Top 15 WORST TV Finales of Every Year Since Lost

2011: “The End”

“Entourage” (2004-11)

Compared to some other entries on this countdown, “Entourage’s” ending was far from the absolute worst. It was still a disappointment after investing eight seasons with these guys. “The End” is a glass-half-full, feeling more like a season finale than a series finale. Vince is getting married, but we don’t see the wedding. Ari quits his job and is offered a position as Time Warner’s CEO, but we don’t see if he accepts it. There’s no real sense of finality, most likely because the writers knew that an “Entourage” movie was in the cards. Well, we got that movie four years later, and based on the reception, it would’ve been wiser if the franchise had quit while it was ahead.

2012: “It’s Time”

“Weeds” (2005-12)

When this Showtime series started, Nancy Botwin was an underdog we rooted for, despite her unlawful activity. By the final season, Nancy was no longer an underdog. She was filthy rich and arguably a sociopath who corrupts everyone around her. This isn’t reflected in the series finale, which jumps ahead nearly a decade. Characters reunite and reconcile while Nancy is forgiven for her numerous shortcomings. None of it feels earned. As the characters share a joint in the closing scene, all we can think about are the various lives ruined along the way. But hey, it was done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. So, no big deal. The biggest sin is how uneventful the finale feels, affirming that “Weeds” ran out of juice years ago.

2013: “Remember the Monsters?”

“Dexter” (2006-13)

“Dexter” could’ve wrapped up in several satisfying ways. Miami Metro could learn that one of their own was a serial killer, hunting him down. Dexter could wind up on the execution table, getting a taste of his own medicine. For a more triumphant ending, Dexter could go up against the ultimate big bad, riding off into the sunset. Oliver Saxon was a forgettable foe, however. So, when he leaves Debra on life support, it comes off as rushed and lazy. Dexter puts his sister out of her misery, simultaneously pulling the plug on this dying series. The franchise has since been resurrected, multiple times in fact! Regardless, we’ll never forgive the original series for that final scene. Dexter’s a lumberjack, and he’s not okay.

2014: “Last Forever”

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

Although the “True Blood” finale lacked bite, we didn’t really care what happened to Sookie and Bill by Season 7. We were more emotionally invested in “How I Met Your Mother,” making the final episode feel like a betrayal of everything that came before. The worst part is that this sitcom almost had a decent finale. All they needed to do was end with Ted meeting the Mother… and cut out that bit where she dies. Unfortunately, the showrunners were committed to their long-term plan, whether or not Ted getting back together with Robin made sense anymore. Viewers moved on from Ted and Robin a couple years ago. The fact they couldn’t move on shows that the audience had grown, but the characters hadn’t.

2015: “Of Course He’s Dead”

“Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)

“Two and a Half Men” was the McDonald’s of sitcoms. There were better things out there, but it was a source of comfort food. When Charlie Sheen left, it was the equivalent of removing the Big Mac and replacing it with the McHotDog. Ashton Kutcher was the latter. The menu kept losing items over time, but loyal customers stuck around on the off chance of a Charlie comeback. Following four Sheenless seasons, the finale suggests that Uncle Charlie might not be dead after all. After 38 minutes of teasing his return, we didn’t get the genuine artifact, but rather a body double who’s flattened with a piano. If you wish the same would happen to Chuck Lorre, don’t worry. He’s a step ahead of you.

2016: “End”

“The Good Wife” (2009-16)

Throughout seven seasons, Alicia Florrick proved that she was more than Peter’s wife. She’s an independent career woman who can stand on her own. So, how does the series end? With Alicia… standing by Peter’s side amid another scandal. Diane gets thrown under the bus along the way, slapping Alicia in the final scene. We think this is supposed to be a full-circle moment, since the show began with Alicia slapping Peter. It never felt like “The Good Wife” was building to this confrontation, however. It just comes off as random, much like the song choice that closed the series. Alicia and viewers deserved a better send-off than this. It’s a slap in the face in more ways than one.

2017: “Fancy Schmancy”

“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17)

If this Nicktoon wanted to go out on top, it should’ve ended with Season 4’s “Channel Chasers” or Season 6’s “Wishology!” trilogy. By Season 10, the show was so desperate for ideas that it gave Timmy a neighbor named Chloe, whom he must share his fairies with, throwing off the show’s dynamic even more. Nickelodeon finally cancelled the series, but with no sense of closure. Although not the last to air, “Fancy Schmancy” was the final episode produced. It plays like any other episode, focusing on Timmy and Chloe trying to celebrate Friends' Day when we never cared about their friendship to begin with. The title card with Timmy’s dad basking in riches sums up why this series was dragged out, prioritizing money over magic.

2018: “Chapter 73”

“House of Cards” (2013-18)

2018 saw two political thrillers come to a close. Like most elected officials, they didn’t live up to the hype. The “Scandal” finale was appropriately titled “Over a Cliff,” but at least Olivia Pope’s story got something resembling closure, even if it was pretty dumb. That’s more than can be said about “House of Cards,” which was down to a Joker by its finale. While we understand why Kevin Spacey’s Frank had to be written off, the show had nowhere to go after that. It culminated in a final episode where Doug reveals that he killed Frank, a pregnant Claire kills him, and we’re left on a cliffhanger that’ll likely never be resolved. Even if it is, we’re not invested in the Underwood legacy anymore.

2019: “The Iron Throne”

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

Of all these finales, “The Iron Throne” was the ultimate letdown. That doesn’t mean it was the worst-acted or directed finale, but in terms of what was promised and delivered, this cultural phenomenon went up in flames along with King’s Landing. After Daenerys Targaryen’s actions in the previous episode, “Game of Thrones” couldn’t just end. It needed at least another season to deal with the fallout. Alas, the finale rushes to the finish line so D&D can get to work on a “Star Wars” trilogy that never happened. There’s a “let’s get this over with” carelessness to the finale, in which Jon kills Daenerys, Drogon burns the throne, and Bran is king now. Oh, and if there’s time, Tyrion gets to rearrange some chairs!

2020: “Carry On”

“Supernatural” (2005-20)

We were torn on which fantasy series had a more underwhelming ending in 2020. Sabrina Spellman’s sacrifice was a cold note to go out on. Where that show only lasted four seasons, “Supernatural” had to deliver on a decade and a half of storytelling. After seeing the Winchester brothers literally go to hell and back, Sam and Dean deserved to peacefully retire. Instead, Dean dies (again). Maybe we could get on board with this if Dean went out in an epic battle, but his death is painfully anticlimactic. Dean’s cheated death so many times that we struggle to accept this is the final nail in the coffin. At least Dean goes to Heaven this time, but it’ll be years until he’s reunited with his brother.

2021: “Nevada”

“Good Girls” (2018-21)

When Season 4 of this juicy dramedy entered production, it was unclear if a fifth was on the horizon. Although it came close to renewal, NBC ultimately cancelled “Good Girls,” which has yet to find another home elsewhere. Without the foresight that it would be the final episode, “Nevada” winds up being a wasted opportunity. Part of the episode is an extended dream sequence, revealing that the girls didn’t move to Nevada and are still in Michigan. Annie takes one for the team, getting arrested. Ruby considers leaving with her family, although her final decision is ambiguous. Beth and Rio get back to work, but he answers to her now. All of this feels like setup for another season we’ll likely never see.

2022: “Hello, Losers”

“Killing Eve” (2018-22)

Sometimes, we just wanna grab a showrunner by the shoulders, shake them furiously, and scream, “Stop it! You’re telling the story wrong!” There were two ways that “Killing Eve” could’ve ended effectively. 1) Eve kills Villanelle, preserving her own humanity at a personal cost. 2) Villanelle seduces Eve, killing what she once stood for and gaining a partner in crime. The show seemed to be leaning toward the second choice, only to go with an inexplicable third option. Villanelle is shot, not by Eve, but rather, a random sniper on Carolyn’s orders. Eve cries out for her lost love and… that’s it. Well, we’ll give the final this. The episode’s title is honest, making us feel like losers after investing our time in four seasons.

2023: “A New World, Part 4: Finale”

“The Flash” (2014-23)

“A New World” didn’t just mark the ending of “The Flash.” It was the ending of the Arrowverse, wrapping up over a decade of interconnecting stories. Ironically, in a show that revolves around a speedster, the finale’s biggest issue was in the pacing department. Being a four-parter, you’d think there would be plenty of time to flesh everything out. “A New World” had so many balls in the air, though, that once we got to “Part 4,” we could barely follow what was going on. The finale just couldn’t slow down. At the same time, the show had run out of gas after nine seasons. We’re glad Barry got a happy ending, but this last lap was a slog to get through.

2024: “End of the Beginning”

“The Umbrella Academy” (2019-24)

And we thought “The Flash” finale felt rushed and overstuffed. In the last episode of “The Umbrella Academy,” the Cleanse begins to reset the timeline again, Five meets several alternate versions of himself, and it’s deduced that the only way to prevent another apocalypse is to create a single timeline where the Umbrella siblings never existed… but for some reason their families will still exist. Our heroes sacrifice themselves, but don’t worry. They come back as flowers… we think? It’s just one of the many questions that go unresolved. We’d say that the Hollywood labor disputes were responsible for this convoluted ending, but the scripts were apparently finished before the strikes. So, we guess inept writing is simply to blame here.

2025: “Party of One”

“And Just Like That…” (2021-25)

“Sex and the City” ended on just the right note. The first movie was a fun reunion. Carrie and Co. overstayed their welcome with the second movie, but this sequel series was a new low. After three seasons of hate-watching, HBO did what they should’ve done years ago: flush this piece of crap down the tubes. Usually, we wouldn’t be so crude, but the finale literally features a clogged toilet, and more than water comes back up. Whether intentional or not, it’s a fitting visual representation of this franchise’s downhill spiral. The finale overflows with verbal crap as well, closing on Carrie delivering a monologue about being on her own. We guess that’s why it’s called “Party of One,” but really, it’s a Number Two.

Do you really think the “Lost” finale was that bad, especially when stacked up against some of these other endings? Let us know in the comments.