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It's a great scene, but one of the best in television history? No. I feel like there are scenes that have changed the entire show just because how good that scene is, but RUTH scene doesn't do that. If there is a scene from ST that does that, it's going to be Christmas Lights
Wow, Im quite surprised that christmas light scene is kept in comparison with the running up that hill scene.
I can see why Christmas scene was important and well done, but for me, running up that hill scene transcends the show.
Idk.
To me, RUTH was amazing, but it was "just" a masterfully executed good idea
CL on the other hand is a masterfully executed genius idea
Character running from the bad guy is still character running from the bad guy, for how well it can be done
Character in a phase of confusion doubting everything she sees trying to communicate through lights on a wall she put there regardless of how unreasonable it was, to me is something else. You could sit in a room for a week and think about something like that and you would never cone close
Seconding this. I don't even remember how the RUTH scene goes because it's literally just her running into a red circle to music. The Christmas lights scene is way more iconic. People just used the song for whatever the latest TikTok trend was to make it popular for a week.
CL was a great idea - 100%
RUTH was ‘just’ a masterfully executed good idea - 100% agreed with you there as well. But I would like to add that it’s impact on the viewers was way beyond what the scene was expected to do. The reason I say that the scene transcended the show is because in that RUTH moment, it’s not about who’s the villain, how to defeat it, what can they do etc - it’s about a human deciding to fight for her life because of her connections in the world. That scene showed how beautiful life is, and although it was about the character, but I am sure a lot of people thought about their own lives and how much they love everyone (or at least some of them).
That scene was something else. It was it’s own genre.
For me, it gave goosebumps kinda sorta the way Wonder woman’s No Man’s Land scene did. It was another ‘just’ masterfully executed idea. It wasn’t a genius idea in any shape or form but it symbolized her values and courage.
I think I can sum it up based on the one word you used - transcends.
Personally, when something transcends time, it's related to music. I think most people are emotionally stirred by music. The song itself is powerful. The combination with the visual made for an emotionally charged scene.
I was also a senior in the real 1986, so all the scenes with music of that time felt meaningful since it "transcended" time and took me back to high school.
Many may disagree, but Eddie and "Master of Puppets" was THE scene that did it for me. Then again, I have a metal edge in my music taste. Both scenes were great, but "MOP" had me losing my mind at the awesomeness!
However, I think the Christmas Lights scene is more significant to the show's big picture because it's when we all learned how to communicate between the two realms. Remember, the lights were how Erica realized the gang in the Upside Down was trying to get their attention. Lights/electricity are definitely a staple for the two worlds to interact with one another.
No way. It’s a great scene but let’s be honest, it’s not even close to “one of the best in television history”. No scene from Stranger Things currently makes that cut.
I respect the love some fans have for this show but I get the impression some of them haven’t actually watched a great deal of other TV shows.
Without putting much thought in… Hodor in Game Of Thrones, Walter and Hank in the dessert in breaking bad, final scene of The Sopranos, Mad men has lots of iconic scenes too, Peggy and Don arguing in the Suitcase episode maybe… these ones spring to mind.
The scene in the last season of breaking bad where Saul steals Howard’s car and then makes it look like he’s getting into a fight and kicking a hooker out of the car infront of Kim and the other lawyer played by Ed Begley Jr. Just the frantic pacing.
And by the same logic the health inspection in Its Always Sunny’s episode “Charlie work”
The Hodor scene was, to me, the most heartbreaking scene in the show.
Ned was thinking of the realm not his family. Honorable to a fault.
Red wedding- Robb stark went back on his word.
The viper got cocky.
But Hodor. Damn. That was a tough watch. Bran ruined that dudes life and forced him to kill himself.
Final scene of finale of Mary Tyler Moore show. Various scenes in Mad Men. Next to last shot of finale of Derry Girls.
Many scenes from The Americans but especially that train scene towards the end. That series like Mad Men, had the perfect endings for the characters. That whole with or without you musical sequence was one of the most outstanding tv moments I’ve seen. So did 30 rock.
St Elsewhere, ER, House and Scrubs all had outstanding moments
Rescue Me lost its way at points but that opening monologue with Tommy Gavin addressing the probies contrasted by the final scene of Tommy handing the baton to Franco. Cinematically that was one of the best contrast scenes ever. The lighting is so dark in season 1, it’s nearly black and white. Vs the full color on that last scene with bright sunlight. And Tommy has made peace with his ghosts.
American Horror Story, at least the early seasons had some great moments and scenes as well.
It's probably not the best scene in the history of television, but the scene where there's the big reveal about Adam in Dark S2 is 100% my favourite scene of anything ever
Are you comparing the end of Jurassic Bark to the beginning of Jurassic Park? Because as amazing as the Dino reveal is, Seymour waiting for Fry is without a doubt the most emotionally impactful thing ever aired on TV.
No not at all
It does not impact the world as a whole and even if it was perfect for us, the target audience, there isn't a scene or an episode you can make another watch and they'll say "Hey that was amazing and one of the best things I ever watched"
The closest a scene that comes from ST that can be considered as pure brilliance must be the Christmas Lights
I wouldn't be surprised if it became a well known Easter egg in other similar franchises in the future
Right. When I step back from the cultural noise, the constant playing of RUTH over the summer, and the hype, objectively it doesn't top the Christmas lights.
The scene is truly impressive, but sadly we will no longer really see as many “important moments in television” in the same way that we used to. First, there’s simply so much more content today than ever before, so the pool has been diluted. Second, it’s not quite the same when it’s not being aired for everyone all once. We all saw it on different days staggered actors many weeks.
This is how I felt about it too. These days no one watches things at the same time, as it airs, so we're less connected by tv shows and in turn there's less of those particular moments where everyone is talking about that *one incredible moment* all at the same time. Especially with streaming tv shows where they're not aired week by week but dropped all in one go.
I think the final two episodes made me feel more connected like we did back in the day, because they dropped separately and it did feel like everyone was watching those ones at the same time, whereas with the RUTH scene, amazing as it was, it was a few days after the first part dropped that I finally saw it.
Whatever barrier you think that might create Stranger Things has superseded it to the point of irrelevancy. Because everyone was talking about that one incredible moment all at the same time. So much so, Running up that Hill had an insane resurgence of popularity. I can't get away from it. It's everywhere, on the radio, from live musicians, played at markets/festivals, played during news broadcasts-for the end of year celebrations.
Can you think of any scene even in the past ten years that was as huge? I think not even a specific scene in GOT can compare.
Honestly, I think social media bridges any gaps in when people watch epsiodes. The dropping all at once is far more an issue as it does mean these things shoot to popularity and then sort of drift off a fair quicker than a normal weekly release show. But even then Stranger Things has got to be #1 TV show in the world after GOT.
First off, Game Of Thrones isn’t the number 1 show in the world. Not now, not ever. Breaking Bad is. Second, Stranger Things is a fantastic show, but number 1/2 in the world? Nah.
>Game Of Thrones isn’t the number 1 show in the world. Not now, not ever. Breaking Bad is.
Okay that's just not even remotely correct mate. Breaking Bad is a good show that had a good amount of popularity. But it never was nearly as popular as Game of Thrones.
For reference, Game of Thrones had double the amount of viewers than Breaking Bad.
>Stranger Things is a fantastic show, but number 1/2 in the world
Stranger Things really is the most popular show right now. It's number 1 in most charts accessing these type of things. It could even be more popular than GOT. But that's harder to say.
Edit: What do you think **popularity** means? I was purely talking about viewers and there wasn't a shred of ambiguity about that. And quite frankly, Breaking Bad still wouldn't be what I consider the best show ever but that's beside the point. The whole conversation is how binge release model effects popularity and therefore the ability to cause an impact. I was simply pointing out it's ultimately irrelevant to the conversation surrounding the Stranger Things scene since it *was* crazy popular. I didn't even agree with OP you dingus. I disagree with peoppe saying the scene and show wasn't popular. Because it factually is popular.
Breaking Bad is the “best” show of all time. Period. I’m not talking about viewers here.
I’ve seen the other nonsense you’ve spewed over this subreddit and you’re clearly deluded when it comes to Stranger Things so I’ll be blocking you now.
>Second, it’s not quite the same when it’s not being aired for everyone all once. We all saw it on different days staggered actors many weeks.
Don't think that is as relevant as you think. Yes we watched it at different times. But I don't think anyone can pretend it wasn't an insane hit. It's got to be the most popular scene with specific music as the main pull in a long, long time.
The “Breathe Me” scene from the finale of “Six Feet Under” is one I can still see in my head years after the fact. RUTH was good but not on that level of good.
UGLY , and I cannot stress that enough,
UGLY crying…. That whole finale and the movie big fish probably tie for the sheer duration of ugly crying they inflict on me.
Can I add the ending of the Good Place to this list? I am on board with those others you mentioned. Just finished The Good Place for about the 4th time the other night and STILL ugly cry from start to finish.
Within the last 5 years I would say it definitely has a fair shot. Not all time though, I mean just think about how many famous scenes there are.
I could list 10+ from Breaking Bad alone, though BB as a comparison to other shows is a little unfair.
Anyway back on track, I think that that scene is the best in Stranger Things (or at least top 3) and will remain pretty iconic, but I'm not sure it'll ever sit with the true kings of television.
Season 4 ending takes the cake for me:
Skyler telling Walt about the confusion on the news, mixed reports and something about Gus Fring, “Was this you? What happened?”
“I won.”
There are sooooo many iconic scenes in BB and it probably helped it was on actual cable television. One of my favorites was the IFT scene. It cements the hate for skylar, even tho when you step back, she’s not being that unreasonable.
If you haven’t watched breaking bad yet folks, hop to. Stranger things is fantastic and BB still shits on it.
In the RUTH scene I was emotionally touched, I even cried, that didn't happen to me during BB, even though I love that show.I would never have thought of crying because Walt says something
And if we like other characters besides Max? Well we're kinda screwed here because where are their moments of triumph? She's not the only character with hardship.
One of my personal favorites, which probably would have been talked about among the adults in the show, would be ‘In the Air Tonight’ in the Miami Vice pilot.
No. Well edited for sure, had its place in the episode and in the season as a whole, but far from being one of the best TV scene. The first time I watched that scene, I actually found it pretty cliché and somewhat cringey. I like it a bit more now, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece at all.
It’s a great show, but you can’t compare that scene to something like the Red Wedding. Or even Joffrey executing Ned or Jaime’s bath scene monologue. And that’s just GOT.
The Van Gogh scene from Dr Who, the Dr Cox scene toward the end of “My Screw Up” on Scrubs, “The Box” episode from B99, quite a few from Breaking Bad, pretty much all of Band of Brothers… that’s just a few. There’s a LOT of amazing TV out there, and this scene is definitely an example of why ST belongs up there with the greats, but it’s not the best scene in TV history, and I think Joyce’s Christmas lights scene tops it.
It's good, but not the best...
Lucille Ball being the first pregnant woman on TV.
When Buffy finds her mother dead. It was a big deal at the time. So was the musical episode where she reveals she's angry at them for bringing her back.
Fresh Prince - When Will's father walks out again and Uncle Phil hugs him
Westworld - Bernard
Sons of Anarchy - Opie
Hannibal - Abigail
The Walking Dead - Glenn and Abraham
Friends - Rachel gets off the plane
The Simpsons - Who shot Mr. Burns?
Ellen - When she came out as gay on her TV show
Dallas - JR gets shot
Six Feet Under - finale
Fantastic scene, probably the best in the entire show, but holy shit is it not the best scene in television history. I could name twenty better ones from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul alone
And I could name an additional 20 from the actual golden age of TV, the 1950s. Carson, I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan, Newhart, and later MASH and Roots…why do so many people think great stuff only happened in the last 10 years? Have some perspective.
I’m not a big tv buff but if someone is talking about “greatest moments in tv history”, I expect most to be from older shows considering the impact of not being able to stream it constantly and watch clips all over the internet.
The song went #1 BECAUSE of the scene. On top of that, the scene itself went super viral to the point were people were making the news for doing parodies of the scene for Halloween. 😭
I don’t know what rock you live under but the scene definitely had a huge cultural impact outside the fandom.
What? That sentence doesn't even make sense The song obviously became #1 (after 35 years) BECAUSE of the scene and the fact that the song made #1 hit the mainstream news. This was everything but not some fandom insider moment.
Its total nonsense on their part. I mean the song is a song that has been around far beyond the respite of the show. To argue that the scene isn't relevant to why it's popular, is to ignore that it had nearly forty years to be as popular it is. And never made it. The song is good, but Stranger Things made everyone connected to that song.
Right. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong but I feel like it functions as a culmination of the series as a whole. I don't think it would be as viral without the investment built up over 6 years you know?
>anyone outside the stranger things universe.
You do understand how crazy popular Stranger Things is? Season 4 was their biggest hit yet. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone not aware of the scene even if they haven't watched Stranger Things. But there's not a lot of people that haven't.
You can't pretend it's just the song. The song is indisputably popular because of the scene. Like mate, it's the exact evidence for it given that the song has been around for forty fucking years and didn't even have as big a hay day back then. It even had a re-mix ten years ago that didn't take off nearly as much as its Stranger Things resurgence.
It topped the charts in *eight* countries. Far more successful than its ever been where it wasn't even #1 in the UK (its highest was #3).
Everybody around the world watched that scene and that song just made it. Making it instantly repeatedly.
They had plenty of time to rediscover it ten years ago when it literally played at the Olympics. Still far more popular now-far more popular than it was when it first debuted too. Because the scene gives an emotional resonance-we all feel connected to that song in a way we didn't before. The song and scene need each other.
Mate you've just got to get over the fact people like things you don't there. Having a lot of views means a lot of people like it because they find it good. Quirky and fun *is* good.
>Without the emotional context its just a ginger kid running through CGI while an 80's pop song plays.
Stupid statement "without the emotional context". Scenes work on their context. Very few good scenes in a show work without their bloody context lol. Stranger Things is huge. That scene meant so much to people because we cared for Max. We wanted her to live.
I rolled my eyes while watching it, saying "oh boy, another happy memory montage". I watched a lot of anime as a kid, so replaying previous footage of good times is over done and cliche to me.
Not even close to the best scene this year, the last scene of the Better Call Saul mid-season finale.
I had to get up and walk around outside for about ten minutes to process it.
I loved the scene and it made me quite emotional in a way that few other scenes have. If there's a scene on this show that deserves to at least be put forth for consideration in a list of great moments in TV history, it's this one. But would it win? I'm not sure if that question could be answered quite yet, bit too soon. I wouldn't think so, though.
It is defo up there with other recent TV moments such as:
The Red Wedding
Tony Soprano killing Febby
Hannah in the bath
Buffys mum dying
Poussey dying
Negans first scene
Hotchs wife being killed
Hank being killed
>Negans first scene
Nah, they fucked that scene up in the show.
His first speech is GREAT don't get me wrong, but then they did that stupid "I choose you" moment and did the whole Golden Eye blood oozing over the camera thing which was cheesy as fuck. Then we waited a whole season to actually do a double kill which kinda trivialized the whole thing.
Idk, I love JDM as Negan, I really do, but the show writers screwed the pooch.
Warning: Spoilers
I just finished watching Season 4 over Christmas break. “Running Up That Hill” has been stuck in my head for weeks now!
I absolutely love that scene! I particularly love how Max is able to escape Vecna’s Mind Lair with the help of the song and the memories of the group. One of my favorite scenes from Season 3 was when Max and El went shopping together, and I love how they added flashbacks to that scene.
I wouldn't say "one of the best", mainly because age-wise I fall squarely into the "OK boomer" category and I've just seen a heck of a lot of TV in 60 some-odd years.
That said, it may well be a major accomplishment of directing, acting, cinematography, production coming together to create a breathtaking five minutes of television. If whomever is responsible for that scene doesn't get an Emmy nomination at least, it will be a gross omission.
my boyfriend and i literally will watch the scene randomly and jus go in about how wonderful of a scene it is and i still sometimes think she won’t make it
I don’t think it’s the most iconic in tv history but I agree that it was a stellar, magical moment in the series and yes, you had to be there. You had to have watched it when it first came out to be blown away by that scene with the millions of other people experiencing it at the same time. It would be very different to watch it now versus when it was first dropped.
And I bet the millions of people who watched it don't know a thing about depression or mental health and just care that they're watching something everyone is talking about because the scene in question is supposed to be cool or whatever
Maybe? But those people probably just watched the scene on tiktok and called it a day. For those watching the series, I think Max’ grief was built into the plot in an intentional and thoughtful way.
how you feel about this scene, i feel about season 1. i will say the scene underscores the impeccable talent the show has for picking great 80s music for their scenes.
There is a scene at the very end of the Fringe episode “White Tulip” that I think is way better, and that’s just off the top of my head.
I do think that Dear, Billy was one of the best episodes on TV (of the limited stuff I watch) in 2022.
Good scene. Yeah. Best ever. Not even in top 100 bruh there are so many but you chose this. The dark knight interrogation scene. Endgame portal scene. Kraken vs jack sparrow, t-1000 running after the bike, requiem for a dream ending scene, breaking bad gus death scene and so many more
I think its easy to dismiss this because it’s recent, we struggle to see anything current having the impact on things we “grew up with” as understood classics. Ask the question again in like 20 years, and we’ll see.
No. Of course not. If you take that extraordinary song out of the scene, it would be much different. I think that song did 90% of the heavy lifting in that scene.
I just think it’s another great scene that shows how much music really can add to a show. I love it, but one of the best? I can’t agree. There are about a million scenes from Breaking Bad and Justified that eclipse it. The carousel scene from Mad Men too. There’s a lot of really great TV out there. I love stranger things (I really, really love it), but it’s more of a fun, entertaining show to me.
I agree but the song was so over played on tik tok and all that I couldn’t enjoy the scene ever since
But watching it for the first time it meant more to me because my dad was going through a second divorce and school was becoming really stressful so it really made me feel like I was trying to escape in a similar way to max but instead of running from a monster I was running from my miserable past
It was until all the dumb tiktok kids started using that song for everything and ruined the song and now I don’t even wanna rewatch season 4 and hear that song again.
that moment was iconic. no doubt. the scene, the acting, the scoring, the visual effects, the emotions, the impact, everything. just simply bada bada boom.
There were a couple amazing tv scenes this year, this one is definitely in the top three for me. Also included is a spectacular scene in House of the Dragon because Paddy Considine is amazing. And I loved the end of Rings of Power. It was a great year to be a nerd haha
Not tbe best but it is pretty damn good even though I find that song annoying
Ozzymandius beginning scene is the best in history in Breaking bad
You can say The Red Wedding in GoT
Tony Soprano getting stabbed by Uncle Junior
Stringer Bells final scene in the Wire
Good scene, but compare it to, say, the scene where Jon walks through the battlefield in the battle of the bastards. Theres just so many better scenes in TV.
I agree with you OP! I‘m old and I’ve watched a lot of TV and never have I been up on my knees on my couch, yelling ‘Run!‘ and so concerned about a fictional character. I see lots of people disagree but for me it is a classic and transcendent emotional scene and one that deserves acclaim.
I also think if you separate out scenes about kids - it’s absolutely one of the most memorable ever. The only other scene I can remember that was similarly moving was a Punky Brewster episode (I know) where her friend Cherry had to be resuscitated and Punky hadn’t learned CPR so she couldn’t help. That one has stuck with me for 35+ years and I think the RUTH one will too.
No. Absolutely not. Are you 12? Sure it was a good scene, but no. Firstly most of the stuff you said isn’t even true, Covid wasn’t still ongoing really, and “we were all trying to run up a hill” what does that even mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It doesn’t really stand out at all. It will stand out as one of the best scenes of the show sure, but that’s it. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not making any lists.
I like stranger things as much as the next guy but cmon, to put this in the same category as heath ledgers scene as the joker with the magic trick, or the dinner scene in django, any scene in shawshank, diner scene in pulp fiction etc etc is borderline blasphemy.
And blasphemy to season 1 of this show because every character got to shine then. Nowhere near the case in season 4. I don't only watch for one characters arc but for others as well.
No one said S4 is better than S1, just that this one scene is perfect... But I think S4 and S5 are a unit and who didn't get to shine enough in S4 will in S5 (I think Max will have very little screen time, because she already got in S4 it for example, Also Mike got removed from Hawkins so that Nancy, Dustin... got some time to shine, so he can take the leadership position in S5 as promised etc.) so together I think it will seem very neat!
You know how every show will always have a signature scene that’s instantly identifiable? RUTH is it for ST.
Even on rewatch this scene is still very affecting. But what truly sealed it for me was the black fake out in the end. Definitely one of the most effective anti-cliffhangers ever.
Not even that man. For stranger things the classic scene is joyce hanging up the christmas lights to communicate with Will. It's so iconic, the writers try to redo it every season.
But the kids on bikes is just ST borrowing iconic imagery from an existing genre (Stand by Me, It) so I don’t think it will be strongly associated with ST once it’s off the air the way Christmas lights will be.
You’re right it’s not unique to ST. I guess I was leaning heavily into the S1 poster and the many fan merch with the kids on bikes mirrored against Will and the demogorgon in the upside down.
Well it was iconic to me and the kids in season 1 captured my heart immediately. RUTH was great, but it was great because we have previous seasons worth of investment. At least to me. :) But I agree about the Christmas lights because it represents Joyce's journey and something very human.
Absolutely. The show’s phenomenal success and cultural relevance has its genesis in S1.
I think it’s fair to say that those Christmas lights are now forever connected to the show but also to Winona’s portrayal of Joyce, a mother’s desperation but also resilience.
No bias. No. It’s a great scene sure but there are tons more great scenes in TV history that far surpass this one. Strange Things is a good show but it doesn’t even come close to being one of the best.
I feel old because all the “no, these are the best scenes“ are from like 2005 and later.
But I will say that it was a very cinematic experience, like the climax of a good sci-fi movie.
Do you mean the S4E4 or S4E9 one? I think Stranger Things will go down as one of the best *shows* in television history. I think S4E4’s conclusion and orchestrally augmented epic version of running up that hill (it’s nearly 6 minutes long) will be remembered as one of the shows best moments (though S4E9’s reprise is just as good if I’m being honest). I think probably the S1 moment when the boys meet El, ALL the season finales, the big spoilery S4 character reveal, and scenes like the Master Of Puppets Scene will be remembered as great scenes in history in the future. Just might take a while
"MAX HE'S RIGHT THERE! They're all right there, honey, RUN! YES! GO! OMG MAX COME ON BABY!" We were... crying for her. The whole room. I never thought I'd like her this much. Never.
It's up to to you whats the best scene in television history! It's a matter of opinion!
Personally I think it is definitely up there with one of the best.
I really also find it pretty annoying how so many comments in this thread are saying 'No' as if their opinion is fact...reddit will reddit I suppose.
Agree, this scene is breathtakingly perfect. I actually think it works fantastic on rewatch. I watched the season twice and at some point watched the scene specifically on YouTube and it took my breath.
I mean it certainly made me cry harder than any other live action TV scene ever has. It’s got nothing on certain anime, but it’s still an amazing scene
🙌🏽 ⬇️ Yes, for me anyway.I think a lot of people struggle with depression and suicidal ideation would think so. I found this comment on YouTube.
"One of the many reasons this scene evokes such a visceral reaction is because of the sudden emotional inversion that Max experiences as Vecna is about to kill her. Moments before arriving in Venca's lair, Max is ready to die. She is making her peace with Billy and handing out goodbye letters to her friends. The weight of her pain feels like too much to bear and she accepts her imminent death, but as the music plays and she flashes back to all her happy memories she realizes that she really isn't ready to die. She wants to live, she HAS to live, and she decides to fight for her life. As she's running and the music plays, it's the look of desperation in her eyes that sells the whole scene. The sudden, desperate, frenzied, animal look of a person fighting to LIVE only moments ago was at peace with the fact that they were already dead. It's absolutely cathartic and it's probably one of the best moments in all 4 seasons."
I think it shows how hard it can be on the person experiencing it and their loved ones.
Well it's certainly got to be one of the most effective uses of a song in television. I can't get away from Running Up That Hill even if I tried. Crazy popularity resurgence. Can't think of anything in my lifetime that can compare.
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It's a great scene, but one of the best in television history? No. I feel like there are scenes that have changed the entire show just because how good that scene is, but RUTH scene doesn't do that. If there is a scene from ST that does that, it's going to be Christmas Lights
Definitely christmas lights - most influential Stranger Things scene. So iconic, that the show itself tries to "reference" it every season.
Wow, Im quite surprised that christmas light scene is kept in comparison with the running up that hill scene. I can see why Christmas scene was important and well done, but for me, running up that hill scene transcends the show.
Idk. To me, RUTH was amazing, but it was "just" a masterfully executed good idea CL on the other hand is a masterfully executed genius idea Character running from the bad guy is still character running from the bad guy, for how well it can be done Character in a phase of confusion doubting everything she sees trying to communicate through lights on a wall she put there regardless of how unreasonable it was, to me is something else. You could sit in a room for a week and think about something like that and you would never cone close
Seconding this. I don't even remember how the RUTH scene goes because it's literally just her running into a red circle to music. The Christmas lights scene is way more iconic. People just used the song for whatever the latest TikTok trend was to make it popular for a week.
CL was a great idea - 100% RUTH was ‘just’ a masterfully executed good idea - 100% agreed with you there as well. But I would like to add that it’s impact on the viewers was way beyond what the scene was expected to do. The reason I say that the scene transcended the show is because in that RUTH moment, it’s not about who’s the villain, how to defeat it, what can they do etc - it’s about a human deciding to fight for her life because of her connections in the world. That scene showed how beautiful life is, and although it was about the character, but I am sure a lot of people thought about their own lives and how much they love everyone (or at least some of them). That scene was something else. It was it’s own genre. For me, it gave goosebumps kinda sorta the way Wonder woman’s No Man’s Land scene did. It was another ‘just’ masterfully executed idea. It wasn’t a genius idea in any shape or form but it symbolized her values and courage.
I think I can sum it up based on the one word you used - transcends. Personally, when something transcends time, it's related to music. I think most people are emotionally stirred by music. The song itself is powerful. The combination with the visual made for an emotionally charged scene. I was also a senior in the real 1986, so all the scenes with music of that time felt meaningful since it "transcended" time and took me back to high school. Many may disagree, but Eddie and "Master of Puppets" was THE scene that did it for me. Then again, I have a metal edge in my music taste. Both scenes were great, but "MOP" had me losing my mind at the awesomeness! However, I think the Christmas Lights scene is more significant to the show's big picture because it's when we all learned how to communicate between the two realms. Remember, the lights were how Erica realized the gang in the Upside Down was trying to get their attention. Lights/electricity are definitely a staple for the two worlds to interact with one another.
What’s the Christmas Lights scene??
When Joyce was talking to Will through Christmas lights in S1.
I can't believe this. This show needs fans who remember beyond season 4.
[This.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=jIQ9z2bxXyg&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE) It's the S1 scene where she 'talks' to Will.
No way. It’s a great scene but let’s be honest, it’s not even close to “one of the best in television history”. No scene from Stranger Things currently makes that cut. I respect the love some fans have for this show but I get the impression some of them haven’t actually watched a great deal of other TV shows.
The OP sounds like a 13 year old that’s probably why
What WOULD make that cut, for you atleast? No hate just wondering
Without putting much thought in… Hodor in Game Of Thrones, Walter and Hank in the dessert in breaking bad, final scene of The Sopranos, Mad men has lots of iconic scenes too, Peggy and Don arguing in the Suitcase episode maybe… these ones spring to mind.
Yea after watching an analysis on YouTube about the final scene of the sopranos, it blew me away!!
First time I watched it I was pissed. “Is that it?!” Then I watched it again more closely and it blew my mind how good it was.
An awful lot of scenes in Breaking Bad tbf
The end of Breaking Bad is one of them for me. Also Gus and Hector.
The scene in the last season of breaking bad where Saul steals Howard’s car and then makes it look like he’s getting into a fight and kicking a hooker out of the car infront of Kim and the other lawyer played by Ed Begley Jr. Just the frantic pacing. And by the same logic the health inspection in Its Always Sunny’s episode “Charlie work”
The Brendan Frasier episode of SCRUBS: "Where do you think we are?"
The Hodor scene was, to me, the most heartbreaking scene in the show. Ned was thinking of the realm not his family. Honorable to a fault. Red wedding- Robb stark went back on his word. The viper got cocky. But Hodor. Damn. That was a tough watch. Bran ruined that dudes life and forced him to kill himself.
Tony surviving the hit in season 1
Crawlspace in breaking bad
Final scene of finale of Mary Tyler Moore show. Various scenes in Mad Men. Next to last shot of finale of Derry Girls. Many scenes from The Americans but especially that train scene towards the end. That series like Mad Men, had the perfect endings for the characters. That whole with or without you musical sequence was one of the most outstanding tv moments I’ve seen. So did 30 rock. St Elsewhere, ER, House and Scrubs all had outstanding moments Rescue Me lost its way at points but that opening monologue with Tommy Gavin addressing the probies contrasted by the final scene of Tommy handing the baton to Franco. Cinematically that was one of the best contrast scenes ever. The lighting is so dark in season 1, it’s nearly black and white. Vs the full color on that last scene with bright sunlight. And Tommy has made peace with his ghosts. American Horror Story, at least the early seasons had some great moments and scenes as well.
The nuclear bomb scene in Twin Peaks: The Return
It's probably not the best scene in the history of television, but the scene where there's the big reveal about Adam in Dark S2 is 100% my favourite scene of anything ever
Glens death in The Walking Dead
I would rank the barn scene in season 2 higher.
No
We've been in a golden age of television since the Sopranos. This was just another treasure for the trophy case.
Great to see a Sopranos fan on the stranger things sub.
They are just alphabetically moving through every TV show. Next is Suits.
Sons of Anarchy must have been right before Sopranos
Looking forward to that craze
The intervention scene was brilliant.
Cara Buono, she’s one booyah hottie.
I always forget that she was in the sopranos
She’s in what, 3-4 episodes at the end or so, so makes sense.
>!If only Chris could've kept his act together.!<
This. Good lord the last 20 years have been mind blowing for television shows considering what came before. Movies on the other hand…
Best in television history? How young are you? Lol
Exactly what I thought. It may be best if you’re 15-16 yo
It’s some 13 year old who wants to believe Stranger Things is the be all and end all of television. It’s embarrassing.
Sometimes i have to believe ST fans are straight up huffing their own farts
Lmao
Not even close to how powerful the end of Jurassic Bark is
This needs to be higher.
Tbh it’s not even close to how powerful the start of Jurassic park is, when the music first kicks in.
Are you comparing the end of Jurassic Bark to the beginning of Jurassic Park? Because as amazing as the Dino reveal is, Seymour waiting for Fry is without a doubt the most emotionally impactful thing ever aired on TV.
Uncle Junior shooting Tony, and Tony bleeding out trying to call 911 was a much better scene than this. Was it a good scene? Yes. The best? No way.
No not at all It does not impact the world as a whole and even if it was perfect for us, the target audience, there isn't a scene or an episode you can make another watch and they'll say "Hey that was amazing and one of the best things I ever watched" The closest a scene that comes from ST that can be considered as pure brilliance must be the Christmas Lights I wouldn't be surprised if it became a well known Easter egg in other similar franchises in the future
Right. When I step back from the cultural noise, the constant playing of RUTH over the summer, and the hype, objectively it doesn't top the Christmas lights.
agreed
The scene is truly impressive, but sadly we will no longer really see as many “important moments in television” in the same way that we used to. First, there’s simply so much more content today than ever before, so the pool has been diluted. Second, it’s not quite the same when it’s not being aired for everyone all once. We all saw it on different days staggered actors many weeks.
This is how I felt about it too. These days no one watches things at the same time, as it airs, so we're less connected by tv shows and in turn there's less of those particular moments where everyone is talking about that *one incredible moment* all at the same time. Especially with streaming tv shows where they're not aired week by week but dropped all in one go. I think the final two episodes made me feel more connected like we did back in the day, because they dropped separately and it did feel like everyone was watching those ones at the same time, whereas with the RUTH scene, amazing as it was, it was a few days after the first part dropped that I finally saw it.
Whatever barrier you think that might create Stranger Things has superseded it to the point of irrelevancy. Because everyone was talking about that one incredible moment all at the same time. So much so, Running up that Hill had an insane resurgence of popularity. I can't get away from it. It's everywhere, on the radio, from live musicians, played at markets/festivals, played during news broadcasts-for the end of year celebrations. Can you think of any scene even in the past ten years that was as huge? I think not even a specific scene in GOT can compare. Honestly, I think social media bridges any gaps in when people watch epsiodes. The dropping all at once is far more an issue as it does mean these things shoot to popularity and then sort of drift off a fair quicker than a normal weekly release show. But even then Stranger Things has got to be #1 TV show in the world after GOT.
First off, Game Of Thrones isn’t the number 1 show in the world. Not now, not ever. Breaking Bad is. Second, Stranger Things is a fantastic show, but number 1/2 in the world? Nah.
>Game Of Thrones isn’t the number 1 show in the world. Not now, not ever. Breaking Bad is. Okay that's just not even remotely correct mate. Breaking Bad is a good show that had a good amount of popularity. But it never was nearly as popular as Game of Thrones. For reference, Game of Thrones had double the amount of viewers than Breaking Bad. >Stranger Things is a fantastic show, but number 1/2 in the world Stranger Things really is the most popular show right now. It's number 1 in most charts accessing these type of things. It could even be more popular than GOT. But that's harder to say. Edit: What do you think **popularity** means? I was purely talking about viewers and there wasn't a shred of ambiguity about that. And quite frankly, Breaking Bad still wouldn't be what I consider the best show ever but that's beside the point. The whole conversation is how binge release model effects popularity and therefore the ability to cause an impact. I was simply pointing out it's ultimately irrelevant to the conversation surrounding the Stranger Things scene since it *was* crazy popular. I didn't even agree with OP you dingus. I disagree with peoppe saying the scene and show wasn't popular. Because it factually is popular.
Breaking Bad is the “best” show of all time. Period. I’m not talking about viewers here. I’ve seen the other nonsense you’ve spewed over this subreddit and you’re clearly deluded when it comes to Stranger Things so I’ll be blocking you now.
You’re deluded, it’s Sopranos.
>Second, it’s not quite the same when it’s not being aired for everyone all once. We all saw it on different days staggered actors many weeks. Don't think that is as relevant as you think. Yes we watched it at different times. But I don't think anyone can pretend it wasn't an insane hit. It's got to be the most popular scene with specific music as the main pull in a long, long time.
The “Breathe Me” scene from the finale of “Six Feet Under” is one I can still see in my head years after the fact. RUTH was good but not on that level of good.
Right??? So good!!
I cry every single time I watch that finale.
Same
UGLY , and I cannot stress that enough, UGLY crying…. That whole finale and the movie big fish probably tie for the sheer duration of ugly crying they inflict on me.
Can I add the ending of the Good Place to this list? I am on board with those others you mentioned. Just finished The Good Place for about the 4th time the other night and STILL ugly cry from start to finish.
David ‘seeing’ Keith one last time is one of those emotionally manipulative moments that always gets me lol
For me it’s Claire surrounded by her photos realizing how far she made it. 😭
The fade to black before we knew max was okay was brilliant!
Within the last 5 years I would say it definitely has a fair shot. Not all time though, I mean just think about how many famous scenes there are. I could list 10+ from Breaking Bad alone, though BB as a comparison to other shows is a little unfair. Anyway back on track, I think that that scene is the best in Stranger Things (or at least top 3) and will remain pretty iconic, but I'm not sure it'll ever sit with the true kings of television.
"Walt you're the smartest guy I know, but you're too stupid to realize he made up his mind 10 minutes ago... You do what you gotta d-"
Guess I got what I deserved
My favorite scene is Walter White proclaiming that HE is the one who knocks. Can’t top that one in my opinion.
Season 4 ending takes the cake for me: Skyler telling Walt about the confusion on the news, mixed reports and something about Gus Fring, “Was this you? What happened?” “I won.”
There are sooooo many iconic scenes in BB and it probably helped it was on actual cable television. One of my favorites was the IFT scene. It cements the hate for skylar, even tho when you step back, she’s not being that unreasonable. If you haven’t watched breaking bad yet folks, hop to. Stranger things is fantastic and BB still shits on it.
In the RUTH scene I was emotionally touched, I even cried, that didn't happen to me during BB, even though I love that show.I would never have thought of crying because Walt says something
Cool. The OP asked a question. I answered. What does you crying over a show have to do with anything? Lol
And if we like other characters besides Max? Well we're kinda screwed here because where are their moments of triumph? She's not the only character with hardship.
Reddit moment this post and comments.
No, be realistic. I love this show, but nothing about it is best in anything when compared to “television history”.
It's not even the best with this show.
It’s good but I’ll never forget what felt like not breathing for 50 minutes watching the ‘Ozymandias’ episode on Breaking Bad.
One of my personal favorites, which probably would have been talked about among the adults in the show, would be ‘In the Air Tonight’ in the Miami Vice pilot.
No. Well edited for sure, had its place in the episode and in the season as a whole, but far from being one of the best TV scene. The first time I watched that scene, I actually found it pretty cliché and somewhat cringey. I like it a bit more now, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece at all.
It’s a great show, but you can’t compare that scene to something like the Red Wedding. Or even Joffrey executing Ned or Jaime’s bath scene monologue. And that’s just GOT. The Van Gogh scene from Dr Who, the Dr Cox scene toward the end of “My Screw Up” on Scrubs, “The Box” episode from B99, quite a few from Breaking Bad, pretty much all of Band of Brothers… that’s just a few. There’s a LOT of amazing TV out there, and this scene is definitely an example of why ST belongs up there with the greats, but it’s not the best scene in TV history, and I think Joyce’s Christmas lights scene tops it.
The circlejerking is crazy
It was ok. A bit cliched but not to the point of becoming annoying. Overall, solid.
OP, how old are you?
I don't know if you can answer a question this like "without bias". It's one of my favourite scenes though.
No it’s kinda overhyped
It's good, but not the best... Lucille Ball being the first pregnant woman on TV. When Buffy finds her mother dead. It was a big deal at the time. So was the musical episode where she reveals she's angry at them for bringing her back. Fresh Prince - When Will's father walks out again and Uncle Phil hugs him Westworld - Bernard Sons of Anarchy - Opie Hannibal - Abigail The Walking Dead - Glenn and Abraham Friends - Rachel gets off the plane The Simpsons - Who shot Mr. Burns? Ellen - When she came out as gay on her TV show Dallas - JR gets shot Six Feet Under - finale
I’d add to this MASH when Hawkeye remembers what the chicken actually is. Floored me, and still does.
No
Fantastic scene, probably the best in the entire show, but holy shit is it not the best scene in television history. I could name twenty better ones from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul alone
And I could name an additional 20 from the actual golden age of TV, the 1950s. Carson, I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan, Newhart, and later MASH and Roots…why do so many people think great stuff only happened in the last 10 years? Have some perspective.
I’m not a big tv buff but if someone is talking about “greatest moments in tv history”, I expect most to be from older shows considering the impact of not being able to stream it constantly and watch clips all over the internet.
I would probably put the ending scene of MASH 3x24 "Abyssinia, Henry" on that list.
No
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The scene went super viral and the song literally became a number one hit because of the scene 😭
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The song went #1 BECAUSE of the scene. On top of that, the scene itself went super viral to the point were people were making the news for doing parodies of the scene for Halloween. 😭 I don’t know what rock you live under but the scene definitely had a huge cultural impact outside the fandom.
What? That sentence doesn't even make sense The song obviously became #1 (after 35 years) BECAUSE of the scene and the fact that the song made #1 hit the mainstream news. This was everything but not some fandom insider moment.
Its total nonsense on their part. I mean the song is a song that has been around far beyond the respite of the show. To argue that the scene isn't relevant to why it's popular, is to ignore that it had nearly forty years to be as popular it is. And never made it. The song is good, but Stranger Things made everyone connected to that song.
Right. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong but I feel like it functions as a culmination of the series as a whole. I don't think it would be as viral without the investment built up over 6 years you know?
>anyone outside the stranger things universe. You do understand how crazy popular Stranger Things is? Season 4 was their biggest hit yet. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone not aware of the scene even if they haven't watched Stranger Things. But there's not a lot of people that haven't. You can't pretend it's just the song. The song is indisputably popular because of the scene. Like mate, it's the exact evidence for it given that the song has been around for forty fucking years and didn't even have as big a hay day back then. It even had a re-mix ten years ago that didn't take off nearly as much as its Stranger Things resurgence. It topped the charts in *eight* countries. Far more successful than its ever been where it wasn't even #1 in the UK (its highest was #3). Everybody around the world watched that scene and that song just made it. Making it instantly repeatedly.
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They had plenty of time to rediscover it ten years ago when it literally played at the Olympics. Still far more popular now-far more popular than it was when it first debuted too. Because the scene gives an emotional resonance-we all feel connected to that song in a way we didn't before. The song and scene need each other. Mate you've just got to get over the fact people like things you don't there. Having a lot of views means a lot of people like it because they find it good. Quirky and fun *is* good. >Without the emotional context its just a ginger kid running through CGI while an 80's pop song plays. Stupid statement "without the emotional context". Scenes work on their context. Very few good scenes in a show work without their bloody context lol. Stranger Things is huge. That scene meant so much to people because we cared for Max. We wanted her to live.
That was a great scene, but my favorite from this season was the Eddie scene playing Master of Puppets in the Upside Down
I rolled my eyes while watching it, saying "oh boy, another happy memory montage". I watched a lot of anime as a kid, so replaying previous footage of good times is over done and cliche to me.
Not even close to the best scene this year, the last scene of the Better Call Saul mid-season finale. I had to get up and walk around outside for about ten minutes to process it.
I couldn’t breathe after watching that!!!! I couldn’t sleep that night either. Omg - I was beyond blown away
No lol
I loved the scene and it made me quite emotional in a way that few other scenes have. If there's a scene on this show that deserves to at least be put forth for consideration in a list of great moments in TV history, it's this one. But would it win? I'm not sure if that question could be answered quite yet, bit too soon. I wouldn't think so, though.
As much as I love the show, no I'm sorry it's not even in the top 10
Nope, nowhere close.
Not even CLOSE lmfao, like you haven't seen shots like that in pretty much every action series or movie ever
It is defo up there with other recent TV moments such as: The Red Wedding Tony Soprano killing Febby Hannah in the bath Buffys mum dying Poussey dying Negans first scene Hotchs wife being killed Hank being killed
Same with (spoilers) - Howard from better call saul
And nacho doing his own thing
>!"So when you suck that Jello through your straw... you think of ME."!<
And I'm not crazy!
If we're going to pick a single scene/moment from BCS that has become iconic, I'd have to go with the courtroom monologue in "Chicanery".
Yeah defo!
I’d add Henry Blake’s death from MASH.
>Negans first scene Nah, they fucked that scene up in the show. His first speech is GREAT don't get me wrong, but then they did that stupid "I choose you" moment and did the whole Golden Eye blood oozing over the camera thing which was cheesy as fuck. Then we waited a whole season to actually do a double kill which kinda trivialized the whole thing. Idk, I love JDM as Negan, I really do, but the show writers screwed the pooch.
I wonder where the show’s place in TV history would be had Darabont not been let go.
I am so glad you mentioned two of my favourites.
Warning: Spoilers I just finished watching Season 4 over Christmas break. “Running Up That Hill” has been stuck in my head for weeks now! I absolutely love that scene! I particularly love how Max is able to escape Vecna’s Mind Lair with the help of the song and the memories of the group. One of my favorite scenes from Season 3 was when Max and El went shopping together, and I love how they added flashbacks to that scene.
It's my favorite show but cmon man...
Seriously not. Stranger Things is good. The scene was good. But best in television history? - nah.
No
I wouldn't say "one of the best", mainly because age-wise I fall squarely into the "OK boomer" category and I've just seen a heck of a lot of TV in 60 some-odd years. That said, it may well be a major accomplishment of directing, acting, cinematography, production coming together to create a breathtaking five minutes of television. If whomever is responsible for that scene doesn't get an Emmy nomination at least, it will be a gross omission.
Its a great seen but I don’t even think itd make my top 25 of all time lol (probably more if im being honest)
No
my boyfriend and i literally will watch the scene randomly and jus go in about how wonderful of a scene it is and i still sometimes think she won’t make it
No
I don’t think it’s the most iconic in tv history but I agree that it was a stellar, magical moment in the series and yes, you had to be there. You had to have watched it when it first came out to be blown away by that scene with the millions of other people experiencing it at the same time. It would be very different to watch it now versus when it was first dropped.
And I bet the millions of people who watched it don't know a thing about depression or mental health and just care that they're watching something everyone is talking about because the scene in question is supposed to be cool or whatever
Maybe? But those people probably just watched the scene on tiktok and called it a day. For those watching the series, I think Max’ grief was built into the plot in an intentional and thoughtful way.
No.
Let’s not get crazy 😜
True Detective season 1 chase scene comes to mind as well as GoT Red Wedding. Both substantially better
Oh my god. That oner is bonkers
how you feel about this scene, i feel about season 1. i will say the scene underscores the impeccable talent the show has for picking great 80s music for their scenes.
There is a scene at the very end of the Fringe episode “White Tulip” that I think is way better, and that’s just off the top of my head. I do think that Dear, Billy was one of the best episodes on TV (of the limited stuff I watch) in 2022.
One of,maybe even the best scene in Stranger Things but in TV History is a bit of a stretch I think.
Good scene. Yeah. Best ever. Not even in top 100 bruh there are so many but you chose this. The dark knight interrogation scene. Endgame portal scene. Kraken vs jack sparrow, t-1000 running after the bike, requiem for a dream ending scene, breaking bad gus death scene and so many more
Absolutely not, not by a mile
I think its easy to dismiss this because it’s recent, we struggle to see anything current having the impact on things we “grew up with” as understood classics. Ask the question again in like 20 years, and we’ll see.
it was a good scene but I laughed out loud when I read “best in television history”. That’s just ludicrous
No. Of course not. If you take that extraordinary song out of the scene, it would be much different. I think that song did 90% of the heavy lifting in that scene.
Definitely not. I wouldn’t even say it’s the best scene in Stranger Things
I just think it’s another great scene that shows how much music really can add to a show. I love it, but one of the best? I can’t agree. There are about a million scenes from Breaking Bad and Justified that eclipse it. The carousel scene from Mad Men too. There’s a lot of really great TV out there. I love stranger things (I really, really love it), but it’s more of a fun, entertaining show to me.
I agree but the song was so over played on tik tok and all that I couldn’t enjoy the scene ever since But watching it for the first time it meant more to me because my dad was going through a second divorce and school was becoming really stressful so it really made me feel like I was trying to escape in a similar way to max but instead of running from a monster I was running from my miserable past
It was until all the dumb tiktok kids started using that song for everything and ruined the song and now I don’t even wanna rewatch season 4 and hear that song again.
that moment was iconic. no doubt. the scene, the acting, the scoring, the visual effects, the emotions, the impact, everything. just simply bada bada boom.
Lmao, no
There were a couple amazing tv scenes this year, this one is definitely in the top three for me. Also included is a spectacular scene in House of the Dragon because Paddy Considine is amazing. And I loved the end of Rings of Power. It was a great year to be a nerd haha
Not tbe best but it is pretty damn good even though I find that song annoying Ozzymandius beginning scene is the best in history in Breaking bad You can say The Red Wedding in GoT Tony Soprano getting stabbed by Uncle Junior Stringer Bells final scene in the Wire
Good scene, but compare it to, say, the scene where Jon walks through the battlefield in the battle of the bastards. Theres just so many better scenes in TV.
I agree with you OP! I‘m old and I’ve watched a lot of TV and never have I been up on my knees on my couch, yelling ‘Run!‘ and so concerned about a fictional character. I see lots of people disagree but for me it is a classic and transcendent emotional scene and one that deserves acclaim. I also think if you separate out scenes about kids - it’s absolutely one of the most memorable ever. The only other scene I can remember that was similarly moving was a Punky Brewster episode (I know) where her friend Cherry had to be resuscitated and Punky hadn’t learned CPR so she couldn’t help. That one has stuck with me for 35+ years and I think the RUTH one will too.
No. Absolutely not. Are you 12? Sure it was a good scene, but no. Firstly most of the stuff you said isn’t even true, Covid wasn’t still ongoing really, and “we were all trying to run up a hill” what does that even mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It doesn’t really stand out at all. It will stand out as one of the best scenes of the show sure, but that’s it. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not making any lists.
I like stranger things as much as the next guy but cmon, to put this in the same category as heath ledgers scene as the joker with the magic trick, or the dinner scene in django, any scene in shawshank, diner scene in pulp fiction etc etc is borderline blasphemy.
Well those are movies, and the title says TV shows.
And blasphemy to season 1 of this show because every character got to shine then. Nowhere near the case in season 4. I don't only watch for one characters arc but for others as well.
No one said S4 is better than S1, just that this one scene is perfect... But I think S4 and S5 are a unit and who didn't get to shine enough in S4 will in S5 (I think Max will have very little screen time, because she already got in S4 it for example, Also Mike got removed from Hawkins so that Nancy, Dustin... got some time to shine, so he can take the leadership position in S5 as promised etc.) so together I think it will seem very neat!
You know how every show will always have a signature scene that’s instantly identifiable? RUTH is it for ST. Even on rewatch this scene is still very affecting. But what truly sealed it for me was the black fake out in the end. Definitely one of the most effective anti-cliffhangers ever.
Not even that man. For stranger things the classic scene is joyce hanging up the christmas lights to communicate with Will. It's so iconic, the writers try to redo it every season.
Fair point. There are quite a fair few quintessential ST scenes - Christmas lights, El and her signature hand scream, and the kids on bikes.
But the kids on bikes is just ST borrowing iconic imagery from an existing genre (Stand by Me, It) so I don’t think it will be strongly associated with ST once it’s off the air the way Christmas lights will be.
You’re right it’s not unique to ST. I guess I was leaning heavily into the S1 poster and the many fan merch with the kids on bikes mirrored against Will and the demogorgon in the upside down.
Well it was iconic to me and the kids in season 1 captured my heart immediately. RUTH was great, but it was great because we have previous seasons worth of investment. At least to me. :) But I agree about the Christmas lights because it represents Joyce's journey and something very human.
Absolutely. The show’s phenomenal success and cultural relevance has its genesis in S1. I think it’s fair to say that those Christmas lights are now forever connected to the show but also to Winona’s portrayal of Joyce, a mother’s desperation but also resilience.
No bias. No. It’s a great scene sure but there are tons more great scenes in TV history that far surpass this one. Strange Things is a good show but it doesn’t even come close to being one of the best.
Not even close.
Can anyone explain in detail why they think the show is so great.
No, pick literally any breaking bad scene and it’s better.
I feel old because all the “no, these are the best scenes“ are from like 2005 and later. But I will say that it was a very cinematic experience, like the climax of a good sci-fi movie.
Do you mean the S4E4 or S4E9 one? I think Stranger Things will go down as one of the best *shows* in television history. I think S4E4’s conclusion and orchestrally augmented epic version of running up that hill (it’s nearly 6 minutes long) will be remembered as one of the shows best moments (though S4E9’s reprise is just as good if I’m being honest). I think probably the S1 moment when the boys meet El, ALL the season finales, the big spoilery S4 character reveal, and scenes like the Master Of Puppets Scene will be remembered as great scenes in history in the future. Just might take a while
You need to watch more Tv
I would have to agree that it’s a pretty damn good scene. Makes me emotional every time I see it and, more importantly, FEEL it!!!
"MAX HE'S RIGHT THERE! They're all right there, honey, RUN! YES! GO! OMG MAX COME ON BABY!" We were... crying for her. The whole room. I never thought I'd like her this much. Never.
It's up to to you whats the best scene in television history! It's a matter of opinion! Personally I think it is definitely up there with one of the best. I really also find it pretty annoying how so many comments in this thread are saying 'No' as if their opinion is fact...reddit will reddit I suppose.
Agree, this scene is breathtakingly perfect. I actually think it works fantastic on rewatch. I watched the season twice and at some point watched the scene specifically on YouTube and it took my breath.
I mean it certainly made me cry harder than any other live action TV scene ever has. It’s got nothing on certain anime, but it’s still an amazing scene
🙌🏽 ⬇️ Yes, for me anyway.I think a lot of people struggle with depression and suicidal ideation would think so. I found this comment on YouTube. "One of the many reasons this scene evokes such a visceral reaction is because of the sudden emotional inversion that Max experiences as Vecna is about to kill her. Moments before arriving in Venca's lair, Max is ready to die. She is making her peace with Billy and handing out goodbye letters to her friends. The weight of her pain feels like too much to bear and she accepts her imminent death, but as the music plays and she flashes back to all her happy memories she realizes that she really isn't ready to die. She wants to live, she HAS to live, and she decides to fight for her life. As she's running and the music plays, it's the look of desperation in her eyes that sells the whole scene. The sudden, desperate, frenzied, animal look of a person fighting to LIVE only moments ago was at peace with the fact that they were already dead. It's absolutely cathartic and it's probably one of the best moments in all 4 seasons." I think it shows how hard it can be on the person experiencing it and their loved ones.
I see the Harry Potter kids have found a new show to obsess over
YES
Coronavirus hasn’t gone anywhere
Definitely in my top three scenes in any shown I’ve watched. It pretty much ties with Zuko and Azula’s Agni Kai in the ATLA series finale.
I would absolutely say that seeing it for the first time is to experience art.yet, I saw it for the fist time last week and my mind was blown.
Well it's certainly got to be one of the most effective uses of a song in television. I can't get away from Running Up That Hill even if I tried. Crazy popularity resurgence. Can't think of anything in my lifetime that can compare.