Top 10 Most Shocking HBO Show Moments

How ironic that in a show filled with large-scale battles, the most savage moment is a petty squabble between children. Rhaena isn’t at all pleased to learn that Aemond has taken Vhagar out for a joyride. Although Vhagar was meant for Rhaena, the dragon is now bounded to Aemond. Things escalate quickly as Lucerys intervenes, leaving Aemond with one less eye. The night is just getting intense, as Queen Alicent takes the whole “an eye for an eye” thing quite literally. Going from green to red hot, Alicent is ready to deliver punishment herself, but she slashes Rhaenyra instead. The parties leave without any further bloodshed, but we’re sure Aemond and Lucerys will look back at this squabble and laugh about it someday, right? Whoops!

Nate Fisher has multiple brushes with death, but he appears to be in good health as the final episodes approach. If “Six Feet Under” taught us anything, though, it’s how sudden death can be. Nobody is prepared when Nate suffers a stroke and endures surgery. We’re tricked into believing that Nate will pull through as he awakens from his coma. Nate thinks about his future, and he doesn’t see Brenda in it. Their breakup makes it all the more devastating as Nate slips into what seems like a pleasant dream. As we see the late Nathaniel Sr. behind the wheel, it dawns on us that this is Nate’s last stop. Nate spent much of his life seeking meaning, but his death was tragically random.

Barry is a trained assassin trying to pass himself off as an aspiring actor. In doing so, Barry puts on the performance of a lifetime and the world is his stage. Barry breaks character in Season 3 as the facade he’s created begins to crumble. After killing Janice two seasons earlier, Barry finds himself stuck between her father Jim and her boyfriend Gene. As the grief-stricken Gene seems to be headed off the deep end, Barry sees Jim as the last loose end that he needs to tie up. Preparing to pull the trigger, Barry suddenly finds several guns pointed at him. Jim and Gene set up Barry, who is finally arrested for his crimes. Mr. Cousineau was a better actor than even Barry realized.

Omar Little quickly established himself as a fan favorite, meaning his days were always numbered, especially given his line of work. It’s how Omar bites the bullet that catches us off guard. Given Omar’s legendary status, we imagined him perishing in a blaze of glory or facing off against his more ruthless rival yet. Instead, Omar goes out for a pack of smokes, paying little attention to a young drug dealer that he previously held at gunpoint. Kenard is among the few kids who don’t fear Omar. Maybe that makes him brave. Maybe that makes him stupid. Either way, Kenard proves that Omar isn’t as immortal as his legacy. Like any other person on the receiving end of a firearm, he can die instantly.

Whether you played the game ten years earlier or were introduced to the story through the TV adaptation, Joel’s controversial choice will have you lying awake at night. The entire season has been building toward Joel and Ellie meeting up with the Fireflies. The fate of humanity rests on Ellie, whose immunity to the infection may be the key to producing a cure. However, the Fireflies neglected to tell them that Ellie would have to be sacrificed in the process. Having come to view Ellie as a daughter, Joel is ready to kill anyone who gets in his way, including Marlene. Joel keeps Ellie in the dark about everything, but it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out.

Lexi spends much of Season 2 devising a semi-autobiographical school play that a faculty member really should’ve been supervising. Since most of the adults are as irresponsible as the teenage characters, Lexi is free to put on a show that hangs out everybody’s dirty laundry. Lexi’s classmates soon realize that the play is about them and Nate is especially peeved about his portrayal. Nate is so infuriated that he dumps Lexi’s sister Cassie. We think Lexi did her a favor, but Cassie’s animosity towards her sis reaches its boiling point. As Cassie storms the stage, Lexi’s play becomes a forerunner to the 2022 Oscars. Art collides with reality, making for a performance nobody will ever forget, no matter how hard they try.

Season 2 of this anthology opens with a flash-forward, revealing that somebody is going to wash up dead on the beach. Since Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya is the only returning guest from Season 1, we assumed she was the one character that Mike White wouldn’t dare kill off. Even going back to the first season, though, there were signs that Tanya was going to experience death sooner than later. Even if you picked up on this foreshadowing, the way Tanya’s story ends threw us all for a loop. After shooting her way through Quentin’s yacht, Tanya just needs to get on a dinghy and head for civilization. Then in a hilariously unceremonious (yet oddly fitting) twist, this beloved character slips and drowns. You don’t got this.

From the pilot, it’s been established that Logan Roy isn’t in the best health and someone will soon take his place. We figured that he’d punch his card during the final season, but not only three episodes in. It’s business as usual as Logan boards a plane. When Tom calls the Roy children, telling them that Logan may be dead, the audience might think that this is a twisted joke. This is all too real, though, and Logan doesn’t make it off the plane alive. We expected a figure as towering as Logan to exit this world in Shakespearean fashion. Instead, he dies like most people. One minute he’s there. The next he’s gone. It’s a surprisingly authentic portrayal of death we weren’t prepared for.

As gut-wrenching as Adriana’s death is, it felt like her character arc was building toward a tragic finish. Meanwhile, Christopher’s death is as random as… well, a car accident. It isn’t the crash itself that kills Christopher, however. Learning that Christopher has fallen back into old habits, Tony notices the crushed baby seat in the back. Tony is constantly torn between his crime family and his family at home. With his paternal instinct kicking in, Tony suffocates Chris before he can inevitably endanger his daughter. Chris’ death is made all the more shocking by the fact that this happens in the episode’s first several minutes. Just as Adriana’s story ended in long-term parking, Chris’ fate was sealed the moment he got into a car.

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

Bernard Lowe’s True Nature, “Westworld” (2016-22)
Twists Like This Are Why We Stay Off Reddit

Cal Goes Blue, “Watchmen” (2019)
Doctor Manhattan Was Right in Front of Us the Whole Time

Roger’s Resting Place, “His Dark Materials” (2019-22)
It’s Much Darker Than the Movie’s Ending (& Rightfully So)

Everybody Hates Perry, “Big Little Lies” (2017-19)
We Didn’t Think Bonnie Would Be the One to Do Him In, But We’ll Gladly Take It!

Gillian & Jimmy, “Boardwalk Empire” (2010-14)
Even Oedipus & Freud Are Like, “That’s Too Much, Man!”

After Ned Stark’s beheading, “Game of Thrones” established that anyone can meet a premature end. And when somebody dies on this show, they stay dead… unless you’re Jon Snow, but that moment still gave us chills. Yet, no scene is draped in more infamy than the Red Wedding. Killing a main character is one thing. Killing multiple Starks in one sitting is a bombshell that HBO may never top. Even if you read the books, you might’ve been prepared for Catelyn and Robb’s deaths, but the fate of the latter’s wife is much different in the source material. So, the show’s version wound up being more shocking than anyone could’ve anticipated. But now the rains weep o’er his hall and not a soul to hear.