When it comes to our favorite long-running TV shows, we know that the finale is the make-or-break deal. Some shows have the perfect ending, where all the character arcs are complete, and we get proper closure from the story.
Then there are the ones that leave us screaming at our screen for a different ending. If you have felt the same about your favorite show finale, then you are in for a surprising twist. Here are the top 15 TV shows where creators had a totally different ending in mind.
15. Squid Game
Gi-Hun’s fate at the end of ‘Squid Game’ Season 1 was a big struggle for the showrunners. On one hand, they had the choice to let Gi-Hun board the plane and leave freely. This meant he would’ve gotten the chance to finally reunite with his daughter and find happiness.
Yet, the mystery behind the games still remained. Ultimately, the creators decided that Gi-Hun must turn back and seek revenge on the creators of the game. This started his mission for ‘Squid Game’ season 2.
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14. Gossip Girl
If you were also convinced that Eric van der Woodsen was the Gossip Girl, then you were actually on the right path. From the beginning, the show creators were leaning towards that option as well. Even the storyline was structured that way. This all changed when the fan started to catch on.
The creators needed the element of shock and decided to make Dan the Gossip Girl. This had sparked much debate amongst the cast and crew, with several thinking this choice was way off. Even Penn Badgley agreed that the one storyline that will never fail to make him groan was him ending up as Gossip Girl.
13. Supernatural
After its run for 15 seasons, the creators of ‘Supernatural’ were understandably concerned about how they should make a memorable ending. They successfully came up with a tear-jerking yet perfect ending. But then it was ruined by COVID-19 restrictions.
Instead of the sad ending with Dean dying and Sam spending the rest of his life raising his son, the initial was supposed to have both die at the end. The pair would’ve reunited in Heaven, with many memorable cameos from past cast members lined up. Yet this idea never came to fruition due to social distancing laws.
12. Lost
The finale of ‘Lost’ has always been a point of fierce contention among fans. In the end, we saw the “flash-sideways” timeline and the show finally owning up to its metaphysical themes. Yet the initial ending was supposed to leave the genre behind and instead embrace a seismic catastrophe.
Die-hard fans of the show must have noticed the dormant volcano, Mount Doom, which was mentioned many times throughout the series. The creators imagined that at the end of the series, Mount Doom would have finally erupted, leaving Jack and the Man in Black fighting in the midst of magma.
11. The Killing Eve
The ending of ‘The Killing Eve’ was controversial, to say the least. As soon as we finally get to see Villanelle and Eve share a moment together, we witness Villanelle being shot to death just a few minutes later. This was one of the biggest disappointments, especially given that they were among the few same-gender romantic interests on television at the time.
The creators of the show have revealed that even they struggled a lot to come up with an appropriate ending. They played around with the idea of having both Villanelle and Eve alive or killing them both. They even thought about killing Eve instead, leaving Villanelle to suffer the rest of her life. At the end, creators had to go with killing Villanelle, as Eve resonated more with the general audience.
10. The Haunting of Hill House
Were you also driven crazy by the terrifying Red Room window in ‘The Haunting of Hill House’? You certainly weren’t the only one because the showrunners even thought to use it to play with our minds in the series finale. Instead of the happy ending that we got at the end of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, the writers actually wanted to end it on a sinister note.
In the shot where we see the family reunite, the writers wanted to add that weird window in the background. However, they ended up going with the version where all the characters are happy and safe.
9. Dexter
The alternate ending of ‘Dexter‘ was supposed to keep up with the cold-blooded vibes of the whole show. The ending we saw, where Dexter fakes his own death and reinvents himself in Oregon, was definitely far from the brutal plotlines we saw over the course of the show.
The producers initially imagined Dexter waking up to find that the whole series was a dream. Instantly, this would have been followed by him realizing it is not and that he is lying on the execution table at the Florida penitentiary. As they started to administer the drugs into his body, he would look out the window to find some of his most memorable victims.
8. Cruel Summer
The final shocking twist we saw in ‘Cruel Summer’ was seeing Jeannette hear Kate call for help in the basement, then smile and turn away. This was not even supposed to happen in the ending the writers initially planned.
Instead, they wanted to play it all off as a misunderstanding. They imagine Kate thinking one thing happened, whereas Jeanette sees something totally different. This misunderstanding would have turned the whole case around. So, there is no doubt as to why they decided to go with the ending we saw on screen.
7. Seinfeld
When you are entrusted to write the ending to one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, there are no margins for error. Yet, the ending of ‘Seinfeld’ was certainly controversial. The creators actually had many different ideas as to how they could have ended the show.
One idea was that the gang was actually found not guilty. Yet the most iconic ending imagined was them sitting in the coffee shop in complete silence. Then Jerry would have said, “That’s it,” and they would have all gone their separate ways without any explanation.
6. Schitt’s Creek
You are not the only one still not over Ted and Alexis’ breakup in ‘Schitt’s Creek’. Even the cast themselves found this ending unsatisfying and revealed that they knew of a different ending altogether.
The actual ending was supposed to have a double wedding between David and Patrick and Alexis and Ted. But though we got to see the former’s wedding, Alexis and Ted never got their happy ending. This actually upset Annie Murphy. She even threatened to quit the show. Yet, the writers won, and we never got to see their ship set sail.
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5. Sex and the City
Creators have revealed that the ending of ‘Sex and the City’ was actually very disappointing for many. And there was a totally different ending in some people’s minds. Some felt that this went against what the show was ultimately about.
They believed that the show’s popularity amongst female audiences stemmed from the idea that women don’t always need to end up happy in a marriage. It sought to go against the typical romantic comedies of its time. That’s why Carrie ending up with Big just didn’t feel justified. Of course, we do get to see a version of this alternate ending in ‘And Just Like That’.
4. Friends
In ‘Friends‘, Rachel almost didn’t get off the plane. One of the most iconic television scenes was actually written as a huge bummer. Writers had thought about not having Rachel and Ross end up together. Instead, they wanted to see Rachel go off without Ross and all their other friends, moving on with their lives separately.
Yet, they couldn’t deny the fact that this couple had become a cultural phenomenon by that point. Throughout the series, we saw their on-again, off-again relationship. They decided to do it justice and finally gave us a happy ending.
3. The Vampire Diaries
‘The Vampire Diaries’ had a very dark ending planned for its season finale. Initially, they planned to kill off Stefan and Damon together. The brothers would have died trying to save Elena. She would have gone forward to live a normal life, maybe even marry Matt Donovor or become a doctor, with the brothers watching over her like ghosts.
This storyline was only interrupted when Nina Dobrev, who portrayed Elena, left the show after its sixth season, while the series continued for two more seasons. They had to continue the storyline with Elena in a coma. She returned in the season finale to reunite with Damon to live a mortal life.
2. Breaking Bad
The ending of ‘Breaking Bad’ was undoubtedly one of the best endings in TV history. After the major shootout, deeply wounded Walt returned to his lab and experienced a moment of peace as he slowly passed. It was a genius plot that tied the whole show together, and not a single loose end was left out.
Yet, some fans argued that the ending was a little too perfect. This led them to speculate that it was all just one of Walt’s wild fantasies. The show creators didn’t miss this chance to poke fun at the fans. In a DVD extra, we get the iconic scene where we see Hal from ‘Malcolm In The Middle‘ wake up next to his wife, screaming that he had the worst nightmare, suggesting that the entire show was just a figment of his imagination.
1. How I Met Your Mother
To say that the ending of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ was simply shocking, it might just be the ultimate understatement of the century. Throughout the show, we had to deal with numerous red herrings as Ted got involved with different women. Yet, in the end, it was finally revealed that the mother was actually Tracy, who had passed. Ted instead ended up with Robin.
When the ending was so controversial, the show had to release the famous alternate ending scene. It showed that Tracey never died and ended up with Ted, whereas Robin stayed with Barney. The best way to end the show was definitely to give us both endings to choose from.
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