10 TV Pilot Episodes That End With Major Plot Twists

Pilot episodes serve as the foundation of a television series, introducing viewers to a show’s characters, themes, and overarching storyline — but a handful of first episodes go beyond setting the scene, delivering dramatic events and compelling twists right at the start. These twists offer a dramatic entrance into the narrative, whether it’s through shocking murders, surprising information, or unexpected revelations. These twists keep audiences glued to their screens and set a tone of suspense, teaching audiences to expect the unexpected.

While some of these twists provide revelations for the characters themselves, others employ dramatic irony with the revelation of previously withheld and incredibly vital information. Although a pilot episode often acts as a testing ground for a show to find its identity and secure its footing, these exceptional series boldly define themselves and their tones from the outset using jaw-dropping twists.

10 How I Met Your Mother

“That’s how I met your Aunt Robin.”

How I Met Your Mother subverts audience expectations in its pilot episode, initially leading viewers to believe that Robin is Ted’s future wife and the mother of his kids. After nearly 30 minutes of building this assumption, the narrative takes a brilliant turn as Ted remarks to his future kids, “That’s how I met your Aunt Robin.” This twist avoided the clichés of another “will they, won’t they” romance by presenting a mystery around the titular mother. While the show delivered another controversial twist about Robin in the finale, this initial curveball helped maintain the mystery at the heart of the show’s premise over many seasons.

9 Game of Thrones

James and Cersei’s twist is two-fold

The epic first episode of Game of Thrones introduces numerous key characters, including the Stark family and twins Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Early in the first episode, a young Bran Stark is seen climbing the walls of Winterfell. This teases the pilot’s climax, when Bran hears a peculiar sound while climbing and stumbles upon a shocking scene: Cersei and Jaime engaged in an incestuous, extramarital affair.

The twist is twofold, however, as another occurs once the two notice Bran. Jaime proceeds to shove the youngest Stark out the window. This shocking act of violence underscores the series’ unforgiving nature, as it fearlessly and ruthlessly eliminates characters, even (seemingly) in its very first episode. It serves as a stark introduction to the harsh, unforgiving world of Westeros, where power, betrayal, and treachery are the means of survival.

8 Only Murders In The Building

Mabel becomes more suspicious

In the pilot episode of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Oliver (Martin Short), Charles (Steve Martin), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) bond over their love for true crime. The trio attempts to solve the murder of someone in their building — Tim Kono — turning it into a true-crime podcast. As they navigate their own secrets, Mabel reveals her interest in crime-solving began when, as a child, she and a group of friends dubbed themselves the Hardy Boys and solved crimes. The closing moments unveil that Mabel has a hidden connection to Tim, who was a part of her childhood sleuthing group, a detail she chooses to conceal.

7 The Good Place

Eleanor was a bad person

In The Good Place‘s pilot episode, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is surprised to learn she has died, but she’s introduced to her idyllic new afterlife in the Good Place. When the Good Place’s overseer, Michael (Ted Danson), praises Eleanor’s good deeds in life to get there, she realizes she has somehow been mixed up. Eleanor actually made a living scamming innocent sick people. The episode throws audiences yet another twist, though, as the idyllic afterlife slowly turns chaotic due to her unwelcome presence.

6 How To Get Away With Murder

The dead body is Annalise’s husband

How to Get Away With Murder shocks from its very first moments, with a gripping flash-forward in which four criminal law students argue over how to dispose of a body. The story then transports the audience to the present, where they meet the students’ teacher, defense attorney, and criminal law professor, Annalise Keating, portrayed by Viola Davis. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that Annalise is engaged in an extramarital affair. The pilot culminates with a startling revelation. As the students decide to burn the body, it’s revealed to be Annalise’s husband. This revelation establishes the show’s aura of mystery, making it as enigmatic as its unfolding crimes.

5 Lost

The eerie 16-year-old French transmission

Lost premiered with a thrilling two-part episode introducing viewers to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 as they grapple with their newfound existence on a mysterious island. Each part features its own intriguing twist. The first leaves the survivors unnerved by the implication of the unseen monster, while in the second part, Shannon’s translation of the repeating French transmission delivers a message about something that “killed them all.” This revelation, coupled with Sayid’s realization that the broadcast has been transmitting for over 16 years, emphasizes the show’s unpredictability. It set the stage for an intricate and constantly evolving series that would keep audiences guessing with its many twists and turns.

4 The Boys

Homelander is a murderer

As if The Boys‘ first episode doesn’t get off to a shocking enough start with the gruesome death of Hughie’s girlfriend, the ending of the pilot further emphasizes the questionable morals of the supes. In the final scene, Homelander, angry at the mayor of Baltimore’s attempts to blackmail Vought International’s vice president, destroys the mayor’s plane. Homelander’s actions cause the deaths of every passenger onboard, including the mayor and his son. Homelander’s celebratory reaction is one of the first major examples of the supe’s true nature. This moment emphasizes the show’s dark tone, and it foreshadows its brutal world.

3 Dead to Me

Judy killed Jen’s husband

In Dead to Me‘s pilot, widowed Jen (Christina Applegate) attends a grief support group, where Judy (Linda Cardellini) tries a little too hard to befriend her. Jen, grieving her husband’s hit-and-run death, investigates damaged cars. In the group, Judy falsely claims grief over a dead partner, later covering it up with a lie about miscarriages. The episode concludes with Judy at her storage unit, revealing a vintage Mustang with a damaged front, implying her involvement in Jen’s husband’s death. This pivotal moment exposes the deception that sets the tone for the show’s first season, casting doubt on Judy’s motives and actions.

2 Alias

Sydney’s father is a double agent for the CIA

Alias is renowned for its intricate plot, kicking off with several major twists in the show’s first episode. Sydney, a spy for SD-6, reveals her true identity to her fiancé, leading to his murder. However, when her estranged father intervenes to save her from an attack, Sydney discovers she’s been working for an enemy of the U.S., not the CIA, and so has he. Upon contacting the real CIA, she learns her father is actually a double agent for the CIA, and the episode concludes with Sydney becoming a double agent herself. The show immediately presents the idea that this character — and audiences — could never really know who to trust.

1 Severance

Ms. Cobel is Mark’s neighbor

One of 2022’s best new TV shows, Severance introduces audiences to the show’s basic premise in its first episode, setting up a world where workers undergo a surgical procedure to sever their personal and professional lives. The pilot concludes with two intriguing twists. First, Mark (Adam Scott) encounters a man claiming to be Petey — his former coworker whose sudden departure got Mark promoted — who hands Mark a cryptic letter. The second twist reveals that Mark’s neighbor, Ms. Selvig, is actually his boss, who is presumably spying on him. These twists set the stage for a series filled with secrets, where danger seemingly lurks around every corner.