29 Shocking And Heartbreaking Betrayals On TV Shows That No One Saw Coming
If you love drama like I do, you're all for a shocking twist in a TV show. Sometimes, these twists can be devastating.
Netflix
In my humble opinion, the most shocking and devastating plot twists come when one character betrays another.
Disney
There's truly nothing better than a good, emotional "I TRUSTED YOU!" screamed at a former friend/lover. Which is why a while back, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their fave TV betrayals.
MTV
Here are some of the most memorable!
🚨🚨SPOILERS AHEAD!🚨🚨
1.On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Faith teamed up with the Mayor:
This one hurt. Buffy was trying SO hard to be there for Faith and help her take accountability for her actions. In the scene just before this, she tells Giles she won't give up on her. But then...Faith gives up on Buffy instead. Even though Buffy was the one person trying to be there for her!!! Ugh.
I can't find the scene online, but it happens at the very end of Season 3, Episode 15. You can watch the show on Amazon or Hulu.
2.On Loki, when Sylvie pushed Loki through the portal and killed He Who Remains:
God, I love this scene. Loki is finally doing something good and reaching out to someone who is just like he was — and you think Sylvie's listening to him. But nope, a Loki is a Loki, and Sylvie betrays him by pushing him through a portal and killing He Who Remains.
Watch the scene here:
3.On Pretty Little Liars, when Ezra revealed he'd been writing a book about Alison and that he'd known who Aria was all along:
I hated Ezra from the start, but you've truly lost my respect if you still shipped Ezra after this. Ezra literally knew Aria was underage all along and got close to her to research Ali, and he clearly had a pattern of dating younger girls. It was a chilling reveal, and having Aria stuck on a ski lift while she listened made it even more dramatic.
Watch the scene here:
4.On Ted Lasso, when Nate leaked news of Ted's panic attack to the press, then went to work for Rupert's team:
This one gets me HEATED. It is NEVER okay to disclose someone's mental health struggles to the public, no matter how hurt you are. It was truly unforgivable — and then to go and work for Rupert's team??? Rupert, a piece of human garbage??? Nate, I trusted you!!!
Watch the scene here:
5.On Pretty Little Liars, when Mona was revealed to be A:
I'm gonna go ahead and mark this down as the only good A reveal the show ever had, because the Cece and Alex ones were wack. It wasn't a surprise if you'd read the books, but I thought the show did a great job at making it seem like they were going a different route. Plus, Mona becomes such a fun character after this.
Watch the scene here:
6.On Squid Game, when Sang-woo betrayed Ali:
Oof. Maybe not the most unexpected betrayal, but definitely one of the most brutal. Ali was a sweet, kind soul — and he won fair and square. Shame on you, Sang-woo.
Watch the scene here:
7.On Sherlock, when Mary shot Sherlock:
Suggested by lmgroth1011
Mary seemed like such a sweet character and a great match for John, and this one truly caught me off guard and was kind of devastating. Luckily, she purposefully didn't kill Sherlock, and we forgive her after we get an explanation — still, this was a chilling betrayal.
Watch the reveal scene here:
8.On Gossip Girl, when Dan revealed himself to be Gossip Girl:
Suggested by leaht_2
I'll never not be mad about this. This is truly one of the most shocking TV twists ever — mostly because it makes no sense unless Dan is literally an evil mastermind. Dan betrayed basically everyone over the course of Season 6, and then there was this final betrayal to prove that he was every bit the entitled creep he seemed to be that season — so I have no idea why the characters decided to keep him in their lives.
Watch the scene here:
9.On One Tree Hill, when Dan shot Keith:
"I mean, we already knew he sucked, but when he killed his own brother, I couldn't believe it! I'm still pissed about it."
Watch the scene at 3:34 here (be warned, if you watch from the start, this clip contains a suicide):
10.On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Giles injected Buffy with a serum that took away her Slayer powers:
"When Giles betrayed Buffy with the power dampener for the council, that really got me."
Watch the scene here:
11.On Pretty Little Liars, when Toby was revealed to be working with the A Team (though it was later revealed he was only doing it to protect Spencer):
"When Toby was A. It was so shocking and Spencer's reactions made it so much more emotional."
Watch the scene here:
12.On The 100, when Clarke killed Bellamy:
"I definitely didn’t see that coming."
"Clarke shooting Bellamy — the guy she previously couldn't shoot to save the human race. He literally brought her back to life a week earlier, and she basically killed him for nothing. It’s still fresh, and it’s so absolutely unbelievable and cruel that I’m refusing to accept any of Season 7 as canon."
Watch the scene here:
13.On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., when Grant Ward was revealed to be part of Hydra:
"Ward was such a bland, cookie-cutter character who was clearly set up to be part of the traditional main love story with Skye. The writers lulled you into believing that’s what he’d be for the whole show, then they completely pulled the rug out from everybody. Such an unexpected, smart move."
Watch the scene here:
14.On The Good Place, when Eleanor figured out they were actually in The Bad Place and that Michael was actually a demon:
"That laugh and smile that Ted Danson gives is truly one of the best moments of the series. I didn’t see the twist coming, and then when he reveals himself it’s so beautifully evil. Utter perfection."
"That whole thing shook me. It was one twist I did not see coming at all. I kept wondering, 'How will they get out of this?' and was blown away. And rewatching it, there are clues. I love when you can go back and see the twist coming and it isn't some out-of-the-blue non-foreshadowed twist."
Watch the scene here:
15.On Angel, when Wesley betrayed Angel Investigations and took Angel's baby:
"When Wesley betrays Angel Investigations and takes Angel's kid away from him. There was build up, and Wes thought he was doing the right thing, but the scene where Angel tries to smother Wes in the hospital will never not be horrifying. It's awful — you love both characters and both of them have valid opinions. But the chilling calmness of Angel making sure Wes knows it's him and not Angelus before all the screaming and pain UGH. It's awful."
The scene doesn't seem to be online, but you can watch the show on Hulu or Amazon — it occurs in Season 3, Episode 16.
16.On Dollhouse, when Boyd was revealed to be the head of the Rossum Corporation and tried to kill Echo:
"Jaw. Was On. THE FLOOR. I DID NOT see that twist coming IN THE SLIGHTEST, and when I say I gasped, I mean I actually audibly gasped so hard I choked on air. Just WOW."
"I have never felt betrayal like it. I was so angry at him!"
The scene isn't online, but you can watch the show on Hulu — the moment comes near the end of Season 2, Episode 12.
17.On Elementary, when Irene Adler is revealed to be Moriarty:
"We spent the entire first season being led to believe that Sherlock’s lost love, Irene Adler, was murdered by a serial killer named Moriarty. Then we find out Irene has been alive the whole time and has been held prisoner for years. And just as it seems like all will be okay, it's suddenly revealed that Irene IS Moriarty, and she betrays Sherlock and Joan. The betrayal of someone you mourned for years just hits so hard."
Watch the scene here:
18.On Lost, when Michael shot Libby and Ana Lucia:
"When Michael shot Libby and Ana Lucia dead, released Linus, and turned Jack, Sawyer, and Kate over to The Others because he was working with them to get Walt back. He betrayed all his friends. Still not over it."
"I saw Ana Lucia's death coming 'cause it was classic Lost (redeeming or making a character deeper just to kill them), but I was rattled to my core when he shot Libby. So much of her story went untold and it broke my heart."
Watch the scene here:
19.On Game of Thrones, when Roose Bolton worked with the Freys and killed Robb during the Red Wedding:
"I was shook the first time. And then I was shook again when I read the books."
Watch the scene here:
20.On Killing Eve, when Eve stabbed Vilanelle right when you thought they might kiss:
"I don't know if this counts as a betrayal, but Eve stabbing Villanelle when they were about to make out was jaw-dropping."
Watch the scene here:
21.On Game of Thrones, when a bunch of the Night's Watch (including Olly) stabbed Jon to death:
"I’m sure a lot of people are going to go with the Red Wedding, but for me honestly it was when Olly took part in the group that killed Jon Snow. Jon had done so much for him and to do him so dirty like that...I honestly cheered when Olly got what he deserved."
Watch the scene here:
22.On 24, when Nina killed Jack's wife:
"Nina Myers from 24 was the OG betrayer. All season long, we think she's the most trusted friend of Jack Bauer and then boom! She's working with terrorists and kills his wife. Iconic."
"When Nina Myers on 24 turned out to be working with Alexis Drazen to kill Senator Palmer, and when she also killed Jack’s wife, Teri. My jaw dropped."
Watch the scene when he confronts her here:
23.On Jane the Virgin, when Rose killed her husband, then it was revealed that Rose was Sin Rostro:
"When we found out that Rose was Sin Rostro!"
"Any Sin Rostro plot twist, like any time she wore a mask and pretended to be someone else."
"When she posed as Michael’s coworker and shot him on his wedding night!"
Watch the scene here:
24.On The Flash, when Jay turned out to be Zoom:
"I thought they would’ve learned their lesson after the whole Wells thing in Season 1. But they didn’t."
Watch the scene here:
25.And, of course, when the original Harrison Welles was revealed to be the Reverse Flash:
Welles was such an intriguing character who truly seemed to believe in Barry from the start, acting as a sort of Dumbledore-like guide. And then it turns out he's actually the villain of the season?! Honestly, a great reveal.
Watch the scene here:
26.On Glee, when Jesse revealed he'd been spying on New Directions:
"When Jesse St. James turned out to be spying on New Directions for rival group Vocal Adrenaline, and his entire relationship with Rachel had been a lie. I'll never forget the look on Rachel's face when Jesse betrayed her publicly and cracked an egg on her head. Everybody in the McKinley Glee Club had come to trust Jesse and was absolutely blindsided by his betrayal. Even though it had been foreshadowed throughout the season, it still came as a shock to see him turn on Rachel."
Watch the scene here:
27.On The Office, when Dwight went behind Michael's back and tried to get him demoted/fired:
"When Dwight betrayed Michael and tried to take over as the head of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton. I was both shocked and appalled."
Watch the scene here:
28.On Downton Abbey, when O'Brien planted soap for Lady Cora to slip on, causing her miscarriage:
"On Downton Abbey, when O’Brien deliberately left the broken piece of soap on the floor for Lady Cora to slip on while getting out of the tub. That to me was a hard take because Cora trusted O’Brien as her Lady’s Maid, and for O’Brien to intentionally harm her after overhearing a conversation not about her was too much."
Watch the scene at 3:17 here:
29.And finally, to end on a positive note...on Game of Thrones, when Sansa betrayed Littlefinger:
"I was shook. The way it was done made Baelish think Arya was the accused, and then it got completely turned around on him. 😂😂😂"
"That scene still brings me so much joy to think about...god I hated that man!!!"
Watch the scene here:
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.
