5) The Simpsons – “Lisa Goes Gaga”
It is no secret that the once majestic The Simpsons is now quite a way past its prime, though many hardcore fans have stuck with the show. However, even those who tuned in all the way through the middling output of the 2000s were turned off by this clunker from 2012.
In “Lisa Goes Gaga,” none other than – you’ll never guess – Lady Gaga comes to Springfield and befriends Lisa and… Well, that’s pretty much it for the plot. Instead of the usual Simpsons satire or character comedy, it’s basically just an extended commercial for the eccentric pop star.
A shameless attempt to piggyback off the singer’s popularity to give the ailing show some extra media attention, The Simpsons can occasionally still offer something great, but this one was lazy, dumb and, most damningly, not very funny.
4) Buffy The Vampire Slayer – “Beer Bad”
In this, the far and away weakest episode of the usually fantastic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy drinks too much of some magically-spiked beer and becomes a caveman. Because alcohol is bad, kids.
Buffy’s best episodes used the supernatural side of the plot to mirror the everyday struggles of teen life, yet without it ever becoming preachy. “Beer Bad,” however, has as much subtlety as a mallet to the head. All the episode has to say is literally there in the title.
Apparently, it came about as the production team needed some cash and so they made a more moralistic episode to get funds from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. However, the organization turned them down because they didn’t think the message was clear enough. Go figure.
