Mystery box TV shows can be fantastic when they’re done well, butas the genre becomes oversaturated, it’s hard to ignore the series that lost their sparkwhen they started answering questions. A mystery box show is a series that uses nebulous and sometimes confusing events to slowly craft a larger, overarching story that connects all the characters and plot points through a hidden piece of lore. The secrets at the heart of these stories keep audiences coming back for more, but forcing the audience to live with uncertainty for so long means the narrative payoff has to be good.
Moody mystery TV showshave always done well, and many of these projects lean into the atmospheric effect that plot twists and shocking narrative developments have on the story. More often than not,a mystery box show will have an incredible first seasonthat draws the viewer in. However, this makes it even more disappointing when it’s clear that the writers don’t have the answers. Many of these series aresci-fi TV shows with mystery elements, as this creates opportunities for even more intrigue, allowing series to stall for time if they don’t have a plan to stick the landing.
8Under The Dome (2013–2015)
Stephen King’s Story Was Taken One Step Further On TV
Under the Domeis an underrated Stephen King adaptationthat should be recognized for bringing one of his best works of sci-fi to the screen. Though it’s based on just one novel,Under the Domeran for three seasons on CBS, expanding upon the story and creating new tensions for the narrative to explore. However,the format ofUnder the Domeis better suited to a character studyand examining the breakdown of social structures, as these elements are the best parts of the show.
In the book, the ultimate answer to who put the titular dome over the town, trapping the residents, is fairly cut and dry, if still unexpected. Unfortunately, the final season ofUnder the Domelost faith in its audience and started hitting them over the head with the answers instead of trusting them to pick up on the nuance of the story. It’s still interesting to watchUnder the Dometoday, butin some ways, it’s better to stop after season 1.
Under the Dome (2013–2015)
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7Manifest (2018–2023)
Manifest Took The Plane Crash Narrative & Flipped It On Its Head
Fans ofOnce Upon A Timewill recognize the start ofManifest, Josh Dallas, who plays Ben Stone, one of the passengers on the flight inManifestthat has gone missing for over five years. Drawing immediate comparisons toLost, one of the most popular mystery box TV shows of all time,Manifesteventually distinguished itself and created an interesting narrative that was unlike anything else. It helped that the premise ofManifestwas both scary and enthralling, as well as balanced by typical relationship dynamics and dramas.
However, by the end of the third installment,Manifestwasn’t as popular as it once was, thanks to the increasingly supernatural events that could be surprising. Luckily,after being canceled by NBC following season 3,Manifestwas revived by Netflixfor one more season, allowing the show to provide a more satisfying ending than it might have otherwise. Though still a little out there, the conclusion ofManifesthelped make up for some of the less logical story choices made throughout the show.
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6Big Little Lies (2017–Present)
After An Incredible Season 1, Big Little Lies Lost Some Momentum
Nicole Kidman, one of the stars ofBig Little Lies, recently confirmed that the drama would be returning for a third season, despite the fall-off in quality and ratings from season 2. While the second installment wasn’t terrible, it didn’t live up to the tightly woven story of season 1 that first captured viewers' and critics' attention. Based on the book by Liane Moriarty,Big Little Liesintertwined the lives of a group of young mothers living seemingly idyllic lives who all harbored terrible secrets.
It’s a dark story, and not always easy to watch, but as the tension mounted throughout season 1,Big Little Liesonly became more compelling. However, whilethe reveal in the final episode was necessary,it lessened some of the drama that season 2 could’ve boasted. There were still secrets that the women had to keep in season 2, but the most important characters were sharing information, which meant there were fewer opportunities to shock audiences.
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5Lost (2004–2010)
As One Of The Greatest Mystery Box Shows Of All Time, Lost Is A Subject Of Intense Debate
There’s a lot to love aboutLost, the iconic mystery, sci-fi, survival seriesthat defied expectations and genre conventions while infuriating audiences until the very end. Whether viewers are debating what really happened in the series finale or still wondering how time travel was possible on the island, there’s plenty to question when it comes to the story and lore ofLost. However, one of the most compelling parts ofLostwas coming up with theories about what secrets the island held and what the truth of the plane crash was.
Unfortunately,Loststarted to stagger under the weight of its many conflicting plot developmentsand twists as the show became more interested in surprising the audience than telling a coherent story at times. This came through in moments like the flash-forward reveal and the identity of the smoke monster connecting back to the island’s ability to move in time.Lostseason 1 is a near-perfect season of television because it prioritizes character, and the viewer has the opportunity to decide the meaning of certain moments for themselves.
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4Westworld (2016-2022)
Westworldis asci-fi TV show that never got closure, which was unfortunate considering how much potential there was for the series to flourish. There were some unforgettable reveals at the end of season 1 that could’ve set up an incredible series arc. However,Westworldplayed its hand too early in some cases, forcing the writers to come up with narrative turns that didn’t fit with the rest of the story. ThoughWestworldstarted to find its footing by season 4,the series was tragically cut short.
Where the story might have gone in season 5 is anyone’s guess. There was still a lot of story to tell, especially when it came to Dolores, the host the narrative had followed since the beginning. Throughout its run,Westworldearned lots of critical and audience praise because it pushed itself to be different from other sci-fi projects. However, the high stakes and intense mystery of season 1 remained unmatched.
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3Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Twin Peaks Season 2 Was Ruined By Outside Intervention
WhileTwin Peaks: The Returnmade up for many of the mistakes that plaguedTwin Peaksseason 2, it’s widely accepted that the second installment of the iconic mystery series doesn’t align with the essential message of the project. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost,Twin Peakschanged the shape of the mystery box genre forever,as Lynch was not a filmmaker who was afraid to leave the audience with more questions than answers. This was part of the beauty ofTwin Peaksand why solving Laura Palmer’s murder was such a mistake.
Though season 2 was disappointing, this doesn’t change how importantTwin Peakshas been for the genre.
Bob Iger is largely responsible for ruiningTwin Peaksseason 2, as the executive put pressure on Lynch and the creative team to give concrete answers to what happened to Laura and copy a typical crime procedural format (viaCollider). Of course, the traditional crime drama was the antithesis of the surreal and emotional nature ofTwin Peaks, as the answers to who was behind Laura’s murder were interesting but never the point of the story. Though season 2 was disappointing, this doesn’t change how importantTwin Peakshas been for the genre.
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2Heroes (2006–2010)
Heroes Never Got The Chance To Explore All Of Its Potential
After the amazing story and thrilling mysteries thatHeroesseason 1 promised, it was surprising that the series started flagging so quickly. While not all the problems thatHeroesfaced were the fault of the series, as it suffered due to the 2007-2008 WGA strike, there were some parts of the narrative that were always going to be difficult to clear up. The idea forHeroeswas brilliant on its own, as the superhero genre was still emerging, andit was fun to see regular people suddenly grappling with strange powers.
However,Heroesadded too many unnecessarily complex additions to the story and focused on the wrong parts of the plot, becoming repetitive in the later years.A series likeHeroesneeds to have a strict and well-developed loreand backstory, but the show lacked this from the start. At first, this was exciting, as there was so much potential for where the characters and narrative would go. Unfortunately,Heroesstarted relying on genre tropes instead of sticking to what made it so original.
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1Yellowjackets (2021–Present)
There’s still time forYellowjacketsto turn around the confusionand uncertainty surrounding some of its biggest questions before the series ends. Having just completed its third season,Yellowjacketsused its third installment to answer some pressing questions about the nature of the wild and the team’s future in the wilderness. However, many of these answers were a letdown, as Tai’s vision of the no-eyed man and Shauna’s increasingly intense behavior weren’t the big twists viewers were necessarily hoping for.
We still don’t understand the real power of the wild and what’s driving these women to murder for three seasons.
ThoughYellowjackets' viewership has stayed strong, every season has only made the story’s direction more convoluted and introduced additional characters and plot points. There are major questions that have yet to be answered. We still don’t understand the real power of the wild and what’s driving these women to murder for three seasons. However, audiences and critics are ready to find out the truth, as long as this truth delivers more of a payoff than recent reveals inYellowjackets.
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