Warning: This article discusses topics of sexual assault, drugs, and mental health.
Sci-fiTV shows have famously included shocking plot twists that were ridiculously unexpected. The power of science fiction allowed TV writers to switch up their storylines with ease, and the genre was so full of possibilities that literally anything could happen.Massive plot twists have ruined TV showsin the past, however, and so their executions needed to be handled carefully.
The most ambitious sci-fi TV shows everwere often remembered for theirbaffling and inventive plot twists. With concepts like time travel, aliens, and immortality, these TV show characters’ were exposed to all manner of fates or obstacles. While some ofthe best TV shows of all timeprovided some great plot twists, sci-fi titles have done it better than any other genre.
10The Doctor Regenerates Into A Previously Seen Body
Doctor Who / 2023 Special, “The Power of the Doctor”
David Tennant’s return toDoctor Whoat the end of “The Power of the Doctor” was a massively unexpected moment in the show for several reasons. Firstly, it was already known that Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor was departing, and Ncuti Gatwa had been announced as her successor. So, when the first female Doctor’s regeneration process began,audiences expected theSex Educationstar to appear in her place once the golden lights faded away. Instead, a familiar face was left on the edge of the cliff, looking as confused as viewers were.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on Jun 12, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
This was a groundbreaking moment forDoctor Who. Time Lords had changed genders and races previously, and the Tenth Doctor even had his metacrisis, butthis was the first time a Gallifreyan regenerated into a body they’d already had before.However, the Tenth and Fourteenth versions of the character shared an appearance only, and they were technically different incarnations of The Doctor. The Doctor’s next death was just as shocking, too, andDoctor Who’s bi-generationwas another extremely unexpected moment that impacted the show’s overall lore forever.
9The Cigarette Smoking Man Is The Father Of Scully’s Son
The X-Files / Season 11, Episode 1 - “My Struggles III”
12wThe introduction ofMulder and Scully’s baby inThe X-Fileswas a jarring and surprising twist by itself, as in the season 5 episode “Christmas Carol,” Scully announced that she was infertile. This was a result of her being abducted in season 2, so young William’s arrival inThe X-Fileswas an astounding moment.From his birth, it was apparent that William was not a normal child.
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He developed bizarre abilities like telekinesis and could even operate extraterrestrial technology. Scully later gave her child away, hoping he’d be safe away from her. However, when William’s story was revisited inThe X-Filesreboot, details of his parentage were divulged that altered both the characters and audiences’ perceptions of past seasons.
The X-Files
The X-files takes the police procedural formula and applies it to sci-fi mysteries. Conspiracy theorist Fox Mulder and skeptic Dana Scully team up to solve cases surrounding alien invasions and other unexplained, paranormal phenomena.
“My Struggles III” sawthe return ofThe X-Files’villain, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and it was revealed that he was William’s biological father.This was a huge twist, especially asit was implied, as well as assumed by Scully, that either the IVF attempt or suspected sexual encounters she had with Mulder were miraculously successful. It made sense because of William’s strange powers, but it was still unexpected.
8Bernard Has Always Been A Host
Westworld / Season 1, Episode 7 - “Trompe L’Oeil”
Westworldseason 1 was full of complex reveals, but the episode “Trompe L’Oeil” contained aTV show plot twist that should never be spoiledfor new viewers. Throughout the first six episodes ofWestworld,Bernard Lowe was simply the head of the Westworld Programming Division. Even though he was behind the creation of the artificial people, he was always established as just another human who worked at the park. However, when Ford ordered Bernard to kill Theresa, and he followed the directive, this illusion was shattered.
Westworld
Westworld is a television series set in a futuristic Wild West-themed amusement park where advanced android hosts cater to human guests' desires. The series explores the themes of artificial consciousness and human morality as the lines between reality and artificiality begin to blur.
Bernard always served as a moral compass inWestworld, which made this twist even more unexpected. In some ways, it was a significant betrayal to audiences, who had invested in the man and believed that he was with humanity. What was even more unanticipated, however, was thatBernard was just as unaware he was a Host as viewers were.Bernard was a recreation ofWestworld’sArnold Weber, one of the Host’s original creators, which was a detail many missed initially and created a bit of a plot hole.
7Laura Palmer’s Killer
Twin Peaks / Season 2, Episode 7 - “Lonely Souls”
The mystery surroundingwho killed Laura Palmer inTwin Peakswas the driving force of the show’s earlier seasons. While the identity of her killer wasn’t the most satisfying,the truth behind how the spirit Bob came about was a harrowing plot twist.Season 2, episode 7 finally explained to viewers that Bob had possessed Laura’s father, Leland.
This was one of the most disturbing moments in TV history because even though Bob was to blame, Laura’s blood was actually on Leland’s hands.
For years, Leland sexually abused Laura, which sent her down a destructive path. She was later taken by Leland and tortured, and although Mike gave her a ring to protect her from Bob, it wasn’t enough to save her. Bob was furious at Mike’s attempts to help Laura and, through Leland, stabbed the homecoming queen to death.
Twin Peaks
Conceived by Mark Frost and David Lynch in 1990, Twin Peaks is a supernatural mystery-drama series that brings FBI Agent Dale Cooper to the quiet town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a young woman named Laura Palmer. As Dale continues his investigation of her death, he learns that Laura’s life wasn’t as she advertised it, and the town itself is hiding far more secrets than they let on. The show received a revival for a third and final season two decades later to resolve the cliffhanger left at the end of the second season.
This was one of the most disturbing moments in TV historybecause even though Bob was to blame, Laura’s blood was actually on Leland’s hands. It was even more jarring when it became clear that Leland was possessed at a young age, years beforeTwin Peaks’ first episode, and so it was really Bob who was interacting with Dale Cooper the whole time.
6It’s Agatha All Along
WandaVision / Season 1, Episode 7 - ‘“Breaking the Fourth Wall”
While nosy neighbor Agnes revealing herself as Agatha was aTV plot twist that some viewers predicted, it was also one that seemed far too obvious to be correct. Agnes fitted intoWandaVision’s sitcom world beautifully, and so it seemed like her main purpose was for comic relief.
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Agatha All Along features many returning characters from WandaVision both inside and outside Wanda’s Westview Hex - here’s who makes an appearance.
She was so overly exaggerated that it was easy to deem Agnes as simply an attachment to the constructed realityand nothing more than a caricature or sitcom trope, especially as that was whatWandaVision’s format relied on. Agnes unveiled her true self in the ironically named episode “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” in a musical sequence in which she spoke directly to audiences inWandaVision’s “Agatha All Along” musical sequence.
WandaVision
WandaVision, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first TV show on Disney+, first aired in 2021. The series kicked off the MCU’s Phase 4 and brought back Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, and Paul Bettany as Vision. WandaVision strayed away from Marvel’s typical formula, this time formatting itself more like a classic sitcom as Wanda struggles to cope with the death of Vision.
This was a brilliant yet unexpected way to introduce such a fascinating plot twist, especially as it highlighted just how different Agatha and Agnes were. The witch ended up being the main villain, and her various interruptions to Wanda’s life became a lot more drastic in the last two episodes, in which she went from a nuisance to a full-blown tyrant.
5The Alternate Universe
Fringe / Season 1, Episode 20 - “There’s More Than One of Everything”
The introduction ofFringe’s parallel universewas subtle yet incredibly powerful. The show’s first installment followed Olivia Dunham and her colleagues at the FBI, who investigated all manner of strange cases, but it wasn’t suggested that the world they inhabited was any different from our own.
That was, untilone particular shot in the season 1 finale blew viewers’ minds.This singular frame explained everything, although it did raise a lot of questions. Upon noticing that the World Trade Center was unscathed, it was immediately obvious thatFringe’s universe was different.
Fringe
This sci-fi procedural follows the FBI’s secretive Fringe Division and its agents Olivia Dunham, Walter Bishop, and Peter Bishop. Together, they investigate cases regarding strange events that threaten society, including cases of parallel universes, human experimentation, and other strange phenomena.
While it could be explained that it was simply a fictional change for the sake of narrative, it was proved that Olivia’s unusual extended déjà vu was actually her seeing glimpses of the prime universe. After a childhood of torture and trials, Olivia discovered that her painful past had left her with an ability to slip between the two worlds, although she lacked control over it.
4Elliot Is Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot / Season 1, Episode 8 - “eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v”
Mr. Robothad multiple major plot twists, but the most significant was that the enigmatic Mr. Robot and Elliot were the same person. Throughout season 1, Elliot seemed to be conversing with Mr. Robot and bonding over their past traumas. But in the penultimate episode of season 1, it was revealed that the strange figure was actually a manifestation of Elliot’s dissociative identity disorder.
While using a mental health condition as a plot device wasn’t always a great idea in past TV shows,Mr. Robot’s execution of it was undoubtedly powerful and shocking.
Whileusing a mental health condition as a plot device wasn’t always a great idea in past TV shows,Mr. Robot’s execution of it was undoubtedly powerful and shocking. Only Elliot was able to see Mr. Robot, who took on the form of his late father, but he didn’t realize this at first.
Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot follows Elliot, a young programmer with an anti-social disorder, who hacks people to connect and protect those he cares about. The series explores his involvement with a cybersecurity firm and underworld organizations targeting corporate America. Debuting in 2015, it addresses contemporary cultural themes.
Issues with his memory shrouded the truth from Elliot, especially because this split part of his personality was visible to him. This wasn’t immediately obvious, but upon looking back at the scenes in which Christian Slater appeared on-screen as Mr. Robot, the fact that Elliot was the only other person there made things a lot clearer.
3Jack’s Involvement With The 456
Torchwood / Season 3, Episode 4 - “Children of Earth: Day Four”
Doctor Whoestablished that Captain Jack Harkness’ past was rather murky, but the spin-offTorchwoodshowed that not all of his worst deeds were wiped from his memory by the Time Agency.Torchwoodseason 3, Children of Earth, introduced a mysterious alien specieswho were simply referred to as the 456. As the season progressed, details emerged that explained that the 456 had visited and threatened Earth before. The 456 used children as a form of drug, and their last fix wasn’t enough, so they’d returned for more.
Torchwood
This Doctor Who spinoff follows the adventures of beloved character Captain Jack Harkness as he works for the Torchwood Institute, a small team in Cardiff dedicated to investigating extraterrestrial phenomena.
For several episodes, Jack evaded assassination from the government, but it wasn’t initially clear why. The opening scenes of the first episode saw 12 children being led off a school bus and toward a bright light. This scene was revisited in episode 4, whereJack admitted that he handed the children over in exchange for a cure for a deadly flu strain. Even though Jack was never the most morally strong character, he was never known for being cruel, so this was an astounding moment, especially as he was waiting for the Doctor’s return during this time.
2Nibbler Causes Fry To End Up In The Future
Futurama / Season 4, Episode 10 - “The Why Of Fry”
The pilot ofFuturamasaw Philip J.Fry fall into a cryogenic chamber on New Year’s Eve 1999 and end up in the year 3000, but it was always perceived as an accident. Fry was always a bumbling character with little skills or talent, so it made sense that his arrival in the future was because of his clumsiness.
However,season 10 suddenly explainedthat this wasn’t the case, andNibbler’s secret mission inFuturamawas to blame. Leela’s hilarious little pet was responsible for ensuring Fry made it to his time. The Nibblonian race believed that Fry was the only one who could stop the Brain Spawn, a species of flying brains, from destroying the universe.
Futurama
Futurama is an animated science fiction series that follows Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from late-20th-century New York City. He is accidentally cryogenically frozen for a thousand years and becomes an employee at Planet Express, a delivery service in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
This was a brilliantly funny plot twist, but still a shocking one, especially as it tookFuturamaten seasons to bring it up. Before this, it wasn’t a particularly discussed theory, as it seemed logical that Fry’s general demeanor and character traits resulted in his accidental freezing. Undoubtedly, Fry fitted the stereotype of the unlikely hero perfectly, but it was even better to learn that the tiny yet intelligent alien was behind it all.
1Jack’s Flashbacks Were Flash Forwards
Lost / Season 3, Episode 22 - “Through the Looking Glass”
Lost’s divisive endingstill didn’t make it clear whether the show was exactly sci-fi, mystery, fantasy, or all three. However, there was no argument that an otherworldly force impacted the survivors’ lives on the Island. The show’s narrative was exceptionally intelligent and frequently used flashbacks to show the characters’ backstories. Although this device was overused in the later seasons, it was the cause of one ofLost’s most shocking plot twists.
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The season 3 finale saw Jack arrive at the airport, but when Kate appeared, it was apparent that the flashbacks were actually flash-forwards. Up until this point,viewers thought that the Jack they saw on-screen was from the days before the plane crash.He was depressed and struggled with life, but as he acknowledged Kate, it was obvious that the pair had escaped the Island already.
Lost
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
This plot twist was so simple, but it was inserted so subtly and casually that it made the moment even more impactful. This was especially because Jack’s sudden exclamation, “We have to go back!” was so out-of-character compared to who he was on the Island, which implied that there was a lot more story to be revealed.
