10 TV Shows That Abandoned Major Storylines & Were Criticized For It (2025)

Especially with long-running TV shows, it's not uncommon for certain storylines to be abandoned. However, some of these discarded plot points were met with criticism, with audiences disappointed that there was no closure or answers. It's worth noting that storylines being abandoned by production can happen for several reasons, such as the departure of a cast member or a change in story focus, but it's not always within their control.

Storylines that aren't resolved leave behind many questions, whether about a specific character or the premise itself. Core storylines help keep audiences engaged in a TV show, and it's what makes them tune in to each new episode and a lack of answers can be off-putting. While some TV show storylines were better off abandoned, there are also plenty that shows shouldn't have avoided finishing.

10 Jessi's Crush On Ali

Big Mouth

After Big Mouth introduced the character of Ali (Wong) in season 3, the show quickly started delving into the topic of Jessi's (Klein) sexuality as their friendship progressed and her feelings began to change. While the show is still discussing Jessi's romantic intentions, something that will hopefully get more attention in the upcoming Big Mouth season 8, her feelings for Ali were thrown to the side toward the end of season 5. Jessi spent a lot of time dwelling over whether she actually felt anything romantic for Ali, or if it was simply admiration as a friend.

However, with Ali being the first open female queer student in Bridgeton Middle, it seemed that this storyline was set up for Jessi to explore her sexuality further. Season 7 did have more mentions of Jessi's sexuality, with one notable episode seeing her develop an interest in Nick's (Kroll) sister, Leah (Kat Dennings). While Big Mouth has a lot of prominent LGBTQ+ characters, including Jessi's mother, Shannon (Jessica Chaffin), this sudden loss of more representation in the show was unusual, especially considering how much time was invested in the possible relationship between the two.

9 Blair's Eating Disorder

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl season 1 began setting up a storyline surrounding Blair (Leighton Meester) and her eating disorder. The season 1 episode "Blair Waldorf Must Pie" saw Blair in therapy, flashing back to the previous year's Thanksgiving. While unspecified, her disorder was shown through heavy implications rather than any direct references.

While there were a few indirect nods to this throughout the show, there were also moments of contradiction. This included one moment that saw Blair make a comment to Chuck (Ed Westwick) about a girl needing to "eat a cheeseburger," seemingly forgetting about the struggles she faced herself. However, this storyline was never fully explored. It did seem like something the show planned to delve further into but didn't manage to execute, although why this was is unclear.

8 Lister's Twins

Red Dwarf

Hit sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf introduced an array of wacky characters, including Craig Charles as the hilarious technician Dave Lister. In the season 2 episode "Parallel Universe," Lister meets his own female counterpart in another universe and, after an intoxicating night, gets pregnant. This was the last episode of the season, and when Red Dwarf returned for season 3, it was confirmed that he'd given birth to twin boys, who had grown to the age of 18 in three days and had been sent back to their home universe to be with the other parent.

However, after this, the twins were never mentioned again in Red Dwarf. Instead, their existence was swept under the rug, as if the storyline had never happened. Introducing two new characters, especially the direct descendants of one of the show's main characters, was a great opportunity for the show to delve further into the ins and outs of the wider galaxies and parallel universes. It would have also been a great way to expand on Lister's character development even further, seeing him as a parent and having to deal with his responsibilities.

7 Fez And Laurie's Marriage

That '70s Show

One key storyline from That '70s Show saw Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) get married to Laurie Foreman to stay in the country. This was revealed at the end of the episode "Celebration Day," when Lisa Robin Kelly still portrayed Laurie before Christina Moore took over. Season 6 saw the newlyweds investigated over the legitimacy of their union in the episode "I'm Free," but after this, the marriage wasn't mentioned. Laurie appeared less often in later seasons, so while it makes sense that this storyline might not be brought up as much, their marriage still affected several other elements of the show.

For example, the news caused Red's (Kurtwood Smith) heart attack, and Eric (Topher Grace) was one of Fez's best friends. So, for everyone to move on from it so quickly simply didn't make any sense. Even though they divorced off-screen after Fez received his green card, it was done subtly and is easy to miss, but it still feels like something the characters wouldn't easily forget.

6 Dennis' Son

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

At the end of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 12, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) says goodbye to the rest of the gang and Paddy's Pub to go and raise his son, a product of a one-night stand. While Howerton did return to the show at the beginning of season 13, his appearances were sporadic for a while. Behind the scenes, this was because Howerton was splitting his time between filming the show and A.P Bio (via Looper). However, baby Brian Jr. was never mentioned again.

Dennis' departure was a huge part of his character development, especially because he was ready to be a father. His finally taking some responsibility and reorganizing his priorities to include things other than drinking and causing chaos was a big shift for the character, breaking out of the archetype he'd built over the years. Plus, one of the gang having a child raised the stakes for everyone involved. After this, Dennis returned to his usual self, and while these characters aren't supposed to change too much anyway, it seemed like more of a waste of airtime than anything else.

5 Abed And Rachel's Relationship

Community

In Community season 4, Abed (Danny Pudi) met Rachel (Brie Larson), and by season 5, the two started up a relationship. This was a great moment in Community, with one of its best characters meeting someone on his level and finally getting to experience having a partner, but it was rather short-lived. Rachel didn't appear in the show during season 6, although occasional references to Abed's girlfriend were still made, although she was never explicitly named.

Although Larson's schedule prevented her from becoming a recurring character, this storyline was still hugely important and fitted in beautifully with Abed's character development at the time. Abed was breaking more and more out of his shell, and seeing him navigate a relationship was a great moment for the show. Even if Rachel didn't return, another character could have been introduced, or Larson could have been recast. Instead, this storyline was pushed to the side, and despite the references in season 6, not seeing any of this play out further on screen made it redundant.

4 Homer's Brother, Herb

The Simpsons

One of The Simpsons' best episodes, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" introduced Homer's (Dan Castellaneta) half-brother, Herb (Danny DeVito). While the siblings had their similarities, Herb was significantly more put together than Homer, richer, with more hair, and an all-around success. However, the one thing Homer had that Herb didn't have was a relationship with their father, Abe (Castellaneta). Despite the two brothers bonding, they parted ways and didn't continue to be part of each other's lives, with Herb's last appearance in the season 3 episode "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"

Considering the show has been on the air for over an incredible three decades, it's odd that Herb was never revisited, especially as multiple storylines over the years have focused on Homer's childhood and his relationship with Abe and his estranged mother. Although The Simpsons uses a non-linear narrative, there have been examples of progression and permanent canon changes, such as the death of Maude Flanders (Maggie Roswell), so there's no reason why Herb couldn't have reappeared at some point.

3 Bennett's Disappearance

Orange Is The New Black

One of the most engaging storylines from Orange is the New Black was the relationship between CO Bennett (Matthew David McGorry) and prisoner Daya (Dascha Polanco). After the birth of their daughter, the baby was placed with Daya's family, and Bennett ran for the hills, trying to hide that he'd had an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. Daya and Bennett's relationship was such an important part of the show in its earlier seasons, and the fact that this storyline never got a resolution was irritating.

While their daughter is still mentioned occasionally, what happened to Bennett in Orange is the New Black is never revealed. Even when the show ended it would have made sense for Bennett to reappear so this part of the plot could see some closure. Of course, not every storyline will get the ending it deserves, but seeing as it was so prominent, the fact it was abandoned with no answers didn't make sense.

2 The Cabin

Lost

The Cabin was a part of Lost that launched several fan theories, and there was much discussion about who the true owner was. The Cabin was first seen in the season 3 episode "The Man Behind the Curtain" and periodically appeared and disappeared throughout the show. However, the structure always appeared in a new location, something that the show never explained.

The Cabin only appeared to those who were worthy, which caused tension between some characters, but the criteria of who was considered worthy were also ambiguous. Lost had several storylines that were then later abandoned, but The Cabin stands out as it was such an important plot point in the show. The lack of explanation as to how it worked, moved, and who it belonged to is something the show should have definitely wrapped up before its end.

1 Michael's Brother, Billy

Jane The Virgin

In one Jane the Virgin storyline, Michael (Brett Dier) had to bail out his brother, Billy (Ryan Devlin), who had spent a lot of his life involved in shady dealings. Billy was quite prominent in season 1, getting hired at the Marbella and also dating Jane's (Gina Rodriguez) best friend, Lina (Diane Guerrero). However, after season 1, Billy wasn't seen or mentioned ever again. When Jane and Michael got married, and even at Michael's funeral, Billy failed to appear.

Despite the strained relationship between the two, mainly due to their criminal ways as teenagers pushing them apart, it seemed odd that Billy didn't show up for his brother at major life events. Plus, Michael's parents were present during this, and they also didn't mention their other son at any point. Considering Michael's role in the show was always directly linked to Jane, and little about him as a person or his past had much focus, there's no excuse for Billy's absence.