2024 was an incredible year fortelevision, with highly-anticipated final seasons exceeding expectations and fresh new shows winning the hearts of audiences. However, 2024 also saw thedisappointing to bad final seasons of beloved showsand TV moments so bizarre that they left audiences frustrated and confused. From pacing issues to plot twists prioritizing shock value over well-written storylines, 2024 also had its fair share of unsatisfying and mediocre TV shows.
The long wait time between seasons along with the shortening of seasons means that TV has to be incredible to maintain the audience’s interests, and even the smallest issue with a storyline stands out. From sudden character deaths to confusing storylines that don’t add depth to the plot or characters and take up too much screen time,frustrating TV moments can ruin an otherwise well-crafted show.Terrible storylines that prove a TV show needs to endcan turn critically acclaimed shows into unbearable messes that destroy years of character development, world-building, and the show’s reputation.
10Kelly Monaco’s Sam McCall Being Suddenly Killed Off After 21 Years
General Hospital
The long-running showGeneral Hospitalhas cemented itself as an iconic American soap opera since it began airing in 1963.Soap operas likeGeneral Hospitaloften have far-fetched storylinesand beloved characters being killed off is common. However,General Hospital’sdecision to kill off Sam McCall, played by Kelly Monaco for over 21 years, caused an uproar among fans and the actor.
General Hospitalkilling off Sam McCall moments after she celebrated her recent engagement.
Starting off as a con artist, Sam’s character growth and journey throughout the years made her a compelling character, and her tumultuous relationship with her biological mother Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) turning into a heartwarming and entertaining bond was a delightful journey to witness.General Hospitalkilling off Sam McCall moments after she celebrated her recent engagement and expressed excitement for her future was a bitter pill to swallow after years of investment in the character.
9JJ’s Death At The Hands Of His Father
Outer Banks
Outer Banksis an action-adventure TV show set in the titular Outer Banks of North Carolina. The show follows a close-knit group of teenage friends who embark on a journey to find lost treasure and learn what happened to John B Routledge’s (Chase Stokes) missing father.ByOuter Banksseason 4, the Pogues are experienced treasure hunters known for discovering El Dorado and are on a mission to find the pirate Blackbeard’s ship.
In theOuter Banksseason 4 finale “The Blue Crown”, JJ Maybank’s (Rudy Pankow) biological father Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane) stabs and murders him, leaving him to die in Kiara Carrera’s (Madison Bailey) arms.WhileJJ’s shocking deathsets up an incredible final season, turning the treasure-hunting show into a revenge plot, the exit of the fan-favorite in the penultimate season means that fans will be unable to enjoy the entirety of the vibrant and loyal friend group that made the show shine.
8The Reveal That John Sugar Is Actually An Alien
Sugar
The genre-bending noir TV showSugarstars Colin Farrell as John Sugar, a private investigator hired by a movie producer to look into the disappearance of his granddaughter.Like most incredible noir thrillers,Sugaris filled with shocking plot twistsand compelling mysteries that keep audiences hooked.Sugarmanages to exceed expectations and cements itself as a truly unpredictable and gripping thriller.
Sugar Ending Explained: What It Means For John Sugar
Sugar season 1’s ending resolves many underlying mysteries but also introduces several new ones to pave the way for the Apple TV+ show’s season 2.
At the end ofSugar’ssixth episode “Go Home”, it is revealed John Sugar isn’t just an ordinary private investigator who finds missing people, he is an alien.WhileSugarhints that John isn’t all that he seems, the plot twist being revealed in the sixth episode of an eight-episode-long season is far too late. While Farrell’s stellar acting and portrayal of the titular character make the plot twist believable and compelling, the plot twist being delayed to close to the end of the season gives audiences no time to adjust to the sudden change in genre.
The Acolyte
The science-fiction mystery adventure seriesThe Acolyteis a high-budgetStar Warsseries set approximately a century beforeStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.The series follows thetwin sisters Osha and Mae Aniseya, both parts played by Amandla Stenberg, after they’re separated by a tragedy that killed their mother when they were young. The series begins with Osha aligned with the Jedi Order and Mae as she uses the dark side of the Force to kill Jedis.
It would have been just as easy for Mae to escape with them and would have made more sense as the trio would have been stronger together.
By the series finale, the sisters have undergone major changes and Osha falls to the dark side.The Acolyteends with Mae getting her memory wiped and left for the Jedi so that Osha and The Stranger (Manny Jacinto) can escape. While this could have set up an incredible arc forThe Acolyteseason 2 if it hadn’t been canceled, the lack of solid reasoning behind the decision makes the storyline weak. It would have been just as easy for Mae to escape with them and would have made more sense as the trio would have been stronger together.
6The Reveal Of Who Killed Carolyn Polhemus
Presumed Innocent
The legal thriller seriesPresumed Innocentis the second adaption of the novel of the same name by Scott Turow.The mystery follows Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a skilled prosecutor who becomes embroiled in controversy after he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). While the 1990 film adaption starring Harrison Ford as Rusty remains faithful to the identity of the murderer in the original book, theTV show adaption ofPresume Innocentdoesn’t follow the source materialand employs a cheap plot twist ending instead.
Presumed Innocentmight have a shocking and unpredictable conclusion, but that does not make the plot twist ending a good one.The disappointing conclusion to the show that has incredible source material is inexcusable and proves that the creators prioritized shocking the audience over creating a well-crafted mystery.
5Ruby Sunday Is No One Special
Doctor Who
Doctor Whoseason 14 sees theend of Ruby Sunday’s journey(Millie Gibson) as the Fifteenth Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) companion.The mystery behind Ruby’s parentage reveals that she is no one special and is a normal human with normal parents. While Ruby’s exit from the show is heartwarming, the exit puts an abrupt end to the entertaining dynamic between Ruby and The Doctor, before the actors get a chance to shine.
Doctor Whoseason 14 invested screen time into building the lore behind Ruby and adding intrigue to her backstory.However, the build-up saw an anti-climatic conclusion to Ruby’s story. With Ruby only being a main character in one season ofDoctor Who,the show promises a charming dynamic between The Doctor and his companion without having enough time to naturally build the central relationship.
4Five And Lila’s Unwanted And Unnecessary Romance
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academyseason 4 served as the conclusion to the superhero drama series.After three seasons of narrowly avoiding the apocalypse, the final season ofThe Umbrella Academyfollows the dysfunctional Hargreeves family after they lose their powers. While the final season of the show is boggled down with storylines that take up screen time without any payoff, like the Keepers arc, the most controversial storyline is the romance between Five (Aidan Gallagher) and Lila (Ritu Arya).
The Umbrella Academyshined during moments when the Hargreeves family banded together to take down their enemies and moved past their past traumas to help and heal with each other.
Five and Lila’s bizarre and unnecessary romancecauses tension with Diego (David Castañeda) that never gets resolved as their relationship is revealed in the final episode,making the tragic ending disappointing instead of bittersweet and poignant.
3John Dutton’s Death After Kevin Costner Exits The Show
Yellowstone
Off-screen complications bled intoYellowstoneseason 5 part 2 and saw theexit of the star Kevin Costner in the final season, resulting in his character John Dutton’s death.Costner’s portrayal of the Dutton family’s patriarch is an iconic part ofYellowstone,which tragically came to a sudden end.Yellowstoneseason 5 part 2 premieres with a strong start, with John being found dead in what appears to be a suicide, his family reeling from the tragic loss and convinced that he was murdered.
“There Are Clues…”: How Kevin Costner’s Exit Changed Yellowstone’s Ending Addressed By EP
EP Christina Voros opens up about how Kevin Costner’s exit as John Dutton III impacted creator Taylor Sheridan’s ending for Yellowstone.
However,Costner’s exit and the death of the patriarch during the final episodes of the show are the final straw for fans ofYellowstone.With the star of the series absent for the final six episodes of the beloved TV show,Yellowstone’sconclusion struggles to live up to its legacy, despite the cast and crew’s earnest efforts.
2Daemon’s Sex Dream About His Mother
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragonis a fantasy drama series based on George R. R. Martin’s bookFire & Blood.The thrilling and tension-filled show follows the events that led to the war of succession that saw the decline of the once-powerful House Targaryen.House of the Dragonseason 2 featuresDaemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) having visionswhile in Harrenhal, including one where he has sex with his mother.
The fact that Daemon was jealous of his elder brother and hungry for the crown is a well-known fact from the very first episode ofHouse of the Dragon.
The main problem is that the incestuous dream sequence didn’t give us any further insight into Daemon as a person. The fact that Daemon was jealous of his elder brother and hungry for the crown is a well-known fact from the very first episode ofHouse of the Dragon.Daemon’s sex dream about his mother is a symptom of a larger problem, as one of the major criticisms regardingHouse of the Dragonseason 2 was its slow pace and lack of progression, as both the first season and second season built up to the war that destroyed the Targaryens.
1Hughie Being Sexual Assaulted Is Treated As A Joke
The Boys
The Boysis a notoriously dark show that doesn’t shy away from gore, violence, and difficult topics.The satire superhero TV show follows Hughie Campbell Jr. (Jack Quaid) after he joins the titular vigilante group. InThe Boysseason 4, the show sees Hughie at his lowest after the death of his father and kicks him when he’s already down. In the episode “Dirty Business”, Hughie goes undercover to a party and is sexually assaulted by Tek Knight (Derek Wilson) and Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) at the risk of having his cover blown.
The biggest issue with the scene is how the situation and Hughie are treated. Unlike Annie January/Starlight’s (Erin Moriarty) sexual assault, which is treated sensitively and not shown on screen, the scene of Hughie’s sexual assault is long and focuses on making a joke about his trauma and downplays the seriousness of the situation. In addition,the fact that theshowrunner Eric Kripke thought the scene was “hilarious"is disappointing.
