Top 10 Most Unexpected Plot Twists in TV Shows
#10: David Clarke’s Return “Revenge” (2011-15)
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The foundation of this show is initially built on the premise that this guy, David Clarke, was framed by his lover and sent to prison, where he ultimately died. This prompts his daughter Emily (a.k.a Amanda) to seek the titular revenge. So it was certainly a shock when, in the season three finale, audiences learned that David was actually alive and his death was all a staged cover-up. Of course, this changed practically everything and would irrevocably alter the course of events – especially since he promptly ended his enemy Conrad Grayson’s life. To twist the knife further, we had to wait until season four to see what other twists and turns his return would bring.
#9: The Mole Revealed “24” (2001-10; 2014)
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When we first met Nina, she was a respected high-ranking agent and a confidant, not to mention an old lover of Jack Bauer’s. They seemed like a great team, so we almost still can’t quite believe that she turned out to be a mole. The reveal itself was bad enough, but the depths of her despicable nature were further exposed when she fatally shot Bauer’s expecting spouse, Teri. Does it even get more brutal or devastating than that? The ally-turned-enemy curveball was absolutely mindblowing and only engrossed us deeper into Bauer’s world. We probably weren’t the only ones who rewatched the entire season and pored over the smallest details, desperately searching for the clues we’d missed.
#8: Judy’s Crime “Dead to Me” (2019–22)
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Jen is grieving after her husband Ted is killed in a hit-and-run. While attending a support group, she meets Judy, who initially lies about her fiancé passing away. The pair bond and eventually become friends. Jen even invites Judy to move into her guesthouse, totally unaware of the tragic link between them – Judy is responsible for Ted’s passing. Although Jen would remain in the dark for a while, the audience is clued into the truth in the first episode. This was a stroke of brilliance, as we spent much of the season on edge, awaiting Judy’s inevitable confession. This turned out to be the first of many twists and turns that would continue to shake us up.
#7: “Agatha All Along” “WandaVision” (2021)
In “Avengers: Infinity War,” Wanda loses her love, Vision. Fast forward to “WandaVision,” the couple now live in an idyllic sitcom world. We knew something weird was up, and indeed, we eventually learned that this was a grieving Wanda’s creation as a way to avoid having to really process her loss. But we were so distracted by that – and all the nostalgia – that we forgot to pay closer attention to the overly involved neighbor Agnes. Or should we say, Agatha? Yes, this nosy neighbor is actually a witch who kept causing chaos and messing things up to get inside Wanda’s mind and discover the source of her power. She’s also why we now want all our surprise reveals to be revealed in song.
#6: The Separate Timelines “This Is Us” (2016-22)
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A good pilot episode establishes the scene, introduces us to the key players, and creates a sense of intrigue. Or, you could go down the “This Is Us” route and blindside the audience with a brilliant twist. We meet Jack and Rebecca Pearson, who are about to become parents to triplets. We also meet siblings Kate and Kevin and businessman Randall, who tracks down his biological father. Jack and Rebecca lose one of their kids, while an abandoned baby is dropped off at the hospital. Soon, things start becoming clear: Jack and Rebecca are the parents of the other three, having adopted that baby. And yup, we’re watching past and present timelines unfold! It was so clever and perfectly executed – we were hooked.
#5: The Real Identity of Sydney’s Employers “Alias” (2001–06)
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Another pilot that pulled the rug out from under us occurred in this sci-fi action thriller starring Jennifer Garner. She plays Sydney Bristow, a CIA agent working for a top-secret “Black ops” division called SD-6. Or at least, that’s what she and the audience think. We don’t know if we or Sydney were more shocked to discover the true evil nature of her employers – and from her estranged father, no less! We’d barely had enough time to wrap our heads around this bombshell when her dad later disclosed that he’s a double agent feeding information about SD-6 back to the CIA. Oh, we also learn that Sydney would be following in his path. Thus, we’re given the premise of “Alias.”
#4: The Bad Place “The Good Place” (2016–20)
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When Eleanor Shellstrop ends up in the afterlife’s “Good Place,” she’s pretty certain she doesn’t belong there, given her unscrupulous life on earth. Still, she’s given a soulmate, Chidi, who agrees to help her – and someone named Jason – become worthy of this new home. Only, in the season one finale, Eleanor realizes there’s been no mistake. The truth is that she, Jason, Chidi, and fellow resident Tahani are already in the Bad Place. Michael, who initially seemed like a heavenly guide, is revealed to be a demon who’s manipulated everything. To say that we were shook would be a colossal understatement. It made us rethink everything we’d seen and heard and completely reframed how we saw the show.
#3: The Red Wedding “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
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When Robb Stark broke his promise to Walder Frey, we’d seen enough to know that “forgive and forget” was not part of the lexicon in the “Game of Thrones” universe. But as Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey’s nuptials went ahead, we hoped bygones might just be bygones. That is until the doors unexpectedly locked, and the Starks realized they’d been lured into a trap. What followed was one of the most disturbing sequences we’d seen on the show so far. We didn’t expect to lose so many key players at once, but several members of the Stark family notably met gruesome ends. If you’d read the books, you knew this was coming, but for the rest of us, well, it still haunts our nightmares.
#2: What Happened to Tony?! “The Sopranos” (1999–2007)
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In the series’ final moments, mob boss Tony meets his family in a diner. His daughter, who’s running late, parks outside and heads over. But when the diner door opens, Tony raises his head and… cut to black. This was no technical glitch – that was it. Of course, it became a huge discussion point, with many speculating over what this ending meant for the mobster’s fate (did he die?!) and whether they’d missed any clues. “The Sopranos” creator David Chase, who directed, wrote, and produced this Emmy-award-winning episode, refused to definitively clarify the ending, allowing each viewer to draw their own conclusions. But Mr. Chase, if you’re watching, we’d still like some answers. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Michael Returns, “Jane the Virgin” (2014-19) Once We Recovered from the Shock We Had So Many Questions Moriarty Throws Audiences for a Loop, “Sherlock” (2010-17) Sherlock’s Nemesis Was at the Center of So Many Surprises “Where Do You Think We Are?”, “Scrubs” (2001-10) We Were as Devastated as Dr. Cox to Learn That Ben Didn’t Make It Mona Is Alive, “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17) ‘A’ Shocking Reveal We Never Saw Coming And Gossip Girl Is…, “Gossip Girl” (2007-12) Did You Guess It Would Turn Out to Be Dan Humphrey? We Didn’t!
#1: The Season Three Finale “Lost” (2004-10)
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“Lost” became known for using flashbacks to teach us more about the characters’ lives before the crash. So, when it did just that in the season 3 finale, we thought nothing of it. That changes when fellow survivor Kate appears in one of Jack’s flashbacks. No, not flashback, flash-forward. Yes, this was the moment we discovered that we’d been seeing the future in this episode, not the past. The notion that Jack and Kate got off the island was mind-blowing. Not only did this unexpected turn of events make us reevaluate everything we thought we knew, it also made us question the concept of time. This twist bent our minds so out of shape we’re still trying to straighten them out.
