I used to have an almost unbreakable loyalty to TV shows once I committed to watching them, but my life became endlessly more enjoyable when I decided to just simply drop a series after it completely ruined its narrative. While there have been plenty of shows withgreat first seasons, an excellent start is not enough of a reason to put myself through several more seasons of lackluster storytelling. The harsh truth is that sometimes TV shows lose their way, and if you’re not enjoying watching them anymore, then the best thing to do is just call it a day.
Fromterrible second seasonsto shows that becametoo clever for their own good, it’s a travesty when I’m forced to give up on a show that I once loved. However, in the modern age, with endless options across cable, network television, and streaming services, there simply isn’t enough time to waste endless hours of your life watching a show that doesn’t have you hooked and excited about every new episode. While I don’t love missing out on how the show ultimately ends,I just can’t spend my life watching shows that completely ruin their stories.
6Westworld (2016 - 2022)
4 Seasons
I was absolutely won over by the first season ofWestworld,as its thrilling world-building, intriguing premise, and mystery box secrets meant it stood out as one of HBO’s most promising new series back in 2016. Set in a Wild West-themed amusement park, I loved the wayWestworlddidn’t underestimate viewers' intelligenceand laid the clues for me to unpack its multiple timeline twists. With Anthony Hopkins in a major role,Westworldwas about as impressive as any reimagining of a 1973 B-movie could possibly be.
However,Westworldlost its way as its narrative became increasingly confusing in its second season. While the addition ofBreaking Bad’sAaron Paul to the main cast helped ensure I kept up with the show well past the point I usually would have called it a day, at a certain point in season 4 I realized I was no longer invested as it lost sight of the Wild West premise that made the show exciting in the first place. WhileWestworldcleverly commented on contemporary culture’s relationship with tech and AI, its convoluted narrative meant it was all too much for me.
5Heroes (2006 - 2010)
4 seasons
It’s hard to understate just how trailblazingHeroesfelt back in 2006, as, two years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe even premiered, this incredible NBC show highlighted the potential for long-form, mature superhero stories. I was immediately hooked onHeroes’“save the cheerleader, save the world”narrative, which added high stakes and a sense of purpose to the opening season’s interconnected storyline. This was a show that felt like it had unlimited potential, but sadly, I later realized thatHeroessquandered its chance at greatness.
After an all-time great first season,Heroesfell victim to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America Strike, and its planned 24-episode second season was cut to just 11. These haphazard production problems meant thatHeroeslost its momentum, and it never again managed to recapture what made it so great in the first place. Instead of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat television, later seasons ofHeroeswere reduced to countless convoluted side plots that never truly came together as a cohesive whole like in season 1.
4The Simpsons (1989 - Present)
36 seasons
As someone who religiously watchedThe Simpsonsgrowing up and who can’t help but pepper their everyday speech with quotes from classic episodes, it pains me to say that I had to give up on Springfield’s most famous family. It’s not controversial to say this, butthe Flanderization of its characters, lack of emotional resonance, and subpar writing meant I slowly fell out of love withThe Simpsons. I know there have been momentary glimpses of greatness in later seasons, and I’ll even return to the show for a particularly praised modern episode, but it’s been years since I’ve tuned in consistently.
The thing that I always loved aboutThe Simpsonswas its innate sense of heart, and although Homer may have been an idiot, he was always trying to do right by his family. In later seasons, I was struck by how mean-spirited his character had become, and despite always being stupid, Homer was never so inconsiderate or unsympathetic in classic episodes. While it may be true that they’ll never stopThe Simpsons, I stopped watching a long time ago.
3House Of Cards (2013 - 2018)
6 seasons
While the subsequent controversies and career downfall of Kevin Spacey mean thatHouse of Cards’standing in the history of modern television has vastly diminished, the truth was that this was an essential show in putting Netflix on the map. I love a good political thriller, and the story of Frank Underwood in the show’s earliest seasons was about as good as it gets. As a fascinating character study of a reprehensible man of incredible power getting away with heinous acts, it was deeply disappointing to discover just how much the fantasy matched the reality.
After Spacey was fired fromHouse of Cards,the show continued for one more season without Frank and shifted its focus to Robin Wright’s portrayal of Claire Underwood. I tried to give this final season a watch, but it sadly just could not match what had come before, and although the writers did their best to wrap everything up, it was clear this was not the ending the show had planned.There was noHouse of Cardswithout Frank’s character, and rather than give viewers a lackluster ending, it may have been better to just leave the show unfinished.
213 Reasons Why (2017 - 2020)
As a series based on a self-contained novel by Jay Asher,13 Reasons Whyshould have called it a day after season 1 instead of needlessly ruining its storyline. I thoughtthe first season of13 Reasons Whytold a well-crafted storyabout a deceased student leaving behind a cassette tape detailing those she deemed responsible for her suicide and powerfully addressed important issues affecting young people. With themes of bullying, depression, and self-harm, had13 Reasons Whybeen a one-off miniseries, it would stand as one of Netflix’s greatest shows aimed at young adults.
Instead, Netflix opted to keep the show running for a bloated four seasons, and I was forced to bow out entirely in the middle of its run. Rather than a relevant examination of issues affecting young people,13 Reasons Whyfelt like it was exploiting serious issues for the sake of drama. As a show that struck a chord with me for its poignant relevance and nuanced storytelling, later storylines just felt like they were triggering for triggering’s sake, and I decided to do myself a favor and call it a day.
11 seasons
The pilot episode ofThe Walking Deadwas so incredibly good that I remained a dedicated viewer for years on end before I realized the show was going nowhere. With an impressive ensemble cast, a richly crafted post-apocalyptic world, and intriguing mysteries surrounding the causes of the zombie outbreak,The Walking Deadhooked me straight from the get-go. After such a strong start, I watched the show stagnate on a farm for way too long, and it was hard to escape the feeling that the series was just meandering and not actually building toward any sort of grand answers.
A key event in my eventual abandonment ofThe Walking Deadcame with the bait and switch of Glenn’s supposed death on the dumpster. The most frustrating thing was thatThe Walking Deaddidn’t respect its viewers' time, and I felt a weight lift when I decided I just wasn’t going to watch anymore. The string of spin-off TV shows that have since come out continually remind me that I made the right decision, and I’ve accepted that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up withThe Walking Dead.
