Top 10 TV Characters RUINED by the Series Finale

#10: Sylar, aka Gabriel Gray

“Heroes” (2006-10)

After the first season built him up for several episodes, Sylar emerged as a scene-stealing big bad with a star-making turn from Zachary Quinto. After Season One, though, this downhill spiral of a show could never figure out what to do with the character. He went back and forth between being a hero and a villain, depending on whatever popped into the writers’ heads that week. Sylar was boring as a hero, but having him revert to his villainous ways just felt repetitive. It also deprived other villains a chance to break through. By the final episode, Sylar had switched sides so many times that we didn’t care whether he was redeemed. We were just grateful that Quinto was finally free to pursue other roles.

#9: Shane Botwin

“Weeds” (2005-12)

“Weeds” was initially about a single mother trying to support her family by selling cannabis. It deteriorated into a show about a neglectful mother raising a sociopath. Nancy’s young son Shane starts as one of the show’s most sympathetic characters. He’s an outcast at school, but Shane is smart, sharp-tongued, and coping with the loss of his father in a relatable way. Shane eventually goes down a dark path, however. It starts with underage sex, substance use, and an especially cringey Oedipus complex. He officially goes off the deep end after casually murdering someone, which he sees as a joking matter. Going on to become a corrupt cop, Shane expresses a desire to change in the finale, but we think he’s too far gone.

#8: Number Five & Lila Pitts“The Umbrella Academy” (2019-24)

Although born on the same day as his adopted siblings, Number Five is both younger and older than them. Due to a time travel mishap, Five spends 45 years stranded. When Five returns to his siblings in the present, he’s trapped in the body of his young teenager self. This ups the ick factor in the final season when Five enters a romantic relationship with Lila. While Five is a little older by then, there’s still a noticeable age gap between the actors. If that doesn’t make this random romance uncomfortable enough, Lila is married to one of Five’s adoptive brothers, Diego. We’d like to wipe this storyline from existence, which the series finale technically does, as all traces of the main characters are erased.

#7: Rory Gilmore

“Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” (2016)

Rory’s descent began in the original series after she slept with a married Dean and dropped out of Yale for a period. But hey, we all make mistakes during our youth. What matters is that we learn from them as we grow up. Throughout the “Year in the Life” sequel series, though, an older Rory still finds herself lost, both professionally and romantically. Aside from struggling to hold down a job, Rory has an affair with an engaged Logan. Rory also has a boyfriend whom she keeps forgetting to break up with. She apparently learned nothing from her experience with Dean. Rory didn’t learn from her mother either, basically winding up where Lorelai was decades earlier: pregnant and uncertain about her future.

#6: Ted Mosby

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

Season 6 opened with the revelation that Ted met the mysterious mother at a wedding. It took three more seasons for that to happen. During that time, Ted had several more relationships that we knew wouldn’t go anywhere. So, there wasn’t much emotional investment in them. Ted’s character development also remained in limbo as his obsession with finding “the one” got obnoxious. It was almost worth the wait. Ted’s long-awaited introduction to the mother was genuinely sweet… until she died. As Ted wraps up his story, we learn this was never about him meeting the mother, but rather, how he’s still holding a torch for Robin. Seeing Ted return to Robin felt like a step back to square one, undoing whatever growth he had.

#5: Debra Morgan“Dexter” (2006-13)

With “Dexter: Resurrection,” the future is looking bright for everyone’s favorite serial killer after several missteps. Unfortunately, it’s too late for this franchise to do right by Dexter’s dearly departed sister. For many, the original show jumped the shark in Season 6 when Deb began developing romantic feelings for her adoptive bro. The show tried to move past this vomit-inducing plot point, but the writers once again dropped the ball with Deb in the finale. With his sister falling into a vegetative state, Dexter drowns Deb and pursues a new career in lumberjacking. Deb has since returned in flashbacks and dream sequences, although her character arc ended on the worst note possible. Even if she were miraculously resurrected somehow, they can’t undo the incest thing.

#4: Rachel Berry

“Glee” (2009-15)

It’s hard to root for a protagonist who is her own worst enemy. Rachel Berry is a bad friend and even worse girlfriend, but there is one thing that can’t be denied: she was born to be on stage. Yet, Rachel seemed to forget this between Seasons 5 and 6. Although she finally achieved her dream of playing Fanny Brice on Broadway, Rachel throws it all away to headline a crappy sitcom that gets canned after one episode. For all her faults, “Glee” still kept us invested in Rachel’s Broadway dreams. Watching her make such a foolish decision felt like a betrayal of her character. The final season focuses on Rachel searching for her second act, but for us, the curtain had already closed.

#3: Debbie Gallagher

“Shameless” (2011-21)

Talk about a character who did a complete 180 between the first and last episodes. Despite her dysfunctional upbringing, Debbie is initially sweet, forgiving, and considerate of others. Then, in Season 5, Debbie decides that she wants to be a teen mom so she can trap the father into marriage. Instead, he runs out on her and their child, whom Debbie neglects. Debbie enters several more toxic relationships, often being the source of that toxicity. Being a Gallagher, Debbie also has several run-ins with the law. One could argue that Debbie is a victim of her surroundings, but there comes a time when everyone is responsible for their actions. Debbie is incapable of accepting accountability, making Frank Gallagher look like a saint by the end.

#2: Miranda Hobbes

“And Just Like That…” (2021-25)

“And Just Like That…” didn’t do Carrie Bradshaw’s legacy any favors, although the protagonist had issues even before this sequel series. The show did more damage to Miranda Hobbes, who went from a strong-willed, level-headed career woman to a hot mess whose life becomes defined by her love interest. No, not Steve. She dumps him to chase after Che, a nonbinary comedian who specializes in unintentional cringe comedy. So, when Steve regretfully cheated on Miranda, it was a betrayal, but when she commits adultery, it’s liberating. While her relationship with Che didn’t last, the damage was done. Miranda’s unraveling as a character continued to fuel the hate-watching fad until HBO finally pulled the plug. As Miranda tried to appear more progressive, she ironically regressed.

#1: Daenerys Targaryen

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

To a generation of children who were named Daenerys and Khaleesi, we’re sorry. Of course, it’s the writers behind “Game of Thrones” who should be apologizing. Throughout several seasons, we watched Dany mature from a frightened young bride to a resilient leader whom we rooted for. Then in the penultimate episode, the showrunners decided she’s the Mad Queen now. Yeah, she had her morally questionable moments in the past, but impulsively burning King’s Landing undid years of development in a matter of minutes. The only thing more rushed than Dany’s dark descent was Jon’s decision to kill the woman he loves. It wasn’t just King’s Landing that went up in flames. It ruined Daenerys, along with a show that could’ve been among the all-time greats.

What other characters were ruined by the series finale? Let us know in the comments.