TV show finales viewers are still upset about

The trend of watching TV in the comfort of home has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic. Due to this gaining popularity, directors and producers focus more on making TV shows to reach a wider audience.

Small-screen series are the most watched category of all the content, likely largely because of the detailed storytelling freedom a series has. While being invested in a longer offering like this, viewers grow with the characters and understand every aspect of their lifes. Hence, it becomes equally difficult for the writers to write an ending that can satisfy everyone. Sometimes they succeed, but often they fail miserably.

This article talks about some of the most hated TV series finales, according to audiences. Of course – spoiler alert before anyone continues reading!

Game of Thrones

Streaming platform: HBO Max
Finale date: 19^th May 2019

This TV series was not just a show about dragons. It had magical plotlines set in fictionalised medieval times that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. The story revolved around a vicious royal family living in the centre of the kingdom. At the same time, there were threats of uprising and war coming in from all directions. This show had everything: war, politics, family drama, love stories, strong female characters and chilling plot twists.

What it lacked was the sense of pacing. Initially, it spent several episodes organically building the storyline of each character. While many criticised the seventh season, no one expected the writers’ ending for the eighth season. The finale season felt rushed and inconclusive, with the last moments disappointing many viewers, some even digging deeper into the reasons behind this failure. However, there is no getting around the fact that many loyal fans felt cheated.

How I Met Your Mother

Streaming platforms: Hulu and Amazon Prime
Finale date: 31^st March 2014

It is heartbreaking to see a bad ending when one has given nine years to a show – after all, the whole premise revolved around finding the “Mother” of Ted’s children. Over the years, the audience connected with Ted, Robin, Barney, Marshal and Lily; every character had a beautiful growth arc until the final episodes.

The fans were so upset that the series writer had to create an alternative ending, which was included in the DVD release of the show. In this version, Ted finally meets the love of his life, Tracy, and they live happily ever after.

Killing Eve

Streaming platform: Amazon Prime Video
Finale date: 10^th April 2022

Killing Eve has enough violence and brutal moments to make an ordinary person cringe, but, despite the killings, the fans stuck around as it had a very compelling storyline. It revolves around Eve, a British Intelligence investigator on a mission to capture Villanelle.

When the final moments aired for fans, they are more than disappointed, leading some reviewers even to compare its clumsy ending with GOT. Of course, the creators would not have liked to be the subject of such a comparison.

Since the show has only recently ended, plot-related comments will be avoided – viewers can catch the last episode on Amazon Prime, and those restricted by geographical blocks abroad or on restrictive networks have options to unblock Prime Video in a number of ways (a Virtual Private Network – or VPN – can in most cases lift geo-blocks).

Dexter

Streaming platform: Hulu
Finale date: 22^nd September 2013

Everybody appreciated the first four seasons of this show, but it eventually started losing its charm due to clumsy writing from the start of season five, which does not at all do justice to John Lithgow’s character. Moreover, some deaths in the show made no sense and happened with little explanation.

In the finale of this serial killer drama, one can see Dexter propelling his boat in the middle of a storm. If this was not enough to upset the fans, the post-credit scene shows him living in the middle of nowhere and working as a logger. After this ending, the fans were happy that finally, the series was over.

Dexter returned in 2021 as a miniseries, which, once again, received great reviews apart from the terrible finale.

Roseanne

Streaming platforms: Hulu, Peacock and Amazon Prime
Finale date: 20^th May 1997

This show portrayed a working-class family living in America. Upon its release, it had a vast impact on pop culture, portraying the difficulties of parenthood and showing a family struggling from job to job while maintaining dry humour throughout its run. Sadly, the last season was where everything started to go downhill.

In the ninth season, the family wins a lottery that changes the series’ entire premise. The fans were upset as their struggling life is what kept them relatable. Surprisingly, later in the show, it was revealed that Dan died in season eight. The entire time Dan was on screen during season nine was merely in Roseanne’s imagination.

13 Reasons Why

Streaming platform: Netflix
Finale date: 5^th June 2020

From the beginning, this show generated a whirlwind of controversy. Many did not approve of its main idea portrayal, while the rest considered it essential to discuss such topics on bigger platforms. Whether one likes the message of the series or not, no one can deny that its ending was below the standard expectations.

There is no conclusion on all the crimes done by the kids, and everybody loses faith in their friendship. It is undoubtedly one of the most depressing endings ever written for a TV series – indeed, many fans agree that the show should have ended with its first season.

The editorial unit