The Most Disappointing and the Most Satisfying Series Finales of All Time, in One Chart

A TV show’s finale is its last chance to leave a good impression, and the higher the expectations, the more likely it is that the finale will disappoint.

The chart below from Github user OrganicIrradiation shows the average IMDb user ratings of dozens of shows and compares those ratings to the shows’ series finales. The bottom of the chart shows what viewers deemed to be the most disappointing finales of all time: The final episodes of Dexter, True Blood, Dragon Ball Z, and How I Met Your Mother. The top of the chart shows the finales that most surprised fans with how satisfying they were: The final episodes of Glee, Charmed, Newhart, and Sex and the City. Of course, some heavily criticized shows, like Two and a Half Men, managed to produce finales that were even more loathed than usual.