Reasons to be Thankful for 2016
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Reasons to be Thankful for 2016

2016 has had it's terrible moments, but it also has had some redeeming qualities.

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Reasons to be Thankful for 2016
Thought Catalog

To many people, 2016 has been a pretty crappy year. There has been a lot of tension throughout the United States and the World, but that doesn't mean that everything has been bad. There have actually been some pretty big highlights to this year.


Netflix Makes Everything Wonderful

Netflix has done some pretty incredible things this year. One of my favorite things? Stranger Things.


Stranger Things was such a refreshing show that brought back the feel of classic 80s horror and reminded everyone why child actors are the best. It was because of these things that Stranger Things became a pop culture phenomenon, and it will surely live on much like 80s classics such as The Goonies and The Thing. *SPOILER ALERT* It appears that fan favorite telekinetic, Eleven, will be returning in the next season.

In addition to brand new content, Netflix also has brought back some shows that many had thought were done.


America's favorite cheesy family was back and better than ever. Although Fuller House seemed to be more targeted to an older audience than Full House, the charm and cheesiness was still the same. It was amazing to be back in the house that many people feel like they grew up in back in the 90s. Almost the whole cast reunited too, which is a feat in itself. Hopefully next season the Olsen Twins will make an appearance and not just have cheeky references.

Another miracle, courtesy of Netflix, is the revival of TV's favorite mother-daughter duo. Gilmore Girls.

Where you lead, we will ALL follow. Although this hasn't officially dropped yet, the anticipation has been at an all time high. People everywhere cannot wait to return to the fast paced mother-daughter duo and residents of Stars Hallow. It appears that the whole cast was able to reunite for this revival, including Melissa McCarthy, who has skyrocketed into stardom. Everyone grab your coffee, order some take-out and get ready for a Netflix binge that will hopefully soothe the soul.

Game of Thrones has the Best Season Ever

*Beware, spoilers are coming.*

Seriously, stop reading this paragraph now if you've been living under a rock. Obviously, TV shows have been big this year. In season 5 of GoT we were left with the death of Jon Snow and hearts broke everywhere. I know people who actually cried, it was so traumatic. For once, the Red Priestess did some good and brought everyone's favorite bastards back from the dead. In addition to Jon returning, Daenery's proved why she was the Mother of Dragons, and basically queen of everything as she destroyed the pigs of the Dothraki and set sail for Westeros along with her dragons. In addition, Theon became himself again,sort of, the Hound return, Arya got revenge and proved that she is the biggest asset in the Game, and the most hated enemy was killed. I might be biased, but the best part of the season was when Jon defeated Ramsay Bolton's army, along with Littlefinger and Sansa's help, and reclaimed Winterfell. The pinacle of the battle was when Jon saved Ramsay for his sister/cousin Sansa to deal with and she did what karma intended, fed him to his dogs. Of course Cersei continues to show her true colors and we finally learn Jon's parentage. While there were some devastating moments in this season (RIP Tommen, Summer, Rickon, Margaery, and Loras) the good definitely outweighed the bad.

The Wizarding World Returns

JK Rowling was so kind to us this year, she took us to the future and the past of the Wizarding World. Audience's were returned to the Potter's and Weasley's when JK Rowling released Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. While few got to actually see the production of the play, anyone could pick up a copy of the script. It was refreshing to return to the world I grew up with. I can't give away any spoilers but the story follows Harry's son Albus, who is much more angst-ridden than his father. Honestly, who can blame him, he's in the shadow of the "Chosen One".

In addition to Cursed Child, fans were also given Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Being a huge Harry Potter fan, I saw this movie the night it came out. This story follows Newt Scamander, the author of the book of the same title and takes place in 1926 New York. Newt is an ex-Hogwarts student and Brit who is stopping in New York for a peculiar reason. Newt gets into a rough spot when a few of his magical creatures get loose and he employs a muggle (ahem, no-maj to Americans), an ex-auror, and her sister to help find his creatures. The story was mixture of light-hearted and dark moments and expanded on the fact that the Wizarding World is not restricted to Hogwarts. Fun fact: Luna Lovegood married Newt's grandson, Rolf!

Finding Dory Made 20 Year Olds Kids Again


Dory was first introduced to audiences everywhere in 2003 when Merlin, a clown fish, was searching for his son. People everywhere fell in love with the blue tang fish. Not only is she voiced by the lovable Ellen Degeneres, but she is endearing by how forgetful she is. 13 years later, Finding Dory is released and due to her amnesia tendencies, Dory is now searching for her parents. Much like Toy Story 3 and Monsters University, this movie not only brought in an influx of children, it brought in an influx of adults in their 20s.

Rio 2016 Summer Olympics

Nothing brings people together like rooting for your country. The Olympics couldn't have come at a better time. Our country was stressed out and we needed something to bond over. The Olympics provided the much needed stress relief. These Olympics reminded us of why Michael Phelps is the GOAT, Katie Ledecky showed that she is a force to reckon with and everyone fell in love with the Final Five. Of course there were some not so great moments, (I'm looking at you Ryan Lochte), but overall, the Olympics were a positive experience. In the end, the USA dominated, topping the world with over 121 medals, 46 of which were gold.

A 108 Year Long Wait is Over

Chicago Cub fans, and honestly most of the United States, rejoiced when the Cubs won the World Series, ending a 108 losing streak. Everyone loves a fantastical story, and this was one for the books. The final game was even dramatic, keeping America on their toes. The Series went into Game 7 with extra innings and a rain delay. The only thing that could have made the win better was if it was at Wrigley Field. People everywhere were feeling pretty great about the outcome, especially this guy.

Pokemon Go Unites the World

Pokemon Go hit the world hard and made everyone head outside and get exercise. The phenomenon has died down significantly since the release, but with how vast the world of Pokemon is, the game has potential to be revived again, and again as updates happen. While this game did have everyone staring at their phones, it also got people out of the house, exercising and even communicating with strangers and meeting new people. Even Justin Bieber got in on the craze back in the summer. 90s kids everywhere were pumped since, for the first time, you actually felt like a real trainer, straight from an episode of Pokemon.


I know that 2016 has had some pretty disappointing moments, but don't let those moments mask the great things that have occurred this year. 2016 will definitely be a year to remember and lets make sure that not all those memories are horrible.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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