Netflix’s Stranger Things joins a growing list of shows that haven’t stuck the landing with their finales. It’s unusual for a Netflix original to even get a proper ending; often, these shows are cancelled prematurely, right when they’re gaining momentum and viewers—examples include GLOW, Mindhunter, and Santa Clarita Diet.
While a few Netflix series have finished strong, such as BoJack Horseman and Orange is the New Black, many others – including Ozark and Sex Education – have disappointing endings. Overall, Netflix shows are more likely to have a poor finale than a great one.
Stranger Things
After ten years and five seasons, the finale of Stranger Things left many viewers disappointed. The show, which originally captured the spirit of filmmakers like Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, had become a generic, visually-overdone action series similar to Marvel blockbusters. The last fight in the alternate dimension, the Upside Down, was a prime example of the show’s overuse of special effects in its final seasons.
The story had too many characters, and most of them weren’t engaging. Plus, there wasn’t a real sense of danger or importance to anything that happened. Even when a major character died, the writers hinted they might still be alive. The ending, particularly the extended epilogue sections, felt forced and more focused on teasing future stories than actually finishing the current one.
Sex Education
The final season of Sex Education unfortunately fell into a common trap for ending shows: it introduced too many new characters with underdeveloped stories. While it’s understandable why writers might want to add fresh faces when existing storylines feel exhausted, a final season should really focus on bringing existing characters’ journeys to a satisfying conclusion.
The final season of Sex Education introduced some new characters that didn’t quite connect with the audience, and unfortunately, they took screen time away from the show’s beloved regulars. While it might have felt more true to life that Otis and Maeve didn’t end up as a couple, many viewers were still let down by that choice.
The Umbrella Academy
The first three seasons of The Umbrella Academy powerfully depicted the consequences of parental abuse. The show highlighted how damaging such experiences are for everyone affected and how challenging it can be to forgive family members who have caused harm.
The series finale felt like a letdown because it contradicted the show’s previous themes. Giving Reginald Hargreeves a happy ending and implying the siblings’ struggles wouldn’t even be remembered essentially erased the impact of their journey and everything they’d overcome. It was a jarring shift from the overall message of the show.
Disenchantment
Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, had high expectations for his new show, Disenchantment. While it featured a talented cast and a humorous take on medieval fantasy, the series didn’t become a mainstream success. Instead, it ran for five seasons, attracting a small but loyal fanbase.
For much of its run, Disenchantment was a pretty good show, but the ending was disappointing. Fans were hoping for a final scene where Bean said goodbye to her friends, but instead, she simply left without any closure.
House Of Cards
Once the accusations against Kevin Spacey became public, Netflix had to remove him from House of Cards. This left them with a popular, but unfinished, show and no main actor. Robin Wright did her best to carry on without Spacey, but her character, Claire, wasn’t quite as compelling as Frank had been.
The show’s last season had too many twists and turns, and it didn’t have enough time to wrap things up properly, resulting in a hurried and unsatisfying finale. It was a disappointing conclusion for a series that was once so great.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life
The revival series, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, offers a striking example of how a TV show can be negatively impacted by just a few lines of dialogue. The series ends with Rory revealing to her mother that she is pregnant, a moment that proved controversial with many viewers.
Honestly, watching the revival felt like revisiting the same old ground, and the same letdowns. We all waited so long to finally see Lorelai and Luke tie the knot, but even this time, they didn’t actually show the wedding! And then, with Rory’s pregnancy, it felt like they just recycled Lorelai’s story all over again. It was frustrating to see the show repeat patterns instead of giving us something truly new.
Bloodline
The series Bloodline helped establish Netflix as a major player in high-quality television, offering shows as captivating as those on networks like HBO, Showtime, and AMC. However, the show’s conclusion ultimately felt unsatisfying.
It was disappointing after three seasons of following the Rayburns to have so many questions still unanswered and storylines unresolved. Even the resolutions we did get didn’t feel very satisfying.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
The Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was significantly more intense than the original ’90s show. However, the finale may have been overly grim, as Sabrina ultimately gives her life to perform a risky spell.
It was disappointing to see Sabrina meet such a sad end in the final episode. It felt similar to the classic TV show Quantum Leap, where the main character never got back to his own time.
Squid Game
As a film buff, I remember when Squid Game first dropped – it really resonated with people globally and became a massive phenomenon, honestly bigger than anyone predicted. After that incredible first season kept us all entertained during lockdown, Netflix decided to capitalize on its success and gave us two more seasons.
Honestly, as a fan, I was really disappointed with how things wrapped up. It just didn’t feel earned, and came across as kind of…empty. It felt less about giving us a good ending and more about setting up the next show, which was a real letdown.
Ozark
For four seasons, Ozark was a compelling show, often compared to Breaking Bad, about an ordinary family drawn into crime due to the father’s mistakes. It was consistently well-made, but the final episode was a significant disappointment.
The car crash that was hinted at earlier in the season ended up being a letdown, as everyone walked away without injuries. The death of Ruth Langmore, who had been a standout character, felt unbelievable – she was too clever to be defeated so easily. And the show ending with a sudden gunshot was a frustratingly predictable and tired trope.
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2026-01-18 16:30