Everyone loves it when a controversial TV show twist can divide a fandom and change the trajectory of the story forever. While it is great when a show takes a big risk, pulling off a satisfying plot twist is not easy.

Several TV show plot twists weren’t planned in advance, which could explain why they don’t fully make sense. Regardless of whether these twists worked or not, it became apparent to audiences that no matter how enjoyable, they failed to make sense.

10 The Timeless Child

Doctor Who

Doctor Who's Timeless Child storyline was one of the most shocking and groundbreaking moments throughout the show’s lengthy history. Unfortunately, while Chris Chibnall’s most ambitious plot as Doctor Who’s showrunner wasn’t the worst idea in the world, it was executed in a way that didn’t do justice to the actual story.

Although Doctor Who’s lore allowed for changes to the titular Time Lord’s origins quite easily, there have always been limitations, and the Timeless Child created plot holes. For example, how could the Fugitive Doctor have a TARDIS if she came before William Hartnell’s First Doctor, the incarnation who stole the blue box?

Both the classic and modern eras of Doctor Who established that Time Lords have 12 regenerations, but can be given more, so how did they work out how to do this so quickly after starting experiments on the Doctor as a child? Unlike many, I didn’t hate the Timeless Child storyline, but considering it provides more questions than answers, it's no surprise it was retconned.

9 Daenerys Breaks Bad

Game Of Thrones

Daenerys burning King’s Landing in Game of Thrones was a truly astounding moment. Daenerys’ succumbing to her fate as the Mad Queen was surprising, but it wasn’t the oddest thing, either, especially considering ASoaF likes to subvert fantasy tropes. However, the timing was what didn’t make sense about this plot twist. Why would Daenerys, after seasons of abuse, betrayals, and injustice, suddenly go on a killing spree and murder who knows how many innocent people is a question the show didn't properly answer.

The Targaryen woman’s issue was with Cersei, and while I understood that the years of pain became too much for Daenerys, the unnecessary fatalities couldn’t really be justified. Granted, Daenerys had lost pretty much everyone important to her, but their deaths shouldn’t have warranted the destruction of King’s Landing, nor should Jon’s claim to the throne. Sadly, Daenerys’ character development flew out the window.

8 Rachel Gets Off The Plane

Friends

Ross and Rachel’s relationship in Friends was one of the most frustrating in sitcom history, and while it was good that they finally agreed to sort themselves out in the finale, it was disappointing that Rachel got off the plane. Rachel’s character development was fantastic. She began the show as a spoiled girl who didn’t know how to function without her father’s money, and by the end, she was strong, independent, and didn’t need to rely on anybody.

She worked really hard at her career, and despite proving it through all 10 seasons of Friends, moving to Paris would’ve fully confirmed that Rachel wasn’t the same person from the pilot.

Even though Ross and Rachel were the loves of each other's lives, it didn’t mean that the past damage should be ignored. Rachel deserved a new start. She worked really hard at her career, and despite proving it through all 10 seasons of Friends, moving to Paris would’ve fully confirmed that Rachel wasn’t the same person from the pilot.

It was a shock that at the very last moment, Rachel decided to stay in New York for Ross, but it didn’t add up for her character. In fact, even if she still decided she wanted to be with Ross, she would’ve approached the topic sooner, rather than wasting an expensive plane ticket and messing around with two massive fashion companies yet again.

7 John's Affair

Sherlock

One thing about Sherlock that has always infuriated me was John Watson’s affair. While this wasn’t as big a plot twist as the titular character faking his death or the Eurus reveal, it was still unexpected. Martin Freeman’s version of John Watson simply wouldn’t cheat on his wife, and I will not be convinced otherwise. John had chances to walk away, like when he discovered Mary wasn’t who she said she was. However, he chose to stand by his wife and loved her despite her dark past.

What was so gutting about John’s affair was that it was revealed in the same episode as Mary’s death in Sherlock. The fact that John ended things with the mystery woman didn’t redeem the affair, and him struggling with the guilt while grieving the mother of his child didn’t garner sympathy, either. Even though having a baby puts strain on a marriage, the affair made no sense for John’s character, especially as it would be impossible for him to hide such a secret while being best friends with the legendary Sherlock Holmes.

6 Michael's Alive

Jane The Virgin

The reveal that Michael was alive in Jane the Virgin made sense in regard to Sin Rostro’s tyranny, but the logistics behind her actions didn’t. After Rafael told Jane in the season 4 finale, the show’s story was all over the place. Why would Rose fake Michael’s death, cause his amnesia, and then leave him in Montana with the hopes that she’d scare him enough not to try to figure out his real identity is the real question. It simply seemed too risky, and Rose wouldn’t have leverage this way.

The fallout of Michael’s return made little sense, too. Even when Michael regained his memories, it wasn’t him again, not really. The Michael Cordero Jr. audiences knew would never give up fighting for Jane, which he did not once, but twice, after reuniting with her. Everything that happened between Jane and Michael during this arc was anticlimactic, to the point that viewers wondered what the point of bringing Michael back actually was, other than to hurt everybody.

5 Maggie's True Identity

Paradise

Cal’s killer reveal in Paradise season 1’s ending was a brilliant plot twist, but for the identity of the murderer to come to light, there was another unexpected turn. Without Dr. Gabriela Torabi realizing Maggie couldn’t be who she said she was, Robinson and Xavier wouldn’t have figured out it was Trent, who posed as librarian Eli, who killed the President.

Torabi discovered that Margaret Davis had a nut allergy, and so the diner waitress “Maggie” should have carried an EpiPen everywhere she went. Of course, this immediately made it clear that “Maggie” wasn’t Margaret Davis. However, how she and Trent spent all that time underground without anyone else picking up on this made no sense.

Torabi selected those who went to Paradise, and with information like that, they would’ve prepared and brought a good supply of medication with them to hand out to the survivors. Surely the fact that Maggie failed to collect her medication would’ve set off alarm bells. I love how Paradise led the characters to Cal’s killer, but the way Trent was discovered lacked some logic.

4 Buster its To Killing Lucille Two

Arrested Development

After he spent all season denying it, Buster itted in the very last moments of Arrested Development’s final episode that he did indeed kill Lucille Two, better known as Lucille Austero. However, despite Buster’s murderous past, the show did such a good job at making it seem like the youngest biological sibling in Arrested Development’s Bluth family didn’t do it that when he finally confessed to the crime, it made no sense. The show didn’t fully explain Buster’s motives, nor how he managed to get Lucille Two’s body into the wall, either.

I don't get why Arrested Development bothered to explain that Buster killed his grandmother as a child, and then tried to cover up his murder of Lucille Austero (minus a few subtle references), only to backtrack at the end. Lucille Austero’s brother, Argyle, sent Gob off with a body bag that had cement on it in “Taste Makers,” too. Argyle said it was Tony Wonder, but this wasn’t the case, so surely it would’ve made more sense if it were Lucille Two instead. While this revelation may have made sense at the start of this storyline, it definitely didn’t by the end.

3 Robin & Barney's Divorce

How I Met Your Mother

There were several controversies in How I Met Your Mother’s ending, and while there were some hints that the Mother died, Robin and Barney’s divorce was one of the more unexpected moments in the show’s finale. Although neither of the characters in season 1 was the kind of person to settle down, their later character development changed them for the better. After everything Robin and Barney went through, How I Met Your Mother decided that their happy ending wouldn’t last very long.

Robin and Barney’s relationship in How I Met Your Mother was complicated, but full of growth from both parties. In the show’s final season, Barney and Robin still faced issues, but they’d proved that they were better together than apart. They both wanted similar things out of life, but unfortunately, Robin’s work schedule put a strain on their marriage. Although I understood Barney’s struggles, it didn’t make sense that he found it that hard to keep himself busy or entertained enough while travelling with Robin. It was rather strange that, after only a few years, the pair called it quits.

2 The Paternity Test

The Office

I love that The Office eventually confirmed that Dwight was Phillip’s father. Frankly, it would’ve been a disservice to Angela and Dwight’s relationship in The Office if anyone else were Phillip’s dad. Even though it was later explained why the DNA test in “Free Family Portrait Studio” said Dwight wasn’t the father, Angela’s reaction to the situation didn’t make sense. Angela knew Dwight was Phillip’s biological father, but when the doctor confirmed her son wasn’t a Schrute, she didn’t seem confused.

Why she aggressively chases after Dwight, screaming and shouting, if she didn’t want her ex to discover the truth makes no sense. Angela clearly didn’t know Dwight had picked up the diaper of the other baby Phillip, Jim and Pam’s son. Perhaps she initially thought her husband was Phillip’s father, but I don't get why she would later question the DNA test and, presumably, redo it. This was one of my favorite plot twists in The Office, but it didn’t make complete sense.

1 Effy's Therapist Killing Freddie

Skins

There were so many problems with Effy’s therapist in Skins, and the plot twist that he was obsessed with his patient was bad enough, let alone what he did to Freddie after. The main issue with Freddie’s death as a plot twist was that the show never explained the reason why Dr. John Foster was so deranged when it came to Effy.

Foster’s motivation was unclear, and viewers couldn’t understand why he thought brutally murdering Effy’s on-off boyfriend was a logical next move.

Foster’s fixation on Effy seemingly came out of nowhere, which made him killing Freddie in a somewhat jealous rage even stranger. This plot twist was undoubtedly jaw-dropping and was a moment nobody saw coming, but it would’ve been more impactful if audiences were given some context.

Foster’s motivation was unclear, and viewers couldn’t understand why he thought brutally murdering Effy’s on-off boyfriend was a logical next move. Foster wasn’t that unhinged that he believed getting rid of Freddie was a good way for him to be with Effy, otherwise, we would’ve picked up on his villainous personality shift earlier on.