Just one season earlier? I would have ended Westworld after its first season, I thought it built up perfectly to its open ending.
Couldn’t agree more. Although s2 was good and had a sensational episode, it would be better end at 1 than mangle it till 4
Same. I also would have made Handmaids Tale a one season show.
Scrubs. Even though I’ve come around to season 9 as time has gone on, they should’ve just let it be the spinoff it was meant to be.
Oh wait until you hear about the Scrubs revival…
Burn Notice
Speed running the whole series in a single season to end it was an odd conclusion.
Game of thrones. I stopped mid way through season six and just never looked back.
Prison Break. Anything after season one was a mistake.
Whenever an ad for that show came on TV, my family and I used to joke that the only way this show could still be going is if the writers kept putting the characters back in prison. I’ve just looked up the plot for the first time after reading your comment…wow.
It was ridiculous. I never understand when they do a show with a definite ending and then add seasons. The real question would be when did that ever end up being good??
TV was in a different space back then. The goal of the network was to always keep going until rating fell low enough to cancel. The earliest one that made a choice from memory to end on their terms was Breaking Bad?
Dexter
It’s been a long, long time since I watched the original series (haven’t even bothered with the spin-offs); but my vague memory was that all they needed to do to end the show in a way that appealed to fans was to:
Have a largely shot-for-shot recreation of the introduction with an older Dexter, set in Argentina, and ending with him seeing Hannah and the kids having breakfast at a cafe and ending with a knowing smile at the camera.
Like to say, hey - new location, still the same ol’ Dexter.
That needed to end after season 4. 5 is okay, but given how it keeps going downhill after that, and 4’s perfect ending, I’d say just cut off 5-8 and be done with it.
Fringe
Breaking Bad. IIRC, the last episode of season 4 could have been a perfect ending.
This surprises me. For me it is one of the few shows that had a decently satisfying ending. Haven’t rewatched it since though, so maybe I’d feel different today about it. But seeing Walter in his final moments after what he did, felt like a good way to end it.
And I am glad they didn’t pull a Dexter on the character, bringing him back to life again.
But then we never would have gotten one of the greatest episodes of television, Ozymandias
I think it’s generally agreed among fans that season 4 of The Boondocks is subpar almost entirely because of the lack of involvement of Aaron McGruder. Should have ended with season 3.
The Wire
Season 5 was the worst.
It though it was fine.
It helped that seasons in The Wire were somewhat independent.
OMFG Yes! People love to botch about Season 2, but season five is the worse.
My memory is fuzzy here, but Person of Interest could have ended sooner?
Feels like Mandalorian is getting there. Not sure I will ever get to continuing it.
Friday Night Lights.
HOLY SHIT the last season and all the silly shit with Julie Taylor at college was just so comically terrible and the show dedicated so many episodes to it…
Bonus:
While this is not a great answer House of Cards should have ended after S2. S2-S5 were trash, I never bothered to see S6.
I know its not the answer to the question but I firmly believe that the big bang theory is 6 seasons of a great show dragged out over 12.
Scrubs
