The Biggest TV Plot Twists No One Saw Coming In 2022
The impact of a plot twist can leave audiences with a fresh perspective on their favorite TV shows. When it's done well, it can give a newfound meaning to the story, stirring deeper discussion and investigations into the plot. 2022 was a year of unbelievable plot twists from TV's most beloved shows. From break-ups to murders, these shows subverted expectations beyond surface-level shock value. While some were more complex than others, they all left a lasting mark and brought value to their individual stories. The pieces to the puzzles were always there, but guesswork can only go so far. The year may not be over just yet, but there's been no short supply of jaw-dropping plot twists.
The anticipation is unbearable, so let's look back at some of this year's best shows and the biggest plot twists no one saw coming. If it wasn't already obvious, look out for major spoilers ahead.
Euphoria's meme-worthy reveal
The TV plot twist that shook the internet — but mostly TikTok — went down in Season 2 of the glittery teen drama series "Euphoria." Up until this point, Cassie and Nate had been secretly hooking up, despite the fact that Nate is Maddy's ex and Cassie is Maddy's best friend. Throughout the season, Cassie spirals out of control, with her desperation to be loved driving her to make questionable decisions. Despite Nate's obvious interest in only having causal sex, Cassie tries everything to get Nate to fall for her as he has for Maddy — even going as far as to dress like Maddy in her signature crop-top matching set, heels, bold eyeliner, and trendy 2000's hairdo. Everyone was waiting for the season's most explosive secret to be revealed; it was a question of when it would happen and who would be the one to spill it all.
Here's how it all went down: In an attempt to escape going to rehab, Rue ends up at Lexi and Cassie's house, but it isn't long until her family catches up with her. Surrounded by her friends and loved ones, Rue sits in the hot seat as everyone tries to convince her to get some help. Cassie's not-so-helpful input gives Rue the perfect opportunity to take the spotlight off her. "How long have you been f****** Nate Jacobs?" she asks. Thrown off guard, Cassie is unable to convincingly lie her way out of the question. The secret is out and we get the most perfect, highly memeable line from Maddy: "You dumb f****** b****."
Gene got even in Barry
It seemed like the sly hitman Barry would never get caught, but in the Season 3 finale, he finally met his match. Technically, Barry had been caught before: LAPD detective Janice Moss got wise to him in the Season 1 finale, but he pulled a fast one and killed her, getting away with it like always. So when Gene Cousineau (Janice's beau) sets him up in the Season 3 finale, it feels like justice is finally being served. Not even Barry could have guessed that it would be his bumbling, loving mentor who would ultimately outsmart him. but once Gene discovered the truth about Janice's death, there was no going back.
Right before Barry enters the home of Janice's father Jim Moss, Gene is supposedly on Barry's side. Using his acting chops, he convinces Barry that Jim will ruin Gene's career and thus he must kill him. Barry takes the gun from Gene and goes into the house himself, with Gene begging him not to. Once inside, Barry aims the gun at Jim when someone in the distance shouts, "Freeze!" A swat team emerges from the shadows and arrests Barry, with Gene standing by and watching it all go down. Creator and star Bill Hader talks about Gene's choice to Variety, saying that he's "done what he's wanted to do, which is get justice for Janice. And by doing that he has gotten true forgiveness." Hader added: "By turning Barry in and risking his life and doing what was right — the only way he got there was Jim Moss, in that scene in the garage, basically saying 'You've got to make a choice' — he has achieved real forgiveness."
Things got real in Better Call Saul
In the final season of "Better Call Saul," Jimmy is suspended from practicing law and out of money, with his only hope being the cut he's intended to receive from the Sandpiper lawsuit. Except, it doesn't seem like the case will settle anytime soon. In true Slippin' Jimmy/Saul Goodman fashion, Jimmy and his partner Kim hatch a scheme to ruin Howard's reputation and get the case settled for Jimmy's big payout of $1.16 million. And it works! But when Howard stops by to confront them, another uninvited guest shows up. Lalo Salamanca, the drug kingpin from the Salamanca family, shoots and kills Howard in a shocking and unexpected turn of events.
Towards the end of the season, we flash forward to the post-"Breaking Bad" period, where Jimmy is in hiding with a new identity, working as a Cinnabon manager in Nebraska. When someone recognizes Jimmy at the mall, he reverts to his old ways of cons and trickery. It isn't long before his true identity is discovered, and he's put into police custody. Using his charm and talent, Jimmy gets himself a generous seven-year prison sentence for his crimes in "Breaking Bad." But after Kim confesses her and Jimmy's involvement in Howard's murder, Jimmy is inspired to clear his conscience in the same way by confessing to his voluntary involvement with Walter White and his own brother Chuck's death back in Season 2. This ends the series with Jimmy receiving a life sentence in jail.
Stranger Things revealed the truth about Vecna
In Season 4 of the sci-fi horror drama "Stranger Things," the alternate dimension of the Upside Down is still terrorizing the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. Nothing could have prepared friends Dustin, Max, Lucas, Mike, Eleven, Nancy, Steve, Robin, and new fan favorite Eddie Munson for the wrath of Vecna, the evil entity killing teens around town. In Season 4, Episode 7, Vecna's true identity and motives are revealed as Eleven relives her memories, trying to get her powers back with the help of Dr. Brenner. The truth is, Eleven was never responsible for the massacre in the Rainbow Room as she had come to believe.
One of the orderlies in the lab, Henry, befriends Eleven, revealing himself to be 001. He then tricks Eleven into removing an implant that suppresses his powers as they plan to escape, but instead, Henry goes on a killing rampage throughout the lab. When Eleven realizes what she's done and refuses to partake in Henry's evil plan, Henry turns on her, too. It's a tough match to go up against Henry's powers, but Eleven manages to overpower him. This opens a gate to the Upside Down, banishing Henry and transforming him into Vecna. As Vecna, his plan to annihilate all of humanity continues, growing his power with each victim he kills.
Homelander's parentage rocked fans of The Boys
The superhero series "The Boys" contained some of the biggest twists of 2022, but two stood out from the bunch, leaving viewers' jaws on the floor. Before the most powerful and famous Vought superhero group, The Seven, there was Payback led by Soldier Boy, who was essentially the Homelander of the '80s. Rumor has it that Soldier Boy was killed by a lethal secret weapon. If the Boys can figure out how to get their hands on this weapon, it could be the thing that finally takes down Homelander. According to Lieutenant-Colonel Grace Mallory, Soldier Boy was taken and killed by Russians. This gives the leader of the Boys, Billy Butcher, the ultimate plan to go to Russia and find the weapon there. Instead, locked away in a lab, they find Soldier Boy alive, more powerful and unstable than ever.
With Soldier Boy alive, Butcher forms a new plan to use Soldier Boy to kill Homelander, hoping his powers are more powerful than Homelander's. Soldier Boy agrees to help Butcher in exchange for exacting revenge on Payback members who turned him in to the Russians. But something comes up, complicating Butcher's plan. According to Mindstorm — one of the members of Payback who Soldier Boy ends up killing — Soldier Boy handed over sperm without knowing Vought's plan to use it to replace Solider Boy with their own homegrown superhero. It's revealed that Soldier Boy is actually Homelander's biological father. If you thought Homelander had mommy issues, his new-found daddy issues aren't much better.
Ozark killed off a fan favorite
The crime drama series "Ozark" came to an end in 2022 with a two-part finale full of twists and turns, but the most shocking of all happens in the final episode, titled "A Hard Way to Go." With previous cartel leader Omar in prison and Javi in full control of the Navarro cartel, Javi takes up the deal with the United States government to work as an informant for immunity. Under this protection, Javi takes it upon himself to kill heroin drug-lord Darlene Snell and Ruth's cousin Wyatt Langmore. Ruth doesn't take kindly to the murder of her cousin and sets out to kill Javi herself. But if there's anything viewers have learned from this series, it's that nothing good ever comes from messing with the cartel.
At first, everything seems fine. The Byrdes are working to revise the immunity deal with Omar, and Ruth inherits the Snell fortune with plans to build a new life. However, the Navarro cartel power ends up going to Javi's mother Camila, and she has Omar killed in a prison transfer gone wrong. In the end, Camila finds out Ruth was the one who killed Javi. In a turn of events no one saw coming, Camila gets her revenge on the beloved, tough-as-nails Ruth. Actually, there was one person who saw it coming. According to Vanity Fair, actor Julia Garner envisioned her character Ruth's death before learning her fate. "Not to sound really dark, but she already died when Wyatt died," she said. "If there was a gun being pointed at her, she wouldn't care. That acceptance — it's really dark, but that's really what it is."
The Bear ended on a high note
FX's comedy-drama series "The Bear" takes place in a struggling family-owned Italian sandwich shop in Chicago. After his brother Michael's suicide, Carmy takes over The Original Beef of Chicagoland and tries to turn the business around using his fine dining experience from New York City. The entire staff work at odds with one another, although they all share the same goal — to serve good food and make the restaurant succeed. There's Richie, Michael's best friend, who doesn't appreciate Carmy's insistence on changing everything. Sydney is a young, new chef brought on as a sous chef in Episode 2. Marcus is a bread baker turned pastry chef. Then there's Tina, the stubborn veteran line cook. Between all the chaos in the kitchen and overwhelming money problems, it seems as though the restaurant can't be saved. On top of it all, Camry is struggling to cope with his grief.
Back in the first episode, Richie found a letter addressed to Carmy, but left it hidden out of spite. At a low point in the finale of Season 1, Richie has a change of heart and turns the letter over to Carmy. The letter contains a family recipe for spaghetti that catches Carmy's eye. When he goes to open the cans of tomatoes, inside, he finds the $300,000 loan Michael was given by Uncle Jimmy to franchise the business. There's new hope for the restaurant, and it's revealed that the revamped restaurant will be called The Bear.
Severance revealed Helly's true identity
When Helly is introduced as a new hire at Lumon Industries in the pilot episode of the sci-fi thriller series "Severance," it's clear why she's so freaked out about her new position. With no memory of who she is, she comes to learn she's undergone a severance procedure that separates her work self from her home self. As the work self — called an Innie — she has no way of escaping the workplace and has no contact with her outside self — called the Outie. But Helly isn't the only one in the Macrodata Refinement department. Her other severed co-workers include Mark Scout, Dylan George, Irving Bailiff, and supervisor Seth Milchick.
Helly will do anything to convince her Outie to let her out, including harming herself, but her Outie has no sympathy for her. It isn't until the final two episodes of Season 1 that Mark, Irving, and Helly are able to wake up in the outside world, where they learn their true identities outside of work. Helly's comes as the biggest twist, revealing she's Helena Eagan, heir to Lumon Industries. Turns out, her severance is being used as propaganda to get more people on board with the procedure. This is her chance to finally expose the imprisonment of the Innies, but will anyone listen?
Yellowjackets ended with an eye-opening reveal
Throughout the first season of Showtime's drama series "Yellowjackets," viewers are piecing together what happened to a high school girls' soccer team after a plane crash that left them in the wilderness for 19 months. Dual timelines play out — one in the past with the team trying to survive in the wilderness and one in the present as they continue to live with the aftermath into adulthood.
More than two decades after the accident, things aren't much better for survivors Shauna, Taissa, Misty, Natalie, and Travis, who is believed to have taken his own life. However, the women grow suspicious when they discover that his bank account was emptied after his death. By the final episode of Season 1 (which debuted in 2021 and ran into 2022), there are more questions than answers, with half of the people from the plane crash being unaccounted for in the present day, including Lottie, a girl with supernatural visions.
The truth behind Travis' death is (partially) revealed with the twist that Lottie was the one who drained his account, meaning she's still alive and she could be involved with his death. She is seemingly also the leader of a cult in the woods, but we'll have to wait until next season for more information on that.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
This Is Us broke our hearts
The popular family drama series "This Is Us" also came to an end in 2022. Over six seasons, viewers formed a bond with the Pearson family, following siblings Kevin, Kate, and Randall as they grew into adulthood using dual timelines of the past and present. There are plenty of twists throughout the series, but the most heartbreaking one comes in Season 6, Episode 12, with Kate and Toby's divorce. Kate and Toby have been a fan favorite couple since the very beginning, and they've come a long way with two children of their own.
It was hard to imagine the end for this perfect couple, but co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger explained to The Hollywood Reporter the decision to split the relationship. She said: "With our show, we always strive to be close to life, and we felt that in life some couples — even couples who really love each other and who set out with the best intentions, and really, really want to make it work — sometimes they just don't last." But if Kate and Toby can move on, so can we.
The Only Murders in the Building trio cracked the case
The comedic trio of true-crime fanatics returns in Season 2 of the hit mystery series "Only Murders in the Building." This time, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver are trying to solve the murder of Bunny, the board president of their apartment complex, the Arconia. This proves to be difficult, given they're under suspicion for the murder themselves. Finding the real killer won't only be good for the podcast, but it'll also clear their names.
In the season finale, the trio host a killer reveal party, hoping for a confession. Mabel reveals her love interest, Alice, to be the murderer, with her motive being that Bunny wouldn't sell her a high-value piece for her art studio. In a fit of rage, Alice stabs Charles, and the case seems closed. Impressed with Mabel's work, Cinda Canning — host of the successful true-crime podcast "All Is Not OK in Oklahoma" — offers Mabel her own podcast. This sends her jealous assistant Poppy over the edge, which leads her to confess all her secrets, the biggest one being that she was the one who killed Bunny.
Luckily, the trio are two steps ahead, and it turns out the whole party was a sting operation with everyone involved. The stabbing was fake, and Charles is totally fine. Once again, they solved the murder mystery and kept us laughing while they did it.
Tommy dodged death again in Peaky Blinders
The British crime drama series "Peaky Blinders" had one of the most unexpected endings of 2022, with Peaky Blinders crime boss Tommy Shelby cheating death yet again. In Season 6, Episode 4, Tommy gets a Tuberculoma diagnosis, with his doctor telling him that he has about a year left to live. After war, deadly gang fights, and betrayals, it seems that Tommy has finally met his maker. After saying his goodbyes, he goes out to end his life, but before he can go through with it, a vision of his daughter Ruby reveals that the doctor was lying. It turns out he has ties to devilish politician Oswald Mosley, and Tommy isn't dying after all.
In the end, Mosley kind of did Tommy a favor. His loose ends are now all tied up, and he's essentially free from a life of torment. This could be the chance he needs to become the better person he wants to be for his daughter. The question is, what's next for Tommy Shelby? The series may be over, but according to Variety, a "Peaky Blinders" movie is set to begin production in 2023, so this question and more might finally be answered.