Nothing is sacred when it comes to TV. Droves of beloved characters can be wiped out in one fell swoop, the couple that won your heart can split for a new romance that is just so wrong, and show finales leave us with more questions than answers. Why, oh why?!
We teamed up with our friends at Discover card to bring you the most shocking moments from television history. No one likes being caught off guard. Discover card helps you avoid surprises with your credit by providing your free FICO Credit Score every month.
Oh, and while we’re being more responsible, we should warn you: LIFE-ALTERING SPOILERS ahead.
1
The "Lost" Finale
In perhaps the most disappointing television finale of all time, we learn that the alternate-reality world on "Lost" was actually just some sort of limbo where the characters would meet up and continue on together to the afterlife. Wait, what? Drink up, you just lost 95 hours of your life...
2
When Joey and Rachel Date on "Friends"
We feel ya, Ross. In Phoebe's words, Rachel is your "lobster" (read: mate for life) and her brief fling with Joey just made us all uncomfortable.
3
"The Bachelor" Picks Himself
In the most shocking rose ceremony to date, Season 11's Bachelor, Brad Womack, rejected both of the final two contestants, later declaring "I'm that guy. I'm the jerk." You said it, buddy, not us.
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4
Colonel Henry Blake Is Written Off M*A*S*H
"Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the sea of Japan," announced Radar, seemingly in a state of shock, to an operating room full of dazed surgeons. Not only were viewers surprised and saddened that lieutenant Henry Blake was gone but cast-members were as well. That's because, the writer of the episode, Larry Gelbart, kept the last page of the script locked away until the moment the scene was filmed.
5
An Entire Species Goes Extinct On The "Dinosaurs" Finale
"Not the Mama! Not the Mama!" Who doesn't remember this adorable little guy from Jim Henson's 90s television series? The supposedly family-friendly sitcom ended leaving children traumatized and parents shocked when Baby Sinclair and the ENTIRE dinosaur species were capped off in the biggest mass extinction in television history. Until...
6
The "Red Wedding" on Game Of Thrones
This massacre disguised as a wedding threw us for such a gut-wrenching loop we're still not so sure we're going to be okay. How could they?!
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7
When DVRs Cut Off The Most Crucial Moment Of American Idol
Viewers who DVR'd the Season 7 finale of American Idol, tuned in late to find out which of the two David's (David Archuleta or David Cook) would be named Idol. The episode ran over its scheduled time and the last thing viewers heard before their DVR's stopped recording was "And the winner is David..." Wait! David who?!
8
The "Heidi Game" of 1968
And even before tech malfunctioned, there was human error. In one of the biggest goofs in network history, NBC abruptly broke away from a suspenseful football game between the Jets and the Raiders to air the movie "Heidi." Fumble!
9
The "Sopranos" Finale
And then there was the time when our television didn't malfunction, but we sure thought it did during the very abrupt "Sopranos" finale. Was Tony taken out after the screen went black? One thing is for certain -- we have to keep on living without an answer.
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10
The Gruesome Departure Of Zoe Barnes
Two of our worst nightmares: getting pushed in front of a moving train and losing a beloved television character much too soon. Heartbreakingly, both were realized when Congressman Frank Underwood took out whippersnapper reporter Zoe Barnes in the Season 2 premiere. No one, we mean no one, is safe, anymore.
11
It Was All A Dream...
In the final scene of Newhart, Dr. Hartley (Newhart's character from his 1972-78 sitcom, "The Bob Newhart Show") sits up in bed and says, "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had." It becomes clear that she is not Joanna (his blonde wife from Newhart), she's Emily, (Hartley's brunette wife The Bob Newhart Show). Many in the studio audience were shocked to learn that the entire Newhart series was nothing more than Bob Hartley's dream.
12
The Shot Heard Round The World
Two shots are fired, J.R. collapses and credits roll. Who shot him? In an unprecedented move, the writers of "Dallas" ended the season with a cliffhanger. Today, this has become a common practice but viewers at the time were outraged they'd have to wait eight painful months to find out the answer. BRUTAL!
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What television moment shocked you? Tell us in the comments, below.