Perhaps no one knows this better than TV screenwriters, especially in the realm of fantasy, as there have been numerous TV shows that have dropped the ball for their final episodes. While not everyone loathed these finales with a passion, it’s important to know that some were fine with them, and some even loved them. There’s a lot of debate surrounding these final episodes, but there’s no denying that they were extremely controversial, no matter where you stand.
8. ‘Supernatural’ (2005–2020)
“Carry On” Season 15, Episode 20 (2020)
With how long Supernatural lasted, creating a satisfying ending was going to be a difficult, if not insurmountable task. The longer a show gets, the more plot points spring up, and the more loose ends there are to wrap up when it comes time to say goodbye. Granted, many die-hard fans of Supernatural didn’t really have anything bad to say about the finale, and it wasn’t widely criticized for bad writing or bad character moments like other shows are.
7. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)
“Chosen” Season 7, Episode 22 (2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a staple of the 90s and early 2000s, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in the titular role. This series was both a romance, a dark fantasy, and a coming-of-age teen drama all at once, which meant it resonated with a lot of viewers and appealed to a very broad audience. Perhaps it deserved a better finale than it got. It wasn’t bad per se, it just didn’t inspire the same level of near-unanimous approval as its earlier episodes did.
Those who weren’t too pleased with Buffy‘s conclusion criticized it for its out-of-character moments and its abrupt change in direction, which disgruntled fans claimed were against the reasons they fell in love with the show in the first place. The buzz surrounding this finale, perhaps, wasn’t quite as loud as it was for many other TV shows, but it was noticeable enough. Of course, some fans didn’t mind the ending so much, but this didn’t stop the louder, angrier group from complaining.
6. ‘Once Upon a Time’ (2011–2018)
“Leaving Storybrooke” Season 7, Episode 22 (2018)
Fans didn’t really like how this unwarranted extension lessened any emotional impact that the finale deserved, and also disliked how much it felt like a cheap cash grab with how it tried desperately to milk the show for what it was worth. On the other hand, some fans were more than happy to receive another season and see some of their favorite characters again, so they didn’t really mind if the quality wasn’t up to par. It’s not the single most divisive finale on TV, but it definitely made a lot of people upset.
5. ‘Merlin’ (2008–2013)
“The Diamond of the Day: Part Two” Season 5, Episode 13 (2012)
Instead of getting the satisfying conclusion that fans expected, many were faced with a bleak, depressing ending that nobody could have seen coming in a million years. Some fans also felt that the ending was a bit rushed, but others still enjoyed the final episodes for what they were. Yes, the ending is indeed extremely different from the overall tone of the rest of the series, but for the fans who are quite alright with bleaker endings, it wasn’t so bad.
4. ‘The Vampire Diaries’ (2009–2017)
“I Was Feeling Epic” Season 8, Episode 16 (2017)
The Vampire Diaries initially seemed like a product of its time, a shameless copycat during the Twilight craze. As it happened, though, the show evolved beyond the bounds of what was expected and outlasted the era from which it came. It lasted nearly an entire decade, but tragically suffered towards the end, which is where many felt it took a sharp turn in the wrong direction. It’s no secret that the show is primarily a romantasy series, but the finale doesn’t always reflect this.
3. ‘True Blood’ (2008–2014)
“Thank You” Season 7, Episode 10 (2014)
The True Blood finale unleashed a firestorm of controversy amongst the fanbase for numerous different reasons. The vampire romance show is certainly nothing new or groundbreaking, but many fans of the genre did end up liking it very much. Evidently, it lasted for six years. The conclusion, though, really reached a whole new level of divisiveness in the genre, which nobody could have predicted. Some fans felt satisfied and were able to just move on, but this doesn’t mean everyone was able to.
One of the main reasons some hated it was due to character inconsistencies that seemed to come out of nowhere, as well as a perceived decline in the quality of the writing. On top of that, one of the major flaws that people pointed out was that the show lost its sense of excitement and passion, almost like the cast and crew were growing bored by it and no longer felt the love they once had. While this wasn’t felt by everyone who watched it, the conclusion was a pretty major event in fan circles for how polarizing it was.
2. ‘Lost’ (2004–2010)
“The End” Season 6, Episode 17/18 (2010)
Lost was one of the most revolutionary TV shows of all time, as it served as a hybrid of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery, and was so much more than it initially appeared to be. The show follows a group of survivors after their plane crashes on an uncharted island. Many of these characters are played by some pretty big names, and all get their own moments to shine as the episodes provide flashbacks that delve into their backstories.
Lost sort of fell off the handle towards the end, but its finale was by far the biggest point of contention amongst its dedicated fans. One of the main reasons that many people disliked it was that many of the mysteries at the core of the show were never answered in a concrete way. But not everybody minded this so much, as some felt it was more fun to work out the answers on your own and develop your own personal theories. However controversial this finale was, the complexity of its story still leaves this series highly rewatchable.
1. ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)
“The Iron Throne” Season 8, Episode 6 (2019)
On the other hand, those who liked the finale were just glad the story got any sort of conclusion at all, because author George R. R. Martin certainly doesn’t seem intent on finishing the source material any time soon. While those who liked the finale acknowledge that it does have its flaws and isn’t as good as the previous seasons, many felt that it’s still comparatively pretty good compared to some of the absolute garbage that can be found on TV. Wherever you stand, there is no denying that this show had a very polarizing finale, perhaps the most polarizing in the entire history of television.
