17 Most Shocking TV Moments of 2017

2017 has been a year full of shocking twists and turns in some of our favorite television series. Between the deaths of beloved, longtime fan-favorite characters and huge plot reveals, there was no shortage of scenes that left viewers gasping in surprise — and sometimes even horror.

Here’s our list of the most shocking TV moments of 2017, in no particular order.

(Spoilers ahead!)

1. Season 4’s Ending and the Time Jump (The 100)

Clarke and the rest of civilization fought for survival as the impending doom of a radiated Earth closed in on The 100 Season 4 Finale. There was no switch to flip or major sacrifice to be made this time — the end was simply coming. All the major characters were sent underground and into space, leaving only Clarke, supposedly all alone, on Earth.

While many were surprised to see Clarke alive, it was The 100‘s lengthy time jump that was the biggest shock of all — not to mention the fact that our hero seemingly “adopted” a little girl during her time “alone” after the radiation fallout!

2. Jason Blossom’s Murderer is Revealed (Riverdale)

While the “Who Killed Jason?” mystery got a bit stale at times throughout Riverdale‘s first season, the identity of his murderer was certainly a gut-punch when it eventually came to light. The penultimate Season 1 episode revealed that Clifford Blossom had killed his son, in cold blood, as a direct result of Clifford’s involvement in the drug business.

We all knew that wig-wearing weirdo was a creep, but few realized that he would’ve killed his own child in such a heartless and vicious way.

3. Eleanor Figures It Out (The Good Place)

Eleanor spent most of the first season of The Good Place trying to figure out how she ended up where good people go after death and how to resolve it so that she could stay without consequences. Having viewers focused on that journey meant odds are you didn’t see the twist coming.

The realization that they were all in “The Bad Place” was not only a shocking moment, but also an incredibly satisfying one. While it wasn’t something viewers necessarily saw coming, it made all of the pieces fall into place. Plus, it set up an incredible Season 2.

4. Sansa and Arya Turn the Tables on Littlefinger (Game of Thrones)

There was a deep sense of disappointment and dread as Game of Thrones‘ penultimate season unfolded. Viewers knew big twists, shocks, and deaths were coming, but it was particularly upsetting to see that the long-awaited reunion of Sansa and Arya — two sisters who had always been at odds prior to their years-long separation — didn’t go the way we were all hoping.

The writers carefully played it as if Sansa and Arya had fallen for Littlefinger’s manipulation in turning them against each other. They continued to (on the surface) be at odds with and suspicious of one another, culminating in the finale scene where it seemed almost certain that Sansa would order Arya’s death for treason. But at the last second, the deception was revealed: they’d been onto Littlefinger’s manipulation all along, realized the depths of his villainy, and he was going to pay.

And pay he did — Arya executed him with very little fanfare. It was shocking, but also incredibly satisfying.

5. Mrs. S Dies (Orphan Black)

As Orphan Black neared the end, odds were that one of the heroes were not going to make it to the end. Unfortunately, it was Mrs. S who ended up dying — but she definitely wasn’t going out without a fight.

Taking one last shot to keep her family safe, Mrs. S made sure that if she died, Ferdinand was going with her.

6. Michael’s Unexpectedly Dies After Initially Surviving the Shooting (Jane the Virgin)

Even if you were a Jane/Rafael ‘shipper, it was impossible to deny the depth and purity of Jane’s love for her first husband, Michael. The moment where he was shot by a disguised Rose in the Jane the Virgin second season finale — mere hours after his and Jane’s long-awaited wedding — was soul-crushing, thanks largely to Gina Rodriguez’s stellar performance.

Viewers expected that Michael would die as a result of his gunshot wound, and he did — just not in the way any of us were expecting. Instead, the Season 3 premiere found Michael pulling through and surviving.

We even got to see the first few months of Michael and Jane’s marriage, as the former cop recovered. But then, disaster struck when Michael died suddenly and with virtually no warning, as a result of latent complications from his injury. Heart-wrenching.

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