Top 10 Best TV Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
We think we can safely say that no one saw that coming. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best TV Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming.
For this list, we'll be looking at the greatest, most shocking, and most iconic plot twists in television history. We'll obviously be discussing major plot details in this list, so a spoiler warning is in effect.
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#10: Perry is Ziggy’s Dad “Big Little Lies” (2017-)
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“Big Little Lies” was one of the biggest TV events of 2017 and it’s in large part due to amazing story beats like this. Ziggy is Jane’s son, a boy who isn’t aware of the identity of his father, but the final episode shockingly shows us that he is so much more than that. Two bombshells are dropped in the finale: it wasn’t Ziggy who was harassing Amabella, and the malicious Perry is his biological father, as he had previously raped Jane. It not only answered a lingering question, but it added further dimensions to the characters of Perry and Jane and sent the show off in spectacular fashion.
#9: Mirror Universe Lorca “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-)
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May we just say, Jason Isaacs is scarily good at playing villains and creeps. Isaacs plays Gabriel Lorca, the antihero captain of the Discovery. Or is he? Throughout the show, Lorca is a massive jerk who will do anything to protect his ship. However, we learn in episode 12 that Lorca is actually a Terran from the Mirror Universe who has been acting as the real Lorca and using manipulation to get close to Burnham. The reveal rewards and encourages another viewing, as his true character is finally brought to light, and it helps explain both numerous questions and his overall personality.
#8: Dr. K Created the Venjix Virus “Power Rangers RPM” (2009)
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For the seventeenth season of “Power Rangers,” the show told a much darker and more mature story, as it concerned a computer virus called Venjix that destroyed most of humanity. To combat the virus, Dr. K employs her RPM Power Rangers to protect the last vestige of civilization on Earth. However, we soon find out that it was Dr. K herself who created and released the Venjix virus, dooming humanity and forcing her to battle her own horrific creation. This twist a sense of gravitas and moral ambiguity, while presenting a much more three-dimensional character than seasons’ past.
#7: Frank Killed Lila “How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-)
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Now this is some heart-pounding stuff. In the penultimate episode of season one, we finally see that it was Frank who murdered Lila on the orders of Sam and disposed of her body in the water tank. The reveal itself is shocking, but it’s the way the scene is shot that really makes it hit home. We watch as hands grab Lila’s throat before the camera slowly turns to reveal Frank’s face. We then see flashbacks intercut with the terrifying image of Frank’s cold and malicious face as she strangles Lila. A well-told whodunnit is always entertaining, especially when they contain surprising reveals like this.
#6: Earth Is a Nuclear Wasteland “Battlestar Galactica” (2004-09)
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This twist is reminiscent of the famous Statue of Liberty reveal at the end of “Planet of the Apes,” and it’s almost as shocking. Throughout the preceding four seasons, the Galactica was searching for the fabled 13th Colony, also known as Earth. As the other twelve colonies were destroyed by the Cylons, the enigmatic 13th Colony remained humanity’s last hope for survival. After searching for four seasons and over sixty episodes, the Fleet finally makes it to Earth, only to learn that it’s a barren and radioactive wasteland. It’s a huge gut-punch of a twist, especially following the jubilance of the discovery of the planet, and it’s easily one of television’s most unexpected and upsetting reveals.
#5: The Chicken Was a Baby “M*A*S*H” (1972-83)
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In the show’s stellar finale, Hawkeye is treated for a nervous breakdown. He relays a story of being on a bus with a group of refugees and forcing a woman to keep her clucking chicken quiet as an enemy patrol was driving by. However, Hawkeye painfully remembers that the chicken was actually an infant baby, and the mother had smothered it to death on the orders of Hawkeye, resulting his mental breakdown. “M*A*S*H” was never afraid to go to some dark places, and this twist proved to be the darkest of them all. It’s one of the most disturbing and emotional scenes in television history, and it all came as a complete surprise.
#4: The Good Place Is The Bad Place “The Good Place” (2016-)
“The Good Place” is a great comedy concerning the lives of various deceased individuals who have found themselves in a Heaven-like utopia suitably titled The Good Place. Or are they? In the season one finale, Eleanor comes to the startling realization that The Good Place is actually an experimental version of The Bad Place and that the characters were sent there to torture each other. Like all great plot twists, this reveal is not only surprising, but it completely upends the entire show and makes you question everything that you have previously seen, seemingly understood, and analyzed. And to think, one of the greatest twists in modern television comes from a sitcom.
#3: Nina Is the Mole “24” (2001-10; 2014)
“24” was absolutely chock full of twists and turns, but perhaps none were as notable as this season one twist. Throughout the first season, Nina Myers played the role of CTU official and ally of Jack Bauer. When a mole is discovered within the CTU, Jack immediately suspects Nina, but her name is soon cleared. However, we eventually learn that he was right all along in a twist that turned the entire character and show on their heads. This is a classic plot twist, one where a previously upstanding and exceptional officer turns out to be a malicious psychopath. Nothing is the same once Nina is exposed, and this twist catapulted “24” from a great show to a fantastic one.
#2: The Red Wedding “Game of Thrones” (2011-)
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The Red Wedding served as the horrific culmination of three seasons’ worth of story, and it will fondly be remembered as one of the most startling scenes in television history. At the Twins, Walder Frey gifts Robb with bread and salt, a symbol of trust and safety. However, the doors are bolted, the Rains of Castamere starts playing, and the Starks are mercilessly slaughtered. So much for trust and safety. This twist is now legendary, as are the famous reaction videos of viewers displaying absolute disbelief at the events onscreen. If there is one thing that “Game of Thrones” will be remembered for, it’s the shock that was the Red Wedding. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Del Is Shot in the Head “Ozark” (2017-) Ward Is with HYDRA “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-) Mary Is an Assassin “Sherlock” (2010-)
#1: “We Have to Go Back!” “Lost” (2004-10)
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“Lost” is well-known for its twists, but none were as significant as the one that closed out season three. Throughout the episode, we witness a bearded and depressed Jack as he battles addiction and suicide. While viewers believed that this was just another flashback, it’s actually revealed to be a flashforward showing that Jack and Kate had gotten off the island. Everyone talked about this twist, and it completely rejuvenated interest in the show. It’s now regarded as perhaps the greatest twist in TV history, and Jack’s line, “We have to go back,” has been engrained in popular culture. It’s the undisputed champion of the TV twist.