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19 TV series that started out promising but later became completely unwatchable.

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Warning: This post contains mentions of rape/sexual assault.

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1. When it comes to pop culture, there's nothing better than discovering a fantastic new show. And there's nothing more disappointing than when that show literally loses its plot and the quality plummets. Here are a few shows that were really, really good—until they weren't…
2. 1. "Euphoria." When it premiered, it felt like some kind of high school series we'd never seen before.
3. But inevitably, the same problem arose as with all other series in this genre: a loss of direction once the characters finally leave high school. The final season is quite nasty and difficult to watch.
4. 2. Game of Thrones. When it was good, it was one of the best shows in television history. And when it was bad, it hurt more than the Red Wedding itself.
5. Starting with Season 5, the show began to decline, though there were still some great moments in the following few seasons. Unfortunately, for much of the final season, much of what once made the show great disappeared completely.
6. 3. Riverdale. The first season was a bit silly, but it made sense. The characters and their relationships were overdone and soap opera-like, but not completely unrealistic, and the murder mystery provided a gripping plot twist.
7. ...And then it turned into a live-action version of "Mad Tales," and each season became more and more pointless. What do you mean, Archie fights a bear? Is there a cult? Does everyone have superpowers? Is it the 1950s??!?!
8. 4. "Pretty Little Liars." At first, the series seemed like a complex, carefully crafted detective story. It was exciting to search for clues and come up with various theories.
9. In the end, it became clear that the audience had put more effort into the plot than the writers themselves.
10. 5. Dexter. The first few seasons were gripping, darkly humorous, and terrifying in a good way.
11. The quality of the subsequent seasons declined further and further until we somehow got to the point where Deb confessed her love to her brother - and after that there was no turning back.
12. 6. "Heroes." When it premiered, "Heroes" seemed unique, gripping, well-plotted, and dynamically paced. The line "Save the cheerleader, save the world" remains iconic.
13. Unfortunately, the quality dropped off quite quickly in the second season and has only gotten worse since. A complete waste of so much talent and potential.
14. 7. Westworld. The first season is the pinnacle of prestige television. Beautiful and thought-provoking, with an incredible cast and unexpected but justified plot twists.
15. Subsequent seasons became increasingly unwatchable, ultimately making Westworld feel like a completely different series, with a confusing, dark, and unsatisfying ending.
16. 8. The Walking Dead. For a zombie show, The Walking Dead has always been about humanity; not just what it takes to survive, but what that means. It was a rich series with a multitude of characters you care about.
17. As the story progressed, the level of violence and darkness increased, and characters you'd come to sympathize with died or were sent to undesirable fates. Glenn's fate was the final straw for many viewers.
18. 9. "The Losers." The first two seasons of "The Losers" were quirky, funny, and gripping. Season three, while a bit less charming due to the departure of Robert Sheehan, who played Nathan, was still a great show overall.
19. Then, at the end of Season 3, most of the remaining cast left the show, and the next two seasons felt like poor imitations of the previous ones.
20. 10. True Blood. Like the books on which the series is based, True Blood was most popular in its early stages, when it was simply a sexy, gothic story about Southern vampires.
21. The more supernatural creatures appeared, the less interesting the series became, and Sookie's complicated personal life also stopped being amusing. The final season was quite harrowing.
22. 11. Younger. Younger's premise was always a bit far-fetched, but it was funny enough to be worth the wait.
23. As the series progressed, this became increasingly difficult, as Lisa's secret—and the fact that many didn't know or suspect the truth—became less compelling, and the characters themselves became less multi-faceted and more irritating.
24. 12. "Once Upon a Time." At first, the series seemed fresh and engaging, skillfully and amusingly weaving fairy tales into its central plot.
25. By the time the last few seasons rolled around, most of the remaining original characters were getting a bit tired, the new ones weren't engaging, and the whole thing felt a bit too stale.
26. 13. "100." A great concept that was initially very well executed and gripping, with characters that were complex and imperfect, but made you want to root for them.
27. Then the creative team and showrunner made a series of decisions that seemed specifically designed to anger fans, and the final season was, frankly, a spitting image for anyone who remained loyal to the show.
28. 14. Outlander. Stunning scenery, stunning cinematography, engaging and talented actors, gorgeous costumes, and an intriguing time-travel romance made this series incredibly gripping.
29. Unfortunately, the repetitive, graphic, and gratuitous rape scenes made the series completely unwatchable, starting at the end of the first season and continuing throughout the series, if you managed to watch it to the end.
30. 15. Stranger Things. The first season was a perfect Amblin-style adventure, recreating the '80s atmosphere. It's debatable, but the show should have remained a miniseries.
31. While there were plenty of great moments in subsequent seasons, the plot development was clunky, and the final season in particular was a frustrating mess that undermined everything that had come before.
32. 16. "Yellow Wasps." The first season was gripping, fresh, fun, and brutally dark. With a fantastic cast spanning two timelines, the series kept viewers on the edge of their seats and offered unexpected plot twists.
33. However, in subsequent seasons, the plot became less like a complex web and more like an unmanageable, tangled knot. While the cast remains superb, the storylines became more tedious and less engaging.
34. 17. The Umbrella Academy. The first season was a unique and refreshing superhero adventure with flawed characters you couldn't help but love. The second season was also strong and generally funny.
35. While the third season wasn't as good, it was still worth watching. But the fourth and final season dragged on from start to finish (especially the ending), flattening the characters and world so much that they became unrecognizable.
36. 18. "Glee." When it premiered, there was no other show quite like "Glee." It was quirky, kitschy, silly, hilarious, and full of hit songs.
37. Glee always had its flaws, but as the show progressed, they became increasingly obvious, and eventually it became something too ridiculous and completely uninteresting. Although, of course, it did have some good songs.
38. 19. And finally, The X-Files. The early seasons of The X-Files are considered classics for good reason—the perfect monster-of-the-week show, with gripping chemistry between Mulder and Scully, full of "will they be together or not" intrigue, and a mystery that was interesting but didn't overshadow the entire series.
39. In the final seasons, the show became a caricature of itself: Mulder and Scully were underrepresented, and the alien conspiracy plotlines were overdone. Much of the show was pointless and unsatisfying.
40. What TV series do you think started out great but eventually became unwatchable? Share your thoughts in the comments or anonymously below!
40.1. Interesting to know

When it comes to pop culture, there's nothing better than discovering a fantastic new show. And there's nothing more disappointing than when that show literally loses its plot and the quality plummets. Here are a few shows that were really, really good—until they weren't…

1. "Euphoria." When it premiered, it felt like some kind of high school series we'd never seen before.

HBO

But inevitably, the same problem arose as with all other series in this genre: a loss of direction once the characters finally leave high school. The final season is quite nasty and difficult to watch.

HBO

2. Game of Thrones. When it was good, it was one of the best shows in television history. And when it was bad, it hurt more than the Red Wedding itself.

HBO

Starting with Season 5, the show began to decline, though there were still some great moments in the following few seasons. Unfortunately, for much of the final season, much of what once made the show great disappeared completely.

HBO

See also: Choose one of these fictional potential love interests and we'll rate your "weirdness level" on a scale of 1 to 10.

3. Riverdale. The first season was a bit silly, but it made sense. The characters and their relationships were overdone and soap opera-like, but not completely unrealistic, and the murder mystery provided a gripping plot twist.

CW

...And then it turned into a live-action version of "Mad Tales," and each season became more and more pointless. What do you mean, Archie fights a bear? Is there a cult? Does everyone have superpowers? Is it the 1950s??!?!

CW

4. "Pretty Little Liars." At first, the series seemed like a complex, carefully crafted detective story. It was exciting to search for clues and come up with various theories.

ABC Family

In the end, it became clear that the audience had put more effort into the plot than the writers themselves.

ABC Family

5. Dexter. The first few seasons were gripping, darkly humorous, and terrifying in a good way.

Show time

The quality of the subsequent seasons declined further and further until we somehow got to the point where Deb confessed her love to her brother - and after that there was no turning back.

Show time

6. "Heroes." When it premiered, "Heroes" seemed unique, gripping, well-plotted, and dynamically paced. The line "Save the cheerleader, save the world" remains iconic.

NBK

Unfortunately, the quality dropped off quite quickly in the second season and has only gotten worse since. A complete waste of so much talent and potential.

NBK

7. Westworld. The first season is the pinnacle of prestige television. Beautiful and thought-provoking, with an incredible cast and unexpected but justified plot twists.

HBO

See also: 23 Terrible TV Storylines That Were So Bad the Writers Should Be Ashamed of Themselves.

Subsequent seasons became increasingly unwatchable, ultimately making Westworld feel like a completely different series, with a confusing, dark, and unsatisfying ending.

HBO

8. The Walking Dead. For a zombie show, The Walking Dead has always been about humanity; not just what it takes to survive, but what that means. It was a rich series with a multitude of characters you care about.

AMS

As the story progressed, the level of violence and darkness increased, and characters you'd come to sympathize with died or were sent to undesirable fates. Glenn's fate was the final straw for many viewers.

AMS

9. "The Losers." The first two seasons of "The Losers" were quirky, funny, and gripping. Season three, while a bit less charming due to the departure of Robert Sheehan, who played Nathan, was still a great show overall.

E4

Then, at the end of Season 3, most of the remaining cast left the show, and the next two seasons felt like poor imitations of the previous ones.

E4

10. True Blood. Like the books on which the series is based, True Blood was most popular in its early stages, when it was simply a sexy, gothic story about Southern vampires.

HBO

The more supernatural creatures appeared, the less interesting the series became, and Sookie's complicated personal life also stopped being amusing. The final season was quite harrowing.

HBO

See also: Casual Disney Fans Won't Pass This Disney 'Jeopardy'-Style Quiz, So If You're a True Fan, It's Time to Prove It (And Five More Disney Quizzes)

11. Younger. Younger's premise was always a bit far-fetched, but it was funny enough to be worth the wait.

TV Land

As the series progressed, this became increasingly difficult, as Lisa's secret—and the fact that many didn't know or suspect the truth—became less compelling, and the characters themselves became less multi-faceted and more irritating.

TV Land

12. "Once Upon a Time." At first, the series seemed fresh and engaging, skillfully and amusingly weaving fairy tales into its central plot.

ABS

By the time the last few seasons rolled around, most of the remaining original characters were getting a bit tired, the new ones weren't engaging, and the whole thing felt a bit too stale.

ABS

13. "100." A great concept that was initially very well executed and gripping, with characters that were complex and imperfect, but made you want to root for them.

CW

Then the creative team and showrunner made a series of decisions that seemed specifically designed to anger fans, and the final season was, frankly, a spitting image for anyone who remained loyal to the show.

CW

14. Outlander. Stunning scenery, stunning cinematography, engaging and talented actors, gorgeous costumes, and an intriguing time-travel romance made this series incredibly gripping.

Starz

Unfortunately, the repetitive, graphic, and gratuitous rape scenes made the series completely unwatchable, starting at the end of the first season and continuing throughout the series, if you managed to watch it to the end.

Starz

15. Stranger Things. The first season was a perfect Amblin-style adventure, recreating the '80s atmosphere. It's debatable, but the show should have remained a miniseries.

Netflix

While there were plenty of great moments in subsequent seasons, the plot development was clunky, and the final season in particular was a frustrating mess that undermined everything that had come before.

Netflix

See also: Can you name these iconic characters from Peanuts?

16. "Yellow Wasps." The first season was gripping, fresh, fun, and brutally dark. With a fantastic cast spanning two timelines, the series kept viewers on the edge of their seats and offered unexpected plot twists.

Show time

However, in subsequent seasons, the plot became less like a complex web and more like an unmanageable, tangled knot. While the cast remains superb, the storylines became more tedious and less engaging.

Show time

17. The Umbrella Academy. The first season was a unique and refreshing superhero adventure with flawed characters you couldn't help but love. The second season was also strong and generally funny.

Netflix

While the third season wasn't as good, it was still worth watching. But the fourth and final season dragged on from start to finish (especially the ending), flattening the characters and world so much that they became unrecognizable.

Netflix

18. "Glee." When it premiered, there was no other show quite like "Glee." It was quirky, kitschy, silly, hilarious, and full of hit songs.

Fox

Glee always had its flaws, but as the show progressed, they became increasingly obvious, and eventually it became something too ridiculous and completely uninteresting. Although, of course, it did have some good songs.

Fox

19. And finally, The X-Files. The early seasons of The X-Files are considered classics for good reason—the perfect monster-of-the-week show, with gripping chemistry between Mulder and Scully, full of "will they be together or not" intrigue, and a mystery that was interesting but didn't overshadow the entire series.

Fox

In the final seasons, the show became a caricature of itself: Mulder and Scully were underrepresented, and the alien conspiracy plotlines were overdone. Much of the show was pointless and unsatisfying.

Fox

What TV series do you think started out great but eventually became unwatchable? Share your thoughts in the comments or anonymously below!

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which will direct you to the nearest sexual assault center. You can also find information about a center near you here. .

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