7 TV Show Betrayals That Everyone Saw Coming

May 19, 2024, 5:10 p.m.

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7 TV Show Betrayals That Everyone Saw Coming

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Summary Littlefinger's betrayal of Ned Stark in Game of Thrones was so anticipated that it came as no surprise.

Ben Chang's dictatorship in Community wasn't shocking, as his manipulative behavior hinted at his betrayal.

Rachel rushing to tell Finn about Quinn's baby in Glee was a predictable betrayal due to her crush on Finn throughout the season.

Almost every TV show had a betrayal at one point or another, but some were so predictable that audiences could easily see them coming. Whether it was from a show’s writers or the characters themselves, some of the best TV shows of all time have featured some shocking betrayals that left everyone involved stunned. Over the years, there have also been plenty of examples of betrayals in TV shows that nobody saw coming, which rocked their respective fictional universes to the very core.

Many television shows use foreshadowing to lay the groundwork for future events. When executed well, some of the biggest plot twists ever in TV were still a major shock. Some obvious betrayals weren’t foreshadowed, however, and were simply guessable based on their personality. In some cases, a character's betrayal was so clearly hinted at that when it finally happened, it wasn't much of a surprise. While some obvious betrayals were boring, others were still satisfying and enjoyable despite their predictability.

Relevant TV Shows Release Date Game of Thrones 2011–2019 Community 2009–2015 The Office 2005–2013 Bridgerton 2020– Supernatural 2005–2020 Glee 2009–2015 BoJack Horseman 2014–2020

7 Littlefinger Lying About His Support To Ned Stark

Game Of Thrones

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros - as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, led by House Stark's Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the "Golden Age" of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base. Cast Emilia Clarke , Lena Headey , Richard Madden , Michelle Fairley , Kit Harington , Maisie Williams , Alfie Allen , Peter Dinklage Release Date April 11, 2011 Seasons 8 Directors David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff

From the beginning of Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) was shifty and unusual. He was portrayed as manipulative and having ambiguous loyalties to those around him, but the downfall of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) truly cemented Littlefinger’s dishonesty. In season 1, Ned discovered the truth about the Lannister children’s parentage and that Cersei (Lena Headey) was mother to her twin brother Jaime’s (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) kids. Ned trusted that he had the support of Littlefinger, but when he confronted Cersei, Littlefinger stood by the Lannisters instead.

Petyr Baelish was a definitive example of a betrayer, and out of any Game of Thrones character, he was probably the only person whose every deception was anticipated in some way or another.

However, this wasn’t a shock. Littlefinger previously warned Ned not to trust him. Littlefinger facilitated Ned’s arrest by manipulating the City Watch, which led to the Stark patriarch’s execution. Even before this, Littlefinger was so keen to encourage Ned to speak out, which was a clear indicator that he was false, especially as he knew how loyal Ned was to King Robert (Mark Addy). Petyr Baelish was a definitive example of a betrayer, and out of any of the Game of Thrones characters, he was probably the only person whose every deception was anticipated in some way or another.

6 Ben Chang's Dictatorship

Community

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie. Cast Ken Jeong , Chevy Chase , Joel McHale , Jim Rash , Gillian Jacobs , Alison Brie , Yvette Nicole Brown , Donald Glover , Danny Pudi Release Date September 17, 2009 Seasons 6

In Community, Ben Chang (Ken Jeong) was nothing but a massive annoyance to the study group from day one. The deceptive Spanish Professor hurled insults at his students, pushed unnecessary work and stress on them, and even inflicted physical violence, like in the first Community paintball episode. He also punched Ian Duncan (John Oliver) in the face after Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) discovered that he wasn’t qualified to teach and fired him. When he joined Greendale as a student and asked Jeff (Joel McHale) and the rest of the study group if he could join, his attitude was dubious.

Because Chang lost his job because Annie (Alison Brie) recorded him admitting to Jeff that he didn’t have a degree, it was immediately suspicious that he wanted to befriend the group, especially since he had been their teacher. Although he played a long game, Chang’s dictatorship of Greendale wasn’t a shock whatsoever. Chang took over the school, hired a fake Dean Pelton, and had the study group kicked out of their community college. What was surprising, however, was how easily Chang was forgiven after his tyranny was eventually brought to an end.

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5 Jan Bringing Michael's Diary To Her Hearing

The Office

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buy Not available Not available Not available The Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times. Cast John Krasinski Mindy Kaling , Jenna Fischer , Kate Flannery , Ed Helms , Craig Robinson , Paul Lieberstein , Ellie Kemper , B.J. Novak , Angela Kinsey , Oscar Nunez , Rainn Wilson , Brian Baumgartner , Phyllis Smith , Leslie David Baker , Creed Bratton , Steve Carell Release Date March 24, 2005 Seasons 9 Directors Greg Daniels , Paul Lieberstein , Paul Feig , Randall Einhorn , Ken Kwapis Expand

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Jan Levinson’s (Melora Hardin) relationship in The Office was a whirlwind. From their first interaction on screen, Jan made it very clear that she had little respect for Michael as a person and a colleague, and their love affair took some time to get off the ground. This was mainly because Jan was ashamed of her attraction to Michael, which wasn’t surprising, considering their glaringly different personalities and Michael’s immature behavior. Even when she was fired from Dunder Mifflin and moved in with him, Jan was rude and took over his home.

Even Michael himself told the documentary crew, “You expect to be screwed by your girlfriend,” after Jan handed over his personal diary as evidence against her unfair job loss.

That was why it made a lot of sense that Jan betrayed Michael during her dismissal hearing. Even Michael himself told the documentary crew, “You expect to be screwed by your girlfriend,” after Jan handed over his personal diary as evidence against her unfair job loss. Later in the show, Michael discovered Jan had become pregnant by a sperm donor during their relationship, which proved that just because they were a couple, the way she felt about him before hadn’t changed, and she would happily throw him under the bus if needed.

Related 12 Worst TV Show Betrayals, Ranked Some shows manage to build up trust between characters that feels unbreakable, so when a sudden betrayal shatters that trust, it hits hard.

4 Anthony Leaving Edwina At The Altar

Bridgerton

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buy Not available Not available Not available From Shondaland and creator Chris Van Dusen, Netflix’s Bridgerton is based on the romance novels of the same name by author Julia Quinn. The series follows the eight Bridgerton siblings, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth, as they search for love during the social season and navigate life in Regency-era England. Cast Will Tilston , Rege-Jean Page , Ruth Gemmell , Luke Thompson , Isabella Cortese , Martins Imhangbe , Julie Andrews , Phoebe Dynevor , Ruby Stokes , Ruby Barker , Claudia Jessie , Adjoa Andoh , Nicola Coughlan , Golda Rosheuvel , Charithra Chandran , Ben Miller , Jonathan Bailey , Florence Hunt , Polly Walker , Shelley Conn , Joanna Bobin , Luke Newton , Simone Ashley Release Date December 25, 2020 Seasons 3 Directors Tom Verica , Tricia Brock Expand

Bridgerton season 2 focused on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and his pursuit of marriage. Despite Anthony's formal courtship with Edwina (Charithra Chandran), it was clear from their first interaction that he was drawn to her sister, Kate (Simone Ashley). Kate and Anthony’s emotionally and sexually charged moments throughout were the driving force of Bridgerton season 2 and was a brilliant example of a will-they-won’t-they relationship in TV. Even though Kate refused to let Anthony woo her, their passionate interactions throughout the season couldn’t be denied, and it would have been more shocking if he hadn’t left Edwina at the altar.

It could be argued that Kate and Edwina’s sibling relationship foreshadowed the failed wedding purely because Kate was so determined not to let her sister get hurt, and it was apparent everything would fall apart.

There was no doubt that Anthony struggled with upholding his duty versus following his heart, especially as that was a common theme in Bridgerton season 1 with Simon (Regé-Jean Page) feeling conflicted with being with Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) or letting her marry someone else. It could be argued that Kate and Edwina’s sibling relationship foreshadowed the failed wedding purely because Kate was so determined not to let her sister get hurt, and it was apparent everything would fall apart. While it was great that they got their happy ending, it wasn’t surprising that Edwina was abandoned on her wedding day.

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3 Ruby The Demon

Supernatural

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester - two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States. Cast Jensen Ackles , Misha Collins , Jim Beaver , Jared Padalecki , Katie Cassidy , Lauren Cohan , Mark A. Sheppard , Mark Pellegrino , Alexander Calvert Release Date September 13, 2005 Seasons 15 Directors Philip Sgriccia , John F. Showalter , Robert Singer

In Supernatural, it was quickly established that demons couldn’t be trusted and were a species that should be avoided. Therefore, it was odd that Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) were so accepting of Ruby (Genevive Padalecki). Even though Ruby was adamant that she wanted to help the brothers, the fact she was a demon yet obsessively keen to support them was a huge red flag. Although she often defended the Winchesters, her behavior was frequently erratic and made little sense, an obvious marker of someone untrustworthy.

With one brother out of the way, Ruby found it easy to get Sam addicted to demons' blood by telling him exactly what he wanted to hear, knowing that he had psychic abilities connected to ingesting it as a baby.

Ruby took the opportunity to really manipulate Sam to extreme levels because Dean was in Hell. With one brother out of the way, Ruby found it easy to get Sam addicted to demons' blood by telling him exactly what he wanted to hear, knowing that he had psychic abilities connected to ingesting it as a baby. She then added a sexual component to their relationship, and once Ruby had Sam in the palm of her hand, she used him to break the final seal and release Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) from his cage.

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2 Rachel Rushing To Tell Fin He Wasn't The Father Of Quinn's Baby

Glee

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buy Not available Not available Not available In order to escape the stressful reality of high school, a group of misfits decides to join William McKinley’s glee club. Fox’s Glee was created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, with Leah Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison leading the cast. The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015 and won six Primetime Emmys. Cast Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Jessalyn Gilsig , Jane Lynch , Jayma Mays , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Matthew Morrison , Amber Riley Release Date May 19, 2009 Seasons 6

Glee’s Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) often betrayed members of the New Directions because of her boisterous ambitions. Some of Rachel’s deceptive actions were shocking, such as when she sent Sunshine (Jake Zyrus) to a “crackhouse,” but some were very predictable. Rachel’s most obvious betrayal was in the season 1 episode “Sectionals,” when she discovered that Finn (Corey Monteith) wasn’t the father of Quinn’s (Dianna Agron) baby. Rachel didn’t attempt to hide her crush on Finn throughout season 1, and she hoped for them to lead the club together as a musical theatre power couple.

Quinn was in the wrong for letting Finn believe he was the father of her child, but when everyone found out, she should have shared the news with him, not Rachel.

Even though Rachel and Finn started dating at the end of this episode, her decision to immediately run and tell him Quinn was lying was still a betrayal. Rachel didn’t owe Quinn anything, and Quinn was far from kind to her, but Rachel didn’t think about how impactful her words would be. Quinn was in the wrong for letting Finn believe he was the father of her child, but when everyone found out, she should have shared the news with him, not Rachel. Rachel’s choice to tell Finn was childish but not shocking, as she’d do anything to be with him.

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Related 10 Shocking Betrayals In TV Shows That Came Out Of Nowhere Although any betrayal in a TV show was a shock, the ones that came out of nowhere stunned audiences, especially if there was no setup or prior hints.

1 BoJack Sleeping With Emily

BoJack Horseman

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buy Not available Not available Not available Once the famous star of a hit sitcom, BoJack Horseman has fallen on tough times. Stuck in a major career slump and longing to relive his glory days, BoJack attempts to once more become relevant in an industry that has long since turned its back on him. With a few dysfunctional friends at his side, BoJack begins his long-overdue career comeback. Cast Amy Sedaris , Will Arnett , Alison Brie , Aaron Paul , Paul F. Tompkins Release Date August 22, 2014 Seasons 6 Directors Raphael Bob-Waksberg

BoJack Horseman was full of betrayals from several of its characters, but especially from Bojack (Will Arnett) himself. From the pilot, BoJack demonstrated that he was challenging to be around, selfish, and didn’t care about the consequences of his actions. However, his most predictable betrayal was also one of his most heartbreaking. In BoJack Horseman’s earlier seasons, Todd (Aaron Paul) had an on-off partner named Emily (Abbi Jacobson). Even when Todd revealed that he was asexual, the two remained friends but had an unusual but sweet relationship that teetered between platonic and romantic.

Even though Todd and Emily’s relationship was ambiguous, they’d known each other for a very long time and meant a lot to one another.

So, it wasn’t a surprise when, after Todd rejected Emily for sex, she ended up in bed with BoJack. Even though Todd and Emily’s relationship was ambiguous, they’d known each other for a very long time and meant a lot to one another. But when Emily sat down next to him, upset and lonely, BoJack gave it little thought before it ended in sex. After Todd discovered this, he was disappointed but wasn’t too surprised either, and famously told BoJack, "You are all the things that are wrong with you.” Bojack Horseman’s greatest betrayals were heartbreaking but never a shock.