A Recent History of Underwhelming TV Series Finales

Going out with a whimper.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Viewers demand so much of television series finales. A great finale has to be exciting. A great finale has to tie up all of the plot's loose ends. A great finale has to give us emotional closure. When a show nails it, fans glow with reverence for years to come. When a show fails to stick the landing, no one cares very much about the degree of difficulty. The audience is so deeply disappointed, that no excuses, from rumors of network tampering to a revolving door of writers, can hold back the tide of Twitter rage.

More often than not, the viewing world is disappointed by television finales. Rarely are these disappointments spectacuarly bad. Ill-timed explosions and unforeseen hookups aren't the stuff bad finales are made of. More often than not, the last episode tries to do too much and ends up doing nothing much at all. It's rare that a finale leaves you shaking your fist in rage. As evidenced by these recent underwhelming TV series finales, it's more often the case that you stare at the screening and ask yourself, "Is that it?"

RELATED: The 25 Worst Seasons of Great TV Shows
RELATED: The Best TV Shows of 2013 (So Far)
RELATED: Twitter Reacts to the Breaking Bad Series Finale

The World of David the Gnome (Nickelodeon)

Not Available Interstitial

ALF (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Quantum Leap (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Cheers (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Roseanne (ABC)

Not Available Interstitial

Seinfeld (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Mad About You (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

The X-Files (FOX)

Not Available Interstitial

Felicity (The WB)

Not Available Interstitial

Sex and the City (HBO)

Not Available Interstitial

Friends (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

The West Wing (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central)

Not Available Interstitial

Deadwood (HBO)

Not Available Interstitial

Gilmore Girls (The WB)

Not Available Interstitial

The Sopranos (HBO)

Not Available Interstitial

Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi Channel)

Not Available Interstitial

Prison Break (FOX)

Not Available Interstitial

Heroes (NBC)

Not Available Interstitial

Lost (ABC)

Not Available Interstitial

Big Love (HBO)

Not Available Interstitial

Entourage (HBO)

Not Available Interstitial

Weeds (Showtime)

Not Available Interstitial

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family)

Not Available Interstitial

Dexter (Showtime)

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture