10 TV Show Finales That Totally Divided Fanbases

They say it ain't over until it's over, but sometimes even when it is supposedly over, it can be handled so abruptly or detrimentally that it's difficult to accept. Whatever the cause of the embittered aftertaste left in your mouth following what was initially a pleasant helping, there are many like you, and just as many with opposing views.

The devastation of following the exploits of an infamous gangster, a hardened war veteran or the tyranny of tribal leaders, only for the journey too far to outweigh the destination can be diabolically uncouth, if not ultimately unrewarding.

Unless, of course, you fall into the bracket of another idiom. As "one man's trash is another man's treasure" may befit those who wanted something interesting, rather than conclusory. Or maybe you just don't detest these finales as much as a majority of others so passionately do.

Whatever the case, the entries within this list imbue polarisation as the name of the game first and foremost, with some demographics deeming them historic and others considering them nothing short of shambolic.

Despite culminating all the way back in 1983, the oldest entry on our list also - at the date of writing - the most viewed finale in television history. Retaining an immensely tight grip on the record after accumulating over 105 million viewers.

So, with an accolade as impressive as that, why is it present on a list like this?

Although M*A*S*H* wasn't always the most pleasurable viewing, considering its lack of derision instead of complete seriousness for the most part, as well as the narrative literally revolving around an ongoing war, the finale, compared to even the most tumultuous storylines within the series canon, was distressing beyond comprehension.

Ramping the authenticity levels all the way to the sincerely gut-wrenchingly realistic depiction of war's aftermath, the finale focuses on Hawkeye and his platoon suffering exponentially from a variety of physical and mental iniquities, with PTSD being the most prominent.

Logically, this is a perfect - if most bittersweet - way to bring the events of a series about the totalitarian horrors of war, but the aftereffects likely stayed with viewers as much as they did with the characters long after turning the dial on their television set.