Summary
A new study has set out to discover the most disappointing television series finale among audiences, andGame of Thrones' much-maligned conclusion isn’t it. Despite television having enjoyed a golden era, there are several endings in recent years that have either left audiences underwhelmed or outright displeased by the fates of their favorite characters.Series such asGame of Thronesfall into the latter category, with the HBO series drawing frustrated reactions due to how several characters' stories ended.
JeffBetdove into a selection of once-popular series to pinpoint which ending left viewers most disappointed. Using IMDb ratings to pinpoint the shows' overall average scores before comparing it to their finales, the study found thatKilling Eve’s series finale, “Hello, Losers,” stood out as the most disappointingseen on television. Second place was occupied byGame of Thrones, whileTwo and a Half Men, Dexter,andBloodlinefilled out the rest of the top 5. The full list can be seen below:
1
8.1
3.4
2
9.2
4
3
Two and a Half Men
7.1
3.8
8.6
4.7
5
7.9
5.1
6
8.3
5.5
7
5.4
8
8.4
5.8
9
7.5/7.5
5.3/5.3
10
7.4
5.3
Was Killing Eve’s Ending Really The Worst?
Eve And Villanelle’s Ending Was Suddenly And Unceremoniously Halted
Furthermore,Killing Eveended with a traumatized Eve mourning in the Thames, not even concluding her journey or exploring its impact.
A series can disappoint viewers through how it handles its characters' fates, leaving people disappointed that they were given a conclusion that felt underwhelming or undeserved. For example, theending ofGame of Thronesabruptly changed Daenerys' (Emilia Clarke) personality by having her fall to madness, then killed her off. In another instance,How I Met Your Motherrevealed that the titular mother viewers had been waiting to meet died before the series even began. However,Killing Evegoes beyond this.
5 Worst TV Finales That Ruined The Entire Show In Retrospect
Sometimes, a TV show’s finale can be so disappointing that it ultimately ruins and undermines the entire show when viewed retrospectively.
In theKilling Eveseason 4 finale, the long-awaited romance between Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) was cut short when the latter was assassinated following one last mission, bringing the once-celebrated series to a disappointing ending. While showrunner Laura Neal defended the conclusion as being an inevitability and something that could return normalcy to Eve’s life, manyviewers and critics accused the show of perpetuating the “Bury Your Gays” tropeand spoiling a beloved relationship. Furthermore,Killing Eveended with a traumatized Eve mourning in the Thames, not even concluding her journey or exploring its impact.
It may not be surprising to some thatKilling Eveemerged aboveGameofThronesandHow I Met Your Mother, among others, as holding the most disappointing ending. Nevertheless, these finales brought all of their stories to a close and wrapped up various storylines, albeit unsuccessfully. WithJeffBethaving taken the time to find the most disappointing television endings of all time, it will be interesting to see which future shows may join their ranks.
Killing Eve
Cast
Killing Eve is a black comedy thriller series starring Sandra Oh as British intelligence officer Eve Polastri who is assigned to track and capture a dangerous assassin named Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. Bored with her life, Eve finds herself hired by an undercover MI6 division tasked with tracking down Villanelle - who, after just a brief time studying and following her, she becomes obsessed with her. However, the obsession becomes mutual as soon the two enter a game of cat and mouse that deviates them from their missions as they venture to learn more about one another.
