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
Make us preferred on Google

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

Montana Jordan and Emily Osment
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

'Young Sheldon' Star Explains Why She Asked For An Intimacy Coordinator On The Show—And It Makes Sense

Entertainment journalist and Glamour magazine Senior West Coast Editor Jessica Radloff's new book, Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, shared a story about actor Emily Osment joining the show in its fifth season that's drawing praise for her consideration for her fellow child star, Montana Jordan.

Osment, who began acting at age five, is one of a rare breed in Hollywood—a child star turned successful adult actor. It's a journey many kids have infamously stumbled on, but that Jordan has also successfully navigated perhaps in part thanks to Osment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Participants at the meeting of the furry scene Eurofurence in the Hotel Estrel in Berlin, Germany
Jens Kalaene/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Texas GOP's Bizarre Text Warning Voters About 'Weirdo Furry Socialists' Sparks Mockery

A Texas political action committee sparked online mockery after multiple people independently told the San Antonio Current they received a text message urging Texans to vote Republican to keep so-called "furry Socialists" from choosing their leaders.

The message was sent Saturday alongside a photo purportedly showing a man wearing a fox-tail accessory as he left a polling location in Collin County. The message identified its sender as Texans for Common Sense, a political action committee funded entirely by Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, a far-right organization backed by West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nicki Minaj
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Nicki Minaj Is Now Being Floated As A Possible White House Press Secretary—And It's Beyond Parody

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had critics rolling their eyes after he shared a video of himself with rapper Nicki Minaj and floated her as the next press secretary.

Cheung's post comes as the White House continues to hunt for a replacement for Katie Zacharia, who was fired after just five days on the job.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexander Skarsgård attends the Los Angeles premiere of Black Bear's "Wicker" at Directors Guild Of America.
Maya Dehlin/WireImage

Alexander Skarsgård's Unexpected Confession About Finding The Grinch Hot Sparks Hilarious Reactions

Some people want a man who's tall, dark, and handsome. Alexander Skarsgård prefers green, hairy, and someone who hates Christmas with a passion.

It all went down during a Bustle interview promoting Wicker, when Skarsgård and co-star Olivia Colman got into a “hear me out” discussion that took an unexpectedly naughty turn.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump in the Oval Office surrounded by Catholic Bishops and Archbishops
@MargoMartin47/X

Catholic Leaders Slam Trump White House For Turning Private Prayer Into Political Photo Op

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 22, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor Margo Martin posted a video of Catholic leaders praying with the POTUS in the Oval Office.

Martin, who has been with Trump since his first term, captioned the video:

Keep ReadingShow less