Best drama TV stupidity of all time

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The Young and the Restless picture

Show generally

Stupidity: S52 E48 - Sharron murdered Heather, and Phyllis has been tormenting Sharron and despises her, but Phyllis continues to go to Sharron's place of business, Crimson Lights, for her coffee. I guess there are no Starbucks in Genoa City. (00:00:32)

Snag.1

More The Young and the Restless stupidity
Kindaichi shônen no jiken bo picture

Black Butterfly Murder Case: File 1 - S3-E1

Stupidity: Since "Touno" was prominently featured on the photo of a lengthy article about the butterfly crypto-entomologist Shimon Madarame, it's quite strange to say the least that Kindaichi and his journalist friend wouldn't have the slightest clue about his name or generic occupation. Generally a magazine does not put a person in 1/3 of a double page spread without at least hinting the reader about a person's identity, especially when they are not doing anything in the picture.

Sammo

More Kindaichi shônen no jiken bo stupidity
Mr. Robot picture

405 Method Not Allowed - S4-E5

Stupidity: Elliot and his crew are trying to take down the Dark Army and Whiterose, they are being monitored by them via surveillance vans which Elliot just burned, etc. However, with Elliot and friends trying to be secretive he somehow manages to text Phillip Price on his cell phone about Tyrell. Phones are the easiest to intercept. Whiterose doesn't trust Phillip and plans on killing Elliot once their projects transferred to Africa. (00:07:20)

More Mr. Robot stupidity
Designated Survivor picture

Home - S2-E8

Stupidity: While discussing his arrest with Emily, Seth mentions that he didn't tell the arresting officer that he works for Kirkman. As the White House's liaison to the media, Seth has a high degree of visibility; it would extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to keep his place of employment concealed from the police for very long in the time between his booking and arraignment and when Kendra bails him out the following day.

Cubs Fan

More Designated Survivor stupidity
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine picture

Waltz - S6-E11

Stupidity: Near the end of the episode, Sisko hits Dukat over the head with a metal pole and knocks him out but does not remove the phaser Dukat has on his person, which he promptly uses a short time later to steal a shuttlecraft, stranding Sisko.

More Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stupidity
Stargate: Atlantis picture

Show generally

Stupidity: Characters repeatedly make note of how hard to kill the Wraith are, but sometimes, especially in the final episode(s) of season 1, they go down easily in a few bullets each, and then don't even regenerate as the characters turn their attentions elsewhere.

More Stargate: Atlantis stupidity
Elementary picture

Alma Matters - S4-E10

Stupidity: Lilly says that she is compiling a criminal case against her employer, who recently had another whistleblower killed. Inconceivably, neither Sherlock nor Joan recognizes that this puts Lilly in mortal danger. (00:06:49 - 00:08:45)

Rich Janis

More Elementary stupidity
Buffy The Vampire Slayer picture

The Harvest (2) - S1-E2

Stupidity: The master goes through all the trouble of making Luke the vessel so Luke can go and kill several people and risk getting the attention of the slayer, when all he had to do is have his minions go out and kidnap a bunch of people and bring them to him and he could've fed off them himself.

brianjr0412

More Buffy The Vampire Slayer stupidity
Stranger Things picture

Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt - S3-E8

Stupidity: SPOILERS AHEAD: It has been a good minute between Hopper killing Grigory and Joyce turning the key. He could have used that time to run as quickly as he can towards her, instead of staring at her for 30 seconds. Also, Dustin didn't have to yell (through the radio) so panicky yet about closing the gate. While Mind Flayer was killing Billy, El and other kids could have used the time to run further again and get another 2-3 minutes, in that time Hopper would surely come to a safe place.

More Stranger Things stupidity
Doctor Who picture

Rose - S1-E1

Stupidity: During the scene at the restaurant, Rose pulls the fire alarm. Then she and the doctor run through the kitchen, past several chefs who just duck and crouch into corners. This would easily be one of the stupidest ideas ever. If there was a fire, they would evacuate out the back door instead of just sitting there waiting to be choked to death. And if they knew about Auton Mickey, running out the back door would also be a lot more logical than just crouching down and waiting to be battered to death.

More Doctor Who stupidity
Hey Arnold! picture

Girl Trouble / School Dance - S3-E18

Stupidity: Girl Trouble: Helga pulls a nasty prank on Arnold in class by gluing feathers to his bottom. Mr. Simmons sees this, but for whatever reason, does not give Helga detention for it. The next day, Helga spills paint on Arnold, then he throws some on her as revenge. Mr. Simmons sees this and gives Arnold detention even though he was simply fighting back at Helga for pushing him too far. Perhaps Mr. Simmons' brain was on vacation those two days. (00:03:16 - 00:08:42)

zenee

More Hey Arnold! stupidity
The Tomorrow People picture

Show generally

Stupidity: The Tomorrow People tend to enjoy walking into and walking out of most scenes rather than teleporting. In particular, when fighting and needing to run away, they'll teleport to get a better fighting vantage instead of teleporting out of the situation.

More The Tomorrow People stupidity
Dallas picture

Winds of Vengeance - S1-E4

Stupidity: A hurricane is causing high winds in Dallas as it was making landfall on the coast. They say "A hurricane is coming!" as if Texas was tiny. Of course, no hurricane has ever hit Dallas, Texas; at its worst, it could be only be a storm by the time it travelled so far inland.

More Dallas stupidity
Hawaii Five-0 picture

He Lokomaika'i Ka Manu O Kaiona - S8-E20

Stupidity: After being stripped of their weapons while looking for terrorists in the jungle, Steve and Catherine meet up with Jerry, who has not had his gear taken, but didn't bring a gun because he's only a consultant. Some time later, after they open some coconuts using a small machete Jerry had on him, they hear gunshots, and go over to investigate, finding two dead hunters. They take a pistol of one of the hunters right before encountering the terrorists. So far, so good. But then to fight the terrorists, Steve has Catherine provide cover fire with the handgun while he attacks them unarmed, and hands Jerry a rock when he asks what he's supposed to do. Why doesn't one of them take the machete? You can still see it on Jerry's back.

More Hawaii Five-0 stupidity
Lethal Weapon picture

Dial M for Murtaugh - S3-E11

Stupidity: Eve, the assassin trying to kill the Senator, tells Cole to move or she'll shoot through him, rather than just shooting him. She already killed an agent by shooting him in the back and had plenty of time to just shoot Cole, so there's no reason for her to avoid killing him.

Bishop73

More Lethal Weapon stupidity
Grey's Anatomy picture

All Eyez on Me - S12-E13

Stupidity: When they are conferring before surgery everyone is keeping scrub except for Avery who has his arms crossed. Shortly afterwards you can see him look around at all his co-stars, realise he screwed up and try to casually raise his arms. (00:15:00)

More Grey's Anatomy stupidity
Altered Carbon picture

Nightmare Alley - S2-E3

Stupidity: "Rei" comes into the circle, having been champing at the bit to "turn him into a smear on the floor." She's wielding a sword, Kovacs is unarmed, and she...slices him a bit, instead of a quick killing blow.

Jon Sandys

More Altered Carbon stupidity
Gilmore Girls picture

Always a Godmother, Never a God - S6-E4

Stupidity: Rory arrives in Star's Hollow for the baptism. She parks presumably near the church. When she gets out of the car, she does not have a purse or car keys in hand. She apparently left the car unlocked and left the keys in it. It's just plain dumb.

Ellexx

More Gilmore Girls stupidity
City on a Hill picture

From Injustice Came the Way to Describe Justice - S1-E5

Stupidity: The police raid an apartment in search of guns. They should have used a ballistic shield for the point man to make entry and hit the apartment with a concussion device (flash-bang). The police officer who took a stomach full of lead would have more than likely survived had they been properly equipped. Ballistic shields have been around since 1977. This story takes place in 1992. (00:49:17)

More City on a Hill stupidity
Agatha Christie's Poirot picture

The Dream - S1-E10

Stupidity: As far as I can tell this is not a problem introduced by the novelization, but already coming from the original story: without Poirot's involvement, called upon by the murderer, the police would not have suspected murder at all, and still would have a witness with a rock solid alibi to talk about The Dream. If they really wanted another witness, they could and should have summoned a psychiatrist and do to them the same stage act they did with Poirot, they would have been much more qualified witnesses to frame it as suicide. Even to Poirot himself, it's the murderer who suggests the thought there could be foul play involved, at all! The plan makes zero sense because Poirot is not the ideal witness and they want to suggest the victim was mentally ill and suicidal, not that someone wanted to kill him.

Sammo

More Agatha Christie's Poirot stupidity

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