Sometimes a show only really gets it right during their first season. Subsequent seasons just aren’t as good, which gets some fans wondering, why did they decide to continue with the show when it clearly just wasn’t as good? We have a list of 7 shows that didn’t really deserve a second season after they got it right during season one and then fell totally off track.
7. Prison Break
Season one of Prison Break ended with Lincoln and Michael escaping from the Fox River State Penitentiary, which would have been a fitting end to show, but no! Instead they dragged the story out for another four seasons. Even after Fox cancelled the drama in 2009, it still managed to come back for a fifth season in 2017. Considering that Fox had initially rejected the show in 2003 because execs were concerned about its long-term prospects, they probably should have listened to their initial instincts because the show should have only been one season.
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6. The Killing
The Killing alienated its fans when it didn’t reveal who Rosie Larsen’s killer was at the end of season one. Instead they dragged the mystery out until the season two finale. When it was finally revealed that Jamie, one of the mayor’s assistants, and her aunt, Terry, were the ones who killed Rosie, fans couldn’t help but feel disappointed. No one expected either of them to be responsible and no one really believed it either. The big issue with The Killing is really that the murder investigation was dragged out far too long. It could have been solved during season one and at least fans would have received the closure they needed.
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5. Heroes
Season one of Heroes was considered one of the best television programs on air because of its well-developed filmmaking, smooth pacing and stellar cast; however, season two was considered disappointing in comparison. The pace was slower and the storylines were less engaging and even the creator, Tim Kring, admitted that he made mistakes with the direction in season two. Unfortunately, the show didn’t improve after that and it just continued to get worse and worse until it was finally cancelled after season four. It probably would have been better for the show had it been cancelled at the end of season one. At least then fans wouldn’t have to deal with what a mess the show became after season two.
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4. Homeland
Homeland’s first season was great! It really kept viewers on the edge of their seats. At the end of season one, however, the writers made a huge mistake by not resolving the Brody situation. He was obviously a terrorist and having him get elected into congress took the story in a direction that was just unnecessary. It really could have just ended at the end of season one with Brody being exposed, but they decided to keep milking it.
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3. 13 Reasons Why
So many people loved 13 Reasons Why and with good reason – it’s a great show. When it was announced that it was going to be getting a second season, fans were excited, but there was also a little apprehension because there was no more material from the book to work with and now the show was going to have to go in a different direction. This could be good, but it could also be problematic. Despite Big Little Lies popularity, the creators decided to leave it with just one season and 13 Reasons Why could have easily done the same thing.
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2. Pretty Little Liars
Initially, Pretty Little Liars seemed to have potential. The production was good and the storylines were unpredictable, in a good way! At the end of season one, however, when A’s identity wasn’t revealed, it became clear that her identity wasn’t going to be revealed for a long, long time and that’s exactly how it played out. They dragged the mystery out far too long, which ended up irritating their fans. The mystery could have easily been solved in season one.
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1. Glee
Glee’s first season was a roaring success; however, subsequent seasons didn’t have the same magic. By the time season three rolled around, the show began to focus more on celebrity guests, which took much needed time away from the core characters who fans had grown to love. It didn’t help during season four when a bunch of new characters (who no one cared about) began taking even more screen time away from the original cast but, by that point, it was really clear that the show had totally lost its luster. It would have been better for everyone (except maybe the actors and creators who were making tons of money from the show) had it ended at the end of season one.