Random TV Seasons That Ruined Your Favorite Shows (37 items)

• 

  (#1) That '70s Show - Season 8

  • That '70s Show

  It’s a major blow to a show when one of its principle cast members leaves, but when two leave, that’s a critical hit. This is exactly what happened in the eighth season of That 70’s Show, when Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left to pursue roles on the silver screen. Fans reeled from the introduction of Randy, an obvious and unworthy stand-in for Eric’s character and Donna’s new love interest. Fans also questioned the relationship between Jackie and Fez, which felt forced, and not true to their characters.
• 

  (#2) Roseanne - Season 9

   

  Although Roseanne Barr is often the butt of many jokes, her sitcom Roseanne was a ratings hit. The show remained popular until the very last season, when the titular character and her working-class family won the lottery. What followed was a season-long parade of Roseanne attending fancy soirées and rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. However, in the season finale, viewers learn that all of the events of the season never happened. Roseanne never won the lottery. She made it all up to cope with her husband’s death. The shift in tone, the introduction of wacky gimmicks, and the retcon in the finale contribute to making this the weakest of the series.

   
• 

  (#3) True Blood - Season 7

  For many fans, Season 7 of True Blood was horrific, and not in the way they were hoping. True Blood’s final season unceremoniously killed off several of its major characters, ones who deserved a better and more meaningful end. The season also overused new characters and unimportant side characters, like Tara's mother Lettie Mae, while giving some of the more interesting supporting characters, like Pam, little to do. The moronic finale was the final nail in the show's coffin. 
• 

  (#4) Happy Days - Season 5

  If you don't know, the phrase "jumping the shark" is a reference to the infamous scene in a Season 5 episode of Happy Days, in which everyone’s favorite biker with a heart-of-gold dons his leather jacket and water-skis over a confined shark. Sean Connelly, the man who coined the phrase, describes it as the “defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill.” The episode highlighted a growing trend within the series; Fonzie was becoming an infallible superhuman, and fans felt it wasn’t true to his character.
• 

  (#5) Scrubs - Season 9

  • Scrubs

  According to Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, the ninth season of the show was meant to be a spinoff, but the network wanted to use Scrubs’s brand recognition to earn more viewers than would a spinoff. Lawrence credits his inability to market the show as a spinoff as one of the reasons this season wasn’t as successful as previous ones, but there were some other notable issues. The new main character was bland, and the show began recycling plot lines from previous seasons.  
• 

  (#6) Heroes - Season 2

  • Heroes

  Season 2 of Heroes is widely regarded as a filler season with little to no character or plot development. The season rehashes storylines from the first season – Claire has to hide her powers, Peter needs to relearn his powers, and that’s about it. The 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike occurred half way through the production of the second season, which resulted in only 11 of 24 ordered episodes being produced. The shortened season is cited as one of the many problems with this particular season, as the writers unable to take the season’s arc to its intended climax.
• 

  (#7) X-Files - Season 8

  Losing one of your two principal leads is akin to losing a wheel on a shopping cart. Yeah, you can still move forward, but it’s not going to be a smooth ride. This is especially true for The X-Files, a show in which the relationship between the two agents is the heart of the show. Mulder’s departure for the eighth season of this science fiction phenomenon left fans wishing the series ended with Season 7.
• 

  (#8) Dexter - Season 8

  • Dexter

  After some ups and downs throughout the run of the series, fans hoped for an epic, blood-spattered romp to end Dexter’s run. Unfortunately, Season 8 was unfocused and uneven. Most of the supporting cast was pushed to the sidelines, and the new characters never paid off. What upset fans the most was the quiet ending. Fans wanted the show to go out with a bang; instead, Dexter left everything behind and became a lumberjack.
• 

  (#9) Gilmore Girls Season 7

  • Gilmore Girls

  Gilmore Girls began to suffer once the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, left. Much of the whimsical, fast-paced dialogue that was a hallmark of the early seasons was gone, replaced with the stunted raport we expect of CW dramas. This season also includes the drawn-out rekindling of Christopher and Lorelai’s relationship, one that left Luke and Lorelai shippers in tears.
• 

  (#10) How I Met Your Mother - Season 6

  • How I Met Your Mother

  To say the series finale of How I Met Your Mother pissed off a lot fans would be an understatement. Even were it not for the atrocious ending, many fans consider Season 6 the show's weakest. No one was on board with Ted’s new love interest, Zoey - the two never agreed on anything and fans found her manipulative and annoying.  
• 

  (#11) Weeds - Season 4

  Season 4 of Weeds shakes things up after Nancy burns her house to the ground at the end of Season 3. She moves to Tijuana, where she fully embraces her job as a drug dealer (yay positive images of Mexico). This change brings in a lot of new conflict, but the show loses a lot of its humor, and becomes downright depressing.
• 

  (#12) Lost - Season 6

  • Lost

  Lost ended its final season with a lot of unanswered questions. Fans who stuck with the show expected a massive payoff – but instead of answering questions, the season posed new ones and left viewers wondering if the writers were just making things up as they went along (which they were, and which really shouldn't surprise anyone since planning for several seasons of a show when you could get canceled tomorrow is a waste of time). 

  Some fans liked the open-ended nature of the final season, but most wanted concrete answers for questions like what made Walt so special and why were women unable to give birth on the island?
• 

  (#13) True Detective - Season 2

  A lot went wrong with the second season of HBO’s dark and surreal crime drama. Gone were the eerie southern gothic elements and the growing rapport between two seemingly mismatched detectives that made the show so unique. In its place, viewers were graced with the gritty streets of Los Angeles and a host of detectives with their own demons. If that sounds familiar, it’s because there are over a dozen procedural shows with that exact premise. It’s not a bad idea, but the first season of True Detective was a new kind of procedural, one that transcends the genre, and, unfortunately, the second season fell short.
• 

  (#14) The Office - Season 8

  • The Office

  Some fans would argue that The Office became boring after Pam and Jim got together, but many cite the first season without Michael Scott as its weakest. While James Spader was great as Robert California, the character lacked the charm Steve Carell brought to Scott. The show became as directionless as Dunder Mifflin, and floundered through its final seasons. 
• 

  (#15) Friends Season 9

  • Friends

  If Season 9 of Friends feels uneven, it’s because the series was intended to end with the ninth season. However, the cast renegotiated their contracts, and the writers had to rewrite the end of the season. The biggest complaint fans have with the ninth season was Rachel’s burgeoning love for Joey. It was completely left field and didn’t feel true to the character.
• 

  (#16) Waking the Dead - Season 6

  • Waking the Dead

  The Walking Dead has had its ups and downs, but Season 6 of the show rehashes tired plotlines, like finding a new safezone, and has inconsistent characterization where seasoned survivors make amateur mistakes for shock value and drama. The most egregious crime of this season is the finale’s cliffhanger, where the big bad, Negan, kills a major character, but the camera cuts to black before the viewers can see who is killed.
• 

  (#17) Arrested Development - Season 4

  After Arrested Development's untimely cancelation, the critical darling and cult favorite found a new home on Netflix. A majority of the cast had other commitments during the filming of this season, which made it difficult to get everyone together. As a result, many of the episodes in Season 4 focus on one of the Bluths instead of the entire family. The lack of ensemble scenes, which is where the characters shine, in addition to the increased on-screen presence of Ron Howard, and the complex plot, are some of the disappointing elements of this season.

  In July 2016, series creator Mitch Hurwitz announced that he re-edited Season 4 from its original novelistic form into traditional sitcom format - 22 episodes of 22 minutes each. And, according to Hurwitz, "It really works!" 
• 

  (#18) Homeland - Season 3

  As much as fans loved Homeland’s Nicholas Brody, many felt he should have died in the explosion at the end of the show’s second season. Some even felt the show would have been better served if it ended after Season 2, as all of the main storylines were resolved. Fans also resented Brody’s absence for half of Season 3 and the additional and unnecessary screen time devoted to the tribulations of his teenage daughter.
• 

  (#19) House of Cards - Season 3

  When a main character achieves the goal they set for themselves at the beginning of a series, it’s difficult for a show to regain momentum. At the end of Season 2, Frank Underwood, through plotting, scheming, and murdering, fulfills his goal of becoming the President of the United States. Viewers were cheering Frank and Claire on as they manipulated their way to the top, but once they got to the top, the show became a workplace drama and stopped being entertaining. Of course, since the show is basically Macbeth, the rise to the top is only part of the journey - now they need to fall into tragedy. 
• 

  (#20) Prison Break - Season 2

  • Prison Break

  Given the riveting premise (who can resist a good ol’ prison break), fans were hooked by Michael’s elaborate plan to help his wrongfully imprisoned brother escape prison. However, after Michael fulfilled his goal and the brothers escaped, Prison Break stopped being about, you know, a prison break. Once the boys are outside the prison walls, the show loses those edge-of-your seat moments that made the first season a binge-watching delight.
• 

  (#21) Sons of Anarchy - Season 3

  • Sons of Anarchy

  Following two incredible seasons, Sons of Anarchy's third season was a disappointment. Despite having a strong finale, the narrative of Season 3 suffers from poor pacing. Most of it focuses on the build-up towards Northern Ireland, where the second half of the season takes place. Most fans believe the move to Northern Ireland was misguided and unnecessary.  
• 

  (#22) Glee - Season 2

  • Glee

  The second season of everyone’s favorite teen musical dramedy went into full-on Degrassi mode, opting for a lesson-of-the-week format. While the show promoted positive messages, the lack of plot left some fans wanting. In addition, story and characterization became secondary to churning out musical numbers for the Glee iTunes selling machine.
• 

  (#23) The Simpsons - Season 24

  • The Simpsons

  According to fans, the twenty-fourth season of The Simpsons is one of its blandest and least funny. This season suffers from a bloated batch of celebrity guest stars whose insignificant, one-off roles take up valuable screen-time—screen-time that should be devoted to what are now nearly nonexistent supporting characters like Barney and Edna.
• 

  (#24) New Girl - Season 3

  Many shows suffer when the will-they or wont-they couple finally get together, and this proved to be the case in Season 3 of New Girl. Jess and Nick start dating and the show’s focus shifted from all four of the roommates to Jess and Nick’s relationship. Fans were also upset when Schmidt began dating two women at the same time. Producers of the show thought "it would be interesting to have a guy who was legitimately in love with two women,” but many fans were upset that one of their favorite characters was a cheater.
• 

  (#25) Orphan Black - Season 3

  The first two seasons of Orphan Black provied fascinating interplay between Sarah Manning and her sister clones. While fans and critics praised Tatiana Maslany’s nuanced portrayal of 12 different clones in Season 3, the introduction of the male super soldier clones made the show feel a little crowded, forsaking the prevailing themes about freedom and identity for a more expected, and some would argue boring, good versus evil arc. Luckily, Season 4 killed it.    
• 

  (#26) The West Wing Season 5

  • The West Wing

  It’s painful when a show’s creator decides to leave, and this was especially so when Aaron Sorkin left The West Wing at the end of Season 4. The exalted, witty, and fast-paced dialogue of the show is Sorkin’s creation – he wrote almost every single episode in the show’s first four seasons, and if you've ever heard Sorkin speak, or seen anything else he's written, you know only he can do this, because he's writing his own voice.  

  So when the first few scenes of Season 5 played out, there was a marked difference. The dialogue fell flat and lacked the light-hearted humor that fans had come to love. The series trudged on for three more seasons, but it never regained the bounce it had when Sorkin’s words flew through the halls of the White House.
• 

  (#27) Supernatural - Season 6

  • Supernatural

  Many consider Season 5 of the paranormal drama Supernatural to be the apex of the show, with the self-sacrificial Winchester brothers taking on heaven, hell, and the end of the world. What came after this plot-heavy arc was a season mostly comprised of filler and wasted potential. There are a few highlights, like the fourth-wall-breaking episode “The French Mistake,” but overall, Season 6 feels as soulless as Sam after he’s pulled out of Lucifer’s cage.
• 

  (#28) Arrow - Season 3

  The third season of CW’s Arrow was unfocused. This may in part be a result of the flashback structure that doesn't really connect the past to the present day events in the show. Also, fans were not in love with The Flash crossovers. Many thought Barry’s presence and the hype around the Flash’s first season overshadowed Arrow.
• 

  (#29) Legend of Korra - Season 2

  Legend of Korra – Book 2: Spirits had a tough act to follow. The first season was met with favorable reviews and high praise from fans. Unfortunately, several plotlines went nowhere, the animation was weak at certain points, and Unalaq, the season’s main villain, was dull and forgettable. Things pick up towards the end of the season with the episode “Beginnings,” but overall, this was a patchy season.
• 

  (#30) Veronica Mars Season 3

  • Veronica Mars

  The third and final season of Veronica Mars is notably different from its first two. It lacked many of the noir elements that made it unique, like Veronica’s narration. Additionally, instead of a sprawling, season-long mystery that is resolved in a tense climax at the end of the season, Season 3 takes on several small mysteries that don’t provide the same emotional payoff. The move from Neptune High to Hearst College also hurt the show. Veronica and company had to acclimate to a new environment, and, as we can see in other shows, the transition from high school to college doesn't make for riveting television.
• 

  (#31) Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer

  The fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw the characters leave the “comfort” of Sunnydale High and move on up to U. Sunnydale. Like many shows that try to follow its characters into college, the transition is a little rocky. The show loses some fan-favorite characters like Oz, Angel, and Cordelia. They, along with creator Joss Whedon, left the show to work on Buffy’s sister show, Angel. Season 4 also has one of the worst episodes of the entire series, “Beer Bad,” where Buffy drinks a spiked beer that makes her act like a cavewoman.
• 

  (#32) M*A*S*H* - Season 11

  If you only watch the final season of M*A*S*H*, you might not realize that the show is meant to be a comedy until the laugh tracks chime in. By the eleventh season, the show got rid of its funniest characters and felt more like a drama than a comedy. Some fans preferred the change, believing the comedic tone was ill-placed given the show’s content, but many missed the lightness of the earlier seasons.
  
• 

  (#33) Seinfeld - Season 8

  • Seinfeld

  Season 8 of Seinfeld was the first without showrunner Larry David. With David’s departure, the show became a little wackier than usual, and ventured away from its premise of being “a show about nothing.” Season 8 was also the first season that didn’t include Jerry’s stand-up intros, a much-loved staple of the show.
• 

  (#34) Friday Night Lights - Season 2

  • Friday Night Lights

  Like several series in this list, Friday Night Lights peaked in its first season. The second season of this drama about a small town high school football team seems to have suffered at the hands of network notes, which demanded more plot twists and sensationalism—case in point, Landry murdering Tyra’s would-be rapist. 
• 

  (#35) Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 6

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer

  Despite giving us fan-favorite musical episode “Once More, with Feeling,” season six of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is its darkest. Each of the characters are at their lowest: Buffy is almost raped by Spike, Anya cheats on Xander and the two call off their wedding, Willow abuses and overdoses on magic, and Tara is murdered by a bullet meant for Buffy. Whedon’s absence was felt this season, as most of his time was spent working on the sci fi cult hit Firefly.
• 

  (#36) Parks and Recreation - Season 1

  • Parks and Recreation

  Like a fine wine, Parks and Recreation got better with time, but it took a while for the show to find its footing and step out of the shadow of its mockumentary sitcom predecessor, The Office. The characters had yet to become the government employees we have grown to love; for example, Leslie is as idealistic and ambitious as ever, but she comes off as incompetent and incredibly insecure. It isn’t until the second season that we see an assured and optimistic Leslie, one who actually gets some things done. The first season is also bogged down by Leslie’s obsession with the lackluster Mark Brendanawicz, a crush she luckily gets over by the time everyone’s favorite teen mayor Ben Wyatt shows up. 

  Of course this begs the question, is it possible for the first season of a show to ruin the entire series? In retrospect, yes. Or at the very least, taint it. 
• 

  (#37) Game of Thrones - Season 5

  Season 5 of Game of Thrones is probably the most controversial of the series. There was a lot of excitement leading up to the introduction of Dorne and the Sand Snakes, but fans were disappointed by the B-movie bad girls portrayal of The Red Viper’s daughters. The Sand Snakes weren’t the only characters who fell victim to poor and lazy writing in Season 5. In a scene not present in the books, Sansa Stark is raped by Ramsay Bolton. Many fans were angered by the execution of the scene and the overused trope of raping female characters for the sake of character and plot development. 

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking