The 40 Most Shocking TV Show Moments
Season finales tend to be epic. A death here, a betrayal there, a surprise re-entry or exit. The ones that we remember are those that leave our mouths open, often in stunned silence. Or, we react angrily: swear, shout at the TV, call people unspeakable names. But the best part? We all love the shock. It's the gripping factor that has us coming back for more.
Here are 40 of the most shocking moments from your favorite TV shows—and a warning: spoilers ahead.
Cigarette Smoking Man Shoots His Son: The X-Files
The X-Files was certainly no stranger to pushing the boundaries. But in Season 6, Episode 11, the Smoking Man would shoot his son in cold blood, after his son found out that he had slain his wife (the boy's mother).
A Woman Scorned: Desperate Housewives
Carolyn Bigsby sought revenge against her adulterous husband in one of the most shocking parts of Desperate Housewives ever. Carolyn's road to revenge had been building up over the past few episodes and she finally snapped when she learned that rival Nora had tried to snag friend Lynette's husband.
She took an entire grocery store captive at gunpoint and fatally shot Nora. Carolyn then shot Lynette before meeting her own end at the hands of a grocery store captive.
ABC, Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)
The Demise Of Edgar Stiles: 24
While we're sure that Edgar was told by Jack Bauer to "trust him" at some point during the show's fifth season, the unfortunate techie was just too slow when terrorists besieged the Counter Terrorist Unit's headquarters with nerve gas. He collapsed outside the sealed-off office where everyone else was safe inside.
Edgar's friendly relationship with his fellow techie, Chloe O'Brien (played by Mary-Lynn Rajskub), would end with a heartbreaking line: "Chloe.".. Followed by "Edgar."..
Friends No More: Survivor's 1st Season
The season finale of the first season of Survivor gave one of the most epic reality TV speeches of all time, made by finalist Sue Hawk, who ended up voting against her former friend, Kelly—in favor of Richard, another contestant.
She finished the season by saying: "This island is full of, pretty much, only two things: snakes and rats. At the end of Mother Nature, we have Richard The Snake, who knowingly went after prey, and Kelly, who turned into a rat and ran around like rats do on this island... I believe we owe it to the island spirits we have come to know to let it end in the way that Mother Nature intended: For the snake to eat the rat". Mic. Drop.
Mother Brings Anarchy: Sons Of Anarchy
In The Sons of Anarchy's Season 2 premiere, "Albification," Jax Teller's mom, Gemma, was kidnapped and tortured by two white separatists who'd been introduced to the show in Season 1. Well, nothing good came of that, but it was one of the more shocking moments on AMC's Sons of Anarchy.
FX, Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)
The Demise Of Rosalind Shays: L.A. Law
The reveal of Leland McKenzie and Rosalind Shays as secret lovers was a huge moment in L.A. Law, particularly when the two had been thought to be enemies throughout. However, nothing could prepare fans for the loss of Leland McKenzie. She and Rosalind were chatting. Then an elevator bell went off. Doors opened. Rosalind stepped through... and promptly fell to her doom, as the elevator had malfunctioned and not reached the floor yet.
Omar Almost Survives: The Wire
Fans of The Wire knew Omar Little as the crafty street gang member who endeared himself to the fans by always finding a way out of a jam and always finding a way to survive against the odds. That is, until the third-to-last episode in the show, when Omar was gunned down in a convenience store by a child drug dealer, Kenard.
Matthew Crawley's Crash: Downton Abbey
You didn't think that Downton Abbey would go a whole season with a happy-note ending, did you? Lady Mary had just given birth for the first time, and the issues with the estate seemed to be settled. A joyful Matthew Crawley was out for a drive...when he collided head-on with a truck and perished, just after the birth of his newborn son.
ITV, Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
Charlie's Last Words: Lost
Lost was hardly a show that avoided twists and turns. But Charlie's passing revealed a chilling denouement to the third season that set up the fourth brilliantly. You see, we'd all presumed that the boat belonged to Desmond's fiancée, Penny. Charlie's final words, however—"...not Penny's boat"—would send chills down the spines of Lost watchers and incite discussion for weeks and months afterward.
Mrs. Landingham's Off-Screen Demise: The West Wing
Mrs. Landingham was the beloved personal secretary of President Josiah Bartlett in The West Wing, until her off-screen demise at the end of Season 3's finale, "Two Cathedrals". It was a shocking moment that no West Wing fan was prepared for.
NBC, The West Wing (1999-2006)
Off With Ned Stark's Head: Game Of Thrones
In an entire TV show populated by shocking moments, the finale of Season 1 that saw Sean Bean meet his end (again) in a TV series (again) remains one of the most jaw-dropping. While a mad king Joffrey chopping off someone's head was to become somewhat commonplace, it was the first loss of the would-be hero of the series, making for a twist that no Game of Thrones fan saw coming.
HBO, Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
That Baseball Bat: The Walking Dead
Viewers of The Walking Dead will know what I mean. Negan was the newest villain introduced to us in The Walking Dead. He and his favorite weapon, a baseball bat, would come to be hated by the end of Season 6. And then, well, totally despised in a 'wouldn't even stop a zombie eating him' kind of way. He would clobber Glenn and Abraham with that baseball bat at the end of Season 6.
NBC, The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
Derek Shephard's Car Crash: Grey's Anatomy
Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey were meant to be, right? His nickname online was "Dr. McDreamy" after all. And Grey's Anatomy fans just loved their pairing: They were happily married with three children by the end of Shepherd's time on Grey's. Well, Shonda Rimes just couldn't let happily ever after happen, could she? Derek met his end in a car accident that rendered him brain-dead, just before he and Meredith were due to leave Washington.
Walter Watches Jane Perish: Breaking Bad
Jane's passing came as a shock to all Breaking Bad fans. Mostly because it revealed the callousness of the main character, Walter White. He'd come a long way from being a drug-dealing science teacher to make ends meet. In the Season 2 finale, Walter is trying to wake his partner-in-crime—who overdosed on substances—when he inadvertently knocks over Jesse's girlfriend, Jane...who begins to choke on her vomit. Rather than helping her, Walter watches her perish.
24's First Mole: Nina Myers
One thing to know about FOX's 24, is that there's always a mole and it's almost always whom you least expect. The first season of 24 set the tone for the rest of the show. The mole was revealed in the penultimate episode of Season 1 to be Nina Myers, Jack Bauer's closest confidante and friend of his wife, Teri—whom Nina murders at the end of Season 1.
Tony Attacks Ralph Cifaretto: The Sopranos
Unlike other TV shows of its era that relied on shocking twists and turns almost every other episode, The Sopranos liked to keep you in suspense. However, when the shock did come, it was often brutal. In Season 4, Episode 9, Tony Soprano murders his friend, Ralph Cifaretto after Tony believes that Ralph ordered an arsonist to set a stable fire that snuffed out the life of Tony's beloved horse.
Zoe Meets Her End: House Of Cards
Zoe Barnes' is an astute political reporter based in Washington DC in Netflix's House of Cards. She's this close to uncovering Frank Underwood's slaying of Peter Russo, Frank's former staffer. Zoe agrees to meet Frank Underwood in a subway station, fishing for information. It's a set-up. Frank pushes Zoe in front of an oncoming train, yet another person to meet a shocking end at the hands of the merciless Underwood.
Poussey's Suffocation: Orange Is The New Black
In a demise that shocked OITNB fans, beloved inmate Poussey Washington was suffocated by a guard during the protest. He knelt on her back until she succumbed to asphyxiation. Tragic. Unnecessary. Fans were shocked and upset at the OITNB's decision to off such a beloved character.
Netflix, Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)
Joffrey Baratheon Finally Meets His End: Game Of Thrones
After four long seasons of Joffrey Baratheon's insufferable character, fans were glad to see the back of him. Or, the front of him, face-up, poisoned and choking in absolute agony. Olenna Tyrrell and Littlefinger worked together to slay the King, for the good of the Kingdom. I, along with everyone else, cheered when he drew his final gasping breath.
HBO, Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Dylan's Father's Car Explodes: Beverly Hills, 90210
Usually, when Beverly Hills, 90210 wanted to throw in a little plot twist our way, it would do it with some subtlety or in some banal manner of a love triangle revelation or teenage heartbreak. Well, for Season 3, Jack McKay would purportedly lose his life in a car explosion, as his son Dylan watched. Brutal. But the biggest twist was yet to come.
FOX, Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000)
Colonel Blake's Plane Crash: M*A*S*H
In an absolute heartbreaker of a TV death, beloved M*A*S*H Colonel Blake was discharged from the Army—finally a free man after years of war—only to lose his life in an off-screen plane crash. It was a moment that destroyed M*A*S*H fans and one that the cast members pulled off perfectly. An amazing feat of acting.
Laura's Killer Is Revealed: Twin Peaks
The Internet wasn't around in the early 1990s to any great degree, but if it was, the revelation of the killer of Laura Palmer would likely have snapped it in half with shock. In Season 2 of this three-season mystery drama, it's revealed that Laura's killer was her father.
Brody's Last-Second Reprieve: Homeland
The premise of the first season of Homeland is brilliant. A captured Army soldier returns to the United States after many years in the captivity of the Taliban, but has he changed allegiances during that time? One CIA officer certainly thinks so. The first season follows this hook through to the end when Brody decides not to carry out his plot that had been a key part of the entire storyline in Season 1 of Homeland.
Showtime, Homeland (2011-2020)
Janice Shoots Richie: The Sopranos
As we've mentioned, The Sopranos wasn't one to shock as often as other shows of the era, but Janice and Richie's murderous falling out in Season 2's episode, "The Knight In White Satin Armor," made fans gasp. Nobody expected it from Janice.
The Trinity Killer Kills Rita: Dexter
Dexter's main antagonist for the fourth season was the "Trinity Killer," dubbed so because he took lives in threes all over the country. His real name was Arthur Mitchell, and he was a church deacon and family man who lived a double life as a mass killer. In the Season 4 finale, Mitchell's final victim before Dexter kills him is Rita Bennett, Dexter's long-term love interest.
Turncoats: Game Of Thrones
We know, Game of Thrones comes up a lot in this list—we get it. But in the Season 5 finale that saw The Night's Watch turn on their Knight Commander, Jon Snow, the show delivered one of its greatest shocks. I mean, it's no Red Wedding, but it's up there. The closing shot is of Jon Snow bleeding out on the ground, but you never actually see him perish—setting the stage for speculation until Season 6.
HBO, Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Lawrence's Shocking Passing: House
House didn't do 'shocks' a lot. Mostly, medical genius Gregory House would solve the conundrum and save the day and his patient. But when actor Kal Penn left House to work for Obama Administration in real life, House's director and producers wrote something shocking: His character perished off-screen by his own hand.
One Shootout, A One-Take Wonder: True Detective
Matthew McConaughey's incredible effort to save his fellow officers when his cover is blown during a housing project culminates in a deadly shootout that lasts for six minutes and is shot in one take, showcasing the fantastic production and directorship of True Detective. It's one of those moments that will leave you needing to sit back and take a breath at the end of the carnage.
What Happened To Tony?: The Sopranos
The season finale—specifically, the closing moments—of The Sopranos will forever live on in American television folklore history. Did Tony meet his end? Did he survive? We'll never know and we're still talking about it, almost 20 years later. Genius.
Tiffany Doggett's Beating: Orange Is The New Black
After a whole season of pent-up rage, Orange Is The New Black's Piper Chapman (the new girl in lockup) has had enough of Tiffany Doggett's relentless mockery, beatings, and generally making her life a living nightmare. Well, revenge is a dish best served cold, as they say. In a snowy barbed wire-enclosed yard, Chapman beats Doggett to within an inch of her life. It's a revelation of Chapman's dark side featuring an inhumanely cathartic moment.
Netflix, Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)
Buffy's Mom Passes On: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
This one is an absolutely awful masterstroke of a cinema. Buffy spends her life fighting demons and vampires, surviving near brushes with the grim reaper all over the place. Yet, in Season 5, Episode 16, "The Body", it's Buffy's nearest and dearest who faces their mortality. Buffy returns home to find her mother lifeless from an aneurysm, and the harrowing depiction of the heartbreak of such a moment is TV gold.
UPN, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Damon Pope's Vengeance: Sons Of Anarchy
After Tig kills Damon Pope's daughter in a misdirected fit of rage, kingpin Damon Pope has some... well, shocking ideas for revenge. He encloses Tig's daughter in a hole in the ground and chains Tig up just close enough to watch, but not close enough to reach...before pouring gasoline over her and tossing his lit cigar in. Blood-curdling screams fill the night and our ears. Absolutely awful.
FOX, Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)
A Depiction Of Life After The Day After: The Day After
The Day After was a post-nuclear apocalypse movie that horrifyingly depicts life after a nuclear explosion in the United States. The Day After shows horrors such as starvation, radiation sickness, dying, and despair—and that's on top of the total destruction of the environment. It's a truly awful depiction of a post-nuclear apocalypse.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
The entire series of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was pretty distressing. But one of the most harrowing scenes is the slaying of Konerak Sinthasomphone, and the way that Jeffrey Dahmer covers up his offense with a chilling ease about the whole situation is downright creepy. It's one of many harrowing moments throughout the show, which is a must-see for any true-crime fans.
Netflix, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
Mass Shooting At Seattle Grace: Grey's Anatomy
One of the major depictions of a mass shooting on American television was Grey's Anatomy's two-part Season 6 finale, which showed the horrifying event go down at Seattle Grace Hospital. 18 people were shot and 11 succumbed to their injuries after a former patient's husband entered the hospital and opened fire.
A Meat Grinder: You
When You's protagonist/antagonist Joel Goldberg needs to get rid of a victim in Season 2, he thinks of Love's kitchen. In Love's kitchen, there's a meat grinder. You can let your imagination run wild with what happens next.
Ending The Other Engine: Lost
When the plane went down in Lost during the first episode, one engine survived—at least, that is, until one of the surviving passengers was sucked into the still-running engine. The engine exploded, and so did the passenger.
Earwigs Galore: Night Gallery
The 1972 horror series, The Night Gallery, would show many a terrifying episode, but perhaps none more so than "The Caterpillar". In that episode, earwigs crawled into Laurence Harvey's ears, driving him mad and eating his brain from the inside out. It's completely gross and shocking. No, thank you.
NBC, Night Gallery (1970-1973)
The Red Wedding: Game Of Thrones
This is undoubtedly one of the most shocking moments in TV history. Walder Frey's betrayal of House of Stark at the end of Season 3 would lead to the deaths of Rob Stark, his wife Teresa (and their unborn child), and his mother Catelyn Stark. The gory brutality just added to the shocking closing of Season 3—and one of the most shocking betrayals and season finales ever.
Did we miss any particularly shocking TV moments? What was your favorite shocking moment that left you stunned at what you'd just witnessed? Let us know in the comments.
