The 40 Most Shocking TV Moments of 2015

McDreamy Dies, 'Grey's Anatomy'

Nothing lasts forever but MerDer fans were no less shocked — and not particularly happy — to see their beloved Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd die in a substandard hospital after a tragic car accident. The show hasn't really missed a beat in terms of decent ratings but don't tell that to Patrick Dempsey fans (who still hold a grudge). —Lynette Rice

Don Draper Was Behind the Coke Ad, Mad Men

Matthew Weiner ended Mad Men on a note as ambiguous as that of his former show's finale, only instead of Tony Soprano's life hanging in the balance, it was Don Draper's soul. He may have had a genuine epiphany up on those Big Sur bluffs, but that girl with the ribbons in her hair sure makes it seem like the inveterate ad man returned to his old ways, repackaging it as an ersatz version of universal love in order to sell brown sugar water and branding it, irony of ironies, as "the real thing." —Keith Staskiewicz

There Are More Survivors (Even in Space!), The Last Man on Earth

When Phil sadly gazes at a family photo of his parents and brother (played by Jason Sudeikis) in the Fox comedy's first episode, it's assumed that all those people are dead from the virus that wiped out everyone else in the world. That is, until the final minute of the first season's finale when the camera pans up from Earth and into space, where Phil's brother is abandoned in a space station. Reintroducing Sudeikis' character as a living astronaut with no idea of what's happening down below affirmed just how crazy this show could get, and hinted that more gasp-worthy surprises were likely in store for the second season (spoiler: they were). —Ariana Bacle

The Darkness Is God's Sister, Supernatural

When season 11 premiered, all we knew was that the Darkness was some massive evil that God had worked to lock away before the beginning of time. But of course, there was more to that story. The Darkness isn't just some soul-eating devil determined to find God. She's his sister. It's the sort of twist that only Supernatural could pull off, and it's one of the show's best to date. —Samantha Highfill

"A" Is Revealed, Pretty Little Liars

Five years. We had to wait five years to finally learn who the infamous "A" really is. The fakeout "A"s throughout the first few seasons basically received a Lucy Hale whisper compared to the loud reactions from fans with the real "A" reveal. The villain turned out to be Cece Drake, who was actually Alison's older sibling Charlotte. She was born as Charles, but shunned by her parents when she transitioned from male to female. And as shocking as that reveal was, it was also quite sad: All along Charlotte was just trying to get close to her family. —Dalene Rovenstine

Bonnie Killed Rebecca, How to Get Away With Murder

There were plenty of theories available as to who killed Rebecca: Frank, who already has at least one pretty corpse under his belt? Annalise, who will do whatever it takes to win a case? Wes, who might not be immune from a crime of passion? The answer was almost as shocking as Rebecca's death itself. However, it was Bonnie, who, under the impression she was protecting Annalise, suffocated the poor, pierced livewire with a plastic bag as she begged for mercy. Bonnie always did seem like a bit of an ice queen, and this sheet of frost sealed it. —Isabella Biedenharn

Empire, In Its Entirety

The first two weeks of 2015 were hardly worth living as we had yet to meet Cookie Lyon. Empire made its series debut on Jan. 17, and soon became must-watch television, introducing viewers to the Lyon family, complete with their dramatic, jail-filled past, their internal struggles in the recording industry, and near-constant brushes with sabotage, orchestrated murder, and destruction. Season 2, which bowed in September, only upped the ante. The sophomore run included a jail stint for one character, killings, cheating scandals, a hostile takeover, an FBI raid, more death, a kidnapping, a pregnancy, and one terrifying fall down a set of stairs. —Madeline Boardman

Forrest MacNeil Falls Off a Bridge, Review

Forrest MacNeil, reviewer of life itself, encountered no shortage of deadly challenges in Review's second season. Yet he kept coming back for more… until the season's finale, that is. Forrest, convinced a secret conspiracy has been devised by his own producers to kill him, tackles his producer Grant Gunderschmidt off the side of a bridge. The two careen into the ravine below, disappearing (seemingly for good, should the show not be renewed) and leaving the season — and possibly the show — without its intrepid host. —Jonathon Dornbush

Jon Snow Dies, Game of Thrones

Sure, lots of people die on Game of Thrones. But by the end of season 5, Ned Stark's iconic execution appeared like a brilliant bait-and-switch. He was never the hero at all; it was Jon Snow, Tyrion, Daenerys, and Arya. Those four are the real main characters. You can gouge out all the princes' eyes you want, we know these four are safe … or so we thought. Fan favorite Jon Snow was brutally offed in the final moments of the season (with an added reference to his missing uncle Benjen Stark to throw book readers off their toes). It was so shocking, viewers were still debating, arguing, and pleading months later, trying to find some reason it can't possibly stick — and it turns out, they were right! —Christian Holub

All the Orgies, Sense8 and American Horror Story: Hotel

There's enough room for everyone in the blood-soaked bed or swimming pool, as both American Horror Story: Hotel and Sense8 showed this year. It's not all that shocking that Ryan Murphy, Lady Gaga, and Matt Bomer teamed up to air a vampiric orgy during the premiere episode of American Horror Story: Hotel. Then again, any vampiric orgy on primetime television is at least somewhat surprising, right? The real jaw-dropping scene-stealer was the giant pansexual orgy between every main character of Sense8 that ended an episode mid-way through the series. It's also the number one reason to NEVER watch Sense8 with your parents! —Dylan Kickham

Nina Dobrev Announces She's Leaving, The Vampire Diaries

Within the world of The Vampire Diaries, just about anything is possible. In its sixth season, most things had happened: Just about everyone had died and come back. There had been ghosts and Original vampires and doppelgangers. The twists never ended. And yet, the one twist fans never saw coming was star Nina Dobrev deciding not to renew her contract. Dobrev, who'd been the center of the show's love triangle, announcing that season 6 would be her last will forever be the series' biggest twist. —Samantha Highfill

Bedelia Eats Her Own Leg, Hannibal

The canceled-too-soon NBC drama ended with Hannibal and Will finally consummating their love — or whatever you want to call it — by killing someone together (rest in peace, Red Dragon) and then falling off a steep cliff to what seemed like their deaths. But then the credits rolled, and creator Bryan Fuller snuck in a delicious coda: Bedelia sitting at a fancy dining room table featuring her cooked leg as the centerpiece. Turns out maybe Hannibal survived after all — and that he's still as hungry as ever. —Ariana Bacle

Stephen Returns, Scandal

When it seemed as though all hope was lost for Olivia Pope, Stephen Finch made his perfectly timed return. The former gladiator made a surprise appearance on Scandal, dropping in to save the day after Olivia's bonkers kidnapping and ransom debacle. While it seemed the White Hat-wearer was being sold by her captors to a group of shady characters in Russia, it was her friend Stephen who placed the highest bid. The two had an emotional reunion on a tarmac as Olivia made her way to safety, before Stephen disappeared once more. —Madeline Boardman

Paul Dies, Orphan Black

Orphan Black's best-looking sorta-good, sorta-bad guy ended firmly in the "good" camp when he stayed behind and sacrificed himself to help Sarah escape the Castor compound. Stabbed and shot and very much dying, Paul goes out with a bang thanks to the last-minute reveal of a grenade he had hidden in his arms — all after he professed his love for Sarah. Sigh. —Jessica Derschowitz

Galavant Gets a Second Season

From the get-go, things didn't look good for Galavant. Before it even hit the air, ABC decided to air its eight episodes two-at-a-time to create a four-night event. Of course, fans immediately read that as ABC's way of burning off the episodes and getting rid of the show. Pair that with the less-than-impressive ratings, and Galavant was on everyone's "to be canceled" list. And yet, somehow, the musical-comedy extravaganza got a second life. —Samantha Highfill

Eddie Kills Himself, The Flash

Death befell a surprising member of Team Flash in the CW hit's first season finale, as Eddie Thawne, and not The Flash himself, held the key to stopping Eobard Thawne-as-Harrison Wells. Eddie shoots himself to kill off his descendant from the distant future who traveled back in time, transforming one of the season's less developed characters into a tragically heroic figure. Sure, there's a wormhole in the fabric of reality to tackle following this big sacrifice, but Eddie's death showcased how unexpected and poignant The Flash could be, even in the midst of a cataclysmic battle. —Jonathon Dornbush

Bathroom Confession, The Jinx

Hearing someone mutter "What did I do? Killed them all, of course" to themselves in the bathroom would be alarming no matter the circumstance. But when the words come from alleged murderer Robert Durst, it's downright scary. The startling sentences came at the very end of The Jinx's superb finale, not long after director Andrew Jarecki presented Durst with some pretty damning evidence. And while the incident was captured by accident — Durst didn't seem to realize he was still wearing a mic — the gasps it produced from viewers were unmistakable. —Ray Rahman

Glenn's Fake Death, The Walking Dead

"How could they kill Glenn like that?" millions of fans cried out, as one of The Walking Dead's mainstays appeared to become walker chow in "Thank You." His true fate was left unresolved for multiple episodes, sending fans into a month-long guessing game and developing a new niche of "Is dead really dead?" thinkpieces. The reveal that Glenn was alive didn't really come as a shock (especially if you go back and watch the original scene), but the initial moment — and perhaps the show's willingness to toy with expectations — was as startling as anything on TV this year. —Jonathon Dornbush

Abbie Takes a Trip to the Underworld, Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow has been known to vacation in purgatory, so whatever happened to Abbie Mills after she stepped through a portal to the underworld to contain an explosion, it's a safe bet that we'll see her again. But she couldn't count on that when she said her goodbyes. That blast ripped a hole in the show as we know it, leaving us — and Crane, Jenny, and Joe — to pick up the pieces. How and where will Crane and his "lef-tenant" reunite? Hell if we know. —Kelly Connolly

ABC Announces There Will be Two Bachelorettes, The Bachelorette

The ABC reality franchise has never gone outside of the former contestant pool for its female franchise,The Bachelorette. So it was a given that fan favorite Kaitlyn Bristowe, who was vying for Chris Soules' love on The Bachelor season 19, would take the title next. Imagine America's surprise when Chris Harrison announced that Bristowe and her fellow Bachelor contestant Britt Nilsson would both be up for the title. It was shocking at the moment, but ended up going as everyone originally imagined: Bristowe got the guys' votes on night one. —Dalene Rovenstine

That Time There Was a Penis Pump Salesman, Dating Naked

Dating Naked is, at its core, a show that exists to shock and awe you with its birthday suits-only dress code for love seekers. You accepted, maybe even embraced that. But what you were not expecting was for a contestant to walk right onto the show and proudly declare that he was a penis pump salesman. But, wait, there's more! You also get to see him whip out his product, pump himself up right before meeting his potential soulmate, and go straight in for the hug! In the year of Deflategate, Penis Pump Salesman was like a breath of forced air. —Dan Snierson

The Infamous Split Screen, The Good Wife

Viewers knew that Kalinda was getting ready to walk for good on The Good Wife but her final moment with Alicia was everything that fans didn't deserve — a spliced-together scene that was obviously thrown together because the actresses didn't shoot it at the same time or in the same room. For a show that's otherwise superior week in and week out, it was a shameful way to say goodbye. —Lynette Rice

All the UFO Stuff, Fargo

The big surprise of the second season of FX's Fargo wasn't just that a UFO visited Minnesota in 1979, but that executive producer Noah Hawley and the writers were able to add some aliens to their crime show without it being absolutely ridiculous.

And as Peggy says, "It's just a flying saucer, hon." —Kevin P. Sullivan

Paige Finds Out Her Parents Are Spies, The Americans

"We were born in a different country."

Paige wanted answers, and boy, did she get them. After finally confronting her parents about her suspicions and demanding to know the truth about who her mother and father are, Philip and Elizabeth sat her down and quietly explain that yes, they work for the Soviet Union and are gathering information for their country. The scene is as life altering as it is commonplace — a mother, father, and daughter talking around a table — but the worst part is the knowledge Paige craved comes with the burden of keeping her parents' secrets. (Now, about that phone call to Pastor Tim…) —Jessica Derschowitz

Mateo Is Kidnapped, Jane the Virgin

Soon after giving birth to beautiful baby boy, Jane gives up Mateo to a woman who claims to be a nurse. This woman is not a nurse though; she is an associate of Sin Rostro — and she's helping out her boss by kidnapping Mateo. Sin Rostro is known for being cold, but this offense took her evil to a whole new, disastrous level. —Ariana Bacle

Amber Ends Up With Jason Street, Parenthood

It was not uncommon for a Friday Night Lights alum to show up on Parenthood. We'll call it the Jason Katims effect. Throughout her portrayal as Amber Holt, Mae Whitman alone had kissed Matt Lauria and Jesse Plemons (in Friday Night at the Luncheonette). And yet, when the series finale flashed forward, Amber had built a new life with a new guy in town … and that guy just happened to be Jason Street. (Sorry, Scott Porter.) It was as if Katims knew that if Amber couldn't be with Ryan, the only other acceptable option was Jason freakin' Street. (Disclaimer: He wasn't actually playing Jason Street.) —Samantha Highfill

Sex Box Was a Thing

Has reality TV finally run out of ideas? Seems like this question gets asked every year, and every year some new show finds a lower depth in which to sink. This year's entry in the insane tradition of Kid Nation and I Wanna Marry Harry came British import Sex Box, which sent couples into a locked-room on stage for intercourse, after which they discussed their relationship with sex therapists. Even in our cynical modern era, the show's very existence was shocking. —Christian Holub

Kevin's Suicide, The Leftovers

Main characters died left and right this fall — or at least appeared to die — but perhaps no one's exit came more unexpectedly as Kevin Garvey's on The Leftovers. Justin Theroux's masterful performance in season 2 brought Kevin to a breaking point, where the only way he believed he could get the dead Guilty Remnant leader Patty out of his head was to fight her in the afterlife. So Kevin downs a poison given to him by Steven Williams' Virgil, with the promise that Virgil would wake him up. But Virgil kills himself too, a messy gunshot to the head allowing him to help Kevin in the great beyond (if you believe it all happened, of course). —Jonathon Dornbush

Everyone Lived, Justified

For all that Justified was, Graham Yost's FX drama was at its heart a Western. And everything we know about Westerns says the show should have gone out with a bloody bang. But just like Ava with Raylan, Justified subverted that. The series let everyone live and went out with a quiet understanding instead: Raylan and Boyd just dug coal together. —Dalene Rovenstine

The Kiss of Death?, The Originals

For Klamille shippers, the season 3 midseason finale was the hour they'd been waiting for … and the one they never saw coming. After three seasons of building tension, Klaus and Cami finally kissed, ending the hour with what seemed like a romantic cuddle session. For once, Klaus was happy. At least until he woke up and realized there was blood on his hand. In his sleep, someone — most likely named Aurora — snuck in and slit Cami's throat. Just like that, Klaus' happiness disappeared (and jaws everywhere dropped). —Samantha Highfill

Who is Mr. Robot?, Mr. Robot

The big twist in the first season of Mr. Robot was really many revelations packed into one. Once we see that Elliot is suffering from some kind of dissociative identity disorder, everything else begins to fall into place. "Mr. Robot" is his dad. Darlene is his sister. His dad is dead. It was a lot to process for Elliot and for us, and even if we saw some of it coming, the truth still hurt. —Kevin P. Sullivan

Hank Is J'onn J'onzz, Supergirl

Though his eyes glow a nefarious red, Hank Henshaw is not Supergirl's enemy — well, Hank Henshaw is not even Hank Henshaw. Otherwise known as DC Comics superhero the Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz is a genius shapeshifter from the planet Mars who was being hunted by the real Hank Henshaw, which lead to the death of Alex and Kara's father, Jeremiah. J'onzz took on Hank's persona to lead the DEO in a better direction and look after the Danvers girls. —Natalie Abrams

Andrew Is Lash, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. viewers were shocked and dismayed after Ward sent men to kill Andrew, leading to an explosion he surely could not have survived — that is, until we discovered that Andrew actually set off the explosion to cover his tracks. It turns out that Andrew went through terrigenesis after being exposed to one of the crystals in Jiaying's ledger and was transformed into the scary Inhuman-hunting Inhuman Lash. Good thing S.H.I.E.L.D. gave him access to all their Inhuman files! —Natalie Abrams

The Piano Drop, Two and a Half Men

Although Charlie Sheen hadn't been on Two and a Half Men for the final four seasons, that didn't stop Chuck Lorre from devoting the last hour of the series to Sheen's raised-from-the-dead character, Charlie Harper. The finale was written with the intention of Sheen returning, but when that wasn't an option, Lorre decided to fill the episode with not-so-tongue-in-cheek references, wrap the entire thing in meta-ness, and dump a piano on the whole affair — twice. It's going to make Charlie Harper returning for CBS' Two and a Half Men reunion movie in 10 years really difficult. —Dalene Rovenstine

Jane Did This to Herself, Blindspot

Waking up naked and covered in tattoos in Times Square may sound like one hell of a hangover — unless you did this to yourself. That's what viewers discovered in the fall finale when Jane was shown a video of her past self revealing that the one who masterminded this plan was, well, herself. The real shocker is how she got some of those, ahem, unreachable tattoos on there. —Natalie Abrams

Hook Sacrifices Himself, Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time threw a wrench in Emma's happy ending with the discovery that she had turned Hook into another Dark One in a bid to save him. In turn, he resurrected all the old Dark Ones in order to snuff out the light, and basically tried to kill a number of Storybrooke residents. Finally choosing family over revenge, Hook decided to take on all the Darkness and sacrifice himself to save the ones he loves by having Emma stab him with Excalibur — you know, like Buffy and Angel — though it was all in vain since Rumple is the Dark One again. Good thing they're all headed to the Underworld to get him back! —Natalie Abrams

Mary's Suicide, UnREAL

Did you think a parody of The Bachelor airing on Lifetime would be light and fun? From the get-go, UnREAL proved itself to be a gritty and heartbreaking drama that never shied away from the dark underbelly of reality television. That darkness was never more evident than when Mary, a single mother with bipolar disorder and a contestant on the dating show Everlasting, commits suicide after a producer tampers with her medication. The pivotal scene involves Mary standing on the roof as Rachel attempts to talk her off the ledge. As Mary falls, she faces Rachel and chillingly whispers "Come with me." It's no wonder the show devoted its entire next episode to remembering that moment. —Dylan Kickham

Brian Williams Is Suspended, NBC Nightly News

After greatly exaggerating the time he spent covering the war in Iraq, Brian Williams lost his high-profile role as the anchor of NBC's Nightly News and was relegated to MSNBC after a six-month suspension. The demotion was especially surprising given how Williams, at 55, was not only the anchor of the No. 1 news program but also one of the network's biggest stars, in part because of his comedic appearances on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. —Lynette Rice

Felicity Is Shot, Arrow

Since its season premiere, Arrow has been teasing a major death, and the mid-season finale proved no one is safe, even one-half of Olicity. Finally engaged and heading off to celebrate, Oliver and Felicity leave a Christmas tree lighting by limo only to be stopped by a set of Damien Darhk's Ghosts. Gunning down the vehicle, the Ghosts kill the driver, forcing Oliver to drive himself and his new fiancé away. When he gets clear of the scene, however, he discovers his beloved has been injured, threatening the very fabric of the show's biggest romance. (But she can't really be dying, right?) —Jonathon Dornbush

Jerome Dies, Gotham

Three episodes into its second season, Gotham has a good thing going, and its name was Jerome. The Joker-esque character, played by Cameron Monaghan, was the sort of villain that the show needed in season 1. He was exciting. He was unpredictable. So needless to say, fans didn't expect that Theo Galavan would kill Jerome only three hours into his rise. Just like that, dreams of a young Joker were shattered. —Samantha Highfill