High-caliber television show writers actively challenge our perceptions, and we deeply value unexpected twists that surprise us. A well-crafted twist prompts us to reevaluate and recontextualize everything we believed we understood about the characters and the overarching narrative. Now, let us briefly examine some of the most skillfully executed plot twists that have significantly altered our perception of television shows today. A fantastic twist makes you rethink and recontextualize everything you thought you knew about the characters and the story overall.
Let’s take a quick look at the most masterfully executed plot twists that completely changed how we perceive TV shows today. Read on, if you’re not scared of spoilers!
1. The Good Place—Welcome to The Bad Place
Just when you think you’re watching a fun little comedy about karma, soulmates, and the afterlife, The Good Place pulls a quick one. Turns out, Eleanor and the rest of the characters aren’t in heaven, aka “the Good Place”—they’re actually in “the Bad Place,” and everyone around them is a demon who is basically torturing them psychologically. The mid-season reveal completely upended the entire premise, making rewatching Season 1 an entirely immersive experience.
2. Breaking Bad—Walt Poisons a Kid
As if Walter White wasn’t already teetering on the line between anti-hero and full-blown villain, the revelation that he poisoned Brock to manipulate Jesse was downright chilling. For a second, we actually believed that Gus did it until the camera quietly pans to a pot of lily of the valley in Walt’s backyard. That’s our chemistry teacher, all right!
3. The Haunting of Hill House—Nell is the Bent-Neck Lady
This one is a real doozy. Throughout the season, our poor, innocent Nell is haunted by the traumatizing visions of a lady with a broken neck. Then, we find out it’s actually Nell herself, or rather her own ghost but from … the future? After her death, Nell somehow went back in time to haunt her younger self. Nobody saw this one coming, and it’s not because she’s an apparition.
4. House of Cards—Frank Takes Out Zoe
Remember how everyone thought Zoe was going to be pretty much the next main character? Yeah, but then, out of nowhere, Frank bodyslammed her right at the oncoming subway train in the very first episode of season 2. It’s like the writers needed to kill off her character, but didn’t know how to do it. We’ve seen it happening before.
5. Squid Game—Sweet Old Man
Ever since the players’ numbers were revealed, and we saw the old man Il-nam as the 001, some people started speculating that he’s no ordinary player. It turns out that he is the wealthy mastermind who created the entire murder game show! He joined in for fun because he was bored being mega-rich and running death games for entertainment.
6. Westworld—Bernard Isn’t Human
Westworld had a lot of unexpected twists and turns, and just when you think you’re finally understanding what’s going on with some of the characters and plot lines, we find out that Bernard has been a host, aka a robot, all this time. So the logical question everyone started asking was, “If Bernard’s a host, who else is faking it?” And that’s when the show got too deep into its own rabbit hole, losing fans left and right, and ultimately got cancelled.
7. How I Met Your Mother—The Big Countdown Fakeout
In “The Big Countdown,” we’re led to believe Lily’s about to tell Marshall they’re going to become parents. We see literal numbers counting down to that moment. Or at least, that’s what we think the moment is going to be. But instead, she breaks the bad news about his dad. The crazy part in all this is that Jason Segel wasn’t told the real line until filming. That single-take reaction you saw was 100% real.
8. Black Mirror—Kenny’s Dark Secret
In “Shut Up and Dance,” you root for poor, awkward Kenny, who’s being blackmailed for something embarrassing caught on webcam. He’s pushed to rob banks and even kill. Then—boom!—the final reveal: he was watching some of that unspeakable stuff that gets you on the Epstein list. Suddenly, your empathy fades away, and you realize the consequences of what he’s done.
9. Game of Thrones—The Red Wedding
Even though by the time the Red Wedding rolled up, we should’ve known better, we still were not prepared. At what should have been a joyful celebration, Robb Stark, his pregnant wife, Catelyn, and most of the Winterfell army faced brutal slaughter. This blood-chilling event didn’t just shake up the story; it stomped all over the hero’s journey and spat it out in a pool of blood. Good job, Mr. Martin!
