In the wake of Supernatural ending after fifteen seasons, the thought arises: is it possible to end a long-running fan-favorite show well? Now, I have not kept up with Supernatural since season eleven. I was, though; skimming through Twitter last night. The general consensus of the ending wasn’t…good. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it certainly seems that the majority of fans online were none too happy with how this beloved show ended. As someone who was formally part of the fandom, I can say that the Supernatural fandom could rival any DC or Marvel fandom. They’re large, really involved, and also partake in crowdfunding events.
Why It Sucks When a Good Show Ends Badly
While I haven’t watched Supernatural in a few years, I can sympathize with my former Supernatural family. As a huge fan of Game of Thrones, I patiently waited the two years in between season seven and season eight. I had loved Game of Thrones. Obsessed was an understatement. I loved the storylines, the characters, and even started reading the books due to how much I loved it. Then season eight came. I won’t say it was a dumpster fire, but it was incredibly disappointing. There were so many plotholes, so many storylines not touched, and a disservice to characters we had spent seasons and years loving.
Other longstanding shows that had gained a massive following that didn’t end well were Lost, The Sopranos, How I Met Your Mother, and more. We watch these shows for years and by the time they end, it just never seems like it can satisfy everyone. It’s incredibly hard to cultivate an ending that makes everyone happy. That honors the characters and stories that your fans have tuned in for. Any writer, whether it’s a novel or an essay, can tell you how difficult it is writing an ending. It just never feels good enough. I have to imagine this is how it is in the writer’s room. You want to make fans happy, but at the same time you want to tell a story. You’re bound to piss someone off, but do you really want to be known as the series that didn’t know what to do at the end?
The Difficulty of Writing an Ending
This is because things change. If you’re writing an original show, the story changes as time goes on. An original ending may be scrapped – or maybe the writers originally didn’t have an ending in mind. The actors could change the course of a story; there are so many different factors. And it’s difficult as a fan to dislike the ending so much. Because, you loved the show. You got emotionally invested. And now it’s hard to even say hey, that’s still a great show. As a Game of Thrones fan, I disliked the ending. People who have never watched the show know it was bad. But, you can’t take away how great it was before season eight. Just like, you shouldn’t feel bad how Supernatural made you feel for all these years. It may have not ended how you thought it should have, but that doesn’t take away how invested you got with characters like Sam and Dean.
It Is Possible to End a Show Well
Some shows that did end well [in my opinion – and online perspective] were Sex and the City, iZombie, M.A.S.H., The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Wire. So, it is possible – but, it seems to be more difficult than anything else. As a writer, I often struggle with how to end stories. I can’t imagine having the world watch as you try to cultivate something that will honor the story and be remembered well for years to come.
What did you think about Supernatural and Game of Thrones’ endings? What series did you love have a bad ending?
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A girl with too many fandoms to count.
