Survivor: "Sue Hawk's 'Rat/Snake' speech — Season 1 … Now it seems at least one jury member every season tries to copy that and they don't even come close." (dixiebelle31)

"The 9/11 episode" (luvs2tlkchick) of The West Wing broke the series' continuity, since it was written especially to address the terrorist attacks that happened less than a month earlier. With the White House under lockdown, some visiting teens get an impromptu Socratic lesson in geopolitics, tolerance and fear from deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman (played by Bradley Whitford).

"Dr. Greene's death" (sonnet53) on ER left many fans in mourning, since the complex character played by Anthony Edwards led an otherwise ensemble cast (which included George Clooney and Julianna Margulies). The episode was one of the show's highest rated.

"The F-bomb episode" (rkt10) of The Wire in which McNulty and Bunk investigate an old crime scene, repeatedly using the word – with slight variations or additions – to express a range of emotions and thoughts.

"Kelly Clarkson wins" (angrodpallanen) the first American Idol competition.

"Adrien Brody kisses Halle Berry" (Richard Nove) after winning his best-actor Oscar for 2002's The Pianist. It remained a potent debate topic even years later, in a feud between 30 Rock's Tracy and Jenna.

Big going to Paris to get Carrie on the Sex and the City finale. "I love when Miranda tells him to 'Go get our girl.'" (bsherlock).

"Ross and Rachel getting back together" on Friends. (JavaJunkie4Life).

Though many people ended up sleeping with the fishes on The Sopranos, "the murder of Adriana" (mlk68) had perhaps the greatest emotional impact. After all, she was virtually a member of the family. Still, she was co-operating with the feds — and it's no excuse that they coerced her. The death episode is second only to the finale in the amount of talk it inspired.

"Kate dying [on NCIS] … It was done well before it was the norm to kill off your main cast a la Lost and Heroes. She was killed in such a shocking way, and stayed dead." (Christiefan21).

A unique coda to the Six Feet Under finale — "wherein we got to see each of the core cast die" (Christiefan21) — was a testament to how beloved the characters were, and how fascinatingly they lived.

On 24, "Jack Bauer interrogating President Logan … The culmination of, in my opinion, the greatest season for any TV show in history." (Shane1mojo)

Alec Baldwin won an Emmy for a 30 Rock episode in which he brings in a therapist to help Tracy and plays the part of Tracy's dad, mom, stepfather and upstairs neighbor. "I still laugh just thinking about it. Genius!" (chattypatra)

"Michael Phelps in swimming" (AZTVfan) mesmerized the world by winning eight gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Art imitates life on Saturday Night Live. Alec Baldwin mistakes then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for Tina Fey, and the two women walk past each other near a podium, looking like dueling doppelgangers. Fey as Palin was "simply awesome." (Gingercat007).

The 2008 presidential election results were quick and decisive, and soon we were "seeing so many come together in Chicago to hear Obama's victory speech." (ndrew)

"Grissom's exit episode, with him reuniting with Sara" (luvgs) satisfied fans, who enjoyed the chemistry between William Petersen and Jorja Fox on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

"Jim and Pam's wedding" on The Office (AmandaKurtz).