20 Of The Most GOATed TV Scenes In History, According To People Who Love Television

Thanks to the Golden Age of Television, AKA the peak prestige TV era, there have been some iconic TV shows that left with us some of the most cinematic, GOATed scenes. You know, the ones that stay with you long after the episode, or even the series, is over. In r/television, someone asked, “What are your thoughts, Reddit? What are some of the best-written scenes in television?” The answers that poured were a catalog of these memorable moments. Here’s what people had to say:1. “The single shot of the six-minute gang raid from True Detective.” A helicopter shines a spotlight in the dark. Below, a tense scene shows two men, with one restraining the other outside a building

—rccrisp

“It basically led to the boom of limited series with A-list actors. That one scene caused so much buzz, it made True Detective a pop culture phenom, at least until Season 2.”

—DJMhat

You can check out the scene here.

2. “Community’s ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’ when it’s Troy’s turn to get the pizza.” A surprised person holding a pizza box sees a room in chaos, with two people attending to someone on the floor. This is a scene from a TV comedy

—itsbraille

“Birth of the best GIF ever.”

—Jadziyah

“What’s crazy is that this timeline takes up the least amount of screen time in this episode, but it’s still one of the biggest inside jokes of the entire show, and one of the most defining features of the show.”

—IndyStudios

You can check out the scene here.

3. “The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. Shocking even for those who knew what was coming.” A dramatic scene from a medieval-themed show. A woman looks up solemnly, with a banquet table and armored arm below

—Drachenfuer

You can check out the scene here.

4. “Where’s Wallace?” Two scenes: A thoughtful man with his hand on his chin; a tense interrogation in progress between officers and another man

—darlin133

“Taking out Wallace was the beginning of the end for Stringer.”

—merle2635

You can check out the scene here.

5. “Lost: ‘WE HAVE TO GO BACK!'” A man looks concerned, touching his forehead, while a woman appears emotional, her eyes closed

—Kingbilet

“The greatest twist in television history. It completely decontextualized the series, and was so unexpected.”

—25willp

You can check out the scene here.

6. “The scene in Chernobyl where Sitnikov goes down into the bunker and explains to Dyatlov and the plant managers that he believes the core has exploded.” A scene from a TV drama showing a man in a hospital setting and a smoky, industrial disaster site

“That actor fucking crushes it and he really captures the whole ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this but I am’ that the real life character would presumably have felt. All the acting is phenomenal. You can feel the great regret with which he delivers his suspicions followed by, of course, management’s refusal to believe him.”

—Taskmasterburster

You can check out the scene here.

7. “Buffy Season 5, Episode 17: ‘Mom? Mom? Mommy?'” Two scenes of a young woman in an emotional confrontation with another woman lying on a couch

—theangryantipodean

“That absolutely killed me. So well done. So much with so little.”

—Northwindlowlander

“The part where she opens the door and hears the children playing, the birds chirping, and the sun shining on her face is so relatable if you’ve ever lost someone because it’s like you can’t comprehend how the rest of the world just keeps going.”

—A2ADK

You can check out the scene here.

8. “Sopranos. Season 1, ‘Pax Soprana.'” A man in a formal suit addresses others at a meeting; below are photos of three men labeled as capos

“Tony is toasting Junior’s ascension to boss, finally. A lot of big-time mobsters are there. Then you hear the camera start snapping. Xzibit starts bumping, and we see the reveal of the feds working the organized crime case. And then, they move Junior up to Boss as he looks down at Tony, who only gets closer and closer to taking all the power for himself. Legendary television moment.”

—Cee503

You can check out the scene here.

9. “Chidi’s ‘Picture a Wave’ speech in The Good Place.” Two people sit closely on a sofa, watching a screen intently. They appear engaged and thoughtful

—JayUNCW

“This scene is even more touching when you consider that a few episodes ago, Chidi was worried that Eleanor would eventually grow bored of him after spending an eternity with him. Instead, she spends this episode having trouble letting go of him, while he is content and confident about him leaving.”

—michaeldavis1879

You can check out the scene here.

10. “Any scene where Olyphant and Goggins are together in Justified, especially the very last scene of the series.” Two scenes from a TV drama: Top, a man speaks into a phone at a prison visit; bottom, another man listens, also holding a phone

—TwoDurans

“I truly believed Boyd Crowder is one of the best-written and acted villains in TV history. Walton Goggins did a downright phenomenal job.”

—Smallfrye

You can check out the scene here.

11. “The Americans. Paige getting off the train. Such a good show.” Two scenes from a drama: a woman seen through a train window, and a man and woman seated inside the train, both appearing tense

—_Stygimoloch_

“The characters didn’t need to say a word; the song said it all. This was such a powerful sequence. Elizabeth breathes a sigh of relief, thinking they have escaped the authorities. Then the song reaches its climax when Elizabeth sees Paige out the window. Such a haunting scene. Paige steps out, and Philip and Elizabeth realize their daughter has chosen her own path, her own life at that moment, which is what they have raised her to do, albeit not exactly what they expected. The train is a fitting symbol of ‘life must go on,’ and the life-altering decisions we make when we choose a stop.”

—Incogmanito

12. “The Expanse has quite a few epic moments, but I think fans would agree the most standout one is: ‘I am that guy.'” Actor in sci-fi military gear aims a rifle, set in a futuristic environment

—IamCaptainHandsome

“I like that they kept building up throughout the entire plot line that Prax was slowly losing his moral compass.

Amos is such a great character — a violent sociopath who knows he’s a violent sociopath, so he finds people he can trust to act as his moral guide. We get three or four reaction shots of Amos throughout the season noticing Prax slowly getting more and more down that path, and then when they finally catch up with Strickland, Amos steps in to stop Prax from going too far. But then Amos gets to be Amos and we get, ‘I am that guy.'”

—eye_can_see_you

You can check out the scene here.

13. “‘Tell. Me. Again.’ The last 15 minutes of Season 5, Episode 9 in Better Call Saul.” Scene from a TV show with three people in a dimly lit room. A man with a mustache is seated on a couch, engaging with the others

—IgloosRuleOK

“Better Call Saul sometimes makes you forget Lalo is a psychopathic drug kingpin who’d kill you without hesitation, but he is kind enough to remind you that he is a psychopathic drug kingpin who’d kill you without hesitation.”

—TheNorthie

You can check out the scene here.

14. “Mad Men. The Carousel Pitch. Season 1, Episode 13. It’s a masterpiece of storytelling and performance.” A man in a business suit presents to a captivated audience in a dimly lit meeting room

—mrmcspazatron

“This scene without context is pretty good, but knowing Don’s situation at that point of the show makes it perfect. It basically sums up his character: he is the best at selling the perfect happy ‘American Dream’ family… but he is incapable of having it.”

—esmurrembam

You can check out the scene here.

15. “Scrubs: ‘Where do you think we are?'” Two men in a park talking to another person, each wearing casual and formal attire, from a TV scene

—SuddenAborealStop

“Part of what I love about that scene is that I partially suspected that what happened had happened. But even with the thought in the back of my head, it still hits you like a ton of bricks.”

—House_T

You can check out the scene here.

16. “Succession. When Kendall, Shiv and Roman get the news about Logan. Incredible scene.” Top: Woman speaking urgently by the window. Bottom: Two men looking concerned. Scene from a dramatic TV show

—ThaddeusGriffin_

“Logan dying out of nowhere was more realistic than anything else they could’ve tried.”

—poppy87

You can check out the scene here and here.

17. “Not sure if it’s writing or acting, but the ‘Why doesn’t my dad want me?’ scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” A young man in casual clothing looks emotional in a living room; later, he hugs an older man, conveying comfort and support

—bw1979

“It’s both. That felt like everyone involved tapped into something real and raw. It wasn’t a moment to entertain. It was a moment to relate on a personal level, as a writer, actor, or viewer.”

—Lt_Lysol

You can check out the scene here.

18. “The Haunting of Hill House Episode 6 ‘Two Storms.'” Scene from a thriller, a man in a hallway and balcony, both scenes suggest suspense and tension

“For anyone who hasn’t seen it, holy cow, it makes the whole series worth a watch. The sets were designed to make this episode work, and the actors spent months rehearsing it with the crew. The resulting episode is a masterpiece. Constantly switching between the funeral home in the present and Hill House in the past. Framed as a single take (there are a few times where the cuts are edited out), the tension becomes explosive as you almost can’t keep up with the transitions. It’s a brilliant episode. Here’s a great making-of the episode.”

—LamesMcGee

You can check out the scene here.

19. “‘Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ starts playing.” Animated character Fry reads a tombstone inscribed with his name, then looks at a fossilized four-leaf clover in a transparent case

—Pandos17

“I know the dog episode is the more notorious ‘cry every time’ one, and it is sad, of course, but ‘Luck of the Fryrish’ gets me without fail. I can barely even think about it without tearing up a little.”

—SlimmyShammy

“Philip J. Fry is such a tragic character. He always thought that no one would miss him if he were gone, but little did he know — his whole family, including his dog, missed him, and they felt empty without him. Such a well-written character.”

—PeteyGreeneNC

You can check out the scene here.

20. And lastly, in honor of David Lynch, “Twin Peaks. Cooper’s dream in Season 1, Episode 3. Basically, the weirdest TV had ever gotten to that point, and is the single inspiration of any weird dream sequence in TV going forward.” Scene from "Twin Peaks" with characters sitting in a surreal red room, featuring a statue and iconic zigzag floor pattern