Twists in sci-fi TV shows can come in all shapes and sizes, and some of the best feel like they come out of nowhere, leaving viewers open-mouthed and genuinely surprised. They tend to be a different kind of beast from twists in sci-fi movies, as TV shows are often changed forever by sharp left turns in the plot, whereas they’re usually a narrative focal point in feature-length productions.
Some of the best sci-fi TV characters ever have been impacted by surprise plot twists, if not more so than the audience. Many of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time have even been known to have multiple huge storylines that come to fruition in incredibly unexpected ways. This isn’t always how a sci-fi project will approach storytelling, which makes certain instances especially memorable.
6
The Return Of John Simm’s Master In Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi Era
Season 10’s two-part finale was a stealthy multi-Master story
Doctor Who is no stranger to safeguarding its twists, and one of the most prominent ways the show surprises its audience is with its returning stars. While episodes with more than one Doctor aren’t uncommon, stories with more than one version of the Master are rare. So, when John Simm returned as the nefarious Time Lord in 2017, no one expected it.
At the very least, fans didn’t know when the Master’s comeback would happen, even if they bought into the murmurs about Simm’s imminent return. Everything seemed to be set up to prove the rumors wrong. Simm’s Master hadn’t appeared in Doctor Who since 2010, and the debut of Michelle Gomez as Missy in 2014 had established her as the new version of the character.
“World Enough and Time” seemed to be another Simm-less installment until right at the end.
Viewers were on edge for a string of episodes in Doctor Who season 10, waiting to see if, when, and how Simm could make his return. Episode 11, “World Enough and Time,” seemed to be another Simm-less installment until right at the end, when it was revealed that the actor had secretly racked up a lot of screen time as Mr. Razor.
Mr. Razor was the Master in disguise and spent most of “World Enough and Time” with Pearl Mackie’s Bill Potts. Simm’s character was deceptively kind to Bill, and the prosthetics adorning his face paired with the actor’s false accent made the reveal especially rewarding. The Master’s unveiling of himself to Bill influenced the next episode.
5
The Town Being In The Far Future In Wayward Pines
The Blake Crouch adaptation nailed the literary saga’s biggest twist
Originally written as a sci-fi book trilogy by Blake Crouch, Wayward Pines was adapted and debuted on TV screens in 2015 and concluded/was canceled in 2016. The show’s inaugural run follows Matt Dillon’s Ethan Burke as he wakes up in the sleepy town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. Despite the place’s idyllic nature, something immediately seems off.
Although he initially believes he has woken up just a couple of days after a car accident on the outskirts of Wayward Pines, it’s ultimately revealed that centuries have passed by the time Ethan regains consciousness. The town is an attempt by the higher-ups to restart human civilization away from the restrictions and downfalls of the 21st century.
Initially framed as a crime drama, it’s unclear upon first viewing how Wayward Pines will earn its sci-fi genre label.
Initially framed as a crime drama, it’s unclear upon first viewing how Wayward Pines will earn its sci-fi genre label. Of all the possibilities, a vault full of cryogenically preserved people was near the bottom of my list, if it was even on it at all. Of course, those who read the books will have called it straight away.
Wayward Pines season 1’s big future twist was so effective that the show failed to recapture the same magic after the big reveal. The decision was made for the entire book trilogy to form the basis for season 1, so Wayward Pines season 2 was entirely new material. Sadly, it lacked the same level of tension with the most notable truth out in the open.
4
John Crichton Being “Twinned” In Farscape
The 2 Crichtons changed Farscape for most of season 3
Sci-fi characters being duplicated was already a famous sci-fi trope by the time of Farscape, so the show can’t be credited with inventing this twist. However, it did add a great spin to this type of storyline by refusing to name either of the two versions of Ben Browder’s John Crichton as the original or “main” iteration.
Crichton is “twinned” in Farscape season 3, and the occurrence changes the show for its foreseeable future. Neither version of Broder’s character is given the privilege of remaining as the primary protagonist, and the story is forced into splitting its time between the two groups that form, each with a Crichton of its own.
Related
If You Call Yourself A Sci-Fi Fan, You’ve Watched These 7 Recent TV Shows, Right?
Science fiction has been thriving on television, and beyond the most popular shows around, there are some underrated gems that need to be seen.
The concept of twinning in Farscape is interesting as soon as it’s mentioned, but I don’t think anyone expected the show’s main character to be affected by the phenomenon, or for the fallout to last as long as it did. The audience is given the chance to bond with both Crichtons, which makes the twist’s resolution especially heartbreaking.
3
The Return Of Kovacs Prime In Altered Carbon
Will Yun Lee played the youngest version of Takeshi Kovacs
The world of Altered Carbon means pretty much every member of the cast was functionally disposable. After all, the ability to transfer consciousness from one body to another doesn’t exactly scream job stability for an actor. Regardless, when Joel Kinnaman was introduced as the show’s main version of Takeshi Kovacs in season 1, I assumed he alone would own the role.
Bodies are referred to as “sleeves” in Altered Carbon, and the process of transferring one’s memories to a new sleeve is called “resleeving.” The device in each sleeve that holds the memories is called a “stack,” and is implanted at birth.
It turns out I was right about Kinnaman at first, as the younger version of Kovacs, played by Will Yun Lee, appeared only in flashbacks in his original sleeve. However, when Anthony Mackie took over from Kinnaman in Altered Carbon season 2, Lee’s version of the character, who can easily be referred to as Kovacs Prime, ventures into the main story.
Kovacs Prime hasn’t gone through the same experiences as Kinnaman or Mackie’s iterations of the character, so he still has an extremist point of view when it comes to stacks and resleeving. As a result, Mackie’s Kovacs ends up facing an opponent that he both knows and understands while also having numerous divergences in opinions. It’s a great sci-fi twist.
2
Ash Tyler Turning Out To Be A Klingon In Star Trek: Discovery
Discovery wasn’t afraid to make heavy use of the Klingons in new ways
Star Trek: Discovery brought about a new era for the iconic sci-fi saga, adopting a grittier tone and serialized storytelling rather than episodic adventures. The show’s first season made the divisive choice to overhaul the Klingons’ physical appearance, and no example of this decision is more pure or hidden than the character of Shazad Latif’s Ash Tyler.
While he appeared to be a full-blooded human, even under intense scrutiny, Star Trek: Discovery would eventually reveal that Ash Tyler was a Klingon called Voq, who had undergone extensive medical procedures to infiltrate Starfleet as an unknowing sleeper agent.
Star Trek: Discovery tried to acknowledge the franchise’s traditions as well as push the saga forward, and Ash Tyler’s disguise could be argued to tick both of these boxes. Various Star Trek characters have undergone procedures to pass as members of another alien race, but this Discovery twist was far more in-depth and lacked the element of Ash/Voq knowing what had happened to him.
1
Din Djarin Crossing Paths With Luke Skywalker In The Mandalorian
One of Star Wars’ biggest characters made a surprise appearance
Although it was recognizably set within the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian seemed at first as though it was making a conscious decision to steer clear of pre-existing storylines. Specifically, the Skywalker Saga factoring into the show just didn’t seem all that likely. So, Luke’s scene debut at the end of The Mandalorian season 2 took everyone by surprise.
Related
10 Sci-Fi Movies Completely Ruined By Terrible Twists
There have been some truly terrible twists in science fiction movies over the years, with some being so egregious that it ruins the movie.
Despite being such a high-profile Star Wars character, Luke’s The Mandalorian cameo was concealed impressively well. It wasn’t until his X-wing appeared on-screen that anyone started to remotely consider the possibility of the iconic Jedi showing up. It sent waves throughout the fandom and changed The Mandalorian forever by solidly folding it into the legendary sci-fi franchise.
