If I say:
"You really cut to the chase there."
I think it's not clear whether I'm expressing approval or disapproval.
I'm wondering if there's a similar saying which would express the sentiment that someone has transitioned too abruptly from one thing to another.
You really took some shortcuts there.
It implies essential parts were omitted.
If you want unexpected transition, it would be playing leapfrog.
You're playing leapfrog on the subjects. Could you concentrate on one thing at a time?
It means ‘to get to the point, to get on with it; to concentrate on the essential elements of an issue’ (OED), and is from the film industry where it was a direction to go directly to a more interesting part such as a chase scene. Thus, it doesn’t simply mean that someone has transitioned abruptly from one thing to another, and the question of approval or disapproval doesn’t really arise.
From wikipedia Cut to the chase
Cut to the chase is a saying that means to get to the point without wasting time.
The phrase originated from early silent films. It was a favorite of, and thought to have been coined by, Hal Roach Sr (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992). Films, particularly comedies, often climaxed in chase scenes to add to film time. Some inexperienced screenwriter or director, unsure how to get to the climax or the lack of script to meet time requirements, would just make an abrupt transition, known as a cut. The phrase is unusual in that its common meaning of "Get to the point" is opposite to its logical meaning of "I am completely out of ideas and have ten minutes to fill up. I'll just give them ten minutes of chase."
It appears that "cut to the chase" does not mean to transition from one topic to another in an abrupt manner, but rather to focus on what is important and of main interest; i.e., in the case of silent movies between 1912 and the mid 1920s; the then famous, Keystone Cops, car chase scenes.
Idioms that share similar meanings to cut the chase are:
Positive
Vulgar but effective
Ambivalent
EDIT:
One possible one-word expression which carries negative connotations and can mean to miss the main point of a topic or an argument is
Overshoot; to shoot or go over, beyond, or above; miss.
Otherwise, if I wanted to say that someone doesn't move smoothly from one thing to the next; I would say he's jumping from one subject to another.
Jump To move discontinuously or change after a short period and "A sudden or major transition, as from one career or subject to another."
Why would you want a negative connotation? Is it that, when your listener skipped to the important part, you thought they should have explicitly stated something they skipped? Then perhaps you could complain that they've thrown the baby out with the bathwater.
