One of the most important qualities of aTV showis its ability to keep the audience hooked right through its whole run. As much as the evolving story arcs of the characters, as well as the emotional weight of the plot, work their magic, sometimes what also gets the viewer hooked are unexpected plot twists. Whilesome TV shows had plot twists audiences guessed right away, others delivered moments that went beyond the normal plot twist and are forever burned into pop culture history.
Whether through unexpected or gruesome deaths or gut-wrenching betrayals,these scenes have redefined the very shows they belong to. They pushed the boundaries of storytelling, making it impossible for the audience not to talk about them, whether fromfast-paced TV shows with plenty of plot twiststo unexpected curves in character dramas. While some are violent and brutal, others are emotionally haunting. These are the “WTF” moments that confuse, torment, and shock the viewer to their core.
10Frank Underwood Murders Zoe
House Of Cards
Zoe Barnes was introduced as a well-meaning and astute journalist set to expose the dirty secrets of some corrupt individuals. She seemed to be destined for a heroic path. However, although theHouse of Cardsseason 2 premiere hinted at an awaited and tense confrontation between the ambitious reporter and Congressman Frank Underwood, the calculating politician had other plans.
In a too quick to realize twist,Frank shoves Zoe in front of an oncoming subway train. The murder was one of the most abrupt in television history, even in aTV show that had multiple shocking plot twists. There was absolutely no build-up, which made the scene even more horrifying and ruthless, leaving the viewers wondering what had just happened.
House of Cards
Cast
Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs, House of Cards follows unscrupulous politician Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) as he makes ruthless attempts to further his career. When he’s passed over for an appointment as Secretary of State, Underwood decides to get ahead by any means necessary. His talent for manipulation and pragmatism sees him climb the political ladder despite his total lack of moral fiber.
Similarly toGame of Thrones,House of Cardsproved to be an incredibly bold series, audacious enough to subvert expectations, suggesting that no one was really safe in the show. Zoe, who appeared as a likely long-term player in the game, was killed off in a matter of seconds.
9Tony Kills Ralph
The Sopranos
The Sopranosmight have been a suspense-filled series, but it was not incapable of shocking its viewers to the core. Although Ralph Cifaretto was not the most beloved character ofThe Sopranos, his brutal murder was still unexpected. While Tony was usually calculated in his murders, after he suspected his friend had killed his beloved racehorse, that changed.In a fit of uncontrollable rage, the criminal strangled Ralph to deathwhile also beating his lifeless body afterward.
The Sopranos follows New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano as he navigates the challenges of managing his family and criminal enterprise. He seeks guidance from psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi while dealing with complex dynamics involving his wife Carmela, cousin Christopher Moltisanti, and other Mafia associates. Released in 1999, this series delves into organized crime and personal struggles.
Although Ralph had done horrible things, the scene highlighted the violence of Tony and his emotional instability, as well as his hypocrisy. The murder was not driven by necessity but by personal grief and revenge. The killing of Ralph revealed Tony not simply as a pragmatic criminal but also as a man ruled by emotion.
8"Where Do You Think We Are?"
Scrubs
No series likeScrubswas capable of alternating comedic brilliance with poignant moments. However, the unexpected plot twist in the episode “My Screw-Up"was beyond anything we had ever witnessed. Throughout the episode, Dr. Cox’s former brother-in-law and best friend, Ben, who is there to be treated for his illness, follows him around the hospital as they jokingly argue.
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Action movies don’t have as many twists as other genres like horror and sci-fi, but a good twist in an action movie can make everything more exciting.
Cox is heartbroken about one of his patients, whose death he blames on JD. However, when Cox shows up at the funeral for the patient, JD asks him, “Where do you think we are?”The moment revealed Ben had died all alongand it was his funeral they were at.
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
The devastating realization made the sceneone of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history. The creator brilliantly portrayed Cox’s denial by making the audience part of the illusion. The moment was one of the cruelest WTF plot twists. Without a doubt,Scrubscould bring the audience to tears as much as it could make them laugh.
7Buffy’s Mother’s Death
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas definitely not a feel-good series, despite the occasional humor and young characters. Most of the brutality or deaths present in the show were the usual results of supernatural forces that the fans always expected to be lurking around. However, the death of Joyce Summers, Buffy’s mother, was none of the sort.
Unlike the supernatural battles Buffy typically faced, the moment was painfully human.
The moment whenBuffy finds her mother’s lifeless body on the couchis still stamped on the memory of the audience. The scene, in particular, lacks the usual music and special effects that complement its fantasy elements. Unlike the supernatural battles Buffy typically faced, the moment was painfully human.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Buffy, the heroine who was always unfazed before the most violent battles, and after, is rocked to numbness by the trauma of her mother’s death for the whole episode. In a show filled with monsters and vampires, the moment proved that the scariest are the ones that we encounter in real life.
6John Doe Is George O’Malley
Grey’s Anatomy
In the final episode of season 5 ofGrey’s Anatomy, so much was going on that most of the fans did not bother paying too much attention to the so-called John Doe, the disfigured man hit by a bus. Izzy was fighting cancer, and everyone else was fretting over George O’ Malley’s decision to join the Army. Though fans should have seen it coming when no one was able to track George down, the reveal that Jon Doe was actually George O’Malley wasone ofGrey’s Anatomy’smost heartbreaking twists.
Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama series revolving around surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The show features the professional and personal lives of these medical professionals, led initially by Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Created by Shonda Rhimes, the series highlights the complexities of medical cases while delving into the interpersonal relationships among the hospital staff.
The moment whenGeorge pretends to draw the number sequence “007”, his old nickname, on Meredith’s handwas an emotional rollercoaster of heartbreak, shock, and fear for the fans.Grey’s Anatomyhas seen many character losses, but after a season of battling cancer, most people expected that Izzy would be the one to leave the show. That it was George was a brutal twist.
5The Baseball Bat
The Walking Dead
One of the simultaneously best and worst introductions of a villain in a series,Negan’s arrival inThe Walking Deadis a brutal preparation for the character. Armed with his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille, Negan has a moment of fun playing with Rick’s group before choosing his victim.
In a gut-wrenching moment,he brutally bludgeons Abraham Ford to death—only to then turn his attention to Glenn Rhee, a fan-favorite who had been in the series since episode 1. The unfiltered brutality of the scene made this one of TV’s most devastating moments in television history.
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 16, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
Although the show was already known for its graphic violence, the gratuitous brutality directed at such a beloved character who had only recently come close to his happy ending felt unnaturally cruel. The scene effectively established the beginning of Negan’s reign of terror, but still remains one ofThe Walking Dead’smost infamous WTF moments.
Breaking Bad
Walter White, throughout the five seasons ofBreaking Bad,evolved to become many things: a drug kingpin, a skilled liar, and a murderer. However, the man, being a father of two, seemed to still hold some moral reserves about hurting children, especially, when it was Brock, the child of Jesse’s girlfriend. Unfortunately, by season 4, that was not the case.
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
After an impeccably built lie to free himself of any suspicion of his involvement in the poisoning of Brock while also shifting the blame to Gus, Jesse believes his mentor. However, by the end of the episode, it turns out thatwhat almost killed the boy was the lily of the valley, a mysterious flower recognized for its poisonous toxins. After a heartfelt conversation between mentor and pupil, the camera moves to Walt’s garden to shoot the beautiful lily of the valley, revealing, ina shocking twist,Walter’s role in poisoning Brock.
3"We Have To Go Back!”
Lost
Lostwas an intriguingly written TV show filled with plot twists and breathtaking tension. After all, the whole show is about a plane crashing on a mysterious island full of dangers and enigma. Since the first episode, the survivors attempt everything to get into contact with the outside world and return home.
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While most movies deliver a revelatory plot twist at the end of the movie, some have defied convention by placing a plot twist in the opening scene.
Along with the current storylines, the episodes also provide flashbacks to the survivors’ past lives to give a little context into who they are, how they all connect, and why they were destined to end up on the island.Lostseason 4, however, takes the viewer by surprise.
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
After a seemingly normal episode where life on the island is alternated with the backstories of the characters, the apparent flashback concludes with a meeting between Kate and Jack (who did not know each other prior to the series). In one of TV history’s most shocking twists, Jack tells Kate that they have to go back, revealing thatthe past the audience thought it had witnessed is actually a flash-forward: the two characters had made it off the island.
2Daenerys' Heel Turn
Game of Thrones
Since the first season ofGame of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen proved a dual ability to be incredibly compassionate and chillingly ruthless. Her ruthlessness, however, was reserved for her enemies, usually cruel figures she saw as abusing their power. As a consequence, her character, despite stirring some controversy among the fans, was celebrated as a champion of the oppressed.
She could be brutal, but her brutality was usually aimed upward instead of punching down. Her title role as a Friend of the Last Ones and, more formally, the Breaker of Chains was, therefore, what made the audience outraged when, in less than one season,Daenerys does a complete heel turn and decides to burn King’s Landing to the ground.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
Although some of her actions had hinted at a possible darker turn, Daenerys’ complete rampage through the city whose innocent lives she swore she’d protect was so unexpected that it deserves a place among the biggest WTF moments in TV history.
1The Red Wedding
Game of Thronesis famous for the devastating plot twists that defined the whole series and tormented the audience, one of thoseTV plot twists that are so earthshaking they should never be spoiled. One of the most heartbreaking was The Red Wedding. For the fans who hadn’t read the George R. R. Martin book,the moment was a complete shock, especially considering the importance of characters Catelyn and Robb Stark.
The Red Wedding killed two of the most beloved characters of the whole series in an ambush bloodbath that changed the entire show and TV.
AlthoughGoThad already killed off its protagonist, Ned Stark, most people thought Robb would bring closure to the murder of his father.The Red Wedding killed two of the most beloved charactersof the whole series in an ambush bloodbath that changed the entire show and TV. Robb Stark was an absolute fan-favorite and his storyline was a highlight of the show.
However, it is not just the fact that they died that made the audience so incensed, but how. Inthe worst betrayal in TV history, the two Starks were brutally murdered by their host at a wedding celebration, while Robb’s pregnant wife, Talisa, was stabbed multiple times in the belly, killing both her and Robb’s heir.
