Ranking 15 Most Hated TV Episodes Of All Time
TV fans can forgive a lot, but one truly frustrating episode can live in infamy forever.
Bad writing choices, out-of-character decisions, confusing twists, and endings that feel like a betrayal have all created moments viewers still complain about years later.
Long-running shows are especially vulnerable, since expectations run high and emotional investment runs deep.
This ranking looks at the most hated TV episodes of all time, the ones that sparked outrage, endless debates, and lasting disappointment.
Disclaimer: All rankings and descriptions are based on audience backlash, pop culture discussion, and opinion rather than any objective or absolute measure of episode quality.
1. Game of Thrones, “The Iron Throne” (S8E6, 2019)
After eight years of buildup, this finale landed with a thud heard around the world. Fans watched in disbelief as character arcs crumbled faster than the Red Keep itself.
Daenerys went from liberator to villain in record time, while Bran somehow became king despite doing practically nothing all season. The rushed pacing made every major decision feel unearned and hollow.
Over a million people signed a petition demanding the season be remade, proving just how deeply this ending stung longtime viewers.
2. How I Met Your Mother, “Last Forever” Part 2 (S9E24, 2014)
Spending an entire season on Barney and Robin’s wedding weekend seemed romantic until the finale erased it all in minutes. Their divorce happened off-screen, making the whole season feel pointless.
Then Ted ended up with Robin anyway, despite nine years insisting she wasn’t the mother. The actual mother, Tracy, died unceremoniously just so Ted could chase his old feelings.
Fans felt betrayed by this twist, arguing it undid years of character growth and emotional investment in one frustrating swoop.
3. Dexter, “Remember the Monsters?” (S8E12, 2013)
Dexter Morgan, the brilliant serial killer we followed for eight seasons, ended his story by becoming a lumberjack. Yes, really. A lumberjack.
Before that baffling career change, he dumped his sister’s body in the ocean during a hurricane and abandoned his son.
Nothing about these choices made sense for someone supposedly protecting those he loved.
4. Lost, “Stranger in a Strange Land” (S3E9, 2007)
Remember when Lost was about mysterious islands and polar bears? This episode forgot all that to focus on how Jack got his tattoos in Thailand.
For an entire hour, viewers sat through flashbacks nobody asked for while the present-day story dragged painfully. Even the actors seemed bored delivering their lines in this filler fest.
Coming during Season 3’s already sluggish middle stretch, this episode tested even the most devoted fans’ patience and became shorthand for Lost’s frustrating detours.
5. Star Trek: Voyager, “Threshold” (S2E15, 1996)
What happens when you break the warp speed barrier? According to this episode, you evolve into a giant salamander and have babies.
No, that’s not a fever dream.
Paris and Janeway literally turned into amphibians, mated, and had offspring before being conveniently turned back to normal. The whole thing was never mentioned again, as if everyone wanted to forget.
6. Star Trek: Enterprise, “These Are the Voyages…” (S4E22, 2005)
Enterprise’s series finale wasn’t actually about Enterprise at all. Instead, it became a holodeck episode for Next Generation characters Riker and Troi set years later.
The Enterprise crew became background characters in their own finale, with Trip Tucker killed off in a meaningless sacrifice.
Even the cast members expressed disappointment, with some refusing to attend conventions where this episode might be discussed or defended by producers.
7. The X-Files, “My Struggle IV” (S11E10, 2018)
After waiting years for Mulder and Scully’s return, fans got a finale that made absolutely no sense. Plot threads dangled everywhere like Christmas lights nobody bothered to untangle.
Scully discovered she had magic immunity powers, William turned out to be a shapeshifter who wasn’t Mulder’s son, then died anyway.
This revival’s ending proved that sometimes beloved shows should stay in the past where memories remain untarnished by confusing reboots.
8. Roseanne, “Into That Good Night” Part 2 (S9E24, 1997)
Roseanne Conner revealed that everything viewers watched all season was actually fiction she wrote. Dan had died from his heart attack, the lottery win was fake, and her daughters married different guys.
This meta twist felt like a slap to fans who invested emotionally in the family’s struggles and triumphs. Why care about characters when none of it really happened?
9. Seinfeld, “The Finale” (S9E23-24, 1998)
Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer ended up in jail for being terrible people, which was kind of the point but not exactly satisfying. The trial replayed clips from earlier episodes instead of giving closure.
Fans expected something bigger from a show that defined 1990s comedy. Instead, they got a courtroom drama that felt preachy and recycled rather than clever or funny.
Though opinions have softened over time, initial reactions were harsh enough that Larry David felt the need to address the backlash for years afterward.
10. The Office, “Scott’s Tots” (S6E12, 2009)
Michael Scott promised to pay for a class of kids’ college tuition, then showed up years later with laptop batteries instead. The secondhand embarrassment is physically painful to watch.
While The Office thrived on cringe comedy, this episode crossed a line for many viewers. Watching children’s dreams crumble because of Michael’s irresponsibility felt too real and too cruel.
11. The Simpsons, “The Principal and the Pauper” (S9E2, 1997)
Principal Skinner wasn’t actually Seymour Skinner but an imposter named Armin Tamzarian who stole a dead soldier’s identity. Springfield decided to pretend it never happened and moved on.
This twist fundamentally broke a beloved character’s entire history just for shock value. Fans and even the show’s creators later admitted it was a terrible mistake that betrayed the series’ heart.
12. Stranger Things, “Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister” (S2E7, 2017)
Right when Season 2’s tension peaked, the show hit pause to send Eleven to Chicago to meet her punk-rock sister and a gang of misfits. The tonal whiplash was jarring.
This standalone episode felt like a backdoor pilot for a spinoff nobody wanted. Kali’s crew lacked the charm of Hawkins’ characters, and the whole adventure seemed pointless.
Fans actively tell newcomers to skip this episode entirely, which says everything about how poorly it fit into an otherwise thrilling season of supernatural mystery.
13. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “Move Along Home” (S1E10, 1993)
The crew got trapped in an alien board game where they had to hopscotch through challenges while their lives supposedly hung in the balance. Except nothing mattered because consequences were fake.
Watching serious Starfleet officers skip and play children’s games destroyed any dramatic tension. The aliens responsible were annoying rather than intriguing, making the whole hour feel wasted.
14. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Beer Bad” (S4E5, 1999)
Buffy and some college students drank enchanted beer that turned them into cavemen who grunted and hit things with clubs. This anti-alcohol PSA was about as subtle as a stake through the heart.
The WB network specifically requested an episode about drinking dangers, resulting in this heavy-handed mess.
Buffy’s character development took a backseat to after-school special messaging that insulted viewers’ intelligence.
15. The Walking Dead, “Swear” (S7E6, 2016)
Following two devastating character deaths, viewers wanted to see how Rick’s group would respond. Instead, they got an entire episode about Tara meeting an all-female community called Oceanside.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Nobody cared about new characters when beloved ones had just died brutally.
The pacing dragged, and Tara’s storyline felt disconnected from everything important.
