It's that time of year again: award season. To start everything off, television gets its moment in the spotlight with the Primetime Emmy Awards (August 25, 8pm EST on NBC). A wide range of shows were nominated this year, with everything from Netflix originals such as Orange is the New Black and House of Cards to mainstays like Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Modern Family to the curtain call for Breaking Bad.
It should be a fun night, especially with Seth Meyers with the reins as the host. To help take a look back at the year in television, here's ten of the many memorable moments from the Emmy year in television. The picks range from comedy to the more serious side, with most of them leaning toward coming from shows nominated in the Best Drama category. A lot of this year's big moments had to do with a death of a character, but that goes with the reality that death and sadness are more captivating television. So without further ado, our ten most memorable moments from the year so far in television (Disclaimer: some spoilers obviously follow).
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10. Sheldon Kisses Amy, The Big Bang Theory
There aren’t too many things you look forward to in a sitcom. You want to be entertained and you want to laugh. In the case of The Big Bang Theory, most viewers root for Amy to finally get some love and affection from Sheldon. On the Valentine’s Day episode, in the middle of an argument, Sheldon plants a kiss on Amy to quiet her down. Amy’s reaction is relief, that her boyfriend really does care about her.
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9. Carol Shoots Lizzie, The Walking Dead
Not that anyone’s really safe in a zombie apocalypse, but this episode really proved it. Lizzie was never really right after her dad died during the prison outbreak, and her arc this past season proved that. Taking a storyline from the comics, Lizzie killed her younger sister, thinking that it’d be easier if they were both undead. Carol stopped Lizzie from offing herself, but Carol ends up shooting Lizzie anyway to ease her pain and end her suffering.
[ new page = With a Name Like Lorne Malvo, You Better Be Terrifying ]
8. Malvo Threatens Grimly, Fargo
Toward the end of the pilot episode of Fargo, Lorne Malvo, driving Lester Nygaard’s car to get rid of it after Lester had just killed his wife, gets pulled over by Gus Grimly of the Minneapolis Police Department. Malvo talks his way out of even getting out of the car, basically scaring Gus into walking away to be able to get home to his daughter.
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7. Suzanne Asks Piper Why Everyone Calls Her Crazy Eyes, Orange is the New Black
Throughout season one, Suzanne (aka Crazy Eyes), was around for some comic relief. Season two changed that, and made viewers question why they were laughing at all at her. On top of getting some more backstory into her troubled childhood, it was revealed that Suzanne was the one who knocked Piper out, she takes the fall for Vee at the end of the season, and in this scene, explains how much worse her situation is than everyone else at Litchfield.
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6. Hank Bites the Bullet, Breaking Bad
Following the shootout from the previous episode that left Gomez dead, Hank’s life hung in the balance at the hands of Uncle Jack and his gang. Walt tries to plead for Hank’s life, even going as far as offering Jack his money that’s buried in the desert. Hank knows Jack isn’t going to make any deals, and then Jack shoots Hank in the head. Walt completely breaks down.
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5. Joffery Poisoned at his own Wedding, Game of Thrones
If the Red Wedding was any indication, no supposedly festive get together is safe in Westeros. This time around, the character everyone who watches the show loves to hate finally bit the bullet. King Joffery, poisoned at his own wedding, implicates his uncle in the murder, setting up an excellent scene later on the season at Tyrion’s trial.
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4. Zoe Becomes Paint on the Train, House of Cards
Talk about a way to start off a season. The second season’s first episode, House of Cards dropped a bomb on everyone. Following the death of Peter Russo, Frank Underwood, the Vice President at the time of the episode, needs to distance himself from the murder. His conclusion? Get rid of anyone that can connect him to Russo, namely Zoe. So what does Frank do? He pushes Zoe in front of a moving Metro train.
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3. Walt Tries to Get His Family to Run, and it Doesn't Work Well, Breaking Bad
It’s the last time the entire White family was together, and it wasn’t a very amicable departure. Skyler questions why Hank let Walt go from custody, and her quick conclusion is that he killed Hank, the one thing Walt didn’t actually do. Skyler and Walt get into a very uncomfortable fight, with Junior even getting involved to pull his father away. As Junior calls the police, Walt takes a crying Holly and leaves the house.
[ new page = A World Where Nothing Is Solved ]
2. "Time is a Flat Circle", True Detective
So much of True Detective could be considered iconic, if not just for the presence of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. The moment that stands out above the rest is when present day Rust Chole tells the investigators that time is a flat circle. That statement drives the whole narrative, and the messed up world these characters are living in.
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1. Tyrion's Trial, Game of Thrones
The most interesting character the entire run of the show has been Tyrion. He’s the most charismatic, has his foot in everything, and is played to perfection by Peter Dinklage. After being pointed at by a dying Joffery, Cersei immediately jumped to the conclusion that Tyrion did it. He stands trial for the murder of the king, and delivers one of the best speeches in recent television history in the process.