Hi everyone! It’s almost the end of the year so it seems like a great time to think back about the shows which no longer air on TV and recall our favorite moments from them. Special thanks to: DarkUFO, Patrick Maloney, Darthlocke, Bradley Adams, overandback, Justicerocks11, Luana, MeatyStakes, Micah, Deb Drake, Mira, Laura M, Irina Suess, Robin, Missi, Saloni and Page 48 for their contribution and help in creating this article. Unfortunately I was not able to include all your picks and shows, just some of them, like I mentioned in the submission post. Maybe they’ll feature in a future article in the summer, we’ll see. Anyway, for now enjoy reading and Happy New Year Everyone!
LOST, September 22, 2004 – May 23, 2010, Created by: Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Darth Locke: This scene where Jack lays dying, but not alone, just brings everything in the series full circle and beyond. It's heart breaking and hopeful, as we learn that there is life beyond death and even a life beyond that. Every time I look up in the sky and see an airplane fly over head I always think of this scene and I get a misty eyed.
Charlie’s death- Another heartbreaking scene, but IMO Charlie's purpose in this version of the timeline signifies a great spiritual change that I think was thematically important. But the whole Looking Glass scenes were great, as even Desmond, now knowing the Penny is out there, can't save Charlie.
Justyna Kubica: I remember watching "Through the Looking Glass". For me it was probably one of the most emotional episodes not only on LOST, but in general, that I’ve seen on TV. I actually watched it after it first aired, as a part of marathon with the last few episodes of season 3. Charlie’s death was something that I knew that is going to happen, but it didn’t make things easier, not at all. He’s one of my favorite characters on the show and the way he volunteered to go to his death in order to save everyone else gets me every single time. So, even though I usually avoid watching this episode, because of its emotional impact, it’s hard not to remember that talk with Penny, Charlie writing a message on his hand and then, fading away in the water, saving Desmond in the process…
Laura M: The dharma van rescue in 'Tricia Tanaka is dead' Sawyer, Jin, Charlie and Hurley make the van work with a lot of team effort. Pretty much what Lost was about, team work and hope, in the middle of crazy moments and sadness."
Justyna Kubica: In the show so complicated like LOST, with so many dangers, mysteries, deaths, it’s hard to find something as hopeful and optimistic as this scene. Easily one of my favorite moments on the show! I loved the teamwork, the craziness, the fact that Hurley didn’t stop believing and it worked. Such a beautiful moment of relief and happiness for the characters, one of very few ones, which makes it even more special.
DarthLocke: Despite the back story with Roger Linus, this is one of the most hopeful scenes in the series and rare moment where we see some of the characters have a good time together.
DarkUFO: One of the most moving scenes I've ever witnessed on TV. The build up and the scene itself were perfection and the acting simply stunning.
Justyna Kubica: It still is one of my all-time favorite romantic moments, best dialogues and performances on TV. A really perfect scene, with just a right build up and direction. It’s hard to say what I liked about this part, because it’s pretty much everything. It’s just a must-see scene.
4. Ben explains to Ilana why he killed Jacob from "Dr. Linus"
Justyna Kubica: Ben’s monologue is very emotional and, unlike many of the things he says, completely honest. His pain, struggle is masterfully acted by the amazing Michael Emerson who just outdid himself here. I knew he was talented but this moment made me think of him as one of most talented actors out there. Also "But the thing that really mattered was already gone." and "Because he's the only one that'll have me." were incredibly powerful and heartbreaking lines. Especially in the way they were delivered.
5. The opening scene from "Pilot"
DarkUFO: An iconic moment that had me hooked instantly. Gave me chills watching the final scene of the series 6 season later when the same eye closed. Simply Awesome.
ALIAS, September 30, 2001 – May 22, 2006, Created by J. J. Abrams
1. Jack Bristow sacrifices himself to bury himself and Arvin Sloane inside the tomb from "All The Time in the World"
DarthLocke: Well beyond the fact that you can speculate away if anyone is actually dead given Rambaldi's life elixir was also in the tomb, it still was a strong scene of a final act of seeing Jack try to tack control of things to protect his daughter one last time.
2. Will Tippin learns the truth about Sydney Bristow being a spy from "Rendezvous"
DarthLocke: It's really just the build up and Brady Cooper's fantastic response when he comes face to face with Jennifer Garner that makes this one of my favorite scenes and probably one of my favorite Alias episodes.
3. Sydney wakes up 2 year later from "The Telling"
MeatyStakes: Sydney passes out after fighting Allison, and when she wakes up she discovers 2 years have passed, and Michael is married.
Page 48: What did I like most about that scene?: Everything. It still gives me goosebumps 7 1/2 years later. One of the best scenes of the series. Look at Sydney. She's dressed for business. As soon as Dixon gets out of the car, she leaves her shades on the hood of the Jeep. Why does she do that? Did the sun suddenly go under a cloud? No way. Sydney knows she has to make a tough sale and she knows that eye contact is going to do a lot of the heavy lifting for her. She also has too much respect for Dixon to blow through this presentation hiding behind dark glasses. Also notice how she doesn't say a word to Dixon until he removes his shades as well. This is serious business and there is going to be some serious eye contact needed right here and now.
I can't recall if JG has a more intense scene in the whole series. She starts out quietly, waiting to see how Dixon reacts. See how clearly and deliberately she enunciates every word to Dixon. The only moment she takes her eyes away from Dixon's gaze is a few brief seconds that she needs to compose herself. She soon realizes she needs to step it up a notch if she hopes to get Dixon onside. Dixon starts to react with disbelief, raising his voice and turning away, but Syd won't get out of his face. She won't let Dixon get the upper hand. Dixon raises his voice and gets the hand gestures going, Sydney gets even more aggressive and gets a little hand action going herself. Her first "you have to listen to me" falls on deaf ears, so she absolutely screams it the second time. I think the second "you have to listen to me", with her hands flying in Dixon's face, is my favourite Sydney Bristow moment of the entire series. She knows she cannot lose this battle without losing her father to the evil Gaiger. Dixon reluctantly gives in and Syd, sensing that Dixon has accepted that she is telling the truth, gets quiet again, not enjoying screaming at Dixon, who she has the highest regard for. She is almost inaudible when she says "you need to hurry".
DarthLocke: Agent Kendall reveals the truth behind Sydney's memories and actions for the two years she was missing. There first conversation on the plane was fantastic. Besides the much needed clarity given, Terry O'Quinn just always plays these characters that have to expose others to hard truths. It also was heartbreaking to learn that the reason why Sydney decided to remove her memories was because Michael Vaughn had become engaged to Lauren Reed only a very short time after Sydney's staged death.
Page 48: What I liked most: Everything. Visually, it's gorgeous. I love the song, "Give You Back" by Vertical Horizon. This is the one and only place I've ever heard that song, so it has only one meaning for me. I love how the camera pans all the way around before revealing Jack standing there waiting to approach Sydney. And then the slow unraveling of the truth (be told), that Jack is also a double agent, working with the CIA. And, then the perfect ending to the perfect pilot, a simple "Hello" opens the door to a brand new world for a fresh-faced Sydney Bristow.
SMALLVILLE, October 16, 2001 – May 13, 2011, Created by: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (characters)
1. Jonathan's funeral from "Reckoning"
Micah: Jonathan's death was a tragic loss to the Kent Family. His funeral was both beautiful and overwhelming as we witnessed his coffin being lowered six feet under the ground. It was a dark day in Smallville. Jonathan was a loving husband to Martha and a true father to Clark. Mr. Kent shaped Clark into the man he wanted him to be.
Micah: After 8 years, the story of the star-crossed lovers comes to an end. Lana departing not only from Smallville or the Kent Farm but Clark was agonizing. Their final goodbye alluded to their words spoken back in the graveyard when they were young. For that, I applaud. It was appreciated that a proper yet disheartening end was given to the story of Clark Kent and Lana Lang.
3. Lex and Clark's confrontation in the Fortress of Solitude from "Artic"
Patrick Maloney: It was a perfect end to the relationship the show was building, however impromptu the ending was.
Justyna Kubica: We had to wait a really long time for this scene, but it was worth it. Both Clark's speech and Lois' response felt just right. This scene always makes me smile! In the end, it was Lois who really surprised Clark, not the other way around. I have to say, they were a lovely couple and also one of my main reasons to watch the series. The actors had a great chemistry, both very talented people and they played one of the most iconic couples (for me anyway) so well. I miss watching these two on my TV and this scene is one of my most memorable moments on the series and a real joy to watch, even now, after years. It's almost hard to believe it's been so long. Another great scene with this duo, probably the most rewatched one by me from the series happens on the beginning of their friendship, when Lois throws Clark in the water tank. Loved the song, the looks on their faces, Chloe already noticing a connection between them and Jason (Jensen Ackles!) in the background.
5. Chloe learns the truth about Clark from "Pariah"
Micah: Clark unwittingly exposing his Kryptonian abilities to Chloe courtesy of Alicia was amazing. Really quite refreshing to let a close friend in on the secret. By some, keeping Clark's gift a secret has been referred as a burden, but not Chloe. She relished in the knowledge of his secret. In subsequent episodes, it was fun watching Chloe hinting at Clark's secret.
Justyna Kubica: After a lovely beginning of the episode, things got intense pretty quickly. And the final moments of the show were much more powerful than I imagined. Carter, the man with burning wings, falling from the sky, still managed to save Lois in the process and helped her safely reunite with Clark. He accepted his death (as always), knowing it means he's gonna see his beloved once again. Tragic scene which changes into a beautiful tribute when Carter's friends say goodbye to the fallen hero. And the sad music playing in the background matches the moment quite perfectly. And if the funeral wasn't enough of an emotional punch, there's still the cliffhanger at the very end. I have to say, even though Carter wasn't one of my favorites the way he died made a big impact on me and reminded me of another great scene, back from season 5, Jonathan's death. And that's why it's one of my most memorable moments on the show.
And here's a couple extra scenes from ONE TREE HILL, September 23, 2003 – April 4, 2012, Created by: Mark Schwahn
Saloni: This scene is so special and memorable. The characters singing 'I Don't Wanna Be' always gives me goosebumps, it brings back a lot of nostalgia about the earlier scenes. The flash forward shows us how much the characters have grown and achieved, especially because the voice over is so brilliant.
This whole episode is one of the best of the series for various reasons, but its mostly memorable for what Dan did to his brother. This was the first episode of the show that featured such a tragic event and it was perfectly done. It shaped up the relationships for most of the characters for the future seasons. Keith was one of my favorite characters, and his death was truly, extremely sad. His final scenes, saving Lucas/Peyton and his attempt to save Jimmy were heroic in his own way.
And those are all the scenes I have for you this time. It's impossible to name all the great ones, but I think everyone has at least a few that are very memorable for them, maybe not necessarily the best ones but special for many reasons. So, what are YOURS? Which shows do you miss the most? Or maybe you're currently rewatching something? Feel free to share with us in the comments! And again, Happy New Year!
