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FAMOUS TV SHOWS THAT ENDED IN CONTROVERSY

Erin Joslyn on Oct 5, 2022

Published in Slideshow World


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1/16


FAMOUS TV SHOWS THAT ENDED IN CONTROVERSY

Whether discussing character arcs with co-workers around the water cooler or
dissecting developing storylines on social media, there's a special kinship
among fans of critically acclaimed television shows. The bond is strongest when
a series is poised to end, with viewers gathering around televisions all over
the country to bid adieu. The much-anticipated conclusion of AMC's "Breaking
Bad" inspired watch parties complete with cocktails chilled with blue-tinted ice
cubes, while the series finale of HBO's "Game of Thrones" rewarded the cable
giant with record ratings.

When the final episode of a beloved series falls short, however, the backlash
can be severe. What exactly makes for a controversial finale? Clever writers
with overly cerebral ambitions tend to polarize audiences, as do characters who
fail to stay true to form. Audiences also take issue with unresolved questions
and unbelievable plot twists. Occasionally, the off-screen antics of the show's
star—or even his or her absence—will impact the tone of a show's final episode.

Stacker curated a list of 15 television shows marred by season finales that
generated controversy—all of which have won at least one Emmy or Golden Globe in
any given category. Keep reading to see if any of your favorite programs made
the list. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Visit thestacker.com for similar lists and stories.

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2/16


NURSE JACKIE

Edie Falco won an Emmy for her turn as the chronically stressed, pill-popping ER
nurse Jackie Peyton on Showtime's critically acclaimed drama. The show sparked
controversy immediately after it debuted, with the New York State Nurses
Association denouncing the anti-hero's flagrant disregard for the profession's
Code of Ethics. Fans were both confused and disheartened by the intentionally
ambiguous series finale, which fails to specify whether Jackie lives or dies
after an intentional overdose.

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3/16


LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

Based on the memoirs of 19th-century pioneer lass Laura Ingalls Wilder, the
popular '70s series "Little House on the Prairie" won Emmys for outstanding
music and cinematography during its nine-year run. But the series finale was
more "Mad Max" than heartwarming family fare, with the townsfolk laying waste to
their own community to keep it out of the hands of a developer. Star Michael
Landon came up with the idea to blow up Walnut Grove, which served double duty
by allowing the producers to make good on their promise to get the filming
location back to its original state when taping concluded.

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4/16


ROSEANNE

When "Roseanne" debuted on ABC in 1988, it was praised for its honest and
genuinely funny portrayal of a working-class American family, garnering numerous
Emmys and Golden Globe awards over its 10-year run. By the time the show hit its
final season, however, it had devolved into a bizarre parallel universe in which
the Conner family hits the lottery and joins the ranks of the nouveau riche.

To wash their hands of this preposterous turn of events, the show's entire
nine-year run was portrayed as a fictional story written by matriarch Roseanne
Conner. Controversy continued to plague the 2017 reboot "The Conners," with
creator Roseanne Barr being dismissed from the show after posting racist tweets.

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5/16


GIRLS

Showrunner Lena Dunham's "Girls" was called out for many things during its
six-season run, including its glaring lack of diversity, a dearth of likable
characters, and a preoccupation with first-world problems. Despite these
objections, the show nevertheless received critical acclaim, nabbing the Golden
Globe for Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) in 2013. Fans who followed
the show for six seasons were disappointed in the relatively bland episode which
dispensed with two of the series' four female leads.

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6/16


LOST

"Lost" won a slew of awards during its six seasons, including an Emmy for Best
Drama Series in 2005. The enigmatic show developed an almost cult-like
following, with devotees obsessively posting theories about the fate of the
passengers of ill-fated Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. The series finale further
confused—and irritated—viewers, suggesting that the passengers hadn't survived
the crash at all, but had died on impact. Although some fans loved the ending,
many were left with more questions than answers. The blowback was so intense
that "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof shut down his Twitter account.

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6/16
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7/16


HAPPY DAYS

ABC's long-running '70s sitcom may have literally "jumped the shark" in season
five, but the series limped through five more lackluster seasons after that.
"Happy Days" lost three of its primary leads along the way, including Ron Howard
who won an Emmy for his turn as all-American boy Richie Cunningham. The 1984
finale celebrated the marriage of lovebirds Joanie Cunningham and Chachi Arcola,
a popular end-of-series trope. The episode, however, wasn't the end of "Happy
Days." Five more previously unaired episodes that sequentially predated it
graced television screens several months later, essentially unraveling the grand
finale.

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7/16
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8/16


DEXTER

Fans and critics alike found fault with the final episode of the Emmy-winning
black comedy "Dexter," in which Miami blood-spatter-analyst-turned-serial-killer
evaded punishment for his crimes and instead embarked on a new life as a Pacific
Northwest lumberjack. Writers blamed Showtime for the unfulfilling finale, with
execs nixing the very thought of offing the charming psychopath.

Even Michael C. Hall, who played the eponymous antihero for 11 seasons,
expressed disappointment with the show's send-off. That dissatisfaction helped
to inspire Hall's return for a chance at redemption with the 2021 spinoff,
"Dexter: New Blood." Since that series finale in January 2022, Hall assured
fans, "Dexter is dead."

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8/16
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9/16


HOUSE OF CARDS

Netflix's "House of Cards" racked up a slew of Emmys and Golden Globes during
its six-year run, but faced significant obstacles during its final year
when star Kevin Spacey was fired due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The
series finale tested the patience of fans—many of whom panned the episode on
social media, particularly the final scene in which President Claire Underwood
plunges a letter opener into Chief-of-Staff Doug Stamper.

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9/16
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10/16


BIG LOVE

Chloë Sevigny took home a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Nicki Grant, second
wife of modern-day polygamist Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton). Fans who followed
the show for five seasons were emotionally prepared for the high priest of the
Hendrickson clan to be taken out by one of Nicki's fundamentalist relatives, or
even the mainstream LDS church, in the series finale.

What they couldn't abide was his seemingly senseless murder at the hands of an
otherwise benign neighbor over a landscaping issue. The unexpected twist
polarized viewers, many of whom felt the ending fell flat.

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10/16
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11/16


ST. ELSEWHERE

Viewers tuned into NBC's Emmy-award-winning "St. Elsewhere" for six seasons,
gripped by its pioneering realism. Fans of the gritty drama were thrown for a
loop by the final sequence of the series finale, in which the autistic son of
Dr. Westphall gazes into a snowglobe containing a miniature model of
Saint Eligius—the implication being that the entire series had been a figment of
his imagination.

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11/16
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12/16


TAXI

"Taxi" received critical acclaim when it debuted in 1978. The sophisticated
sitcom, however, never attracted a broad audience and was canceled after a
four-year run on ABC. It was picked up by NBC the following year but then
unceremoniously axed again after just one season. Notable for its ensemble of
kooky characters, including Andy Kaufman's Latka Gravis and Danny DeVito's Louie
De Palma, the cult classic never had a finale—a fact that still rankles fans.

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12/16
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13/16


TWO AND A HALF MEN

"Two and a Half Men" was no stranger to controversy during its 12 seasons on CBS
and, true to form, went out with a bang. In 2011, production stalled when star
Charlie Sheen checked into rehab and dissed executive producer Chuck
Lorre—sparking a bitter feud between the two men. Sheen was dismissed from the
series, and Emmy winner Jon Cryer was left to carry the show with newcomer
Ashton Kutcher. Lorre had his revenge in the series finale when Sheen's
character was resurrected by a stand-in and unceremoniously crushed by a piano.

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13/16
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14/16


SEINFELD

NBC's Emmy-award juggernaut "Seinfeld" was met with lukewarm ratings when it
debuted in 1989. Nine years later, the final episode pulled in an audience of
more than 76 million. Enthusiasts of the quirky comedy, however, were baffled by
the two-part series finale, which ended with the morally challenged quartet
imprisoned for violating the Good Samaritan Law. Touted as the "show about
nothing," many felt the storyline too contrived, with even Jerry Seinfeld
expressing conflicted emotions about the show's conclusion.

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14/16
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15/16


GAME OF THRONES

After investing in eight seasons of HBO's "Game of Thrones," viewers tuned in to
the final episode in record numbers, anxious to learn which clan would finally
capture the Iron Throne. Although that burning question was answered, audiences
were nevertheless disappointed on several fronts—most notably the transformation
of empathetic ruler Daenerys Targaryen into a bloodthirsty tyrant. Irate fans
took to social media, with more than 1.2 million people signing a petition
demanding a remake of the final episode.

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15/16
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16/16


SOPRANOS

HBO's Emmy-award winning "The Sopranos" literally left fans in the dark when the
final scene of the long-running drama unexpectedly cut to black, failing to
clarify the fate of mob boss Tony Soprano. Series creator David Chase originally
conceived of the series with the mafia don's death as the inevitable denouement,
but as the series hurdled toward the close of its 12-year run, Chase opted
instead for a more ambiguous ending. Twenty years after the first show
premiered, fans continue to debate whether or not the mafia don and his family
were gunned down in the bustling New Jersey diner.

Previous Slide
16/16





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