19 of the Most Shocking On-screen Betrayals
Rachel Foertsch
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No matter how much we pay attention, good television shows always manage to hit us with the unexpected.
Whether a character is being betrayed by their friend, family, or ally, betrayals always manage to shock viewers and take the storyline in a new and surprising direction.
Below is a slideshow featuring 19 betrayals that no one saw coming and still have us shaken to our core. Obviously, because of the nature of this list, a potential spoiler alert is in order.
1. Harrison Wells isn't Harrison Wells - The Flash
While the audience knew Wells was up to no good, Team Flash remained blissfully unaware of the traitor in their midst. The betrayal of someone who was so important to all of them left everyone in shock for quite some time.
2. Mona is revealed as A - Pretty Little Liars
After being tortured by a mysterious cyber bully for seasons, the show revealed that Hanna's best friend Mona had been the one pulling the strings. No one, including the liars, saw that twist coming.
3. John poisons Steve - Days of Our Lives
Considering just how close John and Steve were it feels safe to say that John poisoning his partner was an unexpected turn of events.
4. Ward is a HYDRA Agent - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Grant Ward definitely was an agent...he just wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. one. His friends were both disheartened and shocked to discover that Ward had actually been working for HYDRA the entire time. The reveal certainly spiced up his character for viewers who found Ward to be too bland.
5. Willa tries to free the revenants - Wynonna Earp
When Willa miraculously came back from the dead it seemed like the Earps were finally going to get to be a family again. But Willa wasn't the girl she used to be, and she ends up pulling a gun on Wynonna and Waverly in an attempt to be with Bobo and free the revenants.
6. Sebastian is actually Jonathan Morgenstern - Shadowhunters
Shadowhunters really hit the nail on the head with the dramatic irony. While the viewers were aware for quite some time that Sebastian wasn't who he claimed to be, Clary and her friends had no idea. Each episode made watching our beloved characters be duped by him increasingly frustrating.
7. Bellamy poisons his sister - The 100
Absolutely no one saw this coming. Bellamy's devotion to his sister had no limits even when Octavia wasn't always worthy of it. No matter how she treated him, Bellamy's desire to protect her above all others never wavered. But Bellamy was finally pushed to his limits, and when Octavia decides to execute Clarke he uses Monty's algae to put her in a coma not knowing if she would ever wake back up.
8. Matt turns against his own team - Shades of Blue
In a sea of confusion and betrayals, Matt Wozniak ends up murdering a member of his own team Detective David Saperstein. There was quite a bit of miscommunication and clearly, the results were tragic.
9. Sansa and Arya kill Littlefinger - Game of Thrones
In a shocking turn of events, Sansa goes from plotting her sister's downfall with Littlefinger to letting Arya execute him instead. It was clear from Littlefinger's face that he did not see that one coming.
10. Eve stabs Villanelle - Killing Eve
There's a lot of things that could have lead to Eve making this decision, but it's clear that even after Eve stabs Villanelle that she doesn't want her to die. Immediately after she pulls the knife out, Eve panics and rushes to stop Villanelle from bleeding to death.
11. Chuck trades Blair for his hotel - Gossip Girl
This was one betrayal that turned some people (myself included) off of the CW couple. Chuck manipulates an oblivious Blair into sleeping with his uncle in exchange for The Empire, but she stops when Jack reveals that Chuck had been secretly pushing her to do it the entire time. Chuck later tells her that he did what he had to do to win.
12. Chloe lies on the stand - 13 Reasons Why
In order to make a stronger case against Bryce, Chole promised Jessica that she would tell the truth about her own sexual assault. But when she looks into her boyfriend's eyes from the stand, Chloe just couldn't do it. She leaves both the audience and Jessica wondering why she lied to protect someone who hurt both Jess and herself.
13. Lexa leaves Clarke and her friends to die at Mount Weather - The 100
Despite the blossoming romance between her and Clarke, Commander Lexa secretly makes a deal to free her own people and left Clarke and her friends to die at the hands of the Mountain Men. This betrayal was obviously heartbreaking for more reasons than one.
14. Andy leaves his family for Polaris - The Gifted
Andy was the one person no one expected to stand up and join Polaris. It was clear that his family was just as shocked as we were.
15. Eleanor hangs Vane - Black Sails
Eleanor is definitely known for her betrayals, but it came as a surprise that Vane was not off limits. She ends up both convicting and hanging him despite their complicated relationship.
16. Michael is the architect of The Bad Place - The Good Place
It turned out that Eleanor and the gang weren't actually in the Good Place after all. Michael wasn't there to help them, but rather to make their experience in the fake Good Place as horrible as possible.
17. Betty's dad is the Black Hood - Riverdale
There were quite a few betrayals in this season of Riverdale, but this one was by far the most shocking. Who actually could've guessed that Hal Cooper was a serial killer out to torture his own wife and daughter?
18. "We were on a break" - F. R. I. E. N. D. S.
No matter how many times Ross obnoxiously screams "WE WERE ON A BREAK!" it still feels like he was in the wrong. After Rachel suggests they take a break, Ross sleeps with someone else that night before rekindling his relationship with Rachel the next day.
19. Arizona cheats on Callie - Grey's Anatomy
While Arizona feels the real betrayal was Callie cutting off her leg, it's impossible to argue that Callie did it to save her life. Still, Arizona uses it as her excuse for sleeping with someone else which throws their marriage into turmoil.
