Superhero TV shows are notorious for plot holes. Whether it's time travel paradoxes, power inconsistencies, or characters forgetting their own abilities, these series often ask us to overlook logic in favor of spectacle. But some plot holes are just too big to ignore. Here are six superhero shows that broke their own rules.
Moon Knight (2022)
Marvel's Moon Knight introduced a fascinating twist in its Season 1 finale: a third personality named Jake Lockley. While comic fans celebrated, the reveal created a major inconsistency. Earlier in the season, Marc and Steven end up in the afterlife after Marc is shot. They must balance their hearts on the scales of justice by exploring Marc's traumatic past. But Jake never appears in the afterlife. Some fans point to a shaking sarcophagus as a hint, but that doesn't explain why Jake wasn't judged alongside the others. If all three personalities share the same body, Jake should have been present during the judgment. The show glosses over this, leaving a gaping hole in its own mythology.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020)
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started as a close companion to the MCU films, but inconsistencies grew over time. The Darkhold looked completely different from the one in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and time travel rules didn't match Avengers: Endgame. The show tried to stay connected—helping with Age of Ultron and referencing the Sokovia Accords—but Season 7 broke the timeline entirely. Endgame showed a post-snap world in 2023 that was devastated, with overgrown cities and survivors in therapy. Yet Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7, set in 2020, shows a fully rebuilt S.H.I.E.L.D. with no mention of the snap. The show name-drops Thanos and references Infinity War, but ignores the aftermath. You can't have it both ways.
The Flash (2014–2023)
The CW's The Flash is a goldmine of plot holes, but Season 3's Savitar arc stands out. Savitar is revealed to be a future time remnant of Barry, created to fight Savitar and later shunned by Team Flash. The obvious solution: future Barry could simply choose not to create the time remnant. But the show doubles down on the paradox. Team Flash realizes Savitar shares Barry's memories, yet they continue to include Barry in every planning session. This means Savitar knows every plan they make. If they had just kept Barry out of certain conversations, they could have hidden Iris's location. The show ignores this simple fix, making the plot hole even more frustrating.
Loki (2021–2023)
Avengers: Endgame established that changing the past creates new branching timelines, not rewrites. But Loki Season 2 seems to forget this. In the finale, Loki manipulates the past to save the TVA, but the rules of time travel become muddled. The show's own logic about fixed points and free will contradicts the multiverse rules set up in the films. It's a fascinating series, but the time travel mechanics are a mess.
WandaVision (2021)
Wanda's grief arc in WandaVision was powerful, but it was undermined by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In the series, Wanda processes her trauma and seemingly finds peace. Yet in the film, she's back to square one, corrupted by the Darkhold and terrorizing the multiverse. The character development from the show is ignored, creating a jarring inconsistency that breaks the emotional continuity.
Supergirl (2015–2021)
The CW's Supergirl had its share of power inconsistencies. In one episode, Supergirl struggles to lift a plane, but in another, she casually moves planets. The show's rules about Kryptonian powers changed from season to season, often to serve the plot. This lack of consistency made it hard to take the stakes seriously.
For more on superhero storytelling, check out our list of Superhero Movies That Are Definitely Not for Kids or dive into Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. And if you love mind-bending narratives, don't miss Mind Games: 10 Psychological Thrillers That Refuse to Let Go.
