How a Bad Finale Can Ruin a Long-Running TV Show
Nerdstalgic looked at several long-running television shows with absolutely awful finales that ruined the entire series experience. This sentiment was particularly present amongst frustrated fans who had put in years of dedication only to be disappointed in the end.
The series that was focused on the most was Stranger Things and its subsequent “Conformity Gate”, a conspiracy theory that claimed the finale on December 31, 2025, was not really the finale but a Vecna illusion to be rectified a week later on January 7, 2026.
When Stranger Things premiered in 2016, it became a cultural phenomenon. Reviving ‘80s nostalgia, redefining Netflix originals, and building one of the most passionate fanbases in modern TV history, Stranger Things turned streaming upside down. But when the highly anticipated final season finally arrived, something felt…strange. Instead of closure, fans were left with unanswered questions, character inconsistencies, and a finale so divisive that it sparked a massive conspiracy theory known as Conformity Gate.
Other series, such as Game of Thrones, How I Met Your Mother, and The Sopranos, were also included in those shows with awful endings.
From The Sopranos cutting to black, to the backlash surrounding How I Met Your Mother, and the cultural implosion of Game of Thrones, fandoms have repeatedly proven one thing: no one loves…or hates a show more than its fans.
