Television had people chatting up a storm in 2025, whether at the office, on Reddit or over dinner. From medical dramas to gay hockey romance, here are 10 moments that had people obsessing last year.
Jamie’s psych visit, Adolescence
Episode 3
Until the third episode of this limited Netflix series, viewers were divided on whether Jamie (Owen Cooper) was guilty of murder. That debate was eradicated after a session between Jamie and his appointed clinical psychologist, Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty). The episode was a tense watch full of manipulative behaviour and guilt, and showcased the incel-stemming rage Jamie was feeling. Onscreen, Briony needed a break from her client during an extra-stressful moment, while off-screen it was hard to shake just how real the scene felt.
Stephen Graham, left, as Eddie Miller and Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller in Adolescence.Netflix
The new Player 222, Squid Game
Season 3, Episode 2, “The Starry Night”
In the final season of this grotesque social commentary, Player 222, or Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri) gave birth to her baby during hide-and-seek. It was a painful moment to watch and the results proved just how far the VIPs would go for enjoyment. Not only was the birth itself a vital scene, but Jun-hee’s daughter ultimately became the new Player 222 when her mother died. Having a newborn compete was dehumanizing at best, and it represented themes of inherited trauma and powerlessness.
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game../Netflix
The fallout of PittFest, The Pitt
Season 1, Episode 13, “7:00 P.M.”
One of the reasons viewers and critics have such high praise for The Pitt is its intense portrayal of real medical situations and the weight those circumstances place on doctors and nurses. There’s no better episode that exemplifies this than Episode 13, about the fallout from the PittFest shooting. There was death and emotional consequences for the characters, especially Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), the “superhero” who finally let his cape fall. A chilling monologue followed, and the series left viewers with an iconic image of a health care provider crumbling while surrounded by dead bodies.
Noah Wyle, left, Mackenzie Astin and Rebecca Tilney, right, in a scene from The Pitt.Warrick Page/The Associated Press
The magic of the ‘oner,’ The Studio
Season 1, Episode 2, “The Oner”
A “oner” – a single-take shot used by creators to immerse an audience in a project – is a complicated piece of choreography in which every element has to be precisely timed and executed. Both French and English formats of 19-2 did it magnificently in their second-season premieres, and it’s hard to forget the unforgettable oner in the first season of True Detective. When The Studio delivered a stressful oner, however, it was meant to show the high stakes of filming a project in real time. Of all the meta scenes in the series, this one solidified The Studio’s place as a magical peek behind the curtains of entertainment.
Goats, goats and more goats, Severance
Season 2, Episode 10, “Cold Harbor”
The first season of Severance built up the show’s mystery, while the second season unpacked it by going back to the beginning. That made for a slower burn with lots of questions and few answers. The finale changed all that with the return of the sacrificial goats and a gory tone-shifting scene. The animals have had fans in a tizzy ever since they were introduced, and viewers still have questions about their meaning. The animals have been widely compared to the mysterious Smoke Monster from Lost, thanks to the strange and unexplained part of the world they represent.
Adam Scott, left, and Britt Lower in a scene from Severance.The Associated Press
Will gets powers, Stranger Things
Season 5, Episode 4, “Chapter Four: Sorcerer”
Stranger Things has always foreshadowed that Will (Noah Schnapp) would get powers at some point. He is Will the Wise, after all. Still, the moment in Season 5 when he fully embraced his powers to save his mom and friends by taking out some Demogorgons was the epic event fans needed heading into the final four episodes. It was shocking, full of perfectly co-ordinated movements – and came just in time. Add in the behind-the-scenes footage released online, particularly the table read, and this was a moment fans will remember.
Left to right, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things.Courtesy of Netflix
A significant character death, The Last of Us
Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley”
If Game of Thrones did one thing right, it was to teach viewers that main characters die too. That knowledge, coupled with the video-game fans’ awareness of Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) fate, should have been a clue as to what was coming in Season 2. However, Joel’s death still shocked, not only because of the marketing surrounding the show (in which Pascal’s face was everywhere), but because of how it happened. The gruesome murder has been compared to a certain baseball bat death on The Walking Dead, and it certainly left fans reeling.
Nathan Fielder tackles pilot mental health, The Rehearsal
Season 2, Episode 6, “My Controls”
Nathan Fielder’s experimental docu-comedy series has delved into complex situations over its two seasons, as he helps ordinary people rehearse tricky or difficult life events (think raising a child or tackling religion in a relationship). The second season had more of an arc, however, as Fielder studied what it takes to be a pilot. It was the finale that raised eyebrows though, when Fielder revealed his two-year quest to obtain a commercial pilot’s licence. In the episode, he flew a 737 full of actors from San Bernardino International Airport to the Nevada border and back. It was a surprise move that shocked viewers and exposed loopholes in the aviation system. It was no surprise, however, that online debates and news media coverage followed.
Nathan Fielder, right, in The Rehearsal.HBO
Gay hockey player love breaks the internet, Heated Rivalry
Season 1, Episode 1, “Rookies”
When Bell Media’s Crave green-lit Heated Rivalry, executives promised that the gay hockey series would be unlike anything else on TV. Fast-forward to the end of 2025 and the explicit sex scenes have been steaming up screens, going viral and keeping viewers talking. The spicy series features undeniable chemistry between leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. It’s smutty, sure, but each sex scene also captures the emotional stakes for the characters and propel their relationships forward. At no point was that more clear than in Episode 5, which delivered an on-ice kiss, a one-liner for the ages and one of the best needle drops in Cancon history.
Hudson Williams, left, and Connor Storrie in a scene from Heated Rivalry.Sabrina Lantos/The Associated Press
Mon Mothma’s senate speech, Andor
Season 2, Episode 9, “Welcome to the Rebellion”
Of all the Star Wars spinoffs, Andor remains one of the most remarkable in execution. Somehow, it was able to take a footnote in the franchise and expand it into a gripping, high-stakes series that reminds viewers how those who help shape history aren’t always remembered for it. One of the standout moments of the second and final season, however, is Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) senate speech, in which she denounced the Empire. The moment was written as a parallel to real-world events both past and present, and hit deeply with viewers who dove deep on Reddit and even posted the entire transcript online.
Honourable mention:
Trade war goes viral, 22 Minutes
Season 32, Episode 16, “Trade War”
A trade war is no time for soft cheezies, and if it sounds British or French, it’s probably Canadian. Those were among the lessons of Mark Critch’s viral trade war sketch this past January, which saw him knocking a Tim Hortons’ cup out of a shopper’s hand and replacing American items in the man’s grocery cart with higher priced Canadian offerings. The clip hilariously called out the “buy Canadian” movement, Loblaws and the trade war itself with Critch’s signature humour. Between that sketch, his portrayal of Donald Trump and a new book on shelves (Sorry, Not Sorry: An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For), the actor has become the new face of patriotism.