10 TV Shows That Went Way Too Far With One Storyline

Every great TV show delicately walks along the fine border of captivating its audience and losing them in the process, and some storylines go too far one way or the other. Sometimes writers double down on a plot that they hope can be compelling but ends up being bothersome. Even the best TV shows of all time can sometimes overrely on specific stories, to the detrement of their overarching appeal.

From stereotypical personalities in Young Sheldon to repetitive tropes in The Bear season 4, it's not uncommon to see attempts at long-form storytelling take a wrong turn. However, too much of anything can be toxic, which can describe a number of TV shows over the years that lost momentum due to weak overarching plots that overstayed their welcome. Here are ten TV shows that took a storyline and ran it straight into the ground.

10 Lindsay’s Constant Identity Crisis

Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 8/10 10/10 Freaks and Geeks Judd Apatow's Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama series centered around several now-popular stars in their first-ever appearances as outcast teenagers dealing with the "hilarious unfairness of teen life." The friend groups are split into "freaks" and "geeks," each with their own quirks that resonate with teens today as they try to find their place in the socially complex world of high school. Where to Watch stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Cast James Franco , Busy Philipps , Jason Segel , Linda Cardellini , John Francis Daley Seasons 1 Showrunner Paul Feig

25 years later, Freaks and Geeks remains a priceless explosion of nostalgia, endearment, and humor. The show's main character, Lindsay Weir, struggled to find her place among high school groups. This fueled the emotional heartbeat of the show. Despite this extremely relatable and sometimes entertaining experience, the show’s insistence on making her drift back and forth between rebellion and conformity felt overplayed. Whether she was ditching the Mathletes for a Grateful Dead concert or stressed about attending an academic event, the indecision just kept going, getting older with each instance.

A prospective but never produced season 2 of Freaks and Geeks would have explored a romance between Lindsay and Daniel, hinting that her flirations between paths would have likely continued if the show had recieved more seasons.

What initially felt like the sweetest coming-of-age arc couldn't help but feel like a frustrating narrative loop at times. Instead of watching Lindsay grow or embrace a more defined sense of self, the series left her in limbo. This lack of decision made Lindsay Weir feel less like a relatable teenager and more like a plot device stuck on repeat, a saddening fate considering the incredible potential of her character and the entire show.

9 Andy Bernard’s Personality Shift

The Office (2005–2013)

Andy Bernard was always quirky, but endearingly so. However, by the end of The Office he was practically unrecognizable, not to mention painful to watch. What started as an entertaining mix of insecurity and bravado quickly outgrew the character's development, leaving Andy at a naive, rudimentary level of the show's emotional intelligence. Andy's late-series arcs — like abandoning his job for a failed boat trip or trying to become a famous singer — were outlandish and downright annoying. This makes a big chunk of The Office hard to watch.

Related 10 The Office Moments That Made Viewers Quit The Show The Office, while brilliantly funny and endearing, had several moments that were so wild, cringey, or lacked sense that audiences gave up on the show.

In a matter of episodes, Andy’s over-the-top, entitled, “lovable idiot” caricature traded places with a poor decision maker with rage management issues akin to a three-year-old. This disappointing shift not only left viewers blindsided but also wasted time and energy that could have harvested numerous other compelling storylines in The Office. Instead of evolving with dignity like his peers, Andy became a cautionary tale about what happens when a show doesn’t know when to stop tweaking a personality.

8 Carmy’s Obsession with Perfection

The Bear (2022-present)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 10/10 14 8.9/10 The Bear Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop's employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri.

Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto’s relentless pursuit of culinary excellence made The Bear one of the most anxiety-inducing shows on television. Despite its success with fans and critics alike, Berzatto’s obsession with perfection was stretched so thin by the end of the second season that it risked overshadowing other memorable moments and elements of the show. Carmy’s spiral into chaos felt repetitive, as if the show was constantly stuck switching between shouting matches and slammed doors.

Many of the show's intense kitchen scenes were filmed in real, functioning Chicago restaurants to capture the authentic chaos of a professional kitchen.

While The Bear’s raw portrayal of kitchen culture was undeniably a legendary ride in television history, it did teeter towards the glamorization of toxic perfectionism. It's hard not to be left asking if Carmy’s obsession was an excuse to keep the tension dialed to eleven. It certainly works in terms of keeping the audience's hearts racing and it sets the show up in the perfect way for an anxiety-riddled plot to unfold. Despite this, The Bear remains an impressively constructed (if at times frustaingly repetive) show.

7 Sheldon’s Social Struggles

Young Sheldon (2017–2024)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 8/10 57 8.2/10 Young Sheldon A spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon follows the youth and coming-of-age of Sheldon Cooper during his childhood in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The show also follows his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, painting a picture of the world where Sheldon grew up. Where to Watch stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Network CBS Cast Iain Armitage , Zoe Perry , Lance Barber , Montana Jordan , Raegan Revord , Annie Potts Jim Parsons , Wallace Shawn , Craig T. Nelson , Matt Hobby , Wyatt McClure , Emily Osment , Doc Farrow , Ed Begley Jr. , Melissa Peterman , Ryan Phuong , Rex Linn , Brian Stepanek , Wendie Malick , Nancy Linehan Charles , Danielle Pinnock , Valerie Mahaffey , Sarah Baker , Rachel Bay Jones , Will Sasso , Mckenna Grace , Ava Allan , Isabel May , Grady Lee Richmond , Dan Byrd , Katherine Von Till , Reba McEntire , Andrea Anders , Mary Grill , Jason Alexander , Billy Gardell , Nick Alvarez , London Cheshire , Julia Pace Mitchell , Bill Fagerbakke , Taylor Spreitler , Steve Burns , Pam Cook , Chris Wylde , Richard Kind , Caleigh Kilpatrick , Dave Foley , John Hartman Seasons 7 Expand

Young Sheldon took everything The Big Bang Theory overdid with Sheldon and doubled down on it. Sheldon Cooper’s awkwardness immediately creates a lingering, never-ending cycle of cringe-worthy misunderstandings. While the show found unexpected drama elsewhere with members of the supporting cast (the success of which led to spin-offs like Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage), Sheldon's constant awkward turns gave the show a bland tenor that made it hard to watch at times.

Related Sheldon & Mary Actors Are Unrecognizable As They Reunite For The First Time Since Young Sheldon Ended Iain Armitage and Zoe Perry get together for the first time since Young Sheldon ended in May and their stints as Sheldon and Mary wrapped up.

The young genius’s over-reliance on the same repeated conflict puts a heavy-footed brake on any character development. This meant little respect was paid to storylines in which Sheldon might be challenged, or grow over time. There's really not much else that could be expected when the character's entire personality stems from an older version of himself, which itself became a boring one-dimensional character in The Big Bang Theory. What could have been a thoughtful exploration of being gifted and subsequently isolated became a rinse-and-repeat exercise in bland and forgettable comedy.

6 Overloaded Death Symbolism

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 7/10 9.3/10 The Fall of the House of Usher Loosely based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher is a horror drama mini-series created by Mike Flanagan (Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House) for Netflix. This modern retelling follows a corrupt pharmaceutical CEO, Roderick Usher, as he is forced to reckon with his past as a curse begins to claim the lives of each of his children. Cast Carla Gugino , Bruce Greenwood , Mary McDonnell , Carl Lumbly , Samantha Sloyan , T'Nia Miller , Rahul Kohli , Kate Siegel , Sauriyan Sapkota , Zach Gilford Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Netflix Showrunner Mike Flanagan

The Fall of the House of Usher revels in its macabre atmosphere. This dark tenor is carried through the dark visuals, cutting perforances, and grim writing. While the show is incredible in many regards, the series’ relentless barrage of death-related symbolism eventually became overwhelming. The repetitive gothic tone often felt a little too on the nose, reminding audiences that the immersive House of Usher experience is just a TV show with bombastic moments.

An overindulgence in death metaphors made the story feel heavy-handed, as though the audience couldn’t be trusted to grasp the show's clear themes about morality and mortality. Instead of enhancing the haunting mood, the constant reminders of death dulled its impact. While an absolutely terrifying watch, The Fall of the House of Usher certainly had the potential to take a much more subtle approach to horror, with less symbolic emphasis on consistency and thematic elements.

5 Nick and Jess’ On-Again, Off-Again Romance

New Girl (2011–2018)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 9/10 9.3/10 New Girl Zooey Deschanel stars as Jess in New Girl, a comedy series that follows a group of twentysomething roommates in their day-to-day lives. When Jess decides to leave her boyfriend of seven years after discovering he's been unfaithful, she finds a craigslist ad and becomes the roommate of three men around her age who desperately need to rent a room in their loft. Occasionally joined by Jess' best friend, the group builds a quirky, dysfunctional family dynamic as they enjoy life in Los Angeles. Where to Watch stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Cast Zooey Deschanel , Max Greenfield , Hannah Simone , Damon Wayans Jr. , Lamorne Morris , Jake Johnson Seasons 7 Showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether

Nick Miller and Jess Day had an undeniably intoxicating and entertaining chemistry in New Girl, but their relationship was dragged through so many unnecessary ups and downs that it lost its charm. Like most love stories that are spread out across several seasons, things got bland the minute the tension broke for the first time. It's hard to keep a love story interesting on a long-running show, or at least the will-they-or-won’t-they trope that shows like New Girl couldn't quite escape.

Related New Girl Cast Responds To A Potential Revival 6 Years After The Finale Four stars from the cast of New Girl respond to a potential revival six years after the finale, explaining how the show could possibly continue.

While their banter and quirks initially made Nick and Jess a fan-favorite, their constant backtracking hindered the power couple into a textbook case of diminishing returns. By the time they finally settled down by the show's conclusion, it was hard to celebrate after being dragged through so much romantic whiplash. While it remained satisfying to see the couple's journey finally come to an end (or new beginning), the romance had lost its unique draw.

4 Glenn’s Fake-Out Death

The Walking Dead (2010–2022)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 8/10 41 8.8/10 The Walking Dead Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Franchise(s) The Walking Dead Cast Steven Yeun , Andrew Lincoln , Chandler Riggs , Laurie Holden , Jeffrey DeMunn , Sarah Wayne Callies , Melissa McBride , Norman Reedus , Jon Bernthal , Iron E. Singleton Seasons 11 Showrunner Frank Darabont , Angela Kang , Scott M. Gimple , Glen Mazzara

Fans of The Walking Dead were shocked and angry when the show faked Glenn Rhee’s death in season six. An intense cliffhanger aired where it appeared Rhee was devoured by zombies. Then, weeks later, audiences discovered that their hero had miraculously survived despite the harrowing circumstances he had been left in. Twists and misdirects are staples of any movie or TV show, but this stunt felt particularly manipulative. The fan's sadness over Glenn's loss became frustration when the character was revealed to have escaped certain doom with little warning, especially in a show where such fake-outs were typically avoided.

8:48 Related The Walking Dead: What Could the Plot of Season 12 Be? If The Walking Dead season 12 ever happens, this is what we think could happen.

This wasn't even the only time the show had death fake-outs with Glenn, but his season 6 survival feels like the more egregious. This meant that when the character was actually killed during the events of season 7, the impact was lessened. Audiences had already gotten used to the idea of the fan-favorite character being killed off, making his (admittedly brutal) demise at the hands of Negan less surprising than one would hope for.

3 Haley & Dylan’s On-Again, Off-Again Relationship

Modern Family (2009–2020)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 9/10 Modern Family Modern Family is a comedy series that follows the unconventional Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family as they redefine what makes a family in their modern age. Broken into sub-families, the three diverse groups shake up the nuclear formula with empty nesters, adopted children, gender neutrality, and more as they attempt to navigate the various pitfalls and comedic misadventures of their dysfunctional but warm-hearted family dynamic. Where to Watch stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Cast Ed O'Neill , Sofia Vergara , Julie Bowen , Ty Burrell , Jesse Tyler Ferguson Eric Stonestreet , Sarah Hyland , Ariel Winter , Nolan Gould , Rico Rodriguez Seasons 11 Showrunner Christopher Lloyd , Steven Levitan

Haley Dunphy and Dylan Marshall’s love life played through many of Modern Family's funniest episodes and was charming at first, but their constant breakups and makeups eventually became tedious. Each attempt at another relationship felt less like a meaningful step forward and more like a lazy way to reignite old flames for the sake of the show's convenience. The problem is that the relationship felt forced, which may have had something to do with Haley's unplanned development into a more important character.

Haley Dunphy was supposed to be a minor character at first, but steadily gained a much larger role in the series.

This consistent ebb and flow robbed both characters of deeper growth, placing them in the narrow box of traditional high-school sweethearts. Instead of exploring new dynamics or giving Haley a more fulfilling arc, the show kept her tethered to a love story that had long since run out of steam before Haley or any of her siblings were even young adults. It was a disservice to the Dunphy family and the fans who wanted more, except for maybe Phil, who could find a childlike sense of wonder in any aspect of life.

2 Kendall’s Rise-And-Fall Cycle

Succession (2018–2023)

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 star 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star 0/10 Leave a Review Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite TV Shows My Watchlist Success! 10/10 9.4/10 Succession Succession is a Black Comedy and Satire television show created by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin and follows the story of an aging conglomerate owner as he deals with his declining health and the sudden realization that one of his children will soon inherit his position and run his company. Where to Watch stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Cast Hiam Abbass , Alan Ruck , Sarah Snook , Kieran Culkin , Natalie Gold , Nicholas Braun , J. Smith-Cameron , Matthew Macfadyen , Peter Friedman , Brian Cox , Arian Moayed , Jeremy Strong , Rob Yang , Dagmara Dominczyk Seasons 4 Showrunner Jesse Armstrong

Kendall Roy’s shameful arc in Succession is a stubborn cycle of ambition, failure, and temporary redemption. His emotional spirals feel centric to the show’s narrative, but the repetition of his seasonal turmoil becomes extremely predictable. Multiple times in the show, Kendall either declares independence from his father or substance abuse, only to come crawling back. It's a vicious cycle that occasionally captivates but mostly just takes away from everything else going on.

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This overused pattern made it difficult to root for the heir’s success. Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of a freshly crashed out Kendall Roy was delightfully hilarious, yet dark at the same time. Roy’s struggles were undeniably gripping, at least the first few times around. However, the true complexity of Roy’s character was undermined throughout Succession through repetition, with far too much emphasis on the same elements. Many other possibilities could have stemmed from Kendall's vast internal depth that remain more or less untapped.

1 Lorelai & Christopher's Lingering Feelings

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

Lorelai Gilmore’s romantic adventures were an electric cornerstone of Gilmore Girls, but her unresolved feelings for her high-school sweetheart, Christopher Hayden, often muddled the flow of her growth. It made sense for Christopher to play a part in Lorelai’s life, but the show leaned a little too hard on their dynamic. Every time Lorelai seemed to move forward, Christopher would reappear with the intent of creating drama,a trend that repeated several times over the show. This beat became especially frustrating by the latter-half of the show, long after it had reached a believable end point.

Related Gilmore Girls: Lorelai's Boyfriends, Ranked The focus of Gilmore Girls was family but Lorelai's boyfriends were also a big part of the show. Here, we rank all of her boyfriends from the series.

This lingering subplot only stalled Lorelai’s growth. Christopher’s repeated intrusions quickly began to feel like a narrative crutch, throwing more shame on the writers of Gilmore Girls than anyone else. As seen in other long-running plotlines that didn't work out, will-they-won't-they romances are hard to keep compelling. Gilmore Girls highlighted how a fundamental character dynamic can become frustrating and repetitive, especially as beloved TV characters make the same types of mistakes again and again.