How To Ruin A Show With A Ridiculous Storyline
When a television series has a long run over several seasons, it's difficult for writers to keep things fresh. Rather than trusting the characters and the show's premise to keep things moving, the writers will often try to add twists or plot devices in an attempt to keep viewers' attention. This often doesn't work and it can leave fans feeling frustrated and cheated.
The Office: Pam And Jim's Marital Problems
The last two seasons will always polarize Office fans. Fans invested a lot into Pam and Jim's relationship. Pam and Jim having marital problems in the final season seemed forced, and that their marriage could be thrown off so easily by a never-before-mentioned character (the sound guy?) was ridiculous.
Reveille Productions, The Office (2005–2013)
The Office: A Salesman Is Introduced For No Reason
In an obvious move to give Timothy Olyphant a guest spot, too-perfect traveling salesman Danny Cordray is introduced and then forgotten, but not before one of The Office's cringiest moments. Pam and Jim press Danny for the reason he never called Pam back after a date years before. Why would Pam care, since she's now married to Jim, and why on earth would Jim care?
Reveille Productions, The Office (2005–2013)
How I Met Your Mother: When Barney And Robin's Wedding Weekend Lasted A Whole Season
Somehow, they managed to stretch that weekend wedding over 22 episodes. Then they reveal that in the future, Barney and Robin get divorced. That's a lot of build-up with no real payoff.
Lost: Nikki And Paulo's Whole Existence
Nikki and Paulo suddenly appeared on the show with no introduction. It was too random. However, Lost fans seem to be united on one thing: They all hated these two pointless characters.
Bad Robot, Show Lost (2004–2010)
That '70s Show: Eric Leaving For Africa
When a major character leaves a show, explaining their absence is always a challenge. It was most likely going to be That '70s Show's final season and Eric's year-long absence needed a good explanation. Unfortunately, going to Africa always seemed random and convoluted for fans.
Twentieth Century, That '70s Show (1998–2006)
That '70s Show: Randy And Donna's Relationship
This always seemed like a forced plot device to give Donna a new storyline in Eric's absence. However, there wasn't much to the relationship and Randy just disappears at some point, as if the writers just gave up trying to make him fit in.
Twentieth Century, That '70s Show (1998–2006)
Sex And The City: Carrie And Berger's Relationship
Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw had a number of relationships through the series' run which ran the gamut from good to terrible. One thing fans seem to agree on is that Jack Berger was the worst. He came across as whiny, insecure, and unsupportive. And worst of all, Carrie and Berger had no chemistry.
HBO, Sex and the City (1998–2004)
House: When House Purposely Drove Through Cuddy's Home
Obviously, the very nature of Dr House meant that he always did things inappropriately, but generally, he was proved to be correct. It was really only his methods which were questionable. However, purposely driving through Cuddy's home was a step too far, something that no one could ever realistically get away with.
House: Cameron Being In Love With House
Speaking of unrealistic: This plot contrivance was so out-of-character and forced that it deeply rankled fans of the show. There was no point to this and it robbed the Cameron character of any genuine depth.
Heel & Toe Films, House (2004–2012)
Oz: When An Aging Pill Was Used On Prisoners
This was truly a bizarre plot device. For a show rooted in grim reality, introducing something so unlikely seemed like a huge cop-out. It seems like the writers eventually agreed that this had been a waste of time: Cyril, the guinea pig for the treatment, simply reverse ages when the pill wears off and the whole plot device is just dropped.
Rysher Entertainment, Oz (1997–2003)
Friends: Ben's Whole Existence
Ben was introduced as a way to show how difficult the divorce was for Ross. The problem was, the writers clearly didn't want to deal with the character beyond a few forced plotlines and in the end, Ross just seemed like an absentee father. In the final seasons, Ben just seems to disappear as if he never existed.
Warner Bros., Friends (1994–2004)
Friends: Rachel And Joey’s Romance
This was perhaps the worst contrivance in the whole run of Friends. In an attempt to add some complexity to Ross and Rachel's relationship, Rachel and Joey were thrown together. It felt wrong, it added nothing, and it made fans cringe.
Warner Bros., Friends (1994–2004)
Community: When Britta And Troy Dated
Although Troy shows an interest in Britta as early as the first season, nothing really ever came of it. Then, suddenly in the fourth season, they were together but there was no chemistry and no real point to it other than as an extension of Troy and Abed's relationship. Britta deserved better but then again, it was “the Gas Leak Year”, so it didn't really count as canon.
Krasnoff Foster Productions, Community (2009–2015)
Community: The Gas Leak Year
This will forever be a source of debate among Community fans—with the show's creator Dan Harmon fired by the network, the fourth season was, to be charitable, hit-and-miss. Previous plotlines were abandoned, and new ones were introduced, only to be abandoned in the fifth season upon Harmon's return. Dubbed in-universe as “the Gas Leak Year”, whatever happened in the fourth season may or may not have actually happened and, fortunately, "Changnesia" was forgotten as a gas leak-based collective hallucination.
Krasnoff Foster Productions, Community (2009–2015)
Will And Grace: Leo Cheating On Grace
This storyline always felt like it was created to make sure Grace would still be close to her friends. However, it seemed cheap to fans as it was out of character for Leo and it was not clear why Grace couldn't be in a happy relationship and still be with her friends.
KoMut Entertainment, Will & Grace (1998–2020)
How To Get Away With Murder: Frank Being Revealed As The Child Of Sam And Hannah's Incestuous Relationship
When a show is coming to an end and there are still some loose threads to wrap up, writers can sometimes get carried away. This plot device always seemed to be a little much so late in the series.
Shondaland, How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)
Boy Meets World: Mr Turner Getting Into A Motorcycle Accident
There are times when a sitcom attempts to inject some drama into the show and although there's nothing wrong with that, it can sometimes come across as forced. In this case, it was a huge plot device for one episode and then it's never really mentioned again.
Touchstone, Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
Gilmore Girls: Luke Discovering He Had A Daughter
There was nothing wrong with the April character; it just felt like it came too late in the show's run. Meant to obviously add a twist to Lorelai and Luke's relationship, it also felt like a bit of a Cousin Oliver Syndrome: Rory was grown up and the writers felt the show needed a young girl to keep that early magic going.
Warner Bros., Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)
Grey's Anatomy: Izzie's Intimate Relationship With Her Ghost Boyfriend
Grey's Anatomy has had a long run: It just started its 21st season. For broadcast television, that's a long haul, especially with the new reality of streaming series. It's no surprise, then, for a long-running show to resort to soap opera plot devices, but Izzie having an intimate relationship with her dead ghost boyfriend is maybe a device too far.
Shondaland, Grey's Anatomy (2005-)
Shameless: Ian And Lip Finding Out Ian Is Not Frank’s Son
Fans seem to be divided on this one: Finding out that Ian is not Frank's son but in fact the son of one of Frank's brothers is actually fitting for the show's tone. That they spent exactly one episode looking for Frank's brother, assume Clayton was actually Ian's dad and then never mention it again is probably where the problem lies.
Warner Bros., Shameless (2011–2021)
Desperate Housewives: Tom Finding Out He Had A Daughter Before He And Lynette Were Together
Often, a plot device is introduced to add some problems for existing characters. However, when this introduces unpleasant new characters—the previously unknown daughter's mother is horrible and is then killed off and the daughter is a brat who treats Lynette terribly—the fans feel cheated by a cheap storyline. The whole thing is then rendered totally pointless when the daughter is sent off to live with grandparents and is never mentioned again.
Touchstone, Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)
Glee: When Blaine And Karofsky Dated
What happens when an anti-gay character (and Kurt's high school tormentor) starts dating Blaine? Karofsky literally threatened to kill Kurt in high school, causing Kurt to transfer schools, but that didn't seem to matter to Kurt's ex, Blaine. It did matter to fans, though, who view this as a betrayal of a beloved character and a trivializing of Kurt's very real trauma.
Twentieth Century, Glee (2009-2015)
Glee: When Finn Kissed Emma Right Before Her Wedding To Mr Schue
Love triangles are a classic plot device. When handled well, fans love it. In this case, it was arbitrary and contrived and added nothing to the show.
Glee: Quinn Getting In A Car Accident And Being In A Wheelchair
Didn't Glee already have a character in a wheelchair? Nothing wrong with there being more than one, but not if it's merely a flimsy plot device quickly forgotten. Quinn is confined to a wheelchair after a car accident but by the time of the Nationals, she's dancing like it never happened.
Twentieth Century, Glee (2009–2015)
Pretty Little Liars: Spencer Having An Evil Twin
Never a show to deal with reality, giving Spencer an evil twin on Pretty Little Liars was maybe a step too far into daytime soap opera territory. Fans generally consider the final season to be a waste.
ABC Family, Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)
Scandal: The Whole Olivia Kidnapping Storyline
Speaking of soap opera plots: Scandal was always over-the-top and that's why fans loved it. However, Olivia's kidnapping storyline was a sign that the writers had no idea where to go with the show and they didn't know how to wrap things up.
13 Reasons Why: Bryce's Redemption Arc
Whenever 13 Reasons Why tried its hand at serious topics, the results were bad. However, they hit a new low when they tried to get viewers to sympathize with Bryce and allow him redemption—after Bryce had subjected several women to the most heinous acts imaginable.
July Moon Productions, 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020)
Degrassi: The Next Generation: Emma And Spinner Getting Married
Character development is hard. Sometimes, the easiest route is getting two characters together and seeing what happens. In the case of Emma and Spinner getting married on Degrassi: The Next Generation, there was no chemistry, no real relationship development, and really no point.
Alliance Atlantis Communications, Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015)
Degrassi: The Next Generation: When Emma's Stepdad Cheated On Her Mom
Another way to develop characters quickly is to give them something really bad to do. Mr Simpson, Emma's stepdad, was seen as a wholesome character and having him cheat on Emma's mom with his boss, the school vice principal, is something that came out of nowhere—it was out of character, and it ruined a good character for no good reason.
Alliance Atlantis Communications, Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015)
Dexter: Debra Getting Over Her Stepbrother Being A Serial Killer
A show with a serial killer as protagonist is a challenge. For the most part, the writers of Dexter handled it well (let's not talk about the final season). Debra having feelings for her stepbrother while ignoring the fact that he's a murderer? That's maybe a bit too far.
Showtime Networks, Dexter (2006–2013)
Gossip Girl: Lily And Rufus Meeting Their Son
Characters are often introduced to add something to a stagnant storyline or to give neglected characters something to do. When Lily and Rufus met their son on Gossip Girl, what was probably meant as a device to help the characters develop ended up adding nothing to the overall series and didn't help any of the characters' progress. And of course, the son is never mentioned again.
Warner Bros., Gossip Girl (2007–2012)
Gossip Girl: Dan Being Revealed As Gossip Girl
Was it obvious all along? Some fans and theorists claim you can see the clues, but other fans simply think the reveal was the biggest letdown.
9021: Annie’s Cousin Staying With Her Family
Once again, a character is introduced to a series to shake things up. And once again, that new character adds nothing but irritation. Annie's cousin comes in, ruins Annie's social life, and then disappears.
CBS Productions, 90210 (2008–2013)
Modern Family: Hayley Getting Back With Dylan And Then Getting Pregnant
The pregnancy plotline: a television classic that rarely works out and is usually a sign of desperation in a series' later seasons. Hayley's return to Dylan and subsequent pregnancy was seen by fans as Dylan's ruin. Instead of Dylan getting together with Andy, this is what the writers gave dedicated fans instead.
Twentieth Century, Modern Family (2009–2020)
Stranger Things: Eleven Finding Her Siblings
With their shorter seasons and longer waits between seasons, writers of streaming series have a bit more time to think things through. Nevertheless, this didn't stop the writers on Stranger Things from coming up with a stand-alone episode that literally came out of nowhere, had no impact on the overall story, and was never mentioned again.
21 Laps Entertainment, Stranger Things (2016–2025)
New Girl: When Reagan Was A Replacement For Jess
Actors' real lives often impact a show's development. When Zooey Deschanel was on maternity leave, it was felt Jess' absence needed to be filled, so Reagan was brought in. To fans, this was pointless and Jess merely being away rather than being replaced would have been preferable.
Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures, New Girl (2011–2018)
New Girl: When Schmidt Cheated On Cece
Once again, an attempt at character development rankled fans. It was thought that this was out of character and unbelievable, adding nothing to the overall series.
Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures, New Girl (2011–2018)
Friday Night Lights: Landry Offing A Character
This is another case of a huge plot device being introduced only to be never mentioned again. Fans felt this was completely unnecessary and was contrived drama at its worst.
Imagine Television, Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)
Riverdale: Archie Dating His Teacher, Miss Grundy
Writing about high school must be difficult. You can engage with sensitive topics but sometimes things are attempted that serve no purpose beyond shock. A student dating a teacher is bad enough but using it as a plot device to advance a character in such a random and pointless way is pretty gross.
