Top 10 TV Shows That Got WAY Too Complicated

Top-10-TV-Shows-That-Got-WAY-Too-Complicated

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the shows that started out intriguing, but wound up too convoluted for their own good. This is your spoiler warning.

#10: “Outer Range” (2022-24)

This show joined a string of prestige westerns on TV — this time with a unique sci-fi twist. A rancher family’s lives are turned upside down after the discovery of a mysterious, seemingly bottomless pit on their land, which has time travel properties. It’s an intriguing premise, and the cast is great. However, as the show goes on, the rules behind the time travel get more confusing and contradictory. Unfortunately, given that Amazon canceled the show, audiences are unlikely to get a satisfying wrap up to the series to untangle everything.

#9: “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)

This teen series follows a group of friends whose secrets and lies are threatened with exposure by an anonymous blackmailer years after the disappearance of one of their friends. The combination of soapy teen drama and many twists and turns helped it gain a loyal following. However, even the most loyal fans must admit that the show’s plot got a little too convoluted over time. Some reveals contradicted previous ones, creating increasingly frequent plot holes. And sure, we’re not expecting prestige drama here, but is a little consistency in storytelling too much to ask for?

#8: “Fringe” (2008-13)

An underrated sci-fi masterpiece, “Fringe” sees a group of FBI agents team with a quirky scientist to solve cases involving unusual or bizarre science. Although the series begins as a procedural, “Fringe” gets increasingly more serialized over time, such that casual viewers probably had difficulty keeping up. Parallel universes, time travel, and dystopian futures all play major parts in the storyline. Those aren’t exactly known for being simple, straightforward plot elements. It’s a fantastic show, with great character development, and lore that remains surprisingly consistent. Still, we don’t blame the network TV crowd for getting as confused by it as Walter Bishop is on any given day.

#7: “The Witcher” (2019-)

Based on the highly popular fantasy books and video games, “The Witcher” follows the monster hunter Geralt. There’s also his young charge Ciri, love interest Yennefer, and a bevy of other supporting characters. Honestly, the show starts pretty complicated, given that it purposely splits its narrative into several different time periods that come together over the course of the first season. Things don’t really get any more coherent from there, given that subsequent seasons introduce various subplots and more political scheming. While there’s some of the quality that made the franchise a big hit in other mediums on display, a lot of the nuance and detail has been diluted.

#6: “Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)

Given that it’s THE time travel show, it’s no surprise that “Doctor Who” can often get more complicated than it needs to be. Admittedly, many of the Doctor’s adventures throughout time and space can be relatively self-contained. But when the show delves into obscure bits of its extensive lore or starts using time travel as a plot element — rather than a way to change settings — that’s when things can get hard to follow. “Doctor Who” has been around over half a century, and although it has a lot to love about it, its long history also makes it tough to keep track of everything. And that’s not even considering the extended universe.

#5: “Riverdale” (2017-23)

Who would have thought an adaptation of “Archie” comics would escalate so quickly? Despite beginning as a murder mystery, “Riverdale” branches out into several other genres, which include time travel and various supernatural events. New plot points and character decisions can tend to contradict previous ones. By the final season, “Riverdale” is barely recognizable as the same show. The fact that “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Katy Keene” are evidently set in the same universe doesn’t make things any easier. Keeping track of everything in a show based on “Archie” should not be this difficult!

#4: “Westworld” (2016-22)

Androids rebelling against their human creators in a Western theme park makes for great TV, don’t get us wrong! The incredible performances, timely themes involving artificial intelligence, and great twists and action make “Westworld” a fantastic show. However, there’s no denying that its presentation can get a bit too complicated, especially as the seasons continue. The themes are philosophical and complex enough, never mind that the show takes place across multiple time periods and partially inside simulations — and simulations within simulations. Add to that the confusion over who’s a host and who’s not, and we can see why “Westworld” proved tough to keep up with.

#3: “Lost” (2004-10)

This series really lived up to its name for some viewers. A landmark show in serialized storytelling, “Lost” debuted to much fanfare. Its story about a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious island is augmented by flashbacks to the characters’ pasts before the Island. Each new mystery and twist had everybody talking and theorizing. However, between the flashbacks, flashforwards, time travel, and alternate timeline, “Lost” could become more than a little difficult to keep track of for the average viewer. Plus, it arguably became the poster child for why mystery box storytelling can sometimes backfire, with some of its many questions failing to be answered.

#2: “Twin Peaks” (1990-91)

Finding something David Lynch has done that isn’t confusing is a Herculean task, and “Twin Peaks” brings the director’s own brand of weird to the small screen. The show initially follows the investigation into the murder of Laura Palmer, but as it goes on, “Twin Peaks” becomes more about the various bizarre mysteries in the eponymous town. While the quirky and endearing characters are memorable, the ambiguous and surreal events that often take place can make unraveling what’s actually going on pretty difficult. And anyone wishing for closure or at least explanations after the show was revived probably had those hopes dashed.

#1: “Dark” (2017-20)

The set-up of this German Netflix series is simple enough — a kid goes missing in a small town, and long-buried secrets come up during the investigation. But it’s the execution that makes “Dark” one of the most fiendishly complicated shows to ever air. There’s a lot of time travel involved. The show takes place across multiple time periods and timelines and features a few dozen characters played by multiple actors. Keeping track of who’s related to who could be a full-time job on its own. Even characters have trouble keeping things straight.

What complex show had your head spinning? Clarify things for us with your picks in the comments!