- 7 weeks ago
These episodes were so bad, they nearly derailed their entire series! Join us as we count down the TV installments that made fans question their loyalty. From jumping sharks to killing characters, these are the episodes that had viewers reaching for the remote. Which one made you consider abandoning your favorite show?
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00:00I guess now is as good a time as any.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the worst TV installments that nearly tarnished amazing shows.
00:15Look, the Bernie boy's on TV!
00:22Number 50, Access, The West Wing.
00:25Who's following breaking crime news for me?
00:27Me, nothing coming in that suggests FBI involvement.
00:30He's just keeping Eric on his toes. Everybody get back to work. Go on.
00:34Now, to be fair, it'd be silly to call any episode of The West Wing outright bad.
00:39But, well, Access isn't exactly all that great either.
00:42Following the departure of creator Aaron Sorkin at the end of season 4,
00:45the show's fifth year struggled finding a way forward, and that's most symptomatic in this snoozer of an episode.
00:51While framing CJ's day-to-day life through the eyes of a documentary crew is a novel idea,
00:55in execution, it turns a sagging pace into a downright grating hour.
01:00For many, Access was the final red flag that the West Wing was running out of steam.
01:13And CJ Craig, who allowed us to share a day with her in the West Wing, remains the only woman to have served two terms as the White House press secretary.
01:23Number 49. Mind's Eye. The Good Wife.
01:26We're leaving now. Rest your voice. Don't take any calls. Matter of fact, let me take that.
01:29I'm fine.
01:30No, you're not. I'm turning it off.
01:32When you're cranking out around 22 episodes of high-stakes legal drama every single year,
01:37it makes sense that not every single one can push the story forward.
01:40But watching Alicia write a speech is certainly not the way Good Wife fans wanted to spend an hour.
01:44Her campaign for state's attorney already felt padded out.
01:47So, as amusing as it is to see Alicia's imagination run wild,
01:51it didn't save Mind's Eye from coming off as the worst kind of filler.
01:54October 18th. That was the day Howard signed his partnership agreement.
01:59Two weeks after I was evicted, Howard could not have been Diane's proxy because at the time he was still a partner of mine.
02:05It's a weak episode in the middle of an already weak story arc,
02:08and left the impression that the Good Wife was ready for closing arguments.
02:12Your voice sounds better.
02:13I'm finding it.
02:16Mrs. Flark, hello. We're ready for you.
02:19I'm ready too.
02:20Number 48. Dangerous Debt. Star Wars The Clone Wars.
02:24So those lives would be on you.
02:26Says who?
02:27That's just the way it is. You can't profit from other people's suffering.
02:31After many long years, fans of the animated corner of the galaxy far, far away rejoiced at the thought of getting a proper ending.
02:38And then they watched Dangerous Debt.
02:40On paper, it's the action-packed culmination to the prison storyline that had taken up a quarter of the season.
02:45In actuality, it is a plotting affair that ends with Ahsoka right back where she started.
02:51We live and learn, Rafa.
02:54Yeah.
02:55But for how much longer?
02:56Since the final season only ran for 12 episodes, many took issue with the episode's lack of meaningful plot progression.
03:05And that's without even mentioning its treatment of Ahsoka.
03:08Reducing one of the franchise's most popular characters to a whiny, underpowered teen didn't exactly inspire confidence in the series' ending.
03:15Let her go!
03:18Make sure Rafa's okay!
03:21Trace!
03:24Number 47.
03:26Finale.
03:26You.
03:27My life doesn't boil down to before and after him.
03:31Every day that passes, he shrinks.
03:34Eventually, he'll just be some asshole I dated.
03:38This ending hurts.
03:39Not just because it's a disappointing finale, but also because of how it completely nosedives in its last five minutes.
03:45Had you faded to black with Joe behind bars, it would have been a completely fine, if predictable, conclusion.
03:51But instead, it continues on with a cheesy narration that dumps the series' themes right in your lap.
03:56Then, in an almost laughable fourth wall break, Joe turns to the camera and blames us, the audience, for everything.
04:03Maybe the problem isn't me.
04:07Maybe.
04:10It's you.
04:11Joe's in prison, but the show refuses to hold him accountable for any of his heinous acts.
04:16It's a final scene so awful and misguided, it retroactively sours your taste on the whole show.
04:22My punishment is even worse than I imagined.
04:27The loneliness.
04:29Oh, my God.
04:31The loneliness.
04:33Number 46.
04:34The Bard.
04:35The Twilight Zone.
04:36What do they think I am?
04:37William Shakespeare?
04:40Huh?
04:44It is deeply ironic that an episode featuring William Shakespeare is so poorly written.
04:49At the network's insistence, this episode of The Twilight Zone doubled its 30-minute runtime into a full hour.
04:55And the results are poorly paced and drawn-out stories.
04:58I mean, like, I walk through the door, and, uh, I see her.
05:04Why?
05:05Why what, Rocky?
05:07What's the question?
05:08Exactly.
05:09What is the question?
05:10The worst of them, of course, is The Bard, which would feel underbaked even in a half-hour slot.
05:16A writer seeking help from Shakespeare is a fairly thin idea to begin with, and the show does not do anything particularly fun or creative with it either.
05:24Thankfully, The Twilight Zone is an anthology.
05:26So, while The Bard is often ranked as one of its worst episodes, it didn't take too long for it to regain audience trust.
05:34And if the tale just told seems a little tall, remember a thing called Poetic License, and another thing called The Twilight Zone.
05:43Number 45.
05:44Arnold betrays Iggy.
05:46Hey, Arnold.
05:47You gotta promise me you won't tell.
05:49I promise.
05:50I got a reputation.
05:51People think I'm cool.
05:52The craziest part of this episode?
05:55It's all about bunny pajamas.
05:56To summarize, Arnold sees Iggy in embarrassing PJs.
05:59It leaks.
06:00Iggy wrongfully blames Arnold, who then seeks atonement by showing off his own bunny pajamas.
06:05Arnold!
06:14Instead of presenting this misunderstanding as a learning experience, the whole world treats Arnold's bunny pajamas like it's the lowest point of humiliation possible.
06:22There's none of Hey Arnold's trademark wit or humor either.
06:25Instead, it's a surprisingly grim installment that makes everyone look mean, shallow, and insensitive.
06:31This is not the Hey Arnold people expected.
06:33And if it hadn't returned to its optimistic tone shortly after, the show's legacy would be very different.
06:40Arnold, I am so sorry.
06:43Oh, it's you.
06:44I tried to call it off.
06:45I couldn't get through.
06:46I'm sorry.
06:48Number 44.
06:50Bloodlines.
06:50Supernatural.
06:52One of the very worst episodes of Supernatural isn't really an episode of the show at all.
07:05If you tuned in expecting to see some good old-fashioned monster hunting, you were left sorely disappointed.
07:11Instead, Bloodlines is a backdoor pilot that rushes through generic plot points to establish a monster mafia?
07:17Yeah, we don't get it either.
07:18There are five monster families that run Chicago?
07:25What is this?
07:25Godfather with fangs?
07:27If it is, I want to need all the help I can get.
07:29The spinoff didn't go forward, but the damage was done,
07:32with many hardcore fans now forever jaded on the idea of a supernatural offshoot.
07:36This wasn't the last time the network tried to make a spinoff work,
07:39but at the very least, the parent show remained solid to the end.
07:42My name is David Lasseter.
07:44I'm a shapeshifter.
07:48You're a what?
07:49We shift our shape.
07:51It's kind of all there in the name.
07:52Number 43.
07:54Intimidation Game.
07:55Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
07:57What the hell is your problem?
07:58You and your boss.
08:00Reign of Punjabi only got this feminazi game made by being a slut.
08:04Really?
08:04Like, I've never heard that before?
08:05You're one of those?
08:06Get out of here.
08:07Staying relevant for over 25 years is no easy feat,
08:11and even a show as consistent as SVU can't bat a thousand.
08:14In season 16, the series tackled girl gamers, sexism, and cyberterrorism
08:19in one head-scratcher of an episode.
08:21The whole thing was more preachy than impactful,
08:23and felt insensitive to the actual issue at hand.
08:26Intimidation Game's surface-level commentary was so ill-advised,
08:30many critics were left wondering if SVU was finally starting to show its age.
08:33And it's a game?
08:34Looks like a user hack of the game.
08:37But once they make that move, there's only one path you can go.
08:40Which is what?
08:41Kill or be slaughtered.
08:42But thankfully, this episode turned out to be an exception, not a rule.
08:46While not flawless, it has since tackled modern dilemmas with a lot more nuance.
08:54Number 42.
09:00The Future Perfect, American Horror Story.
09:03And what about that?
09:05Well, this little program of yours has been going on for years now.
09:09We all understood that the creation of an alien-human hybrid was a complex task.
09:13Being an anthology, this show got a lot more chances than most do.
09:17But even with the knowledge they'd get a clean slate next season,
09:20several viewers found this finale too egregious to forgive.
09:23Not only is the Future Perfect far from ideal, it's not even passable.
09:31It fails to tie up loose ends from either half of the season,
09:33or really be an interesting episode of television at all.
09:37After years of diminishing returns,
09:39Double Feature's eye-rolling ending felt like the show's last straw.
09:42But the pull of an anthology is hard to resist.
09:45All it took was a buzzy new theme to get people coming right back for more.
09:49I'm not a perfect specimen.
09:55Number 41.
09:56Nice to meet you, Walden Schmidt, Two and a Half Men.
09:59But I think we can all agree that Charlie lived life to its fullest
10:03and gave it everything he had.
10:06Gave me herpes.
10:08Charlie Sheen's very public meltdown didn't just put his own career in question.
10:12It also took his hit show down to only one and a half men.
10:15To replace him, the series introduced Walden Schmidt, played by none other than Ashton Kutcher.
10:21Are you okay?
10:22Yeah, I'm fine.
10:24I was just trying to drown myself.
10:27The initial responses were very mixed.
10:30While audiences gave some grace to Sheen's abrupt departure,
10:33Walden Schmidt was simply no Charlie Harper,
10:35and the show's overall quality suffered for it.
10:37At least for a bit.
10:38Eventually, Two and a Half Men regained its footing and carved a niche for Kutcher's talents to shine.
10:43But still, a lot of people skip his introduction in their rewatch.
10:46That's my dead brother.
10:48Oh.
10:50I'm sorry I made you spill him.
10:52That's okay.
10:53Number 40.
10:54Slaves and Masters.
10:56Twin Peaks.
10:57My invite back to Twin Peaks.
10:59Wyndham Earl.
11:00Direct orders from Gordon Cole.
11:02As he so succinctly put it,
11:04I'm worried about Kut!
11:06Pressured by network executives and low ratings,
11:09the sophomore season of Twin Peaks was forced to do the one thing murder mystery shows hate,
11:13reveal the killer.
11:15Without Laura Palmer,
11:16the show felt like it had no idea where it was going.
11:19The biggest victim of this is Slaves and Masters.
11:22Rather than the dramatic finale to the Evelyn and James plot,
11:25Twin Peaks seemed like it was ticking boxes and spinning wheels.
11:27Thought to mean a couple of years when your whole life has turned to crap.
11:31You really like to make everything sound pointless and stupid, don't you?
11:34Diehards and casuals alike consider it the absolute worst episode of the series.
11:39So whenever people discuss the series' incredible legacy,
11:42it's safe to say they mean every episode besides Slaves and Masters.
11:46I shot him until he was dead.
11:53Number 39.
11:55Malice in Wonderland.
11:56Charmed.
11:59Kill her!
12:00I said kill her!
12:02Kill her!
12:03Right now!
12:03After seven seasons of witchcraft and sisterhood,
12:06the network decided to shake up the status quo
12:08with a new addition to the Hallowell coven.
12:10Her name was Billy Jenkins,
12:12and that's kind of all you need to know.
12:14Instead of properly establishing Billy's role in the story,
12:17Charmed spends this episode mashing up Alice in Wonderland
12:20with Sex and the City.
12:21It'd be a head-scratcher at any point in the series,
12:23but it is especially glaring coming so soon
12:25after Billy's shoehorned introduction.
12:27This was the show's chance to prove Billy wasn't just a ratings ploy,
12:39but instead,
12:39all we got is a stark reminder of why this was Charmed's final season.
12:43Well, show me the ropes.
12:46Teach me everything you know about witchcraft.
12:48Everything.
12:49Forget it.
12:50Number 38.
12:51One Course Meal.
12:52SpongeBob SquarePants.
12:54Daddy!
12:56Call off your daughter, Krabs!
12:58Call her off!
12:59Gross, uncomfortable, and mean-spirited
13:02are not things you usually hear associated with the guy
13:05who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
13:06Sadly,
13:07One Course Meal is a full serving of SpongeBob's worst qualities
13:10all wrapped into one 12-minute segment.
13:13When Mr. Krabs discovers Plankton's fear of whales,
13:15he proceeds to torment his rival in every despicable way imaginable.
13:19It is not funny,
13:21and it is not entertaining.
13:22It's just cruel.
13:23I'll just be tortured for the rest of my life by that whale.
13:28That's it, I'm done.
13:30The 415 bus should be along any time now.
13:33At a certain point,
13:34you can't help but wonder what the intent of this episode even was.
13:37Given how extremely out of place it feels,
13:39the vast majority of the community look at One Course Meal
13:42as the official end of SpongeBob's golden era.
13:45You mean this entire time it's been crabs masquerading as a whale?
13:50Why the knifing butter beater!
13:53Number 37.
13:55Years, Continents, Bloodshed.
13:57Veronica Mars.
13:58I'm a civil servant.
13:59It's your call.
14:01Let's go for it.
14:02I'm nothing if not traditional.
14:03Inches away from the finish line,
14:08Neptune's best detective was faced with the one case no one can solve.
14:12A bad ending.
14:14Coming in 12 years after the series cancellation
14:16and 5 after the reunion film,
14:18this revival gave Veronica Mars a chance at the ending it deserved.
14:21And what did it do with it?
14:23Blow up Logan in the final minutes,
14:25robbing Veronica of her overdue happy ending.
14:27It wouldn't have stung so bad if there were another season
14:37or if this ending hadn't been literal years in the making.
14:41For long-time fans,
14:42it felt like Veronica Mars had wasted its legacy on a cliffhanger
14:46that would never be resolved.
14:47Blows that would destroy most people.
14:52She always picks herself back up.
14:53There's a place for weird one-off episodes in any TV show.
15:09Four weeks into your first season
15:11is not exactly the place for them, though.
15:14At a time when Torchwood was still proving itself to its audience,
15:16it delivered a story about a half-android woman
15:19who goes all Terminator on the team.
15:21Sounds cool enough, right?
15:22However, its execution leaves a lot to be desired.
15:33Saddled by the tight budgetary restraints
15:35of a weekly television program,
15:37these cheap production values
15:38definitely did not convince any naysayers to stick around.
15:41On the bright side,
15:42those that did were treated to a generation-defining sci-fi hit.
15:46Can you understand that, Jack?
15:48How many of you ever loved them?
15:53Number 35.
15:54Life of Brian.
15:55Family Guy.
15:59Brian, look out!
16:00You never kill the dog.
16:02It's basically the cardinal rule of storytelling,
16:05but that did not stop Family Guy
16:06from putting Brian six feet deep
16:08in a true shocker of an episode.
16:10The backlash came from far and wide,
16:12with many finding the dark twist at odds
16:14with the show's comedic roots.
16:15Of course, Brian's death didn't actually stick,
16:17and he miraculously returned a few episodes later.
16:20Yes, but luckily I ran into another me from the past,
16:22so I stole his return pad and came back here.
16:25Oh, that reminds me.
16:26I've got to send this back where it came from.
16:30But that just made fans angrier.
16:32They felt Brian had only been killed off for shock value,
16:34and were none too pleased at being taken advantage of.
16:37Even years later,
16:39Family Guy has still yet to fully recover
16:40from the bad publicity.
16:42Well, you gave me the greatest gift of all.
16:44I'll tell you about it sometime.
16:46Brian, are we pregnant?
16:49What? No, Stewie, it's nothing like that.
16:51Number 34.
16:52Welcome aboard.
16:53The Brady Bunch.
16:56In one of the most blatant ratings ploys
17:04in television history,
17:05the Brady family got a very unwelcome houseguest
17:07in the second half of their final season.
17:09His name?
17:11Cousin Oliver.
17:12Since the original kids were growing up,
17:14the producers wanted another child
17:15to keep up the youthful energy.
17:17But instead of freshening up the formula,
17:19Cousin Oliver underlined how stale
17:21the Brady Bunch had become.
17:28Think you got the hang of it now, Greg?
17:31His mischievous stick got old
17:32before the first commercial break.
17:34And to make matters worse,
17:35he ate up the screen time of characters
17:37people actually wanted to watch.
17:38By alienating old fans
17:40and annoying new ones,
17:42Cousin Oliver's introduction
17:43is commonly seen as the point
17:44of no return for the Brady Bunch.
17:46Anyway, I really like it here.
17:47It's super.
17:48Night.
17:49Night, honey.
17:49Number 33.
17:54Till Death Do Us Part
17:55Pretty Little Liars
17:56Well, you missed breakfast,
17:58but mom's planning a special lunch.
18:01Everyone loves a good plot twist.
18:03Pretty Little Liars understood the assignment
18:05and kept the reveals coming
18:06for seven seasons of soapy goodness.
18:08And then the finale came
18:10and it fell flat on its face.
18:12After seven years and over 150 episodes,
18:15the final trick under Pretty Little Liars sleeve
18:17was an evil British twin.
18:19You see, I've been dying to meet you.
18:25We wish we were joking,
18:27but that's really what happens.
18:28To say people were let down
18:30would be the understatement of the century.
18:32Mysteries are only as good as their payoff.
18:34And with such a disappointing resolution,
18:37longtime viewers wondered
18:38whether the journey had even been worth it.
18:40Sorry, I've got to go get ready.
18:43Um, hey, how are you planning
18:45on wearing your hair for the wedding?
18:48Number 32.
18:49Our First Day of School
18:50Scrubs
18:51They tore down the old crappy hospital
18:53and rebuilt it on the med school campus.
18:56I'm just back to teach some classes.
18:57First, though,
18:58I need to do my morning good luck ritual.
19:00Cease compressions
19:01Time of Death
19:02May 6th, 2009
19:04With the aptly named two-parter My Finale,
19:07Scrubs had finally passed on
19:09to the graveyard of great sitcoms.
19:11Or at least it should have.
19:12Unwilling to let the hit show go with dignity,
19:15the powers that be demanded a ninth season.
19:17What they got instead
19:18was a head-scratching reboot of sorts
19:20that most fans choose to forget.
19:22But he's coming back.
19:24No.
19:24After his vacation.
19:27No.
19:27Half the main cast didn't return,
19:35and the ones that did
19:36were pushed to the side
19:37in favor of new,
19:38less interesting characters.
19:40As early as this first episode,
19:42it was clear this was nothing
19:43but a cash grab on Scrubs' legacy.
19:46Nowadays,
19:46most fans agree the show ended with Season 8.
19:49If you do make me cry,
19:51it won't be a big deal
19:52because I lied.
19:54I cry all the time.
19:57Oh, good God.
20:01Number 31.
20:02Hollywood Part 3.
20:03Happy Days.
20:04But you get your legs bit off by that shark.
20:06Don't you come running to me.
20:08Ha, ha, ha.
20:10Ever heard the phrase,
20:11jumping the shark?
20:13Yeah, well, that started here.
20:14Once a beloved sitcom
20:15about family and adolescence,
20:17waning appeal over the years
20:19had Happy Days writers
20:20scrambling for any way
20:21to draw viewership.
20:22Unfortunately for everyone,
20:24they landed on the idea
20:25of having Fonzie water ski
20:26over a literal shark.
20:37It's a moment so wildly insane,
20:40you cannot help but think,
20:41is this still supposed to be Happy Days?
20:43There wasn't a single person
20:45pleased with this bizarre episode.
20:47In fact,
20:47it was so universally despised,
20:49the term jumping the shark
20:51became synonymous with TV episodes
20:52that go off the deep end.
20:53It is probably not the legacy
20:56Happy Days hoped for.
20:57But what did you really win?
20:59Aw, come on, Red.
21:00How often does a guy like me
21:01get to bump off a guy like that?
21:03Number 30.
21:04A Journey to the Highlands.
21:06Downton Abbey.
21:07The Crawleys take a trip to Scotland
21:08and visit Donegal Estate.
21:10During the family trip,
21:12Mary goes into labor
21:12and returns to the abbey
21:14to give birth
21:15to the young George Matthew Crawley.
21:16Can this hot and dusty traveler come in?
21:27Say hello to your son and heir.
21:29Matthew comes to visit Mary
21:31and meet his newborn son.
21:32It's a moment of joy for both parents
21:34as George will be the heir
21:35to the family estate.
21:37However,
21:38the moment of happiness is fleeting
21:39as shortly after Matthew
21:41leaves the hospital,
21:42he's involved in a car wreck
21:43and is killed.
21:44We don't always get our just desserts.
21:55His sudden death
21:56was strongly disliked by many fans
21:58as it quickly followed
21:59the death of Lady Sybil Branson.
22:02Number 29.
22:03Everyone Knows It's Bendy.
22:05Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
22:07Bendy arrives in the Foster's Home
22:09and immediately he causes trouble.
22:11The problem for Blue and the gang
22:12is that Mr. Harriman and Frankie
22:14take Bendy's side
22:15every single time.
22:16You guys!
22:18How could you?
22:19But he totally did it!
22:23Oh, blaming this poor innocent
22:25just after he was forcibly accused
22:28by his own family
22:29and abandoned forthwith.
22:30Oh, for shame.
22:32Bendy is mean for no reason.
22:35He's shown countless times
22:36getting the other imaginary friends
22:37into trouble
22:38even though they've done nothing to him.
22:40It also doesn't help
22:41that he's whiny
22:42and manipulative
22:43as any time he's called out
22:45for his actions
22:45he feigns innocence.
22:47Me?
22:48But I would never...
22:49I mean...
22:50Oh gosh!
22:51Oh no!
22:52Why does this keep happening to me?
22:55It's a schtick
22:56that becomes tired really fast
22:58and we're left with
22:59a one-note character
23:00that adds nothing interesting
23:01to the show.
23:03Number 28.
23:04Pilot.
23:04Parks and Recreation.
23:06For many,
23:07the first season
23:08of this popular sitcom
23:09is a no-go.
23:10Things don't get off
23:11to a great start
23:12with the series' first episode.
23:14You know,
23:14I like to tell people,
23:16you know,
23:16get on board
23:16and buckle up
23:18because my ride's
23:19going to be a big one
23:20and if you get motion sickness,
23:22put your head
23:23between your knees
23:23because Leslie Knope's
23:25stopping for no one.
23:26In it,
23:26we're introduced
23:27to Leslie Knope and Company
23:28along with
23:29the town of Pawnee, Indiana.
23:31When it initially aired,
23:32the show was criticized
23:33for being too similar
23:34to The Office
23:35and the character of
23:36nope,
23:37too much like Michael Scott
23:38while some found her
23:39to be unlikable.
23:41Often we have to
23:42cover up the more
23:43gruesome parts
23:44with a poster.
23:45That is horrifying.
23:48Yes, it is.
23:49Even with all that said,
23:50there was still
23:51potential to prosper
23:52which turned out
23:53to be the case
23:54as by season two,
23:55things started
23:56to come together.
23:57Number 27.
23:58The Timeless Children.
24:00Doctor Who.
24:01Plot twists,
24:02if done well,
24:03can lead to shock
24:04and awe
24:04as they can make us
24:05re-evaluate
24:06everything we've learned
24:07about a character
24:08or situation.
24:08Oh, Doctor, really?
24:12Haven't you worked
24:13this out yet?
24:20The child is you.
24:22For many fans
24:23of Doctor Who, however,
24:24this reveal
24:25was completely forced
24:26and unnecessary.
24:28Instead of the Doctor
24:29being a Time Lord
24:30from the planet Gallifrey,
24:31the Doctor
24:31is an otherworldly being
24:33of unknown origin
24:34who had their memories erased.
24:36You are the Timeless Child.
24:41No.
24:42No, I'm not.
24:45You always have been.
24:47I can't be.
24:49Some felt that
24:49this explanation
24:50ruined the mystery
24:51of the Doctor,
24:52while others felt
24:53that this retcon
24:54undermined the history
24:55of the show
24:55and the Doctor's
24:56character development.
24:58Number 26.
24:59Song Beneath the Song.
25:01Grey's Anatomy.
25:02Musical episodes
25:03can be tricky.
25:04When done right,
25:05you end up with
25:06Buffy's Once More
25:07with Feeling.
25:08When done wrong,
25:09you end up with
25:10this episode
25:10from Grey's Anatomy.
25:11Would you lie with me
25:14and just walk in the world?
25:18Many fans found
25:19the tonal shift
25:20to be jarring,
25:21as the show
25:22is primarily
25:23a medical drama
25:24and the idea
25:24of a musical
25:25just doesn't fit.
25:27Even co-star
25:27Patrick Dempsey
25:28thought the episode
25:29was a quote,
25:29big mistake.
25:31Fans also took issue
25:32with the fact
25:33that the majority
25:34of the cast
25:34can't really sing.
25:42It did get praise
25:43for taking a chance
25:44and trying something new,
25:45but for many,
25:46this died
25:47on the operating table.
25:49Number 25.
25:50The Day Will Come
25:51When You Won't Be.
25:52The Walking Dead.
25:53Jeffrey Dean Morgan's
25:55portrayal of Negan
25:56was widely praised,
25:57but it wasn't enough
25:58to save this episode
25:59from the scorn
25:59of critics
26:00and fans alike.
26:02Well, look at that.
26:05Dawn is breaking.
26:07It's a brand new day, Rick.
26:09Things were already
26:10off to a rough start
26:11as many people
26:12were unhappy
26:13with the season 6 finale
26:14Last Day on Earth
26:15as it had slow pacing
26:17and ended
26:18with an unsatisfactory
26:19cliffhanger.
26:20The violence
26:21found in the season 7 premiere
26:22was viewed as brutal
26:23and gratuitous,
26:25with fans finding
26:26the way characters
26:26Abraham and Glenn
26:27were killed
26:28to be way over the top.
26:30I'm a man of my word.
26:32First impressions
26:33are important.
26:39I need you
26:40to know me.
26:43Number 24.
26:44Saturday Morning Fun Pit.
26:46Futurama.
26:47Anthology episodes
26:48have become a staple
26:49of this sci-fi comedy,
26:50but this collection
26:51of Saturday morning
26:52cartoon parodies
26:53fell flat for many.
26:54It's time to fall
26:55into
26:56the Futurama and Friends
26:57Saturday Morning Fun Pit.
27:00Here comes
27:01Bindi Boo
27:01and the mystery crew.
27:03The majority of jokes
27:04just didn't land,
27:05while others felt
27:06the parodies themselves
27:07were worn out
27:08and tired.
27:09Other shows
27:10have spoofed
27:10Scooby-Doo
27:11and made the same jokes
27:12about reusing animation,
27:14shoehorned guest stars,
27:15the laugh track,
27:16and flimsy plot.
27:17It all makes sense.
27:18He knew that
27:19if he scared the Globetrotters
27:20away from the big
27:21basketball game,
27:22disappointed fans
27:23would flock
27:23to his kabuki theater.
27:25Of course!
27:26Some also felt
27:27that this episode
27:28detracts from the humor
27:29derived from the characters
27:30and clever writing
27:31found in regular episodes.
27:34Number 23.
27:35Fart Book.
27:36Letter Kenny.
27:37Known for its rapid-paced
27:38delivery and wordplay,
27:39this Canadian comedy
27:40has endeared itself
27:41to many.
27:42Unfortunately for fans
27:43of this series,
27:44all of that goes out
27:45the window
27:46with this episode
27:47centered around farts.
27:48So any other insights
27:49for us?
27:50Uh,
27:52it should be
27:54painfully obvious
27:55from the title,
27:56but the hicks
27:56come up with
27:57a social media network
27:58based on one's flatulence.
28:00The whole thing
28:01becomes a never-ending
28:02fart joke
28:03that most just
28:04can't get into.
28:05When we see you've been
28:06liking all this
28:06Duster's farts
28:07on Fart Book,
28:09none of this
28:09beauty's farts.
28:11And not one
28:11of this grain-fed,
28:13USDA-certified,
28:16100%
28:16non-animal-tested
28:18organic beauty.
28:19While there are
28:20some funny moments
28:21as it parodies
28:22the social network,
28:23you're not missing much
28:24if you decide
28:25to skip this one.
28:26Number 22.
28:27Frank's Brother.
28:28It's Always Sunny
28:29in Philadelphia.
28:30The best part
28:31about this episode
28:32is Lance Reddick's
28:33performance,
28:33but unfortunately
28:34for It's Always Sunny fans,
28:36it's not enough
28:37to save it
28:37from the hate it gets.
28:39I guess that don't
28:39leave me with no choice.
28:43But to be a mature-ass
28:45adult about this shit.
28:46The episode takes place
28:47in the past
28:48and recounts
28:49how Frank opens
28:50a nightclub
28:50along with his
28:51older brother
28:51and they compete
28:52for the love
28:53of the same woman.
28:54While there are
28:55a good number
28:55of gags present
28:56throughout,
28:57fans have taken
28:58exception to the fact
28:59that it doesn't
29:00involve the gang
29:00all that much
29:01and doesn't follow
29:02the setup
29:03of a conventional
29:03episode for the series.
29:05Why?
29:07You were gone!
29:09He was here!
29:11Number 21.
29:12Rick Dependence Spray.
29:13Rick and Morty.
29:14If there's a fine line
29:15between good
29:16and bad taste,
29:17for fans and critics
29:18of Rick and Morty,
29:19this episode is
29:20right up against it,
29:21if not outright
29:22crossing it.
29:23Morty,
29:23you nasty,
29:24lying,
29:25little,
29:25world-ending pervert.
29:26I'm sorry!
29:28What was it like?
29:30Fantastic!
29:30We're off to
29:31a gross start
29:32as Morty's
29:33genetic material
29:33unknowingly
29:34is transformed
29:35into giant monstrosities
29:36by Rick.
29:37They begin
29:38to terrorize
29:39the planet
29:39and a plan
29:40is hatched
29:40to lure the sperm
29:41into a trap
29:42using one of Summer's
29:43eggs.
29:43A sperm manages
29:44to enter the egg,
29:46thereby meaning
29:46Morty and Summer
29:47technically have
29:48a child together.
29:49Sticky,
29:50it's all you,
29:50bud!
29:57Sticky!
30:00This fact
30:01was too much
30:02for many watching
30:03and people started
30:04to question
30:05the direction
30:05of the show.
30:06this fifth season
30:10installment
30:11focuses heavily,
30:12no pun intended,
30:13on Betty Draper
30:13and marked
30:14Jon Hamm's
30:15directorial debut.
30:16Unfortunately,
30:17having Don Draper
30:18himself at the helm
30:19cannot save this episode
30:20from a questionable
30:21leap into high melodrama.
30:22I've put on a few pounds
30:24and I haven't had much
30:25luck reducing
30:26on my own
30:26for some reason.
30:27Betty's cancer diagnosis
30:28would end up paying
30:29emotional dividends
30:30in the final season,
30:31but the story's
30:32rushed pacing here
30:33robs it
30:33of its emotional heft.
30:34Betty Draper,
30:35I almost didn't
30:36recognize you.
30:38Twice.
30:39Hello,
30:39how are you?
30:40Even worse,
30:41January Jones'
30:42real-life pregnancy
30:43gives birth to
30:44Fat Betty,
30:45regarded by many
30:46as one of the show's
30:47worst character arcs.
30:48Although the B-plot
30:49involving Don
30:50trying to recruit
30:51the Rolling Stones
30:51for a Heinz commercial
30:52is a highlight,
30:53it's not enough
30:54to save this
30:54from being one of
30:55Mad Men's
30:55more disappointing outings.
30:57You really think
30:58you're gonna get
30:58the Rolling Stones
30:59to do a TV ad?
31:01They did one
31:01for cereal in England.
31:02Number 19,
31:04The One in Barbados,
31:05Friends.
31:06The finale of
31:07Friends' ninth season.
31:08This two-parter
31:09is the point at which
31:10some critics and fans
31:11believe the show
31:12was starting to run
31:13out of ideas.
31:14I had to pull
31:15some strings,
31:16but I was able
31:17to get everyone
31:17passes to the
31:18entire conference.
31:20That's right.
31:21The episodes feature
31:22not just a love
31:23triangle between
31:23Phoebe and her
31:24suitors Mike and
31:25David,
31:25but also a love
31:26rectangle between
31:27Ross,
31:28Rachel,
31:29Joey,
31:29and Charlie.
31:30Although the former
31:31is arguably more
31:33interesting.
31:34Oh my god,
31:35Mike.
31:36It's David,
31:36actually.
31:38The latter
31:39is a major focus
31:40of both episodes,
31:41culminating in
31:42Rachel and Joey
31:43starting a relationship,
31:44one that was
31:45destined to be brief
31:46due to the
31:46character's
31:47limited chemistry.
31:48And yet,
31:48it has slightly
31:49more mileage
31:50than all the jokes
31:51about Monica's
31:51hair,
31:52albeit barely.
31:53All right,
31:54I don't want to
31:54alarm anybody,
31:55but Monica's hair
31:56is twice as big
31:57as it was when
31:57we landed.
31:58Number 18,
31:59Shades of Grey,
32:00Star Trek,
32:01The Next Generation.
32:02Prognosis.
32:04The infection
32:05is spreading,
32:06it will eventually
32:07reach the brain.
32:08This beloved
32:08sci-fi series
32:09had a few weak
32:10outings over
32:11its seven seasons,
32:12which makes this
32:12season two
32:13duds stand out
32:14even more.
32:14After contracting
32:15a deadly virus,
32:16Commander Riker
32:17is put in a machine
32:18that causes him
32:19to dream about
32:20past events
32:20aboard the Enterprise.
32:22This framing device
32:23was used primarily
32:24to cut costs,
32:25as the show
32:25had run out of money
32:26near the end
32:27of the season.
32:27He's relaxed.
32:31Experiencing feelings
32:32of warmth
32:34and friendship.
32:35Even by clip show
32:37standards,
32:37this is a painful
32:38hour of television.
32:39Making matters worse,
32:40the series only
32:41had two seasons
32:42worth of episodes
32:43to mine for clips
32:44at the time.
32:44Thankfully,
32:45this was the first
32:46and last time
32:47The Next Generation
32:48attempted a flashback episode.
32:50Recognize Picard,
32:51Jean-Luc,
32:52Captain.
32:53Recognize Riker,
32:55William T,
32:56Commander.
33:00Taken on its own terms,
33:02this mid-season finale
33:03is an excellent
33:04piece of television.
33:07Driven by the shocking
33:08death of Michael Cordero,
33:09this is a tragic,
33:11heartfelt episode
33:11that forever
33:12changed the series.
33:13Unfortunately,
33:14it didn't necessarily
33:15change it for the better.
33:17While received positively
33:18at the time,
33:19Chapter 54 is pointed
33:20to by some
33:21as the episode
33:21that killed the series,
33:23or at least
33:24marked a decline in quality.
33:25The sudden
33:26three-year time jump
33:27at the end of the episode
33:28was bad enough
33:29as it glossed over
33:30the emotional fallout
33:31of Michael's death.
33:32But bringing Michael
33:33back from the dead
33:34the very next season
33:35retroactively made
33:36the twist pointless.
33:37Talk about a cop-out.
33:38Surprise!
33:40Number 16,
33:41Into That Good Night,
33:43Roseanne.
33:44Long before
33:45the Conner family's
33:45ill-fated revival
33:46in 2018,
33:48Roseanne fans
33:48witnessed a different
33:49kind of train wreck
33:50in the form of this
33:51late 90s series finale.
33:52One at a time,
33:53you people are scary
33:54enough individually.
33:55Oh, we just want
33:56to see the baby Roseanne.
33:57The ninth season
33:58of this once-beloved show
33:59was panned by critics
34:00and fans alike
34:01due to an unbelievable
34:03storyline that saw
34:04the Conners win the lottery,
34:05and a shocking reveal
34:09in the two-part finale.
34:10After a series of
34:11increasingly bizarre
34:12adventures,
34:13the finale undid it all
34:14by revealing that
34:15the Conners never
34:16were millionaires.
34:17He's still the first
34:18thing I think about
34:19when I wake up
34:20and the last thing
34:21I think about
34:22before I go to sleep.
34:24I miss him.
34:25It was all a dream
34:26of Roseanne's,
34:27a fictional world
34:28to help cope
34:29with the sudden death
34:30of her husband.
34:31While a bold
34:32storytelling choice,
34:33loyal viewers
34:34weren't exactly happy
34:35that the show
34:36had wasted their time
34:36with a season
34:37of off-brand weirdness
34:38before being told
34:39none of it actually mattered.
34:41As I wrote
34:41about my life,
34:42I relived it.
34:43And whatever I didn't like,
34:45I rearranged.
34:46Number 15.
34:47Return to Camelot Part 1.
34:49Dallas.
34:53What's the matter?
34:57The mother
34:58of all soap opera twists,
35:00nothing in television history
35:01quite matches the historic
35:03backlash of the dream season.
35:05You heard that right.
35:06Season.
35:07While fans around the world
35:09mourned Bobby's death,
35:10surely there was a better way
35:11to bring him back
35:12than retconning
35:13an entire year of television.
35:15It's even worse
35:15when you realize
35:16Bobby's resurrection
35:17was supposed to be
35:18a coup d'etat for Dallas.
35:19But instead,
35:20it made most viewers
35:21throw their hands up
35:23for good.
35:23And then we took you
35:24to the hospital
35:25and you died.
35:27Hey.
35:29Pam, I'm right here.
35:31And I'm fine.
35:32Hand-waving the entire
35:33ninth season
35:34frustrated diehards,
35:35confused newbies,
35:36and it almost ruined
35:37the legacy
35:38of what is otherwise
35:39a classic television program.
35:41Return to Camelot
35:42isn't a dream.
35:43It's a nightmare.
35:44I was so afraid.
35:47Oh, I love you so much.
35:51It's over.
35:53Number 14.
35:54A Million Little Fibers
35:56South Park
35:56Trey Parker and Matt Stone's
35:58foul-mouthed animated series
35:59has maintained
36:00a high level of quality
36:01for over two decades.
36:02The new waiter is useless.
36:04And I think he's high.
36:07How spicy would you like
36:09your chainsaws?
36:10But around the 10th season,
36:12there was some cause
36:13for concern
36:13that the show
36:14had lost a step.
36:15This episode,
36:16which sees Cowley
36:16write a memoir
36:17and go on Oprah,
36:18is arguably
36:19South Park at its worst.
36:21You have been through
36:22so much.
36:24And I think that
36:25people all over America
36:26could...
36:27Oh, God.
36:28There she goes again.
36:29Babbling about people's lives
36:30and carrying on.
36:32It's an absurd setup
36:33that leads to the shocking
36:34visual of Oprah's genitalia
36:36taking hostages
36:37at gunpoint.
36:38While it's pretty incredible
36:39this episode actually
36:40made it to air,
36:41the humor just doesn't work
36:42and isn't up to
36:43the show's high standard.
36:44Even the show's creators
36:45have admitted it's bad,
36:47with Stone saying
36:47he would, quote,
36:48erase that one if he could.
36:50On that,
36:51we can agree.
36:51This whole thing
36:52was my fault.
36:54I learned that
36:55I shouldn't get high
36:56to come up with ideas.
36:58Number 13.
36:59The Lost Sister
37:00Stranger Things
37:02Pacing is critical
37:03to a good story.
37:04And when a TV series
37:05suddenly grinds to a halt,
37:07audiences notice.
37:07I'm looking for my sister.
37:10Oh, Shirley Temple
37:12lost her sister.
37:13So sad.
37:14Taken on its own terms,
37:15this 11-focused episode
37:16deserves some credit
37:17for taking a storytelling risk.
37:19Unfortunately,
37:20Elle's trip to Chicago
37:21to hang with a group
37:22of misfits
37:22doesn't lead to the kind
37:23of character growth
37:24you would expect.
37:25She returns to
37:26Hawkins, Indiana
37:26the very next episode
37:27and the only thing
37:28that's really changed
37:29about her is her hairstyle.
37:31Although, to be fair,
37:32it's a really cool hairstyle.
37:33Bitchin'.
37:33Even worse,
37:37this episode takes us
37:38away from the action
37:38in Hawkins
37:39right as it's heating up
37:40for a final act showdown.
37:42All in all,
37:43it feels more like
37:43an intrusive diversion
37:45than an important moment
37:46of character growth.
37:47The bad men were trying
37:48to take you away again
37:49and that made you angry.
37:51Good.
37:52So find that anger.
37:53Number 12.
37:54Last Days of Summer
37:55Friday Night Lights
37:56Following up
37:57a critically acclaimed
37:58first season
37:59can be tough
37:59for any show
38:00and Friday Night Lights
38:01certainly fumbled the ball
38:03with its second season premiere
38:04Last Days of Summer.
38:06Honey?
38:08I think my water just broke.
38:09While it does a nice job
38:10showing the fallout
38:11from the events
38:12of the previous season,
38:13things go wrong
38:14for a lot of characters,
38:16particularly Tyra and Landry,
38:18whose altercation
38:18with Tyra's stalker
38:19leads to the stalker's body
38:21going in the river.
38:23Tyra, we can't.
38:25What else are we gonna do?
38:28This in particular
38:28set off a season-long
38:30investigation arc
38:31which feels inconsistent
38:32with what the show
38:33had been
38:33and what it would
38:34go on to become.
38:36I'm glad he's dead.
38:40Number 11.
38:41The Great Divide
38:42Avatar
38:42The Last Airbender
38:44Avatar saw
38:45mercifully few duds
38:46over its three-year run
38:47but this one stands out
38:49as the worst of the bunch.
38:51These people are
38:51fleeing the Fire Nation,
38:53aren't they?
38:54Gotta make sure
38:54we can't be followed.
38:56The plot sees
38:57Aang and company
38:57decide to help
38:58two bickering rival clans
39:00migrate through a canyon.
39:01Most of the run time
39:03is devoted to arguments
39:04both among the feuding groups
39:05and within the group of heroes.
39:08In the end,
39:08Aang resolves the clan's
39:10differences by lying to them,
39:11a decision that really
39:12doesn't match his character
39:13and acts as a really weird
39:15message to end on.
39:17That's some luck
39:17you knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin.
39:19You could call it luck
39:20or you could call it life.
39:22Overall,
39:23The Great Divide
39:24adds little to the plot
39:25or the characters,
39:26making it an easy one to skip.
39:28I suppose it's time
39:29we forget the past.
39:31And look to the future.
39:33Number 10.
39:34The Puerto Rican Day
39:35Seinfeld
39:36This show about nothing
39:37was one of the most
39:38influential TV series
39:39of the 90s
39:40and many were shocked
39:42when creators
39:42Jerry Seinfeld
39:43and Larry David
39:44decided to end it
39:45after nine seasons.
39:46I'm into this
39:46Puerto Rican day.
39:47The sights,
39:48the sounds,
39:49the hot,
39:50spicy flavor of it all.
39:51It's caliente!
39:52While the series finale
39:53is still regarded
39:54by some as a major
39:55disappointment,
39:56an earlier episode
39:57in the season
39:57proved just as controversial.
39:59Many Puerto Ricans
40:00were offended
40:01by the episode's
40:02subject matter,
40:02which generally cast
40:03Puerto Ricans
40:04in a negative light.
40:05And Kramer's
40:06accidental burning
40:07of their flag
40:07didn't help matters.
40:08There's a guy
40:09burning the Puerto Rican flag!
40:12Who?
40:12Who is burning the flag?
40:14NBC was flooded
40:15with angry letters,
40:16prompting the network
40:17to issue a formal apology.
40:19Even setting aside
40:20the controversy,
40:21the episode isn't
40:22very memorable
40:22and makes a strong case
40:24for Seinfeld
40:25calling it quits
40:25when it did.
40:26Maybe we should
40:28have stumped you
40:29like you have
40:29stumped the flag!
40:31What do you think of that?
40:32Number 9,
40:33Black Market,
40:34Battlestar Galactica.
40:35This reimagined
40:36space opera series
40:37incorporated a lot
40:38of different genres,
40:39but this episode
40:40featured one
40:41that it did not
40:41pull off well,
40:43noir.
40:43What are you doing here?
40:46Captain,
40:47I was about to ask
40:48you the same thing.
40:49The episode sees
40:50Apollo Adama
40:51investigating a black market
40:53that has somehow sprung up
40:54in a fleet with a population
40:56smaller than an average city.
40:58Besides the glut
40:59of plot holes
40:59and narrative conveniences,
41:01trying to turn Galactica's
41:02resident heroic pilot
41:03into a gritty detective
41:04for an episode
41:05just didn't fly.
41:07Our people will do
41:08whatever it takes
41:09to get this under control.
41:11And it's good to have you back,
41:12madam president.
41:13Noir in space
41:14can work,
41:15but it doesn't work here.
41:16Even series creator
41:18Ronald D. Moore
41:19has called black market
41:20a disappointment,
41:21but at least he could admit
41:22when they fracked up.
41:23There's lines you can't cross,
41:25and you've crossed them.
41:27Number 8
41:27Freefall, ER.
41:29She made me use
41:30the other thing.
41:31It's from Charmany.
41:33Any show on the air
41:34for 15 years
41:35is bound to have
41:36at least one bad episode,
41:38and Freefall
41:39is one of ER's worst.
41:41The crux of the episode's
41:42awfulness lies
41:43in the departure
41:44of Dr. Robert Romano.
41:46A generally unpleasant man,
41:48Get your ass back inside,
41:49sit down and admit,
41:50and do not move
41:50until I come get you.
41:52Romano did have
41:53other sides to him,
41:54and had even received
41:55something of a karmic punishment
41:56when he lost his arm
41:57to a helicopter blade.
41:59His death, however,
42:00is just cruel
42:01and unusual.
42:02How does it happen?
42:03Why a helicopter
42:04crashes on top of him,
42:05of course.
42:06The writers had already
42:07made the character
42:08two-dimensional
42:08by the end of his run,
42:10but did they have to
42:10make his death
42:11just as cartoonish?
42:12Do you want a coffee?
42:14Um, not in the club.
42:15I got an extra.
42:17Thanks.
42:22Number 7.
42:23Intro to felt surrogacy.
42:25Community.
42:26Season 4 was a rough one
42:28for community all around,
42:29and this episode
42:30is arguably the low point
42:31of a year full
42:32of less than stellar outings.
42:34Now, I don't know
42:35what happened,
42:36but we have to get
42:37to the bottom of this.
42:39Intro to felt surrogacy
42:40shows the study group
42:41lost in the woods,
42:42during which
42:43they eat some berries
42:43that make them hallucinate
42:44that they're all puppets
42:45and swap secrets
42:47with each other.
42:47Truth is I've never voted
42:49except when I watch
42:51The Voice.
42:52While community is known
42:53for its stunt episodes
42:54and surreal moments,
42:55usually they're in service
42:57of the story
42:57or characters.
42:59But that's just not
43:00the case for this
43:01bizarre trip of an episode.
43:03Oh, I'm sorry.
43:06I didn't mean
43:06to startle anybody.
43:07Number 6.
43:08Stranger in a Strange Land.
43:10Lost.
43:11You're not from around here,
43:12are you?
43:13Although it was
43:14a polarizing show overall,
43:15Lost definitely hit a slump
43:17during its third season.
43:19Some point to Expose,
43:20an episode that killed off
43:21two fan-despised characters
43:23as the show's low point.
43:25But many are of the opinion
43:26that this episode
43:27is much worse.
43:29There will be consequences, Jack.
43:30The flashback focuses
43:33on how Jack got his tattoos,
43:35while the island storyline
43:36focuses on Kate and Sawyer's
43:38return to camp
43:39and Jack and Juliet's
43:40tenuous position
43:41among the others.
43:43The episode also
43:44answers some questions,
43:45like what happened
43:46to the people
43:46the others kidnapped,
43:48while also raising some more.
43:50So, I was hoping
43:51you may help me
43:52clear up a few of the
43:54inconsistencies.
43:56Ultimately,
43:57Stranger feels like filler,
43:59which on a show
44:00this serialized
44:01can really kill
44:02the momentum.
44:06Number 5,
44:07Beer Bad,
44:08Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
44:09Ice water.
44:10Nothing on the rocks.
44:12High schoolers
44:13and the shows
44:14that depict them
44:14have difficulty
44:15transitioning to college
44:17and Buffy
44:18was no exception.
44:19The Beer Bad episode
44:20depicts our heroine
44:22drowning her sorrows
44:23in beer
44:23after being used
44:24for sex
44:25by a jerk of a guy.
44:26Smelly head.
44:28However,
44:28some magic juju
44:29in the beer
44:30turns her
44:30and her drinking pals
44:31into cave people.
44:36Although elements
44:37of the series'
44:38trademark wit
44:39and humor
44:39are present
44:40in the episode,
44:41they're a bit
44:41overshadowed
44:42by the ham-handed
44:43warning against
44:43drinking and
44:44casual sex,
44:45as well as
44:46the literal
44:46dumbing down
44:47of the protagonist.
44:48Voice smell nice.
44:51In short,
44:52Beer Bad,
44:52Bad.
44:54Number 4,
44:54Remember the Monsters?
44:55Dexter.
44:57Showtime's serial killer drama
44:58had been in decline
44:59since season 4's
45:00Trinity Killer arc,
45:01but nothing prepared viewers
45:02for this train wreck
45:03of a series finale.
45:05A truly awful hour
45:06of television,
45:07this episode retroactively
45:08undoes season's worth
45:09of character growth
45:10in one fell swoop.
45:11Dexter's mercy killing
45:13of his sister Deb
45:13would have been bad
45:14enough on its own,
45:15as she deserved
45:16so much better.
45:17But it gets so much worse.
45:19Hi Harrison,
45:19I just wanted to tell you
45:20one last time
45:21that I love you.
45:22After driving his boat
45:23into a hurricane,
45:24Dexter is presumed dead.
45:26In reality,
45:27he's alive and well,
45:28living out his days
45:29as a lumberjack.
45:30While there's surely
45:31someone out there
45:31who liked this
45:32ambiguous ending,
45:33it's clear the writers
45:34didn't have any better
45:35ideas for how to put
45:36this show out of its misery.
45:38Number 3,
45:38The Principal and the Pauper,
45:40The Simpsons.
45:41Seven o'clock
45:42Friday night, mother.
45:43Time for our weekly silhouette.
45:45In this episode,
45:46Principal Seymour Skinner
45:47is revealed to be
45:48an imposter
45:48who took the name
45:49of one of his comrades
45:50who never came home
45:52from Vietnam.
45:53Up yours, children.
45:54Revealing a long-established
45:56character as being
45:57someone else
45:57can work when done well.
45:59But the fact that
46:00the town decides to
46:01pretend they never
46:01learned this info
46:02by the episode's end
46:03not only rendered
46:04any impact it might
46:05have had moot,
46:06it also made fans
46:07and critics feel betrayed
46:09and like the whole thing
46:10was pointless.
46:11Everybody look!
46:13Armin Tamzerian's back!
46:15And he's gonna take
46:16over the school again!
46:17Many staffers
46:18have called the episode
46:19a mistake,
46:20but its writer
46:20Ken Keeler
46:21has claimed
46:22it was meant
46:22to provoke
46:23and satirize
46:24fan outrage.
46:25Intent aside,
46:26the execution
46:27had everyone saying
46:28dope!
46:29Well, from now on
46:30you're gonna see
46:31a new Seymour Skinner.
46:33Oh, no, we won't!
46:34Yes, mother.
46:35Number 2.
46:36Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
46:38Game of Thrones
46:39Everyone knows
46:41Game of Thrones
46:41lost its way
46:42in the final season,
46:43but it hit a low point
46:44earlier in the show's run
46:45with this controversial
46:47fifth season dud.
46:48What do you want?
46:49Lord Ramsay sent me
46:51to draw your bath,
46:52my lady.
46:53You want to be clean
46:54and fresh for your new husband,
46:56don't you?
46:56By this stage,
46:57the series had nearly
46:58run out of source material
46:59and was diverging
47:01further away
47:01from George R.R. Martin's books.
47:03Lying to your husband
47:04on his wedding night,
47:05that would be a bad way
47:08to start a marriage.
47:09One of the more
47:10questionable changes
47:11happens here,
47:12as Sansa Stark
47:12is forced to marry
47:13the sadistic Ramsey Bolton
47:15and endure his cruelty.
47:16As far as hours
47:17of television go,
47:18both The Bells
47:19and The Iron Throne
47:20may be worse,
47:21but with Unbowed,
47:22Unbent, Unbroken,
47:23Game of Thrones
47:24stopped being prestige TV.
47:26Before we continue,
47:27be sure to subscribe
47:28to our channel
47:29and ring the bell
47:30to get notified
47:31about our latest videos.
47:32You have the option
47:33to be notified
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47:36If you're on your phone,
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47:38and switch on notifications.
47:40Few series finales
47:53have insulted fans
47:54or come as close
47:55to ruining the show
47:56as a whole
47:56quite like this one.
47:58Last Forever
47:59features the unceremonious
48:00off-screen death
48:02of the mother Tracy,
48:03as well as the divorce
48:05of Barney and Robin,
48:06whose marriage
48:07had been the focus
48:08of the entire final season.
48:09If it wasn't going
48:10to happen with Robin,
48:12then it's just not
48:13going to happen
48:13with anyone.
48:14Both developments
48:15were necessary
48:15for the final nail
48:16in the coffin,
48:17getting future Ted
48:18together with future Robin,
48:20an outcome the creators
48:21reportedly decided on
48:22halfway through the show.
48:24For an episode
48:24whose message was
48:26that things change,
48:27its writers seemed
48:28blind to the fact
48:29that the show
48:30had moved on
48:31from Ted and Robin's
48:32relationship
48:33for the better.
48:34Let's look at
48:35the facts here.
48:36You need to sit down
48:37and listen to the story
48:38about how you met mom,
48:40yet mom is hardly
48:41in the story.
48:42No.
48:43This is a story
48:44about how you're
48:45totally in love
48:46with Aunt Robin.
48:47What episode ruined
48:48your favorite TV show?
48:49Let us know
48:49in the comments below.
48:50We'll see you next time
48:51and we'll see you next time
48:52in the comments below.
48:52We'll see you next time
48:53and we'll see you next time
48:53to see you next time.
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