5 TV Scenarios We Would’ve Handled Differently

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. So is foresight, come to think of it. (By which we mean the gift of knowing what’s coming, not the popular TV host Bruce.)

Part of the fun of TV, especially deep diving into box sets is (let’s face it) sitting in judgement. Some of the juiciest moments in modern TV come from character flaws, warped intentions and bad decisions.

So sit back, fold those arms, narrow those eyes, and join us as we judge characters in some of our favourite shows...

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Where to start with this one? The witty, award-winning musical/comedy series kicks off with Rachel Bunch (Rebecca Bloom, star and creator of the show) following an ex from New York to California. Her stalking, conniving and general bad choices lead to unhappy scenarios and catchy songs. (We especially recommend Sexy Getting Ready Song.)

Orange is the New Black
When this hugely popular comedy/drama first started, its central character Piper (Taylor Schilling) won our sympathy: Her middle class existence was destroyed by long forgotten, stupid mistakes of her youth and she spent the rest of the series in jail.

However, in subsequent years she became more devious, and braver, leading to some wildly selfish and stupid decisions. It made for great TV, but in real life we’d be giving her a stern talking to.

Revenge
The soapy vengeance series Revenge mixed glamour and luxury with backstabbing and crime. It followed Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) as she planned to take down the rich and powerful Grayson family. But as the old adage goes, if you’re plotting revenge, dig two graves. When we met Emily, she’s just inherited a posh house in the Hamptons and a rake of money. Sure, she’s been wronged in the past, but we’d sooner spend time learning to surf than planning an elaborate takedown of a Kennedy-esque family. But hey, that’s just us.

Lost
Lost, a genuine TV phenomenon in its day, took place on a mysterious tropical island where a passenger plane crashed. Conspiracy theories, infighting and (ahem) a smoke monster followed. Of course, with the gift of hindsight, we probably wouldn’t have boarded that plane. But bad decisions abounded in that show, as characters were driven to murder, switching allegiances and trusting the wrong people. Fun show though.

How I Met Your Mother
A long-running, often hilarious sitcom, How I Met Your Mother followed Ted Mosby as he pursued love in New York. His endless romanticism led to some wild decisions, including breaking hearts, declaring love too soon and (gulp) leaving a woman at the altar. Not the kind of guy you’d like dating your sister, but definitely the kind of person to build a comedy show around.

Lost and Revenge are available On Demand. Orange is the New Black, How I Met Your Mother and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are available on Netflix.