Many great TV shows had an intriguing mystery that plagued their storylines from early on, but some titles waited until the very last episode to finally offer an explanation.The best TV shows of all timeoften includedone or more fascinating mysteries that kept viewers engagedin the hopes that one day an answer was going to be provided. While a solution to these problems occurred at different points in their respective timelines, some shows decided to save the juicy reveal until the very last moment.
However, only some shows were kind enough to do so. Manyfrustrating TV mysteries that needed answerswere sadly left unsolved, which made their overall popularity dip. Ironically, the most irritating examples of these were often TV shows about mysteries, only for audiences to be left dangling instead.Thankfully, these incredible TV mysteries paid off in the very last episode of their shows.
8The Purpose Of The Island
Lost: Notable Directors Include Jack Bender and Stephen Williams
The history and timeline of the Island inLostweren’t fully explained in the finale, but some questions about the enigmatic central location were answered.Lost’s last episode, entitled “The End,” saw several of its characters return to the heart of the Island, an area bathed in golden glow and, at one point, a crucial location that helped ensure its protection against the Man in Black.
10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Lost Season 1, 20 Years Later
September 2024 marks twenty years of Lost. It’s one of the best TV shows of all time, but season 1 has some notable flaws in retrospect.
There were many theories about what the heart exactly was and how it worked, butLost’s finale was able to shed some light on the matter. The cork used to hold back Jacob’s destructive force was, in fact, an actual cork, to many people’s surprise.The purpose of the heart was eventually revealed when Desmond removed the cork,which caused the light to cut out and made the Island start to collapse into the sea.
Lost
Cast
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
However, this discovery also allowed Jack to kill Jacob finally.There were multipleunanswered questions in theLostfinale, and although the truth about the heart’s cork was rather anticlimactic, it was still somewhat of an answer and gave audiences a better understanding of the Island’s mystical properties.
7The Location Of Our “Earth”
Battlestar Galactica: Notable Directors Include Michael Rymer and Michael Nankin
The journey to find “Earth” was a core mystery from the first episode ofBattlestar Galactica. TheBattlestar Galacticapilot introduced the Colonial Fleet following a sudden attack by the Cylons, which sent the crew out to the stars in search of the rumored refuge that was similar to Earth.The survivors took a long time to reach their ultimate destination.
But in the last episode, “Daybreak,” which was split into three parts, humanity arrived at their new home. However,the location of this version of “Earth” was always a mysterythatBattlestar Galacticafailed to address.Battlestar Galactica’s controversial finaleconfirmed a theory that viewers were long suspicious of. It was explained that this new world wasn’t just a near copy of our blue and green planet; it was actually Earth from the past.
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is a science fiction television series that premiered in 2004. The plot follows the crew of the aging Battlestar Galactica as they protect a small fleet of human survivors from the renewed threat of the Cylons, in a quest to find the mythical 13th colony, Earth.
This unusual and shocking discovery proved thatBattlestar Galacticaas a TV show was also set in the past, and it also highlighted that the search for Earth was realistically very simple. After they abandoned their home in the hopes of finding another safe place, the Colonial Fleet crew settled down in the same place just years before the tragedy.
6The Telenovela’s Narrator
Jane The Virgin: Directed by Melanie Mayron and Gina Lamar
The identity ofJane the Virgin’s narrator was a sneaky TV mystery.It wasn’t a detail that was particularly questioned at first, but audiences quickly started to wonder who the enigmatic man providing a detailed voice-over of Jane’s life was. However, clues dropped throughout the show implied that whoever it was, they were a significant part of Jane and her family’s lives.
Jane the Virginimpressively saved this exciting revelation until the end of the episode, and it was mentioned so subtly that it made the moment even more unexpected.
For example, they were at Xiomara and Rogelio’s wedding, two important members oftheJane the Virgincast. One popular theory was that the narrator was Jane’s late grandfather, Mateo. However, it was revealed after her wedding to Rafael that the hidden figure was their son Mateo instead, who was named after his ancestor.
Jane the Virgin
Loosely based on a Venezuelan telenovela, Jane the Virgin follows a young Latina woman, Jane, who despite being a virgin, falls pregnant after being artificially inseminated by mistake. The comedy-drama chronicles her relationships, pregnancy, and motherhood.
Young Mateo was the driving force behindJane the Virgin, even from the womb,so it made total sense that he was also the true protagonist of the show.Jane the Virginimpressively saved this exciting revelation until the end of the episode, and it was mentioned so subtly that it made the moment even more unexpected.
5The Mother’s Fate
How I Met Your Mother: Directed By Rob Greenberg, Michael J. Shea, and Neil Patrick Harris
The identity of the Mother inHow I Met Your Motherwas a massive TV mystery. Even though her face was finally shown in the season 8 finale, and she was a prominent character throughout season 9, there were still questions surrounding Tracy in the future.Ted’s conversations with his kids were never joined by anyone else,and it was always the three of them in his Westchester house, which made audiences concerned about where the Mother was.
Tracy’s demise, unfortunately, contributed to theharsh realities ofHow I Met Your Mother’s ending. There werehints of Tracy’s death inHow I Met Your Mother, but they were simply vague references, and it was hard to determine whether the show had killed her or not.Despite this, Tracy’s heartbreaking demise was still a massive shock.
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is a television series that follows a father telling his children about his past. Released in 2005, it explores his experiences and adventures with four close friends, leading up to meeting their mother, as depicted through a series of flashbacks.
Considering thatHow I Met Your Mother’s entire premise relied on Tracy, the impact she had on the unlucky-in-love Ted, andthe fact she was the mother of his children, it seemed heartlessthat she wasn’t there to share their stories with him. However, it also made sense, even if it was disappointing.
4The Red Room
The Haunting Of Hill House: Directed by Mike Flanagan
The Red Room inThe Haunting of Hill House,Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror,was strange and changed its appearance depending on which member of the Crain family interacted with it.Everything the Red Room pretended to bewasdifferent for each occupant, which put viewers on edge.For example, it was a toy room for Nellie, a treehouse for Luke, and a dance studio for Theo.
10 Frustrating TV Mysteries That Needed Answers
Some TV mysteries are better left unsolved, but other times they can have incredibly frustrating effects, tarnishing the show itself.
The Red Room was baffling, however, as it was always locked and only seemed to open for the Crains on its own terms. However, the last episode of the chilling miniseries saw the grown-up Crain siblings return to the Red Room, and the show explained just what the confusing place was. It was established thatthe Red Room needed the Crains to enter it so that it could feed from them.
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House is a 2018 horror drama series that interweaves the past and present narrative of a family grappling with traumatic occurrences from their former residence. The story explores the psychological and supernatural elements of their experiences as they contend with haunting memories and events.
This was why each version of it was so specific to each character, and it tailored its look to appeal to them. Once they’d spent enough time inside, the Crains found out the horrifying reality of the Red Room and how it was the stomach of the house.
3The Identity Of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl: Notable Directors Include Mark Piznarski and Norman Buckley
The villain behindGossip Girls’ iconic blog-writer was a prominent plotline from start to finish. TheGossip Girlfinale was a disappointing ending for many dedicated viewers, who felt thatthe reveal of who was hounding the characters with petty gossip and dangerous rumors was anticlimactic,especially as it created some plot holes.
Gossip Girl won multiple Teen Choice Awards (2008-2012), Young Hollywood Awards (2009), and ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2008-2012).
Every season ofGossip Girlbuilt suspense, but the finale confirmed that after years of intrigue and red herrings, the titular Gossip Girl was Dan Humphrey. There weresubtle clues that Dan was Gossip Girlthat went over viewers’ heads, but they were so brief or vague that it was hard to take them seriously.
Gossip Girl
Set in New York, 2021’s Gossip Girl chronicles the lives of a new generation of private school teenagers who navigate social dynamics and scandals. Through the pervasive influence of social media, their secrets are exposed, while the anonymous titular blogger reveals the complexities of their intertwined relationships.
Gossip Girl’s identity was hidden brilliantly throughout the show, andalthough Dan was suspected at times, so was everyone else.There were so many possible candidates who cropped up throughoutGossip Girlwho were potentially the faceless threat, but Dan was a massive troublemaker and loved to create conflict, so he was the perfect choice realistically.
2A.D.’s Connections To The Past
Pretty Little Liarswas another TV show that was plagued with a mysterious and hidden antagonist. While there ended up being multiple different people behind “A,” the finale managed to squeeze in one more shocking villain in the group.Every reveal of “A” inPretty Little Liarswas stunning, butnobody expected “A.D.” to have a connection to the show’s earlier installments.
Pretty Little Liars’finale introduced one last addition to the group of killers, and it was established that A.D. was Alex Drake, Spencer and Charlotte’s sister. The astonishing announcement that Alex Drake was also an A was layered. Spencer was the first suspect, but this was proved to be untrue. However, she was kidnapped and almost killed by the first A, Mona.
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars is a Teen Drama and Mystery series based on the novel by Sara Shepard. The show was created by Marlene King and stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Holly Marie Combs. The series revolves around four friends who meet back up with one another and begin to receive strange threats from an unknown source simply labeled “A.”
Spencer pushed Mona off a cliff after she asked her to join the A-Team, although she did later get involved, and this was what made it even more surprising that her twin also followed this path. Even though A.D.’s identity wasn’t teased from the beginning, her strange influence in the background was wrapped up in several otherPretty Little Liarsmysteries.
1Creed’s Mysterious Past & Crimes
The Office: Notable Directors Include Randall Einhorn, Paul Feig and Ken Kwapis
Creed Bratton was one of the most hilariouscharacters inThe Officecast.His wild behavior created some of the funniest moments throughout the show, but his most notable moments were generally when he was being rather suspicious. Creed was an odd guy who didn’t make a lot of sense, but it was heavily implied throughout the show that he was involved in criminal activities.
His wild behavior created some of the funniest moments throughout the show, but his most notable moments were generally when he was being rather suspicious.
In fact,it was even suggested that Creed was a murdererafter he arrived at the Halloween party covered in blood splatters, and he was relieved when he realized what day it was.The Office’s two-part finale saw the documentary crew return to Dunder Mifflin Scranton to film DVD extras and to follow the events of Dwight and Angela’s wedding.
The Office
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
It was during the opening scenes thatDwight shared that Creed faked his own deathafter the police came looking for him over a plethora of offenses. Some ofthe crimes Creed Bratton committed inThe Officeincluded selling drugs, trafficking meat of an endangered species, and stealing LSD from the military. All of these made total sense, and if anything, these crimes were relatively tame compared to what Creed was capable of.
