Top 10 EXACT Moments That Saved TV Shows

“Fargo” (2014-)

After three seasons well worthy of the Coen brothers’ original masterpiece, this anthology series started to lose its audience with a meandering fourth season. When Season 5 premiered, many assumed “Fargo” was past its prime. It hooked us back in with a scene that returned to the franchise’s roots. Juno Temple’s Dot is enjoying a peaceful day at home when masked men break in. This mirrors a sequence from the 1996 film when Mrs. Lundegaard is taken. Instead of tripping and knocking herself out, though, Dot asserts that she’s a tiger who won’t go quietly. This sets a tone for a season that perhaps shares the most in common with the source material, yet still stands out as a unique story in the “Fargo” universe.

“Stranger Things” (2016-)

Eleven might’ve been Season 1’s MVP, but part of the character’s appeal was seeing her interact with her new friends. She spends most of Season 2 separated from the group, causing her storyline to drag. It hits a low point when Eleven teams up with a band of discount X-Men. Thankfully, it only took one more episode for “Stranger Things” to get back on track. With our heroes trapped in a cabin surrounded by Demodogs, we hear a brutal scuffle offscreen. Through the door walks Eleven, who couldn’t be happier to see her friends and vice versa. It took a minute, but seeing Eleven and Mike exchange relieved smiles made the journey to this reunion worth it. Plus, Eleven was overdue for another badass moment.

“The Book of Boba Fett” (2021-22)

After being a fan favorite for decades, Boba Fett finally got his own miniseries and the response was… ehhhhh. It wasn’t the worst or anything, but fans were generally underwhelmed, leaving them to ask, “When are we getting new ‘Mandalorian’ episodes?” The showrunners seemingly had the same thought, as Mando suddenly pops up in episode five, hijacking the show from an MIA Boba Fett. One could argue that this is slopping storytelling since the show is called “The Book of Boba Fett.” It’s like if you tuned into “Frasier” and got an episode of “Cheers” instead. Nevertheless, we’d be lying if we said that the show didn’t become immensely better with the arrival of Mando and later Grogu, turning a skippable series into a must-watch.

“Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)

Season 7 of “Gilmore Girls” is often cited as the weakest due to the absence of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. While that didn’t help, the show already dug itself into a hole with Luke having a daughter he never knew about and Lorelai sleeping with Christopher. The final season had to deal with this fallout, but it found redemption by the end. It’s worth getting through these rough patches to see Stars Hollow bid Rory farewell and Luke reconcile with Lorelai. The last scene, in particular, hits just the right note with Rory and Lorelai sitting down to a meal at Luke’s, going back to where the series started. Sherman-Palladino also eventually shared the ending she had in mind… with a more mixed reception.

“Seinfeld” (1989-98)

“Seinfeld” is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, but those who watch it from the beginning are inclined to say, “I don’t get it.” Admittedly, the show was still figuring itself out in Season 1, but things started to click with this Season 2 episode. At a dinner party, Jerry makes an offhanded remark about hating anybody who had a pony growing up. Little does he realize that the elderly hostess had a pony, taking offense. Adding injury to insult, she dies shortly after with some suspecting Jerry’s comment killed her. This moment captured what “Seinfeld” evolved into. It’s not a show about nothing. It’s about how nothing can snowball into something. It also unearthed the dark humor that’d form the show’s identity.

“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)

When Brian got hit by a car and died, we all thought to ourselves, “They can’t be serious.” Apparently, they were, as the episode ends with the Griffins moving on and getting a new dog named Vinnie. He’d remain the family’s dog for two more episodes until Stewie went back in time, saving Brian. Some felt that killing Brian off only to bring him back so quickly was a cheap ratings ploy. While we can’t argue otherwise, resurrecting Brian was better than the alternative of having him remain dead. “Family Guy” has been hit and miss since then, but it’s safe to say that there would’ve been far more misses without Brian. The show just couldn’t continue without his presence.

“Friends” (1994-2004)

In Season 8, Rachel and Joey briefly consider having sex before realizing that would be ridiculous. It’s treated as a joke, which makes it all the more jarring when Joey falls in love with Rachel one episode later. While this at least leads to some welcome character development, the show gets into shark-jumping territory when Rachel later returns Joey’s feelings. Season 10 kicks off with them becoming a couple, but it fortunately doesn’t last long. Joey and Rachel quickly find what the audience already knew. They have no romantic chemistry and they’re better off as good friends. As cringey as this storyline was, we give the show credit for ripping off the Band-Aid and moving forward, sticking the landing with the final episodes.

“Family Matters” (1989-98)

According to Bryton James, who played Richie Crawford on “Family Matters,” the long-running sitcom almost didn’t make it past one season. Any chatter of cancellation seemed to go out the window after episode 12 when Jaleel White made his debut as Steve Urkel. Despite becoming synonymous with the show, the Winslows’ nerdy neighbor was only meant to be a one-off character. Urkel soon went from guest star, to series regular, to essentially being the center of the Winslows’ universe. Had it not been for Urkel’s introduction, maybe “Family Matters” would’ve prevailed and gotten another season. It’s hard to imagine the show becoming a phenomenon without Urkel, however. He saved it from just being another family-friendly sitcom, turning it into something one-of-a-kind.

“Breaking Bad” (2008-13)

Season 1 of this acclaimed drama concludes with drug kingpin Tuco beating his lieutenant No-Doze to death over a minor comment, leaving Walt and Jesse to realize who they’re dealing with. The ending could’ve gone in an even more shocking direction, although it would’ve held “Breaking Bad” back from reaching its full potential. Initially, Vince Gilligan wanted Jesse to die in Season 1 during a drug deal gone wrong. This would establish that anyone could die with Walt carrying the guilt. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul worked off each other so well that Gilligan spared Jesse, presumably having No-Doze take his place. Had the series continued without Jesse, Walt’s transformation wouldn’t have been nearly as fascinating, making No-Doze’s death more integral than we realized.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Now We Had a Real Race for the White House That Kept Us Invested for Two More Seasons

The Murder Storyline Was Bad, But Could’ve Been Much Worse If It Led to an Arrest & Trial

After Some of the Show’s Weakest Episodes, Season 4 Bounced Back with the Gentlemen

We Like Christopher Eccleston, But For Our Money, the Revival Started With the Tenth Doctor

Danny DeVito Elevates a Promising Sitcom to One of the Greats

“Saturday Night Live” (1975-)

“SNL” entered a dark age without Lorne Michaels. We’re not saying that Eddie Murphy single-handedly kept the show relevant. Without his presence, though, we doubt this sketch comedy would’ve made it past Season 6, let alone to Season 49. Murphy didn’t even get a line with his first appearance, but writers David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein recognized his talents. The three fleshed out a character Murphy created, Raheem Abdul Mohammad, who made his debut on “Weekend Update.” While his screentime is brief, Murphy’s signature wit and delivery are in full force. From there, Murphy’s ascension continued with characters like Mister Robinson and Gumby. It all started with this sketch, putting Murphy on the map as a rising comedy superstar and saving “SNL.”