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23 TV Storylines That Deserve To Burn In The Dumpster Fire That Was 2020

"Forget worst plot of the year, that was the worst plot I have ever seen for a main character on any season of television."

Isha Bassi
by Isha Bassi

Entertainment Producer

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to rant about the absolute worst TV storylines they watched in 2020. Here are the best answers.

🚨 WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD! 🚨

1. Justin Foley's sudden, but heartbreaking death in the final episode of 13 Reasons Why.

Justin lying down in a hospital bed
Netflix

"JUSTIN FOLEY KILLED ME. I sat on my couch and just bawled. It's not fair that he was doing well and turning everything around and everything was taken away from him! Not to mention poor Jessica losing her boyfriend in freaking high school."

—michelleleed2

2. The hit-and-miss plot lines in Ratched.

Nurse Ratched and Edmund Tolleson talking to one another
Netflix

"I love Sarah Paulson and I really wanted to like Ratched for the few good things about it (female/queer representation and Sharon Stone being a badass). But, it has NOTHING to do with the source material and it basically stomped all over territory that Ryan Murphy (and even Sarah Paulson) had already covered twice in AHS."

—jessicat4fbb3029f

3. The messiness that was Season 4 of Riverdale.

Jughead, Betty, Kevin, Archie and Veronica having a drink in Pop's
The CW

"After being a fan of Riverdale since the start, I finally decided I'm not tuning in again next year. The whole season was awful."

—jaemhe95

4. Including Jughead pretending to be dead, as well as Betty and Archie getting together for a hot second.

The CW

"It was stupid and pointless."

—hollygolightly20102

5. Everything about the disappointing final season of The 100.

Characters from "The 100" huddled together, looking at something in the distance
The CW

"The final season of a series is meant to mean something and wrap up unfinished plot lines. Instead, this season introduced so many new storylines and characters that it was honestly hard to keep track. Clarke shooting Bellamy for nothing? His loved ones not hating Clarke for killing him? Madi becoming paraplegic and Clarke immediately trying to euthanise her? Absurd and frankly offensive all-around. Then you get to the whole transcendence thing, where some aliens get to judge and decide the fate of the human race? THAT'S the ending to the story about the struggle of humanity — that we should become beings of light and give up on existing?! The absolute worst."

—cspenc4

6. Including the unjustified end to Bellamy Blake's character

The CW

"Clarke killing Bellamy, her best friend, who literally saved her life a week ago, over a book that she then leaves behind. So, everything that she thought she was trying to stop happened anyways. Plus, we find out at the end that Bellamy was right all along and he really was trying to save all of his loved ones, who did not even try to understand what he was going through. He died thinking everyone hated him, he never got a proper goodbye, characters barely mourned him and his sister and girlfriend hugged his murderer when she admitted to killing him. Honestly, the worst season of TV I have ever seen."

—kjaaaa

"Forget worst plot of the year, that was the worst plot I have ever seen for a main character on any season of television."

—annahill95

7. The unnecessary and inconsistent COVID-related storylines, which popped up on nearly every TV show.

ABC, NBC

"Shows that started with pandemic storylines then completely dropped it with no explanation. For example, Black-ish did such a great job in the opener and then in the latest episode everyone was gathering in public without masks. Like, why use the COVID storyline just to drop it?"

—jdurr

"I get that it's relevant and they're trying to keep things realistic, but I watch TV to escape the real world. These storylines do nothing but add to the stress, tbh."

—obbb92

8. The cringe-inducing musical moments in Part 3 of Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.

Sabrina and the rest of the cheerleaders performing a pep rally
Netflix

"My roommate and I couldn't stop laughing during all the musical numbers. It brought the show to a grinding halt and none of the songs were that good. It's especially annoying since the show is now ending in Part 4."

—rachelc43

9. The plot twist ending to Alex Karev's character in Grey's Anatomy, which resulted in him ditching Jo and reuniting with Izzy.

Alex in the hospital dressed in his doctor's scrubs
ABC

"He [Alex] and Jo were perfect together and after everything Izzy put him through, it was such a disappointing ending to a great character."

—laurenyarger

"He deserved a better ending that didn't ruin 15 years of character development."

—hpeters22

10. The unsatisfactory ending to Utopia.

The characters from "Utopia" sitting around a desk that is covering in photos
Prime Video

"They had a weird-ass convoluted plot that could have gone anywhere and they dragged it through the mud with some character 180s, plot holes and Bond-villain exposition dumping. TERRIBLE."

—maggiem45481cd39

11. Omar's decision to cheat on Ander, who was being treated for cancer, with his sister's boyfriend in Elite.

Omar asking Malick if he wants to hook up; when Malick asks "What about Ander?", Omar replies "Ander isn't here"
Netflix

"Elite did Omander dirty. None of their plot was necessary. Why couldn't they just be happy? There's already enough drama, argh!"

—percptogrl

12. The surprise revelation that Randall's biological mum was actually alive in This Is Us.

Randall's mum sitting down on a weathered chair in a bus
NBC

"In previous seasons, I've really liked how this show revealed information (like Jack's brother being alive or in the very first episode when they revealed that every character was part of the same family), but this is too much. Maybe they [the show's writers] feel like they need to constantly one-up themselves, but we, as viewers, don't need more crazy twists to stick around. It's a compelling enough family drama as it is. Let it be!"

—maggien4bc76f26c

13. The absolute dumpster fire that was the Supernatural finale.

Sam and Dean Winchester
The CW

"The Supernatural finale was the absolute WORST thing I've watched in a very long time. This is my favourite show and the ending just did every character a disservice. It did the story a disservice. It did the fans and everyone involved a disservice. It silenced a queer character, killed off a beloved character who was battling issues with suicidal ideation and self-worth, removed any indications of the 'found family' the show had taught us...I could go on and on. Themes...GONE. Character development...GONE. Relationships outside of the toxic codependency...GONE. I wish this episode was GONE."

—saraluvsdisney

14. Including Castiel finally confessing his love to Dean, only to be sent to hell moments later and then barely mentioned again.

Castiel being enveloped by a black goo-like substance
The CW

"[It's] like he wasn't one of the most important characters of the last 12 years."

—ficwriter710

15. Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that Dean died.

A closeup of Dean tearfully talking to Sam
The CW

"Dean dying in the last episode by being shoved on a nail! Also, the fact that they let a three-year-old be God???"

—miadeline

16. The direction of Iris' character in Season 6 of The Flash.

Barry and Iris holding up their hand to the same spot on a mirrored wall
The CW

"Iris being stuck in the mirrorverse for half of Season 6 and Barry not realising that Iris wasn't Iris. Like, what?"

—c_someone_m

17. The fact that Sarah could have exonerated John B by going straight to the police in Outer Banks.

Sarah being grabbed and dragged away by her dad
Netflix

"The last two episodes of Outer Banks legitimately made me scream at my laptop. So much could have been avoided if Sarah had run straight to the police once she got out of her dad's house. Instead, she goes off to see John B and when she finally gets around to telling someone, her dad concocts a bullshit story about Sarah having bipolar disorder to discredit her (which, to me, also trivialises people who are suffering from mental illness). IF YOU'D GONE STRAIGHT AWAY, THINGS WOULD HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY, SARAH."

—Clare Aston

18. The change in Han Ji-pyeong's character in Start-Up.

A close up of Han Ji-pyeong; he is wearing a tweed suit with a black t-shirt
Netflix

"The writers did Han Ji-pyeong so dirty. It felt like they were trying way too hard to be subversive and completely changed the character they had built just for shock value. They ruined a great character and made the storyline suck."

—betht403b09245

19. The entirety of Season 2 of Virgin River.

Jack Sheridan and Mel Monroe standing near each other at a country festival
Netflix

"How the heck did Netflix cancel The Society, but keep this crap where nothing ever happens? How, Netflix? HOW??"

—lauraf4e08c0801

20. Arturo drugging and raping Amanda, a fellow hostage, in Money Heist.

Arturo leaning over towards Amanda
Netflix

"Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Money Heist and the latest season lived up to all my expectations. But, what was the point of this storyline? Seriously, it didn't contribute anything positive to the plot and felt completely unnecessary. The only thing that it did accomplish was making me hate Arturo even more than I already did."

—Isha Bassi

21. The rushed storylines in Lovecraft Country.

Characters in "Lovecraft Country" looking into the distance while standing on a porch
HBO

"It [the series] moved so quick that I didn't get a chance to care about any of the characters. The writing wasn't that great and I felt it was striving to be like the Watchmen TV series, which it came nowhere close to. Didn’t even finish the season."

—j.01

22. Lil Dicky trying to convince his record label to put out an offensive single of his called "Jail" in Dave.

Lil Dicky in "Dave"; he is sitting in an office, talking to someone off-camera
FX

"I was confused and uncomfortable for the first 10 minutes of the finale. But, the end of the episode was so epic that it made up for the weird episode start."

—abbeyparty

23. And lastly, the anticlimactic end to The Undoing.

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in "The Undoing"
HBO

"The performances were great and I really enjoyed watching it, but the series was way too long to end exactly how you expect. The end reveal was really anticlimactic when it spent the entire show needlessly trying to throw you off the trail."

—rebeccalee2123

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

What other TV storylines from the past year have been absolutely terrible? Leave them in the comments below!

2020 is finally (almost) over, and we're looking back on the year. Check out even more from the year here!