20 TV Storylines We Can't Believe Are Real

Watching a television series isn't always just a hobby, but it can also be a major commitment. After following characters through their day-to-day lives and life-altering conflicts for years on end, it's easy to form a deep bond with them, even though they're fictional.

Like any relationship, even the best shows have their ups and downs. When a sitcom, cartoon, or drama runs for decades, churns out hundreds of episodes, and has a revolving door of writers, a few weak storylines are bound to slip through. Even then, you can normally forgive a couple of missteps here and there, especially if it's understandable what the showrunners were trying to achieve.

But other times, the writers devise a plot so indefensible that it's hard to believe none of the producers or actors questioned the absurdity of it all. When a series starts retconning established lore, reviving characters for no logical reason, or expanding unnecessary subplots that go nowhere, it's usually a sign that things have gone off the rails.

Crafting compelling television week after week is no easy task, but that's no excuse for how these TV storylines turned out.

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been uneven, but there's no question that WandaVision was among the most innovative projects to come out of it. 

Structuring each episode around a different decade of sitcom tropes was imaginative and beautifully executed, and the costume and production design were so meticulous that every episode felt like a product of its respective era. And just when it seemed like WandaVision's ambition had peaked, Wanda's brother, Pietro, returns from the dead. 

But instead of Aaron-Taylor Johnson reprising the role from Avengers: Age of Ultron, the silver-haired speedster is played by Evan Peters. 

Peters has previously portrayed Pietro in the X-Men films, heavily implying that Fox's Marvel universe was merging with the MCU. This was a major bombshell for comic book readers, since it meant other Fox properties like Blade and the Fantastic Four could be integrated into the MCU as well (which didn't happen until years later).

That excitement soon collapsed, though, when "Pietro" is revealed to be Ralph Bohner (pronounced "Boner"), a struggling actor hired by a vengeful witch to manipulate Wanda. 

Honestly, it's hard to say what's more infuriating: that Marvel teased a massive crossover or that they threw it away for a boner gag.