Who doesn’t love a good plot twist in a TV show? Some of them can be seriously surprising and there have been some twists on recent TV shows that we never could have seen coming. From surprising new character introductions that totally threw us for a loop to endings that surprised viewers all over the world, there have been some really good plot twists on TV shows.
And while there have been some great plot twists, there have also been some that were… not so good. From twists that have ruined the point of the entire show to some twists that just didn’t need to be in the show, there have been some incredibly disappointing plot twists in TV shows, especially in the past decade. While the 2010’s have been great for TV, not all the plot twists that the show has given us have been so exciting.
To see 10 of the worst plot twists of the decade, keep reading!
Teen Wolf: Cora’s Entire Existence
Teen Wolf is a series that had a ton of twists and turns. Some of them were really interesting and added a lot to the story, while some were just weird and either made no sense or just frustrated us. One of the most disappointing (and nonsensical) plot twists in the series was the introduction of a character named Cora Hale.
Cora was the younger sister of Derek Hale. Prior to her introduction in the third season, it was presumed that she had died in the fire at their mansion. But, apparently she lived somehow! And no one in Beacon Hills questioned it. Not that it mattered, Cora only lasted on the show for half a season before she went to South America without much explanation.
Dexter: Rita Died
We know, Rita Morgan’s death in Dexter was important and symbolic for our title character. But, it also could have been avoided if Dexter had only been a little smarter and Rita would have lived.
In the fourth season, Dexter becomes way too close to the main villain of the season, The Trinity Killer. After giving birth to their child, Dexter and Rita move to a new house together. This should have been a happy time for the couple, but Dexter finding his son at the scene of Rita’s murder was a twist that totally bummed us out.
The Walking Dead: Surprise! Glenn Lived!
The Walking Dead’s team went to a lot of effort to make us think that Glenn had been eaten by zombies after being trapped up on that dumpster back in season six. They tried to hide Steven Yeun on set, removed his name from the credits, and they generally tried to build suspense about the fact that he might be zombie food.
Fortunately, he lived by climbing underneath the dumpster and barricading himself there to stay safe. Which is wonderful, but it was so anticlimactic after they did so much to make it seem like he was dead that it was hard to be excited when he wasn’t.
Gilmore Girls: And The Credits Roll…
At the end of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Rory reveals to her mother that she’s pregnant. This happened back in 2016 and, since then, we haven’t had any news about when or if we’ll be getting another season.
While we’re excited for Rory and this is a huge step in the development of her character, it’s incredibly disappointing that this plot twist lead into such a major cliffhanger. Who is the father? Is it Logan? Is it Jess? The fact that it ended on those four words without telling us makes this plot twist so frustrating.
Gossip Girl: It Was Dan All Along
Dan Humphrey was one of the main characters of Gossip Girl and was, at time, one of the focuses of the elusive Gossip Girl’s posts. Throughout the series, fans were trying to find clues as to who Gossip Girl could be. Who was spying on the Upper East Side teenagers that we had gotten so fond of?
As it turned out, Dan Humphrey was Gossip Girl all along. He had a whole reason for explaining why he chose to start writing the blog, but let’s be honest, no one cares what his reason was. All any of us care about is the fact that it made no sense. This frustrating plot twist was basically a plot hole.
Slasher: Saadia Started It
Slasher is a Netflix original horror anthology series that has three seasons so far. In the third season, Slasher: Solstice, we follow a group of characters that all live in the same apartment building and are all being hunted by a mysterious murderer known only as The Druid.
The Druid turned out to be two people whose mother had committed suicide after being relentlessly harassed for a video she posted online. They were seeking revenge on all the people that had a hand in losing their mother, either by harassing her or by not stepping in when others did. Saadia, the best friend of the two people behind The Druid, turns out to be the one that started all the backlash because she was the person that brought attention to her post.
HIMYM: The Mother Was Dead
For eight seasons, we were left wondering who the mother on How I Met Your Mother was going to be. Even though we had a long wait before we even saw The Mother, it was worth going through Ted and his friends’ younger years.
And then, we were hit with the mother of all plot twists. We finally met The Mother in the season eight finale and we were all really invested in the story and excited to finally know who Ted ended up with. Then, in the series finale, we learned that he didn’t actually end up with her because back in 2024, before Ted started telling his kids this story, she had died.
Pretty Little Liars: A.D. Is… Alex Drake?
Pretty Little Liars had too many plot twists to count. Some of them were great and had us on the edge of our seat, but then there are some that we definitely could have done without. The identity of the mysterious “A” was something that had viewers searching for clues throughout the entire series.
As it turns out, A.D. stood for Alex Drake. Who? The secret and totally evil British twin sister of Spencer Hastings. Yes, we’re serious. Spencer and Alex were both born in Radley Sanitarium and while Spencer was sent to be raised by her biological father, Peter, and his wife, Veronica, Alex was put up for adoption and had a rough childhood before coming to Rosewood to torment her sister and her friends.
Dexter: He Becomes A Lumberjack
Dexter’s series finale is one that had fans torn, but one thing that frustrated most fans is the twist at the very end. After Dexter sailed toward the hurricane alone on his boat, it seemed like he was dead. But then, we’re shown a logging plant and the camera follows Dexter Morgan himself working and then walking to his house.
Although there was definitely no good ending for The Bay Harbor Butcher, the fact that he sent Hannah and Harrison away and promised to meet up with them at the airport only to let them believe he died in the hurricane and literally became a lumberjack was truly bizarre - and not in a good way.
The Hills: It Was Fake… Maybe?
We all know reality TV isn’t always as real and unscripted as it seems. But, reality shows sell themselves as being completely unfiltered drama between real people.
When The Hills ended, the producers decided to poke a little fun at people claiming that the show was fake. After everyone left, it showed the team taking down the pieces of the set that they were filming on. What?! To make things worse, they never explained whether this was just a joke or if the show was truly completely scripted.
Next: 10 Reality TV Stars Who Are Now In Movies
