An adaptation to a long running franchise which irrevocably colors the public's perception of the franchise as a whole. This is rarely for good reasons. This can not only kill a show, but also kill any interest in doing future adaptations unless we are promised the next one will be very good. Even if it doesn't, people who aren't fans, who might never even have seen any of the installments, will bring this one up to mock because of the ink stains. Sometimes, an Ink Stain Adaptation is used for Lost in Imitation. The results can be disastrous. See also Adaptation Displacement.