Top 5 Darkest TV Plot Twists

No Happy Endings Here

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ plot twist? That narrative slap to the face that throws the show in question hurtling down a new and dangerous direction. Of course, when it comes to these series, they went all in with the darkness, to the point where it literally left numerous fans unable to comprehend what they were watching…

#5: Sophia Was in the Barn All Along
“The Walking Dead” (2010-)

Season 2 of this zombie apocalypse show can feel a bit slow at times, since much of it takes place on and around a farm. However, one of the survivors’ reasons for remaining there is to locate Carol’s daughter Sophia, who went missing on the highway during the season premiere. After learning that Hershel, the farm’s owner, has been keeping walkers in his barn with the hope of curing them, Shane takes it upon himself to let them out so their threat can be neutralized. In doing so though, the group learns that Sophia, whom they’ve been searching for, was already dead.

#4: Perry Is Jane’s Rapist
“Big Little Lies” (2017-)

Despite having a small number of episodes by US television standards, “Big Little Lies” has plenty of twists in its debut season and some of them definitely go to dark places. Early on, it’s revealed that Jane’s son Ziggy is the result of her rape by a man she has not been able to locate since. As the season goes on, it becomes clear that Celeste’s husband Perry is abusive and violent. The two plot threads weave together in the finale, when Jane realizes upon meeting Perry that he was the one who raped her, prompting a violent confrontation that ends with Perry being pushed down some stairs. 

#3: Earth Is a Wasteland
“Battlestar Galactica” (2003-09)

This series follows a ragtag fleet of survivors, led by the titular ship, as they flee the nuclear holocaust of their homeworlds by their own creations, the Cylons. Their only hope is a lost world, called Earth. With help from rebel Cylons, the humans are finally able to locate it. Their joy turns to ash in their mouths though, when they find Earth to be an irradiated wasteland. Further investigation reveals that a similar uprising occurred there, although the inhabitants were humanoid Cylons. The discovery that their long-held hope for refuge is just another empty promise drives many characters to despair and one to suicide; making for a really bleak twist.

#2: David Had Sex with Syd Without Her Consent “Legion” (2017-)

“Legion” goes to some weird and often dark places, but this is without a doubt the darkest to date. Locked in a struggled with his nemesis, Amahl Farouk, a.k.a. the Shadow King, David Haller is willing to go to great lengths to kill the man who tormented him for decades. Farouk reveals this fact to David’s girlfriend Syd; who then tries to shoot David. Convinced that Farouk has used his mental powers to manipulate her, David blocks these memories from her mind and they later have sex. After being confronted by Syd and his friends at Farouk’s supposed trial, the protagonist is shown how horrific his actions were. 

#1: The Red Wedding
“Game of Thrones” (2011-)

Did you see this coming as our number one pick? Too bad the same can’t be said for the victims of this bloody affair. While “Game of Thrones” features dark and surprising plot developments practically every week, and Ned Stark’s death was certainly a contender, there’s simply no beating this infamously shocking and tragic twist. Robb Stark, his mother, his wife and unborn child, along with most of his men, are all murdered graphically at his uncle’s wedding when the bride’s family and some of Robb’s own banner men betray him. Catelyn’s final, anguished cry is all of us. The horror.

Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Cartoon TV Plot Twists You Didn’t See Coming.