Movie makers always strive to create the “perfect” visual media product. From TV shows to movies and their franchises, each creator uses various techniques to captivate audiences and, maybe, even make history with their work.
Still, despite their best efforts, mistakes happen. From time to time, these slip-ups go unnoticed or aren’t so big that they hurt a big part of the audience. Other times, people aren’t so forgiving, especially when the mistakes ruin everything that was created before. That’s what this list is about—scenes that are so bad, folks online aren’t planning to forgive the writers anytime soon. So, let’s dive in, shall we?
More info: Reddit
#1
I really hated that in the movie for 12 Years a Slave they had him hook up with a woman while he was a slave. In his book (it's a true story that he wrote himself after getting out) he says he stayed faithful to his wife the whole time. I don't care if someone thought the audience wouldn't believe that, it's wrong for them to insert something like that when he clearly stated he didn't.
Image credits: BlueGreenAndYellow
#2
Couldn't watch Bones after what happened to Sweets.
Image credits: dream2012
#3
How I Met Your Mother - 9 years of development and growth ends up trashed with 90 seconds of Barney and Robyn getting divorced, Mom makes a cameo and Ted and Robyn hook up.
I have never gone back and watched a single rerun because of that debacle.
Image credits: EnigmaCA
There are many ways film creators make movies captivating. Some rely on storytelling for that. By making the narrative engaging, understandable, relatable, and educational, storytelling holds a lot of power. In fact, some say that it is the heart and soul of filmmaking.
Other movies count on video editing—or, better put, post-production magic. For instance, making the movie immersive is mostly done by including the senses of sight and sound, as these are the most easily fulfilled in film creation.
With sound, makers can use spatial, binaural audio, and other sound effects to enhance realism. The visuals usually rely on the filming methods, then added effects and editing in post-production.
#4
When Deb f*****g confessed her love toward Dexter. Who the f**k confesses romantic feelings to their brother? I don't care he was her adopted brother, it's still her f*****g brother. Entirely ruined the rest of the show for me.
The stupid therapist put the idea into her head, too. She didn't even feel that way until then.
Dear writers, don't do this.
Image credits: bitterherpes
#5
"Albus Severus Potter"
That kid got bullied a lot and you know it.
Image credits: Fedora200
#6
Somehow....Palpatine survived.
Image credits: Rorschach2510
Speaking of visual effects (or special effects)—they are an irreplaceable part of modern filmmaking. Typically, they are of two types—practical and digital. The former are when physical objects and techniques are used while filming, like makeup, prosthetics, animatronics, pyrotechnics, and so on. They have been used since the early days of film creation.
Then, with the evolution of technology, digital effects came to be as well. They count on things like green screens, motion capture technology, digital compositing, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create needed visuals that can’t be done physically.
#7
Poochie leaving for his home planet…. Like wtf they just introduced this rad character for itchy and scratchy to hang with and then he just…. leaves????
Image credits: kingweeman
#8
Every doctor/hospital/ER show depicting physicians getting involved in patients private lives once they leave medical care. Seriously?? No physician around here does that unless he's trying to get laid.
Image credits: anon
#9
When Rory ended up pregnant (not to mention completely washed up) in the Gilmore Girls Revival.
Image credits: pienkChappie
At the same time, some argue that CGI has kind of ruined the movies. Here, as Erik Hoel says, nowadays makers opt for digital effects (and especially computer-generated imagery) as much as possible, neglecting physical effects to cut down on the cost and effort. This results in movies from back in the day looking more real than they do now.
For him, this is most apparent in sci-fi and fantasy films. For example, in the remakes of, let’s say, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the effects are vastly different than they were in the originals. Also, in series like Star Wars or Matrix, the decline of physical effects is visible as well.
#10
May already be on here, but Scrubs had an amazing last scene, JD seeing his happy future as he says goodbye to Sacred Heart.
Then they made another season.
Image credits: Gartschool
#11
When Indiana Jones jumped into that fridge to avoid a nuclear bomb strike.
Image credits: Grump_Monk
#12
The final 5 minutes of the original Roseanne.
"Dan died, the sisters swapped husband's, moms gay, Jackie's gay, this was all a book".
Image credits: anon
Yet, CGI is not the only thing that ruins movies for people. Sometimes, a movie can be an amazing creation until one particular scene comes along and ruins everything. Whether it’s a new character joining the story, an old one returning, their acting out of character, or a new thing being revealed that changes everything—the ways in which a story can go wrong are endless.
If you’re craving more specified examples, this list is perfect for you. It was collected from answers people had when r/AskReddit posed the question, “What single scene ruined an entire movie/franchise/ TV series?” Since they asked, the thread has gathered 18K replies, showing that plenty of people have been disappointed by scenes in their beloved stories.
While the number sounds pretty bad, we also should remember the good old saying, “Art is subjective.” That means that, while a scene might ruin the whole experience of a movie (or TV show/franchise as it is said in the original question), others might not bat an eye.
#13
When Joey and Rachel kiss.
Image credits: GradeExtreme6825
#14
Well, obviously, Bobby's showering in Dallas, after having been dead for 13 weeks.
Image credits: anon
#15
Star Wars 9 (spoilers ahead but I really don't want you to watch it - it was only visually good and is no longer in cinemas)
the story between Rey and Kylo Ren was really interesting - you had two people on differing sides, with different stories, concerning their experience with the force too, constantly fighting nearly to death, but increasingly with kind of a shared burden, one being definitly an insane antagonist, but one who was pulled to the light side (reverse Anakin, I liked that interpretation) - I was really intrigued even in this movie by how human it seemed, but, most of all, how platonic. Many people got rather sibling vibes from them, and I would found both them really being such or just being force-brothers, again, sharing this burden and parting ways peacefully, really memorable.
>!And then they kissed. Furthermore, after all he's put her through, she goes in for it.!<
I cannot forgive the screenwriters for the feeling seeing this gave me. It shifted their entire dynamic and ruined an otherwise, far as I can remember, really facinating story between two people. Plus, to me, promoted toxic romances alongside so many other series
Edit: thank you guys for the support
Image credits: RedSiren2
Maybe it doesn’t bother them as much as others, or perhaps they don’t notice it. After all, in 2024, the average attention span is 8.25 seconds—less than that of a goldfish (9 seconds).
Either way, that doesn’t change the fact that some people can’t watch their beloved stories the same way they after the aforementioned scenes happen. Even if the controversial scene were taken out—like the scene in the TV show 13 Reasons Why was—you can’t pretend it never happened. People still remember.
Do you have an example of a scene that ruined a story for you? Share with us in the comments!
#16
That s**t episode of Stranger Things where there were other kids with powers.
Image credits: anon
#17
Thats gotta be the scene from season 12 from Doctor who, where they explain that the doctor is not from this universe and that the people who found her stole the secret to practical immortality from her. This single scene rewrote everything we know about the doctor and destroyed the legacy of one of the longest running tv-shows. Rip William hartnell, you will always be the 1st doctor in my heart.
Image credits: Doctor-lasanga
#18
Arya going to King's Landing to [end] Cersei.
Jaime almost died in a fight. They should have let him die, Arya finds him, takes his face, becomes Jaime, goes to Cersei, she dies in his arms after he stabs her, prophecy fulfilled, then she shows Cersei it was her as she's dying. "But she can't [end] the Night King AND Cersei" yeah because she never should have [ended] the Night King, Jon Snow was supposed to [end] the Night King. Just once it would have been nice to have something happen that WAS expected. They got so obsessed with surprises that they ruined some major plot opportunities.
Image credits: CaBBaGe_isLaND
#19
George Clooney cut himself loose from a space station in order to save Sandra Bullock.
His velocity was zero relative to the station. He wouldn't have "fell" and he wasn't "pulling her down.".
Image credits: InsomniaticWanderer
#20
The moment I heard how they pronounced Aang’s name in M. Night’s adaptation of Avatar instantly [ended] me with laughter as well as you know the whole movie.
Edit: Hey everyone I don’t remember saying any of this. All I remember is no war in Ba Sing Se.
Image credits: ArtificialRubber
#21
Honestly the Red John reveal in The Mentalist kinda pissed me off...it just felt like they had a hat with every minor character name in it and just picked one.
Image credits: anon
#22
Chris Chibnall single-handedly destroying more than 50 years of Doctor who by making the timeless child be The Doctor.
Image credits: HagridTheGangster
#23
The VIPs in Squid Game. They could have just shown up and not said a single word. The point of powerful rich men would still be made but it wouldn't ruin the last couple of episodes with horrid dialogue.
Image credits: TheInfamousBlack
#24
The kiss between Sharon Carter & Captain America in Civil War. Why did they kiss in the first place and why was it never addressed again???
Image credits: Sea-Horror-814
#25
How they ended the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. [Ended] me that Orlando Bloom’s character can only see his wife and son every ten years.
Image credits: kecar
#26
The Dothraki charge into the night king's army. I just sat there and told myself: "what the f**k is this ridiculous s**t?".
Image credits: anon
#27
The end of the movie Law Abiding Citizen, it was great up until then.
Image credits: Pantaruxada
#28
The last 5/10 minutes of Veronica Mars.
Image credits: RockDesk
#29
Carl Grimes’ death. F**K SCOTT GIMBLE OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS.
EDIT: Welp, never thought my top comment on Reddit would be me getting mad at a fictional character being done dirty, but here I am ? Thank you all for the upvotes and awards lol.
Image credits: anon
#30
How has nobody mentioned the infamous ‘Martha/WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!’ scene from Batman vs. Superman? It’s unforgivably dumb.
Also the element in Avatar being called ‘unobtainium.’ So stupid. That movie came out, what, 12 years ago? I still randomly get pissed off about that from time to time.
Edit: guys, to be clear, I *understand* the ‘Martha’ thing, and what it means. That’s not the issue. The issue is that it was f*****g stupid, and it felt clumsy as hell.
Edit 2: people are *still* ‘explaining’ how the Martha thing ‘actually makes sense,’ GUYS I GET IT.
Image credits: anon
#31
My mom is still mad about the final scene of St. Elsewhere.
Edit: Thank you guys, and thanks for the silver!
Image credits: Locksley_1989
#32
I loved Supernatural, and everything was pretty perfect all the way through season 5. Good character development, redemption arcs, tying the original storyline up with a nice bow. Sam will be trapped forever, but in doing so redeems himself and saves the earth. Dean might finally have a chance at happiness and the stable home life he deserves. And thennn NOPE! Sneaky last moment of the last episode of season 5, Sam has escaped from hell and is back on Earth, so everyone get ready for like 8 more seasons of this!
Image credits: rosyamy
#33
Jumping the Shark scene in Happy Days.
