TV Shows That Were Review-Bombed by Anti-Woke Internet Trolls

In the digital age, television shows often face challenges beyond production hurdles and critical scrutiny. Review-bombing has become a common tactic where coordinated groups flood review platforms with negative ratings to protest perceived political or social agendas. This phenomenon is frequently directed at series that feature diverse casting, LGBTQ+ themes, or feminist narratives. While these campaigns can skew audience scores on sites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, they often contrast sharply with professional critical reception. The following list highlights several high-profile television series that were subjected to these coordinated internet campaigns.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022– )

This high-budget fantasy series, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, explores the Second Age of Middle-earth. Shortly after its release, the show was met with a surge of one-star reviews on various platforms due to its diverse casting choices. Many users complained about “forced diversity” and perceived deviations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material. In response, Amazon temporarily disabled user ratings to allow their systems to filter out illegitimate reviews. The production team and several cast members publicly addressed the harassment they faced during this period.

‘The Acolyte’ (2024)

Set in the High Republic era, this Disney+ series introduced new characters and lore to the ‘Star Wars’ universe. The show immediately became a target for review-bombing, with thousands of negative reviews appearing shortly after the premiere. Many of these critiques focused on the diverse lead cast and themes that some viewers perceived as politically motivated. The discrepancy between the high critical scores and the low audience ratings was widely reported in entertainment news. Some users even mistakenly review-bombed a similarly titled 2008 film, ‘Acolytes’, in their haste to protest the series.

‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ (2022)

This Marvel Studios series, ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’, followed Jennifer Walters as she balanced her life as a lawyer and a superhero. Before the first episode even aired, the show was subjected to a wave of one-star reviews on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Trolls targeted the show’s feminist themes and the character’s direct fourth-wall-breaking commentary on toxic fan culture. Many users dismissed the series as “woke propaganda” without having viewed the full season. Despite the online campaign, the show’s creative team continued to lean into these meta-commentaries throughout the series.

‘The Last of Us’ (2023– )

While this adaptation of the popular ‘The Last of Us’ video game received widespread critical acclaim, certain episodes were heavily targeted by negative user ratings. Specifically, the third episode titled “Long, Long Time” saw a massive influx of low scores due to its depiction of a romantic relationship between two men. Reviewers on several platforms labeled the episode as “agenda-driven” despite the source material featuring the same characters. The series overall maintained high viewership, but these coordinated efforts significantly impacted the average audience scores for specific segments. This incident highlighted the ongoing tension between creative adaptations and certain segments of the internet.

‘Ms. Marvel’ (2022)

This Disney+ series, ‘Ms. Marvel’, introduced Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager who gains superpowers. The show was review-bombed almost immediately upon its release, with critics noting a high volume of one-star ratings on IMDb. Many of these negative reviews were attributed to the protagonist’s cultural background and the show’s focus on diverse representation. Despite the bombing, the series received high marks from professional critics for its visual style and Iman Vellani’s performance. The backlash was widely seen as a continuation of coordinated attacks on female-led Marvel projects.

‘Velma’ (2023–2024)

This adult animated reimagining of the ‘Scooby-Doo’ franchise generated controversy for its race-swapped lead characters and adult humor. While ‘Velma’ received negative critiques for its writing and tone, it was also heavily targeted by an organized anti-woke campaign. Many of the low audience scores were specifically focused on the diversity of the cast and the show’s subversion of traditional tropes. The extreme volume of negative user ratings made it one of the lowest-rated shows on several major review aggregators. This coordinated backlash occurred simultaneously with legitimate critical disappointment in the series.

‘Queen Cleopatra’ (2023)

This Netflix docuseries executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith faced a massive wave of backlash for casting a Black actress as the Egyptian ruler. The audience score for ‘Queen Cleopatra’ plummeted to record lows on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb within days of its debut. While historical accuracy was a primary talking point for critics, the series was also swept up in broader anti-woke internet discourse. Many of the user reviews contained aggressive rhetoric regarding the “erasure” of Greek heritage. This controversy led to official complaints from Egyptian authorities and a significant amount of internet trolling.

‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ (2021)

Showrunner Kevin Smith’s revival of the classic 80s cartoon was met with significant backlash from a subset of the fanbase. These viewers were angered by the decision to focus the narrative on Teela rather than He-Man himself. Coordinated review-bombing campaigns targeted ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ for “bait-and-switch” marketing and for being too focused on female empowerment. Despite the backlash from these groups, the series was praised by critics for its animation and character depth. The production team defended the narrative choices as a way to expand the lore of the franchise.

‘Watchmen’ (2019)

Damon Lindelof’s sequel to the iconic ‘Watchmen’ graphic novel explored systemic racism and historical trauma in America. The pilot episode’s depiction of the Tulsa race massacre led to a surge of negative user ratings from those claiming the show was “too political.” Many viewers criticized the series for departing from the original source material’s focus to address modern social issues. Despite these coordinated efforts to lower its audience score, the show became a massive critical success. It eventually won multiple Emmy Awards, proving to be one of the most celebrated limited series of its year.

‘Batwoman’ (2019–2022)

This CW series, ‘Batwoman’, introduced Kate Kane as the first lesbian superhero to lead a live-action television show. From the release of its first trailer, the project was met with intense scrutiny and organized negative rating campaigns. Many commenters labeled the show as “social justice warrior” content and criticized the casting of Ruby Rose. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes remained significantly lower than the critical average throughout its run. This pattern continued when Javicia Leslie took over the lead role, bringing more diversity to the protagonist.

‘Doctor Who’ (2005– )

The long-running British science fiction series, ‘Doctor Who’, has frequently been a target of review-bombing during its recent seasons. This was particularly evident during the tenure of Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor and later with the casting of Ncuti Gatwa. Anti-woke trolls frequently flooded review sites with complaints about the show’s increasingly diverse cast and inclusive storylines. Many of these campaigns focused on the “destruction of legacy” they attributed to showrunners Chris Chibnall and Russell T Davies. Despite the digital backlash, the series continues to reach a global audience through new partnerships with Disney+.

‘Willow’ (2022–2023)

This Disney+ sequel to the 1988 fantasy film was met with a divided reception that was exacerbated by review-bombing. A significant portion of the negative user ratings for ‘Willow’ focused on the inclusion of a prominent LGBTQ+ romance between two female lead characters. Trolls often used the “woke” label to dismiss the show’s updated tone and diverse ensemble cast. While some fans had genuine issues with the series’ pacing and writing, the sheer volume of one-star reviews suggested a coordinated effort. The show was eventually removed from the streaming platform as part of a content purge.

‘Resident Evil’ (2022)

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic ‘Resident Evil’ game franchise faced immediate hostility from certain online groups. Much of the criticism was directed at the casting of Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker and the focus on his teenage daughters. Review-bombing campaigns targeted the series for what they called “unnecessary diversity” and a departure from the game’s lore. This led to a very low audience score on major aggregators, which contrasted with a more mixed critical reception. The series was ultimately canceled after just one season following the intense backlash and declining viewership.

‘Santa Inc.’ (2021)

This adult animated stop-motion series starring Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman faced one of the most extreme cases of review-bombing. The show, ‘Santa Inc.’, satirizes holiday traditions through a feminist lens and was met with thousands of one-star reviews almost instantly. Many of the negative comments were politically charged and personal in nature, targeting the lead actors’ perceived ideologies. Seth Rogen publicly commented on the situation, suggesting that the bombing was the work of trolls and extremist groups. The audience scores for the series remain among the lowest ever recorded on several platforms.

‘Anne Boleyn’ (2021)

This three-part psychological thriller reimagines the final months of the titular queen’s life. The decision to cast Black actress Jodie Turner-Smith in ‘Anne Boleyn’ sparked a massive international backlash and heavy review-bombing on IMDb. Thousands of users gave the show a one-star rating before it had even finished its initial broadcast. Critics of the casting claimed the show was historically inaccurate, while others used the situation to fuel anti-woke narratives online. Despite the controversy, Turner-Smith’s performance was highlighted by professional critics as a strong point of the production.

‘A League of Their Own’ (2022)

This Prime Video series serves as a reimagining of the 1992 film, focusing on the stories of women of color and queer athletes. While ‘A League of Their Own’ was widely praised by critics for its depth and representation, it was also a major target for coordinated review-bombing. Trolls criticized the show for being “overly political” and for focusing on social issues that they felt were absent from the original movie. The audience score was noticeably suppressed by these negative campaigns during its initial release weeks. The show built a passionate cult following despite the digital attempts to discredit its narrative.

‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ (2022)

This prequel miniseries set in the world of ‘The Witcher’ was released to a wave of intense user criticism. While professional reviews for ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ were lukewarm, the audience scores were significantly lower due to organized review-bombing. Many users targeted the show’s diverse casting and what they perceived as “woke writing” that deviated from Andrzej Sapkowski’s books. The series became one of the lowest-rated entries in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. This backlash occurred amidst larger fan frustrations regarding the main series and the departure of lead actor Henry Cavill.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (2017–2024)

This series marked the return of the franchise to television and was met with significant online pushback from its inception. Review-bombing campaigns frequently targeted ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ for its diverse lead cast and the inclusion of the franchise’s first non-binary and trans characters. Critics of the series often used the term “woke” to disparage the narrative focus on social issues and representation. Despite these coordinated efforts to suppress audience scores, the show successfully completed five seasons. The show’s influence led to a broader expansion of the ‘Star Trek’ universe with several additional spin-off series.

‘The Sandman’ (2022– )

This Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic graphic novel series faced a coordinated effort to lower its user ratings upon release. Trolls specifically targeted the show for its diverse casting and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters who were originally portrayed differently in the comics. Neil Gaiman himself took to social media to defend the casting choices against these “anti-woke” complaints. Despite the influx of one-star reviews, ‘The Sandman’ was a significant commercial and critical success for the streaming platform. It was eventually renewed for a second season, proving the resilience of the production against online backlash.

Please share your thoughts on these targeted audience scores and the impact of review-bombing in the comments.