There's nothing worse than starting a TV show, investing in a rich plot and characters, and being ruined by a bad final season. From rushing the plot to destroying a beloved character's growth in the final seasons, many TV shows fall into the trap of being ruined because of unsatisfying and terrible endings. Sudden TV show cancellations and shortened final season lengths are often the culprits behind confusing final seasons.
With more time to develop character motivations and intricate plots, many shows that suffered a lackluster final season could have been improved with a few more episodes. Although the addition of episodes cannot solve problems of mischaracterization and terrible plot twists, they, it could potentially make the final season more coherent, keep the plot quantity and provide a meaningful resolution.
10
Merlin (2008-2012)
Season 5
The BBC Merlin is a medieval fantasy series that reimagines the Arthurian legends and focuses on the wizard Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Prince Arthur (Bradley James) and their adventures. Merlin is tasked with protecting Arthur, who is prophesied to bring magic back to Camelot and unite the lands.
Merlin follows the duo's misadventures and shows how Merlin and Arthur's bond grows as they work together to protect the kingdom. In a land where magic is prohibited, Merlin's struggle to hide his secret creates tension throughout the season.
Additional episodes could have added depth to Arthur's sudden and surprising death and an earlier reveal could have explored how Merlin and Arthur's friendship followed the reveal.
However, the rushed final season was unable to provide a satisfying conclusion to Merlin, when Merlin finally revealed his magic to Arthur in the final episodes, before Arthur succumbed to his injuries. Additional episodes could have added depth to Arthur's sudden and surprising death and an earlier reveal could have explored how Merlin and Arthur's friendship followed the reveal. Since a Merlin revival with the original stars seems unlikely, Merlin The rushed final season is the official finale of the beloved series and its characters.
9
The Magicians (2015-2020)
Season 5
The magicians is a fantasy TV series based on a trilogy of novels written by Lev Grossman. Set in a world where magic exists and magicians are trained in their skills at a secret university, The magicians follows a group of young people who discover that the magical world is full of danger and travel between worlds.
The controversial and tragic death of main character Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) at the end of season 4 put the beloved show in a precarious position for the next season, as Quentin was the central character. The magicians it was then cancelled, unexpectedly making the fifth season the last.
The magicians
Based on the novel of the same name by Lev Grossman, The Magicians follows Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant young man who gets a place at a magical college called Brakebills. There, he learns magic alongside his friends Alice, Eliot, Margo and Penny, and uncovers magical secrets far beyond his wildest imagination, which lead him to travel to various fantastical locations, including the world of Fillory.
- Release date
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December 16, 2015
- Writers
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John McNamara
The final season left some character stories unresolvedand new character dynamics, like the relationship between Eliot Waugh (Hale Appleman) and Charlton (Spencer Daniels) that felt rushed, were unsatisfying, and could have been better explored if there had been additional episodes.
8
Ozark (2017-2022)
Season 4
The police thriller Ozarks follows Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), a financial consultant and money launderer for the Mexican cartel as he drags his family into a life of crime and violence. The Byrde family quickly becomes involved with local criminals and the mob, while hiding their crimes from the FBI. Unfortunately, Ozarks the fast-paced and exciting plot dominated character growth and resulted in the characters lacking depth.
In Ozarks season 4, the character's motivations and goals changed rapidly without the show displaying or providing reasons for what caused the drastic change. Marty and Wendy's (Laura Linney) son Jonah's (Skylar Gaertner) sudden decision to murder to protect his family at the end of the series, despite his anger and disillusionment toward his mother. The uninspired twist in the story made no sense and erased the character's personality, growth, and motivations. Additional episodes for Ozarks the final season could have explored and provided depth to the character's allegiances and explained the seemingly random decisions the characters made.
7
Dexter (2006-2013)
Season 8
Dexter has one of the most controversial endings to a popular, long-running TV show. The dark crime drama series follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a sociopathic forensic analyst who lives a double life as a serial killer vigilante, hunting those who manage to escape justice for their crimes.
Dexter
Based on the character created by author Jeff Lindsay, Showtime's Dexter follows the Miami Metropolitan Police Department's most skilled blood spatter analyst, Dexter Morgan, as he attempts to satisfy his Black Passenger's need to kill by hunting down criminals who have escaped justice. However, using the rules his adoptive father taught him to remain unknown, Dexter must walk the fine line of seemingly blending into society while continually feeding his dark impulses. Dexter faces off against multiple serial killers as his facade slowly crumbles around him; with every problem solved by his Dark Passenger, another one arises for his suburban paternal life. When Dexter takes things personally or feels the law is failing him, he takes matters into his own hands and even compromises his coworkers' investigations. Dexter aired on Showtime for eight seasons before receiving a mini-sequel called Dexter: New Bloodwhich began ten years after the events of the show. You can purchase each season for just $9.99 on Prime Day.
- Release date
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October 31, 2010
- Final Year
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November 30, 2012
Full of twists and turns, the critically acclaimed show has earned a dedicated fan base. Unfortunately, Dexter the last season didn't live up to the hype and there was a significant drop in quality compared to the first few seasons.
It was difficult to invest in new characters and unnecessary stories, and the controversial series finale did not conclude Dexter's journey through the seasons in a satisfactory way. While additional episodes can't fix the series' lackluster ending, it could make the beloved show's final season more coherent and delve deeper into Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) and her dynamic with Dexter, and Dexter's character growth.
6
True Blood (2008-2014)
Season 7
The dark fantasy horror series True Blood is set in a fictional rural town in Louisiana, in a world where the creation of synthetic blood allows vampires to expose themselves to humans. True Blood follows Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress whose life suddenly changes after she falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and begins to get involved with the supernatural world. The award-winning unique horror show won over audiences with its incredible character dynamics, intriguing plots and romance. However, True Blood faces a sharp decline in quality over the seasons.
true blood
True Blood is a horror/fantasy drama series created by Alan Ball and starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgård. The series follows the life of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with telepathic powers who lives in a fictional town in Louisiana. In this city, a new synthetic “drug” has allowed vampires to escape their coffins and roam among the living.
- Release date
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September 7, 2008
- Network
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HBO Max
- Cast
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Ryan Kwanten, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Sam Trammell, Alexander Skarsgard, Stephen Moyer, Rutina Wesley, Anna Paquin, Chris Bauer
- Writers
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Raelle Tucker, Charlaine Harris, Brian Buckner, Alan Ball, Alexander Woo
However, the last season of True Blood saw the deaths of several beloved characters and ended with main character Sookie ending up with an unknown man. True Blood Season 7, the final episode in particular, was rushed and filled with multiple plot threads that left no time for coherent character arcs. While criticisms of the final season cannot be erased with additional episodes, they could have provided more depth to the characters, making the series finale more consistent and of better quality.
5
The 100 (2014-2020)
Season 7
The 100 is a post-apocalyptic science fiction series set in the future, following survivors of a nuclear apocalypse as they return to Earth from a space settlement. Thrown into a new and unfamiliar world, the show follows a group of young delinquents led by Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) as the first people to be sent back to Earth. While the early seasons follow the characters as they try to survive on Earth, the later seasons of The 100 saw a drastic change when the characters re-entered space and began to inhibit a new world.
The 100 Season 7 completely abandoned the exciting and complex political and survival themes that made the series stand out and ruined the growth and development of several characters. Although the factors that make The 100s Last season was terrible, as Bellamy Blake's (Bob Morley) sudden betrayal and death can't be fixed with more episodes, exploring his character development might have made the decision less absurd. Additionally, additional episodes could have eased viewers into the show's tonal shift rather than it being a jarring shift.
4
Lost (2004-2010)
Season 6
The long-running and intriguing supernatural sci-fi series Lost It has garnered a dedicated and invested fan base with its mysterious plot. Lost follows a group of plane crash survivors who discover that the island they are stranded on is full of mysterious and terrifying creatures. With years of accumulation throughout the seasons, it is not surprising that Lost final season it was controversial.
While Lost end made a great effort to wrap up the show in a satisfying and coherent ending, the introduction of "flash-sideways" took away from the central mystery and plot and didn't have a payoff worthy of the time invested in it. If the complex show had gotten additional episodes, Lost It could have better addressed the unanswered questions and plot holes and provided a satisfying conclusion to the characters' arcs. Most importantly, Lost Season 6 with additional episodes could have provided more information about the Island's mythology.
3
Sherlock (2010-2017)
Season 3
Sherlock is a British crime drama series based on the iconic Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The series had a large and passionate fan base who were heavily invested in the series and who were disappointed by what a convoluted mess it was. Sherlock season 4. While Sherlock has major flaws, the final season highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing issues, making it one of the most controversial conclusions to a TV show.
With three episodes per season from the beginning Sherlock had notoriously short and compact seasons. However, this proved to be a fatal flaw, as the show's final season introduction of the main villain came too late and was a plot twist that prioritized shock over a coherent and compelling narrative structure. Additional episodes could have introduced main villain Eurus Holmes (Sian Brooke) earlier, increasing her screen time and helping to cement her as a formidable villain, as well as adding hints about Sherlock's connection to her.
2
The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)
Season 4
The Umbrella Academy is a superhero drama that follows a dysfunctional, super-powered family who come together after the sudden death of their father and stumble in an attempt to stop the impending worldwide apocalypse. Throughout the series, the time travel and apocalypse stories ran the risk of becoming convoluted and repetitive, however, the lovable characters and complex family dynamics kept the show engaging. Unfortunately, the last season of The Umbrella Academy ruined that element with beloved characters making their choices out of character and adding unnecessary subplots and romance drama.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4 being shortened to six episodes instead of the usual ten made it difficult to wrap up the show's character arcs. The deleted scenes from The Umbrella Academy Season 4 added much-needed sibling interactions and character development to the show. The short deleted scenes provide important depth to the characters, and additional episodes could have made the frenetic pace of the final episodes consistent with character growth.
1
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Season 8
Game of Thrones has now become synonymous with an amazing TV show that was ruined by a terrible final season. Game of Thrones' The final season was a rushed and largely incomprehensible mess, with important character developments and arcs being resolved in a disappointing way that ruined the characters' growth throughout the series. Even when characters made heinous decisions, the complex character building done throughout the series made the decisions make sense.
Game of Thrones season 8 ruined character building for a cheap plot twist. While Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) sudden and inexplicable descent into madness is difficult to justify, additional episodes could have provided better character motivations that explained the events of the final episode. Criticized for having a rushed final season Game of Thrones' the ending could have been better justified with additional episodes dedicated to explaining the narrative and character decisions rather than the abrupt, shocking twists and turns that ruined the show.