11 Television Series That Ended In The Most Controversial Way Ever

Nothing hurts a television lover worse than when a solid show doesn't end well.

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• April 14, 2022

There is nothing more painful to a movie lover than when a truly strong show doesn't nail its finish. Then again, nothing draws the viewers in like a seasonal finale that divides its fanbase.

That is the spot where the most controversial series finales step in: the mainstream societal culture that is as notorious as the shows that brought forth the series. An extraordinary show finale is a sure way to guarantee that a series' reputation will stand the test of time.

But then again, what happens when the creators miss the point and get it all wrong? Numerous beloved shows have seen their sparkle dulled by the disgrace of a finale fizzle, and this could either be due to playing it too safe or taking an over-the-top gamble.

There is something horrendous about putting long periods of your life into fictitious families and friends just to have them destroyed directly in front of you. The problem still remains that when a series arrives at such a height of achievement, it's more than difficult to meet the high expectations of the fans when it finally comes to an end.

So we have decided to pry into some of the most questionable finales, and whether you love or hate them, the ends of these series truly leave an imprint. Clearly, there are huge spoilers ahead, so get ready to dive in.

1. Shameless

Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) has COVID and soon dies while on a ventilator. As passes away, he imagines himself rising while sitting in a hospital chair and he narrates a letter, filled with advice for his family.

Emmy Rossum left the show in season nine and did not return but an old footage of her was in Frank's short family flashbacks. Aside the final accession, the finale left more up in the air but one thing that ended nicely is that Lip did what Frank never succeeded in doing.

2. Roseanne

When ABC's sitcom signed off with the titular heroine revealing that the whole final season had been her imagination, with her husband Dan, viewers were shocked. The fans felt like they wasted their time in the worst way possible.

3. Dinosaurs

ABC chose to end this sitcom starring puppet dinosaurs in the most horrendous way. They had Sinclair family patriarch Earl, trigger a catastrophic extinction event that would kill every main character and his whole species.

4. The Sopranos

The HBO drama delivered one of the most controversial finales ever. They had a smash cut to black just as something was about to happen to the antihero, Tony Soprano.

And just like that, we never knew what happened.

5. Gossip Girl

This iconic drama's finale messed things up. How in the world was Dan Humphrey the Gossip Girl?!

6. Game of Thrones

Daenerys was suddenly a fascist villain? Bran was the king?

The melted Iron Throne?! A lot of viewers were confused how this could have been the best ending...

7. Girls

The way Lena Dunham's HBO comedy ended is just so... It had a half-hour that concentrated on Hannah Horvath with a bit of Marnie helping to raise Hannah's baby.

You can say it's a messed up epilogue to act that as the show's finale.

8. Dexter

One would think that the titular murderer will eventually have to pay for his numerous sins but instead, his poor sister Debra died and he escaped to Miami to start afresh. The series finale just dished out the "We will like to do more with this character some day" crap.

9. Lost

Not everyone was pleased with the way the ABC mystery ended without providing answers to what had been going on. Was the island purgatory? Dammit!

10. How I Met Your Mother

After nine seasons of Ted Mosby delivering one of the most longest stories on planet Earth, viewers were horrified when it was revealed that she'd been dead all along. And Ted was seeking his kid's permission to chase after their aunt Robin Scherbatsky.

It was a choice, huh?

11. Seinfeld

When the NBC comedy ended in 1998, original co-creator Larry David chose to show how little the show's four main characters had learned and how awful they had been ever since. Returning guest stars spoke about all the horrible things that had happened to them due to Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer's huge selfishness.

As a result, a judge threw them in jail and viewers were in rage.

A series with a poor ending can be an extreme blow for a TV fan, whether it's seeing your number one person on the show die or having to find out that it was all one person’s dream all this time. Which of these series got you boiling with the way it ended?

Drop your series with a controversial ending in the comments below. 

Maryjane