TV finales are the ultimate proving ground for any showrunner. After all those years of world-building, mystery-weaving, and getting us to fall in love (or loathe) with characters, landing the plane is notoriously hard. Some finales are instant classics, others fuel years of argument, disillusionment, or even full-on fury. Here are 11 of the most contentious TV finales ever—episodes that left viewers arguing, speculating, or just plain seething.
1. Game of Thrones
Few finales have ever fallen as badly as Game of Thrones. After reigning supreme over pop culture for almost a decade, the HBO fantasy epic concluded with a finale that left many viewers dazed. Crowning Bran Stark king, Daenerys’ sudden villainous turn, and the hasty pace of the final season were just a few factors that earned it widespread derision. The show’s early genius made its conclusion hurt even worse.
2. Lost
Lost’s series finale is infamous for polarizing its viewers. The mysteries of the show were what made it tick, yet the two-part conclusion left many of them unanswered and relied heavily on spiritual messages. Although some fans did receive emotional resolution, others were upset at the absence of solid answers. Years later, some have mellowed, lauding its people-centric resolution, but it still rages in controversy.
3. How I Met Your Mother
Following nine years of setting up, the CBS comedy showed a series finale that negated years of investment in its characters. The Mother, Cristin Milioti, was murdered, and Ted finally ended up with Robin. Barney and Robin’s marriage was erased in an instant, and viewers were left feeling the rug had been pulled out from under their feet. The daring twist was universally regarded as a failure.
4. Dexter
Dexter’s original conclusion is notorious. Rather than being brought to justice or being killed, the show’s namesake serial killer pretended to be dead and became an Oregon lumberjack. The series finale was so hated that Showtime later brought the show back to provide Dexter with a more appropriate exit. The lumberjack meme continues as a moniker for disappointment television.
5. Seinfeld
How do you wrap up a show about nothing? Seinfeld’s answer was to put its four stars on trial for selfishness, walking a parade of previous guest stars past into jail. The self-reflexive finale was controversial—some saw it as just deserts, others as a betrayal of the show’s spirit. It is still a point of contention among sitcom fans today.
6. The Sopranos
The sudden cut to black after The Sopranos is television’s most hotly debated instant. Did Tony Soprano expire? Was it just another typical day? Creator David Chase has explained he intended to suggest the idea of death, not state it as fact. The vagueness angered many initially, yet the finale has grown to be respected as a daring, provocative conclusion.
7. Roseanne
Roseanne’s ninth season went off the rails when the Conners discovered they had won the lottery, only to have the series finale end with them telling us it was all a book Roseanne wrote after Dan died. The twist was disorienting and roundly hated, and the revival series ended up retconning the entire ninth season. The gamble was gutsy, but everybody wished it hadn’t happened.
8. The X-Files
The X-Files had two endings, and both disappointed fans. The first ending, “The Truth,” reintroduced Mulder but did not tie up the show’s sprawling mythology. The second, “My Struggle IV,” was a maligned sequel, having muddled plotlines and a contentious Scully storyline. Even Gillian Anderson was displeased.
9. Gossip Girl
The surprise that Dan had been Gossip Girl the entire time had fans scratching their heads. The twist was more confusing than it was clarifying, and the attempt by the finale to introduce a new generation of Upper East Siders failed. The outrageousness that had become the hallmark of the show dissipated in its closing moments.
10. Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica’s conclusion polarized its fans by taking a mystical, deus ex machina approach. The show started with hard sci-fi, but the finale’s shift to divine intervention disappointed many. For some, the gamble was worth it; for others, it fell short.
11. True Blood
True Blood’s finale had Bill asking Sookie to kill him, ending on a sudden note, the central romance of the show. The melodrama that had kept the show so addictive gave way to an implausible and unsatisfying conclusion. It left fans wondering what became of the show’s bite.