7 TV Plot Twists That Had Absolutely No Set Up

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Warning: This article mentions the topics of death, violence, and fertility.

We all enjoy surprising twists in TV shows, but they only work if they feel earned. While some unexpected changes become legendary moments, more often, audiences get frustrated when a show abruptly changes direction without any clues beforehand. A good twist needs some setup – otherwise, it just feels random and unsatisfying.

It’s common for TV shows to throw in unexpected plot twists that feel unearned, often due to relying on clichés, inconsistent character behavior, or trying too hard to be different. Many shows end weakly because the writers attempt a grand finale that hasn’t been properly built up throughout the season, leaving viewers feeling unsatisfied. While some viewers might still enjoy these surprises, it’s hard to overlook the fact that they often lack sufficient groundwork.

7
John’s Affair

Sherlock


BBC

While Sherlock has its frustrating points, John’s infidelity is particularly upsetting. The Season 4 episode “The Six Thatchers” isn’t a standout, largely because of this storyline. Seeing John texting another woman is painful, especially knowing Mary is selflessly caring for their baby, but the reveal feels unearned – there’s no prior indication that anything is amiss.

John comes to terms with Mary’s past and finds real happiness in their marriage. Though Euros is responsible for the situation, it feels strange that the former doctor would react this way. The sudden change in his personality doesn’t make sense, and the writers could have easily explored John’s guilt over Mary’s death through other means instead of having him fall in love with a random person he meets on the bus.

6
Effy’s Therapist Killing Freddie

Skins


E4

The deaths of Chris, Freddie, and Grace on Skins were all shocking, but Freddie’s was the most unexpected. In the final episode of Season 4, Freddie is violently killed by Effy’s therapist, Dr. John Foster, while visiting him at home. The show suggests Foster was intensely jealous of Freddie’s relationship with Effy and had developed feelings for his patient, but this is revealed very late in the story, with no prior clues about Freddie’s fate.

We don’t find out that Foster faces consequences for his actions until Season 7, known as Skins Redux. Skins Rise shows us that Cook killed Foster after discovering what he’d done to his close friend, and is now on the run from the police. While Freddie’s death in Skins is a huge shock and a clever twist, it feels sudden and disconnected from the rest of the story.

5
The Time Lords’ Infertility

Doctor Who


BBC/Disney

The future of Doctor Who is wide open, but the upcoming 2026 Christmas special needs to address a major issue: the Time Lords can no longer have children. The recent reunion of the Doctor and the Rani in “The Reality War” revealed that the Time Lords became infertile during the Time War. This has created confusion for fans, as it significantly changes what we know about Time Lord biology and the future of the species.

The season 14 finale includes a surprising claim that doesn’t quite add up. The Doctor states they haven’t become a parent yet, even though previous versions of the Doctor have had children – like Jenny in season 4 – and there are multiple mentions of their offspring throughout their history, including the well-known Susan Foreman. While the current Doctor’s storyline focuses a lot on babies and parenthood, it feels overdone, making the reveal that Time Lords are infertile feel underwhelming and less like a clever hint beforehand.

4
Brian Griffin’s Death

Family Guy


Fox

The Family Guy episode “Brian Dies” is famously heartbreaking, but the full impact doesn’t hit you until the very end. Brian is tragically hit by a car while playing with Stewie, and he dies at the vet. While Family Guy doesn’t usually rely on surprises, the show really should have warned viewers about killing off such an important character.

Luckily, killing off Brian wasn’t meant to be a lasting change to Family Guy, and he was brought back to life just two episodes later. Because Seth MacFarlane always intended for Brian to return, the show could have cleverly hinted at this in earlier episodes. It would have been more satisfying to see subtle clues about Brian’s fate instead of a short-lived plot twist that ultimately didn’t matter.

3
J.D. Discovering Kim Didn’t Lose The Baby

Scrubs


NBC

As a Scrubs reboot nears, it’s a good time to recall one of the show’s biggest surprises. In Season 6, J.D. goes to see Kim for an ultrasound, only to learn she had a miscarriage. This was a shocking turn, especially because it changed the direction of J.D.’s story. However, viewers didn’t dwell on it for long. That is, until 16 episodes later, when J.D. unexpectedly sees Kim, visibly pregnant, at a conference, and realizes she wasn’t telling the truth.

As a long-time fan, I’ve been rewatching, and honestly, there’s absolutely nothing in these episodes to suggest the storyline about J.D.’s fatherhood is coming back. In the world of sitcoms, sixteen episodes with zero hints about revisiting something viewers thought was resolved is a really long time. I doubt the Scrubs reboot will dwell on it much, but I’m hoping the new season might at least shed some light on whether that secret affected how J.D. and Kim co-parented their son later on. It just feels like a loose end that deserves a little closure.

2
Spencer’s Evil Twin

Pretty Little Liars


Freeform

The reveal of Alex Drake as a villain in the final season of Pretty Little Liars felt unnecessary and confusing to many fans. While the idea may have come from the books, where Alison has a twin, the show’s version—Spencer’s ‘evil’ sister—felt like a forced and over-the-top plot device. The added detail of Alex being British just made the whole thing even more unbelievable.

The character of Alex Drake, or “A.D.”, adds to the already confusing story of Pretty Little Liars, especially since so many characters have been revealed to be “A”. Spencer never had a known twin, and while introducing Alex after Charlotte’s death seemed interesting, the storyline fell flat because it wasn’t properly set up or hinted at beforehand. This lack of preparation is why fans didn’t react well to it.

1
Alex Karev’s Exit

Grey’s Anatomy


ABC

Saying goodbye to characters on Grey’s Anatomy is always tough, especially for long-time fans. However, Alex Karev’s departure felt particularly shocking. After years of growth, his character took a sudden turn in Season 16 when he unexpectedly explained to Meredith, Jo, and Bailey – through letters – that he’d left to be with Izzie and their newly born twins, conceived through IVF.

It’s surprising enough that Karev leaves Jo after everything they’ve been through, but the show throwing in a major update about Izzie Stevens after so long is even more shocking. Jo does learn about Izzie’s cancer and the frozen embryos, and is surprised to realize Karev might have children somewhere, but this information doesn’t feel like a meaningful hint or preparation for his eventual decision.

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2025-11-28 18:39