15 Of The Most Shocking TV Cliffhangers of All Time

Grey’s Anatomy - Season 5: “John Doe is George!”

If there’s one show that rivals Game of Thrones when it comes to traumatic character deaths, it’s Grey’s Anatomy. Creator Shonda Rhimes knows not only how to make viewers reach for a tissue, but also how to keep them talking and tweeting all summer. Going into the fifth season finale, viewers were worried about Izzie’s ongoing battle with brain cancer; Rhimes pulled a classic bait and switch. The doctors spent the episode operating on a John Doe who had been dragged by a bus after saving a pedestrian. In the final moments, Meredith Grey realizes that the John Doe is none other than her close friend and colleague George O’Malley. Moments later, after a seemingly successful brain surgery, Izzie flatlines, and George is rushed into surgery. The chilling final moments left viewers wondering who would live and who would die.