4 TV Shows With Genuinely Perfect Endings That Ruined It By Making More Episodes
Television has delivered countless incredible stories over the years, but they don’t always end the way they should. Since the advent of television, small-screen stories have cemented a lasting place in pop culture. The best TV shows often secure runs that last for several years, with their stories spanning multiple seasons. The ongoing support of fans and continued success with ratings and critics often sees shows last considerable periods, which usually seems to be the best possible outcome, as it allows writers and showrunners to continue their story in the way they want, delivering more of what the fans want in the process. At least, that’s how it works in theory.
There are some TV shows with truly perfect endings, but there are also those that wasted the opportunity to finish on a perfect note. Sometimes, shows outstay their welcome, foregoing the chance at a note-perfect ending in order to keep the story going. In each of the following cases, there’s a clear and natural endpoint for the show that was breezed past in pursuit of continued success. While they might once have been perfect TV endings, the episodes that followed ultimately wasted them.
4) Supernatural
Supernatural is remembered primarily as a fantasy TV show that was amazing — at least, that is, until it wasn’t. The show’s early seasons explored elements of folklore and toyed with horror tropes, all building up to its planned conclusion at the end of season 5. Faced with only one option to prevent the Apocalypse, Sam Winchester opts to allow Lucifer to possess him in order to once again imprison him in his cage in Hell. The season 5 finale ends with Sam’s sacrifice and Dean heading off to live a peaceful life with his former love.
While Supernatural creator Eric Kripke reportedly intended the episode to be the show’s definitive ending, subsequent seasons were announced, and the story of the Winchester brothers continued. The show limped on for a further 10 seasons, though it could never again reach the highs of its earliest years. While it remained an entertaining series until the very end, Supernatural will always be remembered as a show that continued long after it should have ended, as it simply kept going after its story reached a natural conclusion.
3) One Tree Hill
Although One Tree Hill is often considered the less-impressive cousin of highly regarded teen dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Dawson’s Creek, and The O.C., it did manage to secure itself a loyal following over the course of its run. It maintains a level of popularity even years after it ended, which is a testament to the quality of its drama. However, it’s another show that skipped over a potentially perfect ending in favor of delivering more episodes.
The first four seasons of One Tree Hill followed a group of teens in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina. Season 4 of One Tree Hill ended with its core characters graduating high school and each leaving to go their separate ways out into the wider world. It was a touching ending that spoke to the relative finality of leaving adolescence behind to embrace life after high school, but One Tree Hill opted to simply jump ahead, skipping the characters’ college years, and chronicling their unlikely simultaneous return to their hometown. The five seasons that followed only amped up the drama to increasingly ridiculous levels, highlighting that the show had simply missed its chance for a perfect ending.
2) Dexter
At one time, Dexter was Showtime’s most-watched TV show, and its continued popularity speaks for itself. Its story, which follows the titular vigilante serial killer, chronicles the protagonist’s attempts to balance his everyday life and family with his insatiable urge to kill. Its dark and gripping premise was backed up by excellent performances from its cast, although its quality didn’t last forever. Sadly, Dexter is remembered as a massive TV hit that completely fell apart toward the end, because it ran for 8 seasons, not including its many spin-offs and sequels.
The season 4 finale of Dexter could easily have served as a natural ending of the show’s story. The season’s arc had concerned the Trinity Killer, and also saw Dexter begin to overcome his need to kill, all building up to a shocking conclusion that sees Dexter’s wife murdered by his new nemesis. The sad and emotional reflection of Dexter’s own story, combined with the inevitably violent nature of its ending, would have made it a perfect conclusion. However, Dexter continued for four more seasons, with its quality consistently declining after it ignored its best possible ending.
1) Scrubs
Over the course of its original run, there were some truly great Scrubs episodes that helped define it as one of the best sitcoms of its era. For its first eight seasons, it followed the career of J.D., a lovable daydreaming doctor whose working life was enriched by his many colorful coworkers. The season 8 finale ended Scrubs‘ story with a deeply touching final look at its many characters, followed by a glimpse into the future of its characters. It was an absolutely perfect ending in almost every conceivable way.
Scrubs completely ruined that ending by returning for season 9, which followed a whole new cast of characters in a different setting with an all-new premise following medical students rather than qualified doctors. This did not sit well with fans, who failed to embrace the show’s new direction, and all it really achieved was undoing the show’s once perfect finale. Though a reboot has gone some way toward repairing the damage, Scrubs is another show that ruined its own perfect ending.
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