When it comes to series finales, the bad endings seem to stand out just as much as the good ones. It can be difficult to stick the landing to these stories, many of which have been going on for years. But when the shows stumble while reaching their conclusions, fans are not shy about voicing their disappointment.
In some cases, these are beloved shows that simply wrapped things up in a way that was unsatisfying to the die-hard fans. With other shows, the dip in quality over the years gradually resulted in a less than stellar finale.
Sons Of Anarchy (2008-2014)
The crime drama Sons of Anarchy told its story like a Shakespearean tragedy set in the world of a biker gang. The ending played into that theme with various betrayals and murders, as the protagonist Jax settled scores before heading a police chase that ended with him taking his own life.
Despite this fitting with the dark and melodramatic tone of the rest of the series, some fans simply felt that the show had run out of steam in the later seasons. Redditor darthstupidious found that by the end of the final season, the storytelling was "devoid of any real substance."
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
For many fans, Seinfeld is one of those rare shows that never dropped in quality over its 9-season run, always delivering laughs and remaining incredibly rewatchable. However, the finale in which the four main characters are put on trial and subsequently sent to prison was seen as a rare misstep by many.
The ending seemed fitting for these characters who had continuously proven themselves to be bad people. But the fact that it was mostly a parade of past characters relaying events of the series resulted in what Redditor Manfrenjensenjen called an "unsatisfying mess."
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
While finales like Seinfeld have a reputation of disappointing fans, it is interesting to see the unpopular opinions of well-received finales like Breaking Bad. The epic conclusion found Walter White taking out the team of neo-Nazis, saving Jesse Pinkman and dying of his injuries.
Many fans found it to be an appropriately intense and crowd-pleasing ending to the show. But Redditor Lukeh41 was one of the dissenting voices who complained that the finale undid much of what the show had previously accomplished and "actually vindicated Walter White."
Bloodline (2015-2017)
The Netflix thriller Bloodline told the story of a family living in Florida who are taken down a dark path when the black sheep of the family, Danny, is murdered. The finale in season 3 found the character of John attempting to make things right by deciding he will confess to Danny's son that he killed him.
The fact that this conversation and the result of it don't happen on screen was a big letdown for many fans. After so much tension about the truth coming out, it caused Redditor Kane_007 to summarize the show as "two great seasons and all for nothing."
Entourage (2004-2011)
The HBO comedy series Entourage served as something of a wish-fulfillment show as it followed an up-and-coming movie star and his childhood friends living a life of luxury in Hollywood. The finale maintained the upbeat tone as E reconciled with his girlfriend, Vince got married, and Ari Gold was made head of a studio.
However, some of the criticism the finale faced is the same things the entire series was criticized for as it lacked conflict. Redditor Lowaim found the show "going all Disney at the end" left the series on a particularly bad note.
Sherlock (2010-2017)
The BBC series Sherlock brought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed detective into the modern-day setting and made a star out of Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role. The finale revealed Sherlock had a sister he was not aware of who orchestrated a complex revenge plot against him.
Though the first couple of seasons of the show did a great job of retelling these old mysteries in a fun new way, many felt that the show started to get ridiculous with its storytelling by the end. Redditor hithere297_ claimed the show lost them when they revealed "John's wife was a secret assassin."
Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
The cult-favorite Quantum Leap drew fans in with an endlessly fun premise of scientist Sam Beckett getting involved with a time-travel experiment gone wrong which caused him to leap through time, entering other people's bodies, while trying to get back home.
The finale delivered an unexpected gut punch to fans as it ended with a title card revealing that Sam never did make it back home. One Redditor pointed out that "decades later and it still gnaws at people."
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
As one of the shows that changed television, there was obviously a lot of anticipation to see how The Sopranos would end. In true iconic fashion, the final scene in the show remains one of the most talked-about television moments of all time as Tony and his family eat in a diner before the screen suddenly cuts to black.
The ambiguous ending was a disappointment to many fans at the time and caused a lot of controversy. However, many now defend it as a good finale and Redditor OkRedbud even claimed the fact that they don't like it "bothers me."
Dexter (2006-2013)
Fans were immediately intrigued by Dexter as it was a show that featured a serial killer as the protagonist. The finale of the show found Dexter sailing off into a hurricane, presumably to his death, only to be revealed to be living in hiding as a lumberjack.
Though the recent sequel series has given it another chance, Dexter is regarded as one of the worst finales by many people. But Redditor SanderSo47 insists the problem started long before the last episode as "the whole final season was a disaster."
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
After nine seasons, fans expected How I Met Your Mother would at least give the answer to the titular question of the series. However, the last episode gave a few more surprises as it was revealed the "mother" in question had died and Ted's kids encourage him to pursue his love of Robin.
The show seemed to want to bring things full circle by returning to the love story between Ted and Robin that began in the first episode. However, many fans felt that it was a betrayal to those who stuck it out all those years with Redditor tesla323 calling it a "cop-out and a letdown."