10 TV Shows That Suffered A Sophomore Slump
3. True Detective
The first season of True Detective was a televisual masterpiece. It would have taken an incredible second season to match the heights of writer Nic Pizzolatto's first effort, so it almost came as no surprise when season two received a relatively lukewarm response.
The quality of acting from the likes of Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch was equal to the excellent performances of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in season one, but everything else about the show simply wasn't as good.
The simple fact of the matter was that the writing for season two just wasn't up to scratch. The dialogue was weak at times, while the plot was clichéd and convoluted, resulting in an absence of the suspense, depth, and personality that made season one so good.
Michael Lombardo, President of Programming at HBO, later admitted that he'd rushed Pizzolatto into writing a second season rather than giving him the time necessary to craft something as deep and developed as the first. Lessons have clearly been learned and season three is in the works, so let's hope it turns out much better.