Even the most popular shows can disappoint fans with their final installments, TheWrap looks back at other series that went out with a thud.
One of the most critically acclaimed and fan-beloved series of all time, “The Sopranos” still didn’t manage to stick the landing, leaving audiences scratching their heads over a scene that abruptly cut to black in the middle of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
“How I Met Your Mother” finally introduced the mother, and then promptly gave her one of the most despised sendoffs of any TV show, as Ted seemed to get over the death of the adorable Tracy at lightning speed and was back to chasing Robin before her body was cold. Fans were so the outraged producers put an official “alternate ending” — a much happier one — on the DVD release.
It took six seasons to finally reveal who “Gossip Girl” really was, and the bitchy gossipmonger turned out to be … Dan Humphrey? And then Serena married him anyway? Fans were not pleased by how the Upper East Siders left things.
As TV’s most infamous serial killer, “Dexter” should have gone out in spectacular fashion. Instead, he pulled the plug on his sister, dumped her body into the ocean and fled to become a lumberjack. This one has been dubbed “worst finale ever” by more than a few fans.
“Roseanne” ended with a huge revelation — the series itself was an autobiographical book written by the protagonist, with huge chunks of Roseanne’s life changed: Dan never recovered from his heart attack, the Connors never won the lottery, and fans never quite forgave the show for the switcheroo.
It has become the norm after two movies and a reboot limited series, but when “X-Files” ended the first time, it did so with a major cliffhanger, leaving fans frustrated and still grasping for answers that would never come — not even to this very day in 2016.
The “Seinfeld” gang was imprisoned for being sociopaths who did nothing to help a carjacking victim in the series finale, and fans didn’t quite get it. In subsequent years, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld and the cast have used the finale outcry as the basis for more comedic moments, particularly during reunion skits.
Who could have predicted the souful coming-of-age drama “Felicity” would end in the titular heroine gaining the powers of time travel? That’s right. And when the series finale revealed the entire time-travel plot may have all been a fever dream, it was one unbelievable twist too many for fans.
Of all the ways for “Lost” to end, nobody could have predicted everyone from the island gathering in a church and gleefully preparing to cross over to the other side together — while any answers about what the island was and why they were put there remained unanswered.
“True Blood” probably ran for a couple of seasons longer than it should have, and the finale did nothing to course-correct the slow death of a once crazy beloved vampire saga. Making Sookie kill Bill and thus ending the show’s biggest relationship didn’t sit well with fans either.
“The Good Wife” just ended, and fans are already pissed off. From the Josh Charles dream sequence that accomplished nothing to the slap that felt personal to too many fans, welcome to the club of beloved shows with despised series finales, “The Good Wife.”
