Top 10 Plot Twists That Changed the Entire Season of a Show

Top 10 Plot Twists That Changed the Entire Season of a Show

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most surprising, season-altering television twists in history. Watch out for a spoiler-heavy rollercoaster ahead!

#10: The Bad Place
“The Good Place” (2016-20)

We loved “The Good Place,” and while the whole series was fantastic, the first season really set the standard. That’s largely because the team cooked up one of the best end-of-season twists of all time. At first, Eleanor and company are trying to navigate the ins and outs of the so-called “Good Place” following their deaths. Though they’re supposed to be in a utopia, things seem to go wrong at every single turn. Then, Eleanor finally figures out the gambit. It turns out, the Good Place is actually the Bad Place. Everything that’s happened to our four main characters has been orchestrated to help them hurt each other. It turns everything completely on its head, and brilliantly so.

#9: Long Live David Clarke
“Revenge” (2011-15)

When the central story of your television show revolves around one character being dead, it can be pretty shocking to learn that said character is actually alive and well. “Revenge” follows a young woman, Amanda Clarke, who moves to the Hamptons under a false name (Emily). She wants to get revenge on the Grayson family, who are seemingly responsible for the death of her father David years before. But at the end of season three, the patriarch Conrad Grayson has just fled prison and is joined by a mysterious driver. Except that driver is none other than David Clarke himself. Yup, Amanda’s father has been alive the whole time, reframing everything that happened that season and the ones before.

#8: Il-nam Is Behind It All
“Squid Game” (2021-)

There’s arguably nothing more unassuming than an elderly man on TV. Especially an elderly man with a tumor forced to play a bunch of deadly childhood games. In “Squid Game,” we’re introduced to Il-nam as one of the players. After he loses a game to our main character, Gi-hun, we’re led to believe that he’s killed. But in the season finale, a year after the main events of the series, Gi-hun is taken to see a very-much alive Il-nam on his deathbed. We learn that Il-man was the orchestrator of the games. He created them so the wealthy could be entertained by the plight of the poor, and participated just for fun. It makes us look back on every moment with new eyes.

#7: “Agatha All Along”
“WandaVision” (2021)

Sometimes, a character is introduced and you just know something is up. And when you cast Kathryn Hahn, we have to assume she’s going to have a pretty important role. But we could’ve never guessed the extent of Agatha’s involvement in Wanda’s manipulated “WandaVision” life. Hahn first appears as Wanda’s wacky neighbor Agnes. But in the seventh episode, she’s revealed to be the witch Agatha Harkness, and we learn she’s been responsible for the major disruptions to Wanda’s life. With a fantastic musical sequence, the show even takes us back through major moments and demonstrates just how much of an impact Agatha had.

#6: Taissa Sleepwalks
“Yellowjackets” (2021-)

Throughout the first season of “Yellowjackets,” we’re led to believe that something is definitely up with Taissa. We eventually learn that she deals with sleepwalking, but it’s not your run of the mill stuff, which is revealed in the most shockingly twisty of ways. In the 2021 timeline, Taissa’s son complains about a woman in a tree outside of their house. Though she initially thinks he’s imagining things, it ultimately becomes clear that there is indeed a lady – it’s her. When she’s asleep at night, her alter ego takes over and does horrifying things. It’s a wonderful set-up for what’s to come as the story progresses, and shines new light on both timelines.

#5: Spike Gets a Soul
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

Throughout the later seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” we’re not quite sure what to think about Spike. We know he has feelings for Buffy, yet it also seems like he might be trying to defeat her. Hey, he did start out as a full blown villain, after all. But then, we learn that’s not the case. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. Spike fought for the opportunity to regain his soul – and succeeded in doing so – so he could be good enough for Buffy. It’s surprising in the moment, but looking back on it, everything about Spike’s decision makes sense. It’s the rare season-defining twist that’s imbued with sweetness rather than shock value.

#4: Not the Elliot We Thought
“Mr. Robot” (2015-19)

You know those plot twists that come in at the end of a show’s run, and find a way to make you question everything you’ve watched up until that point? Well, this was one of those. Throughout “Mr. Robot,” we get to know Elliot, a hacker with dissociative identity disorder. Twists and turns abound, as we learn the title character is Elliot’s creation, and we understand we can’t always trust the protagonist to be a reliable narrator. Still, we believe our main window into the story is really him, not one identity that’s taken over his body! And yet, the series finale reveals that this is exactly what was going on, with “the Mastermind” having been in charge.

#3: It’s the Past
“Battlestar Galactica” (2004-09)

“Battlestar Galactica” is one of the best science fiction shows in recent memory. But it has one thing going for it that many others don’t. It doesn’t actually take place in the future. That’s right. After a miniseries and four seasons, the beloved show ended by revealing that “Battlestar Galactica” takes place in the past. When our beloved battleship finally lands on Earth, it’s during prehistoric times. Though the characters vow to eschew their technology, the epilogue tells us that 150,000 years later, things evolved much like they did in the real world. After all, this has all happened before, and it can all happen again.

#2: George is John Doe
“Grey's Anatomy” (2005-)

It’s always surprising when a main character is killed off. But because this is “Grey’s Anatomy,” of course they had to do things in the most upsetting way possible. In the season five finale, a John Doe is brought to the hospital after he jumps in front of a bus to rescue a woman and is hit himself. His face has been wrecked and he’s unrecognizable, but he keeps trying to write something for Meredith. When she finally figures out what it is, she starts freaking out. The John Doe is tracing 007, George O'Malley’s hospital nickname. George is the man who was hit by the bus, and his subsequent passing marks a turning point for the show.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Big Dies, “And Just Like That...” (2021-)
And Just Like That, Carrie’s Whole World Changes

Double Agent, “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20)
Ward Showed His True Hydra Colors

The Bent-Neck Lady, “The Haunting of Hill House” (2018)
Nell’s Haunting Fate Is Revealed

Violet Is a Ghost, “American Horror Story” (2011-)
She Wasn’t Saved After All

Bernard Is a Robot, “Westworld” (2016-22)
Nothing Could’ve Prepared Us for the Reveal That He’s a Host

#1: Flashforwards
“Lost” (2004-10)

“Lost” is one of the quintessential mystery box shows. As such, twists and turns define its legacy, like when we learn that Ethan isn’t on the plane’s manifest in the first season. But the biggest plot twist of all, and maybe one of the most effective ever, came in the two-part season three finale. Flashbacks became a central part of “Lost” episodes, and for most of this one, we think that’s what we’re watching as Jack struggles. Then, eventually, he meets up with none other than Kate. As he tells her that they need to return to the island, we realize that we’re watching a flashforward, not a flashback.

Did we miss any of your favorite jaw-dropping twists? Let us know in the comments below.