Top 10 Shocking Moments In TV in 2023

“Gen V” (2023-)
By the end of the pilot, viewers thought they had a grasp on where this spinoff of “The Boys” was headed. Golden Boy, aka Luke, seemed like another Homelander in the making while Rich Brink was established as the big bad puppetmaster. Those preconceived notions go up in flames when Luke incinerates Brink, commencing a rampage. If you were expecting any of our young heroes to save the day, it becomes clear that the only one who can stop Golden Boy is himself. Not seeing a way out, Luke chooses to blow himself up rather than face the wrath of social media. Mixing the supernatural with echoes of real-world violence, this cliffhanger establishes a tone for what would be an explosive first season.

“Poker Face” (2023-)
When it comes to Rian Johnson, we expect the unexpected. Yet, he still lays out a plethora of rugs waiting to be pulled out from under us. “Poker Face” is less of a whodunit and more of a “howcatchem,” usually revealing who’s guilty up front. The season finale toys with the rules as Charlie finally comes face to face with Sterling Frost Sr. Although his presence is felt throughout the season, this marks Ron Perlman’s first onscreen appearance as the casino kingpin. Given the role Charlie played in his son’s downfall, she’s as surprised as the audience when Frost offers her a mutually beneficial deal. Both are being set up, however, with Frost getting shot in the dark and Charlie left holding a gun.

“Dave” (2020-)
Remember Bella, that obsessed fan who gave Dave a concrete sculpture of his head in the Season 3 premiere? Well, Bella follows Dave home in the season finale, and is every bit as unhinged as we assumed. Whether you’re an A-lister like Brad Pitt or a flourishing B-lister like Lil Dicky, this is every celebrity’s worst nightmare. Dave and Brad find themselves in the same boat when Bella takes them hostage, insisting that they jam together. Our money was on Dave cracking first, but it’s Brad who loses it, ending up on the receiving end of a crossbow. Dave saves the day with some help from GaTa and his $7,000 doll. Whether or not Brad/Luke survived, he’s a pit of his former self.

“Yellowjackets” (2021-)
From the get-go, we knew that the Yellowjackets didn’t survive those 19 months in the wilderness on a vegetarian diet. That didn’t make it any less unsettling when we finally saw how the team turned to cannibalism. After Jackie dies, Shauna is the first to take a nibble. Hey, pregnancy comes with unusual cravings, especially while stranded in the woods! The team decides to take Jackie off the menu by cremating her body. This backfires, as the snow results in Jackie being slow-cooked. Overpowered by the forces of nature and their own hunger, the team can’t deny the intoxicated feast that’s been bestowed. It may be a desperate last resort, but the team eats like royalty nonetheless. This isn’t what Coach Ben signed up for.

“The Fall of the House of Usher” (2023)
Just when you thought Camille’s encounter with a chimpanzee would be this show’s most harrowing death, Mike Flanagan topped himself with a fresh take on “The Tell-Tale Heart.” While any Edgar Allan Poe enthusiast knows how the story ends, this version takes an especially twisted turn. Unable to get a ticking noise out of her head, Victorine suddenly remembers her last argument with her girlfriend Ali. With Ali ready to expose the Usher family for the monsters they are, Victorine throws a bookend and things escalate from there. Victorine attempts to cover up the murder, but the guilt consumes her with every chirp from a heart mesh device. Unable to live with what she’s done, the episode builds to a heartbreakingly gothic conclusion.

“Beef” (2023)
What started with a bit of road rage between the petty Danny and Amy spirals into a Shakespearean tragedy. The two rope their loved ones into the mix with Danny’s cousin kidnapping Amy’s daughter. Amy lures the kidnappers to a wealthy friend’s house where the hostage crisis snowballs into involuntary manslaughter. Panic rooms are designed to protect people, but when you’re only halfway through the door, it has the opposite effect. While Danny and Amy both make it out in one piece, they’ve never been more resolute in destroying one another. As this story reaches its final stretch, the two go from loathing each other to embracing one another, finding that no matter how hard they try, these miserable souls are tethered together.

“The Last of Us” (2023-)
If you played the game, you were well aware that this first season would culminate in Joel making an impossible choice. While the show doesn’t deviate from the source material, that doesn’t take away from this gut wrenching showdown between Joel and the Fireflies. Unwilling to sacrifice Ellie for the greater good, Joel puts down anybody who stands in his way, including Marlene. Newcomers experiencing this story for the first time would join a debate that rages on even ten years later: did Joel do the right thing or is he the true villain? In any case, Joel is content with his decision. Likewise, Ellie is willing to stay in the dark, but it’s only a matter of time until the brutal truth shines a light.

“Barry” (2018-23)
Halfway through this dark comedy’s final season, we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere as a farmer breaks up a fight between two boys. Is this another flashback to Barry’s childhood? One of his surreal dreams? It turns out that Barry and Sally have been on the run for several years, now married with a son. Not since “Lost” has a time jump left us more eager for the next episode. Although this twist catches us off guard, it brilliantly ties into the show’s overarching theme. Barry has spent much of his life running from who he is, wearing various different masks. Just when Barry is ready to reveal his true self to the world, his vengeful acting teacher inadvertently changes the narrative.

“The Bear” (2022-)
“The Bear” is an authentic representation of how stressful it can get in the kitchen. The tension only boils over when Carmy’s family sits down to dinner one Christmas. It’s all downhill after Michael starts chucking forks at his mother’s boyfriend, Lee. As Michael throws silverware, Lee eggs him on with insults, making for one of TV’s most intense games of chicken. Between these two, the night is destined to end with a big blowout, but it’s matriarch Donna who ultimately leaves the family and the house in shambles. After Stevie seemingly defuses the situation, Natalie makes the mistake of asking Donna if she’s okay. If the ensuing tirade doesn’t answer Natalie’s question, Donna running the car through the house will. Merry Christmas?

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

Ben Is Alive, “Only Murders in the Building” (2021-)
And… He’s Dead Again

Peter Falls Through the Ice, “The Great” (2020-23)
How Will the Show Continue Without Him? Oh Wait, It’s Cancelled…

Urgent Care, “What We Do in the Shadows” (2019-)
We’re Entering Unfamiliar Territory

Rick Prime’s Death, “Rick and Morty” (2013-)
That’s One Less Rick to Worry About

Dre’s Rampage Begins, “Swarm” (2023)
Dominique Fishback Unleashes One of the Year’s Most Horrifying Screen Presences

“Succession” (2018-23)
With a title like “Succession,” it only made sense that Logan Roy would die in the final season. We guarantee that everyone lost the dead pool, though, as nobody expected Logan to go three episodes in. When Tom calls the Roy siblings from a plane, telling them that something is wrong with Logan, we’re half-convinced that it’s some kind of power play. Even as the reality of Logan’s death sinks in, we don’t entirely accept it until the paramedics tend to his body. Most of us will never live like the Roys, but when it comes to death, the show nails how suddenly anyone can exit this world, regardless of wealth. Logan’s death unites the family, but that was never going to last. Sorry, Kendall.

Which TV moment will stick with you well past the New Year? Let us know in the comments.