Not every successful show gets everything right, and when it comes to CGI, mistakes can be tough to ignore. Even award-winning and fan-favorite series have had visual blunders that totally broke the immersion, watered down the emotional impact of key scenes, and, in more serious cases, turned into running jokes online. Whatever the reason, these moments ended up dragging down the overall quality of the series. And because they happened in such highly praised productions, they stuck out even more. When the visual effects fall flat, no matter how strong the story is, the audience picks up on it.
Here are 10 of the worst CGI moments in TV shows that, overall, have always been known for their quality. However, in these cases, the effects did more harm than good.
1) The Walking Dead
Before it started to have its ups and downs, The Walking Dead was one of the most famous and talked-about shows for a long time. The story was engaging, the characters were complex, and it had both drama and horror, but one moment that stuck out in a negative way was the infamous CGI deer in Season 7. The scene, which was supposed to be very dramatic, ended up becoming a joke on the internet due to the absurd rendering of the animal, which looked like it had been pasted onto the screen without any care for lighting, depth, or proportion. In a series that had already managed to create a convincing digital tiger like Ezekiel’s Shiva, the deer stood out absurdly and undermined the credibility of an episode that depended on the emotion of the moment.
2) Lost
Lost was another great series that spanned generations (largely due to the controversy surrounding its ending as well). But the truth is that despite always being ambitious in scope, it didn’t always deliver technically what it set out to do. One of the most criticized moments was the famous submarine scene in Season 5. The vehicle, essential to the plot at that point, simply looked like it came out of a PS2 game. The plastic texture, rigid movement, and poor integration with the water completely took away the weight that the scene should have had. When the reality of the island begins to seem artificial, the suspension of disbelief is easily broken. And for a show that always valued the visual impact of its big moments, this slip-up is especially disappointing.
3) House of the Dragon
This also applies to Game of Thrones, but in House of the Dragon it is even more relevant since the focus is on dragons. Even with a robust budget and cinematic ambitions, the show still stumbles at specific moments involving scenes where the Targaryens are riding their creatures. But the problem is not with the models, which are detailed and impressive in general, but with the way they interact with the characters. The integration between the actor and the dragon seems artificial: the camera movements are too smooth, the background does not respond to the expected physics, and often the lighting does not match between the rider and the dragon. Plus, some aerial maneuvers feel stiff here and there, as if there is a lack of fluidity between the animation and the editing.
4) Supernatural
The CW series had their moments of tremendous success, as was the case with Supernatural. However, the introduction of the Leviathans in Season 7, which had the potential to renew the mythology of the universe, was lost due to one of the worst uses of CGI ever. The characters’ mouths opened in a very grotesque and artificial way, with poorly rendered digital jaws that looked more like a video game glitch than a scary transformation. The result was comical and ended up ruining some of the dark tone that the season was supposed to establish. Besides, to make matters worse, the Leviathans’ visual effects were repetitive and lacked physical weight. With each appearance, the scene became harder to take seriously.
5) Doctor Who
The return of Doctor Who with Ncuti Gatwa brought new ideas and renewed energy, but also babies with CGI that was, quite frankly, bizarre. In the episode “Space Babies” from Season 14, the attempt to create digitally animated faces on talking newborns resulted in one of the most disconcerting visuals in the series’ history. Doing something like this is not unheard of in the world of audiovisual productions, but here, the expressions were out of sync with the speech, with floating mouths and eyes that did not react naturally, giving the characters an almost disturbing appearance. For a show that usually handles absurdity well, this look went beyond what was acceptable even for the most tolerant fans. The scene clearly wanted to mix humor and cuteness, but it all came across as weird and unfunny.
6) Once Upon a Time
In terms of CGI, there is a lot to talk about in Once Upon a Time (even though, over time, fans have come to consider the visuals as the series’ own style). However, some details are too much to overlook. Some say that the worst moment was in the season finale with the castle and all the characters inside it. However, creatures such as dragons, trolls, and other magical elements that appeared throughout the seasons have generic textures and animations that seem to have been done in a hurry. The show was a hit with audiences during its run and was nominated for awards, but the CGI was of extremely low quality (even by TV standards at the time). Unfortunately, instead of enhancing the sense of fantasy in the universe, this turned scenes that should have been epic into visually embarrassing moments.
7) The Flash
The Flash was one of the most beloved series in the superhero genre (and everyone knows it even with its divisive finale), but that doesn’t mean it was immune to bad CGI. In Season 7, the clash between Flash himself and Fuerza is one of the most criticized moments. The villain, with her monstrous form and disproportionate musculature, looked like an unfinished video game character. The design was confusing, with textures that didn’t blend well with the environment and the famous stiff movements that undermined any attempt to convey real threat. For someone who was supposed to represent a brute force of nature, the visual result ended up being more laughable than imposing. Plus, it gets even worse when you consider the limited fight choreography, with moments when Fuerza grabbed or threw Flash looking totally disconnected as if they were in different spaces.
8) Cobra Kai
CGI has never been a problem for Cobra Kai, but everyone who watched the series knows that the digital recreation of Mr. Miyagi in Season 6 was something inexplicable. The production used deepfake technology and AI to bring back Pat Morita’s face, mixed with the performance of a stunt double and the voice of another actor. But although the actor’s family approved, the result ended up clashing with the overall quality of the show. Many fans felt that the artificial image not only broke the immersion, but also sounded like a forced attempt to revive a character who deserved to be respected more naturally. Overall, technically, the effect was unconvincing and created an uncomfortable feeling, not to mention the debates on the internet about it.
9) Arrow
Even for a show that has always operated on a tight budget, Arrow (and the Arrowverse) has managed to deliver good practical action scenes and build a loyal fan base. However, one specific moment has become symbolic of everything that can go wrong when you rely on CGI. In the crossover episode “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2,” Oliver Queen is attacked by a boomerang and saved by Barry Allen, but the problem is that everything is resolved with digital models of the two heroes that look like they were taken from a 2000s video game cutscene. Barry moves in slow motion in a completely artificial way, and Oliver, holding his bow, remains oddly static, almost like a paused animation waiting to resume. Also, the arrow itself is rendered with a false glow and no realistic interaction with the environment. The physics are unconvincing, the positioning of the characters is strange, and the background lighting doesn’t match.
10) The Sopranos
Considered the foundation of the Golden Age of TV, The Sopranos made history, but few moments in the series were as controversial as the digital recreation of Livia in Season 3 after Nancy Marchand’s death. The actress’s face was digitally pasted onto a different body, with limited expressions and movements that bordered on disturbing. The intention was to give the character closure, but the result was so unnatural that it became a technical low point in a show that was otherwise flawless in almost every way. Instead of moving viewers, the CGI caused discomfort and became a prime example of what not to do when an actor dies in the middle of production. Even considering the resources available at the time, the execution was flawed and completely at odds with the raw, realistic aesthetic of the rest of the series.
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