10 Shows That Deserved Better

It’s 2021 and there are still only two types of shows: those that ended too soon or those that couldn’t end soon enough. We all have That Show™ that we will never forgive the writers or network for their inevitable massacre. Aside from Avatar: The: The Last Airbender, it’s rare to find a show that has a plot and sticks to it in some capacity. No weird side quests or out-of-character adventures to make the studio money. Take a note, CW. Take all the notes.

I know you’re reading this article expecting me to write about Firefly, but I haven’t actually seen it. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you’re just going to have to trust me and my taste in TV shows (I’m sorry).

Anyways.

Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time peaked with Captain Hook and the Neverland arc. The first seasons were incredibly succinct, keeping you on a need-to-know basis and moving the story along, all while leaving you on the edge of your seat, ready to binge the next episode. You got invested in the characters’ backstories without feeling too overwhelmed (there are a lot of characters and a lot of backstories). The relationships are great and so are the twists.

However, when they start to bring in Elsa, Anna, and the entire cast of Frozen, you feel like you’re losing the plot. When Emma (Jennifer Morrison) left the show, they attempted to carry on without her by using a time skip with her grown-up son. They tried, but carrying on a show after the main character leaves is pretty much always show suicide.

Status: Couldn’t end soon enough

The Nine Lives of Chloe King

I know this one might be hit or miss with viewership, but Freeform (back when it was ABC family) had a real winner with this one. Loosely based on the book series, the show follows high schooler Chloe around as she learns she’s part of a race of humans with catlike qualities (reflexes, sight, sound) and that she has 9 lives. There was a fantastic love triangle between two handsome boys, one of them being very British. It ended on a cliffhanger and then ABC canceled it. This was all my preteen friends and I would ever talk about, so I'm totally biased, but I would've loved more seasons. Justice for Chloe King.

Status: Ended too soon

iZombie

I don’t think Rob Thomas has ever made anything bad. iZombie cranked out four good seasons before getting nixed, one short of a finale. The show is hilarious, with fantastic actors and great writing. Lots of action, humor, and even a good dose of romance. Each episode even features Liv, the main character and zombie undercover, preparing brains a different way every episode a la Tasty Recipe video. It is a CW show, so it is cheesy, but this one definitely got robbed of that closing note.

Status: Ended too soon

Community

I love Community just as much as everyone else, but can we admit it’s weird to watch them after they all graduated? Losing Donald Glover was a real hit to the cast and they couldn’t lose Chevy Chase soon enough. The natural flow of the show gets lost after their graduation. It's hard not to feel like you had been cheated out of a solid ending by dragging it on unnecessarily. It’s also super weird when Jeff becomes a teacher and everyone just decides to stay at college for no concrete reason. Community didn’t deserve the Glee treatment.

Status: Couldn’t end soon enough

Riverdale

The first season of Riverdale kept their audience on their feet, no doubt about it. Without much attachment to anything Archie Comics related, I was ready for a bit darker of a reimagining. I liked the whodunnit angle and was disappointed that it all was wrapped up by the end of the first season. I attempted to get into the second season but found myself distracted by odd drama and over the top acting. I understand the CW will always pack a little cheese, but I didn't care enough about "the epic highs and lows of high school football" to continue.

Why was there a Heathers episode? What is this show other than a money-making trope and TikTok fodder? I have questions.

Status: Can't end soon enough

The Vampire Diaries

I have watched The Vampire Diaries through up until the fifth season exactly twice. The early seasons enthrall you with a love triangle and the mysterious creatures of Mystic Falls, promising an interesting story. When everyone graduates and seemingly goes their separate ways (but not really, because there's still a story to milk) the road becomes winding. Elena has a weird thing with her professor, and characters begin flipping their humanities off and on seemingly at will.

There is an overwhelming amount of mystical magical energy you have to keep track of. Finding myself watching TVD later in the game, I discovered Elena (Nina Dobrev) left in season 6 and the plot seemed rocky enough with her being the glue holding them together.

Status: Couldn’t end soon enough

Mr. Student Body President

Yes, I know, this one is technically a web show. Featured on Go90, this baby packs 10 minute episodes following around Jeremy Shada, the (you guessed it!) Student Body President. He builds his cabinet and faces regular teen problems with the most ridiculous solutions you could ever find. With lots of YouTubers and even Viners in the acting roster, it was a hilarious ensemble with a great plot. Unfortunately, Go90 didn’t advertise it super well and then went under a year later. It’s a bit of a pain to find seasons 2-4, but season 1 is easily accessible on YouTube.

Status: Ended too soon

LOST

Everyone has beef with LOST for one reason or another. I tend to think it started out strong, but JJ Abrams took one too many of his lens flares to the brain. Despite the vast array of characters and plot twists, a turn too many leaves your audience...lost.

Kidding, but LOST goes on a bunny trail after bunny trail the back half of the series, leaving more people confused than enlightened. Also not sure I can forgive them for killing off Ian Smolderholder. RIP.

Status: Couldn’t end soon enough

Supernatural

In light of recent events, I feel like it’s overkill and even a tad sacriligeous to even talk about Supernatural. What I will say is the show should have ended in season 5 LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO. The rest is just filler and fanservice. I said what I said.

Also, whoever color grades CW shows should be fired. I'm going to go blind from squinting at my TV.

Status: Couldn’t end soon enough

Veronica Mars

Another Rob Thomas treasure, Veronica Mars, follows a young Kristen Bell as she kicks butt as a high school detective. The show is well-paced, funny, and has great characters. For some reason, this show got the ax in the 3rd season. After 7 years of outcry, fans got their wish with a movie funded by Kickstarter. Hulu picked the show up for a fourth season 5 years after that. Still, with such a gap, momentum was definitely lost. It would have been neat if they could have gotten more seasons!

Status: ended too soon...and came back!

No matter how your favorite show ended up, we can all agree that networks don't seem to understand what the people want (and by people, I mean me). Either way, there's plenty to watch on Netflix...and an upcoming weekend to binge a new show.