It’s unfortunate that some of the best TV shows in history haven’t always stuck the landing, and have produced some of the most disappointing series finales. It’s widely recognized that TV shows, such as Breaking Bad, The Good Place, Friends, Parks and Recreation, and more, have had incredibly strong finales that uphold the popularity of their entire series. However, not every TV series has been so lucky to have a successful send-off, and some finales have actually hurt the reputation of their entire show.
It’s disappointing that the final episodes of iconic shows like Battlestar Galactica, How I Met Your Mother, and Lost, among others, didn’t provide more satisfaction and closure. Controversial last-minute choices, wildly unpredictable character reveals, lackluster deaths and twists, and unresolved cliffhangers that will never be addressed have made these finales some of TV’s worst, and this has also soured our memories of these whole series’, which is a dire shame.
1) Battlestar Galactica – “Daybreak”
Concluding Season 4 in 2009, Battlestar Galactica’s finale, “Daybreak,” received a very mixed response from audiences and critics alike. The final episode of the popular sci-fi series saw the Galactica arrive on a prehistoric Earth, where the surviving crew decided to abandon technology and integrate with the primitive human population. Some thought this a satisfying ending, but too many plot lines went unresolved, the ending was far too idealistic, and the finale lacked any action or drama.
RELATED: Battlestar Galactica Creator’s Rule for New Reboot Revealed (and It Makes Sense)
Throughout its four-season run, Battlestar Galactica was praised for combining concepts from political dramas, sci-fi adventures, and psychological thrillers into a tightly-packed series. While the final episodes saw Battlestar Galactica get its best ratings since Season 2, the polarizing narrative soured the impact of the series finale. It’s unfortunate such an iconic chapter in TV history couldn’t be wrapped up more neatly.
2) Pretty Little Liars – “Till Death Do Us Part”
Talk of disappointing finales and it’s hard to ignore the ending of Pretty Little Liars, as the once-popular series’ last episode revealed the identity of the mysterious “A.D.” who’d been threatening to release the secrets of the core group. Instead of “A.D.” being revealed as a character audiences already knew, which would have been more shocking, she was actually a completely new character. “A.D.” was revealed to be Alex Drake, the previously-unseen identical twin sister of Spencer Hastings (Trojan Bellisario).
This was a wildly anticlimactic reveal from the series that had upheld its biggest mystery seven years. Alex’s backstory and motives didn’t provide clear closure or explanation for the events of the series, so Pretty Little Liars left many questions unanswered. “Till Death Do Us Part” was a messy, confusing, and lackluster ending to this once-exciting and unpredictable show.
3) Killing Eve – “Hello Losers”
Throughout its first season, written by acclaimed Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve was lauded as one of the best TV shows in modern memory. The series’ popularity dwindled in its later years, however, and came to a sorry end with the series finale, “Hello, Losers.” Killing Eve’s finale ended with Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and Eve (Sandra Oh) finally sharing a passionate kiss before the former was shockingly killed on the orders of Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw).
As well as being a wild departure from the source material, Killing Eve’s finale was criticized for being a huge betrayal of the show’s exploration of its complex female characters. Many suggested the series finale supported the dangerous “bury your gays” trope, in which LGBT+ characters are killed off to create drama. This is the antithesis of the show’s ethos, and marked the continuation of lackluster storytelling in Killing Eve’s later episodes.
4) Skins – “Everyone”
At one point, Skins was a revolutionary series as a hard-hitting, gritty teen drama, the British Euphoria of its era. Unfortunately, however, the series seemed to become increasingly outlandish as it progressed, particularly in Season 4, which concluded the stories of the second bunch of students at Roundview College. Skins Season 4 ended with rushed plot lines, uncharacteristic choices, and a tragic and meaningless death, which polarized audiences.
Freddie’s (Luke Pasqualino) death in the penultimate episode of the season caused huge controversy, and the subsequent resolution in the season finale made it even worse. The episode, “Everyone,” leaves many questions unanswered, as it ends with Cook (Jack O’Connell) attacking Freddie’s killer and exclaiming, “I’m Cook!” Cook’s episodes in Skins Season 7 in 2013 provided some closure, but the ending of Season 4 was still a major disappointment.
5) Seinfeld – “The Finale”
Seinfeld is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential TV shows in history, so the poor reception to its last ever episode luckily didn’t cause much damage. Many felt as though Seinfeld’s finale was too much of a deviation from the show’s usual comedic style, as it put its core characters in an unrealistic and unexpected position. Almost devoid of jokes, poorly written, and leaving the story unresolved, Seinfeld’s finale was too ambitious for its own good.
RELATED: Seinfeld Star Reflects on Series Finale: “It Didn’t Quite Land the Way They Wanted”
After years of watching Seinfeld feature its otherwise-hilarious characters in normal, everyday scenarios, the finale seemed much too big. It didn’t fit the overall tone and removed any semblance of humor, which was a shocking end for such an iconic comedy series. By 1998, it was time for Seinfeld to come to an end, it’s just a shame it didn’t have a better, more representative farewell.
6) Dexter – “Remember the Monsters?”
While Dexter’s story has continued in a number of recent spinoffs, the ending of the original eight-season run received a hugely negative response. “Remember the Monsters?” was the most-watched episode of Dexter’s entire run, and the biggest telecast in Showtime’s history. Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) choices, especially abandoning his son, Harrison (Jadon Wells), were uncharacteristic to his history and the show’s whole themes, which caused huge controversy.
The finale of Dexter was completely botched, and it makes it hard to watch back any episode of the series, knowing how it ends. Unresolved storylines may have been addressed in spinoffs, including Dexter: New Blood and the upcoming Dexter: Resurrection. Even so, “Remember the Monsters?” will go down in history as one of the worst finales ever, and that image of Dexter as a lumberjack will always be a hard one to forget.
7) The Flash – “A New World”
After 11 years, The Flash Season 9, Episode 13, “A New World,” brought the DC series and the Arrowverse to a close in an extremely lackluster fashion. Full of inconsistencies and unresolved storylines, The Flash’s finale was perhaps in response to the poor reception of DC’s live-action projects generally at the time. The ending was rushed, the villain was too-easily defeated, and no homage was paid to iconic characters from the series.
The Flash was the last remnant of the Arrowverse, trudging along for as long as it could before it eventually fizzled out. Grant Gustin was praised as speedster Barry Allen, aka the Flash, but after he was glossed over in the DCEU’s reviled movie version of The Flash, and given no semblance of a satisfying ending in his own show, the future is uncertain for Barry Allen in any future DC project. Hopefully he has embarks on more welcome adventures than he has in recent years.
8) How I Met Your Mother – “Last Forever”
How I Met Your Mother very nearly stuck the landing – really, it came so close – but the series’ final moments completely fumbled the bag. At the very end of How I Met Your Mother’s finale, “Last Forever,” it’s revealed that the titular Mother, Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), had actually passed away by the time Ted (Josh Radnor) is recounting his history to his children. This shocking reveal, and his romantic reunion with Robin (Cobie Smulders), spurred a hugely negative response from audiences and critics alike.
RELATED: 7 Best Sitcoms to Watch on Netflix
Beyond just the finale, the entire last season of How I Met Your Mother was criticized for focusing too heavily on Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin’s wedding, only to undo it in the finale. This made many feel as though their time had been wasted, and the episode veering away from the series’ central themes of falling in love and building a family was also criticized. How I Met Your Mother was popular throughout its run, so it’s a shame its ending was so poor.
9) Lost – “The End”
Lost is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and some would argue that it’s finale neatly wrapped up the narrative, marked a happy ending for most characters, and resolved the storylines it needed to. However, not everyone agrees, as some were unsatisfied with the answers given to some of the show’s longest-running mysteries, and the open-ended nature of the story revolving around Hugo (Jorge Garcia) and Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), who remained on the Island.
Lost came to a close with Jack (Matthew Fox) killing the Man in Black (Terry O’Quinn) and then sacrificing himself to save the Island and allow his surviving friends to finally leave. Many were satisfied with this emotional ending, including the side-story of the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors reuniting in the afterlife and moving on together. This isn’t a universal opinion, however, which, honestly, is to be expected from such a complex and narratively-rich series.
10) Game of Thrones – “The Iron Throne”
HBO’s Game of Thrones was a cultural revolution and a massive event series for most of its eight-season run. Unfortunately, however, it is perhaps also the biggest example of a major series completely flopping at the end of its run. Game of Thrones’ finale “The Iron Throne,” saw Jon Snow (Kit Harington) kill Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), allowing Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), of all people, to become the new King of the Seven Kingdoms.
Many had issues with the fact that many of Game of Thrones’ most powerful female characters were neglected and killed off in the final season. Others complained about the repetitiveness and predictability of these final episodes and the anticlimactic ending of Bran Stark claiming the Iron Throne. For such a monumental show, Game of Thrones really struggled to keep up momentum, and fans may never be satisfied with the show’s lackluster finale.
Which series finales ruined their whole shows for you? Let us know in the comments!
The post 10 Awful Finales That Totally Ruined Great TV Shows appeared first on ComicBook.com.
