Top 10 Best TV Moments of 2017
As we end another fantastic year of television, let's look back and review the best it had to offer. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best TV Moments of 2017.
For this list, we'll be looking at small screen scenes from the year 2017 and ranking them based on plot importance, emotional impact, and technical accomplishments. We'll only be including scripted television, so live television or late-night talk shows will not be included. We'll also be discussing some major spoilers in this list, so, you guessed it, a spoiler alert is now in order.
#10: Cut to Black “Master of None” (2015-)
Top 10 Best TV Moments of 2017
“Master of None” ended its spectacular second season with a bang. Or, rather, an ambiguous cut to black. As Dev’s fling Francesca and her fiancé Pino are leaving New York to return to Italy, Pino asks Francesca if she is ready. Before she can answer, the screen cuts to black. We then see Dev and Francesca (minus her engagement ring) together in bed. It seems to indicate that she dumped Pino, yet the ending remains tantalizingly ambiguous. Is this a dream? A flash-forward? If so, are Dev and Francesca happy about the decision? It was both heartwarming and anxiety-provoking, two emotional reactions that “Master of None” consistently mixes so well.
#9: Jimmy Fools Chuck “Better Call Saul” (2015-)
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While the first two seasons were great, this season 3 scene proved that “Better Call Saul” could stand proudly with its predecessor in the upper quality echelons of TV. In this scene, Jimmy has a cell phone battery planted on his brother Chuck, who supposedly suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. It is immediately satisfying to watch, mostly because it was nice to see the defeat of Chuck - even though he was absolutely correct in his assessment of Jimmy - but it was also heartbreakingly tragic. This is the death of their relationship, and you can see how much it pains Jimmy. If Michael McKean doesn’t win an Emmy this year, we’re gonna go cray.
#8: Janine Threatens to Jump “The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017-)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is probably one of the bleakest series ever on television, and that despair is especially prominent in the penultimate episode’s bridge scene. Janine/Ofdaniel, fed up with her dystopian society’s regulations, steals back her baby and attempts to commit murder/suicide by jumping off a bridge. To talk her down, June/Offred tells her that things will get better, and that one day they will go out drinking. However, Janine doesn’t buy it. She gives June her baby before confidently jumping off the bridge. To make matters worse, her suicide attempt doesn’t work. It really doesn’t get more depressing, and it perfectly highlights what an uncompromising and terrifying experience watching “The Handmaid’s Tale” can be.
#7: One Take Episode “Mr. Robot” (2015-)
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This series has been a bit of a roller coaster in its first seasons. The first season was lauded for its cinematography, exciting storyline, and social commentary. However, the second season received a much more mixed reaction, mostly due to its reliance on technical wizardry over telling an interesting story. To compensate, the third season has been much more laid back and introspective . . . until this episode, edited to appear as though it was shot in a single take. it’s a marvel, a perfect blend of complex filmmaking and emotional storytelling. Single-take scenes have been popping up in television for years now, but an entire episode devoted to the concept is simply breathtaking. Welcome back, “Mr. Robot.”
#6: The Plot Twist “The Good Place” (2016-)
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“The Good Place” is an unusual fantasy show from comedy writer/producer/guru Michael Schur, starring Kristen Bell as a mean-spirited woman who is accidentally sent to a utopian afterlife filled with righteous and morally sound occupants. Throughout the first season, Bell’s character tries to become a better person so that she can fit in with her environment, and most of the humor comes from her moral imperfections. However, a huge bombshell is dropped in the finale when Eleanor realizes that The Good Place is actually a hoax created by a malevolent demon posing as an angel, and is actually a type of torture chamber. We weren’t really expecting a massive plot twist in our network comedies, and it got us good!
#5: Evil Morty Takes Over the Citadel “Rick and Morty” (2013-)
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To call this show a cult classic might undersell its appeal. For the third season’s seventh episode, we were taken to The Citadel and treated to various little vignettes, including a story about a jaded Morty police officer, a factory worker Rick, and multiple Mortys. However, it all culminated in a shocker of an ending, which saw President/Evil Morty gunning down Ricks and taking total control of The Citadel. The episode ends with a dramatic reveal of floating corpses while Blonde Redhead’s “For the Damaged Coda” ominously plays. It’s a fantastically dark, creepy, and chill-worthy scene that not only highlights how “Rick and Morty” combines comedy and tragedy, but also which promises juicy dramatic possibilities for the show’s future.
#4: The Atom Bomb “Twin Peaks: The Return” (2017)
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This year saw the brilliant return to television of Mark Frost and David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” after more than two decades, and it was every bit as weird and experimental as we’d hoped. Part 8 takes us back to July 16, 1945 to witness the detonation of the atomic bomb Trinity. What follows can only be described as pure David Lynch. The camera slowly zooms in on the mushroom cloud as horrifying, screeching music plays, and we are then treated to abstract, avant-garde images as the music ominously continues. It is truly baffling, but also unlike anything we’ve ever seen on television. Lynch changed the TV game back in 1990, and he did it again in 2017.
#3: The Roseroad Battle “Game of Thrones” (2011-)
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After “Battle of the Bastards” blew everyone away in 2016, the anticipation for another climactic “Game of Thrones” battle was through the roof. The battle on the Roseroad certainly didn’t disappoint. As the Lannister caravan travels the road, Daenerys makes her move, complete with Drogon and the Dothraki. What follows is about ten minutes of pure bliss. Filmed in much the same manner as the “Battle of the Bastards”, it features some incredible moments, including Bronn shooting down Drogon and Jaime charging Dany. It’s arguably one of the most cinematic battle scenes in television history, and it proves that the dividing line between film and television is rapidly deteriorating.
#2: The Kevin & Nora Fight “The Leftovers” (2014-17)
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“The Leftovers” concluded its third and final season in 2017, and in the process, we lost perhaps one of the greatest television shows of the modern era. In the season’s fourth episode, Kevin and Nora meet back at their hotel after the Melbourne interviewers reject Nora, and Kevin suffers a psychotic breakdown. What follows is a deeply personal fight that culminates in Kevin burning Matt’s book and storming out of the hotel. The increasing volume of the music, and the incredible acting from Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon make for a crescendo of pure, unfiltered drama. It really is a shame that “The Leftovers” never received an Emmy, because this is modern television at its best. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. The Ending to “Finding Frances” “Nathan for You” (2013-) The Slow-Mo Kitchen Explosion “Legion” (2017-) Death by Air Conditioner “Fargo” (2014-)
#1: The Ambush “Stranger Things” (2016-)
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Someone give this kid an Emmy already! The highly anticipated second season of “Stranger Things” was full of fantastic moments, including the tearful reunion of Mike and Eleven, but it was the ending of “The Spy” that truly captured our attention. In the episode, Will serves as a spy for the shadow monster and tricks Owens to send his team into a deadly trap. This, in turn, unleashes the monsters onto the facility and the town of Hawkins.The acting, music, and cinematography of this scene are truly incredible, and it introduces the enticing concept of Will turning villain - even though nothing really came of it… yet? When’s season three coming out?
