The advent of streaming services means as viewers, we have more options than ever when it comes to what to watch. And that can also mean we’re more discerning with our viewership and are unwilling to waste precious viewing minutes on a show we’re no longer enjoying. Sometimes, there comes a point when viewers decide it’s time to move on, and for viewers discovering an older show on streaming, “When should I stop watching?” is a common question.
No show is perfect. Even the best, most popular ones lose viewers along the way, whether they give up after repetitive storylines or feel shows known for violence and gore have gone too far. Often, the departure of a beloved member of a show’s original cast marks a change to a show that’s almost impossible to overcome—few shows have truly recovered and enjoyed continued success after a major character exit. And sometimes, it only takes a single episode, or even a single scene, for fans to decide a show is no longer worth their time.
10
‘Scrubs’
Season 9
Medical sitcom Scrubs followed the new group of interns at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital, including J.D. (Zach Braff), who narrated the series, and his best friend, Turk (Donald Faison). Season 9, set about 18 months after the end of Season 8, introduced a new group of medical students, including Lucy (Kerry Bishé), who took over as the show’s narrator. The season ended up being the show’s last, but a reboot is reportedly in the works.
The Season 8 finale of Scrubs was an incredible episode which would’ve served as a nearly perfect series finale, and its impact was somewhat softened by another season. Season 9 wasn’t bad—the show largely retained its humor and heart and was a natural progression for the original characters, but it just wasn’t quite the same. The season was noticeably weaker than its predecessors and felt more like a spin-off than a continuation of the series.
9
‘Supernatural’
Season 6
After their mother was killed by a demon when they were children, as adults, brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) followed in the footsteps of their parents and hunted dangerous paranormal creatures in Supernatural. In Season 4, Sam accidentally released Lucifer from Hell, and Season 5 focused on the brothers’ fight to take him down—and showrunner Eric Kripke departed at the end of the season. The series ultimately ran for 15 seasons, from 2005 until 2020.
Although Supernatural was a beloved and long-running seasons, some viewers felt that not only were its earlier seasons its best, but that at a certain point, it was no longer worth watching. Because Kripke planned a five-season arc, some fans felt the show peaked with Season 5. Other fans felt the show’s quality declined in its final seasons, with plots which both contradicted each other and tread the same territory over and over.
8
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Season 2
Hulu drama The Handmaid’s Tale presented a dystopian version of America called Gilead after a Second American Civil War, in which fertile women were forced to bear children for the upper class. The series was based on the novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, and its first season ended in the same ambiguous way as its source material, with subsequent seasons following main character June (Elisabeth Moss) as she fought to get children out of Gilead and get out herself.
Because the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale closely followed the events of the book, some fans weren’t interested in continuing with the series, as subsequent seasons consisted of entirely new material. But most notably, many viewers began to grow tired of the show’s violence against its women and felt it was unnecessarily and gratuitously torturing them. Fans also frequently criticized June’s decisions, which were often thought to be selfish and reckless.
7
‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Season 11
When medical drama Grey’s Anatomy first began, it centered around the careers and personal lives of a new group of interns working in a Seattle hospital. Among them was Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), whose romance with Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) was a major part of the series. In Season 11 episode “How to Save a Life,” Derek was killed after being hit by a car while helping the victims of a car accident.
With literal decades behind it, Grey’s Anatomy has had its fair share of quitting points for viewers, but the most notable of them is easily Derek’s death. The series wasn’t the same without him, and his death marked a huge turning point for Meredith in particular. In addition to fans disagreeing with how Derek’s departure was handled, many also felt the show’s later seasons didn’t live up to the quality of the earlier ones.
6
‘Once Upon a Time’
Season 3
Modern life and fairy tales collided in Once Upon a Time, which was set in the town of Storybrooke, Maine, and followed Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), whose son visited her a decade after she gave him up for adoption and was convinced she was actually the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who sent her away before the Evil Queen could cast a spell. Season 3 was split into two parts, each with a different plot line.
Once Upon a Time featured a new, interesting concept, and at first, it was fun to watch the series play with familiar characters. But the constant influx of new characters, especially ones from more recent famous Disney movies, became tiresome. Fans also felt the storylines became too dragged out and slow-paced, and they also became frustrated with later seasons, especially when the events of one would completely undo the events of another.
5
‘The X-Files’
Season 7
In The X-Files, FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny), a believer in the supernatural, and Scully (Gillian Anderson), a skeptical medical doctor originally assigned to debunk Mulder’s work, investigated the bureau’s strangest cases. In Season 7 finale “Requiem,” the duo returned to the location of their first investigation, and Mulder disappeared. The series then introduced new agents Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish), who aided in efforts to find Mulder. Although Mulder returned briefly, he was largely absent from the show’s final seasons.
The X-Files had really hit its stride leading up to Season 7—some of its best and most beloved episodes came in Seasons 5 and 6, but Season 7 still had a lot to offer. It was also a major turning point for the series. Mulder and Scully’s chemistry was central to the series, and it just wasn’t the same without him. The reboot seasons also frustrated fans, leading many to abandon the series.
4
‘Lost’
Season 3
Lost followed the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 after the plane crashed on a strange island located somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean, nearly 1,000 miles off-course. While the show’s first two seasons were largely focused on the survivors and some of the more mysterious elements of the island, Season 3 focused on the island’s inhabitants, known as the Others, and revisited some of the previous two seasons’ major events from their perspective.
Lost could be confusing at times, with its magical island, mysterious characters and time-jumping storylines, so it’s no surprise that it sometimes left fans, well, lost. To make matters worse, its more sci-fi elements emerged slowly, frustrating viewers who were drawn in early and expected a simpler, more straightforward story, and fans were constantly theorizing about what would happen next. The series remained controversial to the end, especially its misunderstood finale.
3
‘Game of Thrones’
Season 5
HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin‘s book series A Song of Ice and Fire, told the story of nine families fighting for control of Westeros. In Season 5 episode “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) was sexually assaulted on her wedding night by her new husband. The series ended with Season 8 and was followed by the prequel series House of the Dragon in 2022.
Like some other shows, Game of Thrones lost viewers at a few points during its run, but often for similar reasons, most notably its controversial depictions of violence, particularly sexual assault. Sansa’s brutal assault at the hands of her husband was a major stopping point for some fans—many found the scene to be gratuitous. Although many continued watching, some fans also felt the show’s writing quality declined in later seasons.
2
‘The Office’
Season 7
Mockumentary comedy The Office, based on the British series of the same name, followed the office workers of Dunder-Mifflin in the small town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, through their days at work, including incompetent boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Near the end of Season 7, in the episode “Goodbye, Michael,” Michael departed the show. The series continued for two more seasons without him, ultimately coming to an end with Season 9.
The Office is still a beloved and massively popular sitcom—despite having been off the air for years, fans have been known to watch the series over and over. But not all of its viewers stuck with it. During its original run, there were a few points at which some fans decided to stop watching, often thanks to Michael’s outrageous behavior, but the most notable one was his departure. The show just wasn’t the same without him.
1
‘The Walking Dead’
Season 7
The Walking Dead followed a group of survivors in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Season 7 picked up immediately where Season 6 left off, with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) threatening and terrorizing Rick’s group, ultimately killing Abraham and Glenn (Steven Yeun) with his bat, Lucille, as the others were forced to watch. The show was based on the series of graphic novels of the same name by Robert Kirkman and lasted 11 seasons.
Some fans of The Walking Dead were already frustrated with the cliffhanger ending of Season 6, with Negan’s victim(s) left unknown until the Season 7 premiere, and for many, the death of fan-favorite character Glenn was their breaking point. He had already been presumed dead in an earlier season only to return a few episodes later, and some fans were frustrated by the fact that he was brought back only to be killed.