There are manyTV showsthat managed to be perfect from beginning to end, and others got very close to it, but they had one bad season. It’s not easy to predict if a TV show will be a success before it’s released, and there have been manyshows that should have been huge but failed. Others started strong but went downhill at some point.
There’s also a group of TV shows that were pretty much perfect except for one season, and these bad ones aren’t always the first or last.Bad seasons can be either because of one storyline, one character, an out-of-character moment, or lazy writing, and though they don’t ruin the rest of the show, they aren’t easy to watch when revisiting these shows.
Sex and the Cityis a rom-com TV series based on Candace Bushnell’s newspaper column and 1996 book of the same name.Sex and the Cityfollowed columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis), exploring their personal and professional lives.
Samantha tried to rekindle her relationship with Richard, and Miranda adapted to life as a single mother.
Sex and the City’s bad season is the fifth, which is also its shortest, and as such, it felt rushed.This is also the season that introduced Jack Berger, one ofCarrie’s worst boyfriends, while Samantha tried to rekindle her relationship with Richard, and Miranda adapted to life as a single mother.
This season’s tone is also off, and it lacks the sense of humor that was key to the show’s success, but luckily,Sex and the Citygot back on its feet for its sixth and final season.
9New Girl
New Girlis a sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether.New Girlbecame known for its quirky lead character (Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day), its sense of humor, and the performances of its main cast.New Girlsurvived a season without Deschanel in every episode and with Megan Fox filling in, but, surprisingly,its worst season is the one where Jess returned.
The worst part of it was Jess and Robbie’s relationship.
New Girlseason 6 gave Nick and Megan Fox’s Reagan a long-distance relationship that felt forced, and the overall season felt like a drag, but the worst part of it was Jess and Robbie’s relationship – not only did they lack chemistry, but it was given an unnecessary and disturbing twist.
That ‘70s Showis a teen sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner and Mark Brazill.That ‘70s Showsucceeded thanks to its sense of humor, cultural references, running gags, and the personalities of its main characters. Leading the group of friends was Eric Forman (Topher Grace), until he left at the end of season 7 to pursue a career as a teacher.
That ‘70s Showcarried on without Eric and brought Randy Pearson (Josh Meyers) in, who managed to impress Eric’s father and even dated Donna. Of course,Eric’s departure and Randy’s arrival completely changed the show’s dynamic, and the show’s quality dropped significantly in season 8, as well.
Friday Night Lightsis a sports drama TV series developed by Peter Berg and inspired by the 1990 novel of the same name.Friday Night Lightsis set in the fictional town of Dillon and follows a high-school football team.Friday Night Lightsis widely regarded as one ofthe best TV shows of all time.
Friday Night Lightshad a strong start, but it almost crashed and burned with its second season. The 2007-2008 writers' strike led to season 2 being shorter, but it was mostlyits unrealistic storylines that led to a drastic drop in qualitythat almost ended the show.
Buffy the Vampire Slayerconsistently kept its audience engaged, but season 4 is one even hardcore fans would like to skip. Season 4 saw a shift in the show’s setting asBuffy and company left high school and started college,which wasn’t smooth and made the season feel disjointed.
On top of that, beloved characters like Angel and Cordelia left, an underdeveloped villain was brought in, Giles’ storyline was all over the place, and one of Buffy’s worst romantic interests, Riley, was introduced.Season 4 also has the worstBuffy the Vampire Slayerepisode, “Beer Bad”, so it’s a season everyone would like to forget.
How I Met Your Motherwas great until its final season. Throughout nine seasons, viewers followed along as Ted (Josh Radnor) told his kids the story of how he met their mother, going many years back and following the many ups and downs of Ted and his best friends. Unfortunately, what should have been the show’s most important season was its worst.
Season 9 ofHow I Met Your Motherwas very slow, taking place over a long weekend, which made it feel repetitive, the characters’ development took many steps back, and, to top it all off,the series finale was a huge disappointment. As it turns out, the mother had been dead for years, and Ted was looking for his kids’ approval to go after Robin (again).
Sons of Anarchywas a consistently great show, but it came across a bump in the road with its third season. The end of season 2 saw Cameron Hayes kidnapping Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) baby son, Abel, and taking him to Ireland – soseason 3 took Jax and the club to Ireland to rescue Abel.
Gemma’s storyline felt like filler and a desperate way to bring the audience’s attention back to Charming.
The episodes set in Ireland were slower and the tone was different, but things in Charming weren’t great either. Gemma’s storyline felt like filler and a desperate way to bring the audience’s attention back to Charming, and whileseason 3 was important toSons of Anarchy, it’s not the show’s best.
Friendsended after 10 seasons, but the original plan was for it to end after season 9, so by the time it was renewed, the writers had to come up with a way to set up more stories for the show. Unfortunately, this led to season 9 beingFriends’ worst season, withno real character development, repetitive storylines, and boring episodes.
What made season 9 even worse wasthe controversial Joey and Rachel romance, which felt off from the beginning and their lack of chemistry was always evident. Luckily, Joey and Rachel didn’t last for long, and season 10 was an improvement, givingFriendsa proper and satisfying ending.
Parks and Recreationis one ofthe best sitcoms of all time, but it had a bad beginning that could have ended the show too soon. Throughout its first season, it was evident thatParks and Recwas originally going to be a spinoff ofThe Office, so much so that Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) was seen as the female version of Michael Scott.
Leslie was perceived as unauthentic, and some viewers even found her to be annoying.Parks and Recstruggled to find its own voice and style in its first episodes, but luckily, near the end of season 1, the show found what worked for it.Parks and Reccarried on for six more seasons, and the show consistently improved after the mess of season 1.
Game of Thronesis undeniably one of the best TV shows of all time, but it also has one ofthe most controversial TV finalesand worst final seasons. Surely,Game of Throneshad faced some obstacles before season 8, but nothing so bad as to potentially ruin the show.
Although expectations were high,Game of Thronesseason 8was a huge disappointment due to many poor creative decisions. Season 8 felt rushed,it destroyed the arcs of many characters and took many steps back in their development, the writing was off, and the fates of many characters felt either undeserved or out of character.
The final season ofGame of Thronesis a huge bump on the show’s history and legacy, but many have chosen to either forgive, forget, or ignore the final episodes. Ultimately,Game of Thronesis still a great show, and as such, it deserved a better ending.
