History Main / MidSeasonTwist

** Season 9 - Episode 9 - Rachel impulsively gives her phone number out to a guy who leaves a message which Ross overhears, planting seeds for a later episode where the two realize them living together isn't working out.

** Season 8 - Episodes 12-14 - Joey realizes that he's grown feelings for Rachel, and out of guilt encourages Rachel to move in with Ross.
** Season 9 - Episode 9 - Rachel impulsively gives her phone number out to a guy who leaves a message which Ross overhears, eventually leading to the two splitting up later on.

** Corresponding, the anime gives us an exact example in episode 7, when Mikasa is saved by the appearance of an Abnormal Titan that [[HunterOfHisOwnKind kills]] another Titan. Then it goes even further in the following episode, which reveals [[spoiler: the Titan is a transformed Eren]].

** Season 2: A... ''creature'' kills Renly. Tyrion discovers Cersei has been stockpiling wildfire for the upcoming siege of King's Landing. Theon decides to attack Winterfell. Jaqen offers to kill 3 people for Arya. The Night's Watch arrives at the Fist of the First Men where Sam explains "Three blasts means white walkers".Dany is invited to the House of the Undying.

** Season 1 - Zero is defeated for the first time by Cornelia.
** Season 2 - The Black Knights' conflict with Britannia begins going global when Zero agrees to the SAZ plan.

** Season 1 - Doyle is KilledOffForReal via HeroicSacrifice, showing that the show will inevitably pull no punches and that AnyoneCanDie, even the main characters.
** Season 2 - Wolfram & Hart gets Drusilla to re-sire Darla. ''BAD IDEA''.
** Season 3 - Holtz comes back; Wesley takes Connor.
** Season 4 - The Beast appears and begins the apocalypse. Cordelia and Connor have sex.
** Season 5 - [[spoiler:Lindsey]] returns.

** Season 3: Buffy accidentally kills someone.

** Season 1 (The Wolf and The Lion): Jon Arryn may have been poisoned. King Robert decides to have Daenerys killed. The Stark/Lannister feud worsens when Jaime and Ned get into a sword fight.
** Season 2 (The Ghost Of Harrenhal): A... ''creature'' kills Renly. Tyrion discovers Cersei has been stockpiling wildfire for the upcoming siege of King's Landing. Theon decides to attack Winterfell. Jaqen offers to kill 3 people for Arya. The Night's Watch arrives at the Fist of the First Men where Sam explains "Three blasts means white walkers".Dany is invited to the House of the Undying.
** Season 3 (Kissed by Fire): Tywin forces Tyrion & Cersei to marry Sansa and Loras, respectively. Lord Karstark is executed. Robb decides to capture Casterly Rock. Jaime reveals why he killed the Mad King. Jon & Ygritte have sex.

** Season 2: Kim finds the dead body of Carla in the trunk of her car. Up until that point, Carla's husband Gary was just abusive. Now he's a murderer too.

** Season 1 - First appearance of Prof. Slater and Pierce's pill addiction. Troy & Abed hang out for the first time.
** Season 2 - [[StartOfDarkness Pierce breaks his legs and gets addicted to pills]].
** Season 3 - Annie moves in with Troy and Abed and first appearance of the Dreamatorium.

** Season 3 (Kissed by Fire): Tywin forces Tyrion & Cersei to marry Sansa and Loras, respectively. Lord Karstark is executed. Robb decides to capture Casterly Rock. Jaime reveals why he killed the Mad King. Jon & Ygritte have sex. Shireen Baratheon's song over the end credits acts as {{Foreshadowing}}.

** Season 3: The Mayor of Sunnydale is revealed as the BigBad. Willow and Xander have an affair.
** Season 4: Riley works for the Initiative. Adam wakes up. Spike becomes a regular
** Season 5: Dawn is the Key; Glory is a god. The revelation that "Every Slayer has a death wish" really kickstarts the CerebusSyndrome that engulfs the season.
** Season 6: Buffy and Spike kiss, Willow becomes addicted to magic.
** Season 7: The BigBad confronts the Scoobies. Spike has been feeding again.

** Season 1: Elias makes his first on-screen appearance and becomes the first member of the RoguesGallery, marking something of a GenreShift and demonstrating that the show had a strong MythArc.
** Season 2: A new villain with a connection to Reese's past, Alistair Wesley, is introduced. Carter finds out about Snow's predicament.

** Season 3 (Kissed by Fire): Tywin forces Tyrion & Cersei to marry Sansa and Loras, respectively. Lord Karstark is executed. Robb decides to capture Casterly Rock. Jaime reveals why he killed the Mad King. Jon & Ygritte have sex.

** Season 3: Lord Karstark is executed. Robb decides to capture Casterly Rock. Jaime reveals why he killed the Mad King.

** Season 1: The Stark/Lannister feud worsens when Jaime and Ned get into a sword fight.
** Season 2: A... ''creature'' kills Renly. Dany is invited to the House of the Undying. Bran dreams of Winterfell getting swallowed by the sea. Jaqen offers to kill 3 people for Arya.
** Season 3: Lord Karstark is executed. Robb gets the idea to capture Casterly Rock.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': since every season is only 10 episodes, we can say that [[spoiler:Eddard getting arrested for contesting Joffrey's accession to the throne]] is the 7th episode twist for the entire series.

The point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Typically falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's roughly halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. Sometimes it's only in the first season to establish tone, or once per season to introduce new story arcs as it's one of the few acceptable times to change the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo.]]

The point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Typically falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's roughly halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. May happy once a season to introduce a new story arc as it's one of the few acceptable times to change the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo.]]

All examples that don't specify the episode number '''actually do [[LuckySeven land on 7 exactly]]''' as per the former [[RuleOfSeven Trope Name - aka Seventh Episode Twist,]] although this is not a hard and fast requirement for the trope.

Sub trope of WhamEpisode, compare FirstEpisodeSpoiler when the plot kick off twist is part of the original premise. Closely related to other exposition and pacing tropes as it usually indicates the end of Act 1, the DebutQueue, the [[HerosJourney crossing of the first Threshold etc.]]

** Zerg: The creature inside the chrysalis is Kerrigan.
** Protoss: The player defects to the side of Tassadar.

* Despite short lived, the 12 eps long ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' had heavy whams on the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 marks exactly.

** Episode 6: [[spoiler: The other girls find that once making a contract they become not human anymore]]
** Episode 9: [[spoiler: Sayaka and Kyoko's demise]]

* ''{{Tenchu}}'' 2 - Rikimaru and Ayame discover that Tatsumaru has amnesia and is fighting for the Burning Dawn.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': Chapter 7 serves to introduce TheSixthRanger Fang, who finally reveals her and Vanille's role in causing the Purge, as well as to end the long-running arc of Hope's pursuit of revenge upon Snow. All in all, it marks the turning point where the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits l'Cie]] stop working against each other and instead try cooperate henceforth.
* ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'': Chapter 7 is the first one where we get to play as Kian and April, kicking the plot into gear. It also features April meeting the White Kin and the Guardian of the Balance, serving to integrate ''Dreamfall'' into the established mythology of ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney''.
* For the first six episodes of {{Halo 4}}'s Spartan Ops The Infinity is using the Spartan 4s to try and learn more about Requiem, trying to keep a step ahead of the Covenant. Business as usual. But when episode seven rolled around, things on the Infinity get shaken up.
** [[spoiler: Prometheans Teleport aboard, and the Covies board her. To make things worse, the artifiact is telling requiem to tether Infinity through slipspace, so they can't get out of the range of the Promethean teleporters.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}''
** Terrans: The player is captured and imprisoned by the [[TheEmpire Terran Confederacy]] for accepting aid from [[LaResistance the Sons of Korhal]].

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSeries''
** ''Tiberium Wars'': The deposit of Liquid T. beneath the Temple of Nod is detonated, killing millions and attracting an AlienInvasion.
** ''Kane's Wrath'': Nod sabotages an Australian Liquid T facility, turning the heart of the continent into a Red Zone. The player turns out to be [[spoiler:a cimputer AI]].
* ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter'': Stealth is introduced when Gabe has to infiltrate the Pharcom Expo Center. [[spoiler:Edward Benton]] is revealed as TheMole.
* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'''
** Blood: The Ottomans are defeated but a new threat arises in the form of the Circle of Ossus.
** Ice: The BigBad Governor Warwick makes his appearance.
* ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'' : Chapter 7 is when the divided group comes back together, and when Greil Dies forcing Ike to go from rookie to commander of the Mercenaries at the beginning of Chapter 8.

The point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Typically falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's roughly halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. May extend to later seasons to introduce a new story arc or as it's one of the few acceptable times to change the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo.]]

All examples that don't specify the episode number ''actually do [[LuckySeven land on 7 exactly]]'' as per the former [[RuleOfSeven Trope Name - aka Seventh Episode Twist,]] although this is not a hard and fast requirement for the trope.

* ''GGundam'' hits one episode earlier. Episode 6 is when you learn Domon and Kyoji's backstory and he activates supermode for the first time.

* ''GundamSeed'''s first half is about the crew of a prototype ship trying to get to their main base, and shows the ennemy try to take it every week with a different tactic. And then, halfway through, [[spoiler: the main character's childhood friend turned rival goes beserk after seeing his friend killed, and the two have a fight that ends with the main character apparently dead.]]
* ''GundamWing'': The five Gundam pilots come together for the first time and end up getting played by the series' quintessential MagnificentBastard, whose superb BatmanGambit leads to the first of many major power shifts in the series.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
** Episode 6 has Amon and his Equalists perform a terrorist attack, blowing up the pro-bending arena, right after Amon de-bends one of the pro-bending teams and announces the beginning of the war between him plus his followers and benders. At this point the sereis is less about acclimating Korra and more about the conflicts and secrets with the upper echelon of Republic City. And the probending subplot goes away.

This is done either give the audience just what they've been waiting for, raise the stakes, or change the game somehow to keep things more interesting.

Generally the point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Usually falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. May extend to later seasons as well. All examples that don't specify the episode number ''actually do [[LuckySeven land on 7 exactly]]'' as per the former [[LuckySeven Trope Name - aka SeventhEpisodeTwist.]]

Sub trope of WhamEpisode, compare FirstEpisodeSpoiler when the plot kick off twist is part of the original premise.

Generally the point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Usually falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. May extend to later seasons as well. All examples that don't specify the episode number actually do land on 7 exactly as per the former Trope Name.

Sub trope of WhamEpisode, compare FirstEpisodeSpoiler when the plot kicking off twist is part of the original premise.

Generally the point when the {{Exposition}} stops and the real plot begins. Usually falls on episode 7 or there about, as it's halfway through the first 13 episode season, or 1/4 of the way through your 26 episode season if you get renewed. May extend to later seasons as well.

Obviously, this is a sub trope of WhamEpisode.

** Episode 7 is part one of the the two-part Winter Solstice episode that introduces the Spirit World, Aang's ability to talk to past Avatars, and the coming of Sozin's Comet. The series jumps from "Let's take [[TheChick Katara]] to learn Waterbending" to "kill [[BigBad Ozai]] in a year or the world gets destroyed".
** Episode 8, the second part of the two-part "Winter Solstice" episode. Part one focused on the nature of the Avatar, but it's part two where the series-long arc really starts. The series goes from 'Let's [[WalkTheEarth wander aimlessly]], have fun, and maybe eventually get Katara to learn Waterbending,' to 'defeat [[BigBad Ozai]] in 8 months or the world gets destroyed.'

** Episode 6 and 7. Episode 6 has Amon and his Equalists perform a terrorist attack, blowing up the pro-bending arena, right after Amon de-bends one of the pro-bending teams and announces the beginning of the war between him plus his followers and benders. Episode 7 reveals that [[spoiler:Hiroshi Sato, sponsor of Korra's pro-bending team and father to Asami, is TheMole, who has both been supplying the Equalists and hates benders with a passion. Asami attacks him and runs away, joining sides with Korra and the benders.]]
** Episode 8 goes a triple [[IncrediblyLamePun whammy]]. [[spoiler: Not only has Tarrlock begun to imprison innocent people as well as Korra's friends, he reveals himself to be a bloodbender, possibly connected to a bloodbender that the Gaang dealt with in the past, and kidnaps Korra.]] [[HolyShitQuotient Yeah.]]

* ''HeadOfTheClass'': the original premise had Charlie as a substitute teacher to a "gifted" class. Episode 6 featured the return of the original teacher and a permanent change in Charlie's status -- specifically, since this wasn't the last episode, he becomes permanent. The show does act as though he will leave until the literal last minute of the episode.

* Even documentary series sometimes fall into this. Episode 7 of Simon Schama's ''A History of Britain'' ends with the union of the English and Scottish crowns.
* Episode 7 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' is when we learn that Angel is a vampire.
* The 3rd season of ''Series/TwentyFour'' begins with a virus threat and a demand to release a drug lord from prison. By episode 7, it's revealed that the virus threat was all a hoax created by the good guys as part of a completed undercover mission to obtain the real virus.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' second season. It takes until the 7th episode for all the plot threads to finally come together and make sense.
* ''{{Chuck}}'' season 4. By the end of episode 7, we are introduced to the BigBad and Chuck loses the intersect.
* In episode 7 of ''{{Dollhouse}}'', we find out that Caroline was investigating Rossum (the company that owns the Dollhouse) before she became Echo.
* Episode 7 of the show ''{{Moonlight}}'' marked the reappearance of Mick's supposedly dead wife, as a human.
* In season 3, episode 7 of ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Angel finds out that Darla is pregnant. In the 7th episode of the following season, the result of the aforementioned pregnancy and the show's lead female have sex. There's a reason that this is the example given on the {{squick}} page.
* Episode 7 of ''{{Fringe}}'' is the one "[[Recap/FringeS01E07 In Which We Meet Mr. Jones]]", the first BigBad.
** Episode 4/13 of Season Five, continues with the standard "find the next piece of the puzzle and save the world" plot. [[spoiler:And then Etta Bishop is murdered by Windmark]].
* Series/{{Doctor Who}}
** The series 2 episode The Age of Steel ends with Mickey choosing to stay in the parallel universe and battle Cybermen.
** The series 5 episode Cold Blood ends with [[spoiler:Rory being unexpectedly shot and killed, then consumed by a time crack so that he never existed and Amy forgets him]].
** The series 6 episode The Almost People ends with [[spoiler:Amy discovering that she was actually kidnapped months earlier and is in reality in a space station somewhere and about to deliver a baby she didn't know she was pregnant with. This baby also turns out to be River Song]].
* Episode 5/10 of ''GameOfThrones''' second season sees [[spoiler:Renly Baratheon die]], completely changing the course of the war and making [[spoiler:his brother Stannis the main threat to King Joffrey's power]].
* Series//{{Smallville}}: Season 8 has been building up [[HeroKiller Doomsday]] as a briefly glimpsed but always mysterious serial killer of the kryptonite-fuels freaks of the week. Then, at Jimmy and Chloe's wedding, we see Doomsday, in the flesh, tear a bloody path right through the wedding party, seemingly kill Jimmy, throw away Clark with one punch, and kidnap Chloe, taking her to a corrupted Fortress of Solitude to be possessed by Brainiac. This marked the shows transition from freaks of the week to the more comic-booky villains and more conventional superhero fair.
* TropeNamer ''BabylonFive'' had one in every season but its fourth - that season was wall to wall arc episodes and no one really stands out. The others were:
** Season One's ''Signs and Portents''
** Season Two's ''The Coming of Shadows''
** Season Three's ''Severed Dreams''
** Season Five's ''Phoenix Rising''

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' : Episode 8, the second part of the two-part "Winter Solstice" episode. Part one focused on the nature of the Avatar, but it's part two where the series-long arc really starts. The series goes from 'Let's [[WalkTheEarth wander aimlessly]], have fun, and maybe eventually get Katara to learn Waterbending,' to 'defeat [[BigBad Ozai]] in 8 months or the world gets destroyed.'
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Episode 6 and 7. Episode 6 has Amon and his Equalists perform a terrorist attack, blowing up the pro-bending arena, right after Amon de-bends one of the pro-bending teams and announces the beginning of the war between him plus his followers and benders. Episode 7 reveals that [[spoiler:Hiroshi Sato, sponsor of Korra's pro-bending team and father to Asami, is TheMole, who has both been supplying the Equalists and hates benders with a passion. Asami attacks him and runs away, joining sides with Korra and the benders.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Episode 7 is part one of the the two-part Winter Solstice episode that introduces the Spirit World, Aang's ability to talk to past Avatars, and the coming of Sozin's Comet. The series jumps from "Let's take [[TheChick Katara]] to learn Waterbending" to "kill [[BigBad Ozai]] in a year or the world gets destroyed".
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has this in episode 6, the midpoint of the first 12 episode Season (or "Book"). The Pro-bending finals take place and the Equalists [[spoiler:destroy the arena (depriving Mako and Bolin of their home) and emerge publicly]]. At this point the series becomes much more intensely about the battle with the Equalists and the secrets of Republic City, and less about acclimating Korra. [[CaptainObvious Also the pro-bending subplot goes away.]]
* ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}} [=ThunderCats (2011)=]]]'': Episode 7, "Legacy" is a WhamEpisode, where we learn the origin of the Thundercats, their relationship with Mumm-Ra, and the game changes for the characters. They don't just need the Sword and Book of Omens, now they need to unite the Animals and find three new mystical stones as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{X-Men Evolution}}''
** Season 1 - Rogue's HeelFaceTurn and the existence of [[TheDragon Mystique]] to the team.
** Season 2 - Introduces Angel as well as Magneto's first on screen appearance since his [[NeverFoundTheBody apparent death]] the previous season finale.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' - first appearance of [[BigBad Vlad Plasmius]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'':
** The team forms at the end of the seventh episode produced during season one.
** In season two, episode 7 is when the Avengers first become aware of the Skrull infestation. [[spoiler: It also marks the end of Iron Man as leader of the Avengers, with Skrull Captain America leading only Hawkeye, Hulk and Wasp due to Iron Man, Ms. Marvel and Black Panther spitting off out of mistrust for the rest of the team.]] Interestingly, the production order lists this as the ''eighth'' episode of season two, but Marvel has confirmed that the chronological order designates this as the seventh episode.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' has a notable twist that pulls a fast one on long time comic book fans: [[spoiler:Harry Osborn is Venom!]]
* ''TronUprising'' episode 7 has Beck getting his hands on a dangerous UpgradeArtifact and using it despite Tron's warnings. WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity ensues, resulting in Beck nearly getting Able killed.
* ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'':
** First Arc- "The Reckoning": [[BigBad Atrocitus]] learns that the heroes are still alive after apparently dying in the second episode; [[spoiler: the existence of Atrocitus's invasion fleet is revealed, showing just how high the stakes really are]].
** Second Arc- "Cold Fury": [[spoiler: Aya disables her emotions, absorbs the power of the ''Interceptor'''s engines and uses it to defeat the Anti-Monitor, but in the process merges with the Anti-Monitor's remains, undergoes a FaceHeelTurn, and becomes the new BigBad]].

So you've been watching a show for a few weeks now, you like the characters and are just getting comfortable with the routine of how things work. You tune in expecting another MonsterOfTheWeek when all of a sudden the writers pull a fast one.

* ''AquarionEVOL'': In episode 13 (halfway through the series) [[spoiler: Jin learns first hand the meaning of RedemptionEqualsDeath and it falls like a bomb in the lives of his newfound friends (specially his love interest)]].

* ''GundamSeed'''s first half is about the crew of a prototype ship trying to get to their main base, and shows the ennemy try to take it every week with a different tactic. And then, halfway through, [[spoiler: the main character's childhood friend turned rival goes beserk after seeing his friend killed, and the two have a fight that ends with the main character apparently dead.]]
* ''GundamWing'': The 5 Gundam pilots come together for the first time in the 7th episode.

* ''DigimonAdventure'': Hit's one episode later, Devimon the first BigBad makes his first official appearance in episode 8

* ''GurrenLagann'': Episode 8. [[spoiler: Kamina dies.]] Nuff Said.
* Chapter 7 of ''MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'' sees the resident LadyOfWar Signum utterly and messily fragged by a newcomer villainess, establishing a much more gory mood of this manga compared to the previous installments.
* The first two episodes of ''RumblingHearts'' seem like a sweet high school romance until the last two minutes when [[spoiler: Haruka gets hit by a car and goes into a years-long coma]]. The show then jumps ahead three years, advancing most of the leads into their post-high-school years and giving them new character designs. Also, the reguilar title sequence doesn't appear until episode 3. Oh, and [[BreakTheCutie it gets a lot less sweet]].

* {{Pretear}} revealed in episode 7 that [[spoiler: the previous Pretear fell under darkness and became the BigBad]].

* ''Anime/PsychoPass'' [[note]]also written by GenUrobuchi like the series above[[/note]] had episode 11 in which the BigBad was revealed. He was the same person involved in an important case years before (the one that triggered Kogami's StartOfDarkness) and was revealed to be [[spoiler: [[KarmaHoudini immune to the Sibyl system]], which left him free to [[BreakTheCutie murder Akane's friend right in front of her.]]]]
* ''{{Manga/Appleseed}} XIII'': The pilot of the renegade Hecatonchires mech is revealed.
* ''GundamWing'': The five Gundam pilots come together for the first time and end up getting played by the series' quintessential MagnificentBastard, whose superb BatmanGambit leads to the first of many major power shifts in the series.
* ''GGundam'': Episode 6 is when we learn Domon and Kyoji's backstory and he activates SuperMode for the first time.
* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Devimon, the first BigBad, makes his first official appearance in episode 8.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Zabuza is formally introduced, and the show jumps from being about a kid in ninja school to an A-rank "protect against an evil assassin" mission.
* ''Bleach'': When Ichigo fights to keep Rukia in the real world.
* Chapter 9 of ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' reveals [[spoiler: that [[TheHero Eren]] did not die in battle. Not only that, he also has the power to transform into a Titan.]]
** Corresponding, the anime gives us an exact example in episode 7, when Mikasa is saved by the appearance of an Abnormal Titan that [[HunterOfHisOwnKind kills]] another Titan. Then it goes even further in the following episode, which reveals [[spoiler: the Titan is a transformed Eren]].
* Episode 4 of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' introduces Fate and [[GrowingTheBeard turns the Jewel Seed hunt into background noise]].
* ''GurrenLagann'': Episodes 7 & 8 -- The first ones that really start to kick the plot in gear, and [[spoiler: Kamina dies]].
* ''SaintSeiyaTheLostCanvas'' episode 6: the death of Pisces Albafica, showing the series as DarkerAndEdgier and AnyoneCanDie.
* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Introduces the (or a) BigBad into the series. Also, [[spoiler:Soul is infected with the Black Blood, which pretty much initiates the plot.]]

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Episode 3 is when the tone of the show goes from standard MagicalGirl fare to a CosmicHorrorStory, headed by [[spoiler: Mami... well, losing her head. Literally]]. Episode 8 reveals [[spoiler:what witches really are, as well as essentially killing off Sayaka to create Oktavia.]]
* ''Anime/CodeGeass''
** Season 1 - Zero is defeated for the first time by Cornelia.
** Season 2 - The Black Knights' conflict with Britannia begins going global when Zero agrees to the SAZ plan.
* ''Manga/BlackCat'': Episode 6 has Saya murdered and Train injured, leading to Sven rescuing the latter and pushing Train to his HeelFaceTurn.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' - the series' first real TearJerker happens when [[spoiler:Nina's father combines her with a dog to make a talking chimera so he could extend his State Alchemist license for another year]].
* Episodes 7 and 8 of ''Manga/DragonBall'' revealed that Muten Roshi was a powerful martial arts master and that Goku's Grandpa Gohan was his pupil.
* ''PhantomOfInferno'': (Anime) Episodes 7 and 8 reveal Zwei's true past and identity.
* ''HellGirl'' adds the perspective of Hajime and Tsugumi to the episodic format in the eighth episode.
* In ''FinalFantasyUnlimited'', the seventh episode introduces new character Lou Lupus and new threat Omega.
* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' introduces [[KnightOfCerebus Princess]] [[DarkMagicalGirl Kraehe]].
* In Episode 8 of {{Elfen Lied}}, we begin to learn of Lucy's traumatic backstory, and as such some of her motivations.

* ''BusouRenkin'': Dr. Butterfly resurrects Papillon.
* ''InuYasha'': He claims the sword Tessaiga.

* ''YuYuHakusho'' episode 6 - Yusuke gets his first assignment as spirit detective.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Another Eva pilot gets a passing mention, manning another Evangelion in Germany, Unit 02. Episode 8 formally introduces her- Asuka Langley Soryu. The series goes into a temporary MonsterOfTheWeek format following her arrival, until episode 16... then hits CerebusSyndrome.... ''hard.''
* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' - People are starting to forget [[{{Unperson}} Fuko]].
* ''Trigun'': Episode 5 is the first time Vash gets completely serious in a fight, and the villain of the episode is later revealed to be part of a mercenary family. Likewise, episode 9 introduced the Gung-Ho Guns and reveals Vash's many scars.
* ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'': in the seventh episode, Misty is revealed to be a Gym Leader.

* ''Negima!?'': In the first anime, [[spoiler: Evangeline]] isn't revealed to be a [[spoiler: vampire]] until episode 6, and [[spoiler: Chachamaru]] to be a [[spoiler: robot]] until episode 7 (though at least she has some foreshadowing.) It happens even later in the manga, with the revelation not coming until after the 8th grade exams, which were episodes 12 and 13 in the anime.
* ''MacrossFrontier'': The first major space battle (earlier engagements were just small skirmishes), with the first Vajra capital ship making an appearance...folding through a [[NegativeSpaceWedgie fold fault]], which was supposed to be completely impossible. Then the ''Macross Quarter'' gets to show off why it deserves the first part of its name...basically, episode 7 seriously upped the ante in terms of action. And then, at the very end, Brera plays ''Aimo'' on his harmonica, hinting at his connection to Ranka for the first time.

* ''Anime/SaintSeiyaOmega'' has several. Despite people's belief it was a lighthearted series, several were shocked with the revelation that the director from Palestra is revealed as one of Athena's strongest Saints but has betrayed her and is sacrificing several young soldiers. Another twist involves in mid first season when a main member from the cast, Aria. is KilledOffForReal despite the previous series' NotQuiteDead. Several fans refused to believe she was killed and expected the next episodes to reveal she was alive. They were wrong.
* ''Anime/SoukouNoStrain'' looks like it's going to avert this with a fanservice filler episode, until Lavinia's antics accidentally land Emily in a garbage truck. Episode eight follows, with an almost-kiss, Sara meeting the other Emily, Carris having ADeathInTheLimelight, and Sara confronting Ralph only to be exposed to Lottie and the ''Libertad''.
* MÄR doesn't exactly have a twist on Episode 7 per se, aside from the fact that Snow exists (something you could figure out by watching the OP) but it is where the plot actually starts.
* ''Manga/TheDaughterOfTwentyFaces'' is ''very'' difficult to discuss without revealing [[EverybodysDeadDave what happens]] [[TrashTheSet in the]] [[HeroicBSOD sixth]] [[NotQuiteDead episode]].

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