Getting invested in a TV show is a double-edged sword. On one hand, viewers get the opportunity to really invest in the characters at a far deeper level. On the other, viewers have no guarantee that the show will be able to maintain its initial momentum all the way to the finish line. Unfortunately, that becomes a reality for a number of shows. Of course, by the time it happens, fans are usually invested.
Most of them check out a season or two after the show goes off the deep end. But the biggest, most ardent fans stick around either out of a sense of duty or because they hope the good ol’ glory days will return. That can happen on occasion: for instance, Community had a much-derided fourth season, but managed to recapture at least some of the magic by the time it wrapped things up. But that is not the case for every show, and even the biggest fan will really struggle to make it all the way to the end — just look at these 10 shows as examples.
10 The Flash
Following the initial success of Arrow, The CW was inspired to introduce fans to the fastest man alive, The Flash. With Grant Gustin in the titular role, The Flash starts off as an immensely enjoyable show. A fun, fast-paced script, likable characters, and an interesting central mystery formed a recipe for success. Tom Cavanagh in particular, is fantastic as Harrison Wells.
The first two seasons of the show are stellar. By introducing fans to Reverse Flash in the first season, The Flash expands on its central concept, bringing the murderous, insanely powerful Zoom into the fold. That was arguably where the show peaked. The rest of the seasons are a bit of a chore, with inconsistent writing, (literally) everybody getting powers, and the show losing a lot of its charm. By the time the series finale rolled around, most viewers had checked out, and those who stuck around were treated to a wildly divisive set of final episodes.
9 Lost
When Lost debuted, it got everyone talking. After a crash landing, the group of survivors seeks to learn more about the mysterious island they're on. Fans are presented with a series of questions that are endlessly intriguing. Season 1 is fantastic, constructing a well-planned mystery told in an engaging, easy-to-follow manner.
After that, everything went downhill. From Season 2 onwards, the show got too complicated for its own good. Flashbacks, flash-forwards, dropped storylines, and wildly inconsistent pacing robbed the show of its inconsistent majesty. But worst of all, Lost failed to offer satisfying answers to all the questions it posed. It was almost as if the writers themselves knew they had written themselves into a corner, and were throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.
8 Killing Eve
The first half of Killing Eve was nothing short of phenomenal. The inaugural season introduced fans to Villanelle, arguably one of the most interesting characters in TV history. Fans loved the twisting, winding plot, and electric chemistry between Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve is subversive, engaging, and unpredictable.
The second season did not have Waller-Bridge as the head writer, but effectively built on the world and plot lines she had constructed. After that, the wheels began to come off. The third season took its characters in different, but not entirely interesting directions, and had massive pacing issues. Each of those problems was magnified in the final season, by which point the show had lost almost all the goodwill it had earned earlier.
7 The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead's pacing issues were apparent pretty early on, but anchored by stellar performances and classic zombie carnage, it was easy to overlook. Adapted from the wildly successful graphic novels of the same name, the show struggled to maintain its source material's momentum.
But perhaps worst of all, the show began deviating from the graphic novels in key areas and then resorted to shock value and excessive gore to keep fans tuning in. The most unforgivable mistake, though, is failing to effectively adapt the war between Rick and Negan, an undeniable high-point in the source material. The show is a commercial success, just take a look at the endless spin-offs, but it squandered tons of initial promise.
6 Two and a Half Men
The first few seasons of Two and a Half Men managed to find a balance between debauchery and sweetness. The characters were likable, and it made for an easy watch. But as time passed, the sweetness went away, the sex factor was ramped up, and every character in the show gained a mean streak that made it hard to care about them in any capacity.
Those issues just kept rising exponentially, reaching a point where the show almost became unwatchable. A once-sweet sitcom about family devolved into a mean-spirited, nasty show that went for the lowest-hanging fruit and called it a comedy. After the departure of Charlie Sheen, the show had the opportunity to do a soft reboot with Ashton Kutcher, but instead doubled down on the worst things about it.
5 Game of Thrones
This one still stings. The first six seasons of Game of Thrones were exceptional. Beautiful locations, fantastic performances, and a brilliant plot meant Game of Thrones wasn't just a TV show, it was a cultural event. But the final two seasons were a slap in the face of fans.
The political machinations were more or less gone, and the writers made some truly mind-boggling decisions for their characters. As soon as the show was no longer guided by the books, the creators rushed through massive events and just left fans feeling dissatisfied. If there was ever a show that failed to stick the landing, it would be Game of Thrones.
4 Dexter
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Showtime
If you were to stop watching Dexter after Season 4, you would walk away from arguably one of the greatest shows of all time. But then it went on, and then it got weird and almost incestuous. The back half of the show is not all bad. Season 5 is unexpectedly contemplative, and Season 7 at least takes some risks.
But the sixth season is a snooze fest and the final one is nothing short of terrible. It was so bad that nearly 10 years later, Dexter: New Blood sought to make up for how badly the eight-season saga ended.
3 That '70s Show
That '70s Show should have arguably never had an eighth season. Without the consistent presence of Eric Foreman and Michael Kelso, the show really struggled to keep the jokes rolling in. The entire dynamic in the gang was off, and Randy made for a poor replacement.
But worst of all, without Foreman and Kelso, characters like Fez and Donna just weren't all that interesting. They certainly were not interesting enough to be given more prominent roles in the show. The writers also did a massive disservice to Jackie, who suddenly decided that she was in love with Fez. The fact that it made no sense was secondary to them having absolutely no chemistry as a couple. The entire season was a massive misstep and ended the show on a sour note, despite a solid series finale.
2 The Office
The Office never really recovered once Steve Carrell left the show. It really struggled to fill the gaping void left by Michael Scott. To his credit, Rainn Wilson really stepped up and was the unquestioned MVP of the final two seasons, but The Office suffered from poor writing and some unfortunate characterization.
Robert California was immensely divisive, the addition of Nelly wasn't the best, and no one wanted to see Jim and Pam nearly have their marriage fall apart. But worst of all, the writers absolutely butchered Andy's character after going to great lengths to rehab his character once he returned from anger management. It's not all bad, seasons eight and nine have some great jokes and fun episodes, but they pale in comparison to the Michael Scott era of greatness.
1 Supernatural
Supernatural was only ever meant to have five seasons. Over the course of those five seasons, fans were treated to a battle between angels and demons. They fell in love with Sam and Dean, and tagged along as the brothers took care of their "family business."
But the show proved to be too popular for its own good, so it kept on going. And going. And going. For another 10 seasons. Those 10 seasons drastically varied in quality; Season 7 with the Leviathans was a chore to get through, as was the stuff with the British Men of Letters. But The Darkness was an interesting foe and the falling of angels made for one of the best season finales the show ever had. But the fact that the show never got to end on its own terms, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meant that the few fans who actually made it to the end got no sense of catharsis.