10 major TV show storylines that went nowhere

Some major storylines of TV shows never go anywhere, just pad the runtime before the inevitable conclusion or have little to no effect on the story’s outcome. This includes TV love interests that are suddenly dropped and storylines that TV shows simply abandon, with no explanation being offered for either. In particular, the cases show the horrible work of the writers, because they did not commit to the story they started.

Some storylines and characters were dropped because they were unpopular with the audience. on the other hand, TV shows set up plot points to be very impactful on the overall story, And while they may have technically wrapped, the show would have ended the same way without them. Examples of unnecessary Gray’s Anatomy Romance to the hated Game of Thrones Finale demonstrates subplots that are ultimately meaningless.

10

Jon Snow’s Lineage

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

The notorious final season of Game of Thrones It was wronged by a lot of characters, namely Jon and Daenerys. Jon’s parentage was a long-standing mystery Game of Thrones, Since the first episodes when it is established that Ned telling Jon the identity of his mother is a much bigger deal than it should be. Far more interesting than the impact of this plot point is the unanswered question of whether Ned would have told Jon the truth the next time they met. In the end, it only served to drive Danny to become the one “Mad Queen.”

In typical Game of Thrones Mode, the writers extended the discovery. Bran discovers the truth in a vision at the end of season 6, while Gilly stumbles upon a record of Lyanna and Rhaegar’s marriage halfway through season 7. The drama of the season 7 finale implies a major fallout as Jon has a claim to the throne. However, no one other than Jon’s immediate family and friends and their closest advisors find out about this; He would have killed Danny anyway and would still be exiled to the wall.

9

Case wants to return to the military

Yellowstone (2018-present)

In the second episode of Yellowstone, Kayce calls his old commander and says he wants to join the Navy SEALs. He and Monica have a brief argument about it. In the next episode, Kayce is doing some target practice with his son’s dad. Tate says that he knows that Case is training for the military and that he doesn’t want his father to leave, but the conversation is interrupted. However, Kayce says he doesn’t want to go back, but it may be what’s necessary for their family financially.

Early on in a series, the show is likely still figuring out what direction it’s going with all the characters. However, Kayce’s consideration of the military as the best option going forward was never revised. Supposedly, this becomes redundant as Kayce becomes more involved with his family’s work, But it would have been a stronger plot point if the show had shown more conflict between the two options.

8

Libby in the same psych ward as Hurley

Lost (2004-2010)

Losts missing Libby backstory is forever an unresolved storyline. Libby, as a main character in season 2, is a kind and steady addition to the group. She also becomes Hurley’s love interest and helps him during the episode where his past mental health treatment is revealed, and he believes that he is hallucinating what is happening on the island. In a twist of events, The flashback reveals that Libby was in the same mental institution as Hurley, For unconfirmed reasons.

Lost Slowly piece together most of its main characters’ backstories Through the flashbacks; Libby is revealed in the season 2 finale when a past encounter with Desmond is also revealed. However, she was not given any more significant character development after that, as Cynthia Watrous decided to leave the show. Libby was also suddenly killed by Michael in the present timeline, so her past is no longer important to the main story. For the best results with Libby’s character, they should have done her backstory before her death.

7

Lily & Maleficent

Once Upon a Time (2011-2018)

Lily is a big deal in Once upon a time season 4, Like another person Emma met during her pre-Storybrook years with connections to the Enchanted Forest. Snow and Charming offloading Emma’s potential for villainy onto Lily drives a major wedge into the Charming family, while Maleficent’s search for her daughter is the cornerstone of her character. After Maleficent and Lily decide to let the past lie with the Charmings, they are still set for a significant storyline about Lily learning to control her power to become a dragon and find her father.

what is like Once upon a time Wasted a Disney villain like Maleficent and Lily’s potential. Lily never appears in the show again; The consequences of what Snow and Charming did to her are never fully explored. Maleficent is briefly seen as a dragon in the series finale, And the other characters casually mention that Lily’s father is Zorro. Lily’s disappearance is partly due to conflicts with her actress Agnes Bruckner’s schedule, however Once upon a time Still should have given her more attention later.

6

The plot of Ravenswood

Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)

A supernaturally-driven spinoff of pretty little liars Was always a bad idea, kind of missing the point of what made the original show popular. Ravenswood It was a completely unnecessary side note pretty little liars, That was played out as if it would have major, lasting ramifications. First and foremost, Caleb breaks up with Hannah before leaving for RavenswoodPut one of the show’s main couples through one of their biggest emotional moments for nothing. Caleb and Hannah got back together without much fanfare yet Ravenswood is cancelled.

One episode is spent on Caleb’s PTSD from the events of Ravenswood Before he is implied to have told Hannah everything that happened. Hannah suggests at one point that they turn to supernatural means to combat A, but Caleb shoots her down. It was too weird for pretty little liars To even minimally acknowledge some kind of supernatural presence in this setting, Which ultimately has no effect other than Caleb and Hannah living out their lives with this knowledge.

5

Marie’s Shoplifting

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Marie’s shoplifting habit is a subplot in Breaking bad Season 1 which makes her unlikable and has nothing to do with the rest of the story. What Hank and Skyler do is integrated into the primary storyline of Walt’s descent into the drug world, as Hank is the law that Walt is avoiding and Skyler is the family that he is putting at risk. Marie’s theft of a tiara and Skylar is accused of shoplifting when she returns is completely detached of Walt and Jesse’s exploits; It just adds some extra drama.

This is probably why the storyline was abandoned for an entire season. After Skyler tells Hank about the tiara and gets angry when he says they need to support Marie, it doesn’t come up again. Marie starts stealing again in season 4 to cope with Hank’s verbal abuse of her during his recovery, But this is also a short-lived subplot, and their relationship soon gets better again. Breaking bad Didn’t know what to do with the storyline when Marie’s more interesting character development comes from her finding out about Walt’s criminal activities.

4

Derek dating rose

Grey’s Anatomy (2005 – present)

Meredith and Derek were always going to get back together, and Gray’s Anatomy Knew this. However, the showrunners decided they wanted to pull the main romance storyline by having them break up at the end of season 3 and be in flux during season 4. Supposedly, This allows Meredith to carry out individual character development. However, it conflicts with her assertion in season 2 that when she met Derek, she believed she was going to spend her life with him.

Meanwhile, Derek meets a nurse named Rose, who worries that she is completely secondary to Meredith. She’s absolutely right, and Derek immediately breaks up with her when Meredith is ready to get together. The entire storyline only prolongs the inevitable and is insulting to Rose as a character who serves no other purpose than to be a temporary and ineffective distraction for a male character.

3

O’Brien causing Cora’s miscarriage

Downton Abbey (2010-2015)

at the end of Downton Abbey Season 1, Cora’s lady’s maid O’Brien is on a vengeful warpath when she mistakenly believes she is about to be fired. She leaves a broken bar of soap under the bathtub just as Cora is about to get out, causing Cora to slip and miscarry her baby. As the baby was a boy and potential heir, Cora carrying to term would have completely changed the course of Downton Abbey. Meanwhile, This act has haunted O’Brien for years And she becomes deeply protective of Cora.

It is implied that O’Brien tells Thomas about the incident off screen, but no one else finds out about it. Thomas tells Bates only to remind O’Brien “Her Ladies Soap” To convince her to help Thomas keep his job. It is a dark storyline that remains hidden in the shadows of Downton AbbeyDoubtless driving O’Brien’s character arc, but with little external effect. O’Brien’s internal turmoil is the only evidence that it ever happened until she suddenly quits for another job at the start of season 4.

2

Charlotte getting emancipation

Ozark (2017-2022)

Ozark is another show to come out of the criminal anti-hero genre blowing up in movies and television, driven by the success of Breaking bad. Financial advisor Marty Byrde moves his family from Chicago to Missouri to launder money for a drug lord, which obviously strains his wife Wendy and children Jonah and Charlotte. Charlotte goes through a lot in Ozark, Invoke the audience’s sympathy and irritation as she tries to escape from her family and seeks emancipation.

In season 2, Charlotte hires a lawyer to help her achieve emancipation from her parents, Which would have brought the wrath of the cartel on them for raising suspicions about what Charlotte was trying to get away from them. However, season 3 moves away from this storyline, instead depicting Charlotte becoming more involved in her parents’ work. Charlotte wanting to express herself so badly to her parents could have been an interesting storyline, but the show suddenly changes direction, downplaying her previous struggles with their criminal life.

1

Elf’s sister Callie

Stranger Things (2016-2025)

The infamously controversial season 2 episode of Stranger things After Eleven and her sister figure Kali, aka Eight resulted in an awkward, short-lived storyline. Cali can return Stranger things Season 5, prompting skepticism from those who criticized her episode the most. Callie and Elf grew up together and were both experimented on at the Hawkins Lab, before Callie escaped and formed her gang. In season 2, Elf searches for Kali briefly for a one-off adventure.

However, Elf soon decides to return to Hawkins, leaving Callie upset by her departure. Stranger things May have wanted to bring Callie back in season 3 When setting up a character of this nature constitutes a major storyline. However, the reaction to the episode probably made the showrunners reconsider this. Story plans are always changing when TV shows go on for so long, resulting in some going nowhere when actors leave, audiences lose interest, or writers realize they’ve made a mistake.