Now that finale season has passed and we’ve all had time to cool down from all of the feels (assuming all of you survived), let’s discuss one of the most common plot devices in this year’s season finales: the plot twist. We can’t be the only ones who noticed how many shows ended with a plot twist this year instead of just a gripping cliffhanger.
Plot twists, when done well, have many great functions, such as creating dramatic and exciting situations, as well as further complicating a show’s plot. While some shows used this device effectively, others were prime examples of plot twists gone bad. The difference between the outcomes depend on the twist’s relevance to the season’s overall story arch and whether or not that story warranted or even planted the “seeds” for the twist at some point during the season.
Good plot twists expand the scope of the story and introduce a new element that, while faithful to the arc, changes the show’s course. Bad plot twists essentially fail to do any of these things. They leave the season’s plot unacceptably unresolved and feel unfounded, like they were thrown in simply for the shock factor. Basically, they just leave us confused (and not in the good, thought-provoking way).
Three shows in particular had good plot twists as well as not-so-good plot twists: The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, and NCIS. Check out our plot twist examinations below to find out just how plot twists make and/or break season finales.
Warning: Season finale spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution if you like/love The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, or NCIS and haven’t seen their season finales yet.
‘NCIS’
The Good
This entire season of NCIS focused on family and revenge. Hell, there was even an episode entitled “Revenge.” Imagine our surprise when Ziva avenged her father and Mrs. Vance’s deaths by killing Ilan Bodnar two whole episodes before the season finale. While it’s not exactly a traditional plot twist, we did think it was really interesting that the show would surprise us by giving us closure on the season’s story arc two episodes before the season was supposed to end. It was a pleasantly unexpected twist.
The Bad
Because it’s NCIS, we figured that the showrunners had something even bigger relating to this theme of revenge up their sleeve. However, the last two plot twists of the season proved us wrong. The first strange twist was the Department of Defense going after Agent Gibbs instead of Ziva. While it has been strange that Gibbs has never had to answer for his actions, it was stranger for the show to address it at the end of this revenge-driven season.
By the end of the season finale, we were thrown yet another plot twist that had to do with covering up a threat coming from our own country. These two plot twists at the end of the season ultimately failed because of the lack of buildup surrounding them. The show jumped from storyline to storyline at such a quick pace that it was hard to not only understand what was going on without having to rewind a few times, but also really become invested in the characters’ predicaments. Both of these twists felt random and unfounded, therefore decreasing the impact of the season finale.
‘Supernatural’
The Good
We really liked the twist about Metatron becoming next season’s big baddie instead of the Winchester’s ally. It fit within the context of the show because we had been questioning the motives of a few angels, namely Naomi and anyone working with her, and really didn’t know much about Metatron beyond what he told the Winchesters. We’re excited to learn more about Metatron next season and see what he has in store for the brothers.
The Bad
The twist that Sam would die once he completed the trials completely deflated (and even negated) the season’s building tension. With a simple emotional heart-to-heart, all of the work the Winchesters and Kevin did throughout the season went to waste. Kevin lost his mother because of the demon tablet, people! How are we expected to ignore that? Yes, we understand how powerful that moment between the two brothers was in terms of their broken relationship, but it betrayed the season’s story arc and didn’t give us any sort of closure at all, satisfying or otherwise.
‘The Vampire Diaries’
The Good
This season of The Vampire Diaries centered on the idea of a cure for vampirism. All of the characters helped search for the cure, debated who should take the single dose, and discussed the life-altering consequences of transforming from a vampire to a human. Enter the TVD season finale. One of the many plot twists was that Katherine ended up taking the cure instead of any of the characters we were primed to believe might take it. This plot twist works because it makes sense in the context of the season because all of the character discussions and actions throughout the season subtly hinted toward the possibility of Katherine taking the cure, especially the conversation about losing special vampire abilities (which Katherine thrives on).
The Bad
The reveal about Stefan being Silas’ doppelganger just left us completely confused and we know that we’re not the only ones. Like, what was that? With Julie Plec behind it, we know that it’ll prove to be an interesting addition to the story next season. Yet, when the plot twist was introduced in the final moments of this season’s finale, we didn’t understand why we should care because we weren’t told what was at stake (other than Stefan being locked in a sinking coffin at the bottom of a large lake). We just stared at the end titles, thinking, “So what?” Plus, it’s not like Stefan and Silas’ conversation was easy to follow or understand either. It wasn’t a completely random reveal because the show always discussed how Silas never appeared in his true form, but it needed to have been explained better so that it could have been a more gripping plot twist.
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