7 Series Finales Worse Than Stranger Things

Wow, the ending of that series really got people talking, didn’t it? I was so relieved all the characters I loved survived, but I have to admit, a lot of fans were pretty upset with how Season 5 wrapped up. It was wild to see this whole theory going around – some people genuinely believed there was a hidden ninth episode that would actually finish the story, they even gave it a name: “Conformity Gate!” While I think there are definitely things about the ending we could critique, honestly, when you look at some other famously bad TV finales, it could have been so much worse.

I’ve seen a lot of show endings that really let me down – things like How I Met Your Mother and even Game of Thrones were way worse than what Stranger Things delivered. So many finales are either so confusing you can’t even follow them, or they just don’t seem to care about the characters or the people who watched the whole time. Stranger Things wasn’t perfect, and it left me with a few questions, but honestly, it did a lot better than most shows at sticking the landing.

Veronica Mars Didn’t Do Right by Its Central Couple

Fans of the show Veronica Mars were thrilled when it returned after being off the air for years, following three seasons and a movie. The revival received positive reviews until the very last moments of the final episode, which saw a shocking turn for Veronica and her husband. Although creator Rob Thomas had plans for a different storyline going forward, the show wasn’t picked up for another season, leaving viewers with a disappointing conclusion.

The death of Logan on Veronica Mars deeply upset many fans. He was a beloved character, and the show’s fourth season had been leading up to his wedding with Veronica, making his sudden and violent death particularly shocking. Considering fans had worked hard to revive the show through crowdfunding and campaigning, many felt it was a disappointing way to treat such a dedicated audience.

Viewers of Stranger Things have expressed disappointment that so few characters died in the final episodes, with only Kali confirmed as a casualty and Eleven’s survival uncertain. Although this lessened the sense of danger, killing off a popular character like Steve Harrington or Will Byers would likely have caused a huge negative reaction from fans.

How I Met Your Mother’s Big Payoff Was Anticlimactic

For nine seasons, viewers of How I Met Your Mother eagerly anticipated Ted Mosby finding his soulmate. When he finally did, the show revealed a surprising twist: his wife had passed away, and he’d been telling this lengthy story to his children. Even more surprisingly, he was seeking their approval to rekindle a romance with his ex, Robin, which ultimately took the focus away from his relationship with the mother he’d spent so long searching for.

Look, as a longtime How I Met Your Mother fan, the ending really left a bad taste in a lot of our mouths. It felt like they just tossed Tracey aside after building her up for seasons, which was a huge letdown. And honestly, the show spent so much time showing us that Ted and Robin didn’t work that seeing them end up together felt like a real step backwards. Plus, Barney and Robin’s divorce? It completely erased all the growth Barney had made as a character – he instantly went back to being the same old player, and it felt cheap.

While some Stranger Things viewers might have found the characters’ generally positive conclusions a bit predictable, they still felt like a natural progression for their stories. The show also avoided forcing romantic pairings just for the sake of it, letting some relationships end and others develop organically.

Killing Eve Fell Prey to a Problematic Trope

After four seasons of tension and uncertainty in their relationship, Killing Eve seemed poised to finally give Eve and Villanelle a happy ending. However, that hope was crushed when Villanelle was unexpectedly killed in the very last scene. While a completely carefree ending might have been unrealistic, many viewers were left with unanswered questions and felt the finale relied on a harmful trope often seen when LGBTQ+ characters are killed off.

As a big TV fan, I always appreciated that Killing Eve seemed to have more LGBTQ+ representation than a lot of shows. But honestly, Villanelle’s ending really bothered me. It felt like part of a frustrating pattern where queer characters, especially lesbians, finally find some happiness, only to be killed off. People have pointed to similar things happening with Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it just feels unnecessarily bleak. It’s like the message is that LGBTQ+ characters can’t actually get a happy ending, and that’s really disheartening to see.

Fortunately, Stranger Things avoided the common trope of killing off its LGBTQ+ characters – Will, Robin, and Vickie all made it through the final fight. While some viewers might have hoped to see Will end up with his crush, Mike, or Robin and Vickie remain a couple in the show’s ending, the series still offers a positive outlook for all of them, suggesting they have bright futures ahead.

Supernatural’s Dean Deserved a Better Ending

The show Supernatural lasted much longer than originally planned, running for 15 seasons. While the main conflict between good and evil was resolved in the second-to-last episode, the series finale unexpectedly killed off Dean Winchester during a normal mission. Many fans felt this was a step backward for his character, considering everything he’d overcome and how he’d moved past wanting to die in battle.

Many fans were upset that Dean didn’t reunite with Castiel in Heaven. Considering Castiel had just confessed his love for Dean before sacrificing himself, and a significant portion of the audience hoped for a romantic connection between them, not seeing them together again – or learning if Dean reciprocated those feelings – was a major disappointment. This also echoed a problematic pattern known as the “Bury Your Gays” trope.

Unlike many shows, deaths in Stranger Things are rare, limited to Kali and potentially Eleven. While Kali’s death didn’t resonate much with viewers due to her limited screen time, Eleven’s sacrifice, despite some flaws in its execution, powerfully highlighted her central role in the story. Additionally, though Will never explicitly told Mike how he felt, the show avoided harmful tropes by ensuring its LGBTQ+ characters were celebrated for who they are, rather than facing negative consequences for their identities.

Dexter Botched Its Ending Twice

Even before it ended in 2013, viewership for Dexter was dropping. The finale saw the controversial death of Dexter’s sister, Debra, and Dexter faked his own death to escape his past and start a new life as a lumberjack. While fans found Debra’s death unnecessarily harsh and wanted Dexter to be held accountable, many were equally let down by the subsequent revival series, particularly after he stopped following his strict moral code.

Fans of Dexter were disappointed with both of the show’s endings, finding them full of unanswered questions and plot holes. Many felt the endings didn’t make sense, with characters behaving in ways that didn’t fit their established personalities and the plot relying on unlikely coincidences. While Dexter’s original ambiguous fate didn’t feel earned, his death in the revival wasn’t satisfying either, especially considering the forced and illogical way the story reached that point.

Although the final episode of Stranger Things leaves some questions unanswered and has a few plot points that seem unclear, the characters acted consistently throughout, and their conclusions felt natural and well-deserved. Even the somewhat open-ended fate of El feels fitting, considering the clues Mike provides and how dedicated she is to her friends.

Game of Thrones Remains the Go-To Example of an Unsuccessful Finale

The final season of Game of Thrones was already criticized for being hurried and splitting fans, and the ending proved just as divisive. After Daenerys Targaryen’s destructive turn and the burning of King’s Landing, Jon Snow killed her. Then, surprisingly, Bran Stark was chosen as the new king, even though he previously stated he didn’t want to rule. Many viewers were confused by this decision and disappointed with the season overall.

Many Game of Thrones fans say they might have been satisfied with the ending if it had been handled better. However, they felt it was too rushed, didn’t make sense, and didn’t fit with the earlier seasons. A lot of viewers believe the show’s quality declined because the writers were trying to adapt a story that hadn’t been fully written yet. Now, fans are eager to see how George R.R. Martin finishes the story in his books, if he ever does.

Because Stranger Things was an original creation, the show wasn’t bound by any existing story to follow or surpass. Although some viewers felt the final season moved a bit slowly, it had enough episodes to give a satisfying conclusion to each character’s journey. This allowed for proper development, so plot twists felt earned and didn’t come as complete surprises. Even if fans disagreed with how things ended, the outcomes weren’t entirely unexpected.

The Umbrella Academy Obliterated Its Legacy

I was so excited when The Umbrella Academy first came out – it felt like something totally new in the superhero genre! But honestly, it started to lose its magic after it finished adapting the original comics. It all came to a head with the finale, which was…well, really controversial. Basically, the siblings realized they were causing the apocalypse they were trying to stop, and ended up being erased from existence. While I can appreciate a heroic sacrifice, most fans, including me, felt like it really didn’t do the characters justice. It just felt…wrong.

One of the things fans loved about The Umbrella Academy was that its characters, despite their many flaws, could come together to do what was right. However, later seasons made the siblings’ problems the cause of everything, which made them feel powerless and the show lose its purpose. Combined with a shorter season, questionable character arcs, and a finale that went against the show’s core themes, the series ultimately lost its way.

Despite everything that happens, Stranger Things doesn’t diminish Eleven’s importance to the story—it doesn’t simply make her disappear. The finale even hints at a happier outcome for her, where she pretended to die and started a new, quiet life somewhere else. Ultimately, Eleven’s sacrifice still feels powerful and brave, unlike the ending of The Umbrella Academy, which felt needlessly bleak and ultimately changed the entire story in a negative way.

2026-01-18 04:43