Top 10 TV Scenes That Went WAY Too Far

“Family Guy” (1999-2002; 2005-)

Even the bloodiest, most gruesome shows alive stick to one, unspoken storytelling rule: you never, ever kill the dog. “Family Guy” is far from graphic, and yet, that didn’t stop them from committing the cardinal sin of fiction. The weight of Brian’s death hangs heavily on the Griffin family, and the series as a whole. At least, for all of two episodes. A few, meager weeks after “Family Guy” made headlines for daring to kill Brian, they spontaneously revived him to restore the status quo. Killing the dog is bad enough. Killing him for a cheap, ratings-boosting fake-out is even worse.

“Grey's Anatomy” (2005-)

Standing tall alongside all the romantic entanglements at Seattle Grace, Izzie and Denny’s fraught relationship was a highlight of the show’s second season. But then Denny died. Did that stop their romance, though? Nope! Suffering from a cancerous brain tumor, Izzie later hallucinates her dead fiance for the better part of a whole season, even going as far as sleeping with him. We don’t even want to think about the mechanics of that. It’s a ridiculous storyline that tarnishes one of “Grey’s Anatomy’s” greatest love stories, and still remains the exact moment the show jumped the shark for good.

“Seinfeld” (1989-98)


In an extremely rare turn of events, this episode of “Seinfeld” is no laughing matter, especially if you’re Puerto Rican. The gang’s trip abroad starts out fine and dandy. But, then come the stereotyping jokes. The show may have gotten away with a few tasteless gags… if it weren’t for Kramer, who accidentally sets the nation’s flag on fire with a sparkler. The resounding reaction from viewers wasn’t laughter, it was outrage, and justifiably so. “Seinfeld” pushes the envelope, but literally setting a national flag ablaze is one push too far. So, the lesson here is clear; never trust Kramer with a sparkler again.

“Dexter” (2006-13)

One declaration of love flushed six seasons of careful character development right down the drain. Yeah, “Dexter,” we’re looking at you. Turns out, the reason Deb feels such an unbreakable bond with her adoptive brother is because, deep down, she wants something more out of the relationship. Something intimate. Put aside the creepy, bizarre twist of it all, it just doesn’t make sense. There was never even a hint that Deb and Dexter were anything more than brother and sister. Trying to ret-con that relationship over sixty episodes in isn’t just ill-advised, it actively alienated whatever hardcore fans “Dexter” had left.

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)


Look, we get it. You don’t sit atop the Iron Throne for being an up-standing citizen. But, while Margaery’s machinations may earn her high titles in Westeros, it would land her behind bars in our world. In her quest to be Queen, she manipulates her way into a marriage with the newly-crowned king, Tommen. And let’s just say the show makes it very clear how they spend their wedding night. As a friendly reminder, Tommen is a preteen boy, and Margaery is a full-grown woman. Dragons, affairs, backstabs, whatever. No moment in all of “Games of Thrones” will make your skin crawl quite like this one.

“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)

After the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, fans of “The Walking Dead” tuned into the seventh season premiere knowing someone was meeting an early grave. What they didn’t expect was a double murder so unflinchingly brutal, it would take over the internet for weeks. To sum it up, Glenn and Abraham weren’t just killed, they were bludgeoned, and boy was it gross. Now, to be fair, no one watches a show called “The Walking Dead” for sunshine and butterflies. But the sheer excess of violence in these deaths had even diehards calling foul. We never thought there’d come a day where we’d miss the walkers.

“Yellowjackets” (2021-)

We’ve gotta give credit where it’s due; “Yellowjackets” wastes absolutely no time easing you into its barbaric narrative. Within the very first scene of the very first episode, we see a girl run through the snow, fall into a spiky pit, and… well, you can imagine what happens next. The implication alone is the kind of thing that would make any squeamish viewer reach for the remote - and this is how “Yellowjackets” starts! Opening the series on such a horrific turn of events is a bold move. But, if you can stomach the first scene, you’re in for a thrill-ride like none other.

“13 Reasons Why” (2017-20)

Forget the tapes, there’s primarily one, big reason this show caused such a fuss. One scene, to be exact. As a story about the events leading to a teenage girl’s death, “13 Reasons Why” was always going to end with Hannah Baker’s untimely end. But, in depicting the realities of Hannah’s decision, the show went from “educational” to “exploitative.” It all culminated in the now-infamous bathtub scene, which sparked such backlash, Netflix had to go back and re-edit the whole thing. The original version was just that troubling. No matter their original intention, it’s clear Hannah’s death struck a nerve it shouldn’t have.

“Sons of Anarchy” (2008-14)

As a general rule of thumb, you should never mess with a crime boss’ family. Definitely not Damon Pope’s. For him, justice is an eye for an eye. Or, in this case, a daughter for a daughter. If it were handled with care, we’d almost call this reversal of fortune poetic. But, as it stands, ending Dawn’s life with a blaze of glory while her dad watches doesn’t feel like revenge. It just feels gratuitous. While it successfully established Pope as a villain to fear, we wish “Sons of Anarchy” could have done it in a way that didn’t leave such a bad taste in our mouths.

“Them” (2021-)

There are some things so scary and foul, they don’t even belong in a horror series. The “Cat in a bag” scene from “Them” is one such moment. There simply aren’t any words capable of describing the atrocities Lucky and her child undergo in this flashback. All we’ll say is it’s endlessly disturbing, completely terrifying, and downright stomach-turning at same time. And yet, that still doesn’t quite do it justice. “Them” doesn’t just cross a line here, it goes so far beyond, you can’t even see the line anymore. Anyone who tries to seek it out, beware. This sequence isn’t just scary; it’s utterly unforgettable.


Did we miss any abhorrent TV moments? Let us know in the comments below!