Top 10 Memorable The Hills Moments

Back in the early seasons of “The Hills,” when Heidi and Lauren were still friends, Heidi goes through a TV show rite of passage of sorts: she has a pregnancy scare. She tells Lauren about it after she’s already taken a test, and Lauren uses it as an opportunity to get in a dig at Spencer. Then Heidi uses classic manipulations techniques to see what Spencer’s reaction would be to the big news even though she already knows that she’s not pregnant. Spencer gets the bad rap in this couple, but Heidi has a few tricks up her sleeve too.

By 2010 when the series finale of “The Hills” aired, TV viewers were becoming savvy about the process of creating reality TV and questioning just how “real” it was. “The Hills” peeled back the curtain in the final shots of the series, showing everything being filmed on a studio lot and implying that the term “reality” didn’t really apply here. You might recall that in 2013, three years after the show ended, the producers decided to air an alternate ending that featured Lauren Conrad in Brody Jenner’s apartment, implying that they were together.

Part way through Season 5 of the show, Lauren Conrad left and was replaced with old rival Kristin Cavallari as the lead. Kristin, of course, is known for stirring up drama, and wastes no time making fast enemies of Lauren’s friends. Kristin flirts with Audrina’s ex Justin Bobby (don’t worry, more on him later) and is unabashed about it. Rewatching this scene now it’s clear that A: everyone involved is probably drunk and B: this fight was started over essentially nothing. But hey, it really sets up all the drama to come.

The Audrina and Justin Bobby saga has so many memorable parts (like being named “Justin Bobby” and him flagrantly cheating on her), but one of our favorites is this gem from early in Season 3. Justin has just ditched Audrina at a party, and she goes to Lauren for comfort. Lauren, never holding back her feelings on her friends’ romantic interests, delivers this classic “Hills” line while trying to reassure Audrina that even if things aren’t working out with Justin, it’s really not so bad. To be fair, wearing combat boots to the beach is a pretty serious faux pas.

If you binge-watch “The Hills” from beginning to end, it’s clear that all of the characters change and grow as the series goes on - but some change more than others. At the beginning of Season 6, Heidi reappears with a whole new face, and goes home to see her family for the first time after undergoing extensive plastic surgery on her entire body. Her mother is unsurprisingly shocked by her appearance and the emotional confrontation they have is difficult to watch even all these years later.

If there has been one iconic image to have come out of this show, it is without a doubt the clip of Lauren with a black tear rolling down her face. The scene has been turned into a gif that has been used countless times online. The moment took place when Lauren was arguing with Audrina about her old friend Lo who was back in her life and making Audrina jealous. Of all the fights to take place on “The Hills,” this was one of the tamest, but it gave us the unforgettable mascara tear, which FYI, Conrad has said was actually caused by eyeliner.

The very first episode of “The Hills” kicked off with some major drama and set up some of the dynamics that would continue to be present throughout the show. Lauren begins her internship at Teen Vogue, and one of her first tasks is helping to organize a party for the magazine. Heidi wants to attend, but Lauren (smartly) doesn’t think inviting her friends is very professional. When Heidi and co. show up unannounced, Lauren (not so smartly) lets them in. They end up making a scene and Lauren is ultimately reprimanded by her boss.

One of the most common (and enjoyable) dynamics on “The Hills” was Lauren and Heidi fighting about Spencer. In this episode, Lauren blames Spencer for something that he may or may not have been involved in (although knowing him, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised). Lauren confronts Heidi about it, and as always isn’t afraid to hold back when talking about her BFF’s BF. She memorably calls him a “sucky person,” which is a pretty hilarious insult because we have a feeling she wanted to say something a little less PG.

In the Season 1 finale, Lauren made a decision that had us all screaming at our TV screens. When offered a summer internship in Paris, she is forced to decide between taking this exciting career opportunity and... spending the summer with her boyfriend? It seems like an easy enough choice, but Lauren somehow still manages to choose wrong, opting to stay at home with Jason and letting Whitney take the internship. Everything worked out for Lauren in the end, but this still gives us rage.

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

Whitney’s Fall
"Everyone Falls"

“Forgive and Forget”
“Forgive and Forget”

Spencer Apologizes to Lauren
"Hi Lauren, It's Spencer"

Of all the fights to take place on “The Hills,” this one was undoubtedly the most memorable. You had to be following the tabloids at the time to get the full story, but allegedly someone leaked news that Lauren had made a sex tape, and she of course jumped to blaming Heidi and Spencer. During her dramatic confrontation with her former friend, she hurled accusations without ever explicitly mentioning the issue at hand. She uttered this famous line (along with several others), and the rest is Hollywood history.