Can we still say the Joey / Rachael being together storyline from Friends. Because decades later that still bothers me.
25
herseyhawkins33Mar 20, 2026
+3
It was the first that came to mind, but not "in retrospect." We knew that storyline sucked at the time.
3
scizzixMar 20, 2026
-4
Also, pretty much any storyline with Ross and anyone who isn't Rachel.
All the Friends were terrible people, and Ross was the worst.
-4
scizzixMar 20, 2026
+12
The brief and awkward Chakotay/Seven of Nine romance near the end of Star Trek Voyager.
[https://screenrant.com/star-trek-voyager-seven-nine-chakotay-actors-relationship/](https://screenrant.com/star-trek-voyager-seven-nine-chakotay-actors-relationship/)
12
KennyShowersMar 20, 2026
+8
McNulty's scheme in The Wire S5
Karen banging her son's friend in For All Mankind
For a while I probably would've said Vito in New Hampshire in The Sopranos, but who could ever turn down those Johnnycakes.
8
ThreeCommaClub01Mar 20, 2026
+7
Friday Night Lights -- Landry killing a guy
7
KennyShowersMar 20, 2026
+1
I never even watched the show and this was still the first thing I thought of based on how much I hear people bring it up.
1
2nd2lastMar 20, 2026
+4
I loved that show in my youth, but hated that story. Did a rewatch and that story still sucks, but the show is MUCH worse than I remembered.
4
ThreeCommaClub01Mar 20, 2026
+1
Everyone defends it with the Writers Strike, but that storyline started before the strike did.
It is the only blemish of the show. Only relevance it has is making his and Tyra's relationship stronger and they could have done that any other way.
1
southernfirefly13Mar 20, 2026
+5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - magic being a metaphor for drug use and abuse. Hate it,
5
diego_simeoneMar 20, 2026
+2
See also the episode Beer Bad. They could be pretty heavy handed at times.
2
Reasonable-Turn-5940Mar 20, 2026
+1
Man, I watched that show obsessively when it aired and almost noped out of that season. Willow "using magic" and driving and getting into a car accident, being hooked on "herbs" for spells. It was like they took a bunch of 7th Heaven and 21 Jump Street scripts and just did a "find - replace" to turn teenage alcohol/drug storylines into magic addiction storylines.
More on topic, I could have done without Buffy and Spike ever hooking up.
1
riegspsych325Mar 20, 2026
+3
Karen randomly cheating on Ed with their dead son’s childhood friend in For All Mankind. It was out of left field, the 2 characters had almost zero interaction since the first season, and it completely torched Karen’s entire arc from the beginning of the show. They never set up any big marriage issues between Ed and Karen, almost feels like the writers had it out for the actress or something
It made me stop watching season 3 when they brought it back as a plot point again. But I want to get back into it, I just hope it doesn’t become a big thing again or ruin Karen or Danny as characters
3
AWorldwithoutSinMar 20, 2026
+2
Season 5 is about to come out and I'm watching in case we see the protomolocule.
2
riegspsych325Mar 20, 2026
+1
yeah, I really should just give the rest of the show a chance, shouldn’t I?
1
AWorldwithoutSinMar 20, 2026
+2
If you liked "The Expanse" definitely.
2
[deleted]Mar 20, 2026
+4
Any f****** show plotline where the main cast member leaves but they try to keep it going somehow
Carell leaving the Office
Duchovny leaving the X-Files
Morrow leaving Northen Exposure
Grace leaving That 70s Show
it NEVER works
4
diego_simeoneMar 20, 2026
+2
Parks and Rec replacing Mark Brendanawicz with Ben. Winston replacing Coach in New Girl (although this is probably a different case as Coach was replaced after the pilot).
2
BranWafrMar 20, 2026
+1
Usually true, but not always. Cheers replaced Coach with Woody and then Diane with Rebecca. Monk replaced Sharona with Natalie.
Not my cup of tea, but Mandy Patinkin was replaced on Criminal Minds after 2 seasons and it went on for 18 seasons.
So, not as common, but it does happen successfully from time to time.
1
res30stupidMar 20, 2026
+1
Fun fact, but British period drama series *Heartbeat* started as a vehicle for actor/pop star Nick Berry. Berry left the show in Series 7, however.
Keep in mind, the show lasted until Series 18 before it was cancelled.
1
HumiliationSlut34Mar 20, 2026
+3
Can pick a number of them from the late stages of The Office really, but the love triangle between Oscar, Angela, and her husband just didnt fit the show’s tone and was stretched wayyyyy beyond a reasonable side plots for minor characters. Angela becoming homeless was such a weird decision
3
b1gmouthMar 20, 2026
+1
The camera guy crushing on Pam
1
NotKeo_74Mar 20, 2026
+3
Chuck: Morgan becomes intersect. Also Chuck: Chuck not being able to use the intersect to the fullest.
True Blood: The Billith story line.
Alias: The time jump.
Alias and Once apon the time: The previous seasons enemy is now sort of okay story line.
3
judithishereMar 20, 2026
+6
The sexual assault attempt by Spike on Buffy
6
youngatbeingoldMar 20, 2026
+5
I wish instead he had tried to turn her into a vamp. You do need Spike to do something awful for him to realize he's still a soulless demon. It would still be traumatic and it's symbolic for sexual assault as opposed to just flat out being a realistic assault scene on campy fantasy show. I'm pretty sure one of the writers hated the idea of a soulless vampire being seen as anything other than a monster so they needlessly made him a monster even by human standards.
5
judithishereMar 20, 2026
+2
He could have gone off on his soul quest for a myriad of reasons though. It was just wrong and out of place. Also I don't think using sexual assault as a plot for character development is cool
2
thatshygirl06Mar 20, 2026
+3
It wasnt out of place at all. They were already having pretty violent sex, fighting and f******, and when no turned into yes. It didn't come out of nowhere. They had a toxic relationship.
3
judithishereMar 20, 2026
+2
I agree their relationship was toxic
2
thesupermikeyMar 20, 2026
+2
The final five store line in battlestar galactica.
2
not_pennysboatMar 20, 2026
+2
More than one contender from Lost, but probably the smoke monster sadly
2
diego_simeoneMar 20, 2026
+1
Yeah, they introduced so many “mystery boxes” early on with no plan on what they would do and the eventual answers were rarely as good as what people were speculating.
1
brickiex2Mar 20, 2026
+1
Justified.. Quarrels being >!a deviant pervert!<
1
strawberrypopsMar 20, 2026
+1
Schmidt / Cece / Elizabeth on New Girl. It was weirdly jarring in what was otherwise quite a wholesome and harmless show.
1
-OrangeLightning4Mar 20, 2026
+1
Yeah, but it gave us [this scene](https://youtu.be/k1cjQDTD_ww?si=Si7993zAJCorPc4C) which cracks me up every time.
1
b1gmouthMar 20, 2026
+1
For All Mankind. You know the one.
1
Reasonable-Turn-5940Mar 20, 2026
+2
I could have done without Frenchie's storyline in this last season of The Boys. Nothing that happened resulted in anything that lasted. By the end of the season he's turned himself in for his crimes, been immediately released because they need him for the plot, and him and Kimiko are back into eachother again. Total waste of time. Right back to where they were at the end of the previous season.
2
DCAbloobMar 20, 2026
+1
Luke raping Laura on General Hospital, a plotline that everyone involved with the show at the time soon wished had never happened as well.
1
Independent_Math_840Mar 20, 2026
Any show, anytime it turned out to all be a dream.
38 Comments