7 of the Most Divisive Series Finales (Yes, Including ‘Stranger Things’)

It happens all the time in the age of social media: One of your favorite shows comes to an end in a decently satisfying conclusion—flaws and all—and you feel grateful for the time you’ve shared with the story. Then, you open up X, Instagram, or TikTok, and your feeds are flooded with major complaints from fellow viewers, who apparently had a much different experience than you did.

Sometimes it’s warranted, while other times it feels like outrage just for the sake of outrage.

Take the finale of Stranger Things, which ended in an epic over-two-hour finale on New Year’s Eve. Though the final season was admittedly disappointing, the last episode wrapped the storylines together in a emotional sendoff, reminding fans why we loved this show in the first place. However, many people haven’t stopped ripping the series, as a whole, to shreds, with their opinions on the finale. Talk about a divisive ending.

Here are seven examples of the most divisive series finales in recent memory.

1. Game of Thrones
2. Lost
3. The Sopranos
4. Dexter
5. How I Met Your Mother
6. Gilmore Girls
7. Stranger Things

Game of Thrones

You knew this had to be the first one, right? This is an example of a series finale where criticism was definitely warranted, but the level of hate that the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, received was not an acceptable response whatsoever.

Game of Thrones, based on the bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin, ran for eight seasons on HBO between 2011 and 2019, breaking records and cementing itself as one of the best shows of all time. While there were issues each season, the series was widely regarded as groundbreaking and its impact is still felt today. But then, the final season happened. And then, the finale happened.

Between plot holes, strange writing choices, and a very confusing ending, the Game of Thrones finale disappointed most of the fandom. And that’s putting it lightly. In the aftermath of the last episode, which has a 4/10 on IMDb, nearly 2 million people signed a petition to remake the final season “with competent writers,” Benioff and Weiss were harassed, and many people swore off the franchise for good.

That said, there is part of the Game of Thrones fandom that enjoyed the finale, and considering there’s one successful spinoff (House of the Dragon) airing and another premiering next week (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), I don’t think the franchise suffered all that much in the end.

Lost

Another universally loved series whose finale had viewers scratching their heads is Lost. The sci-fi phenomenon, which ran for six seasons on ABC between 2004 to 2010, featured an ensemble cast, blending together exciting adventure and compelling character-driven storylines. And while the series finale did not receive as much backlash as Game of Thrones did, it certainly disappointed many, at least at first.

Throughout the seasons of Lost, viewers begged for answers to their many questions. And the finale did just that, but perhaps they weren’t the answers people wanted. Providing clarity to the timeline allowed for a deeply emotional conclusion that left fans jaw-dropped—both positively and negatively.

Many fans—included myself—actually enjoyed the Lost finale and don’t think it retracts from the series’ quality whatsoever. Whenever I discuss the ending with people who didn’t like it, my thoughts are generally that they didn’t quite understand what it was trying to do. And I’m not the only one who has come to that realization over the years.

The Sopranos

I’m just going to say it: Just because a story ends in a different way than you were expecting, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. One major example of this is The Sopranos. The six-season HBO show aired from 1999 to 2007, going on to become what is widely considered to be one of the best series of all time—if not the best.

While the final season felt rushed toward the end, the reason people have issues with the finale is because of how little answers we get in the end. Spoiler: The episode cuts to black before we see what happens to the protagonist, Tony (James Gandolfini) and his family. Sure, it can sometimes be frustrating to end a show with unanswered questions, but it’s better than the alternative, isn’t it? I’d take an ambiguous ending over an over-explained one any day.

If you couldn’t tell, I loved the ending of The Sopranos, and over the years, the general view on it has gone from unsatisfying to completely revolutionary.

Dexter

Dexter is another great show with a highly-debated ending that left fans feeling cheated. The Showtime crime drama ran for eight seasons between 2006 and 2013, taking a page from The Sopranos’ book by making us love an antihero.

The quality of the seasons definitely varied, but overall, it’s looked back on as a fantastic show with many memorable moments and performances. That is, except the ending. Though Dexter was a serial killer, being the lovable protagonist he was, fans rooted from him until the very end. This is why many felt so unsatisfied with the conclusion, which saw the character make a surprising choice and upend his life.

Maybe I’m too easy on these shows, but I really didn’t think the ending of Dexter was bad. I’m definitely in the minority, though, with the finale earning a 4.9/10 on IMDb and typically landing toward the top of the lists of worst series finales of all time.

Despite this, the love for the franchise has not ended. Michael C. Hall returned for multiple Dexter spinoffs, including Dexter: Resurrection, which has been renewed for a second season.

How I Met Your Mother

When you wait around for nine seasons for an answer to one question, chances are it’s going to disappoint people. And that was the case with How I Met Your Mother, the CBS comedy that ran from 2005 to 2014.

Of course, there was more to the series than finding out who the mother of Ted’s children was, but that was the overarching mystery. And when the show dropped a surprising twist, fans were outraged. Viewers complained about character development being thrown out the window, and didn’t feel like it was the right ending to the story.

The fan backlash to the episode, which has a 5.5/10 on IMDb, was so severe, that an alternate ending was released as part of the DVD and Blu-ray release. Like with all of the shows on this list, however, some viewers actually enjoyed the ending of How I Met Your Mother.

Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is a rare case where the series has two endings, and, unfortunately, people took issue with both. The heartwarming dramedy following a mother-daughter duo ran for seven seasons between 2000 and 2006, beginning on the now-defunct WB and ending on the CW.

Though the endings of both the original series and the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, don’t take away from the show’s impact and legacy, both conclusions were, admittedly, a little disappointing. The season 7 finale is generally well-liked, but it was also met with a general “meh” feeling from fans, while others took issue with specific plot points.

A Year in the Life received more backlash, though, with a surprise twist leaving fans confused and disappointed over Rory’s trajectory. The final four words were met with divided opinions from viewers, which is still debated today.

Stranger Things

And now, the most recent entry on this list. As mentioned, Stranger Things wrapped up its fifth and final season at the end of 2025, and the season as a whole was met with a whole lot of hate.

Though the episodes provided epic moments, like character revelations and much-needed answers to some of the show’s biggest mysteries, it also fell flat when it needed to be the biggest season yet. Overstuffed with too many characters and repetitive storylines, it felt like we weren’t getting anywhere by the final episode. And, sadly, many people felt unsatisfied with the ending.

The biggest complaint over the Stranger Things finale is how it left a lot of questions unanswered, which people are now dubbing “plot holes” despite not being plot holes at all. Again, my Sopranos argument stands: I’d rather end a show coming up with my own interpretations than feeling like I was spoon-fed. Stranger Things has, historically, done a lot of spoon-feeding, so I guess that’s what people were expecting.

The response to the finale is incredibly mixed, earning a 7.7/10 on IMDb. While many people, like myself, loved it, others went so far to convince themselves that an extra episode would be releasing earlier this week—which didn’t happen.

No matter what happens in a series finale, there’s no way to please every single fan. Unfortunately, that sometimes leaves us feeling disappointed and angry, while other times, we feel happy to have just been able to fall in love with a story so deeply.

You May Also Like: