Top 10 Storylines TV Writers Regret
Every show jumps the shark at some point! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we're counting down the plot points and character arcs that showrunners have reportedly said they wish they had never written. Since storylines are being discussed you may encounter some spoilers ahead.
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00:00Hey, there are things you can't erase, and you know that.
00:04Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down the plot points and character arcs that
00:08showrunners have reportedly said they wish they had never written.
00:11Since storylines are being discussed, you may encounter some spoilers ahead.
00:15Hello, diamonds.
00:17Number 10, the end credit visuals, Lost.
00:21Anyone who watched Lost knew the show was often packed with hidden details and clues.
00:25So, fast forward to the series finale's end credits, and viewers are left staring at images
00:38of the deserted island, trying to figure out what it all means.
00:41Many fans wondered if this hinted that there had been no survivors all along.
00:45Yeah, I'm real, you're real, everything that's ever happened to you is real, all those people
00:52in the church, they're all real too.
00:56However, it turns out this wasn't exactly the writers' idea.
01:00Network ABC added those scenes to help ease audiences out of the intense finale and into
01:05whatever was shown next.
01:08She said we were leaving.
01:11Not leaving, no.
01:16Moving on.
01:19The showrunners were left disappointed by this decision since it overshadowed their
01:23emotional conclusion, where the characters finally come together in the afterlife.
01:27Number 9, Bob dies, Stranger Things.
01:30Stranger Things fans have learned not to get too attached to characters, a lesson the showrunners
01:34know too well.
01:37Chrissy.
01:38Another example is Joyce's beau, Bob Newby.
01:40Unfortunately, while trying to help Joyce and the others escape from the Hawkins lab,
01:44Bob gets caught by a pack of demodogs.
01:47Despite his valiant efforts, he sacrifices himself, giving the others time to flee.
01:51Listen, don't wait for me.
01:55As soon as I get those doors open, I'm gonna get them out.
01:58I promise.
02:00Okay, I'll be in touch.
02:03It was gut-wrenching.
02:04Bob was a fan favorite, and we were rooting for his future with Joyce.
02:08Sean Astin and Winona Ryder were disappointed to see him go, as were the writers who reportedly
02:13kept delaying his fate.
02:16However, they teased that fans may still see him, and Chrissy, again.
02:22Number 8, Jack swerves his fate, This Is Us.
02:25Early on, it's revealed that Jack Pearson, the family's patriarch, isn't around in the
02:29present day, but it takes time to explain what happened.
02:32In Season 1, Kate mentions feeling responsible for the tragic event.
02:36You remember when I told you I couldn't talk about my dad's death?
02:40Yeah, of course.
02:42Well, that's because it's my fault.
02:46A flashback shows Jack, who's struggling with alcohol use disorder and marital issues, calling
02:51his daughter before driving off.
02:53I wanted to tell you something.
02:55I wanted you to know that you were right.
02:59I'm gonna fix things with your mom.
03:03I love you, Katie girl.
03:04As we know now, this is not how he passes away.
03:07Still, creator Dan Fogelman later regretted sending viewers off course since it took focus
03:12away from the key storylines like Jack and Rebecca's relationship struggles.
03:16Looking back, he believes that they should have just kept the story straightforward to
03:19keep viewers engaged with the real issues and evolving character dynamics.
03:25The scariest moments of our lives.
03:33You couldn't bear to disappoint me?
03:367.
03:36Running With The Zombie Virus – The Walking Dead
03:39Some TV series thrive on leaving viewers on the edge of their seats,
03:42eagerly anticipating that big, game-changing reveal.
03:46Why are you here?
03:46What do you want?
03:48A chance.
03:49Others, like The Walking Dead, charge straight ahead, as writer Robert Kirkman felt they
03:53did in the Season 1 finale.
03:55In that pivotal episode, Rick discovers that the zombie virus has gone global, with no
04:00remedy in sight.
04:01They thought they were close to a solution.
04:04What happened?
04:06Same thing that's happening here.
04:09A power grid.
04:12Ran out of juice.
04:12Cue the collective gasp.
04:14Suddenly, our survivors are thrust into a world overrun by the undead.
04:18However, Kirkman had his doubts.
04:20Was this revelation too much, too soon?
04:22Perhaps diving into global chaos from the get-go was overwhelming for viewers.
04:27Yet, it didn't seem to hurt the series, which only continued to soar in popularity.
04:32Jenner told me.
04:36Whatever it is, we all carry it.
04:416.
04:41As We Know It – Grey's Anatomy
04:43It's a huge deal to have your series air after the Super Bowl, so you definitely want to
04:48make a bang.
04:49What's going on?
04:50Hannah?
04:52Um, my fingertips are touching something kind of hard.
04:58Yeah, yeah, definitely.
04:59Oh my god.
05:00Grey's Anatomy took that quite literally with a two-episode storyline where Dr. Meredith Grey
05:05must remove an active explosive from a patient.
05:08The surgery goes well, but things take a turn when she hands the device to disposal expert
05:13Dylan Young, played by Kyle Chandler.
05:16Apparently Chandler tried to suggest alternate ideas for his character,
05:19but the script had sealed his fate.
05:21Shonda Rhimes later admitted she regretted that decision, especially after casting Chandler.
05:26Still, whenever she feels pangs of remorse,
05:29she can remember that this gripping two-part episode earned her an Emmy nomination.
05:37If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you want to spend it?
05:465.
05:47The Damon-Elena-Stefan Love Triangle
05:50The Vampire Diaries
05:51No matter what TV series you watch, there will always be that couple you root for,
05:55and hope we'll make it.
05:56Maybe it's in line with the writer's vision, and maybe it isn't,
05:59but we'd still like to believe they stand behind their decisions.
06:02He came into my life at a time when I needed someone, and I fell for him instantly.
06:08No matter what I feel for you, I...
06:13I never un-fell for him.
06:15Whilst, Delana fans, listen up.
06:17Delana fans, you may want to cover your ears.
06:19Series developer Kevin Williamson revealed that he actually envisioned
06:23Stefan and Elena as Endgame.
06:25However, when Nina Dobrev left after Season 6,
06:28Elena had just gotten back together with Damon.
06:31I love you, Damon Salvatore.
06:36I love you too.
06:38Since she only returned for the finale,
06:40there wasn't enough time to rekindle things with Stefan.
06:43If she'd stuck around longer, who knows?
06:45Maybe things would have ended differently.
06:49You know a writer has second thoughts about their decisions
06:52when they pen an open letter of apology to the fans.
06:55Listen to me.
06:56Now the upload has begun.
06:58Allie's people will be able to see us.
07:01We need to be more careful.
07:03The 100 series developer Jason Rothenberg did just that
07:06after the huge backlash over Lexa's death shortly after her romantic scene with Clark.
07:12Fans were heartbroken.
07:14They loved Lexa because she was such a deep and fascinating character
07:17who wasn't just defined by her sexuality.
07:20No, I'm not letting you die.
07:25There's something you can do now.
07:28Rothenberg got that fans were angry about the age-old trope of killing off
07:32LGBTQIA plus characters and admitted that they messed up, even if it wasn't intentional.
07:38He also said there's still a lot of work to be done to improve inclusion on a broader scale.
07:43Safe passage on your travels.
07:47Until our final journey on the ground.
07:51May we meet again.
07:57The younger generation couldn't be any less enthused with many of Friends' outdated storylines.
08:02It turns out that the writers agree with some of the criticism.
08:05Co-creator Marta Kaufman isn't too keen on The One with the Chicken Pox
08:09or the storyline where Phoebe dates her sister Stalker.
08:13This guy has been obsessed with your sister for God knows how long, okay?
08:18You don't just give up something like that.
08:21Look, he gave me his night vision goggles and everything.
08:23However, in maybe her biggest regret,
08:25Kaufman openly acknowledges mishandling intersex and transgender characters.
08:30She regrets elements like the infamous rumor in the Brad Pitt episode,
08:35Fine, you guys can have your stupid little club, but I would just like to say
08:39that what you did to me is way worse than what I did to you.
08:42and the comedic portrayal of Chandler's dad.
08:44In 2022, Kaufman said the character was misgendered and was indeed transgender.
08:50If Friends were made today,
08:52she'd likely insist on a more respectful representation of the LGBTQIA plus community.
08:58Nobody's gonna be staring at the bride when the father of the groom is wearing a backless dress.
09:03So what? As long as he's not wearing a white dress and a veil, I don't care.
09:07Number two, Tara's shock ending, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
09:11This is perhaps one of the most notorious examples of an LGBTQIA plus character
09:16facing an untimely death.
09:18Anything we can do to fast forward?
09:20We really need to find Warren and the others before anyone else gets hurt.
09:22Worse still, it was essentially only written to advance Willow's storyline.
09:27Also, having Tara meet her end by crossfire only adds to the injustice of it all.
09:31Your shirt.
09:34Tara!
09:35Fans were outraged, flooding the writers with letters of disappointment.
09:39Some were so upset, it turned them off of the series entirely.
09:42Marti Noxon, a showrunner in the later seasons, now thinks maybe it wasn't the best move.
09:47Tara was one of the few well-rounded LGBTQIA plus characters on TV back then,
09:53and a really likable one at that.
09:54Looking back, Noxon wonders if killing her off was the right call at all.
09:59I command you, bring her back!
10:02Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
10:06Jessa's early story arc
10:07Girls
10:08Creator and star Lena Dunham voiced regret at introducing the character as a little too
10:13soulless.
10:13So just so you know what you just saw, that was me showing that I cannot be smoted.
10:20The Principal and the Pauper
10:22The Simpsons
10:22Series creator Matt Groening called the episode a mistake,
10:26and noted it's way off his list of favourites.
10:29I'm an imposter.
10:33That man is the real Seymour Skinner.
10:37Johnny's unreciprocated love for Marissa
10:39The O.C.
10:40Creator Josh Schwartz admitted he'd want a do-over on how it all ended.
10:44After all we've been through, I get to be your best friend.
10:49Go away, leave me alone.
10:51Come on, just let me explain it to you.
10:53Look, just come down, Johnny.
10:55The Dean-Rory-Jess love triangle
10:58Gilmore Girls
10:58Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino wasn't thrilled with how this led fans to fixate on Rory's love life.
11:04So Rory's got a nice little hold on you now, huh?
11:07Jeez.
11:10Don't do that.
11:11How does it feel?
11:12Feels like I'm with Rory and you're not.
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11:291.
11:30Sealing George Cooper Sr.'s Fates
11:32The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon
11:35Throughout The Big Bang Theory, we learn various details about Sheldon's father.
11:38He liked football, TV, and beer.
11:41He once wrestled a bobcat for licorice.
11:43He wasn't much of a family man, and he died when Sheldon was 14.
11:46Does your dad still live in Texas?
11:49No, he died when I was 14.
11:52I'm sorry to hear that.
11:54So was the man who owned the local liquor store.
11:57Young Sheldon retconned much of this, turning George Sr. into a much-loved character.
12:01Sadly, though, the one thing they didn't backtrack on was his fate.
12:04He had a heart attack.
12:08He's okay, right?
12:12He's gone.
12:14In one of his Vanity Cards, Chuck Lorre admitted he regrets ever
12:17deciding that Sheldon lost his father when he was a teenager.
12:21Little could he have known back then how attached viewers would become to the character,
12:24and how difficult it would be for all of us to say goodbye.
12:28I didn't say it at his funeral, but I can say it now.
12:32I loved my father.
12:34I will miss him forever.
12:36If you were a showrunner on your favorite TV show, which storyline would you have vetoed?
12:41Let us know in the comments.
12:43I wish I could tell you I said all those things.
12:47But I didn't.
12:48Do you agree with our picks?
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