Top 10 Times TV Backstabbers Got What They Deserved
#10: Shane’s Betrayal Backfires
“The Walking Dead” (2010-) Serving as Rick’s ex-partner in the sheriff’s office, Shane has stabbed Rick in the back in oh-so-many ways. First, he left him for dead when he was comatose in the hospital. Then he slept with his wife. And he also tries to kill Rick on several occasions. But his final betrayal goes wrong for him big time. Convinced that he deserves everything Rick has, Shane decides to kill his friend. The two meet in an isolated area. After Shane is convinced to let his guard down, Rick gets close enough to stab Shane. It’s fitting that a man determined to stab, or shoot, his friend in the back gets killed this way. Plus, his reanimated zombie body gets put down soon afterward.
#9: Saffron Is “Dumped”
“Firefly” (2002-03) “Saffron” is one of many aliases of a con-woman whose favorite swindle is to marry a guy and then take him for all he’s worth. She turns to Captain Mal Reynolds, one of her many husbands, for help with a lucrative job robbing another one of her spouses. The plan is to smuggle the valuable laser pistol out in the trash. Naturally, Saffron double crosses Mal and leaves him naked in the desert. However, he and his crew counted on her treachery. When she’s digging through garbage, Inara holds her at gunpoint. With the authorities closing in, it’s appropriate that Saffron is double-crossed and left with the rest of the rubbish.
#8: John Lumic Gets an Upgrade
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“Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-) When the Doctor and friends travel to a parallel universe, they’re surprised to find everyone wearing advanced earpods. These are the creations of John Lumic, a dying tech genius whose innovations hide a sinister motivation. He soon enacts plans to forcibly convert the population of this alternate Britain into Cybermen, emotionless cyborgs that are some of the Doctor’s worst foes in his universe. Lumic betrays his country and even his humanity. However, he’s unwilling to convert himself until his health fails completely. When one of his own creations decides to forcibly “upgrade” him into the Cyber-Controller, it's hardly surprising – and it’s exactly what he deserved after doing the same to so many people.
#7: Horik Is Dethroned by Ragnar
“Vikings” (2013-20) The titular Norse warriors betray each other so frequently on this show that there’s no shortage of backstabbers to choose from. While Jarl Borg’s infamous Blood Eagle punishment was tempting, at least he was worthy of Valhalla. Not so the man responsible for Borg’s feud with Earl Ragnar Lothbrok. King Horik’s selfish machinations caused plenty of issues for Ragnar. Horik even tries to turn several of Ragnar’s inner circle, Floki and Siggy, against him during an attempt to kill Ragnar in his home of Kattegat. However, much to our satisfaction, it’s revealed that Floki and Siggy remained loyal and betrayed Horik’s plans to Ragnar, letting the cunning Viking flip the script on Horik to kill him and take his crown, or rather – his sword.
#6: Gaeta & Zarek Are “Fired”
“Battlestar Galactica” (2004-09) Furious over their leaders’ collaboration with rebel Cylons, the artificial foes that have made them interstellar refugees, Lt. Felix Gaeta and Vice President Tom Zarek lead a coup. They take over the titular warship and Zarek executes most of the civilian leaders. They plan to have Admiral Adama executed for supposed treason. However, both of them underestimate the crew of the Galactica, who rescue Adama and retake the ship. The two ringleaders are then executed by firing squad, just as they planned for Adama. Gaeta may have been naïve, and Zarek was a monster, but if you try to kill Adama, you’d better be prepared for when you fail. Not if – when.
#5: Jack Is Interrupted by Walt
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“Breaking Bad” (2008-13) Walter White has a lot of regrets, but one of his biggest has to be getting involved with neo-Nazi Jack Welker. Jack kills Walt’s brother-in-law Hank and steals his buried money to boot, though he does leave him some. Jack eventually comes to regret leaving Heisenberg alive. Nearly a year later, Walt returns and uses an elaborate contraption and a machine gun to take down Jack’s gang. Heavily wounded, Jack assumes Walt wants to know where his money is. But Walt interrupts him with a bullet – just like Jack did to Hank.
#4: Soldier Boy Gets Payback on Payback
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“The Boys” (2019-) Throughout Season 3 of this superhero satire, we follow Soldier Boy, a Captain America analog, seek revenge on his teammates in the superhero group Payback. Although he led the team, they turned him over to the Russians. It soon becomes clear that they did this because Soldier Boy was far from a paragon of justice. The hero frequently mistreated his teammates and sabotaged his teammates’ careers. But they regretted turning on him once he escaped imprisonment. By the end of the season, Soldier Boy kills nearly every single team member that betrayed him. The only one he didn't slay was fittingly slaughtered by his son Homelander. In the end, the team’s attempt at getting payback was their undoing.
#3: Michael Is Outplayed
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“Peaky Blinders” (2013-22) For much of the final season of “Peaky Blinders,” Michael Gray is at odds with his cousin, Tommy Shelby. Michael blames Tommy for the death of his mother, mostly falsely, and works with Boston gangsters against him. It’s hardly the first time he’s gone against the family, either. In the finale, Michael plants a bomb in Tommy’s car when the two meet on an island off the coast of Canada. When it goes off, Michael assumes he has killed his cousin at last. However, Tommy had his buddy Johnny switch the bomb to Michael’s allies’ car. This lets Tommy get the drop on Michael and end their feud permanently. He should have known better than to try to dance with the devil.
#2: Grant Ward Is Crushed
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20) One of the most fascinating and hateable Marvel villains, Grant Ward is a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as a secret mole for Hydra. His betrayals of his former team are many, including trying to kill several of them and killing several other agents. However, his murder of Coulson’s girlfriend drives the hero into enough rage to pursue Ward even onto an alien planet. While there, the two engage in a final showdown and Coulson crushes Ward’s chest with his mechanical hand. And then Ward gets possessed by an Inhuman monster. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
#1: Littlefinger Is Silenced at Last
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19) Everyone and their mother betrays everyone and their mother on “Game of Thrones.” While most get their comeuppances, and as tempted as we were to discuss the catharsis of seeing Winter come for House Frey… c’mon. We all know it had to be Littlefinger! Mr. “Chaos is a Ladder” betrays anyone and everyone to climb higher. After driving a wedge between the Stark sisters, Petyr Baelish is so smug at an apparent trial for Arya’s crimes. That’s why it’s so satisfying watching his face when Sansa reveals it’s a trial for him. His misdeeds are laid out on the table for all to see. And it must be fate that the man who held a knife to their father’s throat has his own cut by Arya.
