23 Absolutely Shocking TV Plot Twists That Were Revealed In A Single Second
1.I obviously have to start with one of the best of all time...in Westworld, when Bernard said, "It doesn't look like anything to me," revealing he wasn't human:
I SCREAMED!!!! To this day, it's still one of the best plot twists ever, because I absolutely never saw it coming. I'm still mad about what happened to Westworld...it started out so strong.
2.In Sharp Objects, when Amma confirmed she was the killer all along when she begged Camille not to tell their mother:
Okay, maybe you can argue that you know as soon as you realize the dollhouse floor is likely made of actual teeth, but it's still this final line that gives confirmation. I hadn't read the book, so I was in SHOCK that this was revealed in the final seconds, right when we thought everything was all wrapped up. Poor Camille!!!
3.In Wednesday, when Tyler confirmed he was the villain with the line "To lose":
We trusted Wednesday enough to know that he was probably the monster, but I was still convinced he didn't know what he was doing...at least not completely! And then he pulls this switch!!!! My roommate and I yelled from our places at the couch, and we still quote this line to each other.
4.In You, when Joe revealed he was...well, not himself:
I was CONVINCED this was all a fake-out, and Joe hadn't really done all this, until this moment. What You does so well is that it actually makes you root for Joe and think, He wouldn't do that! — only to reveal that, yep, he totally would, and he's so much more murderous and unhinged than you thought. He tricks the viewers, just like he tricks the characters on the show, and it's also a great commentary about the excuses we make for attractive white men, as Penn Badgley himself has brought up.
5.On Game of Thrones, when we finally realized where Hodor got his name:
This was absolutely DEVASTATING, and it's one of my favorite reveals GoT ever did, even though it had little impact on the larger plot. It's so heartbreaking and well done, and it showed what GoT could be at its best: shocking, horrifying, heartbreaking, and impactful, even when it came to minor characters.
6.In How to Get Away With Murder, when Annalise revealed what was on Lila's phone in an iconic line:
Will there EVER be a single line in television more iconic than "Why is your penis on a dead girl's phone?"??? Shonda Rhimes knows how to deliver (and at least at the start, HTGAWM was her best show, IMO), and Viola Davis's deadpan delivery is everything to me. It's a small twist in a show of twists, but it's still the most memorable one to me.
7.In Severance, when Helly R.'s real identity is revealed:
This one is pretty straightforward, as they just casually introduce Helly R.'s real identity as if it's not the BIGGEST REVEAL OF THE SHOW (well, besides the reveal of Mark's wife). But just because it's not a quippy line doesn't mean it's not impactful; I think I shouted out loud when Natalie said this. I need Season 2 STAT.
8.In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when it was revealed that Spike was fighting to get his soul back:
They set us up to think Spike is trying to get rid of the chip in his head that means he can't hurt innocents, and that he wants to hurt Buffy (as he keeps saying he wants to give Buffy "what she deserves"). Just when it looks as if Spike has hit rock bottom and is being set up as a complete villain again, our expectations are reversed as we realize Spike is becoming the second-ever vampire with a soul. It's a great moment and gets you excited for Buffy's final season.
9.On Yellowjackets, when it was revealed that Lottie was still alive:
We'd spent the entire first season thinking the only survivors were Natalie, Taissa, Shauna, and Misty, so this was such a great, shocking moment...especially because Lottie was clearly the most involved in all the creepy stuff going down in the woods. I wish they hadn't advertised Van's return so much so that we could have a similarly shocking reveal for when we found out she was alive too.
10.On Russian Doll, when Nadia met Alan and he revealed that he was also constantly dying:
The first three episodes of Russian Doll, while great, are set up as a pretty basic Groundhog Day scenario. Introducing a second person going through it was a great twist and differentiated the show from a story we've heard a million times. I also just love the deadpan delivery as Nadia and Alan hurtle to their deaths.
11.On Gossip Girl, when Serena told Blair she killed someone:
Y'all, this is why the GG reboot failed. The original was MESSED UP. It was like Succession but with hot young people. Everyone was awful. But STILL, I was not expecting this, especially since it wasn't even a season finale reveal. We all knew Serena had a secret, but this reveal showed us that Gossip Girl was NOT playing around (in the best way...though I'll admit, the follow-through was a bit disappointing on this one).
12.In The Last of Us, when Joel's realization also revealed to the viewer that the Fireflies were going to kill Ellie:
Maybe I'm naive, but it took me until this moment to realize that the Fireflies actually planned to kill Ellie (like, can't you just take a biopsy of the brain???). Marlene's face in response to Joel's comment seals it. Not only is this a great twist, but it immediately tells you what's to come, because we KNOW Joel isn't going to let them get away with this, and we immediately know it's going to cause a lot of drama and conflict.
13.On Elementary, when Irene revealed herself to be Moriarty:
Elementary was full of great twists on the classic Sherlock Holmes tales (which was necessary, considering the adaptations at that point), but still, even with the gender swapping of Joan Watson, I didn't expect Moriarty to be a woman. And to be Irene Adler!!! It just added a whole new layer of shock that somehow still made perfect sense.
14.In The Vampire Diaries, when Meredith revealed she'd given Elena vampire blood:
This one may not seem like much on the surface, but in context it was EVERYTHING. Elena was dead — and while, yeah, on a vampire show that might not mean much, we had NO idea she'd been given vampire blood until the very last minute of the finale, when Meredith has this line. Damon's shocked expression really says it all here; when Elena gasps awake in the final seconds, it just serves as a delicious topping on an already amazing reveal.
15.Also on Game of Thrones, when Sansa revealed that she was sentencing Littlefinger, not Arya:
This is truly one of my favorite twists, and it's a rare example of one that was actually happy. I was so afraid that Sansa was about to have Arya killed, and then they twisted our expectations perfectly at the last moment and gave us one of the most satisfying TV deaths of all time. Rest in pieces, Lord Baelish!!!
16.On Jessica Jones, when Jessica told Trish she loved her, revealing that she wasn't under Kilgrave's control:
Here's another positive one for ya: You think Jessica's lost and that she's under Kilgrave's control yet again. And then — BAM — she says exactly what Kilgrave wants her to, but to Trish (which also happens to be her code to Trish) — and the viewer realizes it's our Jessica after all!!! It's such a triumphant twist, and comes just before a villain death I love even more than Littlefinger's.
17.On Wandavision, when Agatha revealed herself to be a witch:
I know people were speculating about this already, but it was still a great reveal. In most ways, Wanda was the villain of her own show/circumstances, and the show didn't even feel like it needed an antagonist. But throwing one in made the show a lot more fun and made it easier to root for Wanda (who was, shall we say...a bit morally gray in her show).
18.On The Good Place, when Eleanor realized they'd been in the Bad Place all along:
Y'all, I was SHOOK. I had heard there was a big reveal at the end of Season 1, but I still didn't manage to guess this one. It elevated the show from a zany sitcom about ethics to something much more over-the-top and fun (while still maintaining its emotional heart), and it's still one of my favorite plot twists to this day.
19.On The Umbrella Academy, when Hargreeves revealed that he didn't recognize his own children...and then Ben showed up:
This one's kinda a two-in-one, as it's two lines that are both shocking reveals. Umbrella Academy always nails the cliffhanger, and I gotta admit, I'm a sucker for the whole time-travel-fucks-up-the-future storylines. But the best reveal here is Ben showing up and saying this line, which reveals not only that he's alive in this version of the universe, but also that he's a total dick.
20.On Scrubs, when it was revealed that Ben was dead after Dr. Cox had been talking to him for the whole episode, and they were at his funeral:
Leave it to Scrubs to have one of the most devastating TV episodes in TV history. There was no reason for them to do a reveal this upsetting, and yet they pull it off because it's so well done.
21.On Lost, when Jack told Kate they needed to go back to the island...telling the viewer that's where the show was headed:
Say what you want about Lost's later seasons, but this was a great reveal because we were immediately like, "Yep, they're gonna go back." There's a reason this is one of the most quotable lines of the series!
22.On M*A*S*H, when Radar told everyone Henry Blake's plane was shot down when he was on his way home:
Character deaths on TV shows are almost always shocking and heartbreaking, but this one feels worse than most because we don't even see it or get to really say goodbye. We learn at the same time as the characters in just a few lines of dialogue, after which the characters continue with their day and we have to continue with ours...mirroring how death sometimes occurs in real life.
23.And finally, let's end on a cute one — on Jane the Virgin, when the narrator finally revealed who he was:
The narrator didn't need to be anyone, but it's so much cuter for it to be an older Mateo. It just brings the whole series full circle in such a sweet way.
