10 Shocking TV Plot Twists That Fans Still Can’t Get Over

Plot twists are a tried and true staple of TV shows, whether that’s classic sitcoms from the 80s and 90s, soap operas or modern day streaming shows. A moment that completely catches audiences by surprise, especially if it actually has a significant impact on the larger narrative, can become one of the most memorable aspects of a show.

Because of that, it’s no surprise that innumerable shows have incorporated massive, show-defining plot twists, many of which live on long after the show itself has concluded. Of those major twists that remain memorable for years or even decades after they are revealed, these 10 in particular are ones that fans still cannot get over.

Henry Is Rumpelstiltskin’s Grandson In Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time was a delightful but genuinely chaotic show. Centered on the premise that story book characters had been sent to the real world and were now unwittingly living in the United States with their memories wiped, the show weaved together myriad fairy tales in ways both new and old. In terms of the former, one significant part of the show was revealing connections and relationships between characters.

That included a range of reveals, from main character Emma being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming to the revelation that the Evil Queen, Regina, was also the sister of the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz. It was enough to make viewers’ heads spin, but among the biggest shocks was that Rumpelstiltskin (also called Mr. Gold) was the grandfather of Emma’s son, Henry. Of all the massive connections that were revealed, this was certainly among the more shocking.

Schmidt’s Real Name Is Winston In New Girl

Unlike Once Upon a Time, or many other inclusions on this list, New Girl wasn’t exactly a show known for its shocking twists or expectation-defying moments. Even significant events on the show felt expected, such as with Nick and Jess ending up together. However, that only makes one hilarious twist on the show all the more notable.

The core group of friends in New Girl comprised Jess, Nick, Cece, Schmidt, and Winston. For most of the show, Schmidt was only referred to by his last name; no one knew what his first name was. Late in season 6—so almost the end of the show—it was revealed that Schmidt’s first name was also Winston. Although a somewhat minor detail, this was an absolutely hilarious twist that fans still love.

Sherlock Holmes Jumped Off The Roof (And Survived) In Sherlock

Sherlock had a cult-like following in the early 2010s, and even now, well over a decade after it began, avid fans remain dedicated to the show. Throughout the show’s four seasons, there were a range of twists, as is the nature of Sherlock Holmes’ job solving mysteries. Yet, one twist from the show stands out in particular, and it wasn’t itself a case that Sherlock was solving.

Rather, at the end of season 2, Sherlock and perhaps his biggest enemy, Moriarty, have a gruesome face-off, which ends with both men (seemingly) dead. Due to the nature of their standoff, Moriarty ends up shooting himself, and Sherlock jumps from the roof, seemingly dying. Very soon after, it is revealed that Sherlock did actually live, but for a brief window of time, this was the single most shocking twist to happen on the show.

Helly’s Outie Is Basically A Villain In Severance

Severance is yet another show that is full of twists and major moments, not the least of which was the Severance season 2 finale, which saw Mark pick Helly over his outie’s wife, Gemma. While some may argue that either that or Gemma still being alive at all were among the biggest twists of the show, there is one that was even greater.

Severance had clearly been building towards the reveal that Gemma was still alive, and innie Mark had long been conflicted over how to handle the obvious differences between himself and outie Mark, especially when it came to their relationships. However, a major, much more sudden shock was the reveal that Helly’s outie was actually Helena Eagan, the daughter of Lumon Industries CEO—and therefore massively different from innie Helly.

Chuck Was Actually God In Supernatural

Supernatural was yet another show with massive twists, from Ruby being evil and tricking Sam all along to countless deaths (including the brothers themselves on more than one occasion). However, among the biggest genuine plot twists of the whole show was the revelation that awkward, insecure novelist/prophet Chuck was actually God.

This twist came about much later in the show and hadn’t actually been the plan for Chuck originally, but that didn’t limit its impact. If anything, it made it that much more jarring because there really hadn’t been hints that there was anything more to Chuck at first. This also became hugely influential on the plot, as God went on to be the true ‘big bad’ of the show.

Darth Maul Returned From (Seemingly) The Dead In The Clone Wars

Star Wars is a franchise built on plot twists and retcons, which is no surprise in light of Darth Vader’s famous declaration that he was Luke Skywalker’s father in The Empire Strikes Back. It’s therefore difficult to pin down the biggest plot twist in the franchise overall, although many of them have happened in the movies. In the shows, though, there have also been a handful of major twists.

One such plot twist that fans certainly still talk about was the reveal in Star Wars: The Clone Wars that Darth Maul hadn’t actually died in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Rather, he was still alive, and he was also still on the hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi. In part, audiences are still talking about this because its importance hasn’t gone away. Maul has actually only become all the more important, as his upcoming show, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 2, makes clear.

“We Have To Go Back!” In Lost

Lost remains a controversial TV show (although that is in large part because many viewers misunderstood the Lost finale), but there’s no question that the show contains some amazing twists. From the pilot episode revealing that there was a polar bear on a tropical island to the reveal that Henry Gale was really Benjamin Linus, Lost was packed with many jaw-dropping reveals.

An honorable mention has to go to Charlie’s “not Penny’s boat” reveal, which is a frequently quoted moment from the show even today, but even more shocking than that was Jack’s declaration, “We have to go back,” in the season 3 finale. Until that episode, it had seemed like audiences were seeing flashbacks, as they often had. This unexpected twist revealed that this was actually the future, and the Oceanic 815 survivors (at least, some of them) had made it off the island.

Vecna Is One (And Henry Creel) In Stranger Things

Stranger Things was also packed with twists and shocking moments, although none ultimately quite lived up to the massive reveal that Vecna was really One and Henry Creel in season 4. Jamie Campbell Bower’s character is actually hilariously full of aliases, as he was also briefly known as Peter Ballard in season 4 and then took on the alias Mr. Whatsit in season 5.

However, this original revelation wasn’t funny at all. Instead, it confirmed that the terrifying monster who had been murdering characters throughout the season was the very same orderly who had seemed to be a friend to Eleven in the lab. What’s more, audiences learned that Eleven had accidentally played a role in creating Vecna, to a certain extent. The confirmation that he was also Henry Creel was yet another astonishing layer to this unexpected twist.

Teen Is Billy Maximoff In Agatha All Along

When Agatha All Along was announced (although it went through multiple name changes before it was called that), there were already fan theories making the rounds on the internet regarding whether Wanda, Vision, and/or their children would appear in the show. When ‘Teen’ showed up and was unable to say his own name due to a sigil, speculation again increased, particularly with the notion that he could be Billy Maximoff (or Billy Kaplan, which is still technically Billy Maximoff).

It may therefore seem like the reveal that he is indeed Billy wasn’t all that surprising, but that isn’t the case. Somehow, Agatha All Along still made this moment feel truly shocking, perhaps aided significantly by the use of “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Billie Eilish, which played as this reveal was taking place.

“This Is The Bad Place” In The Good Place

Finally, the single greatest TV show plot twist that fans still can’t stop talking about was the reveal in season 1 of The Good Place that Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason were actually in the Bad Place. The line “This is the bad place” has become iconic for a reason, and despite what some may claim now, most viewers were entirely caught off guard by this twist.

What makes this twist even better is that, in retrospect, the truth becomes so obvious. Michael kicks a dog into the sun. Eleanor has horrifying clown paintings all over her house. There were so many subtleties that indicated something deeper was going on, yet this plot twist was still executed brilliantly and remains a fan favorite today.

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