Where do you think certain TV shows "jumped the shark"?

[ilovepaydays]

I hope this is a fun and friendly thread! I understand that views on TV shows can be subjective and people have different views on their favorites.

Are there certain "jump the shark" moments in the series of TV shows where you think it went past where it could have ended well? I will give some examples:

Sex & the City: When Aidan took Carrie back after she cheated on him - she was a worse girlfriend the second time around. Why did she insist on keeping Big in her life to the point that she wanted them to get along when he visited them in Aidan's cabin? (Speaking of which, was the cabin really that bad?) It then became apparent to me that Carrie Bradshaw was an awful person.

How I Met Your Mother: This series lasted WAY too long. It became apparent at seasons 5 or 6 that they really didn't have a direction about who "the mother" was. Plus, they really overdid Robin Sparkles.

Gilmore Girls: For the record - I am REALLY looking forward to it's return on Netflix. But I never brought that Richard and Emily were really that bad and it justified Lorelei running off. They were basically snobs - so what? I also think it would have been better if Rory had decided on another career path when she returned to Yale and they had used the "townies" more in storylines.

Degrassi (The second series - the 1980's version stayed GREAT!): When the some of the kids stopped being like normal kids and started being celebrity-wannabees....and then actual celebrities. Haven't got a chances to see the third series on Netflix.

Big Bang Theory: I still really like this show (for now). But I keep buying Leonard and Penny as a couple less and less - and now they are married.

What do you think? Do any moments of these or other shows come to your mind?

 

[PeterG]

Game of Thrones jumped the shark when they had frickin' dragons flying all over the place.

 

[Xela M]

"Big Bang Theory": I absolutely hate this show. I think they're all terrible actors and the script is awful, but when I saw the first episode I thought it had potential only for it all to be ruined by it being a very poor Friends knock off. How on earth did all these geeks get super hot girlfriends/wives?! Even the asexual one got a girlfriend. Ruined the whole potentially funny premise.

"Friends": the whole adoption and babies thing. I hate when funny shows get serious. Also Rachel's fling with Joey was a weird move.

"Glee": it literally became unwatchable after they introduced new school characters and moved the original characters to New York.

"Two and a Half Men": firing Charlie Sheen.

 

[judiz]

Glee : the new cast and the older ones going to New York although I liked the final season cast.

Sopranos: when it got darker and more serious the final two seasons

Undercover Boss: when they insist on the same stupid disguises and the script is the same every week

 

[Johnny_Fever]

The Big Bang Theory was interesting when the guys were still nerds. Now they're all normal. Where's the fun in that?

 

[Buzz]

Game of Thrones
When they had Stannis kill his daughter. There are things I don't like about this series but that pushed me over the edge. Of course it didn't help that I have always hated the "Khaleesi" who I think of as a spoilt entitled brat.

NCIS: LA
There was an episode where G and Sam shoot dead a bunch of bad guys in a house at close range. Neither are hurt at all and walk out with huge smiles in their faces. There is not even a hint of remorse at all and those bad guys had horrible aim!

Arrow
When they brought back Malcom Merlyn from the dead and tried too hard to reform the character. They acted like him killing over 500 people was done with the best of intentions so that made it okay. And oh yeah they couldn't kill him or let him die because that would hurt little sister's feelings.

Hawaii Five O
Where do I start?! I had been getting more and more impatient with the whole back story of Steve's mom. First she died by accident, then she was murdered, and finally she was not dead at all meanwhile there was another twisty bendy back story regarding his father. I gave up after the bunch of them invaded North Korea to break out some friends out of jail. Wasn't it nice of the North Koreans to just forget about afterwards? There was also that storyline involving Chin stealing money to buy an organ on the black market which worked out well for all involved.

 

[rjblue]

Game of Thrones jumped the shark when they had frickin' dragons flying all over the place.

I wondered when they started this series if people would know that it was high fantasy with dragons and magic. It would have killed the book readers if they had left the dragons out.

Re Big Bang Theory

Even the asexual one got a girlfriend. Ruined the whole potentially funny premise.

I was really perplexed this season when Sheldon and Amy had sex and enjoyed it, but then I read about demisexuality.

I stopped watching That 70's Show when the kids graduated. I was bingeing the whole series on Netflix. It just lost its charm.

 

[Fridge_Break]

How I Met Your Mother: This series lasted WAY too long. It became apparent at seasons 5 or 6 that they really didn't have a direction about who "the mother" was. Plus, they really overdid Robin Sparkles.

Love me some Robin Sparkles I was hoping we'd get one last song in the final season, but we didn't.

That being said, the creators claimed as the series went on that they knew how they wanted things to end. I think they started to run out of realistic plot lines circa seasons 6-8 and some things just got weird. Probably should have wrapped things up in 7 seasons or so. But not going to complain that I had 9 wonderful years of entertainment from the show.

 

[viennese]

Game of Thrones jumped the shark when they had frickin' dragons flying all over the place.

Aw, come on. Not like we weren't warned there were going to be dragons. Dragon bones practically in the first scene. Dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Damn well better be dragons at some point.

 

[misskarne]

JAG - sometime around season 8 where Harm quit the Navy and went crop dusting and adopted that 12 year old girl and went stalking Mac while she was on a really dangerous mission. Mac also got progressively whinier as the series went on and then the Admiral left. End of the line. The only really good character development that happened was seeing Bud overcome the loss of his leg.

House Husbands (this is an Australian one, you lot probably don't know it) - This was a one-season show. REALLY. Then season two came along, and the plotlines got weird, they killed Justin's wife, he went bozo bananas, Lucy ended up with him instead of the really sweet schoolteacher (which made no sense)...

(Actually, pretty much every Australian "drama" after season 1. Some of them don't even make it all the way through season 1 before they jump it.)

 

[kina]

Alias

It jumped the shark when Sydney and the CIA brought down SD-6 ... and then Arvin Sloane was brought into the CIA ...

It tumbled down the hill when Sydney mysteriously lost those two years (and was presumed dead) and woke to Vaughn being married. It continued down the hill when her mother came in ... and her aunt and her sister. And then Vaughn's wife becomes evil and is then killed off and then her best friend turns evil and then is killed off ... and Rambaldi is brought in and never resolved ... and then Vaughn wasn't Vaughn ...

Here's my favourite spoof regarding how unnecessarily complex and confusing it became: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqNT1o_e0No (Columbo meets Alias)

 

[Buzz]

Aw, come on. Not like we weren't warned there were going to be dragons. Dragon bones practically in the first scene. Dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Damn well better be dragons at some point.

The dragons as someone once said, "is like having Apache attack helicopters in the 12th century." Add to that the amount of rivals to the throne of what's its name's that are dropping dead like flies, you have the balance grotesquely tilted in one side's favour. I have a big love/hate relationship with this series but will eventually binge watch this thing once it's finished just get closure. LOL But I give up on the books.

 

[clairecloutier]

Game of Thrones
When they had Stannis kill his daughter. There are things I don't like about this series but that pushed me over the edge. .

Me too. It was so disgusting and horrific. I used to enjoy GoT but it's just become too sadistic. Between Stannis's daughter, Cersei's walk of shame, and Sansa's victimization by the psychotic husband, last season was rough. Notice, too, how all of these plot points involve girls/women...

 

[sk8girl]

Downton Abbey: When Cousin Oliver, I mean Rose, came to live with them. (Actually, she didn't turn out AS annoying as I'd initially feared, but still.)

 

[vesperholly]

It tumbled down the hill when Sydney mysteriously lost those two years (and was presumed dead) and woke to Vaughn being married. It continued down the hill when her mother came in ... and her aunt and her sister. And then Vaughn's wife becomes evil and is then killed off and then her best friend turns evil and then is killed off ... and Rambaldi is brought in and never resolved ... and then Vaughn wasn't Vaughn ...

Oh man, that two years thing was such an amazing plot twist, and they screwed it up SO royally. Some of season 4 was pretty good, at least.

I think Game of Thrones jumped the shark when

Spoiler

Robb and Catelyn were murdered

even though it happened in the books. The show just lost a lot of its forward movement.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Dexter - last season particularly. One point I watched and it was almost as if Jennifer Carpenter was thinking as she was saying her lines "I can't believe they are paying me to say this shit". Dreadful. Stuck with it just to see what would happen I felt totally ripped off.

 

[Cachoo]

I loved the show "Northern Exposure" and when Rob Morrow (Joel) left they brought in a couple to take over his practice. They should have ended it when Joel left. His last episode would have made a good finale.

"Friends" may have actually jumped the shark twice for me. First I never thought Joey and Rachel were a good match. And then, for me, it felt too late for Rachel and Ross to have a meaningful relationship at the end of the series.

 

[dinakt]

I loved the show "Northern Exposure" and when Rob Morrow (Joel) left they brought in a couple to take over his practice. They should have ended it when Joel left. His last episode would have made a good finale.

Agreed! I adored "Northern Exposure" and they should have ended it when Joel left.
For years after that I thought Ron Morrow's career has stalled, so was delighted to see him come back strong in "Numb3rs".

 

[clairecloutier]

Anyone else watch Gilmore Girls? I felt that show jumped the shark when Luke's tween daughter suddenly appeared and came between Luke & Lorelai. And when Luke gave up so easily on his & Lorelai's relationship. After all the years waiting for him & Lorelai to get together, it was really disappointing. I know the showrunner said she wanted to explore the reasons why these 2 people (Luke & Lorelai) had both been alone and not in a successful relationship for so long--i.e., that they were both kind of prickly and independent-- But I didn't feel it was done in the best way. The following season, when Lorelai got back with Christopher, felt like something that DID have to be explored at some point. But I think maybe they should've done the Lorelai/Christopher storyline first, THEN had her get together with Luke.

 

[smurfy]

The Good Wife - not sure exactly when, and based on the rumors that Julianna Margulies was jealous of Archie Panjabi, - but when they never had scenes together anymore.
And Archie's last show - she was cgi'ed into a scene with JM.

 

[Jenny]

re Big Bang Theory - I used to really enjoy it, but I think that when the lead characters started making a lot of money and getting renewed several seasons ahead, they got cocky - Johnny Galecki in particular. Leonard used to be sweet and optimistic, but he became bitter and arrogant and the show lost its charm for me. Sheldon's character started becoming almost a caricature of itself with the same running gags, and Bernadette, who was once a real breath of fresh air, was turned into a bitchy wife while Howard, who had some complexity for awhile, fell into the slot of boy husband. I rarely watch it any more.

My husband is convinced the show jumped the shark when Penny cut her hair.

 

[Xela M]

The Big Bang Theory was interesting when the guys were still nerds. Now they're all normal. Where's the fun in that?

For anyone who likes the idea behind the Big Bang Theory and hasn't seen the British series it was bases on, watch "Inbetweeners" (the series and the first movie, I wouldn't recommend the second movie) - the British series were seriously hilarious. All the episodes of the "Inbetweeners" are on youtube

 

[Susan1]

Undercover Boss: when they insist on the same stupid disguises and the script is the same every week

I really have to agree with that one. The first season was kind of interesting. But how many people have not seen the show and would not realize the "trainee" that just walked in was not a trainee. The wigs and facial hair and clothes just look so fake. And it's not even "touching" anymore. They pick three workers who just happen to have devastating problems that they confess to this stranger they are training and everything is taken care of. What about the guy who works next to them whose kid is sick or used to take drugs or can't afford college?

 

[screech]

Alias

It jumped the shark when Sydney and the CIA brought down SD-6 ... and then Arvin Sloane was brought into the CIA ...

It tumbled down the hill when Sydney mysteriously lost those two years (and was presumed dead) and woke to Vaughn being married. It continued down the hill when her mother came in ... and her aunt and her sister. And then Vaughn's wife becomes evil and is then killed off and then her best friend turns evil and then is killed off ... and Rambaldi is brought in and never resolved ... and then Vaughn wasn't Vaughn ...

I didn't mind the SD-6 bring down. It kind of introduced to us the fake Francie, and Agent Will (poor Will). But the 2 year time jump was the absolute worst. Then the show got too focused on the Rambaldi crap, which was always the worst part of the show.

Whenever I see Bradley Cooper these days, I still think of him as Will Tippin. And Jennifer Garner will always be Sydney Bristow to me.


Veronica Mars
I don't think it ever really 'jumped the shark' (it was too good for that), but in the 3rd season when they got rid of the one major mystery format and tried to make it more 'accessible' and had a few smaller mysteries, it wasn't as good because we weren't as invested. And then, of course, The CW cancelled it prematurely (but keep shows like Supernatural going for 83 years and the horrible but entertaining Hart of Dixie going for 4).

 

[WildRose]

Big Bang Theory - When Penny gave up acting and became a Pharmaceutical rep. They changed her whole character and the show hasnt been the same since.

 

[clairecloutier]

Veronica Mars
I don't think it ever really 'jumped the shark' (it was too good for that), but in the 3rd season when they got rid of the one major mystery format and tried to make it more 'accessible' and had a few smaller mysteries, it wasn't as good because we weren't as invested. And then, of course, The CW cancelled it prematurely (but keep shows like Supernatural going for 83 years and the horrible but entertaining Hart of Dixie going for 4).

I'm still about Veronica Mars being canceled. It was so good!

 

[AxelAnnie]

Scandal jumped the shark when the format left here is a problem, we are going to fix it in our strange and mysterious ways, and moved to MI6 and all that crap. Would have been an interesting part of the story, but not the focus.

Revenge Same complaint. I loved her plotting revenge in each episode. Then everything went sideways, and everyone was trying to revenge everyone and everything.

 

[jamesy]

(but keep shows like Supernatural going for 83 years and the horrible but entertaining Hart of Dixie going for 4).

 

[Buzz]

Not sure if it has actually jumped the shark but I stopped watching The Walking Dead some time ago. Don't like where they took Carol's character and the show just seemed a mess in some ways while extremely repetitive in others. I do read the thread and follow what happens to some extent but have no desire to watch the show right now.

 

[viennese]

Game of Thrones: When Stannis sacrificed his daughter

That was horrific. Even though it happened off screen, it was awful. The little girl was one of the few innocent and 100% good people in the whole saga, and so adorably played by that young actress.