Picture this: a show wraps upan incredible first season. Fans and critics agree it was excellent. The show is nominated for awards. People are talking about it. The ending was satisfying. People are pleased. Then, the studio decided that, because it’s so popular, they might as well make more seasons. Fanswatch the second season. It doesn’t live up to the hype of the first season. Audiences and critics are let down.
This scenario has played out all too often, especially in recent years. Shows that are meant to have a shelf life are extended solely to keep potential profits up. People appreciate story, and rarely does an additional season that wasn’t planned turn out great. The reason that the first season is so much better is typically because the series was adapted from some form of source material. It covers that in the initial slate of episodes, and the story has finality.
It’s hard to argue against a studio wanting tothrow a bunch of money at youto continue making your show if you’re a creator. It’s also flattering that people love the show. But sometimes, for the integrity of the content, it’s better to let it rest. Here are 10 shows that had no business churning out more episodes after a brilliant debut season.
10’Squid Game' (2021 - Present)
Squid Game
It would have been difficult for Netflixnotto have tried to make another season ofSquid Gameafter the first one debuted. That’s because it became the most-watched show in the streamer’s history. The first season of the South Korean drama tells the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a down-on-his-luck father who owes a large amount of money to a loan shark. He gets the opportunity to compete in a game for a massive prize. But there is more to the competition than any player realizes as those who lose die.
It was a breathtaking first season with innovative set designs, heartbreaking storytelling, and award-worthy performances. From the mind of Hwang Dong-hyuk,Squid Gamewrapped up its first season with a satisfying ending. But it left the door open for a possible second season. Season 1 was nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, including becoming the first non-English show to earn a Best Drama Series nomination. Lee Jung-jae won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy.
After becoming one of the most popular shows in the zeitgeist in 2021, Netflix renewed it for a second season. While the second season broke streaming records again, fans and critics were less excited about the story.Season 3 is setto wrap up the show in June.
9’The Flight Attendant' (2020 - 2022)
The Flight Attendant
Kaley Cuoco completely charms in the first season ofThe Flight Attendant.She plays alcoholic flight attendant Cassie who wakes up after having a one-night stand with a passenger to find his dead body next to her. She has no memory of what happened and tries to piece things together as the stakes get more dangerous. Season 1 was based on a book of the same name by Chris Bohjalian and covered the entire book.
After its success, HBO renewed it for a second season with Steve Yockey tasked with continuing the story as showrunner. The second season features Cuoco becoming a CIA asset and needing to live a double life as a flight attendant and wannabe spy. While Cuoco carried the show with her charisma, the story was not as strong, though it did have a passionate fan base that was upsetwhen HBO pulled the plugafter Season 2.
8’Mr. Robot' (2015 - 2019)
It was disjointing and hard to piece together while also being riveting and fresh; the first season ofMr. Robotwas heralded for its unique idea and performances as fans followed Rami Malek’s Elliot through the ins and outs of the hacker world and the dark web. There is so much at play for society in the show, and Sam Esmail crafted a brilliant idea for a series. There are twists and turns and dramatic reveals as fans realize that Elliot is not the most reliable of narrators.
After Season 1 ended with a satisfying conclusion, Season 2 was a letdown for many. While the show continued to be entertaining, it was clear that it was unsure of what path it wanted to take. More characters were added, and the threads between stories were thin. Season 3 picked up the pace and helped the show hit its stride again, soMr. Robotis a good example of a show that stumbled a bit in Season 2 but ultimately righted its shipin later seasons. But, it could also have been fine as a one-season series.
How Mr. Robot Quietly Captured the Cultural Zeitgeist
The hit show combined fiction and reality seamlessly to quietly capture the cultural zeitgeist in an enduring manner that remains relevant today.
7’Russian Doll' (2019 - 2022)
Russian Doll
Audiences heard about the “Sweet birthday baby” many, many times in Season 1 ofRussian Doll. The show featured Natasha Lyonne as Nadia, a woman stuck in a time loop on her 36th birthday and reliving the day over and over. She stumbles upon Alan, played by Charlie Barnett, who is also stuck in his own time loop. The two try to figure out why this is happening and how.
Lyonne is stellar as Nadia, owning every line and walk down the New York City streets with bravado. The first season wrapped and premiered in 2019. Fans and critics immediately loved it. It was renewed for a second season. However, it was delayed for nearly three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, a film with a similar idea,Palm Springs, was released. It gave fans a satisfying sequel of sorts toSeason 1 ofRussian Doll. When Season 2 premiered in 2022, fans were lukewarm on it, giving it a 66% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the 86% Season 1 received.
6’Wayward Pines' (2015 - 2016)
Matt Dillon starred as a Secret Service agent trying to find two colleagues who went missing near the small Idaho town of Wayward Pines. What he discovers is far different than what he expected, as the town of Wayward Pines is behind an electrified fence and is run by an iron fist by the Sheriff, played by Terrence Howard. Carla Gugino, Shannyn Sossamon, Melissa Leo, Toby Jones, and Juliette Lewis all star in the show, a hit for Fox in 2015.Wayward Pineswas based on a book series, so there was more story to pull from for Season 2.
However, most of the star power in Season 1 was lost when their characters were killed. Season 2 replaced a bunch of actors with new characters, principal among them Jason Patric and Djimon Hounsou. But, with the big reveal out of the bag during Season 1, it failed to hit home with audiences. The show was cancelled after two seasons.
5’Killing Eve' (2018 - 2022)
Killing Eve
Killing Evewas about as sleek and sexy as a British spy show can be, featuring Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, an MI5 analyst who gets hired by MI6 to track a dangerous assassin named Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. The two women become obsessed with each other during the pursuit and develop a seriously twisted relationship. The first season of the show was written and produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. This came after the first season ofFleabag,and she toured the show in theaters around the world. The first season ofKilling Evedrew rave reviews for the writing and the two leads, with Oh winning a Golden Globe for her performance.
WithFleabagearning a second season of the TV series, Waller-Bridge was forced to delegate writing duties onKilling Eve. She elevated Emerald Fennell as head writer and, while the second season isn’t bad by any means, it wasn’t as crisp as the first season. Comer did win an Emmy for her performance during that season, though. The show’s popularity kicked in with the BBC renewing it for a third season hours after the second season premiered. But by the third and fourth seasons, the show began to retread some similar storylines, and thefinal season earned a 52%on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Best British Television of the 2010s
These are the most memorable British television shows from the past decade that we just couldn’t get enough of.
4’The Following' (2013 - 2015)
The Following
Season 1 ofThe Followingfelt like event television each week as it aired. Fox had a massive budget for marketing, and the debut episode aired after the NFC Championship game in 2013 to a huge audience. It starred Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent who is forced to come back after Joe Carroll, a serial killer played by James Purefoy whom he put behind bars, escapes prison. What unfolds is the realization that Joe has amassed a cult following with tons of individuals willing to do his bidding. It’s a dangerous game of cat and mouse as Ryan and Joe toy with each other.
The cast had a lot of great actors and actresses through its three-season run. Michael Ealy, Connie Nielsen, Jessica Stroup, Shawn Weston, Natalie Zea, Valorie Curry, Nico Tortorella, Annie Parisse, and Gregg Henry all played partsin the show’s unfurling. However, the show began to become a bit more ridiculous as it went on, with some near-death experiences being used for cliffhangers and some storylines that bordered on the ridiculous.
3’Scream Queens' (2015 - 2016)
Scream Queens
Fox makes the list again withScream Queens, a dark comedy horror series created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. The show’s first season followed a sorority at a college that had to fight for their lives as the school’s mascot began killing off different members. The showhad an A-list castwith Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Keke Palmer, Oliver Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Glen Powell, Diego Boneta, Niecy Nash, Ariana Grande, and Nick Jonas all playing parts. It played up famous horror movie tropes for fun hours of television throughout Season 1.
But Season 2 inexplicably jumped ahead two years and featured the sorority girls as medical students in a hospital purchased by Curtis. John Stamos was a doctor there. A new serial killer emerged. It all became even more ridiculous than the punny and cheeky first season. The show was cancelled for low ratings after that.
2’Big Little Lies' (2017 - 2019)
Big Little Lies
HBO made a prestigious television series withBig Little Liesin 2017. It had some of the biggest movie stars attached, including Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgard, and Adam Scott. Adapted from the popular Liane Moriarty novel, it follows five women who become friends after meeting at the elementary school where their kids attend. Woodley’s character is new to the area and is welcomed in by the other mothers (eventually).
Season 1 featured a lot of soapy goodness, as there is a crime that hangs over the entire season, with clues being revealed piece by piece until an explosive finale. HBO wanted to cash in on the series' popularity and greenlit a second season, despite Season 1 covering the entire book. Season 2 invited Meryl Streep into the fray, and the story just didn’t hold up to the weight and gravity of Season 1. It explored each character a bit further, but it failed to replicate the earlier season’s magic. Regardless, Kidman has said thatthere will be a Season 3.
Why Big Little Lies Should’ve Ended With Season One
Big Little Lies was planned as a limited series, but later added a second season. Here’s why that was a mistake.
1'13 Reasons Why' (2017 - 2020)
13 Reasons Why
A show about a teenager committing suicide is a tough subject matter to portray.13 Reasons Whydid a terrific job ofbringing Jay Asher’s novel to lifein Season 1. The series focused on Hannah Baker, played by Katherine Langford, a high school student who commits suicide. After her death, Clay Jensen, played by Dylan Minnette, receives 13 cassette tapes, narrated by Hannah, all telling him about different reasons why she killed herself. Clay, obsessed with figuring out who and what caused Hannah to do so, stops at nothing to uncover the truth. The season was heavy and hard to watch at times, especially the heartbreaking finale. The show was lauded for its honest and brutal portrayal of serious matters throughout Season 1.
Netflix seized on its popularity and ordered Season 2 and two more seasons afterward. The show got darker and darker each season as there were more deaths, more crimes, more drugs, and more plotlines that bordered on ridiculous. It became hard to believe that all of these terrible things could happen to one community within a four-year span. Another miss was that the show cast its most magnetic actor for the character that dies in Season 1, as Langford was praised for her portrayal of Hannah.13 Reasons Whytried too hard to stay relevant after Season 1 and never came close to being as good again.
