Most Shocking (Scripted) TV Moments of 2023: Major Deaths, Plot Twists and More
From Logan Roy’s death on Succession to those major guest stars on season 2 of The Bear, 2023 was filled with shocking scripted TV moments.
The sophomore season of Jeremy Allen White’s comedy-drama became a critical darling upon its premiere in June as it followed Carmy (White) and Syd (Ayo Edebiri) as they prepared to open their new restaurant. While much of season 2 focused on a more team-oriented, optimistic approach, episode 6, titled “Fishes,” looked back at the complicated and messy relationship of Carmy’s family before the death of his brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal).
“Fishes” follows Carmy as he returns home for a particularly intense Christmas, introducing the extended Berzattos family played by A-list stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Paulson. It was the shock of seeing so many famous faces pop up without warning that series creator Christopher Storer hoped would throw viewers for a loop.
“I wanted it to be distracting,” Storer told the Los Angeles Times in June. “I wanted the viewer to be like, ‘What the f— is Bob Odenkirk doing here?’ I wanted it to really feel like when you walk into your family’s house and you are just overwhelmed by a cousin who you don’t want to talk to, an uncle you don’t want to see. You don’t even know who’s related to who, which I always feel like is the truest thing — everyone’s calling each other cousin and you don’t know what the f— is really going on, but you do know that even through all their weirdness and how dark it gets, they do kind of love each other.”
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Keep scrolling for all the most shocking scripted TV moments of 2023:
Tom Wins on ‘Succession’ After Logan’s Death
This list isn’t an official ranking, but if it was, what goes down on the final season of Succession would be at the top. The first major plot twist comes with patriarch and business tycoon Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) early death in episode 3. The show then concludes with none of Logan’s four children succeeding him in his business ventures. Instead, Matthew Macfadyen’s Tom — the estranged husband of Logan’s daughter, Siobhan (Sarah Snook) — finds himself taking up the mantle as Waystar’s new CEO, leaving the Roy siblings in absolute disarray.
‘Barry’ Jumps Ahead 8 Years
Barry’s final season is filled with surprising moments — Guillermo del Toro cameo, anyone? — but the biggest twist comes when the series jumps eight years ahead. In episode 4, titled “It Takes a Psycho,” Barry (Bill Hader) and Sally (Sarah Goldberg) have taken on fake names and are living off the grid after fleeing Los Angeles. Barry is now a full-time stay-at-home dad homeschooling their son, John Jr. (Zachary Golinger), while Sally works at a diner battling alcohol dependence.
Bradley Protects Her Brother Over January 6th on ‘The Morning Show’
Season 3 of The Morning Show jumping back in time to make viewers relive the trauma of the past three years is a controversial choice. Those feelings only escalated with the decision to cover the events of the January 6th insurrection in Washington D.C. While Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) being there as a journalist is no surprise, her covering up brother Hal (Joe Tippett) fighting a security guard — which she caught on camera before she subsequently deleted the footage — is a shocking twist.
Kim Kardashian Slays Her ‘American Horror Story’ Character
Many viewers were hesitant when they heard AHS creator Ryan Murphy cast Kim Kardashian on season 11 of the horror anthology series. However, Kardashian proves she can contend with veteran actors when she delivers her character Siobhan’s sassy and snarky boss babe attitude with ease. In a season that’s been overall slow moving, Kardashian is a major highlight.
Mel Has a Miscarriage on ‘Virgin River’
The controversial decision to put Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) through the trauma of a miscarriage is a shocking choice for the Netflix series. The character, who moved to Virgin River to mourn her late husband and their stillborn child, finally finds happiness in season 5 with Jack (Martin Henderson), but the couple are thrown for a loop when she loses a baby for the second time.
Sazz Pataki Dies on ‘Only Murders in the Building’
The reveal of the season 3 OMITB murderer may be predictable, but the real surprise comes in the finale’s final minutes. As the group is celebrating the opening night of Oliver’s (Martin Short) play, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles’ (Steve Martin) stand-in from his previous series Brazzos, tells him she has something sensitive to discuss. As she goes off to get more wine for the party, she is shot in the chest with a bullet, seemingly after someone mistakes her for Charles.
Pete Davidson’s Mom Catches Him Pleasuring Himself on ‘Bupkis’
Pete Davidson’s Peacock series, Bupkis, a comedy-drama based on a fictionalized version of the comedian’s life, was guaranteed to be wild. Still, viewers did not expect the show to open with a masturbation scene. To make matters worse, Davidson’s character gets caught pleasuring himself by his mother, Amy Davidson (Edie Falco). Did someone say, awkward?
‘And Just Like That’ Brings Aiden Back Into Carrie’s Life
And Just Like That season 2 brings back the other “big” love of Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) life, Aidan (John Corbett). Although his appearance in the Sex and the City 2 movie was met with mixed emotions, fans were calling for the character to return since the spinoff premiered in 2021. The twosome end the season apart, but Carrie certainly seems committed to making a relationship with Aidan work — finally.
An Ape Kills Kate on ‘Fall of the House of Usher’
It’s clear early on that Rodrick Usher’s (Bruce Greenwood) family will be killed off one by one on Mike Flannagan’s latest Netflix horror series. Daughter Kate (Camille L’Espanaye) being brutally murdered by genetically advanced apes, however, was not on viewers’ bingo cards. Each one of the Usher children meets their end in surprising and unique ways, but death by ape is the wildest twist.
Golden Boy Dies on ‘Gen V’
Patrick Schwarzenegger seems like he was going to be a big presence on Get V’s inaugural season, but that all changes when his character, Golden Boy, gets blown to bits on the show’s first episode. His gruesome death is a driving force for the Amazon Prime series, leading to one plot twist after another.
Ted Lasso Ends Up Back in Kansas
After three seasons of trying to move on from his ex-wife and attending therapy for his anxiety, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) ends the Apple TV+ series back home in the States coaching little league soccer. It’s understandable that the character wants to be closer to his son, but it's shocking that the coach leaves his team and friends in the U.K. so willingly.
A second surprise? Keeley (Juno Temple) and Roy (Brett Goldstein) not ending the show happily in love. Who would have thought?
‘Queen Charlotte’ Reveals King George’s Illness
While an enemies-to-lovers story fits into the Bridgerton franchise flawlessly, the series catches viewers by surprise when it’s revealed that King George (Corey Mylchreest) is suffering from a progressive illness that causes acute episodes of mania and memory loss. The extra layer adds depth to the story as Queen Charlotte (India Ria Amarteifio) must reconcile falling in love and doing what’s best for her husband.
Billy Baker Dies in a Bus Crash on ‘All American’
For a CW series, killing off a major player on a random season 5 episode is rare. All American shakes up the status quo entirely when patriarch Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) dies trying to save students from a bus crash. A father to twins Olivia (Samantha Logan) and Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), and a coach to protagonist Spencer (Daniel Ezra), his tragic passing sends the show’s characters reeling, causing the rest of season 5 to spin off its axis.
The ‘Riverdale’ Core 4 All Dating Each Other — and No One Is Endgame
When Riverdale headed back to the 1950s for its final season, fans were convinced there was nothing that could shock them (this show did introduce tickle rings, organ-stealing cults and the epic highs and lows of high school football, after all.)
The series finale proves it still has surprises up its sleeve when it’s revealed that Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Archie (KJ Apa) have formed a romantic foursome in their last months of high school. To add to the twist, a time jump sees none of the potential core 4 pairings live happily ever in the future, either.
Frank and Bill’s Deaths on ‘The Last of Us’
The Last of Us deters from its normal format in season 1 episode 3 to focus on a standalone story of two lovers, Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who meet after Frank gets trapped in one of Bill’s survivalist booby traps. The episode follows the lovers through decades of their lives together until Frank, suffering from a neurological disorder, decides he's ready to move on. In a surprising twist, it's revealed that Bill has also put pills in his own drinks and the twosome die together.
While Bill is a character in the video game the HBO series is based on, his story is vastly different as he chooses to live on after Frank’s death and even joins Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) on part of their journey.
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Misty Accidentally Kills Natalie on ‘Yellowjackets’
Season 2 of Yellowjackets continues to flip between the ‘90s and the present-day timeline. By the season finale, the adult women find themselves at Lottie’s (Simone Russell) camp once again fighting for their survival. In a shocking last-minute twist, Misty (Christina Ricci) accidentally kills Natalie (Juliette Lewis) with phenobarbital while trying to save her. The episode ends with Natalie’s body being removed (and ruled as an overdose), Lottie being taken to a mental hospital and Misty living with the guilt of accidentally murdering her longtime friend.
Those Massive Guest Stars on Season 2 of ‘The Bear’
Season 2 episode 6 of The Bear, titled “Fishes,” takes viewers back to Carmy’s past as he reflects on a particularly heated Christmas dinner with his family. The tense dinner slowly builds until it boils over entirely, making for an uncomfortable and claustrophobic watch. “Fishes” is also stuffed with notable guest stars playing various Berzattos, with Curtis portraying matriarch Donna Berzatto, Odenkirk as Uncle Lee, Paulson as cousin Michelle and John Mulaney as Michelle’s partner, Steve. Gillian Jacobs also appears as Richie’s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) then-wife, Tiffany.
