10 TV Shows That Should Never Have Got A Second Season

Whenever viewers react well to a TV show, it feels like a second season is practically inevitable, although sometimes it is better to follow the motto that less is more. A one-off miniseries can often be far more compelling than a show that artificially continues its narrative well after the story requires it, and it showcases a real sense of artistic integrity when creators and showrunners bow out while leaving the audience wanting more. These are all shows that had incredible first seasons but dropped the ball in season 2.

While all of these shows would have been better if they never got a second season, that’s not to say that the later episodes were totally without value. Of course, many viewers will have a great fondness for these shows’ underwhelming second seasons, and just because they couldn’t live up to the original is not a reason they should be dismissed entirely. It’s notoriously difficult to follow up a fantastic show with another batch of equally compelling episodes, and it’s rare for lightning to strike twice in the same place.

10

Squid Game (2021 – Present)

2 Seasons

It’s hard to underestimate just how much of a global phenomenon the first season of Squid Game was when it aired in 2021. This South Korean Netflix series united the world as millions of people all over the globe tuned into this dystopian thriller survival story while stuck inside due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with series like Tiger King, Squid Game became a major talking point, and it was incredible to witness how a South Korean show was able to break through with Western audiences in such a major way.

However, Squid Game season 1 felt totally self-contained, and after witnessing Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) go through the arduous task of making it out of the deadly game show alive, viewers were surprised when Netflix renewed the show. Squid Game’s second outing had exciting moments, but it was hard not to wonder if the show would have been better had it just quit while it was ahead. While Squid Game’s third and final season will offer it one last chance to redeem its legacy, it’s difficult to imagine it living up to the hype of season one.

9

Russian Doll (2019 – 2022)

2 Seasons

While many viewers will already recognize Natasha Lyonne from cult classics like But I’m a Cheerleader and her main role in Orange is the New Black, it was in Russian Doll that she was most effectively able to lean into her hardened New Yorker persona. This astounding comedy-drama saw Lyonne play Nadia Vulvokov, a woman who finds herself repeatedly reliving her 36th birthday as she continually dies and reappears at her own party. As a unique spin on Groundhog Day, Russian Doll addressed philosophical issues of aging, existentialism, and repressed trauma.

The inventive and bingeable story of Russian Doll’s first season worked perfectly as a self-contained work where Nadia found a connection with a young man also stuck in a time loop, and the pair attempted to break out of their temporal prison together. While Russian Doll’s second season introduced another layer to Nadia’s trauma as she began to literally embody her late mother during the 1980s, season 2 lacked the unique spark of its original run and was at times too convoluted for its own good.

8

Westworld (2016 – 2022)

4 Seasons

Westworld was a clever, satirical, dystopian sci-fi series that updated Michael Crichton’s original 1973 movie for the modern age. As an exploration of artificial intelligence, technology, and humanities increased barbarism and need for distraction, Westworld addressed deeply philosophical themes head-on and packaged them within a highly engaging mystery. With a season one twist that involved multiple connected timelines, what made Westworld season 1 such engrossing viewing was that although it was a very smart show, it never felt alienating or unknowable.

However, Westworld sadly squandered its potential of becoming the next Game of Thrones by having increasingly convoluted and complex storylines in its subsequent seasons. The harsh reality was that as the show went on, it became too clever for its own good, and viewers began to drop off. With difficult-to-follow narratives that strayed ever further away from its Wild West theme park origins, Westworld was canceled before reaching its conclusion, and it’s hard not to feel like things would have been better had it been a one-season miniseries.

7

Wayward Pines (2015 – 2016)

2 Seasons

The mystery sci-fi series Wayward Pines had a great first season as Ethan Burke is a U.S. Secret Service agent investigating the disappearance of two fellow agents in the mysterious small town of Wayward Pines. With a pilot episode directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the show had an intriguing sense of style that owed a lot to the puzzling and intriguing appeal of Twin Peaks. The creepy and strange atmosphere of the show made it stand out initially, although after concluding its original mystery it devolved into a dull and uninteresting series.

Wayward Pines’ second season was a prime example of a show that should not have been renewed as the promise of its debut run of episodes was replaced with repetitive and predictable storytelling. With poor writing, mediocre acting, and plenty of pointless sequences, the fact that season 1 was so good made its failure all the more disappointing.

6

Bad Sisters (2022 – Present)

2 Seasons

The Irish black comedy series Bad Sisters featured an incredible ensemble focused on the five Garvey sisters and the mystery at the heart of their lives. Developed and starring the Catastrophe and Motherland creator Sharon Horgan, the first season of Bad Sisters was a hilarious whodunnit exploring the death of an abusive husband and the sisters at the center of his life insurance investigation. Through the use of flashbacks, the first season of Bad Sisters slowly revealed the true nature of the man’s death as audiences suspected each sister could be the culprit.

This excellent setup was based on the Belgian series Clan, and when the show decided to continue its story for a second season, it began to lose its way. While Bad Sisters season 2 still featured its incredible cast of hilarious Irish women, its litany of new mysteries and overblown plot points did not have the same cohesive and narrative throughline as season 1. Although there were some great moments in Bad Sisters sophomore season, at times it felt rushed and unnecessary.

5

Your Honor (2020 – 2023)

2 Seasons

To many viewers, Bryan Cranston will always be the hapless dad on Malcolm in the Middle, and to others, he’s inseparable from his career-best role as Walter White on Breaking Bad. However, Cranston added another incredible show to his roster of accomplishments as Judge Michael Desiato on the thrilling legal drama Your Honor. As the story of a father’s misguided attempts to use his legal power to protect his son after he was involved in a hit-and-run, this nail-biting series saw the family members caught up in an intense conspiracy involving a New Orleans crime family.

As a show adapted from the Israeli TV series Kvodo, Your Honor’s first season was a self-contained morality tale about the dangers of stepping outside the law, even if it’s to protect a loved one. Your Honor’s clever themes struck a chord with viewers, but the problem was it should have never been renewed for a second season. When Your Honor returned for another batch of episodes, it no longer felt as urgent, and while the image of Cranston bearded and disheveled in a prison cell looked intriguing, the show just didn’t have the same impact the second time around.

4

Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)

4 Seasons

Phoebe Waller-Bridge proved she was far more than a one-hit-wonder when she followed up her astounding work on Fleabag as the showrunner for season 1 of Killing Eve. This unique feminist spy series mixed strong characterization with sexual tension as its clever game of cat and mouse kept viewers on the edge of their seats. With the MI15 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) on the trail of the sociopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer), the debut season of this series featured some of the sharpest writing on television.

As a series adapted from the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings, Killing Eve could have continued for multiple seasons with the same high level of quality. However, following the exit of Waller-Bridge after the first season, the show was just never quite as engaging. While it was still exciting to see the way Eve and Villanelle couldn’t help but explore their strange, sexually charged, antagonistic relationship, the truth was that without Waller-Bridge’s signature comedic charm, there was just something missing from its later seasons.

3

True Detective (2014 – Present)

4 Seasons

True Detective felt like a total revelation when it aired in 2014 and was immediately spoken about by critics and viewers alike as one of the best crime series of all time. With Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in the leading roles, the duo’s star power may have brought viewers to the show, but they stuck around for its strong writing, eerie atmosphere, and intriguing mystery taking place over several timelines. As an extension of the McConaissance, which saw McConaughey’s career revitalized with an Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club, True Detective felt like the cherry on top.

The widespread success of True Detective meant a second season was inevitable, although the decision to make it an anthology series left many feeling disappointed. The second season starred Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, and Rachel McAdams, and sadly it just did not have the same impact. While it was great that series creator Nic Pizzolatto opted to try something new with the show, True Detective was never again able to match the extraordinary glory days of season 1.

2

Broadchurch (2013 – 2017)

3 Series

The British crime drama Broadchurch was an exceptionally crafted mystery in its first series as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) investigated the murder of an 11-year-old boy in the British coastal town of Broadchurch, Dorset. Over the course of eight episodes, the close-knit community seen in Broadchurch was torn apart as grievances emerged, and practically everyone was a suspect. As all was revealed in its thrilling conclusion, Broadchurch season 1 stood as a totally effective season of television.

While the second and third series of Broadchurch were well-received, there’s no denying that it lost some of its impact as its narrative increasingly stretched the limits of believability. As court cases and old secrets built upon the previously established storylines, Broadchurch felt less urgent and more convoluted. While the writing and performances were always top-notch, it should have remained just one perfect season.

1

13 Reasons Why (2017 – 2020)

4 Seasons

13 Reasons Why adapted a novel by Jay Asher and had its premise already outlined in its title. As the story of the aftermath of teen suicide and the deceased student who left behind cassette tapes detailing those she deemed were responsible and the reasoning behind her act, this was a show that really should have only had one season. While 13 Reasons Why touched on important issues of bullying, depression, and self-harm, the success of the series meant that Netflix continually renewed it despite the narrative having already wrapped up.

Had 13 Reasons Why remained a one-off miniseries, it would have gone down in streaming history as one of the most effective teen dramas ever made. However, season 2 moved past the source material, and the show began to lose sight of the nuances viewers connected with in the first place. 13 Reasons Why declined with each subsequent season, and by the time the show finally concluded, it was receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews for the triggering way it dealt with serious topics that affect young people.