Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

TV Series That Had The Absolute Worst Endings

A viewer sitting in front of the TV
Mollie Sivaram/Unsplash

TV audiences put a lot of pressure on screenwriters to pen the perfect ending to a series, and it's no surprise.

Dedicated viewers have invested their limited time season after season watching their favorite characters evolve and overcome any hardships thrown their way.

Writers owe it to fans to close out the show that's kept them on the payroll in a respectful manner.

A perfect example of one of the best TV series finales is HBO's Six Feet Under, where all the main characters got the proper send-off in a poignant manner to give fans a sense of closure.

But not all series have achieved this benchmark so effectively.


Curious to hear examples from disappointed TV viewers, Redditor AbelNB asked:

"What TV Show had the worst ending?"

FYI: Spoiler alerts that can actually help prevent you from wasting your time.

These fantasy shows were way beyond the realm of being plausible.

Hocus Pocus

"Merlin has a pretty horrible ending. Seasons 4 and 5 really felt like the show was beginning to be something special and then it just ends."

– jamers_the_great

Puppet Alien

"Nobody will remember this, but the correct answer is ALF."

"It was supposed to be a cliff hanger, but the show got cancelled, and they ended the series with ALF being captured and taken away to be disected. GOOD NIGHT KIDS!"

– Fritzo2162

End Of The Race

"Dinosaurs ended on a mass extinction event caused by the dad or something. GOOD NIGHT KIDS!"

– MelQMaid

Defeated

"Xena:Warrior Princess."

"20 years later and I am still pissed off."

– EfficientDismal

These TV viewers were left with unresolved plot lines.

Classified Bummer

"X-Files."

"Tried to tie several story arcs together that directly contradicted one another and did it with a clip show."

– Thegerman959

Closure From A Different Show

"Like Quantum Leap, My Name Is Earl ended on a cliffhanger which was cancelled soon after S4 . The only resolution given was on the first episode of Greg Garcia's next project Raising Hope where a TV news broadcast in the background said a man in Camden County completed his list."

"NBC had a knack for making bonehead decisions..."

– Final-Ad-2033

House Of Cards

"Should have ended when he got the presidency. It was all weak after that - Frank had a goal in the first few seasons, it's what drove him. Then he gets it, and his motivation is just... keeping what he has."

"Perfect end scene was when he did his signature knock on the president's desk. Cut to black. End show."

– SeraphStarchild

This Bombed

"Jericho. That show had so much potential and they just loosely wrapped it up leaving me very unfulfilled with no conclusion or closure."

– iamkylo214

Ambitious shows have a tendency of not delivering at the end.

"Heroes. God the writer's strike really had that show go wildly off the rails."

– RozRae

Pretty Little Mess

"Pretty little liars, the creator never even knew how it would end. I hate that show because it was great for the first maybe 2 seasons then just terrible from then on."

– Weirdo_trans_guy

Schlock Holmes

"BBC Sherlock"

"The whole reason I loved that show was the mystery being explained by cold hard logic and the powers of observation. The entire last season was basically Sherlock sister has mind control which takes effect within seconds. Total BS and I hate it. That was my favourite tv series of all time and I felt physically ill when they just murdered the whole season like that."

– benawen

I held off on watching Game of Thrones because I didn't want to give in to the hype.

After hearing so many fans gripe about the disappointing series finale, I'm glad I didn't waste my time.

But I wonder, is the journey still worth the commitment, even if the destination leaves you feeling all dressed up and nowhere to go?

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Tina Turner
Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

A Massive Sculpture Of Tina Turner Was Just Unveiled—And It's Going Viral For All The Wrong Reasons

When it comes to entertainment legends, the late singer Tina Turner is right at the top of the pantheon.

And fittingly, the songstress' hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee, wanted to pay tribute to her legacy with giant statue of the icon.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Marjorie Taylor Greene
(L-R) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Clashes With 'Crazy' MTG Over Her Cryptic Post Alluding That 'The Jews' Are Trying To Kill Her

Texas MAGA Republican Senator Rafael "Ted" Cruz raised eyebrows when he attacked Georgia QAnon/MAGA Republican Representative and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) for being antisemitic.

MTG has promoted some antisemitic conspiracy theories in the past, like Jewish space lasers that control the weather or start wildfires, but this time people are calling Cruz out for reaching in an attempt to discredit the Georgia Republican and protect Trump from what's being concealed in FBI, Department of Justice, and court records relating to the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on charges of sex trafficking of minors.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Screenshot of Zohran Mamdani; Donald Trump
CNN; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani Claps Back After Trump Threatens To Withhold Federal Funding To NYC If He Becomes Mayor

Zohran Mamdani—the Democratic Socialist New York City mayoral candidate who stunned the establishment with a seismic win for progressives that has reverberated across the country—criticized President Donald Trump's threats to withhold federal funds if Mamdani wins November's election.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Mamdani a "New York City Communist" and said he "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Kid Rock
JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Epically Shuts Down Suggestion That Kid Rock Should Be Doing Super Bowl Halftime Show

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that worldwide superstar Bad Bunny would be the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, causing right-wing heads to explode over the news.

After far-right provocateur Nick Adams suggested that the singer, a fierce critic of the Trump administration, should not have been chosen for the halftime gig, California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office took to X to mock him in the account's now familiar Trump-esque style.

Keep ReadingShow less
One hand pouring pills into another.
person holding white round ornament

Absurd 'Cures' People With Chronic Illnesses Were Told To Try

Those suffering from a chronic illness often find themselves in over their heads with medication prescribed by their doctors.

Even so, many people add some homeopathic medications that won't be found at a pharmacy, but help them through their day-to-day lives.

Keep ReadingShow less