15 Series Finales That Completely Ruined Their Shows

Tv’s a fragile medium. A present can seize the general public’s consideration for years, solely to squander all of it with one poorly written season. Such is the case with reveals like “Sport of Thrones,” “How I Met Your Mom,” and “Misplaced,” which dominated the zeitgeist for years earlier than their endings alienated many diehard followers. In some circumstances, these reputation-destroying moments all got here right down to a single episode that not solely dissatisfied followers however ruined earlier seasons on reflection.

These 15 reveals all have one factor in widespread: Their ultimate episodes have been extremely anticipated, however left followers with a bitter style of their mouths. For a few of these reveals, their misguided finales have develop into inseparable from their very own legacies, even the reveals that had huge scores throughout their heyday. It is at all times exhausting to stay the touchdown in a tv present’s ultimate season, but when there’s any purpose not to purpose for, it is these finales.

If you consider TV’s most stunning moments in recent times, you in all probability consider the surprising loss of life of a beloved character, or a time soar that shakes up a present’s established order for good. Nevertheless, it is unlikely {that a} present will take as large a swing in its finale as “St. Elsewhere,” an NBC medical drama that aired from 1982 to 1988. It was an extremely grounded present following the staff at St. Eligius Hospital in Brooklyn, with its forged together with Ed Flanders, Howie Mandel, Ed Begley Jr., Norman Lloyd, and Christina Pickles. 

The present’s sequence finale, “The Final One,” supplied some of the talked-about and divisive endings in tv historical past, the place it is revealed within the ultimate moments that the whole present supposedly happened within the thoughts of Tommy Westphall, an autistic boy dwelling together with his father (a building employee, performed by Flanders) and grandfather (performed by Lloyd) who owns a snowglobe containing the St. Eligius constructing. Not solely did this scene fully undermine the whole present, but it surely calls into query the “existence” of a number of different reveals attributable to “St. Elsewhere” having finished crossover specials. 

The Sci-Fi channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” sequence from 2004 was a reboot of an ABC sequence, which ran for just one season in 1978 earlier than being canceled. In that sequence finale, which aired in 1979, the crew of the titular spaceship picks up radio transmissions from the Apollo 11 moon touchdown, firmly putting the present not within the distant future however within the current previous. For the sequence finale of the 2004 reboot, a three-part episode titled “Dawn,” they took related cues in revealing the Battlestar Galactica’s place in human historical past, however with much less profitable outcomes.

Most of “Dawn” revolves round Hera, the first-ever youngster born between a human and a Cylon, who has been captured by the Cylons for scientific experimentation. The Galactica crew simply narrowly rescues her from a colony close to a black gap earlier than deciding on a close-by planet, which occurs to be Earth. That might’ve served as a good ending, have been it not for a coda that flashes ahead to the twenty first century and ends with a ham-fisted montage on how people are mistreated by technological innovation. No marvel Peacock canceled one other “Battlestar Galactica” reboot. 

In idea, the “Gossip Woman” sequence finale ought to’ve been the last word fan service. “New York, I Love You XOXO” sees each of its sequence leads, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Full of life) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), marry their respective long-time love pursuits, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) and Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick). Nevertheless, it is in all probability extra memorable for its bombshell twist: The Gossip Woman weblog was being run by none apart from Dan, who used it to jot down himself into the drama of the Higher West Facet and get nearer to Serena.

Whereas some critics felt this twist was appropriately satisfying, versus revealing that Gossip Woman was an unseen character all alongside, it opens up a couple of plot holes which are simply too evident to disregard. Not solely are there many inconsistencies to Dan being Gossip Woman, but it surely makes his so-called “love story” with Serena creepy and stalker-ish. The truth that the final moments of the finale depict Serena nonetheless marrying Dan after revealing that form of conduct towards her is a big pink flag, however perhaps not a shocking one given what we learn about Serena’s personal persona. 

“Chuck” had an extended street to its sequence finale, with every season seeing it nearing cancellation, have been it not for fan outcry preserving it on the air. The NBC spy present lastly ended by itself phrases in 2012 with the sequence finale “Chuck Versus the Goodbye,” although not with out angering followers of its central romantic couple: Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) and Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski). The ultimate episodes of “Chuck” see Sarah having her reminiscences wiped by Quinn (Angus Macfayden), forgetting about her whole relationship with Chuck. 

The sequence ends with a query mark as Chuck encounters Sarah, who has left him to “discover herself” following her dropping her reminiscences of him, on the identical seaside from the pilot. Chuck floats an thought by her that “one magical kiss” might soar begin her reminiscences, and he implores her to strive. They kiss after which… fade to black. Though the showrunners and Levi are optimistic in regards to the characters’ future collectively, ending this series-long romance on such an ambiguous word rubbed numerous followers the improper method. 

Coincidentally, Yvonne Strahovski was a part of one other present with a vehemently hated sequence finale: Showtime’s “Dexter,” the story of a forensic technician who moonlights as a serial killer (albeit a hero in his personal eyes), evading seize and justice for his psychopathic tendencies. Many followers agree that the worst season of “Dexter” was its ultimate one, thanks partly to its sequence finale through which Dexter (Michael C. Corridor) kills his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) after which drives a ship right into a hurricane, presumably dying. 

Solely, Dexter someway did not die. The present’s ultimate scene reveals a bearded Dexter hiding out in Oregon, working at a lumbering firm. Many critics felt that, even contemplating the present’s decline in high quality, the finale felt low cost and, at occasions, cartoonish in simply how unexplainable Dexter’s motives had develop into. It is no shock that, to treatment followers’ disappointment, there was not one, not two, however three spin-offs, two of which proceed from the place the occasions of the infamous “Dexter” finale left off. 

“True Blood” was an enormous hit for HBO whereas it was on, garnering essential acclaim and excessive scores, however by its ultimate seasons, essential approval had begun to say no. The “True Blood” ending, titled “Thank You,” was particularly misguided because the showrunners opted to not give followers a clear-cut reply as to who Sookie (Anna Paquin) ended up with, regardless of her love triangle with Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and Invoice (Stephen Moyer) being a driving pressure of the sequence’ earlier seasons. Moreover, Sookie’s the one who drives a stake into Invoice’s coronary heart and kills him as soon as and for all. 

The present had been campy from the start, however a happy-go-lucky ending the place people and vampires get to share a literal Thanksgiving dinner collectively? Most followers agreed that was a bridge too far within the present, which as much as that time had been rife with violence, specific intercourse, and extremely darkish themes about oppression and sophistication battle. There wasn’t a lot left for followers to care about by the tip, and as for what they did care about, the finale did not hassle giving them what they needed or wanted. 

Prime Video’s “The Man within the Excessive Fort” relies on a novel by Philip Okay. Dick, however the sequence’ ending in Season 4 differs vastly from the content material of its supply materials. The drama sequence explores an alternate historical past the place the Axis Powers received World Battle II, just for riot to start when a sequence of movies reveals the existence of different timelines through which the precise occasions of World Battle II did, in actual fact, happen. That is the most important twist that the guide ends on, however the sequence ends on a a lot completely different, albeit barely extra optimistic word.

Within the sequence finale, “Hearth From the Gods,” the riot efficiently derails a Nazi prepare, forcing Fuhrer John Smith (Rufus Sewell) to die by suicide in entrance of Juliana (Alexa Davalos). A portal then opens, letting in a whole lot of individuals from different realities, however their identities are by no means revealed, and the sequence ends proper then and there. Even the closure of Hawthorne (Stephen Root) assembly the alternate actuality model of his deceased spouse is not actually fulfilled. In the end, it felt like a untimely ending to a present that also had numerous steam left within the engine, leaving followers feeling underwhelmed after 4 seasons of anticipating how it might wrap up. 

By the point “The 100” reached its ultimate season, it had already misplaced numerous goodwill with followers. The CW sequence, centered on a bunch of 100 people returning to Earth after a nuclear holocaust, garnered controversy throughout its third season when fan-favorite character Lexa was killed off shortly after her queer identification was confirmed. Regardless of complaints from upset followers, the present continued on, and “The 100” did not finish till Season 7. 

Sadly, that final episode did not do a lot to win again followers who’d already felt betrayed by the present’s selections in earlier seasons. Particularly, the finale introduces an entire new character in The Decide, an extraterrestrial being who’s come to find out which of the surviving characters are worthy of remaining on Earth. If that weren’t infuriating sufficient, The Decide at one level takes on the bodily look of Lexa, which was simply the last word insult to followers who felt the character was handled poorly by writers.

When “Killing Eve,” based mostly on a sequence of novels by Luke Jennings, first premiered, it appeared just like the world of tv had discovered its new violent obsession post-“Sport of Thrones.” Sadly, it turned out to be a misguided thought to rent a brand new showrunner every season, turning its intriguing Phoebe Waller-Bridge-led first season right into a disastrous fourth season from Laura Neal. The “Killing Eve” sequence finale, “Whats up, Losers,” was the final straw for a lot of followers when, after lastly embracing their love for one another, Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and Eve’s (Sandra Oh) romance was minimize drastically brief.

After slaughtering a lot of the Twelve, Villanelle was unceremoniously shot by a sniper employed by Carolyn (Fiona Shaw), pulling Eve into the Thames River along with her to avoid wasting her life. Positive, the destiny of Comer’s beloved psychopathic murderer could have been deserved after all of the horrible issues she’d finished, however having the sequence minimize to black actually seconds after with no closure for Eve? It was one more “bury your gays” trope come to life, and followers have nonetheless not let it go to at the present time. 

It is a chilly take at this level that a lot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe reveals on Disney+ are likely to have disappointing season finales, however none really feel like extra of a betrayal than “She-Hulk: Lawyer at Legislation.” The sequence set a brand new tone for itself proper from the get-go, starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, the fourth-wall-breaking cousin to Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, who, after a automotive accident, finally ends up coming into contact with Bruce’s gamma-radiated blood and morphs into She-Hulk, having to reside a double life as a lawyer whereas adapting to her newfound powers. 

The sequence units up a villain plot involving a scorned date of Jen’s (Jon Bass), who targets She-Hulk with on-line hate and steals her blood to show himself right into a Hulk. Nevertheless, the plotline’s flaws are uncovered when Jen breaks the fourth wall and leaves the present through Disney+, storming into Marvel Studios and confronting their A.I. chief Okay.E.V.I.N. (a parody of Kevin Feige), demanding a greater climax. Solely, that higher climax by no means comes, and the present simply skips forward to the whole lot being high quality and dandy in Jen’s world, which leaves the viewers questioning: What was the purpose of something we have watched? 

If we may give the Netflix sequence “Ozark” credit score for something, it is introducing the movie and TV business to Julia Garner. In spite of everything, she received three Emmys for her portrayal of Ruth, the petulant crime daughter who allies with Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and his household of their cash laundering enterprise. The present was an awards darling for just about its whole run, but it surely was the controversial ending twist involving Ruth that soured many followers on “Ozark” because it wrapped up its two-part fourth season. 

Sadly for “Ozark” followers who had solely caught round due to Garner’s character, Ruth was killed off within the ultimate moments of the sequence finale, “A Onerous Technique to Go,” whereas Marty and his spouse Wendy (Laura Linney) obtained away. Though showrunner Chris Mundy defended the choice to provide Ruth her simply desserts, many followers have been upset that they opted to provide simply the preferred character on the present an unfair loss of life proper on the finish.

“Search Occasion” had a easy sufficient premise when it began: Dory (Alia Shawkat) turns into obsessive about investigating the disappearance of an previous buddy from highschool, roping in her buddies Drew (John Reynolds), Portia (Meredith Hangar), and Elliott (John Early). The investigation then unravels right into a comedy of errors over the course of 5 seasons that, by its finale, is unrecognizable to the primary episode. There’s homicide, kidnapping, and cults concerned, and by the “Search Occasion” sequence finale, a full-blown zombie virus has been unleashed in New York Metropolis due to Dory’s psychotic breakdown. 

However even when this have been a bridge too far even for probably the most ardent followers of “Search Occasion,” all of the steam is taken out of the apocalyptic finale with an excellent previous time soar to years later, through which the zombie outbreak is underneath management, and Dory and her buddies are all dwelling idyllic lives in New York Metropolis, while a whole lot of individuals stay lacking as a parallel to the pilot. The one query is… has any of this meant something?

In a way, the creators of the “Assault on Titan” tv present did not have an excessive amount of work to do, contemplating the anime is a devoted adaptation of a Japanese manga sequence. Nonetheless, it took three years for the fourth and ultimate season to complete airing, with the finale, “Towards the Tree on That Hill,” airing greater than a decade after the present first premiered. Although the choice to open the fourth season with a time soar and an entire new forged of characters was divisive amongst followers, many held out hope that it might all wrap up properly in its remaining episodes.

Nevertheless, all that followers have been left with on the finish of “Assault on Titan,” very like the manga, was a way of unease and dissatisfaction. The character arc of Eren Yeager devolved from sacrificial hero to petulant crybaby to full-on genocidal rage, forcing his adopted sister Mikasa to execute him to guard humanity from the Titans. In its ultimate moments, a married Mikasa visited Eren’s grave to pay tribute to his reminiscence, despite the fact that by the point he died, he definitely didn’t deserve the grief she confirmed for him.

“The Blacklist” ran on NBC for 10 seasons, so it isn’t too shocking that it was troublesome to stay the touchdown in its two-part finale that aired in 2023. The sequence adopted Raymond “Pink” Reddington (James Spader), one of many FBI’s most needed fugitives, who companions with FBI brokers Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix) and Liz Eager (Megan Boone) to assist them observe down quite a few criminals whose actions the U.S. authorities is absolutely unaware of. The present had hit its justifiable share of bumps, together with having to finish an episode of its seventh season utilizing graphic novel-style animation attributable to COVID-19 shutting down manufacturing.

Sadly, what grew to become of Raymond Reddington and his job pressure in “The Blacklist” sequence finale wasn’t definitely worth the 10-year watch for followers. Pink spends a lot of the ultimate season evading seize from the FBI himself, just for him to lastly escape by, you guessed it, dying. However how does he die? From the mysterious illness he is been alluding to having for a number of episodes? Nope. Clearly, he flies to Spain and lets himself get mauled by a bull. As a result of, positive!

Like lots of the tv sequence on this record, “The Umbrella Academy” had the good thing about supply materials to attract from — on this case, a comic book guide sequence by Gerard Approach and Gabriel Bá. It is a gothic superhero story revolving round an adopted household of mysterious orphans gathered underneath one roof by billionaire Reginald Hargreeves, tasked with preventing crime till they grew to become estranged. Hargreeves’ loss of life and an impending doomsday reunite the siblings within the first season, and subsequent seasons see them grappling with the results of their actions on the multiverse.

Nevertheless, like “Sport of Thrones,” the comedian books haven’t concluded earlier than the Netflix sequence, forcing the sequence finale of “The Umbrella Academy” to finish up slightly pointless. To save lots of the world from the apocalypse of merging timelines, the Umbrella Academy sacrifices itself to a cosmic paradox, primarily making it in order that the Hargreeves by no means existed, ostensibly which means the occasions of the present by no means occurred. A lot for giving these advanced, lovable characters the completely happy ending they deserved.