REVIEW: The most disappointing television shows of 2019 – OttawaMatters.com

There's nothing worse than loving a show, looking forward to it every week, and watching its slow decline. These are the shows that lost my attention this year.

The Affair

The most beautiful, complex series of the last decade ends not with a bang, but with a resounding thud.

Dominic Wests outing in this final fourth season of the drama about the complexities of relationships, cheating and the people it hurts was doomed from the beginning.

In the prior season, one character was killed off and another was written off, leaving only half of the leads remaining.

Throw in some awful time-jumps, an underutilized Oscar-nominated Anna Paquin and a truly sluggish season, and this anti-climactic end ruins a fantastic HBO character study.

Riverdale

Despite a wonderful cast, including K.J. Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes and Cole Sprouse, this show just continues to spiral.

What began as a sexy CW show with a murder plot to bring the intrigue, the show has devolved into silly hooded figures and childish plotlines.

Save for the real-life death of treasure Luke Perry and the subsequent tribute in the show this season and the last have barely had a breath of freshness between them.

The show has gone from soapy melodrama to just meltdowns, and I, for one, have checked out.

Big Brother

Weve been told for over 20 years to Expect the Unexpected from this reality show, but cramming strangers in a big house and watching them struggle for power has worn out its welcome.

As #MeToo and #TimesUp, as well as Cancel Culture, has spiraled through the ranks of television and film, Big Brother has become less of a game of deception and wit, and more about following the every move of anxiety-ridden guests and finding every character flaw and misstep they make.

From calling cast members racist to making this years champion almost cry as the confetti fell from the rafters, host Julie Chen parades around calling out houseguests for their racist, homophobic, chauvinistic behaviour, while seeming to gloss over the fact her own husband was fired from the network after sexual abuse allegations.

Its a circus show thats become cruel, mean-spirited and intent on showing the worst of humanity and of the houseguests and you couldnt pay me $500,000 to be on the show, let alone watch it at this point.

The Walking Dead

I stopped caring what happened to the ever-expanding, completely dull cast of this zombie drama about four seasons ago.

After some unexplainable, absolutely crushing character deaths this year, I lost all interest.

About halfway through this season, I realized the zombie kills and longevity of these characters was no longer a Sunday ritual, and the AMC show now felt like work to get through.

The enjoyment and character development is gone, and though Jeffrey Dean Morgan makes for a delightful villain, its not a good sign when youre now rooting for the bad guy.

Game Of Thrones

After seven seasons and a two year wait for the final instalment Game of Thrones ending absolutely gutted me.

For a series that took its time creating a vast fantasy universe, unraveling every piece and facet of its complex characters, and spending glorious moments making must-watch scenes of television, the writers sure put in the least possible effort giving us a satisfying ending.

The deaths were plentiful and nonsensical, the plot twists were maddening and against character, and everything about it seemed rushed and absolutely defiant.

We begged for an ending worthy of an almost-perfect series, and got the worst episodes the series has produced, all in a row.

I dont know if the television lover in me will ever get over this slight.

Big Little Lies

The original novel did not have a sequel, and yet here we were, fan demand giving way to a second season of this runaway hit.

What I learned from this season of Big Little Lies was this: Sometimes just a little bit of an incredible thing is better than a lot at a lesser quality.

The show was daring and special its first season, with some incredible performances, but my God, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and even Meryl Streep manage to over-act their way through this entire season.

Its a misstep for all involved as a story that didnt need a new ending gets shoved forward anyway, and one has to wish they had left well enough alone here.

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REVIEW: The most disappointing television shows of 2019 - OttawaMatters.com

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero