The recent series finale of Ozark divided fans to the point where they’re still talking about it and many believe the show would’ve been better off if it just ended one episode earlier. While the serial format of most shows allows for storylines and characters to be developed, it also means that each episode has to bear a lot of weight.
Far too often it is the case that a series lasts just one episode too long, with a penultimate episode that should have served as the finale. The users of Reddit have helpfully identified several such series, demonstrating how important it is for series to have a firm hold on their stories.
Supernatural (2005-2020)
Streaming On Netflix
Given its longevity, it’s not surprising that Supernatural is regarded as one of the best series to have emerged from the CW. There’s also no question that the Winchester brothers make for fascinating protagonists as they battle against various monsters and demons. However, the series’ Achilles’ heel was its finale.
User Camball1998 writes: “we get to see the Winchester brothers have their final showdown versus God and no longer be a part of his story.” It’s a notable instance in which too much story ends up getting in the way of a satisfying conclusion.
Gotham (2014-2019)
Streaming On Netflix
Fox’s Gotham is a notable series for a number of reasons, and it helps to provide a compelling backstory for Bruce Wayne, as well as the various villains he faces. Like many other series, the creators chose to have a time jump in the final episode, and this was a choice that didn’t sit well with some Reddit users.
Redditor Camball1998 writes “Gotham really didn’t need to jump 10 years in to future in the final episode when Episode 11 felt like it closed everything up.” This finale shows that it is not always necessary to show what happens to the heroes after their story is largely resolved.
Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
Streaming On Paramount Plus
Star Trek is a very revered franchise, and Enterprise took some creative risks with the established formula for the series. While, for the most part, it managed to capture the magic that has long been associated with the franchise, the finale was one that was not particularly well-received by fans.
As i_love_anachronisms puts it, it is “An ending so bad the actors hated filming it and writer Brannon Braga has since apologized for it.” The dislike of the finale is a reminder that even beloved science fiction franchises cannot afford to lose the goodwill of their fan base.
Teen Titans (2003-2006)
Streaming On HBO Max
The adored Teen Titans is widely regarded as one of the best animated series, and it’s easy to see why. It managed to combine its strong animation, humor, and serious subject matter into a cohesive whole. Unfortunately, one of its final episodes set up a subsequent series that never materialized.
User AgentElman points this out, writing: “Second to last episode wrapped everything up. Last episode started a plot for the next season that never happened.” As a result, the series becomes an example of the perils of serialized storytelling.
Girls (2012-2017)
Streaming On HBO Max
In many ways, Girls is one of the landmark series for HBO, and it is one of the best expressions of millennial angst and ennui. Though its characters, particularly Hannah, weren’t always especially likable, it still managed to explore issues of interest to young women.
However, while it earned a great deal of respect, the finale left viewers, especially those at Reddit, unsatisfied given its anticlimactic nature. Hooch writes that “it certainly wasn’t what I expected.” As is often the case with television, even a successful series struggles to sometimes stick the landing.
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
Streaming On Hulu And Prime
CBS’ How I Met Your Mother was one of the most successful sitcoms of the 2000s and 2010s. Though it was episodic in the vein many other entries in the genre, it was also structured by the central enigma of who the mother in question was.
As is often the case with sitcoms, it struggled in its later seasons, and the finale has proven to be particularly divisive among the series’ fans. Yeahwellokay remarks that the finale leaves much to be desired, especially “the last ten minutes or so.” Spending eight seasons building up the mother only to kill her off in the finale was disappointing, as was splitting up Barney and Robin after an entire season centered around their wedding.
Dawson’s Creek (1998-2006)
Streaming On HBO Max and Hulu
Dawson’s Creek is regarded as one of the best teen dramas in the history of the genre, and it maintains its reputation even so many years after its conclusion. It was particularly well-regarded for its dialogue, which displayed a self-awareness rare in the teen drama. Justduett was particularly vexed by the series’ conclusion, especially given that the penultimate episode seemed to wrap up so many of the series’ stories.
They write: “Then I found out there was the actual finale left the following week or whenever? I did not like the finale at all.” This is a reminder of why it is important to be aware of how an ending will be received.
American Horror Story: Red Tide (2021)
Streaming On Hulu and Prime
Throughout its many seasons, Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story has demonstrated why it is one of the best horror shows on television. However, as is often the case with Murphy’s series, it sometimes struggles with its conclusion, and that is particularly true of the first half of the most recent season, Red Tide. SpookyTupperware aptly remarks: “The penultimate episode wraps up the story in high note, than the next episode throw away everything.”
Like many other series, American Horror Story doesn’t always know what to do with the number of episodes that it’s been given.
The Good Place (2016-2020)
Streaming On Netflix
The creative Michael Schur has been responsible for many iconic sitcoms, of which The Good Place is one of the best. With its rich philosophy and the obvious chemistry among its various cast members, it managed to be both very touching and very funny.
However, its finale wasn’t what many viewers wanted, and this is reflected in the commentary on Reddit. Hannahstohelit writes: “The Good Place, if by one episode you mean two episodes (yes, I said what I said).” Clearly, even a very popular and well-regarded series sometimes struggles to satisfy all of its fans.
Ozark (2017-2022)
Streaming On Netflix
At first glance, it appeared that Ozark would be very similar to the many other crime dramas that have appeared on cable. However, with its powerful performances by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney–who portray Marty and Wendy Byrde–it soon elevated itself into something more, as it examined their fall into darkness.
User Sammyd1108 bluntly states that they “needed to come up with a better ending in general cause it was awful.” Clearly, the series’ conclusion didn’t manage to satisfy even those that enjoyed the series and its depiction of crime.
