Top 10 Plot Twists That Went Nowhere

“Getting Married Today” is an impressive performance, and the best musical number Jayma Mays gets during her time on “Glee.” But that doesn’t change the fact that this plot twist was totally unnecessary. Will and Emma’s will they-won’t they relationship is a central part of “Glee’s” earliest seasons and, by season four, it seems they’re finally ready to make things official… That is, until Emma unexpectedly runs from their wedding. She attributes her split-second decision to feeling disconnected from Will after his trip to D.C. The pair decide to commit to getting to know each other all over again, but many were disappointed that this turn didn’t lead to more development for the couple, especially as they got their re-do wedding in the season’s finale.

Long before “Game of Thrones” disappointed fans with “The Iron Throne,” “How I Met Your Mother” made some similarly controversial choices in its two-part finale “Last Forever.” The episodes tackle what had been promised by the series from its first title drop nine years earlier: how Ted met the mother of his children. While it delivers on that promise, it also throws in a big curveball. In the show’s modern day, The Mother is dead. Fans barely had time to process the reveal before Ted and Robin unexpectedly became an endgame pair, adding insult to injury. The moment was so universally maligned that an alternate ending was edited for the season’s DVD release, undoing the twists for a considerably safer final sequence.

Part of the fun of a prequel is knowing what lies ahead for a character. Every one of their actions is influenced not only by their past, but by their predetermined fate. So, when Harvey Dent made an appearance in “Gotham,” fans naturally expected his arc to lead up to his inevitable turn towards evil as the villainous Two-Face. Except…it didn’t. After appearing in just eight episodes, Harvey exited the series without the development of his not-so-secret identity. Executive producer John Stephens claimed that this was because Dent typically doesn’t become Two-Face until after Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, but we’re not buying it. After manipulating so many other villain origins to fit “Gotham” lore, it seems unlikely the show couldn’t have found a place for the character.

After focusing on Rue’s threat to herself in its first season, season two of “Euphoria” introduces a terrifying new external threat in the form of Laurie. Rue convinces the dealer to lend her product to begin selling, hoping to score free drugs in the process. Unfortunately, the $10K exchange comes with a pretty hefty warning. When Rue’s mother disposes of the drugs, the teen’s reaction is fueled not only by dependency, but fear. And then…nothing really happens. Of course, there’s that spine-chilling bathroom scene and the attempted kidnapping that follows, but, after that, Laurie makes no attempts to follow through on her threat. We know there’s more episodes to come, but we’d be surprised if this particular plotline was followed up on in a satisfying way.

Shocking reveals are so commonplace in “Pretty Little Liars” that it’s almost more surprising when an episode doesn’t have one. With so many twists, it’s no surprise that some just don’t work. One of these ill-advised bombshells is the reveal that Spencer’s boyfriend, Toby, is part of the A-Team. For those unfamiliar with the show, this means that he was working with a group of people to terrorize his girlfriend and her friends, sometimes even forcing them into near-death experiences. This logically should’ve made him a villainous character, or at least caused a more long-lasting rift in his relationship with Spencer, but it’s all excused as him “keeping her safe.” If this is what his protection looks like, she probably would have been better off without it.

When a plot twist is forgotten or discarded, it’s often the fault of poor planning. That was not the case for this “Lost” twist. During a flashback in the show’s second season, a deliberate pan of the camera reveals that Libby was a patient at the same psychiatric hospital as Hurley prior to the events of the show. Apparently Libby’s backstory was planned to be explored in future seasons, presumably explaining this shocking reveal, but actress Cynthia Watros became too busy following the 2007-08 Writers Strike. With no one to act the part, the writers were stuck, and Libby was left as one of the only main characters to not get a dedicated flashback episode.

The relationship between Clarke and Bellamy was one of the driving forces of “The 100,” so when Bellamy ultimately met his maker at Clarke’s hand, fans were understandably conflicted. By the show’s seventh season, Bellamy has completely devoted himself to the Bardoans, making an enemy out of the people he once considered his best friends. It’s no surprise that this turn sealed his fate, but dying over a sketchbook - which Clarke doesn’t even make an attempt to retrieve after killing him - just feels wrong. Not to mention, Clarke only killed Bellamy in the hopes that it would save Madi and, as we learn just two episodes later, that was a hopeless endeavor. So what was the point?

When Sam is caught meeting with Quinn and Kurt at a motel in “Glee’s” second season, it initially appears he might be carrying out some intimate matters. But, when Finn and Rachel begin investigating, they quickly learn their assumptions cannot be further from the truth. It’s revealed that Sam’s family has been living in the motel for months after his dad was let go in the recession. The twist is a pretty heavy one for “Glee,” which might explain why the writers were so quick to sweep it under the rug. Sam’s situation is briefly acknowledged again in the show’s following season, when his family moves into a new home, but this plot development is forgotten just as quickly.

As far as teen series go, “Skins” is pretty dark. So when we say that this plot twist was cruel, even for “Skins,” we truly mean it. In the show’s fourth season, Effy begins to have episodes of psychosis, which are worsened by her depression. This eventually leads to her hospitalization, where she is put under the care of the abusive Dr. Foster. The older man obsesses over her, compelling her to forget her friends and old life before killing her then-boyfriend, Freddie McClair. While Foster is confronted about the murder in the season’s finale, afterwards, the show acts as if nothing of note happened. Neither Effy nor Freddie’s family are ever told about how he died or, if they are, we certainly never see it.

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

Charlie & Dee Hook Up, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
This Awkward Hook-up Could’ve Completely Changed the Gang’s Dynamic

Boyle’s Food Truck, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-21)
Boyle’s Dream Goes up in Flames… & He Instantly Gives Up

Rachel & Joey’s Relationship, “Friends” (1994-2004)
They Somehow Immediately Go Back to Business as Usual After This Brief Romance

As the actual daughter of Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison, this character was an unexpectedly meta addition to “Doctor Who’s” extended cast. Dubbed Jenny by The Doctor’s companion, Donna, the cloned soldier learns enough about her new dad over the course of the episode to justify sacrificing herself for him in its second half. Her apparent death is an emotional moment, somewhat cheapened by her pseudo-regeneration in the episode’s final moments. Full of energy, she leaps into a shuttle and announces her plan to explore the universe…and then is never seen again. Sure, we can imagine Jenny out saving the world without it being shown on-screen, but why resurrect such an interesting character if you don’t plan to do anything with her?

What are some TV plot twists you could’ve done without? Let us know in the comments!