too far. Everyone's favorite TV anti-hero was halfway believable as a rich guy fighting off everyone from his land, but the governor? Come on. Making his first speech with a black hat on is a little on the nose, too.

The Cylon Reveal - Battlestar Galactica

Make no mistake, the moment of the Cylon reveal on Battlestar Galactica is an all-time great TV moment. The problem is, the show lost its way a little as so much had been building for that moment.

Spock's Brain - Star Trek (TOS)

There honestly might not be a moment when the original series of Star Trek jumped the shark, but if you have to pick one, it's probably the "Spock's Brain" episode. It's a favorite for some, but it's not without its detractors, who call it the cheesiest episode of the show.

Leaving Westworld - Westworld

This may be the most devastating jump-the-shark moment on this list. Westworld's first season is universally praised. In the end, when the show "leaves" Westworld it goes off the rails and the next two seasons are a disaster. It truly never recovered.

House Destroys Cuddy's House - House

The balance between genius and chaos is what made House a great show. Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) was on the edge. It's when he went over the edge by crashing a car into Dr. Cuddy's house, the show never got back to where it was before, when it was truly great.

The Gang Goes To Ireland - Sons Of Anarchy

Sons Of Anarchy was always a show that was over-the-top and ridiculous. It was part of the Charm of the motorcycle gang from Charming. About halfway through Season 3, a bunch of the gang takes off for Northern Ireland for... some reason. It feels like such a desperate attempt to breathe life into the show when it didn't really need it yet.

Frank Underwood Becomes President - House Of Cards

The best thing about House Of Cards is watching Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his desperate craving for power. When he finally reaches the pinnacle, the motivation is lost and that is reflected. Spacey's legal problems ultimately spelled the end of the show, for all intents and purposes, but it jumped the shark long before that.

A Different Darren - Bewitched

Replacing a popular actor is difficult, especially if it's in an existing role. Dick York, the original Darren on Bewitched was forced to leave the show because of medical issues, and a new actor, Dick Sergeant stepped in. Sergeant was great in the role, and it's not his fault the show faltered, but it just never regained the steam it had before York got sick.

Laverne and Shirley Move To LA - Laverne & Shirley

There are a ton of TV sitcoms set in Los Angeles, but very few are set in Milwaukee. What made Laverne & Shirley so charming was that midwest vibe it had when the two titular characters worked in a brewery. In Season 6, everyone ups and moves to LA and the show's charm was sucked out of it almost immediately. It stumbled along for another few seasons, but it was never the same.

Topher Grace Leaving - That '70s Show

Some shows can survive the main character leaving, but some just can't. That '70s Show is an example of the latter when Topher Grace, who played Eric Foreman, left the show. Though it was an ensemble cast, Eric was really the core of the whole friend group and they just never found the chemistry the earlier seasons had.

Victorian Sherlock - Sherlock

It was a bold decision by the creators of Sherlock to set an episode in Victorian London, the true time period for Sherlock Holmes. It's a decent episode, but the problem was that what made the show great was that it was a very modern and very contemporary take on the Sherlock Holmes stories. By setting it in the late 19th Century it was more like every other adaption of the Holmes stories, and the show lost some of its charm.

The Elevator Drop - LA Law

Rosalind Shays (Diana Muldaur) on L.A. Law was one of the great TV villains of the 1980s. Still, her ridiculous death by falling down an empty elevator shaft was so silly that it spelled the end of the show. The show wouldn't end for another few seasons, it felt like such a cheap end after she had started a relationship with another character, softening her character.

Leo Joins The Cast - Growing Pains

Usually, the actor in a "Cousin Oliver" moment ends up living in obscurity. That is not what happened with the Growing Pains Cousin Oliver moment when the family invited a homeless kid named Luke Brower to live with them. Bower was played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. Wow. Still, it didn't save the show from getting canceled soon after.

Song Beneath the Song - Grey's Anatomy

The 18th episode of Season 7 of Grey's Anatomy was... a musical. There are a lot of ways of looking at the episode, called "Song Beneath the Song." Some love and some loathe it. Either way, it's a classic jump-the-shark moment, even for a show that used music brilliantly.

Spoilers below for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s Season 2 premiere, subtitled The Book of Carol, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Of all the upcoming horror TV shows popping up in time for Halloween, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s second season gave fans a lot to anticipate in the form of an eventual reunion between Norman Reedus’ Daryl and Melissa McBride’s Carol, who parted ways in TWD’s emotional series finale. I’m happy to say Carol was firing on all cylinders in “La Gentillesse des Étrangers," both as a walker-destroying badass and as an emotional lynchpin.

McBride’s return was set up in the spinoff’s Season 1 finale, and after nearly a year of waiting, I don’t think any Walking Dead fanatics out there expected her first full Daryl Dixon episode to be a snoozer. But even with the actress and showrunner’s teases about callbacks to Sophia’s Season 2 demise, I honestly didn’t expect that narrative thread to be the biggest gut-punch by the end credits. Poor Carol.

Give Melissa McBride All The Action Sequences

Carol being a badass was something fans could almost always look forward to throughout The Walking Dead’s eleven-season run, save for the sporadic arcs where she was dealing with more depressing issues. Thankfully, things got off to a perfectly exciting start for the survivor on the way to embarking on her ocean-spanning trip to find her BFF in France.

Right away, and not for the only time in the episode, Carol gets what she wants from others by slightly nefarious means. I guess leaning on threats and shooting someone in the foot with a crossbow bolt is pretty damned nefarious, and it only got worse for everyone else from there.

But it was later, after she’d fooled Manish Dayal’s Ash into welcoming her into his home, that she pulled off one of the smoothest walker-escaping moves of any Walking Dead franchise character. Surrounded by walkers inside Ash’s greenhouse, She pulled three tall shelves around her to make a triangular cocoon held together by encroaching walkers. And she managed to climb up and out of the greenhouse with satisfying ease. (Completely ridiculous in any other setting, but just right for a Carol escape.)

I don’t know if Melissa McBride is interested in a project like Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody or Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man where she stars as a character on a feature-length mission in handing every other character an ass-whupping, but it’s a deserving career path. It would be feasibly easy for her to differentiate a new action-geared hero from Carol and her years on The Walking Dead, too. Somebody get her a revenge thriller script, stat.

The Surprising Way Carol Reflected On Sophia’s Death

Even though I'm one of those people who was genuinely disappointed with The Walking Dead's second season, largely due to the search for Sophia, I can in retrospect buy into Greg Nicotero's defense that this arc was the origin story for Carol and Daryl's kinship. And so I was also open to the idea that McBride wanted to show Carol dealing with her compartmentalized grief in ways that weren't fully explored in the mothership series.

The Season 2 premiere handled Carol's first Sophia-related flashback in a semi-impressionistic fashion across multiple timelines and locations, with new footage of Sophia (not Madison Lintz) emerging from Hershel's barn and shambling amongst other walkers. It went down as she was talking to Ash — not the best way to make a good first impression — and she was drawn out of it by echoes of what could only be Rick Grimes' gunshot that put Walker Sophia down for good.

I thought that and the actual TWD footage-infused flashback with Daryl would be the full thrust of why the creative team wanted to reflect on the trauma caused by Sophia's death. But no, Carol upended my expectations by lying about her grief and weaponizing it to convince Ash to fly her halfway across the world.

Ash unburdened himself with a story about his son Avi "A.P." Patel — whose memorial Carold almost immediately destroyed — and the guilt he felt about not being able to protect the 7-year-old. Not to mention sharing the reason he even got into flying in the first place is because Avi loved planes. It was his way of expressing forgiveness and again welcoming Carol into his life. And how did she respond in kind? Emotional subterfuge.

When it was her turn to get candid about her family, she was honest about having problems with Ed, but completely distorted the way things actually went down. Despite already having pissed Ash off, she lied to him about Ed taking Sophia to France before the outbreak, and that she was clueless about her daughter's fate, taking full advantage of Ash's parental guilt.

To his credit, Ash got angry with her, believing that she'd hid her true intentions about befriending him, not realizing that she was only then investing in selling the long con. And what's more, Carol clearly feels a sense of guilt about taking advantage of this generous saint of a man, and you KNOW she's going to get caught in that lie as well before all is said and done.

I don't feel very good about his chances of surviving all the way to meeting Daryl, either, given his constant good deeds, and Carol's penchant for being around people who get mauled. But I still doubt that he'll get killed off without first feeling the pain of finding out that he crossed the ocean based on a bald-faced lie about a dead child. That pain is inevitable.

Will Sophia continue to inspire Carol's actions throughout her journey to France? Find out when The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol airs new episodes every Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

As someone whose Walking Dead fandom was in waning mode by the time its emotional final episode aired, I was as surprised as anyone by just how much I enjoyed Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon spinoff, thanks to a completely revamped set of locations and side characters. But things will look a bit more familiar in Season 2 when Melissa McBride returns as fan-fave Carol, and the show will apparently veer into the past to reflect on one of the O.G. series’ most controversial moments: the zombie Sophia reveal.

While the cynical instinct might be to recoil in horror at the thought of returning to Season 2’s Sophia-seeking slog of a storyline during Fall TV season, the impetus behind that creative choice stemmed from McBride’s own long-standing desires for her character upon returning for the AMC spinoff. Speaking with EW ahead of The Book of Carol’s premiere, the actress talked about being a larger part of the creative process in shaping the survivor’s arc, and how it allows for extra development space that wasn’t always there in TWD. In her words:

For all that I jokingly rage against the slow-moving build to the moment when Madison Lintz's Sophia shambles out of Hershel's barn to everyone's shock and grief, the scene in and of itself is pretty effective. And I can agree with executive producer Greg Nicotero's defense that Season 2's search cemented Carol and Daryl's bond, and with Lintz's notion that losing her daughter forged Carol into a beter character.

So with those caveats in mind, I can approach this with the mindset that it could be quite powerful for both Carol and her diehard fans to see her on a slightly less hectic path that allows for more moments to shed her survival instincts for a bit and let the emotions flow. Grief is arguably the hardest emotion to figure out and live with, and while The Walking Dead showed Carol to still have Sophia in mind years later, it's not quite the same as inner catharsis.

Showrunner Craig Zobel also addressed Melissa McBride's creative requests for how her first season of Daryl Dixon would go. As he put it:

Norman Reedus also echoed those thoughts, pointing to The Walking Dead's massive and ever-changing ensemble cast making it harder for the show to take the proper amount of time to spotlight Carol's deeper emotions that can't just be spouted off with a few lines of dialogue between walker attacks.

Just how much we'll actually return to Sophia's death and walker-rection is yet to be seen, but answers will start arriving when The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol debuts on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, September 29. Just maybe don't expect all the answers, with Season 3 ordered and already in production.

In its heyday, AMC's The Walking Dead was one of the most popular shows on television. Since then the franchise has grown with a number of spinoffs, as well as plans for a Rick Grimes movie. But the original series (which is streaming now with a Netflix subscription) has also had its share of criticism. And while people always complain about The Walking Dead Season 2, EP Greg Nicotero has a comment for the naysayers.

While folks are looking forward to upcoming Walking Dead shows, others are still unpacking the events of the original series. One common critique is that not enough happened in Season 2, which the survivors spent on Hershel's farm. While speaking with EW about the long-running franchise, he revealed why that lull in action was so key to the series as a whole. In his words:

Points were made. Season 2 is how Daryl and Carol ended up becoming each other's chosen family, and that remains a fan favorite pairing to this day. And that bond was originally formed during their time at The Farm, where Norman Reedus' signature character spent half the season searching (in vain) for Carol's missing daughter Sophia. Of course, the fandom knows how that ultimately played out.

While Glenn's Walking Dead death remains a controversial part of the show's tenure on the air, the plot of Season 2 has also got its fair amount of criticism over the years. But some important character work was being done during this time, including the love triangle between Shane, Lori, and Rick, as well as the blossoming friendship with Carol and Daryl. The latter relationship is still being explored with its spinoff Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol.

While some fans hoped that Daryl and Carol's relationship would on day become romantic, instead Greg Nicotero and company kept it one of platonic companionship and deep friendship. And that relationship needed Season 2's plot in order to grow. Nothing but respect for zombie Sophia.

Out of all the original Walking Dead cast members, folks probably didn't expect Norman Reedus' Daryl and Melissa McBride's Carol to be the last ones standing. But fans really responded to them, and the way they had each other's backs throughout the apocalyptic drama.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will return for the Carol-centric Season 2 on September 29. For now, check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

While it’s true that everyone is perfectly free to have their own opinions, others are free to point out just how wildly offbase those opinions might be. So it went after someone took to Reddit with an ostensibly innocent question asking others to list actors known for playing the same kinds of roles throughout their careers, and made the mistake of making the example a pic of Jon Bernthal, the past-and-future Punisher actor who’ll return to the role amidst the 2025 TV schedule.

It was, shall we say, a real boneheaded move. (Punisher skull pun intended.) Because not only did commenters quickly come to Bernthal’s defense with stacked-high piles of receipts from across his career, but they were also quick to call out the inquiring party for not knowing enough to be asking such a question. Bernthal fans don’t have time for this kind of short-sighted nonsense.

Here’s a small smattering of responses to the Reddit post that were mainly invested in pointing out how terrible the decision was to use a pic of the Walking Dead vet.

• OP used perhaps the worst example for this question. Bernthal has a ton of range. - @Exotic_Adeptness4190
• I think the people that say Bernthal plays only one type of character haven't actually watched a whole lot of his work. - @dqfilm19
• You can tell op saw him in like 2 things and decided he only plays one character. - @sparklingdinoturd
• This guy isn’t 1 dimensional anymore. He’s actually never been a terrible actor - @Constant-Refuse-74
• Yeah idk what OP is talking about Bernthal is one of the better character actors. He does typically play a tough guy aggressive asshole but he plays each one with nuance and an approach to character work that’s different. - @CopeHarders

While some commenters, such as the bottom one noted above, conceded that Hollywood producers and casting directors have certainly leaned into typecasting Jon Bernthal at times by bringing him in to portray a general kind of character, be it a hyper-masculine soldier or a seemingly friendly villain.

But the performances are where the differences happen, and seemingly all of the hundreds of comments made regarding Bernthal were completely in his favor, safe for the occasional reply from someone noting their aim to catch up with one project or another. Still on the positive side.

And when it came to examples of Bernthal's range, there was no end to the variety of choices, and most of the film and series mentioned were namechecked several times by multiple people. From David Ayer's Fury to James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari to HBO's We Own This City and Netflix's The Punisher, here are just some examples of the high praise the actor earned.

• In Fury he made me feel so uncomfortable whenever he was in a scene, such great acting to elicit that kind of response. - @s-lowts
• jon bernthal in Ford v Ferrari was surprisingly good and imho a different character than usual. In the pacific he is also quite different casted, yeah, big guy and stuff. It wasn't until The Walking Dead that this type casting came into play. - @truncateBob
• He also plays a wildly different character in The Bear and an incredibly different character in Sicario. - @cadegs
• He was also so so good in We Own This City. He absolutely nailed the whole Baltimore accent/vibe. Super underrated actor - @bigjarbowski
• He was awesome as The Punisher, and the way he plays his character in The Unforgivable opposite Sandra Bullock was a nice change of pace from being this overbearing hardass he's usually portrayed as. His podcast is also really great as well. He's definitely underrated. - @Muhfuggajones
• His junky drug dealer character in Wolf of Wall Street was not like any other character he has done. - @odinsbois
• He made the movie Wind River, and he was barely in it - @ProgrammerAshamed144

The Bear definitely came up multiple times in the comments as an example of a role unlike most in Bernthal's career, not just for the fact that it's one of the few "comedies" he's appeared in, at least according to Emmy genre placement. But it was just the icing on the "terrible example" cake alongside all the other proof of his talents.

While The Bear is the only project Jon Bernthal has on the 2024 TV schedule, he'll return to his Frank Castle persona for Daredevil: Born Again in 2025, so stay tuned for more on that one.

We've been experiencing a TV renaissance for years now, to the delight of superfans like myself who love watching my weekly stories. But even before the small screen became a place for A-listers, there were a number of iconic moments that stuck with fans. And this will be all about the single most memorable moment of 32 iconic TV shows.

Obviously not every beloved TV title can be on this list, so apologies in advance if your favorite isn't included. The small screen is simply an embarrassment of riches in this regard, especially once you factor in streaming shows that have arrived in recent years. In no particular order, here are the biggest moments from 32 beloved shows. But be warned: a major SPOILER ALERT is needed, as some of these episodes feature big plot twists and/or character deaths. You've been warned!

The Red Wedding, Game of Thrones

During its run on HBO, Game of Thrones was jam-packed with wild, violent, and truly memorable sequences. And while fans are still debating the final season, perhaps the most iconic scene occurred during the Season 3 episode "The Rains of Castamere". This is the infamous Red Wedding, where Walder Frey betrays the Starks, resulting in the brutal deaths of Robb, Catelyn, and Talisa (as well as her unborn baby).

Nomi's Wedding, Sense8

When Netflix was rolling out expensive and ambitious new content early into its run, The Wachowskis helmed the sci-fi series Sense8. The show followed eight strangers who were connected psychically and was canceled after two seasons, but fan campaigns resulted in a Sense8 finale movie being produced. After beating the bad guys, the show ends with Nomi and Amanita's wedding on the Eiffel Tower, followed by one last, wild, party.

Fonzie Jumps The Shark, Happy Days

The beloved sitcom series Happy Days is known for bringing the phrase "jumping the shark" into the pop culture lexicon. This originates from a Season 5 episode of the classic series, where Henry Winler's Fonzie jumps over a live shark while on waterskis. Say what you want about this plot point, but it's remained the most lasting and iconic plot line from the show's tenure on the air.

"Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me", Grey's Anatomy

During its long tenure on the air, Grey's Anatomy had a number of iconic love stories. But the biggest has always been Meredith and Derek. Fans waited a long time for them to be together, and one of the show's most iconic moments is when she pleads for McDreamy to "pick me" instead of his wife Addison.

Rory's Graduation Speech, Gilmore Girls

When Gilmore Girls began its run on TV, it followed as Alexis Bledel's Rory struggled to adjust to life at her new fancy school, Chilton. Eventually, she becomes a leader in the school and delivers a graduation speech in Season 3. Not only did it make characters like Lorelai and Sookie cry, but it's one of the most iconic scenes of the entire show, where she pays tribute to all that her mother has given her.

Negan Kills Glenn And Abraham, The Walking Dead

For fans who watched The Walking Dead at the height of its popularity, there's life before Negan and after Negan. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's villain made a horrifying splash when he entered the scene, brutally killing fan favorites Abraham and Glenn with his bat Lucille. Some folks thought that killing was too much for the brutal apocalyptic drama.

The Plane Crash, Lost

Lost's pilot episode started a new must-see television show, with the sci-fi series instantly becoming water cooler talk. While some folks stopped watching as it ran, the first (wildly expensive) episode remains the most iconic, thanks to the thrilling plane crash sequences.

Tyra Banks Screams At Tiffany, America's Next Top Model

There are a handful of reality TV show moments on this list because of their impact on pop culture. America's Next Top Model might not be considered one of the best reality shows of all time, but it left its mark. Particularly the episode where host Tyra Banks screamed at one of the contestants after her elimination.

The Gift, Buffy The Vampire Slayer 

The first five seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer aired on the WB, before it eventually changed networks to UPN for the final two entries. Season 5 went out with a serious bang, with Buffy dying after sacrificing herself to save Dawn and the world. After wondering for half the season, we finally understood that death was her gift.

The Movements, The OA

The OA was an ambitious series that ran on Netflix for two seasons and was canceled far too soon. In the Season 1 finale, the group of teenagers (plus Phyllis Smith's BBA) decide to use the reality-traveling movements to distract a school shooter, saving the day in the process. It's a moment we waited all season for, and is an emotional and epic sequence.

The Lake House Fight, Girls

HBO's Award-winning comedy series Girls was a huge hit when it was on the air, and has been getting a lot of positive attention in the years since it wrapped. One of the best episodes of all time is Season 3's "The Lake House", where the four titular girls drink, dance and have an epic argument that shows just how messed up their friendships truly are.

Dexter Finds Rita's Dead Body, Dexter

Dexter was hugely popular during its original run on Showtime, and many consider Season 4 to be its strongest chapter. While Michael C. Hall's character eventually manages to murder the Trinity killer, he doesn't realize that the villain has already murdered his wife Rita. This represented a huge switch for the series and showed the consequences of Dexter's dark passenger.

The Final Scene, The Sopranos

The Sopranos' ending is one that has lived in infamy since it aired back in 2007. With an all-out mob war looming, fans expected Tony and the rest of the crew to go out with a bang. Instead, the finale famously cut to black during the final sequence, with audiences thinking their cable broke when it originally aired.

I Am The One Who Knocks, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad was a delightful slow burn, with audiences following as Bryan Cranston's Walter White goes from chemistry teacher to bonafide drug lord. Things got more and more dangerous for Walt and his family throughout the show's run, to the dismay of his wife Skyler. When she finally confronts him in Season 4, he gives a truly iconic speech where he claims that he isn't waiting for someone dangerous to knock on the door because "I am the one who knocks."

The Final Sequence, Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under goes in the long list of quality shows to come from HBO. But it stands out as having arguably the best series finale of all time, where the audience is shown how the characters live and (more importantly) die. Set to the tune of Sia's "Breathe Me", try to get through that final sequence without crying.

The Departure, The Leftovers

The Leftovers was a thrilling drama with a super fascinating concept: on October 14th, 2% of the world's population suddenly vanished. While the show follows the fallout of that event, the pilot episode opened on The Departure, with a mother desperately searching for her baby after he disappeared.

Jessie's Song, Saved By The Bell

During its run in the late '80s and early '90s, Saved By The Bell was a favorite show among young people. While it was largely a comedy, certain episodes got more serious. Case in point: the episode "Jessie's Song", where Elizabeth Berkley's character becomes addicted to caffeine pills.

Fiona confronts Monica, Shameless

The US version of Shameless had a super long run on Showtime, ending after a whopping 11 seasons on the air. But it was best during its early years, and perhaps the most iconic moment came back in Season 1. When Monica returns to the Gallagher family and tries to take Liam away with her, Emmy Rossum's Fiona reaches her breaking point and confronts her over years of neglect.

Ross Says The Wrong Name, Friends

Throughout all of Friends' decade-long run on the air, the biggest question was whether or not Rachel and Ross would end up together. They had plenty of starts and stops (they were on a break!) but perhaps the most dramatic part of this saga came during Ross' wedding to Emily. In the middle of his vows, he accidentally refers to Emily as Rachel, ending his marriage before it even began.

The Hallway Fight, Daredevil 

While Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock is taking center stage in the MCU with Daredevil: Born Again, his tenure as the hero began with the Netflix Daredevil show. The series was gritty and featured dizzying fight choreography, with the most iconic being the long hallway fight, which was a thrilling one.

The Family Portrait, Modern Family

The Emmy-winning comedy Modern Family had a long life on the air, with the audience watching as the child actors grew up before their eyes. Season 1 was especially great, and the first finale "Family Portrait" is the show at its best. After stressing to try and pose for the perfect picture, the mixed family ends up throwing mud on each other and letting it all go in a heartwarming story.

Don Draper's Happy Ending, Mad Men

While it had a wildly successful run on AMC, arguably the most iconic moment from Mad Men came from its series finale. Fans have long debated the meaning behind the final shot, where Don Draper is seen happy and meditating, seemingly leaving the advertising world behind him. Although Jon Hamm's interpretation of the ending offers another, less hopeful perspective.

Pam And Jim's First Kiss, The Office

The Office had plenty of long love stories, with fans rooting for the staff of Dunder Mifflin. Jim and Pam's is the biggest example of this, and fans had to wait years for them to finally get together. In Season 2 the pair finally share their first kiss, although they didn't end up together just yet.

Teresa's Table Flip, The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The Real Housewives franchise is a huge behemoth at this point, but in the beginning, there were just a handful of cities. Chief among them was The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which entered the pop culture zeitgeist forever when OG Teresa Giudice flipped a table during a heated argument with Danielle Staub in the Season 1 finale.

Sue Hawk's Speech, Survivor

The first season of Survivor changed the TV world forever, and the show is still running to this day. Perhaps the most memorable moment from that prolific first chapter was Sue Hawk's scathing speech about snakes and rats, where he let out her rage about runner-up Kelly Wiglesworth.

Poussey's Death, Orange Is The New Black

Orange is the New Black was one of the first original Netflix shows, and it remained wildly popular until it ended. Fans know that the show was forever changed when Poussey was tragically killed in Season 4, inspiring a prison-wide riot that would take up all of Season 5.

Nina Kills Teri, 24

24 became a wild sensation when it started airing on Fox, with an entire season of action taking place in just one day. The Season 1 finale offered one more gut punch for audiences, when Jack finds the body of his wife Teri, realizing that she was killed by his former friend and colleague Nina.

Diane And Sam Breakup For Good, Cheers

Diane and Sam were the will they/won't they couple in the comedy Cheers, and fans all had their own opinions about them. In the series finale, we finally get some closure, and the pair realizes they shouldn't be together after all.

Nancy Burn Her House Down, Weeds

When Weeds started airing on Showtime, it was about a single mother who resorts to selling drugs to her suburban neighborhood. In Season 3 she burns down her house to avoid being caught, and the show was never the same after.

Kurt Dances To 'Single Ladies', Glee

Season 1 of Glee hit the world by storm, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and non-stop stream of hit songs. The first season was a huge deal, and there are perhaps no more iconic episodes when Kurt dances to Beyonce's "Single Ladies", and has to try and keep his identity from his father.

'Let's Go To The Mall', How I Met Your Mother

During the How I Met Your Mother episode "Slap Bet" the group of friends (and the audience) are introduced to Robin's teen pop culture persona Robin Sparkles. The song "Let's Go To The Mall" is a hilarious spoof on '80s stars like Tiffany, and is arguably the most iconic moment of the comedy series' run on TV.

Eleanor Realizes The Truth, The Good Place

The Good Place ran for four seasons on NBC, offering a hilarious and complex story. Season 1 was arguably its best, and the most memorable moment came when Kristen Bell's Eleanor realizes that they've been in the Bad Place all along.

So here’s the thing – I may not be the biggest lover of rom-coms, as most tend to be pretty cheesy. But there are some men out there from both movies and TV that I have fallen for – many of which have completely ruined me for real life and have set my standards way too high. And while I’ve been in a committed relationship for several years now, there are just some fictional guys that do it for me – so today, we’ll be going over the top ones. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

I know that out of everyone in the Friends cast, people talk about Joey being the cutest or however you want to play it, but for me, it’s always been Chandler. I don’t think there’s ever been a better interpretation of best friends to lovers than him with Monica, and I swear to God, he loves her so much. In today’s world, it’s rare to find someone as loving as Chandler Bing. 

Graham Simpkins (The Holiday)

Because who isn’t attracted to Jude Law? But on a real note, Graham Simpkins in The Holiday is probably a clear example of a great movie boyfriend. He’s straightforward with his feelings, is sweet, and somehow still looks good even when he’s pouring his entire heart out. Every time I see him on my TV screen, I know it’s Christmas time again. 

Kevin (Shameless)

Shameless is hands-down one of the best Showtime shows, but you want to know how it’s one of the best characters. Kev, and how he absolutely adores Veronica. This man will go with whatever his wife says or wants and do anything to make her happy, even if it’s totally out there and nonsensical, but he has a good heart – and that’s all that really matters in the end, if we’re being honest. 

Ian Miller (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

Any man—and I mean any man—who is not from a Greek Orthodox family but is willing to learn all the traditions and rules that it entails while throwing themselves into a huge and intense family is a man worth loving. Trust me—as someone who is dating a Greek Orthodox person, this movie is the most clear-cut example of what it’s like—and how loving Ian Miller truly is. 

Gomez (The Addams Family)

Any portrayal of Gomez, whether it be older versions or Luis Guzmán from the Wednesday cast, sets our standards so high. There is no other man in movies and TV who loves his wife more than Gomez loves Morticia. That’s the kind of love that we take to the grave – and it’s something that they clearly intend to do as well.