Jul 31, 2023 Like for example. I watched Supernatural since I was 15... so like 15 years ago. In 2020 the show ended and because of the corona pandemic the final episode was very different from how the writers intended it. Even if the ending was fine-ish I was dissappointed that this was it after 15 years. Even if it had some sort of closure and I was okay w it. Sure, the 15 year ride was cool but I can totally imagine if a long running show ends with a cliffhanger or no real closure , it kinda f---s you up. It sure does for me. I watched a few shows on Netflix that ended with a cliffhanger and it totally ruined it for me. So, from now on I always check if the show has a proper ending. That doesn't mean it has to be a happily ever after ending, but an ending that brings closure to the show. After finishing one of the best Netflix shows OAT, Dark, I've been going through recommendations and I see a lot of good reviews but 'the ending s----d' and thats enough for me to not watch it. I made that mistake with the OA... great show but cancelled after 2 seasons with a cliffhanger. f--- that. How is that to you? Can you appreciate a show when it doesn't bring closure at the end?
Oct 6, 2023 The problem with endings is that they usually disappoint some portion of the fanbase. What’s important is that the storyline ends. It doesn’t mean that a character dies or whatever. But whatever that character was trying to do or achieve has to end. Like Succession. The purpose of the show was clear from the beginning and the series finale concluded that purpose. Then a show like The Sopranos made it a little open ended on the surface but they put in a lot of ideas that sort of pointed at only one possible way ending.
Oct 6, 2023 Depends what kind of show, like the ending to a sitcom like How I Met Your Mother (f--- basically that entire last season) or Seinfeld or something isn't as important as an ending to a long running drama. I think it's fair if a show ruins something for you with it's ending, it's the curse of basically every Disney+ show lol. I'd have to think of more specific examples for myself on times I've been burned by an ending, once was definitely Wandavision. Show that was actually creative but didn't know how to end so they turned it into typical marvel shlock instead of giving it a proper emotional climax for a whole episode, felt like it reeked of insecurity.
Oct 7, 2023 Endings can be super difficult to write, especially when a show goes on for years...how do you wrap up a story that's taken 50+ hours to tell? I'd say I'm more critical of a bad ending in a movie than I am of a TV show because when a film begins shooting, you've usually got the script and story 95% ironed out (tho obvs sometimes things do change during production). With a TV show, so much can change over the course of 5, 6, 7+ seasons that even if you had an ending in mind when you wrote the first season, that ending might not make sense anymore. When a TV show flubbs an ending, the entire last season(s) are usually bad to go along with it. See: Dexter original run, Game of Thrones, etc). It's pretty rare that a show delivers an amazing last season and then completely f---s up at the end. The closest I can think of off top is Dexter: New Blood, which I thought was a pretty good season of TV with a poorly executed ending (I didn't necessarily have a problem with how it ended, just with some of how they executed that ending). It doesn't ruin the show for me because the rest of it was mostly good. I will say though, most of the best shows of all time (Sopranos, Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Succession, etc.) have amazing endings to go along with them, even if some of them were polarizing at the time. Dark is f---ing amazing, tho I never got around to watching the last season. I should do that soon.
Oct 7, 2023 I'm the same as you @Michael Myers , I need an ending no matter how s--- it is. But at the same time I need the ending to be good. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul jump out to me as being great endings. Dexter jumps out to me as being the worst I've seen. Lost is one I'm "ok" with but mostly just because I enjoyed the show so much that I was happy to see it end and not got strung out.
