Fans Share The Most Shocking TV Moments
One of the best parts about watching our favorite tv shows is forming emotional connections to the characters and events. Some of our favorite shows make us feel like these fictional characters are members of our family. Whenever something happens to them we’re equally as happy or dismayed. Sometimes we forget that their lives are controlled by a room full of writers, and occasionally they pull the rug out from under us. A sudden death or major plot twist can leave us with our mouths agape, scratching our heads wondering what the heck just happened.
Fans are sharing the most shocking TV moments they ever witnessed. Which of these caught you by surprise?
House
The problem with falling in love with a TV show is giving up our time and hearts to something that’s not real, but made by totally real people. Whatever is going on behind the scenes is somehow always revealed in one way or another. Take House M.D. for example. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill medical drama. It’s also a gut-wrenching exploration of addiction, sarcasm, and life in a hospital.
Despite the main character going through a lot of trauma, fans experienced even more and without warning. When fan-favorite Lawerence committed suicide, audiences were beyond shocked. There was absolutely no warning! However, the character apparently had to be written out of the show pretty quickly. Why? The actor, Kal Penn, had accepted a job at the White House!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
No show has the staying power or emotional range to both delight and scars us such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Watching Will Smith and his family experiences life can be pretty eye-opening. It’s not all fun and games, though. A few choice episodes really touch on some dark subjects. In one episode in particular Will was shot!
His cousin, Carlton, wants revenge and takes the gun to go deal with the villains responsible. In an extremely tense moment, Will has to talk his cousin off the ledge and prevent an even worse crime from happening. Reminder: this is a sitcom that families watched regularly during primetime.
Dead To Me
Dead to Me is one of those shows that you have to watch entirely on edge of your seat. From the very beginning, we’re given twist after twist until whiplash just becomes the name of the game. One of the most surprising twists happens in the pilot. Remember the entire plot centers around the main character scoping out cars to see if any of them were involved in a hit and run.
It sounds weird, but it’s also how her fiance died, so cut her some slack. At the end of the first episode, her new best friend is revealed to also drive a car…with hit-and-run damage! If you’re not hooked after that then we can’t help you.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror is equal parts entertaining as it is frightening. This dystopian look at how technology can help and destroy the human race is a guilty pleasure that nobody feels guilty for watching. Every episode could fit into this list and nobody would blink an eye. However, one of the most disturbing has to be from the episode “Shut Up and Dance”.
A mysterious hacker is blackmailing people to do crimes unless they want their secrets exposed. When the episode reached its tragic end, we learn that the main character was duped. He survived the tasks, but his horrifying and disturbing secret was let out anyway! And it was far worse than any of us could’ve imagined.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of those animated series that transcends its art and tells a pretty grown-up story suitable for all ages. Yeah, it’s that good. Combining different styles of martial arts, Eastern mythology, and flying bison, this show is packed to the gills with shocking and emotional moments. One of the biggest is at the end of the second season.
The season 2 finale showcases what happens when the villains get the upper hand and keep it. After a pretty lengthy and passionate battle, almost all of Aang’s friends had to flee! In fact, it was such an explosive episode that fans weren’t even sure how the final season would play out.
The Good Wife
Remember The Good Wife? It was a pretty spicy drama that audiences adored. It also captured fans’ attention for multiple seasons, something other shows are still trying to replicate to this day. But one of the most surprising moments didn’t come from the main character but somebody else! In season five everyone’s eyes were on a pretty tense courtroom scene.
Just as things are nearing their climax, Josh Charles’ character is shot! Oh, and it happens at the hands of his own client. Apparently, this moment had to be written in since the actor in question was leaving the show. Did anyone see that coming?
The Good Place
The Good Place is one of those shows that has a quirky feel but tackles some extremely deep subjects. While many view it as a crash course in philosophy and ethical thinking, others tuned in just to see Ted Danson. This guy is so dreamy, funny, and downright clever that every line he delivered was outrageous for one reason or another.
One of the biggest surprises his character reveals takes place at the end of the first season. Instead of trying to figure out why she’s in the Good Place, Eleanor discovers that she and her friends have been tricked all along. They’re all stuck in the Bad Place! Oh, and Ted Danson is behind all of it!
The Shield
Police and law enforcement are supposed to be restrained, careful, and cautious professionals who know when and how much force to use in any given situation. Basically, anything that happens on The Shield shouldn’t be happening in real life. We learned early on in the series that this wasn’t your regular cop drama. During the pilot, things seem pretty typical.
However, right at the end, we learn that Vic, our lead, has a mean streak. Well, it’s not so much mean as chaotically unhinged. This guy didn’t just subdue a criminal, he erased his face from existence while smirking!
Friday Night Lights
If you haven’t seen Friday Night Lights then you’re seriously missing out on some good sports drama. First, check out the film, then, tune in to one of the most wildly popular shows to ever hit television. And it’s not just about sports! This show has it all: football, small-town drama, coming-of-age stories, and some crazy twists. Things don’t drag out too much either.
During the pilot episode, we meet and get really connected to a character. However, near the end of the episode, he sustains a career-ending injury. Then, a completely different guy appears and we learn THAT’S the guy who takes over as the lead! We had a hard time wrapping our heads around that one.
How To Get Away With Murder
Holy crap, if you’re looking for a show that’ll make you question all of your relationships and look at everyone with a raised eyebrow then check out How to Get Away With Murder. This nonstop crime drama starts off at 100 and doesn’t let up until the final episode. We can say that without exaggeration since we’ve seen the series way too many times to count.
One of the first mysteries in the show revolves around the main character’s husband. What were his photos doing on a dead girl’s phone?! Before all of that got settled we learned that he couldn’t be involved in all of the crimes being discussed. Why? Well, his own body turns up before the end of the first season!
LOST
Grab the ibuprofen, because we’ve reached that point in the article where it’s time to talk about LOST. This head-scratcher of a show is still stumping and mystifying people over a decade after the finale aired. The show’s premise, along with all the ridiculous stuff that takes place, can be a mind trip for even the most devoted and eagle-eyed fans.
One of the more jarring moments (if we had to pick just one) happens at the end of season three. What we thought was a flashback wasn’t that at all. In fact, we were seeing everyone in a flash-forward type of situation! That’s not even the only time we’d see the passengers hopping through time.
Breaking Bad
Nearly any episode of Breaking Bad could appear here and fans would go, “Yeah, that’s pretty shocking.” But one of the most jaw-dropping episodes has to be “Ozymandias”. Critics, fans, casual watchers, and even scholars have all praised this season five episode for YEARS. The writing and dialogue aren’t the only things this one has going for it.
The fact that Walt’s own actions directly impacted so many characters in a single episode, it’s pretty alarming. False confessions, bullets in gas tanks, realization that you can never go back to the past, this one has it all. Plus, it really helps with ramping things up for the finale.
Hannibal
Hannibal is a show that you can’t watch on a full stomach. You probably shouldn’t watch it on an empty stomach either (if you’re a meat eater). In fact, if anyone has a stomach, don’t watch Hannibal. But if you already have, then you know there’s no shortage of shocking and bizarre moments to test your gut of steel. One of the most graphic scenes happens in season two.
Remember Mason Verger? He’s the creepy sexual deviant and criminal that has a bunch of pigs. Towards the end of the season, he falls victim to Hannibal and is forced to inhale some trippy drugs. During his psychosis, he’s convinced to start eating his own face!
House of Cards
Any major or beloved character dying in a show can be surprising. When our fave dies we almost check out of the show entirely. A great example is in season 2 of House of Cards. Yes, we know, Kevin Spacey is horrible. This isn’t about him. Show of hands: who else loved Zoe?
She was a no-nonsense character who was committed to uncovering the truth about what was really going on. Of course, just like Icarus, if you fly too close to the sun…you’re going to be pushed in front of a train. Nobody saw it coming, and if they did, not as soon as it happened!
Sherlock
Every great hero has a foe to act as their opposite. James Bond has Blofeld and Sherlock Holmes has Moriarty. Both are deceptively clever and mysterious. However, only one appears enough times to meet his tragic end without getting caught. In season two of Sherlock, the titular hero finally meets up with his nemesis on top of a roof.
After a tense exchange, we witness Sherlock being given an ultimatum: keep Moriarty alive and save his friends, or everyone dies. Moriarty then makes the decision for him and SHOOTS HIMSELF before Sherlock can act! Before we had a chance to digest that twist, our main character jumps off the roof!
Mad Men
We weren’t expecting the world of early American advertising firms to be as provocative as the show made them out to be. However, that’s the dark beauty of Mad Men. Every character had an edge and reason for doing what they did. However, sometimes, those reasons weren’t enough to save their own skins.
Lane Pryce met his demise far sooner than we expected. This sneaky bloke was forging signatures to try and pay back his debts. When cornered, he committed suicide! Like a proper corporate drone, he did one final thing before ending his life: he wrote a resignation letter to the company.
The Wire
The Wire was an explosive addition to the primetime lineup when it premiered. This gritty drama introduced a ton of characters to people’s families and made us fall in love with heroes and villains alike. Of course, like most crime-based shows, characters came in and out pretty regularly. Aside from a core group, it was hard to get attached to anyone for too long.
Michael B. Jordan may be a Hollywood hunk now, but back during The Wire’s heyday, he played a young kid named Wallace. No matter what trouble Wallace got into, he always managed to make it home. Unfortunately, before the end of the show, Wallace was shot to death! While some people expected it, nobody was truly prepared.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is a cultural milestone that many love and even more need to experience. This fictitious account of a modern mob family kept fans on the edges of their seats for six seasons. Each episode drove us deeper and deeper into Tony Soprano’s bizarre and violent world. Almost no character was safe from his reach and influence, whether it was good or bad.
When Tracee, the dancer at the Bada Bing strip club, got involved with the mob, things went from rough to horrible for her. Even though she only appeared in two episodes, people grew attached to the performer. Unfortunately, before we learned too much, she was beaten to death on screen. The sheer violence of the scene was enough to make audience’s stomachs turn.
Game of Thrones
Shocking moments? You want to talk about shocking moments? Then we need to discuss the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. We were treated to a bloodbath where a stupidly high number of main, supporting, and side characters met a pretty gruesome fate. HBO’s version came pretty close to what fans experienced in the book.
People fell with little to no partiality to their importance to the plot. That’s pretty much the entire MO for the show, but the Red Wedding really kicked it off. Nobody expected their favorite characters to be taken away so soon, but they quickly learned that this wasn’t your average fantasy show.
Friends
Okay, everyone relax and take a deep breath. Not every show we’re discussing is full of blood, gore, and intrigue. Sometimes a shocking moment happens when everyone’s least favorite (we said it and we meant it) character says the stupidest thing at the worst moment. Everyone has their favorite Friend. Even those who like Ross admit that this wasn’t his finest moment.
As he’s standing at the altar with his bride-to-be, he experiences a Freudian slip. Instead of saying EMILY ( his soon-to-be wife’s name), he says what his heart wants to say: RACHEL. Regardless if they are or aren’t on a break, you can’t slip up that bad and expect things to go well.
Skins
Skins is a pretty fantastic show. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it’s full of happy moments. That being said, some of the most notorious scenes were hard to forget, no matter how shocking they were. Freddie’s untimely end in the basement has got to be one of the more brutal of the series.
Not only do we not get to see it happen, but we also have to listen to it! And nobody saw it coming. Anyone who managed to predict his demise certainly didn’t expect it to be so gut-wrenching. Sometimes show creators just want to make their audiences suffer. We refuse to go into a basement after watching that.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Tara Maclay wasn’t just a supernatural addition to the Scoobie Gang in Sunnydale. Along with Willow, Tara helped Buffy slay a huge number of vampires and demons. Unfortunately, despite being a series regular for a while, she was quickly written off at the end of a single episode! No matter how many powers she had, she wasn’t able to protect herself against bullets.
Why would such a great character and lesbian icon be removed from the series? Apparently, there were some behind-the-scenes issues between Amber Benson and another member of the crew! Hopefully, things are better now, but we’re still a bit miffed we didn’t get more Tara.
Scrubs
Considered one of the more medically accurate shows, Scrubs has delivered a healthy dose of laughs and tears throughout the years. One of the most shocking occurs between Dr. Cox and John in season three. After a patient passes away, Dr. Cox blames Zach Braff’s character for the patient’s death. He then excuses himself to go to his kid’s birthday party.
Unfortunately, we all learn (at the same time as Dr. Cox), that that wasn’t exactly where he was headed. Later in the episode, Braff’s character shows up and asks Dr. Cox, “Where do you think we are?”. Instead of a birthday party, they were actually attending a funeral.
Ozark
It’s not always the protagonists who create shocking and emotional moments. Sometimes even the villains get their time to shine. During her time on Ozark, Helen Pierce caused people to feel a whole range of emotions. Sometimes anger, other times frustration, and even once we felt a bit sad. Despite being an attorney, she’s often on the wrong side of the law.
Even so, we were pretty surprised when even her own boss turned on her! After a few double-crosses and uncomfortable family moments, Piece met her end. That’s what happens when you cross a cartel (and work for one).
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a campy and fun-filled sci-fi series that’s been with us for almost as long as primetime TV has been in existence. Through the different iterations of The Doctor, we’ve met a ton of characters who have been part of this Time Lord’s many adventures. One of the biggest fan favorites turned out to be River Song.
The archaeologist turned adventurer helped The Doctor when he really needed it. She even sacrificed herself to save people from a burning library! However, just as we were falling in love with her, it’s revealed her real name is Melody Pond, an assassin who was trained to kill The Doctor! To make things even wilder, Melody was also revealed to be Rory and Amy’s daughter!
The Mandalorian
The Star Wars universe is filled with a ton of great movies and books. There are also some somewhat good games and quite a few badly planned-out television shows. When The Mandalorian was announced people were skeptical at best. A story about a bounty hunter and a tiny version of Yoda? There were a ton of different ways this could have gone.
Thankfully, everything turned out better than great. In fact, it’s considered one of the best Star Wars stories outside of the movies. What added the cherry on top of the space cake was the fact that THE Luke Skywalker made an appearance! Fans definitely weren’t expecting that.
Six Feet Under
For a show centered around death, Six Feet Under is full of life. Sometimes even the worst moments make for some of the best TV around. During the fifth episode, David experiences one of the most frightening experiences of his life. After performing a routine run to pick up a client, he’s flagged down by someone stranded on the side of the road. Being the good samaritan that he is, David pulls over to give the guy some help.
Unfortunately, the guy turned out to be a robber! Not only that, but he was an addict who forced David to buy him drugs…then takes him along for the ride. After all that, David was left to fend for himself in an alley after having everything taken from him.
The X-Files
The truth is out there and sometimes the truth is so disturbing it changes the rating of a show. The X-Files is a piece of television history that’s delighted, thrilled, and made millions around the world wildly uncomfortable for years. It also introduced us to Agents Mulder and Scully! Throughout their adventures, only one caused the show to be slapped with a “Viewer Discretion” warning AND a mature rating.
The “Home” episode had less to do with aliens and more to deal with uncomfortable and illegal family situations. What caused the rating and warning? The episode centered around the death of an infant that turned out to be buried ALIVE! To make it worse, the investigation carried out by the agents had to do with inbreeding and hostages. If you’re shocked by this description, just imagine how we felt while watching the episode!
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is one of those bizarre shows that resonates with some and confuses others. The artistic direction, layered mysteries, and inside jokes sets it up to be a cult classic with every scene. Even the characters have a way of sneaking their way into our psyches and traumatizing us for years. One of the most jarring involves Bob (AKA a disturbing demon) taking Windom’s soul!
We’re treated to a strobe light and a horrifying moment where someone LITERALLY lights another person on fire to steal their soul. The entire time there’s a very creepy laugh thrown in to make the audience a bit more uneasy. Why? Because it’s Twin Peaks, that’s why.
Roseanne
Despite being one of the best sitcoms to come out of the 90s, Roseanne has its share of tense and shocking moments. Sure, most stories are resolved in thirty minutes. However, what about the entire series? The final season of the show was pretty out there. It was basically about the Connors winning the lottery and living out their wildest dreams. While everything seemed perfect, right at the very end, the true reality of life was revealed: none of it was real.
The entire final season (and possibly a lot more) had just been a story being written by Roseanne. Dan had died, the family had moved out, and she was left alone to watch TV in the dark in a house that used to be full of laughter and love. The ending hit harder than most finales do and has stuck with us as one of the most jarring in any sitcom ever.
ER
What makes medical dramas both amazing and terrible is that we have to expect something bad to happen all the time. The entire point is to show the perseverance of people in the face of sometimes unbeatable odds. The original run of ER showed that in ridiculously realistic ways. Before Grey’s Anatomy filled the world with ridiculously over-the-top drama, we had ER and were thankful for it.
Sometimes the more gut-wrenching moments happened to characters we cared for. There was no hope of false promises in this show. We knew when a character fell and wasn’t going to make it, but we still had to suffer alongside them. They just don’t make incredible programming like that anymore.
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H is an amazing film and television series about a group of enlisted people trying to survive the Korean War. While the show had a lot of comedy in it, there was no shortage of drama. Even when it seemed that some people were going to be able to return home, fate had other ideas. Lt. Colonel Henry Blake was a devoted soldier, a fiercely loyal friend, and an officer that was on his way to being discharged.
He even made it onto the plane that was set to fly him home! Unfortunately, given that they were leaving an active warzone, not every plane that departs lands safely. Audiences don’t get to see the plane get shot down, but we learn of Blake’s death the same time as the cast did.
The Walking Dead
Dale Horvath was too pure for this world and the one that was born after the zombie apocalypse. One of The Walking Dead‘s favorite things to do is kill off an important character just because it can. It shares the same bloodlust with Game of Thrones. One of the most unexpected deaths occurs when Dale Horvath finally falls prey to a walker. The entire run of the show (from when we met Dale) we were rooting for him.
This guy was pure and resilient. Unfortunately, the show has to remind people that nobody is safe after the world ends. Instead of allowing him a subtle retreat, they kill him off in a heartbreaking way. No, he doesn’t die from a zombie bite. It’s actually a lot sadder.
How I Met Your Mother
This show might be a comedy sitcom, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its serious moments. Our group of 30-somethings really go through a lot over the show’s nine seasons, however there’s one scene that really made viewers tear up. When Lily broke the news about Marshall’s dad we were all as shocked as he was.
Literally, the actor wasn’t told what would happen until they started filming! Jason Seagal had to improvise the moment, and he did a great job at making us bawl our eyes out. The show’s co-creators wanted to portray what death is like in the real world, unexpected and painful. For a comedy it was executed perfectly.
Newhart
Bob Newhart is an incredible comedian. He also helped create one of the most memorable moments of television history on his sitcom Newhart. Before the dream sequence became a tired trope, Newhart did it surprisingly well. After refusing to leave his town, Newhart decides to open a B&B in the middle of a golf course. When a ball knocks him out he wakes up in the basement of his home.
The entire show turned out to be a bad dream caused by sushi eaten before bed. This was such a trip when it aired that some people consider it both the most emotional, as well as the most surprising moment of sitcom television! Maybe it’s time to head back to the golf course.
Downton Abbey
Watching a bunch of rich people live out their days in high-class bliss while everyone else suffers around them sounds terrible. Somehow, Downton Abbey made it fun and downright addicting. Plus, Maggie Smith is in it, so there’s that. The show is a fascinating portrayal of life for the aristocracy during the turn of the center in the United Kingdom. All the characters of the fabled home go through some immense changes, but not all of them survive.
Lady Sybil was one of the youngest to accept change. Always willing to try new things, she was seen as a bright ray of sunshine in the home. Unfortunately, that light was soon extinguished. In the third season Sybil gives birth to her first child. However, she succumbs to pre-eclampsia shortly after her daughter is born.
Pretty Little Liars
Holy massive twists, Batman! Pretty Little Liars was a nail-biter from beginning to end. This mysterious drama had us hooked for seven seasons. It’s still one of the best teen dramas in history! Who was the secret blackmailer? What was going to happen to the liars? Questions were hanging over this finale’s head and there were many. How in the world do any of those ends get tied up?
Oh, right before it all ends you just introduce a secret bad guy. They’re a twin so you would’ve never guessed. And they wanted to literally change their identity to be someone who had already died. We were twisting left, right, back, and forward. So many new questions were created, how in the world did it all go down like this?
Melrose Place
Soap operas have no shortage of shocking twists and turns, especially when they take place in a city like West Hollywood. Over the seasons we see the residents of Melrose Place go through a lot, but none were as shocking as when we find out Dr. Kimberly Shaw wasn’t actually dead. Audiences were convinced that she hadn’t survived the car accident.
While the character was absent for a number of episodes, she comes back to life as she rips off her wig to reveal a scar. This was no dream sequence, the writers were revealing that our favorite redhead was alive! It was definitely a moment that had viewers buzzing for weeks after the episode aired.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Certain moments from older TV shows may not seem shocking to us today, but they certainly made waves at the time. Star Trek is considered one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time. With a cast of memorable and beloved characters and storylines, it paved the way for similar shows to find success in the genre. But the show broke even more ground with a simple kiss.
Only a few short years after segregation had ended in America, Star Trek showcased an interracial kiss between William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols. It was a bold move that made a cultural impact that’s won’t soon be forgotten.
Gossip Girl
One of the main reasons we tuned into this series was the ongoing drama and mystery that surrounded the characters. Who was this anonymous “gossip girl” and how did they have access to so much personal information? While the drama and the fashion kept us watching, the lingering question of who the mystery blogger was hung in the air. However, the answer to the great question wouldn’t be addressed until the series finale.
Was it a shocking moment? Yes. Was it a total letdown? Also yes. Fans were pretty disappointed to find out Dan was “xoxo gossip girl” all along. But was there any answer that would’ve satisfied the hungry viewers?