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A number of the best TV reveals ever made belong to the realm of sci-fi, and plenty of have caught in popular culture reminiscence for many years. Nevertheless, endings are make-or-break moments even for science fiction – the flawed transfer can tarnish an in any other case sensible sequence, fading it into obscurity. Others as an alternative rose to infamy due to how unforgettable their finales had been.
Infamous for his or her emotional intestine punches, among the finest and worst dark sci-fi TV show finales share a standard thread: their sheer bleakness. Possibly the hero dies, the central mission fails, or the story is minimize quick by abrupt cancellation. In each case, the ultimate scenes don’t simply wrap issues up, they depart viewers staring on the display screen in shocked silence.
The darkest sci-fi TV show endings are people who refuse to fade away, regardless of how a lot time passes. These are the conclusions nonetheless debated by followers years later, the finales that shook audiences, and the tales that dared to shut the curtain on notes so grim they’ll nonetheless chill you at present.
11
ReBoot (1994-2001)
The Ending Left Its Heroes Stranded In An Unresolved Digital Apocalypse
The animated cult classic ReBoot closed with probably the most frustratingly darkish cliffhangers in sci-fi tv. In season 4, episode 8, “Crouching Binome, Hidden Virus,” the present’s digital realm is in chaos after the villainous Daemon is defeated however new threats loom. Bob (Michael Benyaer) and his allies appear momentarily victorious, however stability is short-lived.
The true sting is that the sequence ends mid-arc. Megabyte (Tony Jay) escapes and units his sights on revenge, plunging Mainframe into new hazard. The episode hints at main battles and excessive stakes to return – then merely stops. There’s no closure, no decision, simply ominous guarantees.
Fans of ReBoot had been left imagining a worst-case state of affairs for the characters, and since no continuation materialized, that darkness turned everlasting. It’s a main instance of a darkish sci-fi TV present finale the place the absence of decision turned essentially the most haunting half.
10
ALF (1986-1990)
The Beloved Alien’s Seize Made For A Shockingly Grim Sitcom Finale
Whereas ALF was generally known as a quirky 1980s family sitcom, its remaining episode, season 4, episode 24, “Contemplate Me Gone,” took an unexpectedly bleak flip. The wisecracking alien ALF (voiced by Paul Fusco) lastly will get the possibility to reunite with others from his house planet of Melmac. It’s arrange because the payoff followers had waited for.
As a substitute, the episode ends with authorities brokers ambushing and capturing him. There’s no intelligent escape, no comedic twist – simply ALF surrounded, powerless, and dealing with an unsure destiny. For a present that thrived on lighthearted humor, the tonal shift was jarring.
Plans for a follow-up TV film to resolve the cliffhanger did not come to fruition till 1996’s Challenge ALF (which additionally featured solely two members of the original ALF cast), which means this abrupt, somber seize stood because the alien’s remaining second for nearly a decade. For a household present, it’s considered one of tv’s most unexpectedly darkish sci-fi endings.
9
Darkish Matter (2015-2017)
A Large Cliffhanger Plunged The Galaxy Into All-Out Struggle
Darkish Matter constructed three seasons of compelling mysteries, solely to end with its bleakest twist yet. Season 3, episode 13, “Nowhere to Go,” sees the crew of the Raza caught in an escalating interstellar battle. Simply as they put together to counter a looming alien invasion, betrayal strikes.
The finale ends with alien forces starting their assault, humanity’s defenses crumbling, and no clear strategy to cease them. Each storyline is left unresolved, and the galaxy is teetering on the point of destruction.
As a result of Dark Matter was abruptly canceled in 2017, there was no likelihood to see the Raza crew combat again – which means, in canon, the alien risk probably wipes every part out. It’s an instance of a darkish sci-fi TV present finale the place hopelessness is the one conclusion.
8
12 Monkeys (2015-2018)
Saving The World Got here At The Final Private Price
In season 4, episode 11, “The Starting,” 12 Monkeys closes its mind-bending time travel saga with each triumph and heartbreak. Cole (Aaron Stanford) and Cassie (Amanda Schull) lastly reach erasing the apocalyptic plague from historical past. Humanity is saved, however their shared existence on this timeline turns into unattainable.
Cole chooses to sacrifice himself to safe the brand new actuality, erasing his personal timeline’s model of occasions. Whereas the ultimate photographs do reveal that, by some means, Cole and Cassie exist in a timeline collectively, many ominous visible clues recommend all isn’t because it appears. As many followers identified, the takeaway is that the pair is much from secure.
It’s an ending that embraces the style’s emotional stakes, reminding viewers that heroism typically comes with insufferable loss. For a narrative about rewriting historical past, 12 Monkeys concludes by proving some tragedies can’t be prevented with out creating new ones.
7
Misplaced (2004-2010)
The Ending Blurred Life, Dying, And Unresolved Mysteries
The finale of Lost, season 6, episode 17, “The Finish,” sparked one of many largest debates in TV historical past. The survivors’ journey ends in a surreal, purgatory-like area the place they “transfer on” collectively. Jack (Matthew Fox) dies on the island after defeating the Man in Black, and the island’s future stays unsure.
Whereas emotional, the ending leaves many plot threads unanswered and paints survival as fleeting. Characters’ struggles to flee the island or shield it really feel cyclical, hinting that tragedy was inevitable.
For a lot of viewers, the ending of Lost was much less a decision and extra an existential meditation on mortality and destiny – and one which didn’t let the dwelling escape their ghosts. Its mixture of magnificence and hopelessness earns it a spot among the many darkest sci-fi TV present finales.
6
Westworld (2016-2022)
Humanity’s Extinction Grew to become Inevitable In The Closing Moments
Season 4, episode 8, “Que Será, Será,” delivers Westworld’s most devastating twist. By the tip, each human and host civilizations have collapsed. Dolores (Evan Rachel Wooden) creates a simulated “take a look at” world, nevertheless it’s implied that is the ultimate iteration of life earlier than extinction.
Each victory turns hole: Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) sacrifices herself, Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) dies, and the actual world is a wasteland. Any hope of lasting peace between people and hosts is obliterated.
While Westworld was canceled earlier than a deliberate fifth season, the finale nonetheless reads as a definitive conclusion – one the place survival is mathematically unattainable. It’s an unflinching reminder that some futures can’t be rewritten, regardless of how superior the expertise.
5
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Humanity Wins, However The Price Is Close to-Complete Annihilation
In season 4, episode 21, “Dawn, Half 3,” Battlestar Galactica ends with the fleet discovering a brand new Earth. The human-Cylon alliance settles there, abandoning all superior expertise. On the floor, it’s a hopeful new starting.
Nevertheless, the victory comes after devastating losses. The fleet’s inhabitants has been decimated, key characters like Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) die, and the surviving Cylons scatter. The implication is that historical past will repeat itself – and humanity’s survival is much from assured.
By ending on a mixture of fragile optimism and grim inevitability, Battlestar Galactica cemented its reputation as probably the most sobering darkish sci-fi TV present finales ever aired. Sure, the mission was technically successful, however the associated fee felt far too nice.
4
Mr. Robotic (2015-2019)
The Closing Twist Erased The Protagonist’s Total Id
Mr. Robot’s finale, season 4, episode 13, “Hi there, Elliot,” reveals the darkest fact of all: the Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) viewers adopted wasn’t the “actual” Elliot, however a dissociative alter. The mastermind persona sacrifices itself so the unique can reside a traditional life.
Whereas technically longing for the “actual” Elliot, it’s a demise sentence for the alter we’ve recognized – a personality whose perspective formed the complete sequence. The identification we rooted for ceases to exist.
The finale of Mr. Robot is each an emotional launch and a devastating erasure, leaving viewers with the unsettling concept that the hero by no means actually existed within the first place. It’s a particular head-scratcher, and regardless of the Elliot viewers watched not being the “actual” one, for a lot of viewers, it nonetheless felt like watching the hero of the story die.
3
Fringe (2008-2013)
Victory Got here With The Erasure Of An Total Timeline
In Fringe season 5, episode 13, “An Enemy of Destiny,” the Fringe group defeats the Observers and restores a timeline the place their invasion by no means occurred. Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) get their daughter again, however Walter (John Noble) should vanish into the long run to make sure victory.
Walter’s absence is everlasting – within the restored timeline, nobody remembers the occasions of their shared wrestle. It’s a win on paper, however the emotional core of the present is shattered.
The worth of saving the world is the erasure of their bonds, making it probably the most bittersweet and quietly devastating conclusions in sci-fi TV historical past. Very similar to the ending of Mr. Robotic, the moment of triumph at the end of Fringe was utterly overshadowed by the lack of a fan-favorite character.
2
Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
The Hero By no means Makes It Dwelling
Quantum Leap’s finale, season 5, episode 22, “Mirror Picture,” takes Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) to a mysterious bar outdoors of time, the place he learns he’s been leaping by alternative. Provided the possibility to return house, he as an alternative decides to assist a pal – and vanishes.
A closing title card delivers the intestine punch: “Dr. Sam Beckett by no means returned house.” It’s abrupt, melancholy, and with out decision. Lengthy earlier than the likes of The Sopranos notorious cut-to-black riled up viewers, followers of Quantum Leap had been infuriated by the abrupt and sudden conclusion of their favourite present.
Reasonably than rewarding Sam’s years of sacrifice, the present leaves him adrift eternally, making it probably the most haunting sci-fi finales ever broadcast. The ending of Quantum Leap remains to be probably the most infamous finales many years later, and never even the reboot sequence managed to reduce the impression of its emotional gut-punch.
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