The Worst TV Episodes Of 2023
There have never been more options when it comes to television viewing than there are in 2023. Thanks to the explosion of streaming services producing their own originals — on top of the usual network programming — there's an endless barrage of new shows. Sure, this means that there are more great episodes than ever before, but it also means there are more bad ones, too.
Sometimes bad television can feel almost criminal, like producers are literally stealing from you when your time could have been spent watching something better. Perhaps that explains the divisive and polarizing fan reactions in recent years, as even mediocre TV can feel like wasted time. Whatever the case may be, bad television is inevitable, no matter how hard producers, writers, and actors might try to produce the best stories they can.
After sifting through the year's television, we've found some of the worst episodes that were on offer. Astute readers may even find some commonalities among them — maybe it's a wildly offbeat tone that doesn't match the rest of the show, or a story that lacks its biggest stars. Some hail from shows that are bad from start to finish, while others are awful episodes of otherwise good series,' which are even more frustrating and disappointing. Is your least favorite on our list? Read on to find out.
Out of the Fire, into the Frying Pan - The Witcher
"The Witcher" made waves in 2022 when it was announced that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over the leading role of Geralt from superstar Henry Cavill. But before that, there was still Season 3, which would serve as Cavill's swansong. Reviews were mostly positive, save for one massive clunker. That episode was "Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan," which features almost no Geralt at all.
For fans, the lack of Geralt was surely frustrating, as this season was the last we'd ever see of Cavill. But even if it weren't, it was a strange detour, following young Ciri (Freya Allen) on her own journey in what almost feels like a backdoor pilot. The fact that most of the action takes place in an empty desert doesn't help.
In the episode, Ciri finds it difficult to control her powers, and major revelations are made about her ancestry. At the same time, she begins having visions of long-lost warriors in her family tree who help guide her. It's an interesting idea, but one that doesn't entertain, and feels more like filler to buy time until the more exciting season finale that followed.
Jocelyn Forever - The Idol
With "Euphoria" a massive hit for HBO, it was no surprise when they tapped showrunner Sam Levinson to create another series. The result was "The Idol," a drama about a pop star named Jocelyn, played by Lilly-Rose Depp. Unlike Levinson's previous series, "The Idol" wasn't quite so beloved, meeting with harsh reviews from both critics and audiences. There's still one episode that stands out ankles and feet below the rest: The finale, "Jocelyn Forever."
That episode sees the singer getting ready for a stadium tour when she becomes increasingly controlling of those around her. The episode poses plenty of new questions, too, as discoveries are made about Jocelyn's past, in particular regarding a man she used to date. But with each episode of the season seemingly worse than the last, the finale is the bottom of the barrel for a show that almost nobody liked. And even for those who did watch, it doesn't seem that anyone wanted more, with IndieWire's roast of the episode openly begging HBO not to give the show a second season, content with it ending on something of a cliffhanger.
Double Trouble - The Rookie
Fronted by Nathan Fillion, "The Rookie" follows middle-aged John Nolan, who moves from a small town in Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California, and starts a new career as a cop. "Double Trouble" is arguably the fifth season's lowest point, and regrettably sits among the worst episodes of any show in 2023. It's an episode that's — to put it bluntly — "a waste of time," as described by Fangirlish.
Here, Officer "Dim" Bradley goes missing. But while the police are trying to do their job, a documentary film crew is following them around, creating an added wrinkle for the investigation. The biggest issue with this one is its "reality TV" approach. It's not the first time the series has tried it, but fan reaction to previous attempts like the Season 3 installment "True Crime" was overwhelmingly negative. Why they keep returning to that format, nobody knows, but they still haven't gotten it right.
Oddly enough, though, the story itself isn't actually a bad one, and that's what makes the documentary approach all the more painful. If they'd just gone with a more straightforward episode, maybe it would have worked better. Oh, did we mention there's also a Lance Bass cameo? As random and needless as it is, it might actually be the lone highlight of this debacle.
Old West - Family Guy
Over the years, "Family Guy" has devolved, often becoming more of the ordinary, run-of-the-mill animated sitcom it was originally lampooning. Now the show sits remarkably in its 20th season, and reviews of new episodes have been mixed. But even with modest reactions, "Old West" was a huge step-down, cratering an otherwise innocuous year of stories.
"Old West" has Peter and the gang seeking out the father of Mayor Wild West. The episode sees the return of Sam Elliott as Mayor West, and guest star Gerald McRaney as Old West. Bland, lifeless, and rote, the episode feels like a pale imitation of its old self, produced only to add new episodes to its library on Hulu. Even the normally impressive Sam Elliott feels like he's just going through the motions, reciting dialogue off a piece of paper that he doesn't understand or care about.
While even the worst episode of "Family Guy" has a couple of decent laughs, this one offers fewer than most. The jokes that are there are repetitive and tired, and frankly the episode is just plain pointless.
Justice Buddies - Night Court
From "Full House" to "MacGyver," Hollywood has been rebooting classic '80s shows ad nauseam, and 2023 has been no different, seeing the launch of a new version of "Night Court." With John Larroquette returning, it's set in the same after-hours courtroom, this time presided over by Abby Stone, the daughter of Judge Harry T. Stone from the original series. Much anticipated, the first season did well enough to earn a second season order.
Some fans struggled to get behind the relaunch, though, feeling it lacked the acerbic bite of Harry Anderson's original. But it's the episode "Justice Buddies" that really disappoints, sending the season into the sewer. In classic sitcom style, the episode has a narrative gimmick, with a group of kids visiting the court to learn about the system. But their visit has a twist, because their real goal is to protest on behalf of a graffiti artist who vandalized a Christopher Columbus statue.
Politically sensitive topics are always easy fodder for critics. In this case, the message was a noble one, especially as it explored the under-used character of Gurgs, weaving in themes of racial prejudice and social justice. But the episode seemed to anger those on one side of the issue who felt it went too far, while those on the other felt it was half-hearted in its resolution. Ultimately, it tried to have it both ways and failed miserably.
Guns for Hire - The Mandalorian
Love for "The Mandalorian" has been nearly universal among "Star Wars" fans, but Season 3 — which followed the disappointing and disjointed "Book of Boba Fett" — wasn't quite as beloved as the previous seasons. Part of that was attributed to the episode "Guns for Hire," which had a bizarre tone and left-field guest stars that left audiences cringing, earning it the unfortunate status of the lowest-ranked episode of the series on IMDb.
Sticking to formula, the episode begins with the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu on a quest, this time with Bo-Katan (Katee Sakhoff). As per usual, before they can get what they need they have to go on a mission for someone else, this time the Duchess of Plazir-15, who wants them to stop a small army of droids. On paper, it has all the trappings of another thrilling adventure, but in practice, it doesn't work as well as the rest of the series, mostly because it dips its toe a little too far into broad, slapstick humor.
It's true that the franchise has had its elements of humor, even a few goofy moments, but "Guns for Hire" often feels like it's going for a full-on farce. It tips its hand when pop star Lizzo and comedian Jack Black make a cameo at the end in one of the most divisive moments of 2023.
The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky - The Flash
"The Flash" ended its run in 2023, making it the longest-running live-action comic book series since "Smallville" went off the air in 2011. Though praised for most of its run for its fast-paced adventure and light-hearted humor — not to mention its sprawling stories — its final season wasn't quite as celebrated, with a number of disappointing episodes. There's one, however, that sits as the year's lowest point: "The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky."
There's nothing good or lucky about this episode, only bad, and it's almost impressive in its putridness. For starters, the episode takes its two lead characters, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton), and sends them off on vacation, all but removing them from the story. To lose the two main characters is all the more insulting considering the season's truncated episode count. What we're left with is Khione (Danielle Panabaker) absurdly trying to figure out her powers, and Becky — back after being killed off — more annoying than ever as she boasts about how lucky she is before her boyfriend falls into a coma.
Simply put, the episode feels like it's treading water. A comedic subplot involving a baby shower is the icing on the cake of the garbage sundae.
Remember What They Took From You - Fear the Walking Dead
In 2023, zombie spin-off "Fear the Walking Dead" saw its eighth season, which was also its last. When it premiered, audiences were in for something of a shock, discovering that seven years had passed since the events of the Season 7 finale. The status quo was fully shaken up, with the group of survivors having made it to PADRE — a remote island and a safe haven the infection hadn't reached. It's that premiere that lands on this list, kicking off the season on a decidedly low note.
One might expect that the huge time gap might be a reason why the episode fails, but that actually proves to be one of its few compelling points of interest. It allows us to see the character of Mo — just a small child a year ago — become much more interesting as an adolescent. Beyond that, though, the manufactured character conflicts are merely shrugworthy, and there's never any real tension in the story, with even a few mild walker attacks failing to have us even consider biting our nails.
While "Fear the Walking Dead" has rebounded somewhat, Season 8 has yet to reach the heights of the show at its best.
Archie: The Musical - Riverdale
Based on the wholesome family comic book "Archie," the CW teen drama "Riverdale" threw everyone for a loop when it veered into some seriously adult stories while diving deep into science fiction and fantasy. By its final season in 2023, it had launched headlong into the bizarre, even to the point of embracing its early origins with a 1950s setting after some time travel shenanigans involving Haley's Comet (yes, you read that right). It went even further in the episode "Archie: The Musical," and the results are sadly one of the worst episodes of television we've seen this year.
If you think "Riverdale" doing a musical episode sounds strange, well, it's been done many times before. None of them were very well-reviewed, but "Archie: The Musical" might be the worst of them all. It starts with Kevin (Casey Kott) convincing the school to let him spearhead a new musical, and all his friends get in on it. As they sing and dance, they also do a lot of self-reflection in typical teen drama fashion — with absolutely nothing new to show for it.
An episode full of old cliches, tired plot beats, and over-the-top campiness that's extreme even for "Riverdale," it has little going for it beyond the gimmick of the song and dance numbers. And sadly, those are sorely lacking, leaving audiences rolling their eyes till the end.
Stormy Weather - The Changeling
"The Changeling" begins with Apollo Kagwa (LaKieth Stanfield) and librarian Emma Valentine (Clark Backo) falling in love and welcoming a baby boy named Brian. The plot takes a quick left turn when Emma begins to feel their baby may have been abducted and replaced by an otherworldly being.
Most of the middle of the season sees Apollo hunting Emma down looking for vengeance after she appears to kill their child. "Stormy Weather," on the other hand, is a wild divergence that focuses entirely on Apollo's mother (Adina Porter) as she rents a room in a seedy hotel in the hopes of making sense of what's going on and how it might relate to her own dark past. It even poses some interesting questions and offers new clues to the mystery that might have saved the episode had they not been so frustratingly vague.
To be fair, "Stormy Weather" isn't a bad hour of television. On its own, it's a powerful story of an immigrant woman's fight against an oppressive system and her silent, solitary struggle in a world that rarely acknowledges outsiders. It features a powerful performance from Porter, but the episode is woefully out of place. Not just because it includes a strangely off-putting musical number, but because it sidesteps the season's main story and forces fans to wait an extra week to resolve the previous episode's cliffhanger.
Out for Blood - The Rookie: Feds
"Out for Blood" sadly gives "The Rookie" franchise two of the worst episodes of 2023. "The Rookie: Feds" is in its rookie season and stars Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, a 48-year-old rookie FBI agent. It's not a bad concept for a spin-off, expanding on the idea of a late-in-life law enforcer without being too closely tied to its predecessor. That said, its first season is marred by one of the strangest bad episodes we've seen in 2023.
Though "Feds" is a more traditional police procedural, the concept here is totally left field, as the latest case involves what appears to be a vampire. To top it off, Clark's colleague Agent Acres (Kevin Zegers), was once an actor in a long-running series called "Vampire Cop" and believes his fictional expertise gives him a leg up in the investigation. Like its parent series' flop "Double Trouble," this one also employs a documentary style, making us wonder if producers are trying to torture viewers on purpose, because this format so rarely works.
Of course, the real problem is its head-on drive into pure comedy, this time also tossing in horror and supernatural elements just for the heck of it. It's totally unnecessary, doesn't work, and it winds up feeling more like a tongue-in-cheek episode of "The X-Files." And not in a good way.
Fan-ily Feud - The Simpsons
Like "Family Guy," it's almost become a joke how far "The Simpsons" today is from how good it was in its prime. Nevertheless, the show continues to have its supporters, and while most would agree it rarely — if ever — matches the greatness of its heyday in the '90s, there's still plenty of fun to be had. The same can't be said for the 2023 episode "Fan-ily Feud," the 18th episode of the show's eye-popping 34th season.
Commenting on controversial subject matter has been done before on "The Simpsons," but this episode doesn't do it well. It meekly tries to address the rise in so-called "cancel culture" (which itself feels like it's well past commenting on) when Homer makes a nasty remark about pop star Ashlee Starling, whose loyal fans turn him into public enemy #1.
The story touches on some similar themes as those in the 1994 episode "Homer Badman" – even hitting some of the same story beats — but doesn't do as much with its concept. Perhaps its goals were too lofty for a show that has long since tried to play it safe, but the insufferable musical number doesn't help.
Mazey Day - Black Mirror
"Black Mirror" debuted in 2011 and proved genre-shattering, reshaping what we think of as science fiction while single-handedly bringing back the concept of an episodic anthology. Its success spawned plenty of imitators including reboots of "The Twilight Zone" and "Amazing Stories," but creator Charlie Booker has taken his time with new seasons. After a nearly four-year break, he returned to produce Season 6, which closed out with what might be the worst story in its run, the Zazie Beetz-led installment "Mazey Day."
Beetz stars as a paparazza who begins to question her role in the seedy world of celebrity gossip culture after an actor dies by suicide after she exposes sensitive information about them. Despite her misgivings, though, she decides to track another actor (Clara Rugaard) who has gone off the grid. When she finds her, it turns out the actor is not quite what she seems, and a few of her fellow photographers get their just desserts.
With a silly twist, "Mazey Day" is a story that's more like a bad Blumhouse movie than the clever sci-fi parables that Booker and "Black Mirror" are known for. It starts with the potential for some stinging social commentary but devolves into horror schlock instead.