5 Recent good shows that deserved better series finales

Here’s a rundown of five popular TV shows that ended within the last five years that deserved better series finales.

Later this year, well-regarded shows like You’re the Worst, 12 Monkeys and Being Mary Jane will air their series finales. In doing so, they will ideally cement their lasting legacies it shows that started well, got better, and ended strong. Or as they’ll forever be known as programs that were fun to watch while they were on, but have since become unwatchable.

Whereas TV shows produced in earlier eras could get away with producing poor last episodes, modern series don’t have that luxury. Viewers are more engaged with the medium than ever before and there’s more television available to watch now than ever before. Consequently, shows that start off well but conclude unsatisfyingly or are just plain awful don’t have the shelf life they once did. For instance, Lost was once one of the most popular and critically acclaimed shows on television. But now all people talk about is its epically disappointing finale.

And though Lost ended its run in 2010, many TV showrunners did not take the right lessons from its demise. Specifically, there are five popular, award-winning TV programs that aired in the last five years that produced astoundingly bad series finales.

To start, ABC’s once captivating political thriller Scandal.

Note: this article contains spoilers for each of the series finales listed.