Over 10 years after Game of Thrones' HBO debut, fans are still devastated over Lord Peytr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aiden Gillen) betrayal of House Stark lord Eddard "Ned" Stark" (Sean Bean) to appease Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). The honorable Ned was sold out for wanting to fight for the truth, which would lead to his false execution ordered by King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson).
Whether it was by old friends, lovers, or even family, there have been some downright horrible betrayals on the biggest TV shows in pop culture. s of Reddit have voiced which television betrayals hurt the most.
Elliot Abandoning Olivia — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Redditor SVU's 1998 debut, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) have had fans wishing for them to become an official couple. The detectives have excellent camaraderie and chemistry, but Elliot's shooting incident in the season 12 finale put a strain on their friendship.
Elliot not speaking to Livia for a decade upon early retirement was a crushing betrayal, as the partners had grown together for twelve years. Luckily, they would reunite in the 2021 SVU/Organized Crime crossover.
Lily's San Francisco Move — How I Met Your Mother
While the love between Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) in How I Met Your Mother is everlasting, their romance had some struggles. Reddit Bobby_Marks2 thinks that "when Lily moved to San Franciso and left Marshall" was a betrayal of the relationship.
After Lily and Marshall got engaged in the show's debut season, she broke up with him to follow her artistic ions in San Francisco. The betrayal wasn't about that she wanted to find herself and gain independence, it was that she made such a large decision without any regard towards Marshall.
Lester Nygaard Betraying His New Wife — Fargo
Adapted from the Coen Brothers' 1996 classic of the same title, Fargo's first season revolves around Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) narrowly getting away with the murder of his first wife. When he led his second wife Linda (Susan Park) to her death, Redditor Bojangles1987 said "any part of me hoping he could be better by the end was GONE".
Lester was a genuine antihero, who Linda had feelings for even before his confident metamorphosis. Although he had some remorse, it wasn't enough to excuse his motives. It proved that despite getting the life he always wanted, Lester's selfishness was unwavering.
Selina Letting Gary Take The Fall — Veep
The political comedy Veep was well known for its witty humor and unique characters. In her quest to be POTUS, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) had to make a few sacrifices, one of which being her trusted right-hand man Gary Walsh (Tony Hale). Reddit swan_wolf says "we all saw it coming but it still hurt".
The final season saw Gary taking the fall in the FBI's Meyer Fund investigation, leading to his arrest. This portrayal was not only devastating in the way of the one person that always stuck by Selina, but it completed her villainess transformation.
Shane Trying To Kill Rick — The Walking Dead
The friendship between Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) was one of the main interactions in the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, evolving to a love triangle with Rick's wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies). Not only was Shane going to kill Rick in season two, but Reddit Enchantedhorsey couldn't believe how Shane "was going to steal his family, too".
Shane and Lori's affair strained his friendship with Rick, and when it ended, the jealousy further contributed to his madness. This is rather disheartening to see that the horrifying apocalypse very easily tore apart the two friends.
Ross Saying The Wrong Name — Friends
The crux of the '90s sitcom Friends was the on-again/off-again romance between Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), with various love interests in between. Ross tried to move on with Emily (Helen Baxendale) but Rachel never left his mind. Reddit Rocky_Mountain_Way feels that "Ross saying Rachel's name when he was getting married to Emily" was a horrible betrayal.
Even though Emily was designed to be Rachel's opponent for Ross's heart, this is a betrayal that stings from a typically feel-good show. Emily's following emotions are completely justified, eventually leading to her leaving Ross altogether.
Chuck Sabotaging Jimmy — Better Call Saul
Starting as ing character Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul. Redditor jblanch3 feels Jimmy being betrayed by his brother Chuck (Michael McKean) "definitely laid the groundwork for Saul Goodman".
As Jimmy had been caring for Chuck in recent years due to a psychosomatic illness, finding out that his older brother had sabotaged the start of Jimmy's law career is astounding. While a legitimately successful legacy could've been obtained, Jimmy might not have had such an outstanding metamorphosis.
Tywin Lannister Doublecrossing His Son Tyrion — Game Of Thrones
Game of Thrones has seen villains outsmarting heroes more than once, but it hits the hardest when it comes from blood. Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) expressed disdain towards all his children, but Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) was the biggest victim of his ire. Redditor theyusedthelamppost couldn't believe that Tywin "sentenced his son to death and goes straight for the woman he loved".
The Lannister patriarch found a way to level the playing field of resentment with his actions, only caring for his young son out of vanity and humiliation. This cruel betrayal was a catalyst for Tyrion's final move, providing anguish in his liberation.
Walt Poisoning Brock — Breaking Bad
While Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) was a character thatBreaking Bad, their relationship was a father/son dynamic ranging from endearing to toxic. This Reddit says that Walt's "Lily of the Valley trick had to be the biggest betrayal".
This moment sent him to his boiling point, knowing that if Walt was capable of this level of cruelty, his evil knew no bounds. The hurt of Walt's betrayal further solidifies the strain of such a complex relationship, unsure on if they will either mend fences or rip each other down.
Sang-woo Sabotaging The Marbles Match — Squid Game
boundaryrider considers "a legit top 10 anime betrayal".
Sang-woo seized his opportunity to outsmart Ali, knowing that fortune favors the bold. What makes this betrayal hurt the most was that it was completely undeserving. Knowing that Ali's family would now be without him was not only a bittersweet betrayal for the audience but Sang-woo as well.