18 Best And 17 Worst TV Character Endings

Lookin’ at you, Killing Eve. 🚨🚨(PS — Spoilers for Killing Eve, and a bunch of other less recent shows, ahead.)🚨🚨

It was an understated ending, and I think that’s why I like it so much. While I still think they should’ve kissed, having Asami and Korra end up together felt so natural and right for the two of them, and I was so glad to see Korra especially find some peace after all she’d been through. I never would’ve guessed that they’d be together at the start of the show, but their arcs led them right to each other, and it was perfect.

This was far too predictable. Killing Eve was all about a subversion of the spy genre, and this ending felt like a cheap copout. It made the entire show feel pointless — and I gotta be honest, I’m getting reallyyyyy tired of the whole “we’re hugging/kissing then pull away and I realize you’ve been shot” trope, as well as the “one half of a couple dies JUST as the couple gets their happily ever after” trope, especially when it happens to queer couples. Enough!!! 

The Angel finale is divisive, and for good reason. It ends completely open-ended, essentially with our remaining heroes (minus Wesley) about to die (and Gunn already dying). It seems like there’s no way they can win, then the show just…ends. As frustrating as this was as a viewer, I actually loved it for the show and Angel’s character. The entire show is very bleak, and is essentially about continuing to fight evil even though you will certainly, without a doubt, lose. Angel himself sums it up best in Season 2 — “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.” And that message carried on right through to the end.

Having Ezria end up together is truly just horrible messaging to teenagers, seeing as A) he was her teacher, and B) he only got close to her to work on a book about Alison. I really would’ve liked to see Aria on her own for once in the finale, because I think she had a LOT more growing to do. I also hated the infertility storyline they rushed into the finale — if they wanted to explore that, they needed more episodes. The end of the show felt very much like the only happy ending for women is getting married and having children — unless you’re a Career Girl™ like Spencer. I think a better end for Aria would be breaking up with Ezra and traveling solo, and working on a book of her own. Also, in WHAT WORLD would Aria’s parents condone this marriage, let alone show up and smile as their daughter married her teacher???

While I was upset that Caroline and Stefan didn’t get their happy ending, I actually felt like Stefan’s sacrifice was the perfect end to his arc. For a character so focused on epic love for so many seasons, there was something about him reuniting with Lexi that subverted expectations and warmed my heart. In the end, the most pure love of the show was that between best friends and family (a message also emphasized in Damon reunited with Stefan and Elena reuniting with her family in the afterlife). Stefan also just looks so purely happy when he sees Lexi, like he can finally let go of all the guilt and brooding of the last eight seasons.

Look, I get it. Series finales are tempted to make things come full circle (see One Tree Hill later in the list for an example of how to do it right). But sometimes, doing so just makes the story feel repetitive and cyclical in a bad way, like the characters have learned nothing and nothing that’s happened on the show has mattered. Rory became a really frustrating character by the end of Gilmore Girls, and it was difficult to see her continue to make questionable choices in the revival. I would’ve preferred to see a more solid ending for Rory rather than one so open-ended, where she’s pregnant and we don’t even know who the father is. Gilmore Girls is not the type of show that can pull off a cliffhanger series finale like Angel did.

I like to believe that both Ben and Leslie were president at different times (Leslie obviously first), and I love that this suggested that. Also, honorable mention to Jerry becoming mayor of Pawnee and living to be 100. It’s what he deserved.

I have mixed feelings on Jack dying. I liked how it came full circle with him waking up in the grass in the pilot, but I also think Jack should’ve stayed guardian. I feel like the above scene was supposed to be heartfelt and special for Hurley, because this honor is, like, bestowed on him, but it’s also damning him to a life on the island, which felt like a much better fate for Jack, who clearly could not move on from his time there. Hurley was a good choice in leader, but it still felt like a slap in the face for Kate and the others to escape and leave Hurley behind.

This was the perfect end for Miley’s arc. Yes, the show ended with her embracing her identity as Hannah, but having her fully become that identity would have felt cheap after an entire show about Miley trying to have a normal life. Even though we knew Miley’s college experience wouldn’t be “normal,” having her choose to follow Lilly (rather than the other way around) instead of starting a movie career felt so true to the show and her character. 

He was literally dating 16-year-old Sage before the time jump. He’d gotten arrested that season. I honestly can’t remember if he actually went to college. His dad was in jail. I just don’t see this guy being a mayoral candidate. He has WAY too many skeletons in the closet.

I feel like I’m going to anger some Regina fans here, but Regina spent YEARS as an evil queen when she literally killed people. I’m all for a good redemption arc, but making her the Good Queen? A bit too far.

Alexis was always a star, and though much of her arc was learning about becoming more caring and compromising, a lot of it was also about her really coming into her own power and skill as a professional. It feels like the end of Schitt’s Creek was really just the start for Alexis, and I love finales that give that feeling!

I’ve talked before about this moment being romantic and feeling right for their arc as a couple/in the show, but if we’re talking about character…I don’t think it was the right choice for Rachel, and it was frustrating knowing that she’d given up her dream job.

This was such a sweet ending that reconciled the colorful, sometimes absurd nature of the show with the message of female empowerment. I was so happy that Kimmy got her happy ending and she was spreading joy to kids everywhere — it was the perfect ending for her.

Ugh. Do I even need to go into detail on this one? We all hate this relationship, and it cheapened the entire premise of the show.

(Kim Kardashian West voice) It’s what she deserves. 

David’s arc was much more about learning to love himself and others and being more confident. He really came into his own, and a quiet life with his husband running a brand he was really passionate about in a community he loved was the perfect ending for him — not to mention for Patrick, who clearly didn’t want to move to New York.

I’m all for Amy going to college and pursuing a career, but it honestly felt really out of character to just leave John in a different state with Ricky. And then Ben was still trying to get with Amy in New York, suggesting they might get back together??? Ugh. Not the ending I wanted.

This was a great ending for Alaric that showed how he was able to move on and stay close to his kids, while also bringing up a new legacy (ha, get it?) of teen supernatural beings. And it spawned a whole spinoff!

I felt as if the point of the last season of OITNB was that Piper and Alex were NOT supposed to be together. It was also kind of annoying to see Piper get this kind of cheesy, unrealistic ending when most of the other characters had such bleak endings.

I know this was supposed to be funny, but I can’t even suspend disbelief enough to enjoy this. It’s more stupid for her arc than Rachel ditching Funny Girl.

While I hate that Taystee never got the justice she deserved, I love that she became hopeful at the end of the show and decided to view life in prison as something she could use to give back to other inmates. I LOVED that she started the fund for Poussey, and it ended up feeling like a fitting ending for Taystee, even though I hoped for better.

Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason finding peace at the end of The Good Place was the perfect end for their arcs (especially Chidi’s), but Tahani going on to become an architect was a much better fit for her. I loved that she was spending eternity helping people become better.

This was WAY too bleak for a teen drama series finale. Shoutout to Dixon’s speech about her strength for giving us (and Silver) a little bit of hope, but still. This feels like a midseason storyline. After all Silver had been through, it would’ve been really nice to leave her in a good spot in the series finale.

Michael’s entire arc was about learning to love and understand humanity, and it was his dream to be able to experience it. Giving him this ending was the PERFECT reward for a really powerful arc.