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When it comes to writing any piece of fiction, one of the hardest aspects to nail is the ending. That kind of sucks because it’s also one of the most important aspects to get right. Wrapping everything up in a nice little bow whilst simultaneously saying what you intended to say from the start is actually not such an easy feat, as it turns out. This is especially true, considering that you can’t please everyone, and that any ending will inevitably disappoint or anger some of the fans.

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)

Image via The CW

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.

The main reason Supernatural‘s finale was so divisive was that some felt it was way too long and drawn out, feeling like a gigantic epilogue rather than a proper conclusion. But again, with how long the show ran, perhaps this approach was for the best. Sure, it felt anticlimactic to some, but at least it didn’t leave many unanswered questions. All in all, it’s not really the most controversial ending to a TV show ever created, but it was still met with its fair share of disappointment.

7. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

“Chosen” Season 7, Episode 22 (2003)

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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)

Image via ABC

Once Upon a Time is a show that fell victim to the classic fault of running longer than it really should’ve. Many fans felt that it could have been easily wrapped up in six seasons, yet it inexplicably ran for one extra season. This only served to disappoint people, especially the fans who felt that they had already gotten proper closure. Instead, Season 7 tried to change things for the worse, including an absurd number of retcons that left things convoluted and messy.

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)

Image via BBC One

Merlin is a show that lasted five seasons, which is exactly the amount it planned to receive, as the showrunners didn’t want to overstay their welcome or have the show grow stale. Unfortunately, some felt it did just that anyway in the final episode. The show was generally pretty light-hearted and contained a fair bit of comedy, despite being for more mature audiences, which is why many felt a bit insulted by its bitter ending.

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)

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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.

Those who despised the finale felt that it should have done a better job focusing on the romantic aspects of the series rather than grappling with more philosophical aspects. Many characters also exited in ways that fans felt didn’t befit them, and some relationships were never fully elaborated upon or given closure. Of course, not everybody hated the ending to this show, but enough did to be noticeable, which is why it is still commonly debated to this day.

3. ‘True Blood’ (2008–2014)

“Thank You” Season 7, Episode 10 (2014)

Image via HBO

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)

Image via ABC

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)

Image via HBO

There’s no question that the most divisive series finale in all of fantasy has got to belong to Game of Thrones. It might be appalling to those who hate it, but there are actually people who enjoyed the finale for various reasons. One of the most legendary fantasy TV shows in history, Game of Thrones faced significant backlash in its final season from fans, many of whom felt the show’s shortest season was rushed, messy, and sometimes nonsensical.

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.