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Many controversial twists in TV shows divided their respective fandoms, and while some hated a particular storyline, others were in favor of it. The best TV shows of all time, at one time or another, introduced a twist that left audiences baffled, whether that was in a good or bad way. However, there were also instances in which a TV show plot twist was so wild that viewers argued over it long after its broadcast.
From deaths to pregnancies, certain shows wrote stories or moments that the fandom interpreted in different ways. This created a huge community discussion that caused members to debate back and forth over whether it worked, was in character, or if it even made sense. Regardless of whether it was a brief moment or a monumental occasion, these controversial twists divided its audience base.
10 The Timeless Child
Doctor Who
Doctor Who’s Timeless Child storyline was one of the most controversial plot points in the show’s history. The Timeless Child was hinted at for quite a while, but in “The Timeless Children,” the Master revealed to the Thirteenth Doctor that there was more to her past than even she remembered.
This was a shocking moment that impacted the entire lore of Doctor Who , as it established that the Doctor had several other lives before becoming the titular figure.
It turned out that years before, the Doctor was found on another planet as a youth and taken to Gallifrey, and through experimentation, the Time Lords adopted the kid’s ability to change their entire appearance upon death. This was a shocking moment that impacted the entire lore of Doctor Who , as it established that the Doctor had several other lives before becoming the titular figure.
Doctor Who (2005)
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
Release Date March 26, 2005
Seasons 13
It continued to divide audiences long after, and there was still some confusion over which parts of Doctor Who’s Timeless Child storyline were retconned, as season 14 made a nod to the Doctor being adopted. However, some were on board with this idea, as it allowed for a lot more flexibility surrounding the Doctor’s past and even their future.
9 Daenerys Targaryen Breaks Bad
Game Of Thrones
Daenerys Targaryen’s deep-rooted need to avoid her fate as the Mad Queen in Game of Thrones was a logical part of her character development. For years, she watched how her father’s downfall tarnished her family name, so it made sense that she was desperate not to follow in his footsteps.
However, by Game of Thrones’ penultimate season, all of her hard work was cast aside, and she fell victim to her own destiny. Daenerys burning King’s Landing was an astounding moment during season 8, and she leaned into her madness. Audiences were stunned at her actions, especially as Cersei surrendered.
Based on George R.R. Martin's novels, this fantasy series follows the power struggles among noble families as they vie for control of the Iron Throne in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The series is known for its complex characters, political intrigue, and unexpected plot twists.
Release Date April 17, 2011
Seasons 8
Directors David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff
Many believe that this ruined Daenerys’ character progression massively, although others argued that it was a fitting climax for her. Daenerys succumbing to her fate wasn’t as abrupt as some thought, and even though she didn’t want to be compared to her family, her actions were necessary to put a stop to the Lannisters' tyranny.
8 Tracy's Death
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother’s controversial ending was widely discussed years after the sitcom’s final episodes for several reasons, but the most prominent was easily Tracy’s death. After a 9-season run, Ted Mosby finally met “the one” at Barney and Robin’s wedding. However, the show revealed that Tracy had died a few years before Ted’s endless stories to their children even began.
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This was an extremely frustrating twist because Ted’s journey to find Tracy was the main premise of the show, and many felt that her death was just an excuse for him to end up with Robin. However, one of the harsh realities of How I Met Your Mother’s finale was that Tracy’s death made sense.
How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom created initially for CBS by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. Five friends living in New York City navigate their twenties and thirties as they try to find love, success, and purpose. The show is framed through one friend's eyes, Ted Mosby, as he retells the story of how he met his wife to his children.
Release Date September 19, 2005
Seasons 9
Directors Carter Bays
Viewers continued to clash over this, but there were hints that Tracy was no longer around in 2030. Ted and Robin’s relationship was a completely separate complaint in the fandom, but killing off Tracy made Ted reminiscing about the good times that much more profound. Many were furious that Tracy didn’t live, but the backlash was also the reason why How I Met Your Mother’s alternate ending was later posted online.
7 Brian Dies, Then Returns Shortly After
Family Guy
Family Guy contained a memorable TV character's death that left fans reeling, and it was a deeply emotional moment that many didn’t see coming. Brian’s horrifically brutal death was unexpected, but the Griffin family’s heartbreaking goodbye to him at the vet was even more shocking.
The show was never often this serious, and Family Guy killing Brian shifted the overall tone of the animated title hugely. Even Seth McFarlane voiced his surprise at the audience response. However, Brain’s sudden revival just two episodes later divided the fandom. Several people were glad to see Family Guy ’s iconic talking dog come back, especially as it was executed in a classic Stewie time travel episode.
Family Guy is an animated series following the eccentric Griffin family. Led by bumbling patriarch Peter and long-suffering Lois, the family includes the sadistic baby Stewie, unpopular teenager Meg, dim-witted Chris, and Brian, their talking dog. The show explores their outlandish adventures in the fictional town of Quahog.
Release Date January 31, 1999
Seasons 23
Directors Peter Shin , Pete Michels , John Holmquist , Greg Colton , Brian Iles , Julius Wu , Joseph Lee , Joe Vaux , Mike Kim , Steve Robertson , Dan Povenmire , James Purdum , Dominic Bianchi , Dominic Polcino , Bob Bowen , Monte Young , Zac Moncrief , Michael Dante DiMartino , Bert Ring , Seth Kearsley , Scott Wood , Chuck Klein , Brian Hogan , Gavin Dell
Network FOX
Others, however, were annoyed that the show put them through such a whirlwind experience, only for Brian to return so quickly. There were complaints that the pacing of Brian’s return was off, and although some were glad, they were confused as to why Family Guy created such a fuss.
6 Angela Reveals Dwight Is Phillip's Father
The Office
After Angela was adamant that Dwight wasn’t Phillip’s father in The Office, she suddenly announced that she was lying after he proposed. Audiences were fuming over this revelation, as the DNA tests concluded that Dwight wasn’t Phillip’s biological father, although The Office creators stated that the sample he stole was actually from Pam and Jim’s son instead.
Many were delighted that Dwight would have his happy ending with Angela, but others were irritated about the sudden change and that Angela lied in the first place. Angela’s pride made a lot of sense for her character, but it was also incredibly heartless that she kept Dwight in the dark.
The Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times.
Release Date March 24, 2005
Seasons 9
Dwight lost out on being a parent because Angela was ashamed, but even after she divorced Robert, she continued to lie. However, it was argued that Dwight needed to believe he wasn’t Phillip’s father in order to realize that he always loved Angela. Dwight and Angela’s relationship in The Office was complex, so while half of the fandom was glad about this, the other found the ordeal to be rather disrespectful.
5 Skyler's Hypocrisy
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad’s Skyler White was a perfect example of a TV character who divided audiences, and many disliked Walter’s wife because of her hypocrisy. Before and after she discovered the truth about Walt’s secret life in the world of drugs, Skyler was a bit of a nag and frequently presented her husband with unattainable expectations.
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She wasn’t the greatest character, and after she learned about Walt’s escapades, she attempted to have an affair after throwing him out of the house. However, she quickly gave up and instead assisted Walt with the financial side of his operation. The money consumed Skyler, and many viewers were shocked by how easily she gave up on her morals.
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
Release Date January 20, 2008
Seasons 5
Directors Vince Gilligan , michelle maclaren
Writers Peter Gould , Gennifer Hutchison , Vince Gilligan , George Mastras , Moira Walley-Beckett , Sam Catlin , Thomas Schnauz
Showrunner Vince Gilligan
But some of the fandom sided with Skyler, as they appreciated the difficult situation that she was in and that her change in attitude was because she felt like she had no other choice. Skyler became worse throughout Breaking Bad in several ways, and she was often hated for the wrong reasons, but the shift in her character was constantly debated long after the show’s end.
4 Rachel Gets Off The Plane
Friends
One of the most frustrating Ross and Rachel moments in Friends was in the show’s finale. After so much back and forth, thanks to Ross’ interference, Rachel decided to move to Paris for a job, only to change her mind at the last moment. Many were angry that Rachel chose to throw away her future for a man who was undoubtedly the love of her life, but also someone who caused her a lot of pain.
Their relationship was overly complicated at times, so it made sense that the fandom reacted so badly to Rachel ending up with Ross again.
However, others were relieved that the “lobsters” ended up together, too. Ross and Rachel’s relationship in Friends was full of pettiness and toxicity, but the pair were also each other’s best partners as well. Their relationship was overly complicated at times, so it made sense that the fandom reacted so badly to Rachel ending up with Ross again.
Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.
Release Date September 22, 1994
Seasons 10
Directors David Crane , Marta Kauffman
But it was also argued that this moment proved that Rachel had grown up and was a completely different character to the pilot, as she knew she wanted Ross, and she was willing to make their relationship work properly this time without the triviality and ridiculousness of their past.
3 Rory's Pregnancy
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life
Rory and Logan’s affair was a Gilmore Girls storyline that fans hated, but Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life divided audiences right at its very last moment. Rory’s announcement that she was pregnant in the final episode was jarring, especially because it was so unexpected.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life has a Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 87%.
She had been an affair partner before, but it was disappointing that Rory was sleeping with a taken man again, as she had grown so much since her affair with Dean in Gilmore Girls. Some saw Rory’s pregnancy as a brilliant parallel with Lorelai and thought it was an appropriate ending for her.
Acting as a follow-up to the original series, Gilmore Girls, A Year In The Life is a comedy-drama series. Having completed her stint on the Obama campaign trail, Rory now finds herself as a freelance journalist with an inconsistent life. Meanwhile, Lorelei finds herself lost in life before her upcoming marriage to Luke. This four-part mini-series follows the titular mother-daughter duo as they continue to navigate their mother-daughter relationship in Star's Hollow.
Release Date November 25, 2016
Seasons 1
Writers Amy Sherman-Palladino , Daniel Palladino
Directors Amy Sherman-Palladino , Daniel Palladino
Showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino
Others, however, thought it was rather out of character for Rory to find herself preparing to be a single mother. It was assumed that Logan was the father, but he had left to get married. Rory’s love interests were such a focus in Gilmore Girls that it was great that she wasn’t tied into a relationship in order to become a mother, but at the same time, it was weird that she discarded her career plans, too.
2 Jackie Ends Up With Fez
That '70s Show
Even though That ‘90s Show explained that Jackie and Fez broke up, their relationship was a divisive moment from the end of That ‘70s Show. Jackie Burkhart dated every male member of the group, except for Eric, throughout the show, and each relationship was disastrous in its own way. When Jackie discovered her feelings for Fez in the last season, though, it created a big debate among viewers.
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Many believed that Jackie was becoming more mature by realizing that Fez was a good match for her and that he wouldn’t bring along any drama. Others were frustrated that Jackie was simply bored or would break Fez’s heart, which was what eventually happened.
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
Release Date August 23, 1998
Seasons 8
Directors David Trainer , Terry Hughes
Network FOX
She was definitely a very different character in That ‘70s Show’s finale compared to the pilot, and Jackie’s romances with Hyde and Kelso played a part in her development. Being with Fez highlighted Jackie’s growth, but the storyline was also badly paced and seemingly arrived out of nowhere. While half of the fandom was correct about the two, it didn’t stop the other half from trying to justify their relationship.
1 Haley Cheats On Arvin With Dylan, Then Gets Back Together With Him
Modern Family
Haley and Dylan’s relationship in Modern Family was a core part of the show, and even when they weren’t together, the two always found a way back to each other. Haley’s best character development undoubtedly happened when she dated Andy, but after that, she had a relationship with Alex’s professor, Arvin.
Although the pair weren’t always the most compatible, Haley proved that she had matured when she was with Arvin. That was until she cheated on him with Dylan. Audiences fumed that all of Haley’s growth went to waste when she got back together with Dylan, and they believed that the show was trying to rely on nostalgia to justify it.
Modern Family is a comedy series that follows the unconventional Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family as they redefine what makes a family in their modern age. Broken into sub-families, the three diverse groups shake up the nuclear formula with empty nesters, adopted children, gender neutrality, and more as they attempt to navigate the various pitfalls and comedic misadventures of their dysfunctional but warm-hearted family dynamic.
Release Date September 23, 2009
Seasons 11
However, it was also argued that Haley ending up with Dylan again wasn’t the worst thing. Their relationship went wonderfully in the later seasons, and this was attributed to Haley getting her life together. Many thought that Haley proved the issue with their romance wasn’t them but rather where they were in life and that getting back together showed that they were destined for one another.
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