The biggest twists in Schmoedown history (Patreon)

by Tom Maston of Schmoedown Blog

The stage turns dark. Andrew Ghai and Ben Bateman silenced by some rather ominous music. In a flash, four hooded figures appear, revealing themselves one by one before adding a further digit to the four fingers they each previously holding aloft.

The lights dip again before a previously unseen fifth figure uncloaks. Shock and joy etched on faces alike, the Five Horsemen were born.

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Now that you have recovered from the shock that Dan Murrell is back int the Schmoedown, Mark Reilly too has returned and aligned himself with previous adversary John Rocha and Mike Kalinowki is, in fact, not part of the Schmoedown's newest faction, we as fans should perhaps dwell on how well those behind the scenes were able to play viewers and pull off a twist this epic.

For many it will shoot straight to the top of the list in terms of pure Schmoedown moments, but it certainly has some rivals when it comes to the greatest ever twists. Take a trip back down memory lane and look back at some of episodes that left mouths agape around the globe...

NAPZOK TURNS TO THE DARK SIDE

For so long outspoken in his distaste for all things Lion's Den-related, there were few in the Schmoedown who would have been less likely to join the most despicable group of individuals in the world of movie trivia.

And yet, there "The Pitboss" was, stood grinning like a Cheshire cat alongside Tom Dagnino and Grace Hancock having taken offence to being overlooked for the role of Interim Commissioner some weeks previously.

In truth fans should have seen this coming - Napzok had begun to soften his stance slightly towards members of the Den, particularly JTE, in the weeks building up to the Star Wars No.1 contender match.

But what made this twist really pack a punch was that just seconds earlier Napzok had been sat on the other side of the room answering questions from the commentators in his usual jovial manner. For all those watching at home knew he was still sat there, while even those in studio saw him use his disgust for the Den as an excuse to depart stage left.

Things have not quite gone his way since that decision - he is currently on an eight-match losing run across three different divisions - but th way he was able to fool the world will likely still give him some heart.

MACUGA SHOCKS EVERYONE - INCLUDING HIMSELF!

The Freshman (1990) - A NYC film school student accepts a job with a local mobster who resembles a famous cinema godfather and who takes the young man under his wing, after demanding total loyalty. And the subject of one of the Schmoedown's great twists.

When Josh Macuga and Kristian Harloff faced off in the semi-finals of the inaugural Ultimate Schmoedown tournament, their fates would be settled by their knowledge - or lack thereof - of The Freshman. Macuga had never heard of the movie. He told anyone who would listen as he pondered whom Marlon Brando's co-star could have been.

But when Harloff's answer of Matthew Broderick was confirmed as being correct, the look on "The Wildman's" face was priceless. Whether this twist was manufactured by the man himself or totally organic, those watching on were left in disbelief as Macuga, too, revealed he had somehow managed to recall the correct answer and secure his place in the final.

While others will point to Marc Andreyko's clearance of the Free 4 All table in 2016 as the best organic Schmoedown moment of all time, Macuga's Broderick moment will go down as the greatest organic twists, mainly as it even left the man directly involved stunned.

CHANDLER LEAVES HER DARK PAST BEHIND

Brianne Chandler was one of the best heels the Schmoedown had during Season Four. Her own decision to rally against the established order came as a shock in itself, but her call to revert back to the light side was a real "where did that come from?!' moment.

Almost forgotten by some given how dramatc the matches at Schmoedown Spectacular II were, "Miss Movies" returned from a well deserved rest to reveal to the MissFits that she would be leaving them to carry on without her. Not a great shock in itself, but what happened next certainly was.

Chandler's relationship with Mike Kalinowski was frosty, to say the least. Three times during the 2017 season 'K.O' had got the better of her, knocking her out of both Ultimate Schmoedown tournaments on the way.

The pair had traded insults along the way, so when Chandler exited the Spectacular to be driven away in a hurry, few expected her chauffeur to be the man who was, back then, the ultimate movie trivia good guy. The slow winding down of the blacked out window made the reveal that bit better too.

While we are yet to get a full pay-off from this new alliance, no doubt something is in the works to correct that. For now, though, just revel in that feeling you had when you watched on for the first time.

BOTTOM LINE - YOU'RE A LOSER!

When Josh Macuga and Finstock decided to team up and become the Megapowers, few believed they would have the combined abilities to realistically challenge for the belts. They did, though, think that their personalities would allow them to become one of the most loved pairings within the movie trivia world.

They began by losing out to the Patriots (how different would the Schmoedown have been if that result had been different?!) but bounced back well to take out the Wangers. What no one saw coming was what followed.

During their post-match interview Finstock announced that he no longer wanted to partner Macuga, citing "The Wildman's" loser behaviour for his decision. Quite what loser behaviour entails remains a bit of a mystery, but needless to say that - according to the man with the mask - Macuga has it in spades.

This was the first dramatic break-up of a team within a match setting, and as such was greeted with shock throughout the Schmoedown community. It's fair to say it paved the way for many of the shocking storylines that we have seen played out in years since.

THE TACKLE

When Team Action agreed to take on Top 10 for the second time in quick succession at Schmoedown Spectacular II, fans knew there would be fireworks. Few were prepared, however, for a physical assault!

With John Rocha and Matt Knost recording a TKO victory with little fuss, many felt one of the most hyped up matches of the 2017 season might pass with little fanfare. Andrew Ghai had other ideas, though, as he took matters into his own hands and hared off towards the celebrating Rocha, tackling him to the ground as an expression of his anger at the defeat.

As twists go this ranks higher than Ghai's subsequent Schmoedown appearance, where he trolled fans everywhere by entering to Dan Murrell's theme tune and claimed to have taken him out. Many expected him to return in some guise at the event given his ban for the tackle was almost up, and as much as it left some viewers gobsmacked, its impact - at least initially - was minor compared to how much the tackle shook the Schmoedown world.