History Main / StarTrekMovieCurse

* With ''Franchise/KamenRider'', the "curse" seems to be attached to shows with a mystic/supernatural theme. ''Series/KamenRiderAmazon'', whose hero got his powers from a {{Mayincatec}} armband rather than AppliedPhlebotinum, was so [[BloodierAndGorier gory]] (albeit by [=1970s=] standards) that the backlash from angry parents ([[CommonKnowledge actually a very disastrous]] ChannelHop) almost [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]]. Decades later, the {{Oni}}-themed ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'' was popular with fans, but had low merch sales and a large production cost, resulting in a {{Retool}} that messed it up so badly that it became one of {{Tokusatsu}}'s most infamous cases of ExecutiveMeddling. The next three supernatural shows, ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', and ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'', are generally held in low regard by the fandom, with ''Ghost'' in particular being viewed as one of the weakest seasons ever made and ''Wizard'' not too far behind[[note]]''Kiva'' doesn't get it quite as bad, mainly because fans tend to hate half the show (the primary plotline set in 2008 and focusing on Kiva) but enjoy the other half (the 1986 plotline focusing on his father)[[/note]]. The second Reiwa-era series, ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'', has the double whammy of being magic-themed ''and'' having the same head writer as ''Ghost'', and while it's agreed to be a step up from ''Ghost'', it had the absolute misfortune of being produced and airing during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, with logistical issues resulting in inconsistent pacing and sales suffering as a result. Afterwards, the demon-themed season ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' initially had a positively received first half, but became more divisive in the second half of the series, though being an anniversary season as well allowed it to be more profitable compared to ''Saber''. Time will tell on how ''Series/KamenRiderGotchard'' will fare as it is an alchemy-themed season.

* The ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' franchise seems to be the opposite; odd-numbered movies (''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'') do well, while even-numbered movies (''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'') are nowhere near as good. The pattern broke after Creator/StevenSpielberg stopped directing the ''Indy'' movies; Creator/JamesMangold's ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' became both the fifth installment and the one with the lowest critical reception. That said, there's still a pattern in which the even-numbered films try to shake up the franchise by doing something different, resulting in a film that gets a mixed reception. Meanwhile, the third and fifth films both try, in their own way, to backpedal on their immediate predecessor and go back to the tried and true ''Raiders'' formula.

* ''Film/TheExorcist'' is considered one of the greatest films of all time. ''Film/TheExorcistIITheHeretic'', on the other hand, is considered one of the worst sequels ever made. ''Film/TheExorcistIII'' was considered to be an improvement. ''Film/ExorcistTheBeginning'' was received much more negatively, while the alternate cut ''Film/DominionPrequelToTheExorcist'' was better received. ''Film/TheExorcistBeliever'' also received a negative reception.

** Then [[SequelGap seven years later]], ''Film/{{Jigsaw}}'' came out, which, despite its mixed-to-negative reviews, was considered by fans to be a far more superior film than ''Saw 3D''. It wasn't until four more years that the franchise would return to a good mainstream reception with the release of the even better-received ''[[Film/Spiral2021 Spiral]]''. Then that was followed by ''Film/SawX'', which was the best received film in the whole series.

* The ''[[ComicBook/TheMightyaThor Thor]]'' films have alternated in reception. [[Film/{{Thor}} The first one]] is well-received and had a breakout character in Loki, while ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' is considered to be one of the high points of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's Phase 3. Conversely, ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is considered to be one of the worst, if forgettable, MCU films out there due to ExecutiveMeddling while ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' is very divisive due to increasing the humor from ''Ragnarok'' and cutting out some more serious moments in order to not make it as long as most of the MCU films.

* Most ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' games have the distinction where direct sequels to a game are thought of as weaker than their predecessors. This includes ''[[VideoGame/SpiderMan2EnterElectro Enter Electro]]'' to [[VideoGame/SpiderMan2000 the first PlayStation title]], ''Separation Anxiety'' to ''VideoGame/MaximumCarnage'', ''[[VideoGame/SpiderManEdgeOfTime Edge of Time]]'' to ''[[VideoGame/SpiderManShatteredDimensions Shattered Dimensions]]'', and ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' to [[VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan the first]]. The games based off the [[VideoGame/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi trilogy]] zig-zag this: ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2'' is considered an EvenBetterSequel to the first due to its GenreShift, but ''VideoGame/SpiderMan3'' more directly follows up on the second by also adopting the sandbox gameplay style, and is similarly thought of as a disappointment.

* For ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'', it's the "sequel series curse", where sequels to a series other than the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' tend to be poorly received, or at least [[BrokenBase controversial]], in comparison: ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'', and to an extent the second seasons of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans''. Averted with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz Endless Waltz]]'' and the second season of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury''. Inverted with ''Anime/GundamBuildDivers'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildDiversReRise''.

* The ''Franchise/{{Thor}}'' films have alternated in reception. [[Film/{{Thor}} The first one]] is well-received and had a breakout character in Loki, while ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' is considered to be one of the high points of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's Phase 3. Conversely, ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is considered to be one of the worst, if forgettable, MCU films out there due to ExecutiveMeddling while ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' is very divisive due to increasing the humor from ''Ragnarok'' and cutting out some more serious moments in order to not make it as long as most of the MCU films.
* The ''Franchise/XMen'' [[Film/XMenFilmSeries film series]], while popular, has received mixed reception over the years. On Website/RottenTomatoes, reviews for all the movies range from as low as 23% (''Film/DarkPhoenix'') to 93% (''Film/{{Logan}}''). The trend for the main franchise (excluding spin-off films like ''Film/Deadpool2016'', ''Film/TheNewMutants'', and the aforementioned ''Logan'') that the first two in a quadrilogy (''Film/XMen1'' and ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' for the first timeline, ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' for the reboot timeline) are well-received, but the third (''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'') is widely considered a step down, and the fourth (''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' and the aforementioned ''Dark Phoenix'') is usually the worst in said quadrilogy.

* The [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams San Francisco Giants]] and "Even Year Magic" (or "Even Year Bullshit" to the rest of the league). They won a World Series in 2010, finished four games back of a playoff spot in 2011, won a World Series in 2012, finished fourth in their division in 2013, and won a World Series in 2014. After a 3-1 loss to the Cubs in the 2016 National League Division Series, the Giants no longer benefit from this effect. Indeed, in 2021 they inverted it by placing first in the National League, the first time they had done so since '12, and exhibiting the best win-loss ratio of any team playing that season.

** Then [[SequelGap seven years later]], ''Film/{{Jigsaw}}'' came out, which, despite its mixed-to-negative reviews, was considered by fans to be a far more superior film than ''Saw 3D''. It wasn't until four more years that the franchise would return to a good mainstream reception with the release of the even better-received ''[[Film/Spiral2021 Spiral]]''.

* Before the series entered its late-period AudienceAlienatingEra, the quality of the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' movies was all over the place. The [[Film/FridayThe13th1980 first two]] [[Film/FridayThe13thPart2 films]] both enjoy good reputations as '80s slashers despite some EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, though most fans would say that the series didn't [[GrowingTheBeard come into its own]] until the second, which introduced Jason Voorhees as the series' [[VillainBasedFranchise iconic villain]]. [[Film/FridayThe13thPartIII The third]] is remembered as a mess that relied more on its [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie gimmicky 3D effects]] than plot, characters, or actors, but the fourth film, titled ''[[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter The Final Chapter]]'' and intended as a GrandFinale, was a near-perfect distillation of everything the series represented and a film that could've ended the franchise on a high note. The fifth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVANewBeginning A New Beginning]]'', is remembered as one of the worst films in the series, with the sleaze cranked up to ridiculous levels and a climatic twist [[spoiler:that the killer [[JackTheRipoff wasn't actually Jason]]]] that infuriated fans, while the sixth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIJasonLives Jason Lives]]'', is remembered as one of the best, as a more self-referential take on the franchise that introduced the most popular RevenantZombie version of Jason. After that, however, the series went through a long stretch of films that ranged from middling to outright bad [[labelnote:In order...]]''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood The New Blood]]'' suffered badly at the hands of [[MediaWatchdog the MPAA]] taking [[{{Bowdlerise}} a machete of its own]] to all the kills, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIIIJasonTakesManhattan Jason Takes Manhattan]]'' was a gimmicky RecycledInSpace entry, ''[[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday Jason Goes to Hell]]'' was seen as ''Friday'' InNameOnly, and ''Film/JasonX'' was another RecycledInSpace entry.[[/labelnote]] before ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' became the first ''Friday'' in sixteen years to more or less meet the approval of fans. [[Film/FridayThe13th2009 The 2009 remake]] is also regarded as a surprisingly not-terrible AdaptationDistillation, even if it's not as iconic as the earlier films.

* Music/LLCoolJ is a pretty major example, give or take. While his first album ''Radio'' is generally considered a solid debut, it was only his sophomore effort ''Bigger and Deffer'' that ascended him to genuine superstardom. His third album, ''Walking with a Panther'', was a major disappointment at the time that saw him defending himself from then-rival Music/KoolMoeDee, but his fourth record ''Mama Said Knock You Out'' marked arguably the highpoint of his whole career. His fortunes were in danger of falling off once more with the misguided attempt at gangsta rap, ''14 Shots to the Dome'', only for his sixth album ''Mr. Smith'' to solidify his post-''Chronic'' staying power with three top 10 hits. The shiny suit hip hop album ''Phenomenon'' was a mostly mixed affair, while ''G.O.A.T.'' is often considered his last good record. ''10''[[note]]in reality his ninth album, excluding the GreatestHitsAlbum ''All World''[[/note]] was his biggest commercial success since ''Mr. Smith'' but otherwise not well-received by most fans, while ''The [=DEFinition=]'' saw diminishing returns despite two moderate hits. ''Todd Smith'' produced his final major hit "Control Myself", but is otherwise regarded to be one of his worst albums; ''Exit 13'' was slightly better-received, but not a commercial success. His final studio album to date, ''Authentic'', was OvershadowedByControversy due to releasing at the same time as the infamous Brad Paisely duet "Accidental Racist".

* For ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'', it's the "sequel series curse", where sequels to a series other than the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' tend to be poorly received, or at least [[BrokenBase controversial]], in comparison: ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'', and to an extent the second seasons of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans''. Averted with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz Endless Waltz]]''. Inverted with ''Anime/GundamBuildDivers'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildDiversReRise''.

* For ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'', it's the "sequel series curse", where sequels to a series other than the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' tend to be poorly received in comparison: ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'', and to an extent the second seasons of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans''. Averted with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz Endless Waltz]]''. Inverted with ''Anime/GundamBuildDivers'' and ''Anime/GundamBuildDiversReRise''.

* With ''Franchise/KamenRider'', the "curse" seems to be attached to shows with a mystic/supernatural theme. ''Series/KamenRiderAmazon'', whose hero got his powers from a {{Mayincatec}} armband rather than AppliedPhlebotinum, was so [[BloodierAndGorier gory]] (albeit by [=1970s=] standards) that the backlash from angry parents ([[CommonKnowledge actually a very disastrous]] ChannelHop) almost [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]]. Decades later, the {{Oni}}-themed ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'' was popular with fans, but had low merch sales and a large production cost, resulting in a {{Retool}} that messed it up so badly that it became one of {{Tokusatsu}}'s most infamous cases of ExecutiveMeddling. The next three supernatural shows, ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', and ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'', are generally held in low regard by the fandom, with ''Ghost'' in particular being viewed as one of the weakest seasons ever made and ''Wizard'' not too far behind[[note]]''Kiva'' doesn't get it quite as bad, mainly because fans tend to hate half the show (the primary plotline set in 2008 and focusing on Kiva) but enjoy the other half (the 1986 plotline focusing on his father)[[/note]]. The second Reiwa-era series, ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'', has the double whammy of being magic-themed ''and'' having the same head writer as ''Ghost'', and while it's agreed to be a step up from ''Ghost'', it had the absolute misfortune of being produced and airing during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, with logistical issues resulting in inconsistent pacing and sales suffering as a result. Afterwards, the demon-themed season ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'', a demon-themed season, initially had a positively received first half, but became more divisive in the second half of the series, though being an anniversary season as well allowed it to be more profitable compared to ''Saber''. Time will tell on how ''Series/KamenRiderGotchard'' will fare as it is an alchemy-themed season.

* With ''Franchise/KamenRider'', the "curse" seems to be attached to shows with a mystic/supernatural theme. ''Series/KamenRiderAmazon'', whose hero got his powers from a {{Mayincatec}} armband rather than AppliedPhlebotinum, was so [[BloodierAndGorier gory]] (albeit by [=1970s=] standards) that the backlash from angry parents ([[CommonKnowledge actually a very disastrous]] ChannelHop) almost [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]]. Decades later, the {{Oni}}-themed ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'' was popular with fans, but had low merch sales and a large production cost, resulting in a {{Retool}} that messed it up so badly that it became one of {{Tokusatsu}}'s most infamous cases of ExecutiveMeddling. The next three supernatural shows, ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', and ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'', are generally held in low regard by the fandom, with ''Ghost'' in particular being viewed as one of the weakest seasons ever made and ''Wizard'' not too far behind[[note]]''Kiva'' doesn't get it quite as bad, mainly because fans tend to hate half the show (the primary plotline set in 2008 and focusing on Kiva) but enjoy the other half (the 1986 plotline focusing on his father)[[/note]]. The second Reiwa-era series, ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'', has the double whammy of being magic-themed ''and'' having the same head writer as ''Ghost'', and while it's agreed to be a step up from ''Ghost'', it had the absolute misfortune of being produced and airing during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, with logistical issues resulting in inconsistent pacing and sales suffering as a result. ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'', as a demon-themed season, while having an initially positively received first half, became more divisive in the second half of the series, though being an anniversary season as well allowed it to be more profitable compared to ''Saber''.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_trek_curse_3.png]]

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* The ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' franchise seems to be the opposite; odd-numbered movies (''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'') do well, while even-numbered movies (''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'') are nowhere near as good. The pattern broke after Creator/StevenSpielberg stopped directing the ''Indy'' movies; Creator/JamesMangold's ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' became both the fifth installment and the one with the lowest critical reception.

** Another curse ''Power Rangers'' has relates to how well the source material is received -- in general, ''Power Rangers'' adaptations of [[Franchise/SuperSentai Sentai]] series that were well-liked (i.e., ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'', ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'', ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'', ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'') are either considered OK (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury''[[note]]although this one would be VindicatedByHistory later on[[/note]], ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'') or are despised by the fandom (''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'', ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''); on the other hand, Sentai series that were seen as OK or disliked by the fandom (''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhRanger'', ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'',
''Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'', ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'', ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'', and ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters'') tend to produce well-liked adaptations (''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'',
''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'', ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'', ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'', and ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers''). There are a few exceptions to this rule -- ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger'' and ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger'' are both well liked, yet their ''Power Ranger'' counterparts (''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' and ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'') are fan favorites[[note]]although for a while, people recommended watching ''Time Force'' over ''Timeranger'', it was more because of [[NoExportForYou the lack of complete fansubs]] for the latter as opposed to the quality of the show, meaning that unless you could speak Japanese, you had to stop watching after episode 30; nowadays, however, people won't recommend watching one before the other, since Creator/ShoutFactory licensed the entire series and released it on DVD[[/note]]; inversely, ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' is a divisive season by western fans, and fan opinion of ''Megaforce'' is already mentioned above. ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' are also exceptions as both shows are disliked by both fanbases due to the former having unusually poor writing and ''horrendously'' paced action and the latter for its BrokenAesop and unfunny fart jokes (which one is less awful is up for debate).

** Fans have an unique version with anniversary seasons ''[[Series/PowerRangersTurbo Turbo]]'' (Season 5), ''[[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Wild Force]]'' (Season 10), ''[[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Operation Overdrive]]'' (Season 15), ''[[Series/PowerRangersMegaforce Super Megaforce]]'' (the 20th anniversary celebration but [[SequelNumberSnarl don't ask the exact season number]]), and ''[[Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel Super Ninja Steel]]'' (Season 25) considered among the worst or most divisive.

** Another curse ''Power Rangers'' has relates to how well the source material is received -- in general, ''Power Rangers'' adaptations of [[Franchise/SuperSentai Sentai]] series that were well-liked (i.e., ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'', ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'', ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'', ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'') are either considered OK (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury''[[note]]although this one would be VindicatedByHistory later on[[/note]], ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'') or are despised by the fandom (''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'', ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''); on the other hand, Sentai series that were seen as OK or disliked by the fandom (''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhRanger'', ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'', ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'', ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'', and ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters'') tend to produce well-liked adaptations (''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'', ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'', ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'', and ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers''). There are a few exceptions to this rule -- ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger'' and ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger'' are both well liked, yet their ''Power Ranger'' counterparts (''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' and ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'') are fan favorites[[note]]although for a while, people recommended watching ''Time Force'' over ''Timeranger'', it was more because of [[NoExportForYou the lack of complete fansubs]] for the latter as opposed to the quality of the show, meaning that unless you could speak Japanese, you had to stop watching after episode 30; nowadays, however, people won't recommend watching one before the other, since Creator/ShoutFactory licensed the entire series and released it on DVD[[/note]]; inversely, ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' is considered a '''very''' dull Sentai by western fans, and fan opinion of ''Megaforce'' is already mentioned above. ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' are also exceptions as both shows are disliked by both fanbases due to the former having unusually poor writing and ''horrendously'' paced action and the latter for its BrokenAesop and unfunny fart jokes (which one is less awful is up for debate).

* Present with the ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' series. The original, while decently regarded, was ultimately seen as little more than Creator/{{Sega}}'s answer to ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' and had quite a bit of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness going on. The sequel, on the other hand, is widely regarded as when the series [[GrowingTheBeard truly came into its own]] and is regarded as one of the greatest BeatEmUp titles of all time. Part 3 was seen as a step down from ''[=SOR2=]'', including a very experimental soundtrack from series composer Music/YuzoKoshiro that wouldn't be {{vindicated|ByHistory}} until many years later (and even then is it usually compared unfavorably to the music of the first two games), and [[BadExportForYou the American version]] having [[DubInducedPlotlineChange a reworked plot]] and [[DifficultyByRegion unnecessarily ramped up difficulty]] [[ExecutiveMeddling at the behest of Sega's American branch]] certainly didn't help matters. The [[SequelGap long-awaited]] fourth installment would be lauded as a return to form, with general consensus being that it doesn't quite outdo the second game (or the similarly acclaimed ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRageRemake'') but certainly not for lack of trying.

* Although ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has had its bases regularly broken as early as the ''third'' season, the even-numbered seasons tend to fare better than the odd ones. Season 1 is regarded as a good start but suffers from a large amount of MonsterOfTheWeek episodes as the show was still finding its footing, while Season 2 is noted as the show's real moment of GrowingTheBeard. Season 3 wound up being hit by production troubles thanks to the '07 Writers Strike and also introduced two new characters [[SpotlightStealingSquad that took time away from Sam and Dean]] and were Base Breakers ''at best''. Season 4 wound up introducing [[BreakoutCharacter fan favorite Castiel]], and heavily increasing the mythology marked a notable increase in the show's ratings. Averted by Season 5, which further developed the story arc from S4, is also well-liked, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and introduced Crowley]]. Also averted by Season 6; although it introduced some fresh new ideas and has several fan-favorite episodes, it's also seen to suffer from [[PostScriptSeason the main story having already been wrapped up at that point]], with the show spinning its wheels in some places trying to find a new direction. The trope comes back into play with Season 7, which only accentuated the problems of S6 rather than fix them, and [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot abruptly dropped the exciting storyline teased by the S6 finale]]. Season 8 attempted to undo the damage, and after a rough start managed to introduce a well-received plotline of the brothers trying to close the gates of Hell. But then Season 9 came and fell back into the same issues as before of the show struggling to find a cohesive tale to tell, which wound up turning as many people back off, with Sam and Dean's constant fighting doing little to help as it began to come off more as {{Wangst}} to many longtime viewers. Although Season10 at least cut down on their bickering and let them get along again, it's also an aversion as it still suffers from the aimlessness that plagued S9. General consensus on Seasons 11, 12, and 13 seems to be that they're an improvement from Seasons 6 through 10, though not as good as the first five seasons.

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'': The 2D lineage has the curse with the even installments. While still agreed upon to be good games, both ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' are nonetheless viewed as step downs from their respective predecessors (''VideoGame/Metroid1'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'') due to having more linear progression. This extends to the remakes as well, with ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'' being beloved, while ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' received more scrutiny from the fanbase than it did from critics.

*** While season 1 is by no means considered ''bad'', it suffered from EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and a much more restrictive [[AnAesop Aesop]] format due to having to adhere to E/I guidelines.

*** Then season 4 was mostly well-received (especially the finale).
*** Season 5 (seemingly) broke this trend by being generally well-received, although its finale [[BrokenBase was controversial]] for featuring Starlight Glimmer's HeelFaceTurn, which some saw as undeserved (or, at least, rushed and anticlimactic)

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': The even-numbered seasons tend to fare better than the odd ones. Season 2 had the Terra betrayal arc based on ''ComicBook/TheJudasContract'' while Season 4 had Raven facing her father Trigon over the fate of the world and both storylines are considered as the most iconic parts of the series. Season 1 was still [[GrowingTheBeard struggling to find its voice]], Season 3 was LighterAndSofter and had Cyborg facing the lackluster Brother Blood while Season 5 had some divisive change over its formula and infamously [[AmbiguousEnding ended with an ambiguous and inconclusive episode]].

* UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows has had the curse since Windows 3.1, at least when it comes to their major public releases. Windows 95, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows XP, and Windows 7 were all popular and well-received, while Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows Vista, and Windows 8 made rather controversial changes, were unstable, or had other problems which made it difficult to recommend upgrading. (Even TheUnfavourite releases have their fans, of course.) Windows releases tend to follow a pattern of "revolutionary" - in which many changes are made at once - followed by "evolutionary", or mostly polishing what was in the last one. Thus, every other version has a lot of new bugs ''and'' new features, and takes some getting used to; by the time the next version comes out, these issues have mostly been resolved (by patches and service packs for the software, and by users getting used to how it looks and works). Another way of looking at it is that Microsoft puts out a "public beta", followed a couple of years later by the final, mostly-working-as-advertised version, charging their customers for both (and for the privilege of testing their software for them). Microsoft followed Windows 8 with Windows 10 (skipping Windows 9), which was better received than its predecessor by major reviewers and generally continuing the pattern, though with [[BigBrotherIsWatching concerns over privacy]] with the new telemetry system, Microsoft's [[UnwantedAssistance rather pushy efforts]] to get Windows 7 and 8 users to upgrade, and the even pushier automatic update systems within Windows 10 itself (basically barring hacking, you can't set Windows 10 updates to manual control). It's not unheard of to hear people joke that Microsoft skipped "Windows 9" because that one would have been a ''good'' OS. With Windows 8 being widely derided, Window 10 having a highly mixed reception and a rough start, and early reception to Windows 11 looking to be much the same as Window 10's rocky start, some lean towards the interpretation that skipping Windows 9 has indeed broken the pattern, [[GoneHorriblyRight via ensuring that EVERY version of Windows is going to be problematic from here on out.]]
* The [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams San Francisco Giants]] and "Even Year Magic" (or "Even Year Bullshit" to the rest of the league). They won a World Series in 2010, finished 4 games back of a playoff spot in 2011, won a World Series in 2012, finished fourth in their division in 2013, and won a World Series in 2014. After a 3-1 loss to the Cubs in the 2016 National League Division Series, the Giants no longer benefit from this effect. Indeed, in 2021 they inverted it by placing first in the National League, the first time they had done so since '12, and exhibiting the best win-loss ratio of any team playing that season.
* While the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation San Antonio Spurs]] were consistently good starting with their 1999 title, they only got to the finals, all of whom were championships, in equally odd-numbered years (2003, 2005, 2007)... until 2013, when the Miami Heat denied the Spurs a game 6 title clinch [[DownToTheLastPlay in the last seconds]], won that game and the deciding game 7. And the Spurs won a HeroicRematch the following year to further break the trend.
* In UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball, the Essendon Bombers seem to have an AudienceAlienatingEra roughly every four decades: The decades in which they failed to win a premiership are the 1930s, 1970s and 2010s. The 1890s are an interesting case - while they ''did'' win the premiership in 1897, they did NOT win the Grand Final, as [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the finals that year were in a Round Robin format]].

* By the 1990s, the curse had taken root in the public's mind, and the three ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' films released in that decade certainly didn't shake the perception. The seventh (''[[Film/StarTrekGenerations Generations]]'') and ninth (''[[Film/StarTrekInsurrection Insurrection]]''--which the crew dubbed "Nine of Ten" in a futile effort to shake off the curse) films are both considered forgettable and lackluster, and ''Generations'' has a fairly sizeable hatedom for [[TropeNamer Trope-Naming]] "DroppedABridgeOnHim". Only the eighth (''[[Film/StarTrekFirstContact First Contact]]'') is well-loved by fans, since it's an ActionizedSequel that pits Captain Picard against an established enemy he has a personal grudge with.
* In the 21st century, however, the curse was completely inverted. The tenth film overall and last ''Next Generation'' film, ''[[Film/StarTrekNemesis Nemesis]]'', flopped so hard that ''Star Trek'' as a feature film franchise was effectively dead after twenty-three years. With the quiet death of TV series ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]'' shortly afterwards, the ''Star Trek'' franchise began to fade into obscurity... And then, enter Creator/JJAbrams, accompanied by lens flare. Contrary to its position in the franchise, his eleventh film (simply called ''Film/{{Star Trek|2009}}'') was a YoungerAndHipper and HotterAndSexier blockbuster ContinuityReboot that returned ''Star Trek'' to cultural relevance, and a box office juggernaut to boot. Aside from the obvious reason for its success -- it's a slick, fun film from an experienced filmmaker -- many tongue-in-cheek theories have been put forth as to how it's "broken the curse;" a common one being is to promote AffectionateParody ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' as the "actual" ''Star Trek 10'', bumping ''Nemesis'' to odd and the reboot as even.

* There is also a separate curse revolving ''Star Trek'' video games, that is most of them faling to TheProblemWithLicensedGames.

* Film/JamesBond:

** The Creator/DanielCraig era has the [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 odd]]-[[Film/{{Skyfall}} numbered]] [[Film/NoTimeToDie films]] receiving critical acclaim, while the [[Film/QuantumOfSolace even]]-[[Film/{{Spectre}} numbered]] films got ok-to-mixed reception.

* The reception (and some would say the quality) of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' movies have been ''anything'' but consistent.
** Of course there's the original trilogy, which is one of the most acclaimed and beloved film series of all time, but even then there are some people who believe the third film to not be ''quite'' as good as the previous two (though this could be considered more due to the first two being a ToughActToFollow, as ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' is still pretty well-received).
** The Lucas-directed prequel trilogy is not well-liked by the fandom that got heavily attached to the original trilogy. But it does have its supporters with those who grew up with it, and there is a common consensus among even the prequel's detractors that ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' is surprisingly decent.
** And then there's the Disney-made sequel trilogy, as while ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' is almost universally praised to some degree, ''Film/TheLastJedi'' is one of the most [[BrokenBase divisive]] films of all time and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' is also divisive. And these were also interspersed with the generally well-liked ''Film/RogueOne'' and the SoOkItsAverage ''Film/{{Solo}}''.
* The ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' franchise seems to be the opposite; odd-numbered movies (''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'') do well, while even-numbered movies (''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'') are nowhere near as good. The pattern broke after Creator/StevenSpielberg stopped directing the ''Indy'' movies; Creator/JamesMangold's ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' became both the fifth installment and the one with the lowest critical reception.
* The ''Franchise/XMen'' film series, while popular, has gotten mixed reception over the years. On Website/RottenTomatoes, reviews for all the movies range from as low as 23% (''Film/DarkPhoenix'') to 93% (''Film/{{Logan}}''). The trend for the main franchise (excluding spin-off films like ''Film/Deadpool2016'', The New Mutants, and the aforementioned ''Logan'') that the first 2 in a quadrilogy (''Film/XMen1'' and ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' for the first timeline, ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' for the reboot timeline) are well-received, but the third (''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'') is widely considered a step down, and the fourth (''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' and the aforementioned ''Dark Phoenix'') is usually the worst in said quadrilogy.
* Many fans of the ''[[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' series regard its trajectory this way. [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984 The first movie]] is a classic, but its sequel ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge Freddy's Revenge]]'' is extremely divisive for the changes it made to the first film's formula, even if its HomoeroticSubtext has earned it an LGBTFanbase over the years. The next two films are generally well-liked; ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors Dream Warriors]]'' is considered by some fans to be a genuine rival to the original for the title of best in the series, and while ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet4TheDreamMaster The Dream Master]]'' is regarded as the point where the series' mounting problems really became visible, a large contingent of fans will still defend it as the pinnacle of "Freddy Krueger as pop culture icon". The next two films, ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet5TheDreamChild The Dream Child]]'' and ''Film/FreddysDeadTheFinalNightmare'', are treated as an AudienceAlienatingEra where the series slid into SelfParody, but the follow-up ''Film/WesCravensNewNightmare'' is regarded as an interesting {{spinoff}} and one of the series' best and scariest films, especially in how many of its [[MetaFiction metatextual ideas]] served as a prototype for ''Film/Scream1996'', while ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' was well-liked (albeit not universally) by fans of both ''Nightmare'' and ''Franchise/FridayThe13th''. The [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet2010 2010 reboot]], though... exists.

* ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' is a CultClassic action-adventure tale of an immortal Scotsman killing his centuries-old rival and attaining the unlimited power of The Prize. ''Film/HighlanderIITheQuickening'' is a [[SoBadItsGood ludicrous mess]] involving a dystopian future and Immortals being aliens from the planet Zeist. ''Film/HighlanderIIITheSorcerer'' is a SoOkayItsAverage affair that has a plausible reason for keeping Immortals around after the events of the first film, if not for giving the villain magical illusion powers. ''Film/HighlanderEndgame'' is a continuation from the TV series including numerous plot holes and having Ducan [=MacLeod=] kill Connor [=MacLeod=]. ''Anime/HighlanderTheSearchForVengeance'' is a surprisingly good film that makes Highlander work in an AfterTheEnd anime world complete with MechaMooks and mutant Immortals. ''Film/HighlanderTheSource'' is, well... the FranchiseKiller.

** ''Film/SawVI'', although the film that earned the least money at the box office, was received by fans as a vast improvement over the previous three films that places a good start for the series to reshape itself.
** And then ''Film/Saw3D'' runs smack-dab into the trope, with many considering it the very worst of the films. While pointing out all of its criticisms would make things very long here, it's worth noting that most of the criticized points were a consequence of distributor Creator/{{Lionsgate}} retorting to ExecutiveMeddling measures after the poor box office results of ''Saw VI'' (including cramming the plots of two planned films into what we know as ''Saw 3D'').

* Before the series entered its late-period AudienceAlienatingEra, the quality of the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' movies was all over the place. The [[Film/FridayThe13th1980 first two]] [[Film/FridayThe13thPart2 films]] both enjoy good reputations as '80s slashers despite some EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, though most fans would say that the series didn't come into its own until the second, which introduced Jason Voorhees as the series' [[VillainBasedFranchise iconic villain]]. [[Film/FridayThe13thPartIII The third]] is remembered as a mess that relied more on its [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie gimmicky 3-D effects]] than plot, characters, or actors, but the fourth film, titled ''[[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter The Final Chapter]]'' and intended as a GrandFinale, was a near-perfect distillation of everything the series represented and a film that could've ended the franchise on a high note. The fifth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVANewBeginning A New Beginning]]'', is remembered as one of the worst films in the series, with the sleaze cranked up to ridiculous levels and a climatic twist [[spoiler:that the killer [[JackTheRipoff wasn't actually Jason]]]] which infuriated fans, while the sixth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIJasonLives Jason Lives]]'', is remembered as one of the best, as a more self-referential take on the franchise that introduced the most popular RevenantZombie version of Jason. After that, however, the series went through a long stretch of films that ranged from middling to outright bad [[labelnote:In order...]]''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood The New Blood]]'' suffered badly at the hands of [[MediaWatchdog the MPAA]] taking [[{{Bowdlerise}} a machete of its own]] to all the kills, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIIIJasonTakesManhattan Jason Takes Manhattan]]'' was a gimmicky RecycledInSpace entry, ''[[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday Jason Goes to Hell]]'' was seen as ''Friday'' InNameOnly, and ''Film/JasonX'' was another RecycledInSpace entry.[[/labelnote]] before ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' became the first ''Friday'' in sixteen years to more or less meet the approval of fans. [[Film/FridayThe13th2009 The 2009 remake]] is also regarded as a surprisingly not-terrible AdaptationDistillation, even if it's not as iconic as the earlier films.
* The ''Franchise/{{Thor}}'' films have alternated in reception. [[Film/{{Thor}} The first one]] is well-received and had a breakout character in Loki, while ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' is considered to be one of the high points of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's Phase 3. Conversely, ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is considered to be one of the worst, if forgettable, MCU films out there due to ExecutiveMeddling and ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' is very divisive due to increasing the humor from ''Ragnarok'' and cutting out some more serious moments in order to not make it as long as most of the MCU films.
* ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'':
** [[Film/{{Predator}} The first film]] is a SciFiHorror classic. While ''Film/Predator2'' was dismissed at the time as little more than a retread of the first, retrospective opinions have been [[VindicatedByHistory kinder to it]] thanks to both its ViceCity setting and how it fleshed out [[VillainBasedFranchise its alien villains]] as a ProudHunterRace.
** After that came the two ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' films, its long-awaited cinematic crossover with the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' series. Neither of them is particularly well-liked, but fan opinion is generally nicer to [[Film/AlienVsPredator the first film]] (especially its unrated cut) while treating ''Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem'' as garbage that went DarkerAndEdgier (both [[TooBleakStoppedCaring figuratively]] and [[EvilIsNotWellLit literally]]) and fumbled it.
** Following the negative reception of ''Requiem'', ''Film/{{Predators}}'' was welcomed as a return to form, one that didn't do much new but still did it well. After that, ''Film/ThePredator'' was widely despised as the worst film in the series thanks to both its convoluted plot and the controversial changes it made to the series' lore, to the point that some fans prematurely called it a FranchiseKiller. A few years later, however, ''Film/Prey2022'' won widespread acclaim as the best film in the series since the first thanks to its combination of a [[RevisitingTheRoots "back-to-basics" storyline]], an interesting new setting, and excellent production values.

* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory''. ''Murder House'' and ''Asylum'' are generally agreed to be good seasons, but after that began a notable trend in which odd-numbered seasons tend to be better well-received than even-numbered seasons, with ''Coven'' being well received, while the fourth season, ''Freak Show'' was considered to be one of the series' worst seasons. ''Hotel'', the fifth season, before it even premiered, became "the season without Jessica Lange." Notably, it was the first season with lower premiere ratings than its predecessor, but it still managed to be successful in its own right. ''Roanoke'', the sixth season, due to its [[OddballInTheSeries unusual nature]], became one of the most controversial seasons to date, while its successor, ''Cult'', while divisive, is much better received due to its satire, and the eighth season, ''Apocalypse'', while agreed to be well-received for its ContinuityPorn, is agreed to be lacking in terms of its own story. The ninth season, ''1984'', is agreed to be one of the show's best seasons, due to its twists on the slasher horror genre and having a story that stands out even with {{Continuity Nod}}s. The tenth season, ''Double Feature'' (which includes both ''Red Tide'' and ''Death Valley''), stands out as one of the worst seasons, narrowly beating out ''Freak Show'' due to their incredibly underwhelming stories and [[TooBleakStoppedCaring gratuitously bleak endings]]. The eleventh season, ''NYC'', is well-received for being one of the most grounded horror stories and its [[TragicAIDSStory unique portrayal of the AIDS epidemic]].
* Although ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has had its bases regularly broken as early as the ''third'' season, the even-numbered seasons tend to fare better than the odd ones. Season 1 is regarded as a good start but suffers from a large amount of MonsterOfTheWeek episodes as the show was still finding its footing, while Season 2 is noted as the show's real moment of GrowingTheBeard. Season 3 wound up being hit by production troubles thanks to the '07 Writers Strike and also introduced two new characters [[SpotlightStealingSquad that took time away from Sam and Dean]] and were Base Breakers ''at best''. Season 4 wound up introducing [[BreakoutCharacter fan favorite Castiel]], and heavily increasing the mythology marked a notable increase in the show's ratings. Averted by Season 5, which further develops the story arc from S4, is also well-liked, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and introduced Crowley]]. Also averted by Season 6; although it introduces some fresh new ideas and has several fan-favorite episodes, it's also seen to suffer from the [[PostScriptSeason main story having already been wrapped up at that point]], with the show spinning its wheels in some places trying to find a new direction. The trope comes back into play with Season 7, which only accentuated the problems of S6 rather than fix them, and [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot abruptly dropped the exciting storyline teased by the S6 finale]]. Season 8 attempted to undo the damage, and after a rough start managed to introduce a well-received plotline of the brothers trying to close the gates of Hell. But then Season 9 came and fell back into the same issues as before of the show struggling to find a cohesive tale to tell, which wound up turning as many people back off, with Sam and Dean's constant fighting doing little to help as it began to come off more as {{Wangst}} to many longtime viewers. Although 10 at least cut down on their bickering and let them get along again, it's also an aversion as it still suffers from the aimlessness that plagued 9. General consensus on Seasons 11, 12, and 13 seems to be that they're an improvement from Seasons 6 through 10, though not as good as the first five seasons.

** Fans have an unique version with anniversary seasons ''[[Series/PowerRangersTurbo Turbo]]'' (Season 5), ''[[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Wild Force]]'' (Season 10), ''[[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Operation Overdrive]]'' (Season 15), ''[[Series/PowerRangersMegaforce Super Megaforce]]'' (the 20th anniversary celebration but [[SequelNumberSnarl don't ask the exact season number]]) [[Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel Super Ninja Steel]] (Season 25) considered among the worst or most divisive.
** Another curse ''Power Rangers'' has relates to how well the source material is received - in general, ''Power Rangers'' adaptations of Sentai series that were well-liked (i.e., ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'', ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'', ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'', ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'') are either considered OK (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury''[[note]]although this one has been VindicatedByHistory as of late[[/note]], ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'') or are despised by the fandom (''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'', ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''); on the other hand, sentai series that were seen as OK or disliked by the fandom (''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhRanger'', ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'', ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'', ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'', and ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters'') tend to produce well-liked adaptations (''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'', ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'', ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'', and ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers''). There are a few exceptions to this rule - ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger'' and ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger'' are both well liked, yet their ''Power Ranger'' counterparts (''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' and ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'') are fan favorites[[note]]although for a while, people recommended watching ''Time Force'' over ''Timeranger'', it was more because of [[NoExportForYou the lack of complete fansubs]] for the latter as opposed to the quality of the show, meaning that unless you could speak Japanese, you had to stop watching after episode 30; nowadays, however, people won't recommend watching 1 before the other, since Shout Factory has licensed the entire series and released it on DVD[[/note]]; inversely, ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' is considered a '''very''' dull Sentai by western fans, and fan opinion of ''Megaforce'' is already mentioned above. ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' are also exceptions as both shows are disliked by both fanbases due to the former having unusually poor writing and ''horrendously'' paced action and the latter for it's BrokenAesop and unfunny fart jokes (which one is less awful is up for debate).
** Also worth noting is that every series which uses a 5th set of suits is generally well-received, whereas the one that comes before it isn't[[note]]this counts the ''Alien Rangers'' series as it's own series[[/note]], due to the fact that the core 5 suits from ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'' were not used - the aforementioned anniversary series used the 4th, 9th, 14th, and [[SequelNumberSnarl 18th/19th]], whereas the series that came after them, ''In Space'', ''Ninja Storm'', ''Jungle Fury'', and ''Dino Charge'', which used the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th sets of costumes respectively, were received better than their predecessors (and in the case of ''In Space'', is widely considered the best)[[note]]this does not count the suits used in ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' towards the number of suits, on the grounds that it does not adapt a set of ''Sentai'' suits, and the suits are re-imaginings of existing suits as opposed to new suits entirely[[/note]].
** An [[InvertedTrope inverse curse]] is in effect for dinosaur-themed seasons- they're always good to great [[labelnote:Explanation]] ''[[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin']]'' is a classic, ''[[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Dino Thunder]]'' is considered to be the best of the Disney era alongside ''RPM'', ''[[Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge Dino Charge]]'' is considered to be the only good series from the Neo-Saban era and a pretty good ''Power Rangers'' season overall and ''[[Series/PowerRangersDinoFury Dino Fury]]'' has enough of a positive reception that it's the first series since ''Mighty Morphin''' to have a third season. [[/labelnote]]
* ''Series/{{Justified}}'', while still being a very well received show, suffers this to some extent: Seasons 2, 4 and 6 are considered all-time great seasons of television. Season 1 has all the signs of a series [[GrowingTheBeard in the process of finding its voice]], season 3, although widely beloved, was seen as a step down from the superlative second, and season 5 is almost universally considered the worst the show ever had.
* With ''Franchise/KamenRider'', the "curse" seems to be attached to shows with a mystic/supernatural theme. ''Series/KamenRiderAmazon'', whose hero got his powers from a {{Mayincatec}} armband rather than AppliedPhlebotinum, was so [[BloodierAndGorier gory]] (albeit by [=1970s=] standards) that the backlash from angry parents ([[CommonKnowledge actually a very disastrous]] ChannelHop) almost [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]]. Decades later, the {{Oni}}-themed ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'' was popular with fans, but had low merch sales and a large production cost, resulting in a {{Retool}} that messed it up so badly that it's become one of {{Tokusatsu}}'s most infamous cases of ExecutiveMeddling. The next three supernatural shows, ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', and ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'' are generally held in low regard by the fandom, with ''Ghost'' in particular being viewed as one of the weakest seasons ever made and ''Wizard'' not too far behind[[note]]''Kiva'' doesn't get it quite as bad, mainly because fans tend to hate half the show (the primary plotline set in 2008 and focusing on Kiva) but enjoy the other half (the 1986 plotline focusing on his father)[[/note]]. The second Reiwa-era series, ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'', has the double whammy of being magic-themed ''and'' having the same head writer as ''Ghost'', and while it's agreed to be a step up from ''Ghost'', it had the absolute misfortune of being produced and airing during the COVID-19 Pandemic, with logistical issues resulting in inconsistent pacing and sales suffering as a result. ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'', as a demon-themed season, while having an initially positively-received first half, became more divisive in the second half of the series, though being an anniversary season as well allowed it to be more profitable compared to ''Saber''.
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'' is a weird example, given how all three of its seasons were well-acclaimed. However, the odd-numbered seasons had significant criticisms: [[Series/FargoSeasonOne Season 1]] sometimes had too many [[CallBack Call Backs]] to [[Film/{{Fargo}} the original movie]], and [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks even felt like a retread]] to some viewers. Season 3 had a SlowPacedBeginning that made the season drag, and an AmbiguousEnding that upset some for a lack of closure. Both are in contrast to Season 2, which had near-universal acclaim for its more original plot and [[GreyAndGrayMorality complex character arcs]]. Averted with Season 4 which is generally seen as the worst.

* ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}'':
** ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' has an odd relationship with it. Season 1 is often - [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny and perhaps retroactively]] - seen as a [[SlowPacedBeginning weak and plodding start]]. It suffers from EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and mostly consists of inconsequential MonsterOfTheWeek episodes with the Master only being relevant for a few episodes. Season 2 is [[GrowingTheBeard the point the show found its voice]] with a stronger continuity, more CharacterDevelopment for the cast, [[BreakoutCharacter the introduction of fan favorite Spike]] and the game-changing FaceHeelTurn of Angel. Averted with Season 3 which is generally seen as just as good or even better. However, Season 4 is widely unpopular for the GenreShift with a secret government army, Buffy's [[ReplacementScrappy bland new boyfriend Riley]] and the lackluster Adam as the BigBad. Season 5 is generally considered as a return to form thanks to dropping Riley, the handling of the death of a main character, Glory being one of the most popular villains and [[SeriesFauxnale a memorable finale that could have been a satisfying end for the show]]. Again, the show dropped in popularity after creator Creator/JossWhedon's departure. Season 6 focused heavily on drama and Buffy's struggle with depression and lacked an overarching BigBad other than the comedic and ineffectual (well...[[NotSoHarmlessVillain at first]]) Trio. This eventually culminated with controversial plot points like [[spoiler: Xander leaving Anya at the altar, Tara abruptly dying, Willow turning evil and Spike attempting to rape Buffy]]. Season 7, despite Whedon's return, is also considered as a low point. Fans are split whether it was a marginal improvement for reverting the bleakness and the return of a more compelling villain with the First Evil or ''even worse'' because of the [[TheScrappy annoying potential slayers]], [[ArcFatigue the First Evil arc dragging on for too long]] and overall lacking the emotional stakes of the previous season.
** Coincidentally, ''Series/{{Angel}}'' followed the same pattern as its parent show. The first season, while not bad, was mostly episodic, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness struggled to find its identity]] and relied on crossovers with ''Buffy'' to keep ratings. This was possibly not helped by [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter the early departure of Doyle]] then Wesley and Gunn not joining the cast until later on. Seasons 2 and 3 are generally seen as [[GrowingTheBeard the point where the show hit its stride]]] thanks to a stronger continuity, the introduction of Lorne and Fred with Darla and Holtz being both terrific antagonists. Season 4, however, is widely seen as the nadir of the show and suffered from a convoluted arc and an unpopular romance between Cordelia and the underage ([[TheScrappy and despised]]) Connor. The subsequent and final season is widely seen as a return to form thanks to a heavy {{Retool}}, Spike being transplanted from ''Buffy'' and overall is seen as one of the strongest installment of the ''Buffyverse''.

''Franchise/StarTrek'' is the TropeNamer, although ironically it's more CommonKnowledge than an actual example.

* When it comes to ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'', fans often tend to like the odd-numbered seasons over the even-numbered seasons. ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' and ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' are near universally liked among fans, and ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' has gained some praise but not as much as Adventure and Tamers, while ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' is divisive with fans of the first Adventure series (especially with some of the final episodes), and ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'' tends to gain a lot of flack for changing the formula of the previous series. ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' has a number of fans even for an even-numbered season, with the exception of its final arc, the near-universally hated "[[Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersWhoLeaptThroughTime Young Hunters]]" arc. ''Anime/DigimonAdventureTri'' received positive reviews at first but reception became more negative as the movies went on. ''Anime/DigimonUniverseAppMonsters'' seemed to have the opposite trajectory of reviews, with people initially being turned off by the radically different premise, but grew to enjoy it. ''Anime/DigimonAdventure2020'' was generally regarded as a weaker entry that didn’t live up to the original show, while ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'' was better regarded, but was also seen as having a more formulaic MonsterOfTheWeek structure without a clear overarching plot.
* At least [[AmericansHateTingle in the west]], the odd-numbered parts of the original run of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' are more contentious. ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'' is notably shorter than its successors (to the point where it doesn't even occupy ''half'' of the anime adaptation's first season) and [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness hardly feels like JJBA]] while ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'' and ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'' are criticized for being an endless string of repetitive MonsterOfTheWeek fights. Its respective protagonists, Jonathan, Jotaro, and Giorno, are also [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]] among fans, with Jotaro being accused of being a generic NinetiesAntiHero and both Jonathan & Giorno being accused of being just plain generic. ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]'' and ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]'', meanwhile, are almost universally regarded by western fans as the best parts in the original series for their ability to refine their direct predecessors' formulas, and while ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' tends to be overlooked compared to other parts, western fans tend to respond to it with general praise as well (though its ending sees more mixed reception). All three protagonists in these even-numbered parts (Joseph, Josuke, and Jolyne, respectively) also frequently butt heads among fans for the distinction of the series' best protagonist, with each one of them being praised for their in-depth and memorable characterization.
** The ContinuityReboot of the series, meanwhile, inverts this. ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'' is near-universally regarded as the greatest work in the entire ''franchise'' for its emotional depth, morally complex characters, gorgeous artwork, and ability to consolidate an action-heavy series with heavily introspective and metaphysical themes. Meanwhile, ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureJojolion JoJolion]]'' is incredibly divisive for its slow-burning and convoluted plot, with many accusing series author Creator/HirohikoAraki of [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants making everything up on the fly]].
* The various ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' series are known to follow a pattern of "[[GrowingTheBeard first half is bad, second half is good]]" in even-numbered shows (''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'', ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'') and "[[SeasonalRot first half is good, second half is bad]]" in odd-numbered shows (''Anime/YuGiOh'', ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'').[[note]]The first three ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' seasons are the most iconic in the franchise, the fourth is a hotly controversial filler arc and the fifth had poor production values and controversial changes from the manga, the first half of ''[=5D's=]'' is widely liked while the second suffered from extremely poor pacing and dropped plot points and barely managed to pull itself together for the finale, and the first season of ''[=ARC-V=]'' was widely liked for the interesting MythArc and character relationships, but all of these were downplayed or stretched out in subsequent seasons and the ending is the most controversial and widely loathed in the franchise bar none. Meanwhile, the first season of ''[=GX=]'' is agreed to be complete fluff at best, the second a noticeable improvement that suffered from ArcFatigue and VillainOfTheWeek, while the third and fourth are controversial, but largely more praised for their darker tone and CharacterDevelopment that had been somewhat lacking in previous seasons, the first season of ''[=ZEXAL=]'' was marred by watchers getting used to main protagonist Yuma while ''[=ZEXAL II=]'' was highly praised for the engaging villains and character directions outside of Don Thousand, and the first season of ''[=VRAINS=]'' was generally viewed as SoOkayItsAverage due to the TroubledProduction, while the second and third seasons upped the drama considerably and concluded on a heartbreaking note.[[/note]] ''Anime/YuGiOhSEVENS'' broke the trend by having ''both'' halves being well-received for an odd-numbered show, but only time will tell if ''Anime/YuGiOhGORUSH'' keeps up the broken streak.
* In a fairly minor case of this, fans of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' tend to consider the odd-numbered ''openings'' to be better than the even-numbered ones.

* ''VideoGame/MarioKart'': The evenly-released installments (''[[VideoGame/MarioKart64 64]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash Double Dash!!]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartWii Wii]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart8 8]]'') are generally agreed to be much better than the oddly-released installments, which have more contentious elements to them. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'' is often said to [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny lack polish compared to later entries]], ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartSuperCircuit Super Circuit]]'' is considered a BizarroEpisode that has rather unintuitive controls, ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartDS DS]]''[='=] {{meta}} became dominated by [[GoodBadBugs snaking]], ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart7 7]]'' has the most questionable character roster in the series, and ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartTour Tour]]''[='=]s microtransactions became a [[BrokenBase hot button]] amongst the fandom.

* The canonical ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' games: The [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII second]] and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV fourth]] games in the series are remembered as the games that respectively [[GenrePopularizer launched]] and [[GenreRelaunch reinvigorated]] the fighting game genre. [[VideoGame/StreetFighterI The first game]], [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness which played very differently]], [[SequelDisplacement has been largely forgotten in the shadow of its successors]], [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII the third]] is seen as great but not ''quite'' on the level of the second (except in competitive circles, but even then the game wasn't viewed very positively [[VindicatedByHistory in the early days]]), and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterV the fifth]] is highly divisive due to the limited features and it being seen as too unfriendly for casual gamers. While [[VideoGame/StreetFighter6 the sixth]] didn't exactly reinvigorate the genre as it's still generating buzz, it managed to include every feature players wanted right at the start and made it so that it was also accessible for causal gamers, reigniting interest in the series.