Top 10 Best TV Moments of 2016

The first season of Mr. Robot proved that no viewer should assume they know the answers; nothing is what it seems and you’re bound to be surprised. The second season validated that notion, as its seventh episode gave us one of the year’s best twists. Up to this point, our only interactions with protagonist Elliot Alderson were dull affairs in confined, claustrophobic spaces: a small room, a basketball court, a diner. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast had been busy fighting off a crippling worldwide hack. The show’s dynamics just didn’t make sense… until it was revealed that Elliot was in fact in prison. This stunning revelation opened up a world of questions, and reminded fans to always question what they see.

A comedy series is an unlikely source of journalistic greatness, but John Oliver and his “Last Week Tonight” team have the unique ability to critically inform while maintaining excellent comedy standards. While it was great when it rained raisins, Oliver’s best moment came when he gave America one of the most painfully enlightening yet horrifyingly funny reports on then-primary candidate Donald Trump and his tiny hands. In a scathing 20-minute indictment, Oliver took the internet by storm, revealing that Trump’s ancestral last name is actually Drumpf. He then implored his fans and the country to “Make Donald Drumpf Again,” believing that the guttural last name better reflects the Donald and what he’s like on the inside.

A show that walks the tightrope between comedy and drama, “Orange Is the New Black” brought fans to tears when it killed off one of its most beloved characters. Caught in a prison demonstration, Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren begins panicking, becoming uncontrollable and completely losing her faculties. When she sees a prison guard restraining Crazy Eyes, Poussey tries to get the guard to let her calm Suzanne down. But in an instant, it’s Poussey who’s on the ground, trapped beneath the weight of the guard. As things unfold around them, Suzanne violently attacks the guard, but Poussey is left helpless, and tragically, she eventually dies. It’s an undeniably raw, powerful and all-too-real moment.

Though at its core a sitcom, “Black-ish” assumed a far more powerful tone when it chose not to shy away from the real world problems of 2016 by addressing police brutality towards the black community. In an argument with his wife over what to teach their children regarding police interactions, Anthony Anderson’s Dre passionately illuminates a painful reality of being black in America. Citing the delicate hope that permeated the African-American community after Barack Obama’s election in 2008, Dre holds back tears as he explains to his wife that their children must know that they live in a world that is constantly trying to steal that hope away.

After a criticized third season, “House of Cards” returned with a bang for season 4. Audiences were stunned when, midway through the season, former investigative reporter and Underwood victim Lucas Goodwin shot Frank in an assassination attempt. It’s a complete shock to audiences and everyone around President Underwood, and the scene turns chaotic in an instant, flipping the season on its head. With Frank subsequently in a coma, Claire suddenly has a platform to influence again at the executive level. But of course, in addition to those major turns of events, viewers also had to suffer the tragic loss of Frank’s loyal secret service agent, Edward Meechum.

Set in the 80s with the style and pace of a Spielberg movie, “Stranger Things” is full of human experimentation, horror and a parallel world. We’re willing to bet that a lot of you guys went just as ga-ga over it as we did, and rightfully so. Although the show was full of Eggo-tastic moments, Eleven defeating the Demogorgon was definitely the highlight. The show’s supernatural hero, the mysterious Eleven or Elle, says goodbye to her best friend Mike, before sacrificing herself to destroy the terrifying monster, overcoming her fears and saving the group. The season one finale manages to give audiences satisfaction and closure, while leaving the mystery open for what’s to come.

Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO, this binge-session-waiting-to-happen has kept viewers in shock and awe since day one. As things progressed, we started to wonder which of the humans was going to be revealed as a host, but we were as surprised as Teresa to learn it was the lovable and sympathetic Bernard Lowe. Unaware of his robotic status or even his motivation, Bernard lures his one-time lady-friend into a deadly trap, set by Westworld demigod and creator Robert Ford. By the end of this scene, we’re not only struggling with the fact that Bernard’s a host; but Teresa’s death and the reveal of Ford as a true villain also have us questioning the nature of our reality.

2016 saw the debut of FX’s much hyped crime anthology series, with the premiere season covering the trial of the century: the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Although the series was chock-full of great performances – including those from Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta, and David Schwimmer – one of the year’s most incredible acting displays was Sarah Paulson’s portrayal of Marcia Clark. In the show’s sixth episode, Paulson was tasked with capturing Marcia’s complete breakdown after being ridiculed both in court and in the media. Unfairly targeted and vilified for little more than a haircut, Paulson creates a moving depiction of a person buried underneath the weight of the world.

Sometimes on “Game of Thrones,” a beloved character dies, and we collectively mourn. Sometimes, a beloved character comes back to life and we collectively cheer. And sometimes, a character so despised gets his comeuppance that we collectively yell “suck it!” It’s hard to nail down a single moment from the penultimate episode of season 6, as the episode is mainly comprised of one of the best battle sequences ever – a sequence we can mark as the moment television equaled cinema’s ability to create massive, awe-inspiring spectacles. But of course, the sweetest moment of all was when the Northern Bastards meet face-to-face and there was no doubt that the good guys were finally going to earn a win.

Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Jimmy’s Confession
“Better Call Saul” (2015-)

- Punisher Prison
“Daredevil” (2015-)

- B.A.N.
“Atlanta” (2016-)

You can breathe. You can blink. You can cry. Hell, we we’re all doing that. Fans of “The Walking Dead” comic book have long awaited the arrival of its most brutal villain, Negan. Making his first appearance at the tail end of season six, Negan didn’t really make his mark until the season 7 premiere, when he started dispatching cast members faster than anyone was prepared for. Holding Rick’s group hostage, Negan first kills Abraham. That, in itself, was brutal, but what landed Negan on this list was what happened a few moments later, when he also murdered Glenn. In front of a bawling Maggie, Negan caves in Glenn’s skull, leaving his wife and his fans horrified.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think were the best television moments of 2016? For more unique top 10’s published daily, be sure to Subscribe to WatchMojo.com