10 Most Controversial Series Finales In TV History
2. Girls
Girls never strayed too far from controversy at the best of times, with Lena Dunham polarising opinion everywhere she goes. However, even amongst her staunchest defenders, Girls’ series finale split the fanbase.
The main story throughout Girls was the lives of four young New Yorkers and their circle of weirdos. It was deeply pretentious in places, strangely nonsensical in others and incredibly self righteous throughout. In order words, it was the perfect epitome of modern day New York.
The last episode ditches the tone, New York and two of the four major cast members to focus on Hannah’s new life with the baby. As a lead in to the next season it might have worked, but as the ultimate end, it’s way off kilter.
Dunham claims the episode is more of an epilogue, with penultimate episode Goodbye Tour a more traditional finale. It’s fitting for both Girls and Dunham to be so grandiose, but it still falls flat.
Girls often had to fight off criticism from outsiders, but the fans thenstended to stick together.
This fell apart though after the finale, with many popping up online to criticise Dunham’s self-indulgence, while others praised the imperfect ending as fitting for the thoroughly unlikeable cast.