There have been plenty ofTV showsthat astound viewers with anincredible first season, only for it to quickly decline in quality and make them feel like it should have just remained one great miniseries. This can often be the case when a show was initially planned as a one-off series but became so popular that it was artificially extended despite there being no real artistic drive to continue telling the character’s story. This also commonly occurred when aTV show based on a bookwas forced to move past its source material in later seasons.
While manygreat shows were canceled after just one season, there were plenty of others that continued when they shouldn’t have. There have also been somegreat anthology showsthat got everything right in their debut season, yet when it was time to shake things up with a new cast of characters for season 2, the show just didn’t feel as exciting. While not all of these shows were terrible in their later seasons,their legacy would have been far stronger had they called it a day after just one installment.
Altered Carbon
Cast
Altered Carbon is set in the far future, at a time when a human’s consciousness can be stored in a device called a Stack and transferred into different bodies, allowing people who have the means to become functionally immortal. Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman and Anthony Mackie), the former member of a rebellion against Stack technology, is awakened and released from prison so that he can be employed by a wealthy man to solve the man’s own murder. The Netflix original series is based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan.
The first season ofthe Netflix cyberpunk seriesAltered Carbonwas a boundary-breaking success based on the original novel by Richard K. Morgan. Set in a world where consciousness can be transferred to different bodies, this unique series explored the relationship between humans and machinery, gender identity, artificial intelligence, and paranoia. With elements of a murder mystery, the first season ofAltered Carbonfelt like it got everything right as it blended film noir, thrillers, and sci-fi stylings into a cohesive whole.
Sadly,Altered Carbon’ssecond season was such a letdown that it made viewers wish it had just been a one-off miniseries. As a less clever and disappointing follow-up season, viewership declined, and Netflix canceled the show. However,Altered Carbondid return once more for an anime prequel spin-off set 283 years before the original show titledAltered Carbon: Resleeved, which received praise for its animation style but was highly criticized for its lackluster plot and disappointing characterization.
Riverdale
A darker take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends from the Archie Comics series, Riverdale is a CW supernatural mystery series that sees the group trying to illuminate the truth surrounding various strange occurrences and murders in the titular town. When a teenage girl is found dead in the once-quiet town, the event starts a series of ever-growing mysteries that ultimately lead to darker secrets in the town’s history. Led by Archie, the Riverdale gang will attempt to navigate their new normal while dealing with all of the drama that comes with being high school teenagers.
WhenRiverdalepremiered in 2017, it appeared to be a genuinely exciting teen drama whose self-aware reimagining ofArchie Comicsmade for a compelling, postmodern television viewing experience. With an intriguing premise,Riverdalefelt likeTwin Peaksfor Generation Z as it kicked off with a murder mystery and hinted at the dark underbelly of a seemingly wholesome society.Riverdalehad real potential to carve out something interesting, and if things had ended after season 1, it would have gone down as one of the most fascinating teen dramas ever made.
Unfortunately,Riverdalewas continually renewed with diminishing returns every subsequent season. The sprawling melodrama ofRiverdalegrew increasingly unwieldy as it tackled the supernatural, social and political issues, and even time travel. While all these ideas have merit, the bloated 20-plus episodes of later seasons meant the show began to feel like it valued quantity over quality. AlthoughRiverdale’sability to reinvent itself continuously was admirable, it begged the question of whether it would have been better to have left viewers wanting more.
Westworld
Westworld is a television series set in a futuristic Wild West-themed amusement park where advanced android hosts cater to human guests' desires. The series explores the themes of artificial consciousness and human morality as the lines between reality and artificiality begin to blur.
The first season ofWestworldwas an immensely satisfying dystopian sci-fi series based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie of the same name. As a clever, satirical HBO drama that explored artificial intelligence, technology, and humanity’s need for increasingly outrageous entertainment,Westworldpacked all these aspects together into a fascinating mystery just waiting to be unpacked. With a twist ending involving multiple connected timelines,Westworldseason 1 was a complete viewing experience with a satisfying conclusion.
WhileWestworldseason 1 was such a success that many predicted it as the nextGame of Thrones, all the goodwill it had built up was lost in the subsequent seasons. The sad truth was thatWestworldbecame too clever for its own good and lost viewers in the process as the subsequent seasons became increasingly difficult to follow.Westworldalso strayed further away from its futuristic Western theme park premise in its later seasons, which did it a disservice.
Killing Eve
Killing Eve is a black comedy thriller series starring Sandra Oh as British intelligence officer Eve Polastri who is assigned to track and capture a dangerous assassin named Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. Bored with her life, Eve finds herself hired by an undercover MI6 division tasked with tracking down Villanelle - who, after just a brief time studying and following her, she becomes obsessed with her. However, the obsession becomes mutual as soon the two enter a game of cat and mouse that deviates them from their missions as they venture to learn more about one another.
The first season ofKilling Evewas an incredible mix of strong characterization and sexual tension packaged in a thrilling spy series. WithFleabagcreator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the showrunner, the debut ofKilling Evehad viewers on the edge of their seats while also keeping them amused with sharp, clever dialogue and powerful feminist themes. The sociopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) was unlike any other killer on television, and the cat-and-mouse game between herself and the MI5 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) was a unique dynamic.
WhileKilling Evehad the potential to continue on this trajectory for more seasons, as it was based on a series of novels by Luke Jennings, Waller-Bridge exited the show after the first season, and her absence was sorely felt.Killing Eve’slater seasons attempted to recreate the magic of its debut runbut never quite managed to reach the same heights. While it was never a bad show by any stretch of the imagination, it’s hard not to wonder if it would have been better as one perfect miniseries.
Your Honor
Your Honor is a legal drama series starring Bryan Cranston as a respected judge whose son becomes involved in a hit-and-run accident. The incident sets off a dangerous chain of events that forces the judge to confront his own principles and navigate the moral complexities of the law. The series explores themes of justice, loyalty, and ethics, offering a compelling narrative of a father’s desperate attempts to protect his son.
In its first season,Your Honorwas a fantastic legal thriller that gave Bryan Cranston perhaps his greatest post-Breaking Badrole and made for truly nail-biting viewing. Following the story ofJudge Michael Desiato’s misguided attempt to protect his sonafter he was involved in a hit-and-run, this unfortunate incident saw the pair wrapped up in an intense conspiracy involving New Orleans’s most dangerous crime family. With great performances and an intriguing premise, YourHonorhit all the right notes as it powerfully explored how, given the right circumstances, good people can find themselves doing bad things.
The problem with the second season ofYour Honorwas that it just felt unnecessary and like a misguided attempt to extend the series needlessly. Despite Cranston’s fantastic performance, there was no need to return to the story of Judge Desiato, as the show began with him bearded and disheveled in his prison cell. With a far less compelling story to tell this time around,Your Honorseason 2 just did not have the same impact as the first.
True Detective
True Detective is an anthology series exploring intricate criminal investigations through multiple timelines. Each season examines dark personal and professional secrets revealed during the course of solving complex cases, highlighting the impact of crime on individuals both within and outside the law enforcement community.
WhenTrue Detectivepremiered in 2014, it felt like a total revelation as Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey pulled viewers in with an intriguing mystery taking place over several timelines. The sheer star power on display was an impressive example of movie stars' willingness to move over to television for the right project during the 2010s. This also felt like an exciting continuation of the media-dubbed McConaissance, as McConaughey gave one of the most astounding performances in his entire career as the troubled detective Rust Cohle.
Having laid the foundations of a potentially masterful TV show,it was thrilling to hear thatTrue Detectivehad been renewed for a second season. However, the show returned with an entirely new set of characters and continued as an anthology series focusing on a new mystery in each installment. Unfortunately, the second season starring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, and Rachel McAdams just did not hit as hard and left many wondering if it would have been better ifTrue Detectivehad continued with Harrelson and McConaughey at the helm.
Euphoria
Euphoria is a teen drama created by Sam Levinson and starring Zendaya, Maude Apatow, and Angus Cloud. The series deals with the dark reality of a drug-addicted teen on her road to recovery as she faces a multitude of challenges and issues.
The HBO teen dramaEuphoriafelt like a million miles away from the lighthearted stories ofGilmore GirlsorOne Tree Hillfrom so many years before. Instead, this was a gritty tale of addiction, depression, and loneliness that struck a chord with modern audiences as young people related to the dark topics around hookup culture, codependency, and toxic masculinity. WhileEuphoriasolidified the star status of actors like Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, the second season did not have nearly as much cultural relevance as the first.
With a long-gestating third season ofEuphoriain the works, the lackluster response to season 2 makes it seem like it might be better to let the cast move on to other projects. BothZendaya and Sweeney have become far more famous and acclaimed in the years sinceEuphoriafirst premiered, and as two of the biggest movie stars on the planet, it feels like they have outgrown the show. MaybeEuphoriawill recapture the dark appeal of its debut in season 3, but it would have become a modern classic if things had ended after just one season.
Glee
In order to escape the stressful reality of high school, a group of misfits decides to join William McKinley’s glee club. Fox’sGleewas created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk,and Ryan Murphy, with Leah Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison leading the cast. The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015 and won six Primetime Emmys.
The opening episodes ofGlee’sfirst season made for truly captivating television as its ensemble cast of theatrical high schoolers and its unique renditions of popular songs made it stand out. As an enjoyable satire of the high school experience that addressed social issues around sexuality, gender, race, and family head-on,Gleewas both clever and fun to watch. This jukebox musical kept up its quality throughout the first season as the adult characters, like the teacher, Mr. Schuester, or the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, added to the show’s humorous appeal.
However, the premise had already worn thin by the end of season 1, and as the show continued for five subsequent seasons, it felt like it became increasingly convoluted and ridiculous. What initially felt creative and fresh soon turned formulaic and stale asGleemoved away from its core cast and focused more on celebrity guests and gimmicky episodes. WhileGlee’sdebut season felt like essentially viewing, most viewers had already moved on by the time it finally concluded.
13 Reasons Why
After Hannah Baker takes her own life, her classmate Clay Jensen, who had a crush on her, receives a set of tapes narrated by Hannah, stating that they were sent to each person behind the 13 reasons that she committed suicide.
13 Reasons Whywas a show whose premise was built into its title, and as an adaptation of a novel by Jay Asher, it truly should have had only one season. As the story of the aftermath of teen suicide and the deceased student who left behind a cassette tape detailing those she deemed were responsible,13 Reasons Whytouched on many important issues affecting young people today. With themes around bullying, depression, and self-harm, the first season of13 Reasons Whywas a well-written and highly accomplished examination of teenage grief and suffering.
Had13 Reasons Whyconcluded after just one season, it would have been one of Netflix’s most impressive shows instead of a prime example of how things go wrong when TV series are needlessly continued. As season 2 moved past its source material,13 Reasons Whylost sight of what made it compelling in the first placeand devolved into increasingly convoluted plotlines. By the time the show ended after season 4, it was receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews, and its triggering topics had lost the nuance and poignant relevance of its earliest season.
Heroes
Heroes sees a number of people drawn to each other after a solar eclipse awakens incredible abilities in them. With their destinies seemingly intertwined, these evolved humans use their superpowers to influence the past, present, and future - for better and for worse. When a superpowered killer emerges who is stealing abilities from his victims, they must band together to stop him.
Set in a world where ordinary people discover that they possess superpowers,Heroesdebuted two years before the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was truly one of the most exciting shows on television at the time. With an incredible first season arc based around the catchphrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world,”Heroesboasted an incredible ensemble cast complete with characters of different abilities such as bending space and time, healing, or even mind reading.Heroeshad the potential to be truly great in its later seasons, yet behind-the-scenes circumstances meant it should have ended at just one.
Heroeswas a victim of the 2007 to 2008 WGA writers' strike, which meant that only 11 out of its planned 24-episode second season were made. These changes forced the writers and producers to restructure the season, and the show had a major decline in quality as a result. Despite being one of the most creative TV shows of the 2000s,Heroeswas a victim of bad timing, and although there have been attempts to revive it, such as the short-lived sequel seriesHeroes: Reborn, it never again reached the astounding heights of season 1.
