On television, few phenomena are as sad—or as engrossing—as when a favorite show “jumps the shark.” It’s the moment when the show makes a bewildering creative detour, loses its initial appeal, and has fans scratching their heads. The expression itself, now part of popular culture history, is accompanied by as many tall tales as the phenomenon it signifies. Let’s take a trip back through some of the most notorious “jump the shark” moments in television history—episodes that had viewers everywhere shaking their heads and saying, “What just happened?”
1. Fonzie Jumps the Shark – Happy Days
This is where it all began. In Season 5 of Happy Days, Fonzie—in his iconic leather jacket—leaps over a live shark on water skis. Originally intended as a lighthearted display of Henry Winkler’s actual water-skiing ability, it ended up being a sign that the show had transitioned from heartwarming nostalgia to spectacle. Happy Days went on for years afterward, but the term “jump the shark” was born here.
2. Michael Scott Departs Scranton – The Office
When Steve Carell’s Michael Scott left The Office in the tear-jerking episode “Goodbye, Michael,” the series lost more than its regional manager—it lost its central dynamic. Although it went on for two more seasons, there were quite a few fans who believed that without Michael’s own special brand of awkwardness and sensitivity, the show never really regained its footing.
3. The “Dear Sister” Moment – The O.C.
The O.C. was full of drama, but nothing could anticipate the season 2 finale, during which Marissa shoots Trey, Ryan’s brother, while Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” plays in the background. The scene was so over-the-top melodramatic that it sparked a viral SNL parody. The tone of the show never really recovered, and the scene was a meme long before memes were cool.
4. The Black Hood Twist – Riverdale
Riverdale began life as an offbeat reinterpretation of the Archie Comics world, but it made a drastic turn for the worse with the Black Hood’s identity reveal. What started as a juicy murder mystery turned into overwrought plot twists and supernatural sidetracks, having audiences ask what became of the show they had initially subscribed to.
5. The Dream Season – Dallas
Dallas provided us with one of the greatest cliffhangers in television history with “Who shot J.R.?”—but also gave us one of its worst disappointments. After a whole season of tension, the audience was informed that it was all a dream. While daring, it was a cheat on the story and one of the most heatedly debated choices in television history.
6. Brian “Dies” – Family Guy
On Family Guy season 12, the show murdered its lovable talking dog, Brian, only to resurrect him two episodes later. The fans were emotionally whipped into a frenzy, and the majority felt that the act was a frantic attempt at generating debate instead of conveying an important message.
7. Jack’s Tattoo Backstory – Lost
Lost was all about secrets, but a whole episode detailing the history of Jack’s tattoos was wasted time. With all the greater questions still unanswered, fans were frustrated when the show chose to dwell on something so inconsequential—an early indicator of the series’ inability to keep its story going.
8. Sookie the Fairy – True Blood
True Blood had its supernatural sheen, but when Sookie Stackhouse was revealed to be a fairy, even fans who tolerated the show’s weirdness were stumped. What had been a hunky vampire drama started to veer into accidental parody.
9. Beyond the Breakout – Prison Break
The whole premise of Prison Break relied on, ahem, a prison break. But once the breakout occurred, the show continued, dragging its characters into more and more far-fetched conspiracies and plot twists. The high-concept premise wasn’t designed to carry five seasons, and it suffered for it.
10. The Darkest Timeline – Community
“Remedial Chaos Theory” in season 3 added Community’s “darkest timeline,” an amazing idea that pushed hard on the show’s meta aesthetic. But the more seasons went by, the more the self-referential humor overwhelmed other fans. Something once creative and witty began to feel like it was attempting to try too hard to out-meta itself.
Bonus: More TV Tropes to Know
Nuking the Fridge – Named after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where Indy dodges a nuclear explosion by escaping into a lead-lined fridge. It’s since become shorthand for the point when a film franchise makes a daft jump too far.
Growing the Beard – The opposite of jumping the shark. Inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation, it refers to a moment when a show dramatically improves, usually marked by Riker’s sudden beard and a noticeable uptick in storytelling.
Every long-running show walks a tightrope between reinvention and staying true to its roots. Some stumbles are forgivable; others become cultural milestones in their own right. Whether you’re laughing, cringing, or shaking your head, these “jump the shark” moments remind us just how passionate fans are—and how delicate the balance of great TV can be.