Plotlines That TV Shows Ditched After The First Season
Have you ever faithfully watched a TV show in its debut season, only to tune into subsequent seasons and wonder why your favorite supporting character has disappeared? Have you deeply invested in a plot only to find it becomes a storyline which is never be spoken of again? You're not alone. When TV shows fail to wrap up storylines, many of us may be left scratching our heads. Even the most successful television shows have been guilty of simply abandoning characters and ditching plotlines from the first season.
Continuity issues in long-running shows like "The Flash" and disappearing TV characters seem like par for the course. Showrunners may decide an aired plotline doesn't work or forget about it entirely. Fans may see their favorite plotlines abandoned rather than wrapped up in a satisfying manner and are left to form speculative theories. There are many reasons behind disappearing storylines; perhaps an actor's availability changes or a show's budget may not allow an intricate plot to continue. Nevertheless, many shows continue to air long after they've dropped a plot and still find success. Here are some examples of popular TV shows that abruptly ditched a plotline after the first season.
Walt's superpowers (Lost)
Long before the intricate plotlines and epic world-building of TV shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones," there was "Lost." "Lost" follows the survivors of the Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 plane crash and their lives on the mysterious island where they find themselves stranded. Debuting on ABC in September 2004, the supernaturally-bent drama hooked viewers with its layered, multi-character stories, but often wrapped up a season with more questions than answers.
On "Lost," 10-year-old Walt Lloyd (Malcolm David Kelley), is the estranged son of Michael (Harold Perrineau), and throughout the show's freshman season, he displays telepathic and magnetic superpowers. From Season 1 through Season 2, much attention is given to young Walt's abilities and the threat he poses to The Others, the villainous group that inhabits the island. However, sans explanation, the character disappears from the island storyline by Season 3. He shows up again in the Season 4 flash-forward finale and the Season 5 episode, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham," before making a final appearance in the DVD collection's epilogue episode — but his supernatural abilities are never further addressed.
According to IGN, Damon Lindelof, co-showrunner of "Lost," addressed Walt's mysterious disappearance in a press conference. "We've always known Malcolm was going to grow faster than we could shoot the show. And we planned for it. Trust us," he said. Walt's disappearance may make sense from a real-life perspective, but his first season "Lost" plotline was never tied up.
Ser Ilyn Payne disappears from Arya's kill list (Game of Thrones)
On Season 1 of "Game of Thrones," Ser Ilyn Payne (Wilko Johnson) plays a pivotal role in Arya Stark's (Maisie Williams) quest for vengeance — and for good reason. He serves as the Royal Executioner for Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), who orders him to decapitate Ned Stark (Sean Bean), the Lord of Winterfell and Arya's father. The tongueless knight's lack of dialogue makes his character development rather one-dimensional, and he comes across as a depraved monster. Yet Ilyn Payne plays an important role in Arya's revenge plotline: His vicious murder of Ned sparks Arya's escape from King's Landing and her subsequent training with the faceless man, Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha). She adds the mute killer's name to her kill list (the list of people whom she vows to end in retaliation for their unjust actions).
Although Ilyn Payne isn't the first listed name Arya utters before she goes to bed each night, his place on the list remains cemented. However, Payne never appears on screen after Season 2, and by the end of Season 4, he disappears as if he never existed. Per the Associated Press, Wilko Johnson, the actor who portrayed Payne, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2012. Any future developments of Payne's storyline were dropped and despite the showrunners recasting other major characters (such as Daario Naharis in Season 4), the role wasn't recast.
Dark Betty (Riverdale)
"Riverdale" is dark and full of terrors ... and nonsensical plotlines that come and go as they please. One bonkers plotline that emerges in Season 1 comes via the alter ego of protagonist Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Dark Betty. Dark Betty first appears in the Season 1 episode, "Chapter Three: Body Double". Betty confronts scummy jock Chuck Clayton (Jordan Calloway) for spreading rumors about her best friend, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes); simply by donning a dark wig, the mild-mannered girl next door suddenly becomes ruthless. She drugs Chuck and handcuffs him before pushing him down into a steaming hot tub — Dark Betty has arrived.
Betty disassociates when her alter ego enters, and it seems as though Dark Betty will become a problematic obstacle for the heroine to confront. In Season 2, the viciousness she displays instead transforms Dark Betty into a sexy webcam girl. The alter ego is then relegated to the "serial killer gene" that Betty might possess due to the crimes of her father, Hal (Lochlyn Monro). However, by Season 3, the storyline was gone sans true closure.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Lili Reinhart explained why the plotline was ditched. "I think it kind of became a mockery of itself. It was supposed to be this dark side of her that she wasn't able to express otherwise, and it just became this weird sexual thing that people didn't really understand," she said.
Mabel and Oscar's romance (Only Murders in the Building)
Season 1 of "Only Murders in the Building" introduced viewers to the unlikely amateur detective trio of Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short). A directionless twenty-something, Mabel lives rent-free in her aunt's vacant luxury apartment in the Arconia. She finds purpose in her "Only Murders in the Building" podcast and a burgeoning friendship with wrongly accused and recently exonerated murderer, Oscar (Aaron Dominguez). Oscar and Mabel have a long platonic history and by the end of the season, seem to have kindled bright romantic flames. The show's co-creator, John Hoffman talked to Deadline about Oscar's character development and said, "I think it's a really complicated relationship that he [Oscar] and Mabel have and it's going to be interesting to see where it goes."
However, although Season 2 begins immediately after the events of the show's first season, Oscar doesn't return. Mabel alludes to a fizzled romance with her former best friend, but we never see or hear from him again, and she doesn't seem phased by his departure. Oscar was such a large part of Mabel's life in Season 1 that it feels abrupt and disjointed that he plays no role in Season 2. Hoffman explained in a later Deadline interview that the character's departure made sense to the writing team and that he could possibly return in future seasons. However, Oscar's departure remains inexplicable in the show's plotlines.
Roman's girlfriend and her kid (Succession)
In its wildly successful four-season run, "Succession" often naturally carried plotlines from one season to another. The Roy family, and even supporting characters, seem to go through organic character arcs and most subplots and small details about the characters are addressed. However, Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) had entanglements in the TV show's pilot episode that never were mentioned afterward. Throughout the series' run, Roman's weird sexual proclivities and difficulty in maintaining relationships are integral to his character arc. But when we first meet him, Roman has a serious girlfriend who also has a daughter. Neither plays a prominent role in the pilot episode, and the groundwork for Roman's future weirdness and casual cruelty is well laid despite their presence.
The girlfriend is referred to as Grace Roy (Molly Griggs) on the IMDb credits page of the episode. However, Kieran Roy, who portrays the youngest Roy sibling, told Variety, "Not his kid. Not his wife, either. It was in the pilot, and after it was picked up, it was his girlfriend, and she had a child." A wife and child, or even a serious girlfriend and her child, would have given Roman an entirely different character arc. Although neither character appears after the pilot episode, the plotline is never discussed and the absence of the characters is conspicuous.
The Anointed One (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
The cult classic TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" hit the ground running with its Season 1 storyline. Although some of the special effects and costumes of the 1997 season show their age, the overall story of a typical teenager who happens to kill monsters holds up surprisingly well. When Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends go to battle with the Season 1 villain, The Master (Mark Metcalf), they also encounter a creepy little kid vampire, prophesied in vampiric lore as the destined savior who will lead the slayer into hell. Known as the Anointed One (Andrew J. Frechland), this disturbing monster is ostensibly being set up for a nefarious character arc as the "Big Bad" of Season 2. However, he's easily killed by Spike (James Marsters) in the Season 2 episode, "School Hard."
Part of the issue with the Anointed One stems from the fact that he's an ageless vampire — it's tough to find a way to stop a child actor from aging. Redditor u/MoshMunkee speculated that Ferchland began puberty between seasons, and his casting as an ageless vampire kid would no longer be believable. Although the arc of the Anointed One may not have gone as planned, the character was killed off in a permanent fashion, which made his hurried end plausible.
Harvey Dent never becomes Two-Face (Gotham)
Do-gooder Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent (Nicholas D'Agosto) appears prominently in "Gotham” Season 1, but his tragic arc and transformation into the infamous villain Two-Face never materializes. On "Gotham," the seemingly incorruptible Dent works alongside then-homicide detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) to rid Gotham of its most notorious villains. Most of the events on the series' timeline take place before Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) becomes Batman, and thus, long before Dent becomes Two-Face. However, through Season 1, it seems like Dent will feature heavily in the plotlines of future seasons, and even shows hints of Two-Face in the Season 1 episode, "Harvey Dent," when he loses it on the evil billionaire, Dick Lovecraft (Al Sapienza) and constantly flips the signature Two-Face coin.
However, ADA Dent only appears in a handful of Season 2 episodes before his character is completely ditched by the series. The character is mentioned and appears in flashbacks throughout the second half of Season 2, but never plays a pivotal role in propelling the plot forward again. In a published email exchange with CinemaBlend, "Gotham" showrunner John Stephens cited the pre-Batman timeline as the reason for Dent's disappearance. Nevertheless, after playing such a prominent role in Season 1, Harvey Dent's eventual departure doesn't make much sense.
Mick and the swan guy disappear: Kirk arrives (Gilmore Girls)
Out of all the quirky, eccentric characters that inhabit Star's Hollow on "Gilmore Girls," Kirk Gleason (Sean Gunn) still stands out as one of the most ubiquitous. However, before Kirk's debut appearance in the Season 1 episode, "Cinnamon's Wake," character actor Sean Gunn appeared on the show as two different characters who were never heard from again. In Season 1, Episode 2, Gunn plays the handyman, Mick, who helps Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) install cable in her home. In Season 1, Episode 3, Gunn makes a quick appearance as "Swan Man," who delivers swans to the Independence Inn, where Lorelai works. Although multiple shows in the "Law & Order" franchise may use the same actors for different roles in stand-alone episodes, it can be jarring to see this multi-casting practice occur in one season of a drama series.
After Gunn made his debut as Kirk, he appeared as the character 135 times. It's possible that "Mick" and the swan guy were both Kirk, trying out different identities, and neither character was integral to furthering the Season 1 plotline. Nonetheless, Mick and the swan deliveryman both played parts in the show's first storyline and never appeared on "Gilmore Girls" again.
Kayce and Tate's dinosaur bones discovery (Yellowstone)
The soapy drama of the Dutton family on "Yellowstone" is sometimes punctuated by cool, secondary plotlines that seem to be heading somewhere. Unfortunately, these stories often fall by the wayside and become plotholes with little to no explanation. That's certainly the case for a Season 1 storyline that features in the TV show's debut episode: In a tender moment of father-son bonding, Kayce (Luke Grimes) and his young boy, Tate (Brecken Merrill), discover a large dinosaur skeleton on Kayce's property. Tate is ecstatic. Not only is the skeleton an impressive find, but this discovery points toward larger implications for family patriarch, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who we quickly learn is in constant danger of losing his ranch and legacy. Could the dinosaur bones save the ranch? Tate tells his grandfather about the bones, and Kayce hides them away for safekeeping.
In Episode 6, Tate and Kayce spot a drone flying above their property, and the boy is convinced it's spying on them to find the dinosaur bones. In Episode 8, thieves break into Kayce's home and steal Tate's ancient treasure. Was that their end goal? Were they searching for something else? We may never know. Although the boy is disappointed, the elder Duttons have larger fish to fry, and bigger enemies to make pay. Tate and Kayce's discovery is potentially worth millions of dollars, yet no Dutton-style revenge ensues. The dinosaur bones are gone, and it seems like no one cares.
Damon can conjure fog and turn into a crow (The Vampire Diaries)
Over the course of Season 1 of "The Vampire Diaries," the mysterious vampiric brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) Salvatore, display many otherworldly abilities. Their powers are intriguing and help to build a compelling plotline as their human peers become immersed in their world. For example, during the show's freshman season, Damon both conjures and manipulates fog and transforms himself into a crow. He uses both powers to cloak his murderous ways and to terrify Elena (Nina Dobrev). Alas, Damon's super creepy yet cool superpowers never include these abilities again.
Ostensibly, the expense of the special effects needed to realistically continue this aspect of the plot would prove exorbitant. Series co-creator Julie Plec also told Oh No They Didn't that both the fog and the crow felt too supernatural to continue to use. However, "The Vampire Diaries" begins as a fairly straightforward YA vampire drama before it evolves into a crazy supernatural world that contains multitudes of werewolves, witches, demons, and ghosts. Over its eight-season run, if the show had continued to focus solely on vampires, perhaps Damon would have continued to manipulate the weather to cloak his crimes and scare potential love interests.
Passenger experiments (Manifest)
The unexpected hit sci-fi drama, "Manifest," is a more syrupy, feel-good cousin to "Lost," but leaves almost as many questions as its predecessor. In Season 1 of the TV show, we meet the passengers who mysteriously appear, safely landed, on Flight 828 — five and a half years after the plane went missing. Siblings and fellow flight survivors, Ben (Josh Dallas) and Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), lead the series-long investigation into how the plane may have traveled through time, and the meaning behind the mysterious "callings" the passengers receive after the plane's return. In the Season 1 episode, "Off Radar," Ben and Michaela discover that some of their fellow survivors are being held in a facility owned by Unified Dynamic Systems where they're the subjects of torturous experiments.
The siblings manage to rescue the captive passengers, but what the passengers endured and how the experiments play into the overall plot are never explored. In subsequent seasons, developing this storyline could have raised the stakes even higher for the 828 survivors. Surely the trauma these passengers suffered may have caused personality shifts and actions that could propel the plot forward. As noted on Reddit by u/axemukduker, it seems as if the writers just forgot about these characters.
The Tyler, Wednesday, and Xavier love triangle (Wednesday)
On Season 1 of "Wednesday," the life of Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), a character from the 1960s TV show, "The Addams Family," was modernized and layered to attract a massive audience. As a result, the new hit for Netflix even beat the ratings for "Stranger Things" Season 4. However, not all storylines on "Wednesday" Season 1 were created equal, and one romantic plotline was ditched before Season 2 even began. High school student Wednesday found herself wooed by two, equally bland (but supernaturally inclined) classmates, Tyler (Hunter Doohan) and Xavier (Percy Hynes White). The love triangle rang false to Wednesday's introverted, eccentric nature, and the chemistry between the characters never really rang true.
During an Actors on Acting interview with Elle Fanning for Variety, Ortega confirmed that neither love interest would blossom into a romantic relationship in future seasons of the series and that the show would begin to lean deeper into its horror roots. Ortega also appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and told the late-night host, "I think we want to up kind of the horror aspect a little bit, and then get Wednesday out of the romantic situation and just let her be her own individual and fight her own crime."