16 TV Shows That Absolutely Nailed Their Endings, And 15 Finales That Were A Total Dumpster Fire

    How I Met Your Mother's finale was the biggest letdown in TV history.

    Lauren Garafano
    by Lauren Garafano

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community which TV show finales were absolutely perfect and which ones were a total mess. Here's what they said:

    🚨Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead!🚨

    1. Absolutely nailed it: On Schitt's Creek, when the Rose family go their separate ways, leave their little town, and were changed for the better because of it — even the town's billboard got an upgrade.

    The Rose family hug goodbye, and Johnny and Moira drive away. Johnny stops the car and looks back at the Schitt's Creek sign, which now shows his whole family.
    Pop / CTV

    "Schitt's Creek was wrapped up so beautifully; I would not have changed a thing."

    —caitlynm4bf914f9b

    2. Total mess: On Supernatural, when Castiel sacrificed himself after finally telling Dean he loved him.

    Castiel telling Dean he loves him right before he dies.
    The CW

    "They buried their gays, queer baited, and were extremely cowardly with the ending. Cas deserved better. Representation matters."

    —monkeycomeswithme

    3. Absolutely nailed it: On Fleabag, when Fleabag and The Priest part ways after confessing their love for each other, and she breaks the fourth wall one final time to say goodbye.

    Fleabag tells The Priest she loves him and he responds, "It'll pass." He gets up to leave and finally tells her that he loves her too. She gets up and looks at the camera one last time.
    Amazon Prime Video

    "I say it every time, but Fleabag. It’s heartbreaking and perfect and so, so bittersweet."

    —amlysl

    4. Total mess: On Pretty Little Liars, when it was revealed that Spencer had an evil British twin named Alex who tried to steal her identity and ruin the liars' lives once and for all.

    Spencer meets her twin Alex and she captures Spencer and inprisons her.
    Freeform

    "There were so many unresolved questions and dead ends from previous seasons. I felt like I wasted eight years of my life after the finale, like I was enduring the longest trolling session of my life." —mcwoodyard

    5. Absolutely nailed it: On Wynonna Earp, when Waverly and Nicole get married, Doc and Wynonna ride off into the sunset together to go see their daughter, and everyone gets their well-deserved "happily ever after."

    Waverly and Nicole get married and Wynonna tells Doc that she loves him and he says he loves her, then they get on a motorcycle and drive away.
    Syfy

    "They gave us the happy ending we wanted for everyone while keeping the door open for another season or movie."

    —amlysl

    6. Total mess: On Game of Thrones, when Jon Snow killed Daenerys, and then Bran becomes King of Westeros after eight seasons of saying he didn't want to be ruler.

    Jon stabs Daenerys and everyone says "all hail Bran the Broken!"
    HBO

    "I could write a novel on what should/shouldn't have happened in the final season. I personally believe that most of the characters were not given justice to the end of their storylines. I pretty much hated everything about the ending because it was messy, not true to the characters, and they just covered up plot holes with character deaths." —octopus4747

    7. Absolutely nailed it: On Parks and Recreation, when all of the flash-forwards reveal exactly what each character ends up doing, but there was still so much room for interpretation.

    Leslie gets honored with a library in her name and she's not thrilled.
    NBC

    "Since the back half of the season had given the characters closure, the final episode had all the room to tease their next chapters."

    —jbmasta

    Watch Parks and Recreation on Peacock.

    8. Total mess: On The Undoing, when the plot twist we were waiting for never actually happened, and Jonathan admitted he really did kill Elena Alves.

    Jonathan reveals to his son that he did, in fact, murder Elena Alves and he gets arrested.
    HBO

    "I was captivated throughout the limited series, but the 'there is no plot twist' plot twist irked me. My whole family saw the end coming. Since the show built up so much suspense to throw off the audience, it left too many unanswered questions by the end." —hiitsnicetomeetyou

    9. Absolutely nailed it: On The Good Place, when Chidi leaves Eleanor with a beautiful, serene, and teary metaphor about death before leaving forever.

    Chidi tells Eleanor about how a wave is only a wave for a little while, but its always water and once the wave crashes it goes back to the ocean, where it's supposed to be. He relates that to the Buddhist conception of death
    NBC

    "The Good Place was pretty perfect from beginning to end, but the finale was absolutely perfect. I never expected a comedy show to make me so emotional and leave me thinking about the ending for days afterward. It was such a perfect way to show how much the characters grew throughout the show. None of it felt rushed, and it all felt very natural to the characters and the storyline. Truly the best series finale I’ve ever seen."

    —ashleylg817

    10. Total mess: On The Vampire Diaries, when Katherine came back as the queen of hell and tried to destroy all of Mystic Falls but was defeated in an less than an hour, and Stefan sacrificed himself in the process.

    Hell begins to overcome Mystic Falls and Bonnie stops it, then Stefan sacrifices himself in order to kill Katherine, the queen of hell
    The CW

    "The finale was so poorly done that I don't even consider it the same show as the rest of the series. It was like having Joker or Thanos defeated by a papercut. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!!" —redwulfgirl

    11. Absolutely nailed it: On The Office, when the entire cast reunites one year after the documentary finished, and they reflect on just how much Dunder Mifflin changed them for the better.

    NBC

    "I love this episode! I love how everyone came back together one year after the documentary was filmed!"

    —fuzzywuzzykoala

    12. Total mess: On The 100, Clarke killed Bellamy for basically no reason after six entire seasons of building up their friendship.

    Clarke shoots Bellamy, her closest friend, after he tries to reason with her.
    The CW

    "The entire last season was a mess, but the absolute worst part was Clarke killing Bellamy for no reason. The showrunner went out of his way to destroy six years of buildup, seemingly out of spite." —emme212

    13. Absolutely nailed it: On Superstore, when the store closes to become a fulfillment center, Amy comes back to (unsuccessfully) save the store, and finally, the entire crew moves on and lives out their happy endings.

    As the store gets ready to close, Garrett gives a message over the intercom thanking customers for shopping and reminding his friends about all the good times they had. Then, we see flashes of where all the characters end up afterwards.
    NBC

    "An incredibly satisfying ending ESPECIALLY considering the circumstances surrounding its final season — the departure of America Ferrera (who fortunately returned to wrap things up perfectly in the last two episodes) and COVID severely interrupting filming/production. The writers/showrunners still managed to incorporate all of those things into the script and give us a prompt but not rushed, emotionally satisfying ending. It showed the growth of all of the characters and their next steps in life. Excellent."

    —npk369

    14. Total mess: On Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, when Sabrina sacrificed herself to save the world, and Nick died by suicide just so he could reunite with her in the afterlife.

    Sabrina dies and Nick is in shock so he decides to die by suicide to be with her in heaven. They meet up and he tells her they'll be together forever
    Netflix

    "The final season was such an unorganized mess; they tried to fit way too much in. It needed a lot of editing. I also thought Nick dying and staying with Sabrina in the afterlife was such a cheap shot. I wished they'd just let her be at peace; she seemed totally content. Nick showed up for no reason at all. It made no sense to me." —samanthab46fff2ef7

    15. Absolutely nailed it: On Community, when Jeff finally comes to terms with his friends leaving to embark on new exciting adventures, and he realizes he wants to stay at the school he spent years trying to get away from.

    Jeff tells the study group that he's so happy to have met them and they saved his life and changed him. Then he sends off Abed and Annie at the airport and sits down for drinks with Brita, Chang, Frankie, and Dean
    NBC

    "The series had gone through so much change and HAD to come to an end, but anyone who is a fan of it obviously didn’t want that. Having the audience 'be' Jeff realizing that they would have to really stretch to have a Season 7, to showing Abed and Annie branching out and moving on with their lives, to Jeff finally being OK with staying at the school he was so ready to leave, it was definitely one of the best finales I have EVER seen."

    —bc13

    16. Total mess: On How I Met Your Mother, when we finally got to meet the mother after nine seasons, only for her to be killed off so Ted could marry Robin.

    Ted meets his wife and then he finishes the story to his kids. Then, they realize that he's really trying to tell them he's in love with Robin and they give him their blessing
    CBS

    "There was a beautiful ending right at their fingertips if they would have ended the series with the mother’s death. The moral of the story (told to the children) would have been how all the bad dates, messy breakups, bad choices, and silly shenanigans were needed and worth it, in order to meet the love of his life. That would have made for a beautiful and impactful ending to a sometimes silly coming-of-age story. Instead, they chose the basic, illogical, and disappointing ending." —mce7011

    17. Absolutely nailed it: On Pose, when Pray gives up his own meds and dies so his ex, Ricky, can live, and then Blanca shares Pray's words of wisdom to a new generation who's trying to find their footing in the ballroom scene.

    Blanca sees a bunch of new queens and tells them the same thing Pray told her years ago. She says, "Work harder, reach higher, and dream big until you triumph. It won't happen today, but one day. And when you do, I'ma be right there cheering you on"
    FX

    "God, I cried so much."

    —amlysl

    18. Total mess: On Veronica Mars, when Veronica finally married Logan, the love of her life, only for him to get killed in a car explosion a few hours later.

    Veronica and Logan get married then go back home. Logan goes to move the car and it explodes, killing him
    Hulu

    "That ending ruined the entire overarching love story of the series, and destroyed the character development both Veronica and Logan had gone through. It was a slap in the face to fans who had been with the franchise for years. The fan-funded movie reboot left everything on a great note, so I expected the TV reboot to have some downturns, but that ending was unconscionable and made the show almost unwatchable. Whoever decided on that ending should be genuinely ashamed of themselves as a storyteller."

    —shannoncates

    19. Absolutely nailed it: On Friday Night Lights, when Tami and Coach Taylor walk off the field together one last time after finally moving to Philadelphia.

    Tammy asks Eric if he's ready to go and they walk off the field with their arms around each other
    NBC

    "Just perfect."

    —elleboogie555

    20. Total mess: On Gossip Girl, when Dan revealed he was Gossip Girl, and everyone ended up forgiving him for ruining their lives.

    Blair is annoyed that everyone else isn't upset about Dan being gossip girl, they tell her she's only mad because he had more power than she ever did.
    The CW

    "How could they forgive Dan after they found out that he was Gossip Girl?!" —nilmetiner

    21. Absolutely nailed it: On Six Feet Under, when we flash-forward to see just how the entire Fisher family lived out their lives and come full circle when they all eventually die.

    Snapshots of the years 2025, 2029, 2044, and 2085 when the members of the Fisher family die.
    HBO

    "Hands down the best. It's beautifully shot and explained what happened to the characters (both good and bad). It was jaw-dropping."

    —poiuy222

    22. Total mess: On The Originals, when Klaus decided to sacrifice himself to save his daughter, Hope, and Elijah didn't want to let his brother die alone, so they killed each other.

    Klaus and Elijah thanking each other for their journeys before killing each other.
    The CW

    "I know my boys Elijah and Klaus did not shank themselves for Hope to be weak in Legacies." —clumsyfoo94

    23. Absolutely nailed it: On Mad Men, when Don Draper smiles while meditating on a mountaintop, and you originally think it was because he's finally found peace, but then you realize it was because he came up with the concept for a new Coke commercial.

    Don is meditating on a mountain and then he smiles as the "Buy the World a Coke" commercial begins
    AMC

    "While the last season was not quite as well executed as some of the earlier ones, the series alluding to Don thinking of the famous 'Buy the World a Coke' ad while at the retreat is SO brilliant and bittersweet. Aside from the fact that it's not made clear whether this is actually Don's ad and he has returned to NY, you have to wonder whether Don has captured something pure and true through an emotional breakthrough, or if it's another money grab that just exploits the new generation's desire for peace and love! (Can it be both?)"

    —mayoress_of_hobbiton

    24. Total mess: On Lost, when all the characters were assumed to have died and reunited at a church in purgatory.

    The whole group is talking and hugging inside a church. John Locke tells Jack that they've been waiting for him. Jack, back on the island, dies
    ABC

    "I think anyone who watched Lost while it aired can agree that their finale was a total dumpster fire. Fans guessed the ending, and the creators promised that it would end differently, but no..." —merrishaniquab

    25. Absolutely nailed it: On The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when the Banks family moves to the East Coast to remain close, but Will decides to stay in California to finish school...then Carlton realizes everyone left without him.

    Will turns out the lights and then Carlton is afraid everyone left without him and runs out of the house trying to get his pants on
    NBC

    "The final episode actually had me close to crying; then they played one final joke, and I went from sad to laughing my ass off."

    —damianthomas15

    26. Total mess: On Bones, when the lab explodes and causes Brennan to forget how to do her job, but they still have to solve a case.

    The lab explodes and Brennan talks about remembering all the victims she's identified, and how important the job is, she just can't remember how to do it
    Fox

    "It was such a weird finale: The lab blows up, Bones can't remember medical facts anymore, and they still have a case to solve. It was just way too much, and I felt a little let down after the finale." —monikap6

    27. Absolutely nailed it: On Scrubs, when J.D. decides to take a new job so he can be closer to his son, and as he leaves, he says his goodbyes to every single person who'd left an impact on him.

    JD says it's never good to live in the past for too long and now the future doesn't seem so scary anymore. Then he watches a montage of all the life-changing moments from the past decade.
    NBC

    "Reminiscing about the past and a touching tribute to memorable characters through the seasons, then a heartbreakingly beautiful peek into a possible future. It will always be one of the best TV show finales ever in my opinion. Just beautiful!"

    —mslm90

    Note: Yes, I know there's technically another season after this one, but I still consider this episode a true series finale. 

    28. Total mess: On The Sopranos, when Tony, Carmela, and AJ were at a diner waiting for Meadow. Then, a mysterious-looking guy walked into the diner, Meadow entered, a bell rang, Tony looked up, and the series just ended.

    The Sopranos are sitting in a diner and then the door opens and a bell rings. Tony looks up and the screen goes black
    HBO

    "I stared blankly at the screen for so long after the finale aired. I’ve come to appreciate the ending after all these years, but it still devastated me at the time. I felt like I’d been so invested in the show, and to just end it like that with zero closure was frustrating." —broadwaybby

    29. Absolutely nailed it: On The Americans, when Philip and Elizabeth's cover is finally blown and the FBI is after them, and then they leave their children behind and start a new life in Moscow.

    FX

    "It ended at the right time, and it was done so well. The way the things ended with their kids, too? Perfect and heartbreaking. It was the ending you kind of hoped for with these characters, and it was just the perfect finish for a perfect show."

    —twoh7

    30. Total mess: On Friends, when Rachel got off the plane and gave up her dream job to be with Ross, and then got some coffee right before everyone was about to go their separate ways.

    Ross surprised that Rachel got off the plane and then the whole group standing in Monica's empty apartment deciding to go get coffee before they all leave
    NBC

    "Something just felt off about the ending, specifically the finale — the whole last season just didn’t feel right." —amorman

    31. Absolutely nailed it: And finally, on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, when Jake, Amy, and Captain Holt all move on from the 99th Precinct, and the show ends the only way it possibly could...with one last heist.

    Holt makes a "Title of your sex tape" joke and it's not quite right, but Jake is speechless anyway
    NBC

    "The final season was a bit shaky, but that last episode was so perfect. What better way to end than on a heist? We got so many memorable callbacks, and some of our favorite guest stars showed up. Everyone in the squad ended exactly where they needed to be. And Holt told Jake he was proud of him! It was magical."

    —doinfthings