Jumping the Shark - when a show has a critical moment that makes it clear that the show is no longer what it used to be, and the remaining seasons continue to decline in quality.
What are your favorite shows that have that moment?
When Andy became the manager of Dunder Mifflin (Scranton).
For me it was when James Spader took over I knew we had made a turn, but Andy being in charge was right after that so I also agree with you. I don’t remember a single episode where Andy was in charge that it was enjoyable TV.
I wouldn’t say that one really fits.
Yeah in my book GoT didn’t jump the shark from age or anything, but just total collapse. By the strict definition maybe it did, but GoT is special where the writers literally just checked out and wanted to close the show as fast as possible. Jumping the shark to me is getting whacky and zanier because they are out of ideas but the show keeps dragging on
Well no, by strict definition it didn’t. That’s not what Jumping the Shark means. Collapse doesn’t mean Jumping the Shark. Like you’re alluding to, Jumping the Shark implies they’re out of ideas and there’s nothing left but crazy stuff. The show is just going on despite them being it being over from a story aspect. Game of Thrones they weren’t out of ideas. The ideas were just bad. Or more specifically the execution and writing of ideas was bad. But everything that happened in Game of Thrones is stuff that was foreshadowed in the first season or two. Nothing was tacked on. Dragons and living dead army was always going to happen from the first few episodes that was in the cards.
“Jumping the shark” is a term describing the moment a creative work, most often a TV show, reaches a point of irreversible decline in quality, often marked by ridiculous or implausible plotlines, as an attempt to regain viewership after exhausting its initial premise. The phrase originates from a 1977 episode of the sitcom Happy Days where the character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) literally water-skied over a shark.
For me, Arya Stark jumped the shark, more specifically, jumped out of the darkness and performed an impossible feat within the framework of the fiction.
In what regard?
You can tell me, but I’m not watching any fucking videos.
I’m re-watching That 70s Show, and everyone loves to hate on it for Season 8, but I don’t think that’s the Jumping the Shark moment. Re-watching, I think it was Graduation. I don’t think the writers had any ideas for after graduation (end of Season 5). I’m in Season 6 now and the plotlines are Kelso got a girl pregnant, Fez and Laurie’s not-wedding/green card status, Kelso becomes a cop, Eric and Donna doing pre-wedding stuff. Hyde and Jackie have no major plotlines so far this season beyond just being supporting characters (I think Brooke Shields shows up next season). It’s all just filler.
Not my favorite show, but there should be an honorable mention for when that guy from Barry went water skiing on that 70s show (note: not That 70s Show) that could have been named That 50s Show but was actually called Happy Days.
squints
Heh. It’s the origin of the phrase “jump the shark.”
supernatural. Once you do the devil its a bit harder to go more extreme for an enemy. That being said the show was never super awesome (except the ending of the first season when I thought the show would go in a way different direction) but was definitely an enjoyable watch even after it jumped the shark.
I think the show went on for at least a season after literally killing death and watching God and Mrs God fuck off to another universe before that.
yeah it went for a few seasons. death, god, gods sister, beings from purgatory that for some reason are super more powerful than angels/demons.
Heroes. I forget the season it happened, but the show was amazing, then the writer strike happened, then we got seasons where every other scene was Hiro screaming, “Nissan Versa!”
Eh… I was also going to say Heroes, but I think it jumped the shark partway through season 1.
The “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” story arc is some of the best television ever, but it rapidly goes downhill from there. Then in season 2, they tried to get fan involvement in the story and, predictably, it was terrible.
But for anyone who hasn’t seen it, you’ll know the story arc I’m talking about, and it’s obvious when it ends. Well worth watching up to that point!
It was supposed to be an anthology with different heroes every season
But stuff happened and we got what we got. I DNF’d after the second season, I might’ve fast forwarded the rest?
Handmaid’s Tale when she abandons her baby to Rory from Gilmore Girls to not escape. The plot really left it’s comfort zone (the everyday horrors of everyday people living under a totalitarian system) and got a little too grand.
Possibly Prison Break?
Quite enjoyed the early stuff, but by the… third(?) prison it was a bit insane - to then segue into whatever the heck was going on in the last season was even more out there.
Happy Days.
…is this allowed?
- House of Cards (US Version) all after S2 was garbage.
- Shameless (US Version) How the show handled curing Frank’s liver disease was just too contrived and idiotic even for a show called Shameless.
- True Blood, Season Five. The first two episodes of season four revealed that Sookie was a ferry and that was just too much to swallow. It was just so stupid. Thing is the rest of that season was incredible and the show introduced one of its best characters, The Vampire King of Mississippi (Russell Eddington). OMG he and his husband were just so incredible! Season five was just terrible and the final season was just unwatchable.
- Friday Night Lights went to shit after season 4.
True Blood really went off the rails. It’s shameful because there were really some good storylines to pull from the books.
And the show had so many incredible characters as well.
Pam was great.
I will give you 24 hours to deliver that witch to me, if you don’t I will personally fuck, eat and kill each one of you!
I am wearing a Wal Mart sweatsuit for you, if that isn’t a show of my team spirit I don’t know what is.
There are just so many examples of this. I like the shows that recognize that they have completed the story they set out to tell and either call it quits or change up the format completely.
One that comes to mind is Arrested Development. Season 4 was really difficult to watch and follow. It was great to get the hang back together, but it didn’t need to happen, TBH.
I was actually sad to hear Ted Lasso coming back. Just let good things be…
One that comes to mind is Arrested Development.
Definitely a hard one, it was just too late to start it again, people had moved on. Then due to filming schedules they did things with people individually rather than together forgetting that it was the ensemble cast that made it fun. People either hadn’t changed in 5 years or changed too much, it all just felt so forced
Dinosaurs. You know the one, with the annoying baby.
That show’s last few episodes were clearly just theater kids having a bit of a gaff with the show.
I’m not familiar with the production story, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was because the puppets were aging and having issues, and the rich shit-ass show runners didn’t want to shell out for replacements, so they just rode the show off in to the sunset.
Charmed Season 8 and the introduction of Billie
