Why does nobody talk about how season 4 ruins a good show?

I was binging this crime drama last month during a layover in St. Louis, got through three seasons in less than a week. Then season 4 hit and everything fell apart, they added a whole new character with no buildup and dropped a main plotline without explanation. I sat there in my cab at a truck stop in Missouri feeling like I wasted 20 hours of my life. Has anyone else had a show just completely tank after a strong start like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

loganburns2mo ago

I read somewhere that the showrunner admitted in an interview they had to cut a whole subplot because of budget issues, which explains that abandoned story thread. That new character felt like they were shoved in for a spinoff that never happened, too. Really kills the momentum when a show does that, especially after three solid seasons of tight writing.

the_charles2mo ago

Ah yes, nothing says "quality storytelling" like budget cuts and failed spinoffs.

briancampbell1mo ago

oh man you just reminded me of what happened to my buddy Dave with that show "The Frontier" or whatever it was called. he was super into it for like two seasons and then the third season came out and there was this whole new character who was clearly meant to be the star of a spinoff about a different ranger station or something. Dave was telling me about it at the bar one night and he was so mad because they literally wrote the main character out for two episodes to set up this new guy and then the spinoff never happened and they just dropped the whole plotline. he said it felt like the show was more interested in selling merchandise than telling a good story and he stopped watching after that season. i cant blame him honestly it sucks when a show gets greedy like that and ruins the whole vibe.