- 3 months ago
From lumberjack Dexter to Bran the Broken, we're looking at TV's biggest finale failures! Join us as we count down the most disappointing series finales each year since "Lost" ended. These shows started with promise but crashed and burned when it came time to wrap things up. From "Game of Thrones" to "How I Met Your Mother," these endings left fans fuming!
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00:00She said we were leaving, not leaving, no.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:05And today, we're looking at the worst series finales every year since Lost ended in 2010.
00:11We're focusing on shows and franchises that started strong but couldn't stick the landing.
00:17Oh, and there will be spoilers.
00:19Duh.
00:20Ugh, God, my new relationship is exhausting.
00:24I personally apologize to everyone.
00:272011. The End. Entourage.
00:32I've emailed and called you a dozen times, Ari.
00:35John?
00:36Where have you been hiding?
00:37I am in heaven, John. I left my berry and all my troubles behind.
00:42You vanished.
00:43Compared to some other entries on this countdown, Entourage's ending was far from the absolute worst.
00:49It was still a disappointment after investing eight seasons with these guys.
00:53You quitting, huh?
00:54I did quit. Rumor has you did as well.
00:56Eh, well, I guess we both gotta do what's right for the greater good.
00:59The End is a glass half full, feeling more like a season finale than a series finale.
01:05Vince is getting married, but we don't see the wedding.
01:08Ari quits his job and is offered a position as Time Warner's CEO, but we don't see if he accepts it.
01:13I don't want you to replace her. I want you to replace me as chairman and CEO.
01:19It's my time. And yours.
01:22John?
01:23This is not just about movies.
01:25It's about a film division that grossed four billion.
01:27It's about a television network and three premium cable networks.
01:31You want a sports franchise? Buy one yourself.
01:33There's no real sense of finality, most likely because the writers knew that an Entourage movie was in the cards.
01:40Well, we got that movie four years later.
01:43And based on the reception, it would have been wiser if the franchise had quit while it was ahead.
01:48They want to know if we're bored and need television.
01:50We don't need anything.
01:52Nope.
01:532012. It's Time. Weeds.
01:56It's 16 miles to the promised land.
02:04When this Showtime series started, Nancy Botwin was an underdog we rooted for,
02:09despite her unlawful activity.
02:11By the season finale, Nancy was no longer an underdog.
02:14She was filthy rich and arguably a sociopath who corrupts everyone around her.
02:19I'm afraid to be alone. I'm making it because I'm your mother.
02:22And I care about you. And you're not in a good way.
02:26Hear me out.
02:27It's time to grow up.
02:29I don't think moving back in with my mommy is going to help me grow up.
02:32You shot a cake.
02:33I know. I know. I'm a mess.
02:35This isn't reflected in the series finale, which jumps ahead nearly a decade.
02:40Characters reunite and reconcile while Nancy is forgiven for her numerous shortcomings.
02:45None of it feels earned.
02:46As the characters share a joint in the closing scene,
02:49all we can think about are the various lives ruined along the way.
02:53But hey, it was done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, so no big deal.
02:57The biggest sin is how uneventful the finale feels,
03:01affirming that Weeds ran out of juice years ago.
03:042013. Remember the monsters? Dexter.
03:16Dexter could have wrapped up in several satisfying ways.
03:20Miami Metro could learn that one of their own was a serial killer hunting him down.
03:24I have tickets on this flight. I'm a forensic analyst with Miami Metro.
03:28Yes?
03:29I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but I just saw a guy drop that bag under that chair and then just walk away.
03:37I thought maybe he forgot it, but it really looked like he left it there on purpose.
03:40Dexter could wind up on the execution table getting a taste of his own medicine.
03:44For a more triumphant ending, Dexter could go up against the ultimate big bag, riding off into the sunset.
03:50I destroy everyone I love, and I can't let that happen to Hannah, to Harrison. I have to protect them.
04:02Oliver Saxon was a forgettable foe, however, so when he leaves Debra on life support, it comes off as rushed and lazy.
04:09Do what I said, then you won't get hurt.
04:13Dexter puts his sister out of her misery, simultaneously pulling the plug on this dying series.
04:18The franchise has since been resurrected multiple times, in fact.
04:40Regardless, we'll never forgive the original series for that final scene.
04:44Dexter's a lumberjack, and he's not okay.
04:482014. Last Forever. How I Met Your Mother.
04:52I kept this story short and to the point, and you guys still missed it.
04:57Although the True Blood finale lacked bite, we didn't really care what happened to Sookie and Bill by season 7.
05:02We were more emotionally invested in How I Met Your Mother, making the final episode feel like a betrayal of everything that came before.
05:10The worst part is that this sitcom almost had a decent finale.
05:32All they needed to do was end with Ted meeting the mother, and cut out that bit where she dies.
05:38Mom's been gone for six years now.
05:40Unfortunately, the showrunners were committed to their long-term plan.
05:44Whether or not Ted getting back together with Robin made sense anymore.
05:48Viewers moved on from Ted and Robin a couple of years ago.
05:51The fact that they couldn't move on shows that the audience had grown, but the characters hadn't.
05:57And that, kids, is how I met your mother.
06:002015. Of course he's dead. Two and a Half Men.
06:04What do you think Charlie will do when he gets out of jail?
06:07Well, the past is any indication. He'll sober up and reflect on his past mistakes, apologize to everyone, and then do something even worse.
06:16Two and a Half Men was the McDonald's of sitcoms.
06:19There were better things out there, but it was a source of comfort food.
06:22When Charlie Sheen left, it was the equivalent of removing the Big Mac and replacing it with the McHot Dog.
06:28Ashton Kutcher was the latter.
06:31The menu kept losing items over time, but loyal customers stuck around on the off-chance of a Charlie comeback.
06:37Following four Sheenless seasons, the finale suggests that Uncle Charlie might not be dead after all.
06:43By the way, when this cigar is done, so am I.
06:47Yeah, you calling it a date?
06:49Calling it a career.
06:51You're quitting?
06:51I didn't want to rub your nose in it, but Charlie sent me a big-ass check, so I'm out of here.
06:57After 38 minutes of teasing his return, we didn't get the genuine artifact, but rather a body double who's flattened with a piano.
07:05If you wish the same thing would happen to Chuck Lorre, don't worry.
07:17He's a step ahead of you.
07:18Winning.
07:212016.
07:22End.
07:23The Good Wife.
07:24Though I have been cleared of all but one corruption charge, I wish to spare the people of Illinois any further expense or frustration.
07:34Throughout seven seasons, Alicia Florek proved that she was more than Peter's wife.
07:39She's an independent career woman who can stand on her own.
07:42So, how does the series end?
07:45With Alicia standing by Peter's side amid another scandal.
07:49Diane gets thrown under the bus along the way, slapping Alicia in the final scene.
07:54Diane.
08:01We think this is supposed to be a full-circle moment, since the show began with Alicia slapping Peter.
08:07It never felt like The Good Wife was building to this confrontation, however.
08:12It just comes off as random, much like the song choice that closed the series.
08:25Alicia and viewers deserved a better send-off than this.
08:28It's a slap in the face, in more ways than one.
08:372017.
08:38Fancy Schmancy.
08:40The Fairly Odd Parents.
08:41Best spring break ever.
08:43And also the weirdest.
08:45I'm just glad we're not with those little rhyming cookie kooks.
08:48I'm just happy I can see you again.
08:50If this Nicktoon wanted to go out on top, it should have ended with Season 4's Channel Chasers or Season 6's Wish Allergy Trilogy.
08:58By Season 10, the show was so desperate for ideas that it gave Timmy a neighbor named Chloe, whom he must share his fairies with.
09:06Throwing off the show's dynamic even more.
09:09There's no way we can celebrate our friendiversary unless we can find a place where the Schmancy and Riff Raff can live together as one.
09:15If only there was someone who was both Schmancy and Riff Raff who could unite the two sides.
09:21Nickelodeon finally canceled the series, but with no sense of closure.
09:25Although not the last to air, Fancy Schmancy was the final episode produced.
09:30Check this out!
09:31I'm dipping a marshmallow cloud in the chocolate waterfall!
09:37It plays like any other episode, focusing on Timmy and Chloe trying to celebrate Friends Day when we never cared about their friendship to begin with.
09:45The title card with Timmy's dad basking in riches sums up why this series was dragged out.
09:51Prioritizing money over magic.
10:022018, Chapter 73, House of Cards.
10:062018 saw two political thrillers come to a close.
10:09Like most elected officials, they didn't live up to the hype.
10:20The scandal finale was appropriately titled Over a Clip, but at least Olivia Pope's story got something resembling closure, even if it was pretty dumb.
10:29Hi.
10:32Hi.
10:33That's more than can be said about House of Cards, which was down to a joker by its finale.
10:38While we understand why Kevin Spacey's Frank had to be written off, the show had nowhere to go after that.
10:44He was coming here to kill you.
10:48And then he was going to go to you next.
10:50I couldn't let you destroy him.
10:54Did you want him to die in my bed?
10:57Was that your plan?
10:58I didn't have a plan.
10:59It culminated in a final episode where Doug reveals that he killed Frank.
11:03A pregnant Claire kills him, and we're left on a cliffhanger that'll likely never be resolved.
11:14Even if it is, we're not invested in the Underwood legacy anymore.
11:19No more pain.
11:20Of all these finales, The Iron Throne was the ultimate letdown.
11:38That doesn't mean it was the worst-acted or directed finale, but in terms of what was promised and delivered, this cultural phenomenon went up in flames along with King's Landing.
11:55After Daenerys Targaryen's actions in the previous episode, Game of Thrones couldn't just end.
12:01It needed another season to deal with the fallout.
12:04Alas, the finale rushes to the finish so D&D can get to work on a Star Wars trilogy that never happened.
12:12You are my queen.
12:15Now.
12:17And always.
12:31There's a, let's get this over with, carelessness to the finale, in which Jon kills Daenerys, Drogon burns the throne, and Bran is king now.
12:48And if there's time, Tyrion gets to rearrange some chairs.
12:57What's this?
12:58A song of ice and fire.
13:01Archmaester Ebro's history of the wars following the death of King Robert.
13:05I helped him with the title.
13:082020.
13:09Carry on.
13:10Supernatural.
13:12My baby brother.
13:19No.
13:22Well, I did not think this would be the day.
13:25We were torn on which fantasy series had a more underwhelming ending in 2020.
13:30Sabrina Spellman's sacrifice was a cold note to go out on.
13:35Where that show only lasted four seasons, Supernatural had to deliver on a decade and a half of storytelling.
13:41A friend of mine, Donna Hanscom, she said you were the guy to call.
13:45Um, agent, are you there?
13:52Yeah, I'm here.
13:53After seeing the Winchester brothers literally go to hell and back, Sam and Dean deserved to peacefully retire.
13:59Instead, Dean dies.
14:01Again, maybe we could get on board with this if Dean went out in an epic battle, but his death is painfully anticlimactic.
14:10Someday you'll return to your valleys and your farms.
14:21Dean's cheated death so many times that we struggle to accept this as the final nail in the coffin.
14:26At least Dean goes to heaven this time, but it'll be years until he's reunited with his brother.
14:32Hey, Sammy.
14:40Dean.
14:522021. Nevada. Good Girls.
14:55How many times have I told you that?
14:57How many?
15:03How many?
15:06How many?
15:11How many, Beth?
15:13When season four of this juicy dramedy entered production, it was unclear if a fifth was on the horizon.
15:19If there is any impropriety here, I will exhaust every resource to maintain the community's trust.
15:26You can turn it off now.
15:28Although it came close to a renewal, NBC ultimately cancelled Good Girls, which has yet to find another home elsewhere.
15:36Without the foresight that it would be the final episode, Nevada winds up being a wasted opportunity.
15:41Tell him.
15:45Who did this, ma'am?
15:56I don't know.
15:57Part of the episode is an extended dream sequence, revealing that the girls didn't move to Nevada and are still in Michigan.
16:04Annie takes one for the team getting arrested.
16:06Ruby considers leaving with her family, although her final decision is ambiguous.
16:12When you decide.
16:14Decide what?
16:16Which family you want to be with.
16:20Beth and Rio get back to work, but he answers to her now.
16:25All of this feels like set up for another season we'll likely never see.
16:29In the past and the present and the future, faith and hope and charity.
16:342022.
16:35Hello, losers.
16:37Killing Eve.
16:38Hello, losers.
16:39Sometimes we just want to grab a showrunner by the shoulders, shake them furiously and scream,
16:45Stop it.
16:47You're telling the wrong story.
16:48I did it, Eve.
16:54Don't you mean we did it?
16:56Yeah, but mostly me.
17:00There were two ways that killing Eve could have ended effectively.
17:05One, Eve kills Villanelle, preserving her own humanity at a personal cost.
17:09Two, Villanelle seduces Eve, killing what she once stood for and gaining a partner in crime.
17:16The show seemed to be leaning toward the second choice, only to go with an inexplicable third option.
17:21Villanelle is shot, not by Eve, but rather a random sniper on Carolyn's orders.
17:28Eve cries out for her lost love and that's it.
17:32Well, we'll give the final this.
17:35The episode's title is honest, making us feel like losers.
17:39A new world didn't just mark the ending of The Flash, it was the ending of the Arrowverse,
18:08wrapping up over a decade of interconnecting stories.
18:12Ironically, in a show that revolves around a speedster, the finale's biggest issue was in the pacing department.
18:20Being a four-parter, you'd think there would be plenty of time to flesh everything out.
18:25It's been pretty wild lately.
18:27You think it was a crazy 24 hours before I was born?
18:31Wait for Bart's due date.
18:36Great.
18:37A new world had so many balls in the air, though, that once we got to part four,
18:41we could barely follow what was going on.
18:43The finale just couldn't slow down.
18:46At the same time, the show had run out of gas after nine seasons.
18:49We're glad Barry got a happy ending, but this last lap was a slog to get through.
18:55A world where nothing has to be impossible.
19:00As long as we believe in it.
19:042024.
19:05End of the Beginning.
19:07The Umbrella Academy.
19:09And we thought the Flash finale felt rushed and overstuffed.
19:13In the last episode of The Umbrella Academy,
19:16the cleanse begins to reset the timeline again.
19:18Five meets several alternate versions of himself,
19:35and it's deduced that the only way to prevent another apocalypse
19:38is to create a single timeline where the Umbrella siblings never existed.
19:43One perfect timeline, and the moment we come into existence,
19:46boom, shattered to an infinite number of alternate timelines
19:50and an infinite loop of time as we try and save the world.
19:53How many times was it again?
19:57145,412.
19:59But for some reason, their families will still exist.
20:03Our heroes sacrifice themselves, but don't worry,
20:06they come back as flowers.
20:07We think?
20:08I love you guys.
20:13But you are all assholes.
20:18It's just one of the many questions that go unresolved.
20:21We'd say that the Hollywood labor disputes were responsible for this convoluted ending,
20:26but the scripts were apparently finished before the strikes.
20:29So we guess inept writing is simply to blame here.
20:33We gotta hide what we're doing
20:36Cause what would they say?
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20:542025. Party of One.
20:59And just like that.
21:01Well, I'm gonna take it out.
21:02If it's not done, you can always put it back in, right?
21:04I have no idea.
21:06Sex and the City ended on just the right note.
21:09The first movie was a fun reunion.
21:11Carrie and company overstayed their welcome with the second movie,
21:14but this sequel series was a new low.
21:16And it's not a tragedy.
21:18It's a fact.
21:19And I just have to start accepting it full stop.
21:24After three seasons of hate watching,
21:27HBO did what they should have done years ago.
21:30Flush this piece of crap down the tubes.
21:33Usually, we wouldn't be so crude,
21:35but the finale literally featured a clogged toilet,
21:37and more than water comes back up.
21:39Whether intentional or not,
21:41it's a fitting visual representation of this franchise's downhill spiral.
21:45I don't have a problem with French cheese.
21:47Oh, did the toilet overflow?
21:49Not dead is overflowing.
21:51And there seems to be no end.
21:53Oh, sorry, Mark.
21:55The finale overflows with verbal crap as well.
21:58Closing on Carrie delivering a monologue about being on her own.
22:02The woman realized she was not alone.
22:05She was on her own.
22:08Only one like you.
22:10We guess that's why it's called Party of One.
22:12But really, it's a number two.
22:15Do you think the lost finale was that bad?
22:18Especially when stacked up against some of these other endings?
22:21Let us know in the comments.
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