It’s that time of year, when we at Fangirlish look back on the best and worst that entertainment had to offer in 2021. There were several moments in television that surprised us – in good and bad ways. We’ve compiled our list of the most WTF moments in television this year.
Warning: This article may contain spoilers, so proceed at your own risk!
Brooklyn 99
The revelation of Holt’s tattoo was a definite WTF moment. Fans of Brooklyn 99 have waited 8 seasons for it. So to see it on his lower back, and reveal that it’s Kevin’s head on Cheddar’s body was the perfect ending to an already great show. It was a perfect series finale.
Great British Baking Show
From the very first episode of The Great British Baking Show (a.k.a. The Great British Bake Off), Jürgen stood out as one of the strongest bakers in the tent. We were betting he would make it all the way to the finals. So when he was eliminated in the semifinals, to say we were shocked was an understatement. The way he went out only made it harder to accept. We can only hope he returns to the tent someday – maybe for some sort of holiday episode?
Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith getting COVID and spending most of the season in a coma wasn’t an entirely surprising plot point. What would Grey’s Anatomy be without putting Meredith through every possible trauma, after all? And while it makes sense a medical drama didn’t want to avoid talking about a pandemic, it made it very difficult to sit through an entire season of what we were all living through. Don’t they know by this point we watch Grey’s to escape?! And then to top it all off, they went and killed off Andrew Deluca, who was finally happy after a super well done mental illness arc. It was enough to make fans seriously consider not watching season 18 after this many years committed to the show.
Lucifer
The decision not to have a daughter-from-the-future storyline, but to have that mean that Lucifer and Chloe had to spent the entirety of Chloe’s life on Earth apart, because …well, because happiness is bad? didn’t really sit well with us. Sure, we loved the show and we absolutely loved most of the decisions made in the final season, but we don’t believe a show is any less because it has a happy ending — and Rory’s life would have been so much better had she and her parents collectively decided she deserved a do-over. Not to mention, the entire run of the show would feel happy instead of bittersweet.
Loki
In the post credits scene of Loki episode 4 (“The Nexus Event”), when we see the Loki variants in The Void, that first shot of Alligator Loki broke our brains. We knew of the character from the comics but seeing it in the live action tv show was not something we were prepared for, especially after all of the other mind mending events of that episode. Also, in that episode we found out the timekeepers were fake and that thought Loki was dead. The reveal that he was alive was crazy enough, but the visuals of the void and a bunch of Loki variants including one that is not a humanoid? WTF?!
Manifest
The entire run of Manifest is really several crazy moments interspersed with Josh Dallas overreacting to it all. But in the last episode of season 3, when the pilot materializes in the flight deck of the airplane, blew our minds. We had a feeling we would see that pilot again but not like that – alone with a look of surprise on his face and no hint of the professor lady who he kidnapped when he disappeared the first time – and we certainly weren’t expecting him and the entire airplane to disappear the next second!
Mythic Quest
In Mythic Quest, the revelation that Pootie Shoo was Ian’s son was a huge shock. The entire episode was weird up to that point. We thought Ian’s character was up to something really bad and stupid in that mysterious road trip he force Poppy into, only to learn that his greatest secret was also his greatest weakness, in that facing it revealed him to be truly incompetent. Throughout the show it was obvious he is not as perfect as he pretends to be. But you got the sense that he has to have some talent and expertise to get as far as he has in life. Yet in this moment, we saw none of that. We only saw a a vulnerable man who was scared of a 14 year old boy because he knew that boy knew Ian was a worthless leader (and parent).
Squid Game
All of it. Just…all of it. Squid Game was one big WTF moment after another. If we had to pick one moment, it would be Sang-woo committing suicide in the finale. But, really, it’s just all of it.
Ted Lasso
Nate betraying Ted’s trust by leaking the story of his panic attacks to the press (and generally being a garbage human) warrants a spot on this list. Rewatching the show, the writers of Ted Lasso did an incredible job of setting up this plot point (his first interaction is yelling at Ted and Beard, he clearly enjoyed being an absolute twat in his speech to the team 1×07, he never had a singular scene with just Ted in season 2, kissing Keeley—there’s so much foreshadowing), so it shouldn’t have been a surprise! But you can’t help but want to root for the underdog to realize the ways they’ve messed up. The reality of it is that often doesn’t happen in real life, and just because you’re a shy, timid guy doesn’t mean you’re a good one. As much as we wanted to headbutt him, it was refreshing to see this character arc played out on the screen in a way it often isn’t. TLDR: We move to change his nickname to Nate the Not Great.
This Is Us
This Is Us is a show famous for its twists and this last season was no exception. But all the drama surrounding Kevin’s impending wedding to baby-mama Madison had people totally blindsided when it’s revealed KATE IS GETTING REMARRIED TO HER NEW BOSS IN THE FUTURE?? WHAT!! Kate and Toby’s future had been up in the air from previous flash forwards but this confirmation that they eventually get divorced and she somehow falls for the boss she’s currently butting head with … WTF!!
WandaVision
WandaVision is another one of those shows that had so many WTF moments, it’s hard to pick just one. But the appearance of Wanda’s brother, Pietro, had fans scrambling to decipher what it meant. Not just for the series but for the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. And, to be honest, even at the conclusion of the series, some of those questions – particularly regarding the X-Men – yet remain.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is one of those shows that always managed to take us a little by surprise – occasionally taking well-known tropes and spinning them on their head. And there were definitely moments throughout the season that made us laugh (or cry) in surprise, including the humorous bedroom scene in the second episode of the season, and Zoey’s drunken rehiring and subsequent re-firing of George. But in terms of WTF moments, Max getting Zoey’s powers in the season finale took the cake. We were screaming “What the fu-” at the screen, just as the characters did. That this plot twist was set up from the first season made it even better.
