Top 10 Endings That Caused Major Fan Backlashes

We can handle the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, but extraterrestrials pushed our suspension of disbelief just a bit too far. The ending of this film is just a giant collage of science fiction tropes, filled with aliens, telepathic communication, flying saucers, and portals to other dimensions. Audiences were already feeling irritated early on after the now-infamous“nuking the fridge” nonsense, only to ultimately discover that the story had been leading to aliens and UFOs. Fans remain divided over this film, with some calling it an enjoyable adventure with an unfair reputation while others, including Shia LaBeouf, thinking it’s an utter travesty that tarnished the legacy of Indiana Jones.

Audiences weren’t really expecting much from the “Seinfeld” finale, as the show never really had an overarching story or much important character development. But even a regular episode would have been better than what we got. Fans and critics alike hated the downer ending and the unsympathetic portrayal of the cast, even though, when you really think about it, they were never very good people. Maybe they just hated to see it piled on in such a blunt and obnoxious fashion. Others hated the blatant fanservice through the inclusion of beloved characters and having characters rehash their classic jokes and storylines. The finale is generally considered to be little more than a dour, glorified clip show, and it’s not how we wanted “Seinfeld” to go out.

#8: “The Matrix Revolutions” (2003)

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We don’t think a trilogy has ever crashed and burned quite like “The Matrix” film series. The first is an all-time classic, the second is a solid if unsatisfying sequel, and “Revolutions” was a massive disappointment that left many shaking their heads. For one thing, a large chunk of the movie centered on the Battle of Zion, a technically impressive but protracted and emotionless action sequence that was filled with unengaging subplots. Neo and Trinity were seemingly in the movie for like twenty minutes, and the film itself concluded in overly obvious Jesus imagery that had many rolling their eyes. Add in some general confusion regarding the plot, dropped storylines, and a lack of philosophical engagement, and you have a conclusion that failed to dodge the critical bullets.

#7: “Man of Steel” (2013)

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The dark, violent, and dreary “Man of Steel” is one of the most divisive superhero movies of all time, and the qualities of its ending are still debated. To save a family from Zod, Superman murders him by snapping his neck. It was a major creative risk, but unfortunately, it didn’t pay off. Many fans, especially Superman comic devotees, were outraged and thought that the murder was woefully out-of-character and tone deaf to the Superman mythos. Others have called it fake-edgy and dark for the sake of being dark. Of course, it also has its defenders, including Henry Cavill himself. So, what do you think? Is it a bold and daring take on a classic character, or insultingly out of touch?

#6: “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)

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There are few - if any- other endings in TV history more famous than “The Sopranos.” You know how it goes – the door to the diner opens, Tony looks up, and the screen cuts to black. This brave and ambiguous conclusion resulted in all sorts of reactions, from adoration all the way to frustration, confusion, and disbelief – literal disbelief, as many people thought that their cable had cut out. So, what happened to Tony? Who was the man that glanced at him? What does the sudden cut to black signify? All these questions trickled out, and no one had any answers; the intentional ambiguity was its downfall. However, the ending has since undergone a bit of a re-evaluation and is now considered one of television’s finest.

That image of a bearded Dexter staring into the camera has been burned into our collective consciousness, but for all the wrong reasons. “Dexter” had been arguably going down the tubes since season 5, but the holdouts remained hopeful that the series could at least provide a satisfying conclusion. Instead, it did the exact opposite and aired what many claim as one of the worst series finales of all time. Audiences despised the sloppy writing, lack of excitement, and the cop-out ending, with lumberjack Dexter becoming a meme in the following weeks. The whole climax was so bad that the official “Dexter” subreddit began talking about “Breaking Bad” instead. You know it’s terrible when even the show’s most die-hard devotees refuse to discuss it.

#4: “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

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It seems like sitcoms rarely stick the landing, and “How I Met Your Mother” is commonly cited as the worst offender of all. Where do we even start with this one? How about with the most egregious decision – killing off the mother and having future Ted go back to Robin. It was a terrible disservice to Tracy, and it absolutely ruined nine seasons’ worth of romantic tension. But that was just one of MANY problems, including the sudden dissolution of Barney and Robin’s marriage, despite an entire seasons’ worth of build-up, and Barney’s abrupt regression in character. Fans desperately hoped that the finale was an early April Fools Joke, while other signed a change.org petition calling for a do-over. Instead, we got an alternate ending on the DVD box set. It’s something, we guess.

#3: “Lost” (2004-10)

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“Lost’s” ending remains highly contested and divisive to this day. It really seems like you either love it or hate it, and unfortunately, A LOT of people hated it. The finale, and the entire final season for that matter, gets a lot of flak for veering into fantasy and spirituality, and many were left disappointed with the show’s unsatisfactory revelations. A lot of mysteries boiled down to “magic stuff,” and those who spent hours meticulously theorizing and debating felt like they had been slapped in the face. Others hated that the intriguing flash-sideways timeline was not some sort of alternate dimension, but boring old purgatory. It was satisfying to see the characters reunite and conclude their personal journeys, but the island story was a total narrative mess.

#2: “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

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We all saw the cracks starting to appear. Some think they started forming once the show passed the books. Others think it was when Jon and company went to fetch a wight. And many others think it was sometime around The Long Night, when the Night King was disposed of in the most convenient manner possible. While we likely will never agree on when the show started to slip, many believe that the last season, particularly the finale, was a disaster. It seemed painfully rushed, it abandoned important character arcs (hello Jaime), it hurried through important character arcs (Mad Queen Dany, anyone?), and it threw out all sense of logic. It’s a shame to see the most ambitious television show in history go down faster than Rhaegal. Before we face disappointment with our top pick, here are a few honorable, or in this case, dishonorable mentions. “St. Elsewhere” (1982-88) “I Am Legend” (2007)

#1: “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017)

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Nothing gets the internet in a tizzy quite like “The Last Jedi.” For many, the entire movie was a mess, but it particularly fell apart in the latter half. First, there was Kylo killing Snoke, a mysterious character that many believed would last for far longer than he actually did. Talk about having your expectations subverted! Then Finn and Rose easily defeated Phasma, one of the more interesting newer villains in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. And then came the kicker – killing off Luke in such an anticlimactic and confusing fashion. A famous change.org petition was created, calling “The Last Jedi” “a travesty [that] completely destroyed the legacy of Luke Skywalker and the Jedi,” and yeah, that pretty much sums up the majority of the (vocal) internet’s thoughts on the matter.