‘What’s a red flag in a TV show that tells you it’s about to go down hill?’ – 21 moments that will have you rolling your eyes and reaching for the remote

We’ve all been there. You’re five seasons deep in a TV show and have devoted approximately 50 hours of your one precious life to it when suddenly something happens that makes you realise it’s about to take a nosedive from which it will never recover.

Redditor Feisty_Drummer2570 has clearly experienced this, because they asked:

‘What’s a red flag in a TV show that tells you it’s about to go down hill?’

Here’s what to look out for so you can cut your losses and start on something new (which will inevitably disappoint you as well).

1.

‘When characters start ignoring earlier developments/start getting dumbed down from established norms simply to push an arc forward.’
–MaestroLogical

2.

‘Villain decay. When a villain loses so many times in a row you can’t take them seriously anymore, you know too much about them and their weaknesses, etc.’
–redbo

3.

‘Secret child that shows up right when a character’s life is just about to come together (I’m looking at You Gilmore Girls).’
–Asleep_Agent5050

4.

‘They introduce a younger, cuter version of the ‘baby of the family’.’
–onaplinth

5.

‘Random hookups that make no sense.’
–tea8030

6.

‘They suddenly introduce a long lost cousin and they start flashback episodes.’
–MrScarabNephtys

7.

‘When characters suddenly act out of character for plot convenience, it’s a red flag.’
–FierceAiden

8.

‘A normal, realistic show getting sci-fi-esque. Like someone coming back from the dead, a ghost, whatever.’
–psychcrime

9.

‘When they make one of the lead characters have a baby. Nothing wrong with babies, but when a show decides that lead needs to have a baby, they are running out of plot ideas.’
–SparrowLikeBird

10.

‘When they bring on a guest star who was big a decade ago and hasn’t been really active since.’
–Barbarian_818

11.

‘When a very likeable and well-written character is axed in lieu of a very unlikable and poorly written character.’
–kamenguy83

12.

‘When the characters become caricatures of themselves over time. Ned Flanders was in the beginning of The Simpsons an average ideal citizen. In the later seasons he became this absolute Christian maniac.’
–ElManuel93

13.

‘A long awaited ship finally becomes a couple, get married and the woman is turned into a bitch, because apparently that’s what women become when they are married.

I hate what happens to Daphne in Frasier. The new writers didn’t do her character justice.’
–kimchijjigaeda

14.

‘Musical episode.’
–PaulSurvivor

15.

‘It’s a Netflix original. ‘Down hill’ might be the wrong word, I would just never get invested as I know it’s going to get cancelled.’
–Fog-Champ

16.

‘The time skip, suddenly its 1-10 years later and they cram a bunch of exposition to explain what has happened in the interim.’
–BlueKitsune86

17.

‘A lead actor becoming Executive Producer.’
–strangertown

18.

‘An entire season being erased because someone dreamed the whole thing just to bring back a dead character. Also, when the network keeps changing the show’s time slot.’
–Dammageddon

19.

‘The main protagonist leaves and they keep it going.’
–smugfruitplate

20.

‘When the plot starts repeating itself, I know it’s down hill.’
–TenderMyrla

Plenty of dodgy plot points and unlikely events to look out for there, but, of course, none of them beat the mother of all series-destroying moments…

25.

‘When a character on water skis jumps over a shark.’
–Select-Belt-ou812

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Source r/AskReddit Image Screenshot