Since a thriller TV show is only as good as its hopefully satisfying ending, I’m still disappointed in the finales of these popular series. Many shows have gotten it right, like the season 1 finale of Hulu’s Paradise, one of my 2025 favorites that leads us right into season 2 with a clever cliffhanger.
Other thriller shows have upset viewers with violent outcomes for the main characters, a refusal to answer every question, or a plot point that doesn’t make sense. There’s an art to wrapping up a mysterious story. And it’s a shame when an ending is more melodramatic than entertaining, or leaves you scratching your head in confusion rather than impressed.
Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
After seven seasons, Pretty Little Liars finally shared who the mysterious stalker “A” was, but the twist was so bad I’m still thinking about it.
The big reveal that Charlotte/CeCe Drake (Vanessa Ray) was Charles DiLaurentis was offensive, as this wasn’t the right way to treat a storyline about a transgender character. Rather than treating CeCe as a person, the show turned her into a stereotype responsible for all the deaths and harm caused over the past few years.
With so many red herrings, another character could have been A, and it would have worked. The second part of the ending was also too odd. While no one expected Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish) to suddenly become a good person, having her keep Alex (Troian Bellisario) and Mary Drake (Andrea Parker) in a dollhouse in France wasn’t believable.
Dead To Me (2019-2022)
I appreciate the themes of friendship, marriage problems, starting over, and grief in Netflix’s dark comedy, but after tuning into Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) and Jen Harding’s (Christina Applegate) quirky and surprising connection for three seasons, the ending didn’t land well.
While the show would never have a happy ending since Judy had cervical cancer that she wasn’t going to recover from, the conclusion of her arc was the wrong move. I didn’t want to see Judy in a hospital room or hospice bed, but the Dead To Me finale was too depressing.
Instead of suggesting that Judy took a boat out in Mexico so she could pass away, I wanted to see Judy and Jen having fun together. You know what would happen later, so why not focus on some good times?
Veronica Mars (2004-2007, 2019)
Every season of the hit 2000s series finds the smart and bubbly Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) playing detective and helping people, but the real draw is her love triangle with Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) and Duncan Kane (Teddy Dunn).
Sadly, the season 3 finale, which was the series ender before the long-awaited 2019 Veronica Mars revival, doesn’t wrap up the love triangle properly. Since this is what fans wanted, it was a big disappointment. Instead of sharing who Veronica picks, her relationship with Piz (Chris Lowell) is the focal point.
This romance isn’t anywhere as compelling as Veronica’s strong bond with Logan and Duncan. The final shot of Veronica going for a walk after casting a vote for Keith (Enrico Colantoni), who is running for sheriff, feels lackluster. I think a better ending would have been Veronica and Logan reunited.
The Affair (2014-2019)
A prime example of a show that starts off strong and falters by the end, The Affair has a finale that doesn’t fit the dark and twisty tone of the rest of the series. Rather than reuniting two of the main characters at a wedding, I wanted to learn more about the murder of Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson).
The show explains that Alison’s boyfriend Ben Cruz (Ramon Rodriguez) kills her, but since a series finale should connect any leftover dots and make sure viewers don’t have any queries left, I wanted more information. Although Ben gets arrested, it’s for assault instead of murder, and I can’t stop wondering why he couldn’t have been apprehended for this crime.
How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020)
The How to Get Away With Murder finale has too many twists and silly storylines to be even remotely realistic. While I know the story of a law professor and her students covering up a crime isn’t relatable, I still wanted some logic here.
One of the worst moments is finding out that Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza) pretended to be kidnapped, as this felt too far-fetched. The random deaths of Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil) are just as bad. After seeing these smart students struggle for so long, I wanted them to start new lives, but there was no closure.
I’m also not certain that Annalise Keating’s (Viola Davis) funeral was the right move for the final episode. It would have been better to see the other characters move on.
The Following (2013-2015)
When a thriller show is all about one good character hunting down a serial killer, peaceful endings might be out of reach. Still, the series finale of Kevin Williamson’s The Following was frustrating.
When Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) pretends to die but is really in hiding, this finale is meant to show that his journey of looking for villains is ongoing. But since the entire premise centers on Ryan fighting killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), I wanted the ending to focus on a confrontation between the two of them.
Since that happened in the season 2 finale, the story could have wrapped up there instead of giving viewers an unnecessary third season.
Fatal Attraction (2023)
A TV adaptation of a classic thriller film is a tall order, but the star power of Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson makes the Fatal Attraction series engaging. However, the ending has a twist that isn’t believable.
After watching Alex Forrest (Caplan) stalk Dan Gallagher (Jackson) and make his life miserable, as Glenn Close did so brilliantly in the movie, I wanted to see every character in a good place.
Instead, you learn that Beth (Amanda Peet) and Dan’s daughter Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels) has turned into Alex and is obsessed with a teacher in college. This felt like an attempt to make the show’s ending different from the movie’s instead of a genuinely compelling conclusion.
Prison Break (2005-2009, 2017)
By the time you get to the Prison Break series finale, you can’t help but be bummed that the show was a shadow of its former self. It should have wrapped up much sooner, as only a rare show can last for so long and still be impressive.
After thinking the show was over after the final episode of season 4 ended and a 2009 Prison Break movie, the fifth season/revival only made things worse. Although it’s nice to see Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), it’s hard to be excited about that since he should have gotten a happy ending much sooner.
The finale feels like a rough attempt at an action film, and it’s a reminder that it’s okay to end a series before it becomes dull or unsatisfying.
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021-2025)
Nicole Kidman has played many excellent TV characters and gives a good performance as Masha Dmitrichenko, a woman who owns a wellness center, but the season 1 ending doesn’t make much sense. While Masha gets arrested for what she’s done, she should end up in prison. But season 2 sees her running another center.
Beyond that, it should have also been emotional watching Masha have visions of her deceased daughter, but instead of showcasing her trauma in a thoughtful way, Nine Perfect Strangers leans more cheesy and over-the-top than moving. The show could have been a great adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s 2018 book, but it’s not as gripping.
Killing Eve (2018-2022)
The controversial death in the Killing Eve series finale is tough to get over. When a sniper kills Villanelle (Jodie Comer), it’s impossible to agree that this was the right narrative choice.
All four seasons dive deep into the minds of Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle, who are two of the strongest female TV characters. I couldn’t get enough of these intelligent women and wanted more for Villanelle. This thriller series ending still upsets me, as they went through so much together, and I know I’m not the only one.
