7 TV Show Twists That Everyone Saw Coming

Plot twists are the best part of watching TV. It’s exciting when a show takes a completely unexpected direction due to a well-executed twist — The Twilight Zone‘s twist endings are what made the series famous, and twists such as supposedly dead characters returning or an unexpected pregnancy keep viewers glued to serialized shows.

Sometimes, though, the twist is so obvious that almost everyone figures it out ahead of time. If the twist is executed well enough, viewers may enjoy the show anyway, but it can also be disappointing when a twist is too obvious. Several shows have had these types of twists in recent years.

7) Eleanor Is Really In The Bad Place

The Good Place‘s surprise twist at the end of season 1 is so well-known that many people forget that Eleanor and her neighbors didn’t know from the beginning that they were in the Bad Place rather than the Good Place. Although this is considered one of the best plot twists in TV history, many people guessed it because Eleanor’s behavior was so bad in life that it was hard to believe she’d be admitted to the Good Place.

Thus, the reveal that the Good Place is really the Bad Place isn’t as shocking as it is supposed to be, especially given how hard it was for Eleanor to follow the rules of the supposed Good Place. However, it still works as a joke because the idea that the characters didn’t know where they were, even though it was obvious, is funny.

6) The Mother In How I Met Your Mother Is Dead

There are many reasons to be frustrated with the ending of How I Met Your Mother, and one of them is that the surprise twist that the mother is dead wasn’t much of a surprise at all. Throughout the series, Ted is telling the story to the kids with no input from their mother, which leaves the question wide open of where she is.

The bigger disappointment here is that Robin isn’t the kids’ mother, and that the mother’s death is convenient for the secondary twist of Robin and Ted getting together afterward. The entire disappointing finale could have been avoided if the writers hadn’t gone for the extremely obvious twist about the mother’s fate in the first place.

5) Stranger Things‘ Hopper Didn’t Really Die

The death of Stranger Things’ Hopper at the end of Season 3 wasn’t expected to last, and fans’ theories were quickly confirmed by the marketing materials for Season 4. Obviously, this wasn’t meant to be a surprise twist since the show didn’t try to keep it secret, but it wouldn’t have worked even if the promotion for season 4 didn’t give the truth away.

The biggest clue that Hopper was really alive was that his body was not found after he supposedly sacrificed himself at the giant gate to save his family — the lack of a body is a common TV show signal that someone is still alive. However, this twist is still disappointing because it takes some of the power out of Hopper’s sacrifice. Ironically, David Harbour thinks that Hopper should have died much earlier in the series’ run.

4) Violet Was Already Dead in American Horror Story: Murder House

American Horror Story wouldn’t work without shocking twists that add to the dread and fear that viewers feel while watching. However, the series missed the mark in Murder House with its big reveal that Violet had been dead for some time.

In the episodes leading up to this reveal, Violet had many unexplained absences and wasn’t interacting much with other characters. In addition, the series had revealed that she had once attempted suicide, and there was no way to confirm that she had survived the attempt, so many viewers assumed she had not.

3) Alison Is Alive On Pretty Little Liars

It wasn’t difficult for viewers to guess that Alison was alive on Pretty Little Liars. For several seasons, there were hints, including unconfirmed suggestions that people had seen her. Thus, by the time the reveal finally came, it fell flat, merely confirming what many people already knew.

This reveal was a disappointing miss in a series that thrived on mysteries and surprise twists. It should have been done far earlier in the series when there was still a chance that viewers hadn’t figured out the truth yet.

2) Kreese Escapes From Prison in Cobra Kai

Kreese was one of the main antagonists in Cobra Kai, so it didn’t make much sense for him to be behind bars for more than an episode or two. Thus, when he was arrested for aggravated assault and attempted murder at the end of Season 4, everyone knew he would get out of jail sooner or later, and thus no one was surprised when he escaped.

Kreese is convicted and spends most of Season 5 in prison before using Jell-O to facilitate his escape. While this twist wasn’t surprising, it was ironic, as Stringray had already recanted his statement and told the truth, clearing Kreese’s name. Thus, the twist was satisfying even though it was predictable.

1) Jon Snow Returns From The Dead in Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is infamous for the number of violent deaths that occur throughout the series, but that didn’t stop everyone from predicting that Jon Snow’s death would not be permanent. Snow was stabbed multiple times by his brothers-in-arms at the end of season 5, but it fit the “prince reborn” prophecy so perfectly that it was only a matter of time before he came back to life.

Snow’s death occurred while he was near Red Priestess Melisandre, who was already known to have the ability to resurrect people — an obvious clue as to what was going to happen. Additionally, the prophecy stated the prince reborn would join the White Walkers, so Snow’s last name seemed like foreshadowing of his fate.

What do you think was the most predictable TV twist? Leave a comment and join the conversation at the ComicBook Forum.

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