Some TV series stand the test of time. You can pick up at any point in the series and enjoy whichever episode you select. Unfortunately, not all TV shows are that way as they end on a sour note.
In a recent online conversation, people shared what they believe are the worst TV series finales of all time. Here are 13 of their top choices.
My Name is Earl
Writers’ strikes can happen at any time, as we’ve seen recently. Sadly, they can impact popular shows. Such is the case with My Name is Earl
“It had a planned ending. The show was still pretty popular. The season ended early due to a writers’ strike on expectations it would return and it’s left at a cliffhanger,” notes one person.
Sadly, they didn’t come back.
Weeds
Weeds came from the genius of Jenji Kohan, of Orange is the New Black fame. The dark comedy ran eight long seasons, but perhaps it was one season too long.
One commenter says, “It was so terribly disappointing. Dexter too. To be fair, they both went downhill, probably mid-series, but I’m still upset I spent so much time invested to get a horrible ending. Breaking Bad, on the other hand, is how you end a terrific show.”
The Lyon’s Den
Remember when Rob Lowe got money hungry and demanded more to stay on West Wing? The Lyon’s Den was the sad result. It didn’t end too well.
One commenter explains why, saying, “A legal drama TV series with Rob as the leading man was canceled midway. The writers decided to go ham and absolutely screw the ending up in as absurd a way as possible.
Spoiler alert, but nobody would care because nobody liked the show: out of nowhere, Rob Lowe’s character is revealed to be a serial killer, boom show over.”
Having watched an episode or two of the episodes, it’s hard to disagree.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones was such a masterpiece. One of the most popular shows ever on HBO, it is largely panned as ending with a thud.
One person explains why, saying, “They managed to make a fantasy show one of the most significant cultural touchstones in television history. People would discuss it around the water cooler at the same level as they would football.
A high school teacher was able to discipline his entire class by threatening to write the next death on the blackboard. And then, one day, that all stopped. No one ever talks about Game of Thrones.
The only time you’ll hear it brought up in public, it will be in the context of just how badly they screwed up.”
Even as I rewatch the series, I can see the train wreck coming, and it’s sad.
Seinfeld
I love Seinfeld and have watched the series numerous times. However, to this day, people are still divided on the finale. Some love how the series ended, while others see it as a horrible attempt at a clip show.
Given how popular the series was, it’s difficult to see how the writers could have pleased everyone.
Lost
Lost was another hugely popular show and it was ahead of its time. It always kept you guessing and was full of twists and turns.
Then came the finale. It was obvious and fairly lazy. As a viewer, you wanted more.
Castle
Murder mysteries are always fun to watch. Castle pulled it off well for seven beloved seasons. Then, season eight happened.
“It’s a (very well done even as someone who doesn’t like murder mysteries) buddy cop show between Castle and Beckett which turns romantic. But there was lots of off-stage drama and the actress for Beckett (Stana Katic) was fired for Season 9.
So they filmed the ending of Season 8 as a cliffhanger where Beckett was supposed to die. Fans hated it so badly that they changed it at the last minute. When Castle and Beckett were shot, they put a random montage of them living happily ever after for the last 2 minutes over top of them laying on the floor.
Not only was the last season bad in general but whose idea is it to kill off half of a buddy cop show? If there’s ever a sign that it’s time to end a show, that’s a pretty good one.
There’s no way that would’ve worked and the writers were delusional to think they would’ve been successful. And that delusion robbed viewers of a decent conclusion,” says one viewer.
They apparently feel very strongly about how it ended.
Scrubs
NBC knows how to do comedies. From Seinfeld to The Office, it has delivered over the years. Scrubs was another beloved comedy that went strong, but it also failed with the finale.
“Yeah, season 8 was a masterclass on how a finale should be. Until the last minute of the episode, you are wondering, is that really it? And then the finale sequence happens, and it’s just a work of art.
Then we get the abomination that was season 9, all of a sudden, the hospital is now a university? It has tripled in size for some inexplicable reason. JD makes those weird cameos and then disappears. Stupid studio greed ruins everything, man.
The single good thing about season 9, though? The janitor’s exit after finding out JD doesn’t work there anymore,” adds one commenter.
At least they can pull a bright spot out of it.
Quantum Leap
I loved watching Quantum Leap as a teenager. The stories drew you in without going over the top with sci-fi. The finale left a lot to be desired, though.
One commenter says, “Quantum Leap has got to be near the top of the list. It ended with this text, and the main character’s name is misspelled.”
The text read Dr. Sam Becket never returned home. It was underwhelming, to say the least.
The Man in the High Castle
The Man in the High Castle started off so well. It drew you in with intrigue and WWII ties. Then, it got goofy and over the top with their science fiction angles.
“I loved this show right up until the end of the last episode where they ruined the whole thing,” notes one commenter. I could not agree more.
X-Files
The truth is out there, but so are the lies, as known by any true X-Files fan. Even many non-fans know the line. Sadly, the original finale fell flat for many.
One viewer explains why, saying, “The X-Files (original) finale was the most mystifyingly terrible two hours of TV I’ve ever seen, from the Smoking Man being turned into this ‘old man of the mountain’ with the most cartoonishly evil motivation despite years of characterization, to a super soldier flying into a rock like Raiden from Mortal Kombat, it was just awful. The new finale was also bad.”
Two bad finales make it doubly worse.
House of Cards
House of Cards was a terrific show, filled with tons of political intrigue and drama. Unfortunately, it has the stink of Kevin Spacey tied to it today. While Robin Wright played a near equally calculating role, it fell flat for viewers.
“Taking Kevin Spacey off the show was the right thing to do, but good grief, did they have to torpedo the story in the last season like that?” adds one commenter.
As a fan of the show, it’s hard to disagree.
Chuck
Another fun NBC comedy, Chuck was loved by many viewers. It also landed on a sour note, according to many commenters.
One person said, “I loved Chuck and that finale made me furious. Years of long, slow, genuine character development for Sarah, and then they just flush it all down the toilet. It was all for nothing.
She didn’t get to be heroic or choose to make the sacrifice; somehow, she was victimized. It is vaguely possible to read the ending as her recovering, but it’s very ambiguous and it didn’t have to be.”
Having a cliffhanger is one thing. Ambiguity is another.
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This thread inspired this post.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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