Top 10 Sitcom Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
#10: The Mother Dies
“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
Top 20 Best TV Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
Each episode of this beloved sitcom used a framing device where protagonist Ted Mosby, circa the year 2030, told his children a long and drawn-out story about how he met their mother. It took eight seasons for Tracy, the mother in question, to show up. However, in the series finale, it’s revealed that Tracy died between the sitcom storyline and this future subplot with Ted and their children. With his children’s blessing, he ends the series pursuing his ex, Robin. Fans were incredibly divided by the twist. Some fans accepted that the bait-and-switch framing was pretty characteristic of Ted’s constant search for “the one.” Many also felt cheated by the build-up to a marriage that ultimately felt like a placeholder.
#9: Jodi Dies
“Mom” (2013-21)
What started out as a funny, but predictable family comedy about a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship turned into something deeper as the seasons went on. Introduced in Season Three, Jodi was the youngest and most vulnerable of Christy and Bonnie’s sober friend group. On Marjorie’s wedding day, Christy got the call they all feared for each other. Jodi had died of an overdose. With this twist, the show took one of its darkest and most realistic turns. Even on the happiest of days, they are reminded once again of just how precarious their sobriety can be.
#8: Penny’s Pregnancy
“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)
Top 20 Times Penny was a Savage on The Big Bang Theory
Having children is a big debate between partners. It can even make or break a relationship. In “The Big Bang Theory’s” twelfth and final season, fan-favorite couple Leonard and Penny didn’t have much of a storyline. Their differing opinions on starting a family, with Leonard wanting children and Penny not wanting to sideline her career, could have made for some good storytelling. Instead, Penny’s sudden pregnancy is dropped on us in the finale, with no real explanation or even discussion of her having changed her mind. Instead, it became a last-minute, arguably character-betraying twist in the series finale.
#7: Dwight & Angela’s Relationship
“The Office” (2005-13)
Top 10 Worst Things Dwight Has Ever Done on The Office
Dwight and Angela were two of Dunder Mifflin’s most irascible and eccentric employees, and that’s really saying something. Their relationship makes more sense in hindsight. At the time, though, it was kind of shocking. In the Season Two episode, “Email Surveillance,” Pam becomes suspicious that the two are dating. We’re as skeptical as Pam’s coworkers until we get that reveal of Dwight and Angela’s feet sticking out of the doghouse out back. It takes a while for everyone else to catch up, but it’s a hysterically funny and clever storyline that the show milks for as many jokes as it can before the secret comes out.
#6: Shawn’s Dad Dies
“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)
Top 10 Cory & Shawn Moments on Boy Meets World
Cory Matthews’ best friend Shawn Hunter had his fair share of ups and downs over the sitcom’s seven seasons. His unstable home life and absent parents became a long-running storyline that came to a head in an emotional Season Six episode. After years of broken promises, Shawn’s father Chet returns. While it seems he’s turned over a new leaf, Shawn doesn’t trust that his dad is here to stay. This triggers Shawn’s realization that he has inherited some of his father’s worst traits, which is only made worse when his father suffers a heart attack. Despite his promise not to leave, Chet later dies of a second heart attack.
#5: Susan’s Death
“Seinfeld” (1989-98)
Sometimes going cheap can kill you. That’s what George Costanza and Susan Ross found out in Season Seven when she died from ingesting too much cheap adhesive while mailing out their wedding invitations. Unlucky for Susan, lucky for George. He was having cold feet anyway. Luckily, he had the support of his equally unsympathetic friends, including Cosmo Kramer, whose first name was revealed in a hilarious little plot twist of its own. The story goes that Heidi Swedberg, the actress who played Susan, was essentially written out because she didn’t seem to understand how to play the show’s humor. It’s ironic then that her death is probably the most “Seinfeld” plot twist you could possibly imagine.
#4: Ben Is Actually Dead
“Scrubs” (2001-10)
Top 10 Friends Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
One particularly twisty and innovative episode of the medical sitcom “Scrubs” was also one of its biggest emotional gut punches. Ben Sullivan, played by Brendan Fraser, was a beloved guest star on three episodes of the show. In his final appearance, Ben succumbs to his leukemia. However, throughout the episode, Dr. Cox has been interacting with him as if he were still alive. It isn’t until the funeral at the end of the episode that we find out Ben has died, and Dr. Cox is finally able to confront his grief. The episode is frequently cited as a series best, and it earned “Scrubs” an Emmy nomination for writing.
#3: The Bad Place
“The Good Place” (2016-20)
Top 10 Best TV Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
This fantasy sitcom’s original premise features a character named Eleanor who realizes she’s been wrongly granted admission to a utopian afterlife by mistake. As the first season progresses, though, the show turns this premise on its head. Eleanor wasn’t in the Good Place by mistake. She and her friends were actually part of a grand experiment in the Bad Place, designed by Michael, a demon in disguise. Although he would erase their memories of this twist, the second season was given greater stakes as Eleanor leaves clues behind to help her remember the truth. It was a dark but incredibly ingenious twist for such a comedic show.
#2: Ross Says “Rachel”
“Friends” (1994-2004)
Monica & Chandler VS Ross & Rachel: Who is the Ultimate Friends Couple?
The six leads of “Friends” got into lots of romantic entanglements over the years. Monica and Chandler may have been a big surprise but there was never a moment the audience wasn’t certain Ross and Rachel were meant to be. In the Season Four finale, despite lingering feelings for Rachel, Ross is about to marry Emily. However, when the time came to say his vows Ross made a mistake it would be impossible to walk back from. He said Rachel’s name instead of Emily’s. Fans would have to wait a whole summer to see what happened next.
Before we unveil our top pick, here’s an honorable mention.
James Is Killed in a Car Accident, “Good Times” (1974-79)
The Evans Family Patriarch Was Killed Off in the 4th Season
#1: Henry Blake Is Shot Down
“M*A*S*H” (1972-83)
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake’s death was leaked to the press before it aired. Still, no one could prepare for how heartstopping Radar’s mid-surgery announcement at the end of the episode would be. After being discharged from the army hospital, Blake was returning home to the States. Instead, his chopper was shot down off-screen. Many outraged fans wrote hate mail, and even the network reportedly hated the twist. However, many recognized it as a sobering reminder of how tragic war really is. “M*A*S*H” would go on for many more seasons, but with a less overtly comical tone. This shift would culminate in its series finale, which includes another one of the greatest and most devastating plot twists in TV history.
Did you see any of these plot twists coming? Let us know in the comments.
