If this is television’s New Golden Age, you’re about to hit the motherlode. The 16 contestants in Rolling Stone‘s TV tournament are the best examples of what small-screen drama does best in this anything-goes era: make you say “I can’t believe what I’m seeing!” Whether they’re lengthy sequences of suspense, sudden surprises that turn a story upside down, or moving emotional moments that come to define a series, they’re the reason you tune in. Which of these heart-stoppers will take the top spot? Before you start filling out your brackets, here’s a quick primer on all of the candidates.