It’s sad when a TV show you love finishes, but the last episode gives the people who make the show a chance to end it well and leave a lasting impression. Some finales become truly iconic – like the ending of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which people still talk about almost 50 years later, and which is forever linked to the song “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.”
It’s frustrating when shows ruin their endings by going too far. Sometimes, they use shocking violence or unbelievable plot twists in a last-ditch effort to prove the series is truly finished, but this ultimately breaks the audience’s trust and leaves a lasting negative impression.
As a huge TV fan, there are some finales that just stick with you – and not in a good way! I’ve put together 7 examples of shows that really dropped the ball with their endings, and are now infamous for it. They’re the ones everyone talks about, usually for all the wrong reasons.
7) The Entire Town Is Blown Up At The End of Little House On The Prairie
During the 1970s, Little House on the Prairie became a hugely popular show, running for nine years and even leading to a short-lived spinoff called Little House: A New Beginning. However, the show is sadly remembered for a controversial ending.
Okay, so the finale of this show… wow. The townspeople basically decide to demolish Walnut Grove themselves rather than let some ruthless developers take over. The whole thing ends with a massive explosion. Honestly, it’s a pretty powerful statement, and if anything, it feels more relevant today than it did back in 1983 when it originally aired. You can really understand why they’d choose that drastic option – it’s a surprisingly resonant message about community and resisting corporate greed.
The show’s ending was deeply upsetting for devoted fans who had watched for nine years, especially since it concluded so abruptly and tragically. It’s ironic that Michael Landon destroyed the original sets, reportedly out of frustration with the cancellation, now that Netflix is reviving Little House on the Prairie. Those original sets could have been valuable for the reboot.
6) Seinfeld Ends With Everyone In Jail
As a huge TV fan, I have to say the Seinfeld finale is legendary… but for all the wrong reasons. It’s often cited as one of the most disappointing series endings ever. After nine seasons of brilliance, it just… fell apart. The whole thing ended with Jerry, Kramer, Elaine, and George in jail! Apparently, they broke some ‘Good Samaritan’ law by filming a robbery instead of actually doing something to help. It was a really bizarre and controversial way to wrap up such a beloved show.
The idea wasn’t humorous, and it felt even worse knowing the characters would have easily been free and back home in New York next episode if this hadn’t been the final one – there wouldn’t have even been an explanation for their release. Unfortunately, because it was the last episode, viewers were left with the disappointing image of their favorite characters in jail, a terrible way to conclude such a well-loved comedy.
5) Dinosaurs Ends With Dinosaurs Going Extinct
Dinosaurs was a charming ABC sitcom featuring a dinosaur family that behaved like people. The show was best known for the baby dinosaur’s recurring line, “Not the Mama!” It was a feel-good series, so its dark and unhappy ending felt out of place.
The show Dinosaurs ended with an asteroid wiping out all the dinosaurs, mirroring popular scientific ideas about their extinction. While scientifically sound, it was a disappointing way to conclude the series. Viewers felt heartbroken that the dinosaur family they’d grown to love was gone, and many felt their time invested in the show was ultimately unsatisfying.
4) ALF Ended on a Frustrating Cliffhanger
As a big fan of 80s sitcoms, I always felt ALF got a raw deal. It was cancelled after just four seasons, and honestly, it really bothered me that we never got to see what happened to ALF! The show about the family who took in an alien was fun and quirky, and NBC just pulled the plug before they could wrap up his story. It’s a shame, because I was really invested in finding out ALF’s ultimate fate.
The series finale showed ALF being taken into custody by the US government. If the show hadn’t been cancelled, the fifth season would have revealed how the family worked to get him released. Instead, the show ended with ALF imprisoned, implying he was subjected to cruel and unethical experiments simply because he wasn’t human. This unhappy ending doesn’t fit a show that used ALF’s alien identity for comedic effect.
3) St. Elsewhere Was All A Dream
The medical drama St. Elsewhere was innovative for its time, but its series finale was famously bizarre. It revealed that the entire six-season story had been the elaborate daydream of a young, non-verbal autistic boy. The twist? The beloved Dr. Westphall wasn’t a doctor at all, but a hospital janitor – a role the boy had imagined for his father.
The show’s finale unfortunately played into harmful stereotypes about autistic children who don’t speak, undermining all the progress the series had made. Many viewers felt it invalidated the previous six seasons and were upset they’d invested their time. Despite being seen as a shocking twist, the ending ultimately damaged an otherwise beloved show. Thankfully, the story was somewhat corrected when two characters appeared in a couple of episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, confirming their professions as doctors.
2) Game of Thrones Destroys Daenerys’ Character, Then Kills Her
Most fans agree the last season of Game of Thrones wasn’t as good as previous ones, and many were particularly upset with how the show handled Daenerys Targaryen. She went from being a beloved hero, known for freeing people and fighting for what’s right, to suddenly becoming a ruthless killer without a clear explanation. While the show always featured violence, this change felt unearned and out of character for Daenerys.
The final episode was particularly disappointing because Daenerys unexpectedly went on a violent rampage, only to be killed by Jon Snow, her lover and nephew. This sudden and seemingly pointless increase in deaths left viewers frustrated and feeling like their time invested in Daenerys’s story, and the show as a whole, had been wasted.
1) How I Met Your Mother Reveals The Mother’s Identity… Only To Kill Her
The main question throughout the TV show How I Met Your Mother was figuring out who the children’s mother was. The whole series was structured as a story Ted was telling his kids about how he met her, and fans spent years guessing who she might be.
The mystery’s resolution felt disappointing instead of fulfilling. Although many viewers guessed Robin was the children’s mother, it turned out she was just their stepmother – their biological mother had sadly passed away from cancer soon after they were born. This twist was both unbelievable and sad, and ultimately left audiences feeling unsatisfied with the series’ ending.
Which series finale do you think really missed the mark? Share your thoughts and discuss it with other fans at the Comic Book Forum!
https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/awful-finales-ruined-great-tv-shows/embed/#
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Wednesday Season 2 Completely Changes a Key Addams Family Character
- Dynasty Warriors remastered title and Dynasty Warriors: Origins major DLC announced
- BTC PREDICTION. BTC cryptocurrency
- 10 Most Badass Moments From Arrow
- The Simpsons Kills Off Marge Simpson In Shocking Twist
- Jimmy Kimmel Slams ‘Angry Finger Pointing’ Following Charlie Kirk Shooting After Building a Career off Angry Finger Pointing
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition coming to PS5 on November 4
- Timothee Chalamet heist film
- How Mariska Hargitay’s Husband Supported Her After Sexual Assault
2025-10-31 02:11