The recent report that Game of Thrones will be seeing a sequel series featuring the exiled Jon Snow has several fans of the original series curious. While HBO has been elusive about whether this sequel will ever be seen on screen, the idea that audiences could receive some closure over the notoriously disappointing series finale has many feeling cautiously optimistic. Game of Thrones was known for taking audiences by surprise with its unpredictable twists and turns. Still, Jon killing another series favorite, Daenerys Targaryen, left a bad taste in viewers' mouths that changed their perception of the entire series.
Game of Thrones isn't the only example of a series that blew it in its finale. Several otherwise beloved shows of various genres maintained a strong run, only to disappoint audiences in the final episode. This was sometimes due to a plot twist that didn't seem to fit with the characters' development, like Jon and Daenerys, or a simple lackluster ending in a show that deserved more. While many such series are still loved today, audiences took to Ranker to vote for the show that let them down the most with its final episode.
Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
Quantum Leap followed Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who leaps through time to correct various mistakes in history, ultimately making the world a better place. However, he seems unable to return home to his own time, and leap after leap, he ends up in a new era, hoping that the next leap will finally take him home.
After five seasons of Dr. Beckett fixing the errors of history along with a hologram of his friend Al, audiences were eager to see him finally get his happy ending. However, the series finale saw the protagonist learn he had control all along. Instead of returning home, he decides to continue leaping, completely contradicting the premise of the entire series.
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Seinfeld is known as the series that is about nothing. Jerry Seinfeld and his group of friends go through everyday life and find themselves in comical situations that are often relatable to everyday audiences. However, what made the show so entertaining was the terrible ways the Seinfeld characters schemed through these situations as they focused only on their best interests.
The series final completely contradicted the simple premise. The episode was full of recaps of the characters' most atrocious moments and guest reappearances of some of the most iconic side characters. In the end, this episode had too much going on that didn't fit with the series' general tone.
ALF (1986-1990)
ALF is a charming series about an alien who crashes in suburban California. The episodes follow the titular character as he experiences Earth and learns what it is to be a part of the Tanner family, all while trying to evade scientists from the U.S. government.
The series saw great success, and ALF became a household name. However, after its fourth season, the series was unexpectedly canceled. Unfortunately, this happened at an inopportune time, as the final episode had ended with a cliffhanger: ALF captured by the government just before making contact with his home. Naturally, the ending was unsatisfying and left many fans frustrated.
Castle (2009-2016)
Castle's eight seasons followed millionaire writer Rick Castle as he shadows Detective Kate Beckett to gain inspiration for his next murder mystery novel. The duo quickly became a "enemies-to-lovers" story, and audiences eagerly waited for the heroes to get their happily ever after.
While this did happen at the end of season 8, many felt that it was rushed and unsatisfying. The strange ending saw Castle and Beckett get shot before the story suddenly jumps ahead to show them sharing a comfortable life with three children. It was a rushed ending and a great example of audiences getting precisely what they want in all the wrong ways.
Two And A Half Men (2003-2015)
Two and a Half Men carried on for twelve seasons, but not without its strange changes. The series initially followed a wealthy jingle writer, Charlie, who must change his lifestyle when his brother and nephew move in. However, after Charlie is killed off the show, billionaire Walden Schmidt jumps in and picks up where Charlie left off.
While it had strange moments, the Two and a Half Men storylines typically tried to stay within the realms of believability. However, the final episode revealed that Charlie was alive after all and used a strange animated sequence to explain his survival. After all that, Chalie was then killed by a falling piano. Altogether, it felt like a truly ridiculous end.
True Blood (2008-2014)
True Blood is a supernatural romance show that is set in a future where the release of a synthetic blood product allowed vampires to come out of hiding and live in mainstream society. The series was unapologetically brutal and featured characters that weren't afraid to show that they were far from the norm.
However, for how out-of-the-box True Blood started, audiences couldn't help but feel that the ending put too much value on normalcy. Characters that had once relished in campy gore and outrageous sexual fantasies ended up in boring happily-ever-afters. For a series known for going too far, the finale didn't go far enough.
Heroes (2006-2012)
Heroes took the standard comic-book premise of following several ordinary people as they discover that they suddenly have powers and must decide to use them for good or evil. The series picked up by revealing a man that can suddenly fly and a seeming indestructible teenager, catching audiences' interest immediately.
However, before the central conflict within the series was ever resolved, several of the characters and their various plots seemed to go static, and audiences got bored with waiting to find out what would happen to Claire, Hiro, and the others. This led the show to be canceled unexpectedly, leaving a finale in which Hiro simply gets over his brain tumor: the end.
Roseanne (1988-1997)
Audiences love a series that they can relate to, and Roseanne was perfect in that it represented the working-class family. The series followed the Conners as they struggled through the common problems of life: money, marriage, and children.
However, season 8 took a strange turn as it saw the Conners win millions from the lottery. The subsequent episodes were far less relatable and downright bizarre, as the Conners enjoyed their new lifestyle. Then, the finale suddenly revealed it had all only been in Roseanne's imagination and that Dan was actually dead.
Dexter (2006-2013)
The titular character in Dexter is a blood-spatter analyst who uses his position with the Miami Metro Police to find and murder criminals who escaped the justice system. He did this to satisfy his own dark needs for blood without hurting innocent people. For eight seasons, audiences watched Dexter try to escape the law while carrying on his mission, always wondering when he would finally get caught.
However, the series finale did not satisfy audiences. It ended with the death of some of the best Dexter characters, causing the serial killer to abandon his son and sail off into a hurricane. The consequences that audiences had watched pursue Dexter for several seasons just faded away, leaving everyone feeling like it had all been for nothing. However, the reboot, Dexter: New Blood, rectified this, giving Dexter the end he always should have had.
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
How I Met Your Mother was similar to other popular sitcoms like Friends in that it followed a group of pals living in New York City. However, it differed because the entire series was narrated by the main protagonist, Ted, as he told his children the story of how he met their mother. This introduced an intriguing mystery, one which audiences were eager to solve.
However, the finale of season 9 let many fans down when it revealed that the "mother" had been dead for several years before Ted started his story. This, combined with Barney and Robin's divorce (after a whole season dedicated to their wedding) and the revelation that Ted and Robin had been endgame all along, completely ruined the series for many.