What were the most amazingly brilliant moments (and the most horrific scenes) delivered by the almighty television this year? We've rounded up the very best bits from a whole year of obsessive TV watching — along with some of the absolute worst.
Check out our list and video of the greatest and most horrendous scenes from science fiction and fantasy television. Warning: spoilers below!
BEST
Game Of Thrones - "Blackwater"
Tyrion Lannister commands the troops, as only he can.
Doctor Who - "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" A little bit of fun before we had to say goodbye to the Ponds forever. This episode (and especially this cute scene) was a nice return to the "fun" Doctor, if only for a little while.
Continuum - "Matter of Time"
Vancouver morphs from the future to the present, right in front of your eyes.
Castle - "The Final Frontier"
Nathan Fillion in the Captain's chair.
American Horror Story Asylum - "Origins of Monstrosity"
Sister Mary Eunice is possessed by "the Devil." And what does the Devil want? To get all dolled up in a red nightie and sing "You Don't Own Me" to a crucifix. Move over Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe has arrived.
Person of Interest - "Bad Code"
While Amy Acker had one pretty bad misstep this year (see Once Upon a Time below) she more than made up for it with her cameo as She Who Will Not Listen To Your Shit, Root.
Walking Dead - "Sick"
The turning point. Walking Dead's way of saying, "sorry about last year, we're back now."
Arrow - "An Innocent Man"
The biggest difference between Arrow and Smallville? Oliver Queen doesn't live in a world filled with police force dum-dums. Queen is arrested pretty early on for being a vigilante — oh and murder.
Once Upon A Time - "Red Handed"
Red Riding Hood ATE her boyfriend.
Fringe - "Black Blotter"
Fringe tipped its hat, with a Monty Python acid-spurred trip inside the mind of Walter Bishop.
South Park - "Cartman Finds Love"
Mr. Garrison teaches us all a very important lesson in Westeros Civilization.
Walking Dead - "Made To Suffer"
Another Walking Dead clip, yep, it was that good of a year.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "A Test of Strength"
David Tennant voices Huyang, an ancient droid with an amazing collection of hands. Just lovely stuff right here.
Vampire Diaries - "Our Town"
Klaus shows us all another side to his personality, and suddenly we're all Klaus/Caroline shippers.
Adventure Time - "I Remember You"
A heartbreaking realization that happens in such a haunting way, we may never be able to shake this scene between The Ice King and Marceline the Vampire Queen out of our brains. Turns out Marceline and the Ice King have a past. A sad past that the Ice King no longer remembers, because now he is this huge goon. It breaks Marceline's heart. Hell, it breaks our heart. Can the Adventure Time writing staff join every other show in Hollywood, please?
True Blood - "Turn! Turn! Turn!"
This was a toughie. And we almost swapped out for the heart breaking Jessica glamour dumps Hoytt at his request. But having the character Steve Newlin back was such a wonderful return to the roots of this vampire series that we had to give this big out of the coffin and closet moment a spot on our list. Plus, points for delivery. Good to have you back Steve, hope to see MUCH more of you next year.
Being Human- "Partial Eclipse of the Heart"
It's impossible to protect the one you love when they're dead. And even worse, when they died running away from your werewolf face because there was an eclipse.
Doctor Who - "Asylum of the Daleks"
Ladies and gentlemen, the dazzling Oswin Oswald.
The Legend of Korra - "Turning the Tides"
Metal bending Lin sacrifices herself to destroy the Equalist airships and save Tenzin's family. And she does so while maintaining a bad ass stance.
Walking Dead - "Killer Within"
Lori dies in front of her son, while getting a homemade c-section with his knife. Walking Dead goes full grim, no one is allowed to complain it's not as good as the comics anymore (at least for now).
Community - "Virtual Systems Analysis" Temporary Constable Geneva and Inspector Spacetime take a trip inside the mind of Abed. What starts off as a reluctant, light-hearted trip inside the dreamatorium becomes a serious journey into Abed's psyche.
WORST
American Horror Story Asylum - "Unholy Night"
Ian McShane is awesome, this ridiculous collection of oddly timed jokes about rape... are not.
Supernatural - "Heartache"
Worst fake love scene ever? Yes. Extra terrible points for the random horn solo.
Once Upon A Time - "Dreamy"
When fairies fly they make sex sounds, which cause them to pollinate dwarf eggs and hatch baby Shel Silversteins. It's all just terrifying.
Being Human - "When I Think About You I Shred Myself"
The reaper. Oy, the reaper. Let us never speak of Sally and her alternate ghost personality "Keanu Reeves Light" ever again.
Game of Thrones - The Last Four Episodes
WHERE ARE MY DRAGONS!!!!! WHERE ARE MY DRAGONS!!!!! WHERE ARE MY DRAGONS!!!!! WHERE ARE MY DRAGONS!!!!!
Beauty and the Beast - "Pilot"
9/11 made The Beast.
Once Upon A Time - "Dreamy"
It takes a village to slut shame Snow White.
Fringe - "Brave New World Part 2"
Leonard Nimoy, we love you. We love you so much — but at some point during this madness, even you knew you had gone too far. Where was the cut? Where was, "Jesus they've written 80 minutes of nonsensical monologuing into one of the biggest cliff hangers this series has ever attempted! SOMEONE CUT!" Or was this all just you, you sly dog you. Love ya Leonard, but just pull back a little on this one.
Doctor Who - "Asylum of the Daleks"
Amy and Rory pretend to fight for almost 25 seconds. This whole "divorce" storyline was a sham, which came out of nowhere and went right back there. And it stank to high heavens. Amy and Rory deserved better than this. They're better people, and Amy sure as hell wouldn't "give up" Rory. If Amy Pond has proven one thing, it's that she will fight to the bitter end for her centurion. Same goes for Rory. Boo to this facade of emotion.
Revolution - "Kashmir"
UPDATED: Added due to commenter demand, thanks everyone!
Threre's plenty of things we could have chosen to represent the many pratfalls of Revolution.
The team poison drinking scene, the google name drops, the and copious complaints and bad decisions from the peanut gallery, but perhaps the episode where everyone had hallucinations and tread plot water for a solid hour was the biggest, "nope we're out" moment for this show.
True Blood - "Save Yourself" and "Hopeless"
Spend five years building up the mysterious Vampire Authority, kill them all off along with your best villain in one season. And we chose this over the fairy that popped up and gave birth on a pool table in the middle of Merlotte's. That's how pissed off we were at this nonsensical slaying of vampires who just so happen to look VERY good in slacks.
Thanks to Lauren Davis, Charlie Jane Anders, Lux Alptraum, Robert T. Gonzalez, Annalee Newitz and Rob Bricken.
Top image by Chris Person.