I was talking to some pals today and I realized that Ross from Friends jumped the shark long before the show did. By my estimation, Friends jumped the shark when the Joey/Rachel plotline began. I’m sure others will say much earlier.
But the character Ross jumped it MUCH sooner. I think it was when he said the wrong name at his wedding to Emily. Before that, he was a brainy scientist who was the voice of reason in the group. After that, he seemed to devolve into a raging goofball that even Kramer would think was weird.
Any other characters who stand out in your mind that started out as solid characters but jumped the shark while the show remained solid?