Even the best TV shows of all time have seasons that don’t live up to the overall quality of the series. There are some unique shows that don’t have a single bad season, but these are few and far between. However, for all of these projects, the one installment that doesn’t live up to the potential of the story doesn’t make it any less worth it to get invested in the narrative. It’s still easy tokeep watching these shows after their season finales, even when the quality is dipping, becausethey’ve proven themselves capable of being so good.
There are plenty ofTV shows where the first season is the worst, as series are still finding their footing, discovering themselves, and the kind of series they want to be. A weak first season is understandable, and most audiences and critics can excuse this if the quality quickly improves. However, for these shows,almost all of their debut seasons were near-perfect,making it all the more obvious when a later installment is worse. Fortunately, if the characters are good and the show has properly drawn the audience in, there’s no reason to stop watching.
7Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)
Season 8
The rich and significant legacy ofGame of Throneswill likely never be disrupted, asthis fantasy series changed the landscape of the genre,revitalizing it for the 21st century. However, this doesn’t change the fact thatGame of Thronesseason 8 is a major disappointment. After building up the events of the final season for years, developing the characters, and crafting carefully intersecting plots,Game of Thronesdropped the ball at the last second, shocking viewers in the worst way.
Part of the reason it’s so upsetting thatGame of Thronesdidn’t end on a strong note is that the rest of the series is so good and rewatchable.
Despite a few strong battle sequences and looming set pieces, there isn’t a lot to recommend about the final season of this landmark series. Part of the reason it’s so upsetting thatGame of Thronesdidn’t end on a strong note is that the rest of the series is so good and rewatchable. Nothing can take away the thrill of the rest of the show, as each season has at least one unforgettable moment. However, it might be better to skip over the last season to remember the series as it was for the majority of its run.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
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6Community (2009–2015)
Season 4
The later seasons ofCommunitytake the show in a new direction compared to the formula of the early seasons, but the quality is still high, and the show is still funny. However, the same can’t be said forCommunityseason 4, which nearly ended the show and changed how viewers saw it. Part of the reason season 4 was so bad was thatwriter and creator Dan Harmon was fired following season 3.Though this gave Harmon the time and space to return toCommunitywith a clearer vision, it was tough for the show.
When watchingCommunityseason 4, it’s clear that the series is attempting to guess what Harmon would’ve done and capitalize on the more meta aspects of the story, leaning heavily on homages to other pieces of media. Additionally,Communityseason 4 is packed with episodes that are essentially poorly crafted replicas of earlier installments. In the end,Communitywas able to achieve a soft reboot with season 5,but not before the show seriously suffered.
88%
5The Legend Of Korra (2012–2014)
Season 2
Following the near-perfect TV showAvatar: The Last Airbenderwas no easy task, and thoughThe Legend of Korragets a lot of flak, it’s still a worthy spinoff. Season 1 introduced us to Korra and her world, but after this, the show wasn’t certain where to take the story. While someTV shows turn things around in season 2,The Legend of Korrawent too far with its second installment,doing damage control for the rest of the show after this season. However, this did result in the more serious, darker, and compelling seasons 3 and 4.
Korrafaced production setbacks, with frequent starts and stops. This made it difficult for the writers to craft a narrative arc that was as seamlessly and meticulously planned as inAvatar(viaVox). Despite this,Korrafound its true, interrogative voice in the final two seasons, showcasing nuance in Korra’s growth and development that makes the show so worth watching. Korra is an imperfect hero who makes a lot of mistakes, butThe Legend of Korraseason 2 isn’t weak because of that, butdue to the overwrought backstories and unrealistic stakes.
78%
4Veronica Mars (2004–2019)
Season 3
Fans of Kristen Bell will remember her iconic breakout role as the titular sleuth inVeronica Mars, a dark, mysterious teen drama that took the world by storm. More serious and mature than most shows of this genre airing at the time,Veronica Marstook audiences and critics by surprise. Bell easily anchored the series thanks to her charm and comedic timing, but even this wasn’t enough to propel the show through its third season. With Veronica and her friends transitioning to college,season 3 had to grapple with a lot of change.
Seasons 1 and 2 remain iconic and worth watching, even if season 3 doesn’t fulfill the series' promise.
It quickly became clear that the series wasn’t up to the challenge of maintaining its tone and intrigue with Veronica in college and dealing with different social circumstances.Veronica Mars' brief revival in 2019 for season 4 was an interesting continuation of the show, making audiences wonder what might have happened if the show hadn’t been canceled in the 2000s. Seasons 1 and 2 remain iconic and worth watching, even if season 3 doesn’t fulfill the series' promise.
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3Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)
Season 7
There were a lot of factors that contributed toGilmore Girls' less successful final season. Series writers and creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino left the show following season 6 due to conflicts with the network about resources, and this was a major blow to the fabric of the series. WhileGilmore Girlsseason 7 isn’t unwatchable,the Palladinos' absence is keenly felt in the way the dialogue isn’t quite as sharp, and the characters' endings don’t feel as organic.
Compared to themost important episodes ofGilmore Girls, all the storylines in season 7 don’t feel as fresh or groundbreaking. This is a shame, but it doesn’t ruin the overarching legacy ofGilmore Girlsas a whole. There are a few interesting plots throughout the season, and both Rory and Lorelai are poised to enter the next phase of their lives in the series finale. However, it would’ve been a lot better if the Palladinos had been with the showduring this period.
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2True Detective (2014–Present)
While every series faces pitfalls, anthology TV shows have interesting challenges to navigate when entering their second season. ForTrue Detective, the bar from the show’s second outing was high, as season 1 was a near-perfect installment of television. ThoughTrue Detectivehad the opportunity to reset and dive into a new mystery, it wasn’t half as compelling as the first story, andthe characters weren’t as enthralling as the magnetic Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey.
It was exciting whenTrue Detectivebegan finding its way back in season 3 and then completely reinvented itself in season 4.True Detectiveseason 2 had a needlessly confusing plot, incorporating too many twists and plot points that didn’t elevate the quality of the mystery, bogging it down with hesitation and uncertainty instead. When revisitingTrue Detective,it’s best and easiest to skip over this season,as it doesn’t represent what the show does best.
59%
1Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)
After a groundbreaking debut season,Friday Night Lightscouldn’t keep up the momentum in season 2. Fromconfusing and unnecessary plotlines like Landry committing murderto Coach Taylor not coaching the Panthers at the start of the season, things were clearly off forFriday Night Lights. While things started to get back on track as the season progressed, it would’ve been possible for the series to completely fizzle out due to the many missteps throughout the story.
Of course,Friday Night Lightsreturned to its former glory with a thrilling third season and proved its ability to adapt to change by having Taylor switch teams in seasons 4 and 5 without losing any intrigue or momentum. One of the biggest overarching criticisms lodged againstFriday Night Lightsseason 2 is the fact thatit wasn’t as rooted in realism as the rest of the series.This is what drew audiences and critics toFriday Night Lights, and without the grounded tone, the story didn’t work as well.
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