Youth dramas have been around for a long time. There’s something about the high school vibe of these shows that is instantly addictive. The main reason for their popularity is the sheer number of unimaginable twists they incorporate.
Teen soap operas have a rare and enduring quality: they have evolved over time. Many have gone from high school drama to suspense thrillers or supernatural dramas, but keep the excitement going with their larger-than-life teenage worlds. Over the years, these shows have given viewers shocking and unforgettable plot twists.
10 Tyler and Hyde
Wednesday
Considered one of the best teen shows of the 2020s, Wednesday shocked fans by revealing Tyler to be the formidable Hyde Wednesday was looking for. He had always been the lovable, goofy lover, so his turn was amazing.
Breaking Bad: The 10 Most Shocking Twists
Marvel: 10 Most Shocking Twists In The Spider-Man Comics
Hunter Doohan’s performance was so convincing as the boy next door that fans didn’t even think to doubt him as Wednesday tried to figure out who the ruthless monster was. Her complex family history clarified all of her motives, but only in the series’ fascinating final moments.
9 And Gossip Girl’s Ice Cream
Gossip Girl
The harsh reality of Gossip Girl is that Dan being the famous blogger reporting on the Upper East Side didn’t make sense. However, it was a turning point that no one saw coming and will be remembered forever, if not fondly.
Few shows have been as iconic as Gossip Girl, and revealing her identity was quite an event. Fans had a list of suspects in mind, but Dan Humphrey was not among them. Several things didn’t add up on this, not limited to the fact that Dan was in the public eye when GG posted.
8 Alison Is Alive
pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars may have had some of the worst teen tropes, but it’s a top notch teen thriller that few others can match. Since the series began with Alison’s friends attending her funeral and remembering her, it was quite unexpected when Alison actually turned out to be alive.
Twists and surprises were frequent in PLL, but none as impressive as this one. This shook the girls’ world and shifted their focus from finding the killer to realizing someone was actively out to ruin their lives and hunt down Alison. Alison’s reasons for faking her death were chilling.
7 Jason’s Real Killer Was His Own Father
Riverdale
The first season of Riverdale was full of surprises. This dark reimagining of the Archie comics was universally loved because it balanced the high school experience with the insidious happenings of the city.
Jason Blossom’s murder was the biggest mystery, and the gang Riverdale searched everywhere to find the killer. The killer turned out to be Jason’s own father, who killed him in cold blood for the family business. It remains one of the best-executed twists of all time.
6 The Ashtray Gets Shot
Euphoria
Ashtray and Fez’s storyline came to a head in the season two finale of Euphoria, when Ashtray appeared to be shot in the head by the police. Fez had managed to defuse the situation by pleading with the police, but Ashman shocked the public when he grabbed a gun, shot an officer and became a target himself.
Ashtray was a much-loved character, and the cliffhanger remains until the third season of Euphoria. His actions were unprecedented and fans hope he survived.
5 Quinn’s Pregnancy Was Shocking
Joy
Popular Quinn Fabray entered Glee Club to win back her boyfriend, and viewers didn’t think the popular cheerleader would get pregnant with Puck’s child. It was given surprising depth, and the series also showed that it could portray teenage life with nuance and character.
Glee had some great teenage romances, but Quinn, Finn, and Puck’s love triangle was completely unexpected. Plus, Quinn and Terri’s conversations about fake and real pregnancies made her even more outrageous.
4 Annie’s hit and run was really dark
90210
The rebirth of 90210 it was edgy and glamorous, especially since it had a lot of scandal and shock value. There have been many surprises in the series, but Annie’s hit-and-run after being humiliated by Naomi was one of the biggest.
Annie did nothing after killing a man and actually dated her dangerous nephew in an absurd turn of events. Annie’s spiral was so severe and sudden from something small that it led to the death of an innocent man.
3 Marissa’s Death Was Tragic
CO
Marissa Cooper’s death is one of the most shocking television deaths of all time. As The OC turns 20 in 2023, it’s worth noting that fans of the teen soap opera are still upset over Marissa’s death in season three.
Marissa may not have been a critically acclaimed character, but Mischa Barton’s Marissa was a fan favorite. Her death was a blow to fans who wanted to see more of her and Ryan, and wished the writers had kept the tragic heroine alive for a few more seasons, at least.
2 Sabrina Takes Over As Queen Of Hell
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Throughout the first two seasons of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Sabrina Spellman shuns the dark side, even shunning her witch powers for school and human life. She never wanted to be associated with Lucifer, which is why fans gasped when she took her rightful place in Hell as queen.
It started out as an operation to save Nick from hell, but Sabrina turned out to be a good monarch in the underworld. Its transition from light to dark was a sweet surprise.
1 Georgia is arrested
Ginny and Georgia
Ginny & Georgia was one of the show’s most recent twists, and fans were left in shock when Georgia’s fairytale wedding led to her arrest. After escaping dozens of crimes and at least two murders, it was a shock when she was arrested for Tom’s murder.
Prior to this, Georgia had always managed to get away with it, but this puts her squarely in the crosshairs of murder. In addition to putting her children in danger, this opens up her whole life to the investigation, which would end badly for her.