The show never managed to deal with the loss of Steve Carell, and the James Spader-led eighth season is particularly dire
The final episode is incredibly ambiguous, cutting to black abruptly and not resolving what happens to the lead character
After the 4th season departures of Aaron Sorkin and Rob Lowe, the show became more plot-heavy, with much less humor and warmth
Common depictions of gratuitous sexuality (and sexual violence) mar the serious themes of the show; also, the lighting is often unnecessarily dark
The show's investigative standards sometimes lapsed, most notably in their baseless criticism of the Audi 5000
Nikki and Paulo were poorly written, dislikable characters (the showrunners clearly agreed - they got buried alive)
The show alternates between romanticizing the early 1960s period, and making 'gee, everyone was simple then' jokes about the past
Lorne Michaels' 1980 departure, along with the entire pre-existing cast, led to a very weak Season 6 with few humorous sketches
Lena Dunham's show comes across as very navel-gazing, very white, and full of dislikable characters
The show's quality noticeably diminished once the identity of Laura's murderer was revealed
Keeping track of all the characters is very difficult, especially when they're almost identical in military garb
The hour-long episodes in the show's fourth season are a poor vehicle for the twist-reliant show, leading to virtually no classic episodes
The first season, before Leslie is allowed to come into her own, comes across as a half-baked clone of The Office
The show struggled to adapt in Season 4, when its teen supernatural drama moved to a collegiate setting
Acting on the show - particularly William Shatner's - often tended towards the hammy
Even leaving aside the different actors (of different ages and now genders) who have played the title character, the show pays frustratingly little attention to continuity
Skyler's lack of support for her husband's burgeoning meth empire leads her to come across as a nagging shrew, an impediment to the protagonist's journey
The fifth season, which centers around a fictional serial killer invented by some of the police characters, is too far-fetched for a show that prided itself on gritty realism
The show's depiction of single ladies living in New York City is very unrealistic (Carrie apparently affords her apartment through a once-weekly newspaper column?)
Mike Scully's tenure as showrunner saw the show transition into more absurd situations, making an increasingly boorish Homer the center of a less sitcom-like show
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