All TV fans are aware of the terror: you’re addicted to a series, on the edge of every twist—then, suddenly, something happens that will have you throw your hands up and exclaim, “Wait… seriously?!” Those are the legendary shark-jump scenes, the ones that have made must-see shows into “eh, I’ll just see how it ends online.” Let’s number down (in reverse order, because suspense is more thrilling), the most notorious examples of shows jumping off the deep end.
13. Game of Thrones — The Last Season Breakdown
Thrones held together for years. And then the final season, when plot threads whizzed by like jet-powered ravens, character development imploded, and Daenerys’ assassination by Jon Snow was more of a to-do list than a climax. What might have been an epic finale became one of television’s most epic flameouts.
12. The Office — Life After Michael Scott
Steve Carell’s Michael Scott was the emotional foundation that kept The Office afloat. When he left, the show attempted to replace him with Guest bobs, but no amount of churning could replicate the dynamic. The heart of Dunder Mifflin left with him.
11. Riverdale — The Time Jump Into Absurdity
What started as a rough, pulpy high school soap opera had gone totally out of control: witches, time travel, alternate universes, and a seven-year time jump forward. Riverdale went wild for craziness, so much so that even die-hards couldn’t keep up.
10. Dexter — Deb’s Confession & The Downward Spiral
Dexter was good—until it wasn’t. The moment of change? Debra declares undying love for her brother, who happens to be a murderer. Throw in the post–Trinity lull and sluggishly executed changes to writing, and the originally sizzlin’ show began crumblin’ at lightspeed.
9. Dallas — The “It Was All a Dream” Season
Few shows infuriate viewers more than taking away an entire season. That was what Dallas did, offering an entire year of suspense as a fantasy. It wasn’t bold—it was insulting. Viewers never watched the show the same again.
8. Roseanne — The Lottery Season
The key to Roseanne was that it was plain, working-class viewing. And therefore, when the Connors won the lottery out of the blue, the show went out of fashion and fell into absurdity. The effort to tidy everything up at the end merely made it stranger.
7. That ’70s Show — Losing Eric and Kelso
When Ashton Kutcher (Kelso) and Topper Grace (Eric) departed, the show’s chemistry fell apart. The last season plodded on without them, but everyone knew the magic had vanished.
6. Sherlock — The Victorian Drug Dream
Sherlock thrived on its contemporary, snappy script—until the special episode when Sherlock dived into a drug-fueled delusional state in Victorian London. It was a creative experiment that ultimately killed the momentum of the show.
5. The Simpsons — “The Principal and the Pauper”
Season nine of the show surprised viewers by discovering that Principal Skinner was actually an impersonator, Armin Tamzarian. It was despised by fans and even actors, and is now a phrase used when an old favorite goes off the rails.
4. Friends — Joey and Rachel’s Romance
There are sitcom plot turns you’re thankful for—and then there are the ones you pray never came. Joey and Rachel’s on-again, off-again relationship was the latter. The plot complicated group dynamics too much and made audiences cringe rather than chuckle.
3. The Brady Bunch — Bring in Cousin Oliver
When the Brady children aged out of cuteness, the producers added Cousin Oliver to maintain the “freshness.” Instead, the gimmick was the ultimate exercise in desperate casting. To this day, “Cousin Oliver syndrome” is employed when a program attempts too strenuously to remain cool.
2. Happy Days — Fonzie vs. The Shark
The line is from this particular moment: Fonzie, leather jacket-clad, waterskis above a live shark. It was silly, meaningless, and an indication that the show had finally run out of ideas.
1. Happy Days — The Jump Heard ’Round the World
Yes, it’s already been included, but Fonzie’s jump is worth two crowns. This particular stunt coined the very term “jumping the shark,” setting itself up in pop culture forevermore. No moment better sums up TV absurdity.
And there we have it: thirteen shark-jumping disasters that made viewers cringe, scream, or abandon ship in total. Did you continue to watch after any of them? Congratulations—you’re either the most loyal fan on the planet, or just enjoy watching a magnificent trainwreck.