10 TV Plotlines That Got Erased Without Explanation
Sometimes, shows just hit the delete key and hope we won’t notice.
- Alyana Aguja
- 3 min read
TV shows juggle dozens of storylines at once, but not all of them make it to the finish line. Whether it’s because of cast changes, writer turnover, or plain indecision, some arcs simply vanish without a trace. These sudden erasures leave audiences puzzled, sometimes amused, and often wondering what could’ve been.
1. Dawn’s Key in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Dawn Summers was introduced as “The Key” in Season 5, a mystical energy source disguised as Buffy’s sister. After an entire season built around protecting her, the show gradually abandoned the storyline, treating her more like a typical teen. No one ever really revisited the cosmic importance that justified her very existence.
2. The Pine Barrens Mystery in The Sopranos
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In one of the most iconic episodes, Paulie and Christopher chase a Russian man into the snowy woods — only to lose him. Viewers waited seasons for some closure on whether he lived or died, but The Sopranos never circled back. David Chase admitted he had no intention of resolving it, which made the silence even louder.
3. Walt’s Powers in Lost
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Walt was hinted to have supernatural abilities early on — animals behaved oddly around him, and he seemed to have premonitions. However, as the seasons progressed, the show wrote him out and never addressed the mystery. The writers admitted they simply didn’t know what to do with his character.
4. Donna’s Sister in That ‘70s Show
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In the pilot episode, Donna mentions her sister, who even appears on screen. Then she vanishes from the show, never mentioned again — not even in passing. It’s like she was retconned out of existence with no explanation to the audience.
5. Michael’s Mysterious Backstory in Jane the Virgin
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Michael’s past was teased with vague references to family issues and a secret or two that could change everything. Then he dies, comes back, loses his memory, and those old threads are never followed up. His mysterious beginnings are quietly replaced by newer dramatic twists.
6. Ryan’s Baby in The Office
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Kelly fakes a pregnancy and later claims to have had Ryan’s baby offscreen in Season 8. Then, the two vanish from Scranton, and the baby? Never seen, never heard about again. It becomes another casualty of the show’s rotating cast and shifting focus.
7. Luke’s Daughter in Gilmore Girls
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Luke discovers in Season 6 that he has a 12-year-old daughter named April, who suddenly becomes a major plot point. Then, after the show’s original run and especially in the revival, April is almost completely erased. Her existence barely gets a footnote despite the big drama she caused.
8. Topanga’s Hippie Parents in Boy Meets World
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Topanga originally had quirky, free-spirited parents who embraced tie-dye and tofu. However, a few seasons in, her dad is suddenly a buttoned-up businessman, and her mom’s character changes, too. The original personalities are dropped without any nod to their sudden transformation.
9. Rachel’s Dog in Friends
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Rachel owns a cute white dog statue and even mentions having a dog as a child, but it’s established in another episode that she’s terrified of dogs. Her brief mention of owning one is never acknowledged again. It’s a small slip, but one that contradicts her supposed phobia.
10. Aidan’s Engagement Ring in Sex and the City
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Aidan proposes to Carrie with a ring she hates, which leads to them taking a break. However, the ring itself, which was such a big deal, just disappears from the narrative. By the next season, it’s like it never existed, even though it represented the central conflict of their relationship.