In the age of binge-watching and easy-to-find spoilers, truly surprising TV moments can be hard to come by. There’s one particular brand of TV shocker that is the rarest of all. These are the moments where fans knew—or at least suspected—something for a long time.
They never expected their theories to become canon, but those theories came to be bedrocks in their respective fandoms. After that kind of anticipation-plus-resignation, nothing feels more vindicating than those things actually happening.
When I saw one of these moments trending recently (thanks, 9-1-1!), I had to find out just how many of these we’ve seen in recent years. Thanks to extensive TV viewing—and the recommendations of friends—I’ve compiled some of the best “wait… they actually did it?!” moments on TV. Keep reading to see if your favorites are here, or let us know in the comments if we missed any!
Castiel Tells Dean “I Love You,” Supernatural
November 5, 2020: a day that shall live in internet infamy. In some ways, that unforgettable night was the perfect encapsulation of internet culture. Let’s rewind. It’s the Thursday night two days after Election Day in the US, and the presidential election still hasn’t been called. As the votes trickle in, Georgia is seemingly flipping blue for the first time in nearly 30 years. Elsewhere, bizarre rumors have started circulating about Vladimir Putin stepping down.
Oh, and a decade-long ship became canon on Supernatural.
Since the introduction of angel Castiel (Misha Collins) in a 2008 fourth-season episode, fans picked up on some serious chemistry between him and demon hunter Dean (Jensen Ackles). The show seemed to delight in toying with subtext and metatext, especially where “Destiel” was concerned. It delivered a constant stream of not-exactly-questionably flirtatious moments and scenes outright stating how important their bond was. Despite its ubiquitous presence in fandom, as Supernatural wound down its run, no one honestly thought the show would explicitly make the relationship romantic (and, by extension, make one or both characters canonically queer).
And then Castiel told Dean that he loved him, and the internet erupted. And then Cas got sent to superhell. Then a few weeks later, the finale killed off Dean with a rusty nail. But hey, we’ll always have November 5, and one of the most surprising TV moments ever.
Midge and Lenny Get Together, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
From the first episode of Prime Video’s candy-colored mid-century comedy, comedians Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lenny (Luke Kirby) had a magnetic pull. Starting with a first encounter in the back of a police cruiser, they quickly went from strangers to pals. Pretty soon, they were more than that: they had become the only ones who could really understand each other, able to drop in and out of each other’s lives without missing a beat — and, especially after their respective divorces, always with a slyly flirtatious edge.
Since Lenny is, of course, a fictionalized version of the very real (and very tragic) comedy legend Lenny Bruce, few viewers ever thought Midge and Lenny would ever act on that sizzling chemistry. A season-three episode saw them go on a romantic night out, only to not share so much as a peck. By this point, their electrifying would-be romance seemed resigned to the stuff of fanfic.
Then, the Season 4 finale briefly made all our dreams come true with one of our favorite surprising TV moments. After fleeing a police raid and a blizzard, the duo wind up in Lenny’s hotel room, bantering about comedy and Midge’s “show corset.” For once, there are no excuses left, and Lenny does what no other man has done: sees Midge as both a desirable woman and a brilliant comic. Social media exploded over their swoon-worthy hookup, and we’ll never think of “blue rooms” the same. It may have been brief (yet life-changing), but for one night, it was pure lightning in a bottle.
Ace Is a Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew
The CW’s very loose TV adaptation of the classic mystery heroine’s adventures never was one for playing by the rules. Characters veered far from their namesakes’ paths, and references to the original books were more Easter eggs than actual plot points. One of the biggest departure points was the introduction of Ace (Alex Saxon), a restaurant coworker of Nancy’s (Kennedy McMann) who hid a complicated past, some serious hacker skills, and a heart of gold behind a slacker facade.
Nancy had more than her fair share of love interests, but after a couple of seasons, it became clear that the chemistry between her and Ace was on a whole other level. As Ace’s importance to Nancy increased, so did his narrative importance. We learned about his backstory, his family, his hopes and fears. The one things we never learned? His last name. The longer the gag went on, the more fans theorized, and one thing in particular stuck: the idea that Ace was actually a Hardy Boy.
Since the Hardy Boy rights were not available at the time, most assumed this would remain a fan theory only. In the final minutes of the series, finale, though, the camera panned down. Underneath a table, where the core five friends carved their initials, were two letters that stood out: A.H. As in, Ace Hardy. That’s the closest we could come to getting on-screen confirmation, and executive producer Larry Teng later all-but-confirmed it in an interview with TVLine. This entry into the pantheon of fan-favorite surprising TV moments was one last love letter to the fans who kept the show going.
Buck Is Bisexual, 9-1-1
Fans of the first-responder drama have shipped Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) since the latter made his debut. The relationship between the two firefighters has, undoubtedly, followed a classic romantic arc. There’s the initial hostility, followed by getting to know each other, and eventually, they’re inseparable.
Of course, that would mean they’d have to be queer, and both characters had only dated women on screen. Fans picked up on tiny details that seemed to hint at Buck being less hetero than he appeared. From a meaningful conversation with “tapeworm guy” to accepting a compliment from someone who assumed Eddie’s son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) was both their son, fans saw years of moments that never panned out.
For the show’s landmark 100th episode—now airing on ABC—that all changed. Buck spent the episode jealous of Eddie’s newfound friendship with helicopter pilot Tommy (Louis Ferrigno Jr.). Eventually, he realized he was jealous of Eddie, because he wanted Tommy’s attention. In one of the more surprising TV moments of recent network TV, Tommy responded by kissing Buck—who kissed right back. Twitter blew up as the episode aired live, and while we don’t know where Buck’s journey will lead, we know one thing. He kissed a boy and he liked it!
The Mother Was Dead All Along, How I Met Your Mother
Most of these moments have been celebratory. After all, the best surprising TV moments are the ones we wanted to happen. How I Met Your Mother breaks from the pack by torpedoing its own legacy with a long-theorized but not-hoped-for plot point in its finale.
Tiny hints, especially in later seasons, had fans wondering if the titular Mother (Cristin Milioti) was no longer alive in the future. HIMYM delighted in intricate storytelling and long-game plot twists, drawing in fans to ask more questions. When superfans questioned why Ted (Josh Radnor/Bob Saget) was telling this story to his kids, most viewers figured that was a meta-bridge too far. After all, most TV shows don’t have a “reason” to exist other than being on the air. And a smash-hit sitcom would never end in tragedy… right?
Oh, to be so naive again. In the thoroughly-panned series finale, we learned that the hardcore theorists were right. The Mother, Tracy, had died years earlier. The whole show was Ted’s way of asking his kids if they were okay with him asking out Robin (Cobie Smulders). And just like that, one of the most beloved ’00s comedies torched its own legacy.
Tony and Ziva Have a Child, NCIS
Most of the surprising TV moments on this list happen on screen, but we had to make an exception here. For nearly a decade, agents Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) flirted so much that everyone assumed they must have had a thing at some point. The only question was when.
Tony and Ziva did share a kiss in de Pablo’s final episode, but that seemed the end. Until, of course, Ziva was presumed dead off-screen… and her and Tony’s daughter showed up. Over the years, NCIS teased the idea that the duo had hooked up at some point. Cover stories didn’t add up, and undercover assignments got a little too convincing. Still, most fans were resigned that nothing would happen for real, after so long. The reveal that they had, in fact, slept together was a real I knew it! moment for loyal shippers.
Today, that surprise reveal is extending the NCIS-verse even further. An upcoming spin-off is set to follow the reunited couple and their tween daughter on new adventures. And to think, at one point, no one thought we’d even get confirmation “Tiva” was real.
Korra and Asami Jump Into the Sunset, The Legend of Korra
(Special shout-out to Lyra Hale for suggesting this one!)
The cult-favorite animated sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender had something of an uphill battle throughout its four “chapters,” or seasons. Through it all, though, the show—and its fans—persevered. And, in the end, they were rewarded.
The show’s most popular ship paired Korra (Janet Varney), the reincarnation of the Avatar, with Asami (Seychelle Gabriel), one of Korra’s closest friends and allies. For an animated show geared at kids in the early 2010s, most fans saw the chemistry but figured nothing would ever be made textual.
Then the series finale decided to go out with a bang—or, rather, a leap. After the dust settled on the finale, Korra and Asami decided to take a trip together. As the spirit portal opened, a final image showed them holding hands, effectively “riding into the sunset” (and into history). Longtime fans felt vindicated, and LGBTQ+ representation took a step forward, in an era that was still a year before Obergefell legalized gay marriage across the entire US.
Donna and Harvey Have a Romantic History, Suits
Early seasons of Suits were deeply committed to establishing Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Donna (Sarah Rafferty) as strictly platonic life partners. So much so that, despite the sizzling, lived-in chemistry between them, most fans assumed two things. One, that they had something in the past, and two, that we’d never see it on screen or even hear about it.
How wrong we were! A flashback episode midway in Season 3 revealed the truth. A decade ago, they first worked together at the DA’s office, and, like the present day, refused to cross business with pleasure. Still, they flirt so much that everyone can see it. When Harvey quits after uncovering corruption, his first stop is Donna’s apartment. As always, she’s a step ahead and is waiting for him. The door closes just as Harvey leans in for the kiss; we’d have to wait five more seasons for a present-day liplock. Like the best surprising TV moments, this one not only confirmed a popular theory, but also revealed more about the characters we love.
Honorable Mentions
These are the surprising TV moments that weren’t quite as big a deal, but still made plenty of waves. Maybe they happened sooner in their shows or became obvious more clearly in advance. Still, they were Big Freaking Deal moments, and they’re worth celebrating too.
Josh and Donna Finally Kiss, The West Wing
The tension between White House deputy chief of staff Josh (Bradley Whitford) and assistant-turned-political-pro Donna (Janel Moloney) simmered for nearly seven years with nary a smooch or open declaration. After so long, it began to feel like maybe nothing would happen, after all. Then, high on the news of great poll results, Josh laid an impulsive, camera-spinning kiss on Donna. The surprise wasn’t that there was something between them—it was that they show finally went there.
Oliver and Felicity Fall in Love, Arrow
For the first season or so, Arrow went all-in on a star-crossed romance between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy). Fans, however saw sparks between the billionaire superhero and his Girl Friday, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards). With Oliver and Laurel being such an iconic comic-book couple, shippers tended to assume “Olicity” would never happen. By the end of Season 2, though, the show made it clear that it was changing course. Even though their first kiss was a ruse to defeat the villain, it paved the way for the ship to become the show’s OTP in seasons to come.
Alex Danvers Comes Out, Supergirl
(Shout-out to JamieBly on Twitter for suggesting this one!)
From day one, many fans speculated that Alex (Chyler Leigh), the human sister of Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), might not be straight. A (questionable) Season 1 flirtation with Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) seemed to indicate that the show wasn’t interested in going that direction. Ultimately, though, by the second season, Alex had her journey of self-discovery and came out as a lesbian. Even though it happened relatively early in the show’s run, it still pleasantly surprised many fans.
Booth and Bones Have a Baby, Bones
The surprise here is less the pairing itself—which was teased from the start of the consultant procedural—but rather how it happened. At the end of the sixth season, a devastating tragedy leads Booth (David Boreanaz) and Bones (Emily Deschanel) to curl up in bed together for comfort. After so many fake-outs, many viewers assumed this, too, would be brushed off, extending the tension without moving forward. Instead, the next episode revealed that, yep, they’d slept together—because Bones was now pregnant! It was an unconventional reveal for an unconventional couple, and it surprisingly worked.
Everyone Is in Purgatory (Sort of), Lost
Lost was the ultimate guessing-game show. With its complex mythology and constant twists, its six-season run was catnip for mystery lovers. One of the most popular was that the Island was actually Purgatory of some kind, and the theory persisted despite denials from the creators. The final season introduced an alternate “Sideways” timeline, which was revealed in the series finale to be a sort of “waiting” universe, where all the interconnected characters could wait to reunite before they “moved on.” So, technically the Island wasn’t purgatory… but the Sideways universe was, leading to lots of debate over whose theories were and weren’t vindicated in the end.
