The 10 Worst TV Season Finales, Ranked (2024)

To fashion a concept for a TV show, craft it, and then execute it for a worldwide audience is challenging enough. For showrunners and executive producers, just pushing past the pilot can often prove an improbable task, with the formation of many plot threads often coming without a clear future-proof resolution.

Because of this, the finale of a season of television can sometimes feel a world away from the quality of the opening episode, with many a series struggling to neatly tie plot threads and satisfy millions of patient viewers. With that in mind, here is a look at the times popular shows got it badly wrong, with a countdown of the 10 worst TV season finales, ranked.

10 "The Road Home, Part 2"

'La Brea' (Season 3)

La Brea's third season followed a promising second that dealt with the reveal of the Lazarus Project being behind the sinkholes. It is now up to Gavin (Eoin Macken) and co to deal with the collapsing mess of different eras of time, as well as fight the dastardly Reisander Group who want to use time travel for their own greedy gain.

By the time Season 3 had raced to its finale, just five episodes had preceded it, as opposed to the 14 and 10 in respective previous seasons. That meant that showrunner David Applebaum and his team had much less time to tie up loose ends, with each episode feeling as if it was rushing toward a finale. Then, in 42 minutes of "The Road Home, Part 2", there's barely enough time to mutter in confusion before the credits roll and audiences release their frustration online. Sure, the odds were stacked against La Brea, but the Season 3 finale even falls short of those low odds.

La Brea

TV-14

Sci-Fi

Drama

Mystery

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

September 28, 2021

Creator

David Appelbaum

Cast

Natalie Zea , Jon Seda , Chiké Okonkwo , Eoin Macken , Jack Martin , Veronica St. Clair

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

3

Streaming Service(s)

Peacock

9 "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project"

'Glee' (Season 5)

Gleeis a series that faced plenty of controversy as time continued. From ill-thought storylines to off-screen drama, the show was never far from upsetting its dedicated fandom between pop song covers. Once again split between New York and Ohio, Season 5 of Glee focuses largely on the professional progression of Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), as she attempts to achieve her dreams in the Big Apple. However, this season throws an unexpected twist, when Rachel abandons her Broadway dream for a chance at Hollywood fame.

It's fair to say that Glee's fifth season was affected by the sad and sudden passing of starCory Monteith, but the choice to destroy the very driving force of the show's most central character simply cannot be excused. For those who had bravely stuck with Glee throughout this poor fifth outing, to see Rachel abandon her most steadfast character goal stands as one of the series' worst decisions among a litany of charges, with even a fantastic cover of Bastille's "Pompeii" unable to lift spirits.

Glee

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

Musical

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

May 19, 2009

Creator

Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan

Cast

Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Jessalyn Gilsig , Jane Lynch , Jayma Mays , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Matthew Morrison , Amber Riley

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Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

6

Studio

Fox

8 "The Final Problem"

'Sherlock' (Season 4)

For a series that accumulated issues as it grew, there's perhaps no better title for its last episode than "The Final Problem".Sherlock's fourth season is rife with trouble but still offers plenty to be devoured by the series' loyal fans in this three-episode season. After the inexplicable reveal of the identity of Sherlock's (Benedict Cumberbatch) secret sister Eurus (Sian Brooke) in the episode prior, this final showdown sees the sister put Sherlock and those closest to him through a labyrinthine sequence of tasks all related to their childhood, and each more baffling than the last.

Once upon a time, Sherlock was the most refreshing, innovative, and brave series on British television. Fast-forward just three more seasons, and "The Final Problem" proved it had become a parody of itself. The genius of Sherlock comes from offering the audience the clues and then letting them indulge in watching Sherlock put the pieces of the jigsaw together. This episode offers almost no clues and relies on its viewers to simply accept that each wild and confusing twist makes sense because the clever people said so.

Sherlock

TV-14

Crime

Drama

Mystery

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

July 25, 2010

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch , Martin Freeman , Una Stubbs , Rupert Graves , Loo Brealey , Mark Gatiss , Andrew Scott

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

4

Studio

BBC America

7 "Thank You"

'True Blood' (Season 7)

In September 2013, it felt as if the announcement of True Blood's cancelation was both timely and sad. The series had dazzled and delighted millions of loyal supporters for many a year, and needed to simply tie up loose ends and go out on a bloodthirsty bang that kept as many people satisfied as possible. Then came "Thank You", and vampiric hell broke loose. The episode features many run-of-the-mill developments in the lives of beloved characters, from Jessica's (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt's (Jim Parrack) marriage to Bill's (Stephen Moyer) gory gift, and ends on a catch-up with the characters years into the future.

Whereas some finales are scolded for their wild swings and misses, True Blood's final chapter is instead berated for being rather boring. Like a to-do list, the episode stumbles through the expected notes a finale must hit without ever offering a moment to shock, something the series had often done before. Then came the reveal that Sookie (Anna Paquin) ended up with someone audiences had never met before, and the sad fate of this disappointing finale was sealed.

True Blood

TV-MA

Drama

Fantasy

Mystery

Release Date

September 7, 2008

Creator

Alan Ball

Cast

Anna Paquin , Stephen Moyer , Sam Trammell , Ryan Kwanten , Chris Bauer , Nelsan Ellis

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

7

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6 "The Timeless Children"

'Doctor Who' (Season 12)

To ruin a single season of television is one thing, but to undermine over 50 years of lore is another. Doctor Who's Season 12 hinted at the titular Timeless Child throughout, with the finale offering to deliver all the answers. After being persuaded to join him on Gallifrey, the Master (Sacha Dhawan) shows the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) the truth of their existence, changing their life - or lives - forever.

New showrunner Chris Chibnall had struggled until this point, with a mediocre Season 11 followed by some forgettable episodes at the start of Season 12. However, with time came momentum, as the second half of the twelfth season of the revival started to prove its wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey worth. Then came the season finale, which, in one exposition-filled fell swoop, rewrote the entire history of the series. "The Timeless Children" as a viewing experience is certainly on the better side of Chibnall's tenure, but that simply cannot change just how much outrage was felt within the fandom afterward.

910

Doctor Who

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

March 17, 2006

Cast

Jodie Whittaker , Peter Capaldi , Matt Smith , David Tennant , Ncuti Gatwa , Christopher Eccleston

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

14

Studio

BBC America

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

5 "Remember the Monsters?"

'Dexter' (Season 8)

The most difficult aspect of telling the tale of a serial killer is making him sympathetic enough for audiences to care. In Dexter, Michael C. Hall's titular character perfectly toed the line, becoming television's most beloved serial killer in the process. In Season 8, the emphasis was on the series to stick the landing, with the hope that a redemption-fueled final act would see the character off into the night with a satisfying nod to the show's impeccable past.

Clearly, those behind the scenes had other ideas, taking what felt like a clear landing strip for this high-flying series and throwing turbulent chaos and a messy finish to create a flaming crash of a final episode. In fact, much of this episode isn't necessarily bad, with some aspects early feeling promising. It is the end that has so many still enraged to this day, with Dexter's death - read by Hannah (Yvonne Strahovski) in Buenos Aires - turning out to be a ruse intended to try and crowbar in a twist, with it revealed that Dexter had faked his death and assumed a new identity as a lumberjack. Nonsense.

Dexter

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

Mystery

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

October 1, 2006

Cast

Michael C. Hall , Jennifer Carpenter , Geoff Pierson , David Zayas , James Remar , Aimee Garcia , Desmond Harrington , C.S. Lee

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

8

Website

http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.do

Studio

Showtime

4 "Chapter 73"

'House of Cards' (Season 6)

Losing your biggest star is a tough challenge to take on - just look at The Office - but the choice to continue with House of Cards following the firing of Kevin Spacey wasn't one that had to be made. Executives made the call, and fans paid the price. Season 6 attempted to move on from Spacey and provide answers following Frank's resignation as President and the introduction of the recently-inaugurated President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). The finale, "Chapter 73", saw Claire attempt to find greater distance between her and Frank's actions with the announcement of a new era of transparency, only to avenge his killer, Doug (Michael Kelly), by stabbing and suffocating him in the Oval Office as the series fades to black.

After the serious allegations were made against Spacey coming into Season 6, the best option was to remove him from production, which Netflix, to their credit, did. However, it seemed the production team went out of their way to make Frank, and in turn Spacey, as involved a character can be without ever being physically present. Even by the end of the finale, Frank's life and his time at the top are pivotal to seemingly every action taken, with the series unable to distance themselves at all from the protagonist who shot this show into stardom. Alas, as the series fades out, the bright potential that was a new President in Claire ended up soaked in the blood of a storyline that was better left untouched. For want of a better phrase, "Chapter 73" is disappointment incarnate.

House of Cards (2013)

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

February 1, 2013

Cast

Robin Wright , Michael Kelly , Patricia Clarkson , Derek Cecil , Boris McGiver , Lars Mikkelsen , Campbell Scott , Greg Kinnear

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

6

Studio

Netflix

3 "Last Forever: Part Two"

'How I Met Your Mother' (Season 9)

A lot was riding on the finale of How I Met Your Mother's ninth season. After promising the titular premise for the entire run, it was finally time to learn who said mother was and how they had met. For a show that so heavily focused on the lives of its inseparable central friends, - from the playboy Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) to the heartwarming if not naive couple Lily (Lily Aldrin) and Marshall (Jason Segel) - the last episode simply had to tie up the long-awaited bow with a flourish founded on friendship.

Alas, that sadly didn't arrive, with the biggest sin of this much-derided finale coming from fans learning that their mother was Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), someone only introduced in the ninth and final season. Add that to a disappointing ending to Barney and Robin's (Cobie Smulders) romance, Ted (Josh Radnor) ending up with Robin anyway, and a sub-par collection of gags, and you have a recipe for blazing online rage that will burn long into the night.

How I Met Your Mother

Comedy

Drama

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

September 19, 2005

Cast

Josh Radnor , Jason Segel , Cobie Smulders , Neil Patrick Harris , Alyson Hannigan , Bob Saget

Seasons

9

Story By

Carter Bays; Craig Thomas; Rob Greenberg

Writers

Carter Bays , Craig Thomas

Network

CBS

Streaming Service(s)

Amazon Prime Video

Directors

Carter Bays

Showrunner

Craig Thomas

2 "The Iron Throne"

'Game of Thrones' (Season 8)

There's no doubt that Game of Thrones is one of television's most important shows, but, prior to Season 8, it was on its way to being the best show ever made. Sadly, thanks to a lackluster, thoughtless final outing, the legacy of the series has been impacted, owing in no small part to this finale.

Famed for its incredible ensemble, Game of Thrones' finale absorbed the weight of an expansive Westeros and had many notable names to find satisfying conclusions for. Frustratingly, almost all were left without such, with the series rushing toward a conclusion that felt doomed to disappoint as soon as it became clear Season 8 would be the last and shorter than many that preceded it. In some ways, it could be said that Game of Thrones was a victim of its own success, with this divisive final chapter facing the improbable task of concluding an epic like television had never seen before.

Game Of Thrones

TV-MA

Drama

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

April 17, 2011

Creator

Cast

Kit Harington , Isaac Hempstead Wright , Iain Glen , Peter Dinklage , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Emilia Clarke , Maisie Williams , Sophie Turner , John Bradley , Lena Headey , Liam Cunningham , Aidan Gillen , Alfie Allen , Conleth Hill , Rory McCann , Jerome Flynn , Jacob Anderson , Kristofer Hivju , Gwendoline Christie , Nathalie Emmanuel , Carice Van Houten , Natalie Dormer , Stephen Dillane , Charles Dance , Charlotte Hope , Michelle Fairley , Jack Gleeson , Richard Madden , Hannah Murray , Sibel Kekilli , Julian Glover , Brenock O'Connor , Rose Leslie , Michael McElhatton

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

8

Website

Studio

Creator(s)

David Benioff , D.B. Weiss

Story By

George R.R. Martin

Writers

D.B. Weiss , George R.R. Martin , David Benioff

Streaming Service(s)

HBO Max

Franchise(s)

Game of Thrones

Directors

David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff

Showrunner

David Benioff , D.B. Weiss

1 "Hello, Losers"

'Killing Eve' (Season 4)

Once upon a time, Killing Eve was the hottest series on television. Frustratingly, by the time the fourth and final season had ended, the show had whimpered out of existence with a final episode that has an IMDb rating of just 3.4. This indulgent series spent much of its four seasons teasing fans with the brewing and twisted romantic chemistry between its leads: Sandra Oh's titular Eve and Jodie Comer's Villanelle. Now, with one last episode remaining, it was ready to give audiences what they had craved, with the pair sharing a passionate kiss and fireworks to ignite, only for those fireworks to be quickly silenced by a sniper's shot to Villanelle's, and the fandom's, heart.

To work so hard crafting a genius tale that took the cat-and-mouse spy genre to new heights and then blow it all away with one ridiculous, shock-for-shock-sake ending is simply tragic. Not only that, but this was a complete deviation from the source novel that had thus far been a helpful ally to the series, leaving the original author, Luke Jennings, to disavow the ending himself. Add that with stereotypical queer representation in a series that had been such a champion for the LGBTQIA+ community, and you have a finale that will live in many people's memory as the worst they can remember.

Killing Eve

Drama

Thriller

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

April 8, 2018

Cast

Sandra Oh , Fiona Shaw , Kim Bodnia

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

4

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