Television has virtually supplanted cinema as the most popular entertainment medium of the 21st century. There is so much content produced by streaming services and broadcast networks that it's practically impossible to consume everything on display. On the other hand, a few notable TV series have made their mark on the popular consciousness, relying on factors like thematic diversity, character development, and chronological rigor.

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Although plot twists aren't present in every single television program, sudden changes in the narrative can trigger a massive shift in viewer expectations. The smartest TV twists are unpredictable, spontaneous, and, more importantly, in perfect sync with the fundamental storyline.

10 The Red Wedding Is As Quick As It Is Unmerciful — Game Of Thrones

Catelyn Stark screaming as her son Robb dies

Game of Thrones throws cliffhangers right in the middle of its storyline, making it nearly impossible to see them coming. The Red Wedding is arguably the most impactful plot twist in the HBO fantasy series, involving important character deaths and a legion of infuriated fans.

Betrayed by the Freys and ambushed by the Boltons, House Stark is driven to near-extinction after Robb, Talisa, and Catelyn are summarily assassinated. This event leaves behind a gaping power vacuum in the Riverlands, which is quickly filled by House Lannister and its vassals. Every succeeding plot twist pales in comparison to the Red Wedding.

9 Redbeard Turns Out To Be Victor Trevor — Sherlock

Sherlock - Victor

Sherlock is all about boggling the minds of its audience, which means every single episode contains at least one plot twist, if not several. In Season 4, Sherlock Holmes uncovers the existence of his sister, Eurus, a mega-genius who spends the bulk of her life in an ultra-high security prison.

Sherlock attempts to solve her cryptic puzzles while failing to recognize the real problem: his own repressed memories. By the end of the series finale, he realizes that his childhood pet dog Redbeard had always been a stand-in for his best friend Victor Trevor. Both Sherlock and the audience were utterly shocked by this revelation.

8 Will Gardner Is Killed In A Courthouse Shooting — The Good Wife

The Good Wife - Will's death

The love triangle between Alicia Florrick and the two men in her life — Peter Florrick and Will Gardner — is one of the more intriguing subplots in The Good Wife. Unfortunately, Lockhart/Gardner and Alicia lose their fulcrum after Will is accidentally injured in a courthouse shooting and consequently bleeds to death from his wounds.

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Audiences were taken by complete surprise when Kalinda tore the hospital sheet off Will's corpse, as they weren't anticipating the loss of such a major character. Will's death reverberates across The Good Wife — its ramifications of this plot twist are felt all the way until the series finale.

7 Walter White Is Responsible For Brock's Poisoning — Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad — Lily of the Valley

Breaking Bad's Walter White leaves nothing to chance, explaining why he tries to turn Jesse against Gus. Left with no option, Walter grasps at an unorthodox straw, a disturbingly wily scheme that few others would have even imagined. He extracts an array of toxic compounds from a Lily-of-the-valley plant in his garden and secretly poisons Brock Cantillo, a seven-year-old boy.

Although Jesse instantly suspects his former partner, the latter manages to convince him otherwise with enormous difficulty. Walter White is responsible for many horrific situations, but poisoning an innocent child is possibly among the worst things anyone can do.

6 Eleanor Realizes The True Nature Of Her Afterlife — The Good Place

michael-the-good-place

Eleanor Shellstrop, Chidi Anagonye, Tahani Al-Jamil, and Jason Mendoza are allegedly sent to the titular Good Place after their respective deaths, where they are pampered and tormented in equal measure. The four protagonists selfishly grapple with their various personal problems, until Eleanor finally stumbles upon the truth.

She firmly demands to be sent to the Bad Place along with Chidi, forcing Michael to disclose everything with an uncharacteristically devious guffaw. The so-called Angel acknowledges Eleanor's intelligence before proceeding to wipe the humans' memories and reset the afterlife program. Few viewers could have predicted this plot twist coming their way.

5 Baby Mateo Is The Narrator — Jane The Virgin

Jane and Mateo having a discussion with Rafael, Jane the virgin

The Narrator is a disembodied voice for the entirety of Jane the Virgin, but his identity is ultimately revealed in the series finale. Very little is known about this character, except that he's gay and has "a lot of experience with twins." As such, the audience was caught off-balance when the Narrator mentions his voice-over talents, glibly confirming that he's actually Mateo Solano Villanueva.

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Jane the Virgin begins with Jane discovering her "virginal" pregnancy and concludes with her marriage to Rafael, with their son Mateo playing a prominent role throughout the narrative. In hindsight, there is nobody better suited to be the Narrator.

4 Gi-Hun Discovers Il-Nam's Antagonist Role — Squid Game

oh il nam in suit

Squid Game is peppered with nightmarish scenarios, a macabre metaphor for class struggle in South Korea. The show exposes the financial, philosophical, and ethical differences between the wealthy elite and the suffering masses. Viewers are naturally drawn to the underdogs, Seong Gi-hun, Kang Sae-byok, Abdul Ali, and a charmingly feeble old man named Oh Il-Nam.

The latter is seemingly killed during the Marbles game and Gi-hun naturally feels culpable for causing Il-Nam's death. However, his guilt turns to rage when he discovers the old man's central role in organizing the notorious Squid Games. The fact that Il-Nam is bedridden at this point does nothing to mitigate the audience's bewilderment.

3 Monica & Chandler End Up In Bed Together — Friends

Monica and Chandler in Friends

Despite containing a host of problematic scenes and characters, Friends is considered to be among the most influential sitcoms of the nineties. Multiple romances emerge over the course of the show, but the vast majority are extinguished long before they have a chance to flower.

That said, Monica and Chandler's secret affair comes as a total surprise, flabbergasting even discerning viewers. They maintain a platonic friendship until the Season 4 finale, which abruptly tosses them into bed together. Monica and Chandler begin their romantic relationship in Season 5 and eventually end up getting married in Season 7.

2 William And The Man In Black Are The Same Person — Westworld

westworld-william-man-in-black

The first season of Westworld is split between two major storylines — one focuses on Dolores' blossoming romance with William while the other follows the dreaded Man in Black on his vengeful tour of the park. In "The Bicameral Mind," the villain informs a dismayed Dolores that he's none other than her beloved William from three decades ago.

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In reality, Dolores has been playing two distinct memory streams through her digital consciousness, making her perceive them simultaneously. Dolores' surprise is reflected by the audience, who are also unaware of this chronological plot twist.

1 Joyce Summers Dies From A Brain Aneurysm — Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy finds her mom Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) dead in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is unquestionably one of the best fantasy TV shows ever made, earning both critical acclaim and a devoted fandom. In fact, Buffy is so widely studied that the academic field pertaining to the show is informally known as Buffy Studies. In "The Body" Buffy comes face to face with her greatest and most unbearable loss — her mother unexpectedly suffers a brain aneurysm and passes away.

Buffy initially refuses to believe in the finality of Joyce's death. Her desperate brain even conjures up a dream sequence where her mother is miraculously resurrected, but the cold light of reality washes her fantasies away. Joyce's passing might be sudden, but the entire scenario is realistic, relatable, and thoroughly heartbreaking.

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