Shows That Are Already Disappointing Us This Season
Sometimes we fall in love with a television series' concept or first season so hard that we find ourselves swept up in the hype. Look at all of the great shows that had great first seasons that ended up being major disappointments when it was all said and done. We're noticing that some of this year's TV series are starting to let us down, too. Here are some shows that are already disappointing us.
Heroes Reborn
Of course, Heroes got weird after season two anyway, but it has to be noted that the long-awaited return of the series, Heroes Reborn, is incredibly disappointing. The story line is annoyingly vague, and the new characters are poorly written. Katana Girl's story is especially bad, as her father is kidnapped and taken inside of a video game, and then, magically, she has special katana-wielding powers when she enters the video game. Super weird. What's more, the cast is hardly likeable. Take actor Robbie Kay, for example, who feels like nothing more than a Frankie Muniz knock-off. It also doesn't help that the majority of the series' best characters (Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet, Ando) aren't in the new series.
Family Guy
Whether you were on board with Family Guy from the start or not, it's undeniable that the show has gone downhill, especially in Season 14. The first episode of the season, "Pilling Them Softly," revolves around Stewie getting addicted to Adderall, and a feud between Peter and Quagmire (something we've seen many times in the series). The jokes have gone from shocking and creative to completely expected and unimaginative, which is why the show has dropped in ratings. We can only see Peter fight that damn chicken so many times.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Holt's absence as Captain of the 99 has left the show stale, as some of the best moments in the show's first and second seasons were between Jake, Santiago, and the Captain at the precinct. With the Captain being out of the precinct for this season's first four episodes, the series went without a majority of the laughs. The writers just recently rectified the situation by (spoiler) letting Captain Holt back into the precinct to lead his group of misfit cops. Still, it took five episodes, wasting half of the season on filler.
Criminal Minds
Heading into its 11th season, Criminal Minds had a lot of momentum, due to the greatness that was season 10. But the new addition of Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis was clearly a mistake, as her character is a weak and ultimately unnecessary addition to the cast. She takes away from the Criminal Minds feel that the show once had. There's no Kate, and J.J. is temporarily gone as well, so the dynamic of the show is all out of whack. It also doesn't help that the Garcia/Morgan banter has been not up to par so far this season. We need that playful, almost offensive banter between the two in our lives.
The Walking Dead
Following the most recent Walking Dead episode, we're extremely disappointed with what the show has done so far this season. While it started out with a good couple of episodes, followed by an episode in which the resident nanny, Carol, becomes a total badass, the show has killed of one of its key characters. We won't tell you which character in fear of spoiling it for you, but the death was a major blow that was unexpected (and nothing like the comic book series from which the death was sourced). We would've much rather seen his death go down with a bat to the face (as it did in the comic book series).
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory doesn't even show a smidgen of the greatness that it once had. Now, it feels formulaic, with expected jokes that reveal a true lack of heart by the writers. Clearly, after eight seasons, the writers are phoning it in. We get it—Sheldon is awkward, Leonard is whiney, and Raj is a sappy romantic. The storylines feel forced, and the show has failed to evolve. The resolutions of each of the problems in the episodes always feel rushed. For example, in "The Separation Oscillation,"Leonard and Penny's marriage troubles that were a part of the show for its entirety just had a quick and easy resolution that didn't ring true. We're seeing a constant conflict of some sort between Penny and Lenny in every episode. Pair that with the fact that creepy comic book shop owner Stewart has been too relevant in this season, and it's shaping up to be less of a Big Bang than a Dull Thud.
Arrow
Arrow was already a polarizing experience before this season, mostly because the network it runs on, the CW, is known for being too teen-and-tween oriented. But the first couple of seasons of Arrow were fun, and Stephen Amell was the perfect choice for the role. Everything seemed to be working for the series before season four began, and now the series has made quite a few mistakes. With Ollie's campaign for mayor, the series has delved into politics too much. Any time the series tries to talk politics, it's a bad idea, since the machinations of Star City's elite have been mostly portrayed as borderline cartoonish.