There’s nothing worse than falling for a TV show, only to see it crumble in slow motion. You recognize the pattern: the writing deteriorates, the characters begin behaving like strangers, and you know you should have stopped while it was still great. Take the remote (and possibly a stress ball) because these are 10 of the most epic falls of serialized television shows—ranked by critics, data, and lots of upset fans.
10. Killing Eve
The first two seasons of Killing Eve were sharp, stylish, and crackling with tension. But after creative teams changed hands, the storytelling went sideways. What started as a tight, thrilling chase devolved into soap opera melodrama. By the time the finale aired, fans were furious—characters were making baffling choices, and one Redditor called it “the worst ending I’ve ever seen.” Not exactly the spy drama send-off viewers wanted.
9. Westworld
Season 1 was a dazzling puzzle box of philosophy, robots, and moral dilemmas. But after that? Confusion set in. Season 2 still had sparks, but the plot meandered. By Season 3, it had become generic sci-fi with little of the original magic. The once-mind-bending series turned into a snoozefest, proving that ambition without clarity just doesn’t work.
8. The Simpsons
While once the crown jewel of animated comedy, The Simpsons has been criticized for years for lingering too long in the Sun. Its early seasons were aces—smart, sentimental, and infinitely quotable. After Season 9, however, the following was observed: Homer grew uglier, plots seemed retreaded, and the magic faded. Now it’s still on the air, but to most viewers, the golden era is ancient history.
7. The Big Bang Theory
Early on, The Big Bang Theory hit geek humor and provided us with an offbeat, lovable cast. But as the seasons progressed—particularly once all of the main characters were paired up—the show’s wit imploded into stale relationship jokes. Characters ceased to grow and instead embraced over-the-top quirks, a case of the old “Flanderization.” It continued to bring in ratings, but the magic had been lost long before.
6. The Umbrella Academy
Season 1 was a welcome relief: dysfunctional superheroes, time travel, lots of dark humor. But by Season 3, the incessant bickering and failure to progress wore out fans. As one watcher said, the characters never did learn anything—some actually went backward. Cliffhangers accumulated, but real development was not in the picture. Watching became like homework.
5. The Office (US)
Few programs have enjoyed a run as endearing as The Office. But once Steve Carell departed, things hit the skids. The new managers never stuck, the plotlines were stretched, and characters lost their essential characteristics. Season 9’s effort to bring drama to Jim and Pam’s marriage was especially cringeworthy. Fortunately, the series finale reclaimed some dignity, but the misstep in those final years is not easy to shake.
4. Heroes
Season 1 of Heroes had everyone in thrall—an ensemble cast, clever mysteries, and the potential for regular folks to discover extraordinary abilities. But the 2007 writers’ strike derailed Season 2, and the show was never the same. Characters’ motivations changed from episode to episode, plots careened out of control, and the magic dissipated. By Season 4, the show had imploded, and NBC canceled it. What might’ve been the next great sci-fi epic was a cautionary tale.
3. Dexter
Early Dexter was superb—ethically rich, suspenseful, and wickedly humorous. But once the original showrunner departed, the writing disintegrated. Critics trashed the subsequent seasons, and the finale—in which Dexter inexplicably quits and becomes a lumberjack—was so despised that even today, fans make jokes about it. The remake years later only reinforced what audiences already knew: some conclusions are left best untouched.
2. The Walking Dead
What began as a gritty, edge-of-your-seat zombie drama deteriorated into a rote loop of “find shelter, lose shelter, repeat.” The ratings hit their peak in the mid-teens of millions but bottomed out as the seasons wore on. Negan’s introduction brought a major change—some enjoyed it as it was exciting, but most felt it murdered the pacing. Repeated cliffhangers and reused arcs sent even die-hard fans fleeing.
1. Game of Thrones
Few falls have been as notorious as Game of Thrones. The initial seasons were almost perfect—rich characters, jaw-dropping surprises, and water-cooler chat like any other show. But the last run? Hasty plotlines, head-scratching character arcs, and an end that had viewers fuming. It was called sloppy by critics; more than a million viewers signed a petition pleading with HBO to re-shoot Season 8. Rather than going into history as the best fantasy series of all time, it’s remembered as the most spectacular implosion.
TV shows can blaze brightly, but when the writing weakens, the crash is harsh. Whether it was because of showrunner shake-ups, strikes, or simply exhausting ideas, these 10 shows remind us: sometimes the most difficult part of a tale isn’t opening strong—it’s landing it.