Season 1 had me absolutely captivated and obsessed with this world. Season 2 was also pretty good, but everything started going downhill when they started introducing unneeded side plots and characters. Season 3 was just a mess, and season 4 was just empty and *boring*.

I sincerely believe the downfall of this show began when they veered away from the character's internal struggles (and the introduction of the sci-fi elements didn't help either). That's why season 1 was the best, because everyone was being torn up inside trying to survive and make decisions they could live with in an unforgiving, ruthless world.

[spoiler]Then the Smiths allowed their son to be murdered and Julianna killed Joe even though she *knew* he'd been brainwashed by the Nazi's. She'd risked her life for him S01, because she knew deep down he was a good guy in an impossible position, and then did a 180 an decided he was unredeemable (it made no sense and I'm still very pissed about it).[/spoiler]

And, suddenly, there was no more internal struggles. Everyone was either good or evil and there were no more grey zones. A show like this one, where the human spirit is at the center of it all, thrives in the grey zone. That muddled area where bad things are done for good reasons, and viceversa. Where you empathize with the antihero. Where survival and morality are at constantly at odds. Where you struggle with deciding what *you* would do if you found yourself in that situation.

We had a good thing going, and it got thoroughly ruined. Another series to chuck in the ==disappointing== pile.