It's easy to get sucked into your favorite television series and loyally watch every episode. But ultimately, all good things must come to an end, and every TV series ultimately has to reach a conclusion. Whether or not that conclusion is satisfying is an entirely different story.
Some finales leave audiences with smiles on their faces, feeling like they got to bid a proper farewell to their beloved show, but others leave fans sitting there wondering what just happened. When it comes to the most disappointing series finales, these Redditors felt that these were the series that belong on that list.
10 'How I Met Your Mother' (2005-2014)
When How I Met Your Mother first premiered in 2005, fans fell in love with the comedy. The series follows five friends living in New York City, and one of them, Ted, seems to be on a quest to find the future love of his life. The series is narrated by a future Ted, telling his kids how he met their mother.
For nine seasons, fans stuck with the show and followed Ted's disastrous love life, all waiting for the moment he met the mother. But the disappointment was palpable when the series ended, with the mother dead and Ted going back to his ex. Redditor KneeHighMischief said, "How I Met Your Mother is the gold standard for bad finales. I can't believe they had all those years to get it right only to fail so spectacularly."
9 'Smallville' (2001-2011)
The hit CW series, Smallville, ran for 10 seasons in the early 2000s and told the story of Superman before he was Superman, following his adolescence. The series gave audiences an interesting dynamic between Lex Luthor and Clark Kent and one of the best iterations of Lois Lane on screen.
While there was a lot to love about Smallville, some fans felt the finale did not give them what they had eagerly been waiting to see, which was Clark Kent becoming a fully realized superhero and feeling let down that they never got it. Reddit user Bruinsrock11 writes, "Smallville where we waited 10 years for Tom Welling to don the Superman suit instead it was CGI on him and shown for 30 seconds."
8 'Dexter' (2006-2013)
Dexter, the crime drama series, follows the life of a serial killer. The protagonist, Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, leads a double life as both a man who desires to kill and a man who does forensics for the police homicide department.
Audiences generally loved the show but became concerned with some plots in the final season. Just when fans thought it was all coming together, the finale aired, and hearts were broken. As Redditor BoostJunkie42 puts it, "Nothing will EVER top Dexter for me when it comes to the biggest letdown."
7 'Chuck' (2007-2012)
Before Zachary Levi was suiting up in Shazam, he was a different kind of hero in the television series Chuck. The show followed Chuck, a computer geek who accidentally gets government secrets downloaded into his brain and then recruited by government agencies to help them on missions.
While the show was largely considered a fun and dynamic crime-fighting saga, the ending left fans with questions and feeling the characters weren't used as well as they should have been. Reddit user Fallcious said, "I rewatched through to the last season and disliked the general direction. Then I remembered how the series ended and decided to quit mid-way instead."
6 'Game of Thrones' (2011-2019)
The fantasy series that became a pop culture icon, Game of Thrones, garnered a strong fan base. The story follows several noble families as they battle to gain control of the mythical land of Westeros while also facing numerous other threats and challenges.
With many dynamic heroes and a number of strong women to root for, the series had a lot going for it with character development and plot, but come the final season, that all changed. The frustration resulting from how the series ended could be heard worldwide and became hotly debated. Redditor LZR0 said, "Game of Thrones, I don’t think I need to explain anything about this one."
5 'Boardwalk Empire' (2010-2014)
The series Boardwalk Empire starred Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald in a period crime drama that garnered numerous accolades and awards. The series takes place in Atlantic City during the 1920s and follows the story of politicians and mobsters during this time of prohibition.
Despite the huge acclaim the show received from both critics and fans alike, audiences were less than pleased with the show's final season and the ending they were given. Reddit user tinoynk explains, "That whole final season was so rushed...These intricately arranged stories get so abruptly wrapped up in quick succession. So disappointing."
4 'Star Trek: Enterprise' (2001-2005)
When it comes to the Star Trek franchise, there is no shortage of various ship crews to follow and adventures to take part in, some more successful than others. Star Trek: Enterprise takes place 100 years before the existence of renowned Captain James T. Kirk and explores the history of the first Starship Enterprise.
Trekkies have been torn about where this series ranks compared to others in the franchise, but many don't rank it highly. Nevertheless, for the loyal fans who stuck by it, they felt completely betrayed by the series finale and the death of a beloved character. Redditor meatball77 said, "The Enterprise finale was so bad that people pretend it didn't exist."
3 'Supernatural' (2005-2020)
Beginning in 2005, some wondered if Supernatural would ever actually end, enjoying 15 epic seasons. The series followed the story of the dynamic duo of two brothers, Sam and Dean, as they followed in their father's footsteps to battle monsters, demons, and any other beings that didn't belong in this realm.
After fans had invested 15 years into the series, there were big expectations going into the final season and concluding episode. So much had gone into these stories, but some felt the ending didn't measure up. Redditor vilandra21 writes, "...years of development were thrown out the window you could pretty much watch the pilot and finale and be fine."
2 'Friends' (1994-2004)
Friends has become an iconic series when it comes to pop culture and the landscape of sitcoms. The comedy series ran for 10 seasons and followed the lives of six friends in New York City as they navigated jobs, relationships, and more, including some of their own reckless choices.
So no one told you life, or the finale, was going to be this way. When it came to the finale, some fans felt that the Ross and Rachel storyline should not have ended the way it did and should have gone their separate ways. Redditor Infamous-Lab-8136 says, "I would've prefer Rachel told Ross to get stuffed, she's taking the job on Friends. Them together quit being my idea of a happy ending for the show around season 5 or 6."
1 'Ozark' (2017-2022)
Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, Ozark was the kind of drama that sucked audiences in and had them on the edge of their seats. The story follows a financial planner who has to move his family from Chicago to the Ozarks after getting into bed with a Mexican drug cartel and money laundering, putting the family in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
The series was a hit, receiving rave reviews and boosting tourism to the Ozarks. After four seasons, fans were eager to see how it would all end, but instead found themselves feeling a bit stunned and left hanging. Reddit user RPFM writes, "I can't believe that's how they chose to end it. Like, it wasn't even an end. Bizarre."