Two thousand eighteen gave viewers some of the best plot twists imaginable.
Everything from believed-dead characters returning to good guys committing unspeakable acts happened, making TV more fun to watch than ever.
Here are our picks for the best plot twists of 2018. Check them out and then head to the comments to discuss your favorite and what you think it means!
Don’t forget you can watch TV online here at TV Fanatic if you want to experience (or re-experience) a particularly cunning twist!
And beware — if you haven’t seen all of the shows you have wanted to watch yet from 2018, you might want to hold back on reading this slideshow. There ARE spoilers.
Time Traveling – This is Us
When we found out that the little boy, Jordan, was not going to be Randall and Beth’s new foster child, but was actually a kid in the future and Tess was his social worker, it was an amazing twist. Viewers never saw that coming! It didn’t even occur to many that This Is Us would flash forward to the future since it usually flashes back to the past.
A Surprise Affair – A Million Little Things
Eddie and Delilah’s affair was a punch to the gut to their friends and family, especially considering Jon’s death and the role the affair may have played in it! But it was a great twist that keeps the drama coming with new fallout every week, from Eddie’s friends turning on him to Delilah discovering she’s pregnant.
An Unlikely Addict – Chicago PD
Antonio Dawson has always been the level headed one who keeps Voight from going too far, so his addiction to painkillers was a surprise. Even better was the final scene of the 2018 fall finale, which left Eva’s kidnapper dead thanks to a drugged-up Antonio and Voight and Ruzek left holding the bag. We can’t wait to see what happens next thanks to this plot twist!
Blast From the Past – Riverdale
Riverdale is always one giant, juicy plot twist! But one of the best twists in 2018 involved a story set in the past to explain the origins of the Gargoyle King. Who would have thought that mild-mannered Fred helped cover up a murder, Alice had once been the most rebellious girl in Riverdale High, or that Penelope Blossom was ever part of the parents’ social group?
A Fake Death – You
The always-creepy You did it again by having Candace turn out to be alive. While this was always a possibility, her walking into the bookstore in the final seconds of the final episode of 2018 left viewers excited and hungry for more.
Predetermination – God Friended Me
Viewers were surprised by the Fibonacci spiral showing them that all of the God Account’s friend suggestions were predicted before they happened! As a bonus, this plot twist occurred the week before the mid-season finale, making fans eager to see whether the reveal would lead to finding Falken.
A Shocking Ending – Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time went out with a bang in 2018! WishRumple killing Facilier and he and WishHenry being the big villains at the end of the series was a big surprise that left viewers imagining what happened after the final credits rolled.
An Alternate Universe (Maybe) – Castle Rock
Castle Rock offered viewers a hot debate by suggesting that the Kid was an alternate universe Henry Deaver! The debate rages on but either way, fans were left shocked by a twist they never saw coming.
A Mysterious Character Revealed – The Flash
Nora Allen-West flitted in and out of The Flash all season long, leaving viewers curious as to exactly what was going on. The season long wait paid off on the finale when her true identity was revealed.
A Far Out Theory is True – Star Trek: Discovery
Many fans laughed at those who thought that Ash Tyler was a sleeper Klingon agent, but that theory turned out to be 100% correct, proving that sometimes the most absurd ideas are the best plot twists.
A Family Tragedy – The Haunting of Hill House
The heartbreaking truth behind the bent-neck lady who plagued Nell her whole life, and by proxy helped spur on the ghosts who tussled with the rest of the family was a twist that was impossible to see coming. It took a regular horror story and turned it into a family tragedy.
Who is the Joker in Waiting? – Gotham
Gotham made it look like Jerome Valeska was the Joker-In-Waiting, but it turned out to be Jeremiah! This bait-and-switch twist thrilled fans, many of whom didn’t see this one coming.
A Heart-Wrenching Decision – The Americans
Viewers had their hearts broken twice by this plot twist. First it looked like Henry would be left all alone as Paige was heading back to Russia with her parents. But at the last second, she shocked viewers by getting off the train, leaving Elizabeth to watch her out the window as it departed.
A Long-Lost Sister – Arrow
There was lots of fan theories as to who the new Green Arrow was, but no one guessed that it would be Oliver’s long-lost sister! Viewers are waiting eagerly to see whether this is a good development or a bad one.
A Possible Poisoning – Mary Kills People
Ben Wesley is a terrible cop, so viewers were thrilled with the twist that Mary possibly poisoned him with pentobarbital. The best thing is that he did it to himself by drinking himself into a stupor as the credits rolled.
Is Michael Alive? – Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin’s 2018 cliffhanger was Michael — or at least, someone who looks like him — turning out to be alive. Whether this is the real Michael is anyone’s guess. Now that’s how to make fans salivate for the next season!
A Mole Revealed – Counterpart
On Counterpart Season 1 Episode 6, a mole was revealed to be living in the last place we expected. After hearing Peter Quayle talk about his wife and watching him cheat on her for half a season, he only made physical contact with her at the end of this hour to reveal a character we had watched and known to be one of the most brutal enemies from the “other side.” Rocking his newborn and singing, it was a brilliant reveal.
Fallout from a Shooting – The Rookie
John Nolan was attacked by the brother of the man he shot and killed on the job…while Lucy steps out of the shower and a gunshot rings out. Watching Nolan struggle with the trauma of killing a man already made this a stunning episode but the cliffhanger, and all of the possible implications for both Nolan and Lucy, made this an epic plot twist.
A Surprise Killer – Shades of Blue
We all knew that Harlee’s nemesis, Robert Stahl, was destined to die before the series ended. What we never saw coming was Harlee’s teenage daughter, Cristina, handing her mother the gun to get the job done.
