Certain TV shows had unbelievably dark endings that left us shocked long after the credits rolled. Some of the most important TV shows of all time threw audiences off by wrapping up their respective titles with an unexpected and shocking change in tone, regardless of the story or genre.
Dark endings aren’t limited to dramas or thrillers, of course. Many of the most satisfying sitcom finales in TV history are also haunting, and they’re even more impactful because they don’t reflect the overall atmosphere of the show. Whether they’re incredibly sad TV show endings or are simply messed-up and unsettling, many TV conclusions are memorable for several reasons.
7
Breaking Bad
Season 5, Episode 16 – “Felina”
While Breaking Bad’s finale was expected to be tragic, especially considering the subject matter, it’s still jarring how dark it is. In “Felina,” Walter White’s actions finally catch up to him after five seasons of evading the law, breaking the hearts of his family, and being responsible for several people’s deaths.
The finale does a fantastic job of wrapping up Breaking Bad’s story, but many find the image of Walt’s body on the ground and the very last shot of Jesse screaming as he escapes etched into their minds after finishing the episode.
Related
Breaking Bad: The Real Meaning Behind The Series Finale Episode Title
Breaking Bad is full of smart references and hidden meanings, and the episode title of the final episode is one of the best examples of this.
It’s great that Walt finally admits what Breaking Bad is really about, and he confirms to Skyler that it was never really about the family, despite his claims. Walt gives Skyler a lottery ticket with the coordinates of Hank’s body, and this moment is particularly unnerving, as there are plenty of other ways he could’ve helped his wife to negotiate with the police.
Breaking Bad
10/10
- Release Date
-
2008 – 2013-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Vince Gilligan
6
How I Met Your Mother
Season 9, Episode 24 – “Last Forever, Part 2”
How I Met Your Mother’s controversial ending is one that audiences still talk about to this day. Although there are hints that the Mother dies throughout the show, a lot of viewers fail to pick up on them until it’s too late, and their hearts have been broken after seeing “Last Forever, Part 2.”
Related
All The Clues To The Mother’s Death In How I Met Your Mother
The Mother’s death came shocked many viewers during the How I Met Your Mother series finale but there were a few clues foreshadowing Tracy’s fate.
After a long 9-season journey, How I Met Your Mother threw audiences off by revealing that Tracy had died long before Ted began his story to their children. It’s awful, especially as a lot of the last season is dedicated to developing Tracy’s character. However, that isn’t the only dark thing about it. Ted ending up with Robin is very dark, upon reflection.
Barney and Robin’s relationship in How I Met Your Mother is one that audiences are massively rooting for by the end of the show, and it’s shocking that after only a few years of marriage, the pair call it quits. Robin’s later breakdown as she realizes what she’s missed out on with Ted, paired with Barney’s sleazy behaviour yet again, is rather dark, too.
5
Veep
Season 7, Episode 7 – “Veep”
Veep’s series finale shifts the tone of the show greatly, and it’s rather unusual how dark it is. The aptly titled finale, “Veep,” sees Selina finally achieve her dreams after she wins the election. However, it comes at a price, something that is very apparent to her, and the shot of her staring ahead as she realizes this is a little haunting.
Related
Michael Scott Was My Favorite Sitcom Character Until I Watched This HBO Comedy With 93% RT Score
Michael Scott is surely one of the funniest sitcom characters of all time, but in 2012, a new female-led sitcom outdid even The Office for laughs.
Selina throws pretty much everyone around her under the bus, including her constituents. She sacrifices same-sex marriage simply to keep her biggest campaign donor happy, and she also fails to live up to her promise of picking Kemi as her Vice President. However, this isn’t even the darkest part of Veep’s ending.
Veep ensures to still provide one last joke before the end, in which the death of Tom Hanks overshadows Selina’s legacy.
The finale later jumps 24 years into the future. The story quickly refocuses on the news coverage of Selina’s funeral, which discusses her rather lackluster single term as the POTUS. This moment reflects on the wild political process behind politics itself, but Veep ensures to still provide one last joke before the end, in which the death of Tom Hanks overshadows Selina’s legacy.
Veep
9/10
- Release Date
-
2012 – 2019-00-00
- Network
-
HBO Max
- Showrunner
-
Armando Iannucci
4
Arrested Development
Season 5, Episode 16 – “The Fallout”
It’s always strange when a comedy has an unexpectedly dark conclusion. Not everything about Arrested Development’s ending is dark, but two core revelations result in one of the best sitcom finale scenes ever. Throughout Arrested Development season 5, the story primarily focuses on the murder of Lucille Austero, with Buster being the number one suspect.
Buster is adamant he didn’t kill his ex-girlfriend, but at the very end of “The Fallout,” he suddenly admits to the crime after Austero’s body is discovered. It’s baffling, especially considering the complicated narrative throughout the season about whether Buster also killed his grandmother as a child or not. What makes this dark, though, is that Buster truly has audiences fooled until the last second.
Related
Arrested Development’s Bluth Family Tree Explained
The highly enmeshed Bluth family tree is filled with dysfunctional and complicated relationships that are hilarious to watch in Arrested Development.
The other dark thing about Arrested Development’s ending, which occurs over the last few episodes of season 5, is the revelation that Lindsay is Lucille Bluth’s sister, not daughter. Lindsay returns upon learning her biological mother is dead at the end of “The Fallout,” but she seems unfazed that Buster murdered her or that her parents lied, and she has a giggle with Lucille instead.
Arrested Development
8/10
- Release Date
-
2003 – 2019-00-00
- Network
-
FOX, Netflix
- Showrunner
-
Mitchell Hurwitz
-
Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
-
Portia de Rossi
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
3
St. Elsewhere
Season 6, Episode 22 – “The Last One”
St. Elsewhere’s ending is remembered as TV’s most controversial series finale ever. The show is mainly a typical medical drama, and while it has its darker moments across its 8 seasons, St. Elsewhere’s shocking finale plot twist completely redefines its meaning. In the final scene of “The Last One,” it’s revealed that the entire show is the figment of Tommy Westphall’s imagination.
It’s a massive shock to learn that the autistic teenager has simply been daydreaming while looking at a snow globe. What’s so strange about this, however, is that Tommy is a minor character in St. Elsewhere. As he’s Donald’s son, naturally, he is mentioned in passing, but he only appears in 17 of St. Elsewhere’s 137 episodes.
Related
TV’s Biggest Plot Twist Of All Time Accidentally Created A Shared Universe With 400 Shows
The most shocking series finale plot twist didn’t just turn its show upside down, but opened up the possibility of a 400-show shared universe.
This is a fascinating take on the “it was all a dream” TV show trope, mainly because there is now such a thing as the Tommy Westphall shared universe, which suggests over 400 different TV shows come from the character’s mind. What makes this ending even darker, though, is that Mimsie the Cat from the end tag flatlines at the last second.
St. Elsewhere
- Release Date
-
1982 – 1988-00-00
-
Ed Begley Jr.
Dr. Victor Ehrlich
-
Howie Mandel
Dr. Wayne Fiscus
2
The Sopranos
Season 6, Episode 21 – “Made In America”
The Sopranos’ ending is one that the world is still talking about even 17 years later. After the rivalry between the Lupertazzi and the Soprano families reaches its thrilling climax, Tony’s therapy sessions also come to an end. In the last scene of the finale, “Made in America,” Tony waits for his family to join him at the diner.
The vagueness of this ending is what makes it so compelling and memorable.
This tense moment makes audiences believe someone else is joining Tony, a threat who is certain to kill him. However, as the diner door rings and Tony looks up, the screen cuts to black. But the vagueness of this ending is what makes it so compelling and memorable. It was controversial how, after six seasons, The Sopranos didn’t explicitly show whether or not Tony’s actions caused his downfall.
The Sopranos
10/10
- Release Date
-
1999 – 2007
- Network
-
HBO
- Showrunner
-
David Chase
-
James Gandolfini
Tony Soprano
-
1
Dinosaurs
Season 4, Episode 7 – “Changing Nature”
Dinosaurs’ series finale is arguably the darkest final episode in TV’s history. The cute and cuddly family sitcom, which follows a family of animatronic dinosaurs, wrapped up after four seasons with a truly harrowing scene.
Related
Dinosaurs Show Ending Controversy Addressed By Writers
After it was recently ranked as one of the worst finales of all time, Dinosaurs writers defend the ABC show’s controversial final episode.
Dinosaurs’ controversial finale, “Changing Nature,” sees the Sinclair family learn that all plant life in Pangaea has been killed. The characters decide to use bombs on volcanoes to create rain clouds, which will help revive the plants, but instead, they trigger the Ice Age. The Sinclairs stare out the window as the snow falls, in an incredibly tragic moment that depicts their deaths.
“Changing Nature” is the highest-rated episode of Dinosaurs on IMDb, with a 9.0/10 rating.
Looking back, this is a really powerful message, but it doesn’t mean Dinosaurs’ ending isn’t traumatic to anyone watching, especially children. It’s a strange and unexpected way to finish a generally wholesome TV show, but there’s no doubt that “Changing Nature” leaves an impact on viewers for a long time after.
