Ensemble casts in TV shows are nothing new. With a plethora of characters to work with, there seems to be an unlimited number of interactions and storylines for a series to explore. Despite these story possibilities, having too many characters can be overwhelming. Fans struggle to remember the plotlines of everyone.
Additionally, side characters can hijack the plot from a protagonist, forcing audiences to sit through a storyline they aren't nearly as invested in. When viewers are more focused on trying to recall the characters' names than they are on the actual story, that's when a show can run into trouble.
The Shameless and Band of Brothers trailers contain mature language
10 Band Of Brothers' Environment Is Made More Complicated By The Number Of Men
HBO's Band of Brothers was without a doubt one of the most underrated and gripping retellings of a war story. Unfortunately, the naturally chaotic plot of the show made it harder to keep track of its numerous characters.
Audiences could follow Major Richard Winters and his tribulations to lead the Easy Company to victory in a war-torn continent. However, it was immensely challenging to keep track of Band of Brothers' minor characters. It doesn't make things easier when all the men are in similar uniforms. That, combined with the hectic nature of war, meant understanding and remembering each character was too much.
9 Shameless' Family Drama Was Hard To Navigate With So Many Gallaghers
While having multiple family members certainly contributed to the endless chaos of Shameless, it could also make it tricky to keep track of each character's development. There were the Gallaghers, the other South Side residents, friends, bosses, and love interests. Many characters often had tumultuous arcs that weren't given enough time to be fully fleshed out.
For example, Lip's affair with his professor felt unexplored, as there was no real payoff in the end. When the relationship was eventually exposed, he drunkenly broke into her home. After this encounter, the professor was never seen again, leaving the storyline hanging. The Gallaghers were often meeting minor characters who would only appear in a few episodes.
8 Young Justice's Focus Kept Switching To Different Characters
Young Justice had no shortage of fascinating characters, but that was also to its detriment. With so many dynamic personalities and powers, there were bound to be some heroes who had much more screen time.
Characters like Zatanna were sidelined for multiple episodes of Blue Beetle grappling with control of his Scarab's artificial intelligence. While the initial conflict was interesting, the repetitive mental and physical battle became boring to watch. The storyline turned even more sour because other characters with more interesting arcs were being neglected.
7 Under The Dome Had Too Many Characters To Keep Track Of
It might have been far easier to keep track of Under the Dome's numerous characters in Stephen King's novel, but in a show, it was nearly impossible. When reading, audiences have the advantage of learning about specific details of multiple characters at their own pace, but television doesn't provide them with that luxury.
Viewers were drawn into Under the Dome's unique plot, but they couldn't relate to identify with its characters. While people like Junior Rennie and the monstrous Big Jim were bound to stick out, other characters were completely overshadowed. Fans who haven't read King's book probably struggled to keep up with the numerous characters.
6 Modern Family's Children Were Sometimes Left Out Of The Picture
Modern Family's plotlines were easy enough to keep up with. However, with three different families at the center of the show, there were always some members who didn't get as much attention. Even if audiences could keep up with the multi-layered dynamics, it's clear that some families took over Modern Family's focus.
Cam and Mitchell's storylines were usually front and center as the two navigated the ups and downs of being new parents. Similarly, Gloria and Jay's atypical romance lent a lot of comedic material. With so many children thrown into the mix, characters like Alex and Luke didn't get nearly as much screen time. The Dunphy children often felt like accessories to the adults' story arcs.
5 The Walking Dead Kept Introducing Characters Just To Kill Them
The Walking Dead was wildly popular for many seasons because of its graphic nature and intense premise, but after a while, fans began to realize a trend with its characters. The Walking Dead was constantly introducing multiple characters just to kill them off, and then brought in new characters, who met the same grisly fate.
Although a show like The Walking Dead thrived with its gory nature, having numerous characters enter the picture only to be killed eventually lessened fans' investment in their stories. Deaths like Beth sacrificing herself to let Noah escape were undercut by the fact that Noah also later died. It was challenging to root for any of these characters when it felt like they were replaceable.
4 Fans Lost Track Of All The Characters In Lost
Many unlikely scenarios occurred in Lost, but perhaps one of the most improbable was the dozens of survivors in the plane crash that strands the characters. Fans already had their hands full with the initial group of survivors introduced in Episode 1.
The cast only became more complicated. It was revealed that even more passengers had survived the crash and were on a separate part of the island. Although Lost placed much of the focus on Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and a few others, there were so many people to learn about that it was almost a relief when several of them were killed off.
3 The Characters In Game Of Thrones Just Kept Coming
A harsh reality of watching Game of Thrones is that it takes at least one season to learn who everyone is. There were so many characters introduced that it took a decent chunk of time to learn who was worth paying attention to.
It didn't help when many of the characters also had multiple names and titles. Even the characters' swords had their own specific names. Learning the complicated family tree of the Lannisters and Starks was only half the battle when there were also the Targaryens, the Tyrells, the Freys, and everyone in between.
2 Fans Never Knew Most Of the Inmates In Orange Is The New Black
Orange is the New Black may have had one of the most memorable ensemble casts in Netflix history, but the characters weren't easy to keep track of. While audiences were gradually made aware of Piper, Alex, Taystee, Red, and a few others, there were too many inmates at Litchfield Correctional Facility.
Although Orange is the New Black tried to devote each episode to a different character's personality and background, it was still challenging to recall every minor character. Just when fans finally started to get everyone straight, the characters were moved to a different facility where a whole new slew of inmates awaited them.
1 Entire Episodes Of My Hero Academia Center On Heroes That Fans Rarely See Again
It's no doubt My Hero Academia is one of the most popular modern anime out there, but many fans feel like they still haven't gotten a solid grasp on every single character. Even though main character Midoriya is introduced to 19 other super students in his class, the characters don't stop there.
There's Class 2-B to consider, the upperclassman, the students he meets on internships, and the long line-up of Pro Heroes and villains. Moreover, a few minor characters get entire episodes devoted to them when some members in Class 1-A have yet to receive substantial focus. It's difficult to rally behind a whole episode devoted to Tamaki or Gentle Criminal when there are people like Kirishima, Uraraka, or Yaoyorozu who deserve some time in the spotlight.