# Biggest finale blunder by a show's creator (Lost spoilers, among others) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697 "2010-05-25T13:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/1 "2010-05-25T13:29:15Z")
So in reading about the reaction to the Lost finale, it seems like the consensus is that making the ALT timeline some sort of afterlife was really stupid. But is it the biggest finale blunder ever? I think I hit some of the biggest ones, but I missed any, there’s the wonderful “other” (and no, not Ben, although he is cheery). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/2 "2010-05-25T13:30:44Z")
I don’t agree, but a lot of people seemed _really_ peeved at the way David Chase ended _The Sopranos_. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/3 "2010-05-25T13:37:47Z")
I actually liked the end of _Lost_, a lot. But then, I’ve always approached it as a fantasy yarn. I also liked the endings for _Sopranos_, \*BSG \*and _QL_. The endings for \*Roseanne \*and \*Seinfeld \*sucked, but they were both sitcoms, so their resolutions weren’t all that important in the grand sceme of things. We were there for the laughs, not the arc. Which leaves the _X-Files_. Man, that was awful. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/4 "2010-05-25T13:51:33Z")
I never watched or cared about _Rosanne_, _X-Files_ or _The Sopranos_, and I thought the ending to _Quantum Leap_ was perfect. _Seinfeld_ always was lightweight, with no emotional investment. That leaves _Lost_ and _Battlestar_, and I seriously gave up on _Lost_ after Season 3. That leaves Ron Moore’s betrayal as the biggest blunder. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/5 "2010-05-25T13:55:53Z")
I didn’t realize when I posted that this was going to be a poll. I’m voting for _Roseanne_ slightly beating out _The X-Files_, mainly because of what they did to Dan. If _Next Generation_’s finale had been on the list, I might have voted for it because of the glaring plot hole (which would have been so easy to fix) and what they did to Deanna. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/6 "2010-05-25T14:02:20Z")
Totally disagree that the ending of Lost was a blunder–I thought the finale was near perfect. Seinfeld was probably most disappointing to me. I thought Sopranos was the worst ending, but I give them bonus points for at least trying something interesting, even if I thought it failed. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/7 "2010-05-25T14:06:43Z")
_Roseanne_’s entire last season (or was it last two seasons? Everything after the lottery) was a total train wreck, which only amplified the terrible finish to what used to be a good show. (I don’t count myself among them, but a lot of people really hated the _St. Elsewhere_ snow-globe ending. That could be a possible “other” choice.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/8 "2010-05-25T14:50:41Z")
Oh, X-files is far, far worse than LOST. I think people who hated the LOST finale fail to realize just how bad finales can be. X-files made no sense and I’m glad they abandoned all of that crap for the second movie(which I rather liked, by the way). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/9 "2010-05-25T14:51:56Z")
> [@TheFifthYear](#): > > Totally disagree that the ending of Lost was a blunder–I thought the finale was near perfect. > . I agree that it was great and I think the negative reactions are just more vocal than the positive ones. I don’t think there is a consensus that it was stupid or bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/10 "2010-05-25T14:57:35Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > [(I don’t count myself among them, but a lot of people really hated the _St. Elsewhere_ snow-globe ending. That could be a possible “other” choice.) It’s more than possible- I DID vote “other” because of this idiotic ending. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/11 "2010-05-25T15:08:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I agree that it was great and I think the negative reactions are just more vocal than the positive ones. I don’t think there is a consensus that it was stupid or bad at all. I’m talking about just the ATL scenes. The island stuff was awesome, but I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything good about the ATL scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/12 "2010-05-25T15:15:16Z")
The MASH final episode should be on here somewhere. It went on way, way, WAY too long and dissolved into a puddle of maudlin goo. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/13 "2010-05-25T15:19:55Z")
I absolutely disagree that _The Soprano_’s was in any way a blunder and in fact gave fans who are willing to use their imaginations and be sophisticated enough to not need a pat, storybook ending the almost perfect way to walk from a series whose very heart was about uncertainly. I’ve said so [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12480894&postcount=69). I voted for Roseanne for the reason(s) stated above. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/14 "2010-05-25T15:32:48Z")
What??? Someone needs to spoil Roseanne for me; because I thought it ended after the season where they won the lottery. It was a novel? What did they do to Dan that was so bad? ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/15 "2010-05-25T15:49:22Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > If _Next Generation_’s finale had been on the list, I might have voted for it because of the glaring plot hole Do you mean the fact that the anti-time anomaly grows as it goes _backwards_ in time, and yet they see it when they return _after_ its creation in the future timeline? That’s always bugged me, especially since Picard’s figuring out the paradox was supposed to be this _huge_ deal, and yet he’s still not really getting it (but neither are the writers . . . ) That said, I enjoyed the episode in spite of this screwup. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/16 "2010-05-25T15:51:09Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > What??? Someone needs to spoil Roseanne for me; because I thought it ended after the season where they won the lottery. It was a novel? What did they do to Dan that was so bad? From wikipedia: Most surreal of all is the season’s final episode, in which Roseanne reveals that the events in most of the series were all the pages of her writings. The reality is that Dan’s heart attack killed him, the Conner family didn’t win the lottery, Becky married David instead of Mark, Darlene married Mark instead of David, and Jackie was gay rather than straight. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/17 "2010-05-25T15:56:19Z")
I personally loved the Roseanne ending. I thought the last season did not play well across a 16 or 18 week stretch but if you get the DVDs and watch it straight through as a single episode it makes quite a bit of sense. I also loved that the show spent the first 6-7 seasons being about a family that is really struggling to make it and the finale brought it all back to that original message that the show started with in the beginning. Yeah, it sucks that Dan had a heart attack and died but that kind of thing really happens. That is also what caused her to sit down and write it all out as a novel as a form of therapy for herself. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/18 "2010-05-25T16:10:46Z")
The finale for “Deep Space Nine” deserves a mention. From the very first episode, it’s established that Sisko has some “very important destiny” tied up with the wormhole beings/prophets/whatever. In the final episode, his very important destiny is to… push Gul Dukat off a cliff. Big whoopie doo. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/19 "2010-05-25T16:11:41Z")
I didn’t have a problem with _Roseanne_’s using her writing a novel as form of therapy after everything happened and as explanation. It was the crappy writing and scripts, the stupid elements (the lottery winning and silliness of the situations it put them), and how some characters I really liked were turned into caricatures of the themselves for most of the last two seasons, as if they’d run out of ideas or stopped trying. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697/20 "2010-05-25T16:48:57Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Do you mean the fact that the anti-time anomaly grows as it goes _backwards_ in time, and yet they see it when they return _after_ its creation in the future timeline? That’s always bugged me, especially since Picard’s figuring out the paradox was supposed to be this _huge_ deal, and yet he’s still not really getting it (but neither are the writers . . . ) > > That said, I enjoyed the episode in spite of this screwup. Pretty much. They should approach it in the future timeline and it should be minuscule, even microscopic. They need to be sure what it is, so they MagicRay it and poof, it simply vanishes altogether, because the instant the ray hit it is when it was created, but growing backward in time, so the instant after the ray hits it, it doesn’t exist. Easy fix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-finale-blunder-by-a-shows-creator-lost-spoilers-among-others/540697.md?page=2)