7 Mind blowing season finales that never got resolved due to cancellation

It is probably a TV lover's worst nightmare to become obsessed with a particular show, eagerly waiting for the next episode to learn what happens next, only to find out that it has been cancelled.

Especially if the show ended on a cliffhanger. Like you are never going to get an answer or justification for what in the universe just took place, or what was stored in the next chapters. As the saying goes, "All’s well that ends well," it is very important for a series to end on a proper note with a fitting closure.

However, many times a show has to be pulled off the air due to several issues such as controversies, low ratings, budget constraints, and other factors. Here are the 7 most popular shoes with mind-blowing finales that never got resolved due to cancellation.

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Hannibal

Hannibal is a mind-blowing psychological horror, a crime series that first premiered on NBC in 2013. It explored the bittersweet, complicated relationship between FBI agent Will Graham and criminal profiler turned cannibalistic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. The character of Hannibal Lecter became popular with Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs, by Jonathan Demme. But Mads Mikkelsen’s performance in the series was undoubtedly powerful as well. Despite the potential, the show got pulled off the air after three seasons as it failed to attract a large audience, and thus, it ended on a cliffhanger, quite literally.

In the final scene, we see Will and Hannibal jumping off a cliff together, leaving so many questions unanswered. As the two protagonists seemed to vanish into thin air, viewers were left pondering their fate: did they survive the fall, or did they meet their end? Was it an act of love or destruction? It can be seen as a striking resemblance to the iconic clash between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty atop the Reichenbach Falls in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Final Problem” and in both the narratives, we observe that the central figures engage in a brutal confrontation that ultimately ends in a fatal downfall, even though Holmes was later resurrected by Doyle.

To further heighten the mystery, the series ends with a chilling post-credits scene where Bedelia Du Maurier is seated in front of a dish prepared with her own amputated leg, awaiting two others. It could've been a hallucination, a metaphor, or the end of a beginning; no one knows for sure. Fans eagerly hope to see a fourth season as the finale has them scratching their heads, and a closure is long overdue.

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Freaks and Geeks

This 1999 American period teen drama was cancelled mid-season after airing just 12 out of the 18 episodes. With just one season, Freaks and Geeks left a permanent impact on the fans who couldn't stop mourning over its untimely end. The show was an uncanny representation of adolescence with all its complexities and vulnerabilities, and the awkward, hilarious drama of high school life. And to take you through this rollercoaster journey were future stars like Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and others.

Freaks and Geeks ended with Lindsay Weir walking away from academia to chase the Grateful Dead, Nick Andopolis finding his life's rhythm in disco dancing, and Daniel Desario joining the A/V club to play Dungeons & Dragons. Even though these story arcs opened doors to new, exciting possibilities for the characters, we never really got to see them unfold. The creators of the show had intended to bring forth a second season where we would get a deeper glimpse into the characters’ lives and their journey of transformation, but those plans faded before coming to light.

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Angel

Angel has one of the most stinging finales in the history of television. A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this supernatural drama first aired in 1999. The brooding vampire named Angel, cursed with a soul, battled demons not just in the dark alleys of Los Angeles but also the ones tormenting him on the inside, for five long seasons. And then the series came to a striking conclusion that left fans yearning for more. In the final episode titled “Not Fade Away,” Angel, along with his team members Spike, Illyria, and Gunn, prepare for an epic showdown against the relentless Senior Partners.

As the team finds themselves outnumbered by an advancing horde of monsters in the middle of a dark alley, Angel turns to the others and says, “Let’s go to work,” and the screen goes black. Fans never got to witness what happened in the outcome and have continuously expressed their frustration over the series' cliffhanger ending. The sudden cancellation of Angel came as a shock to the cast and crew of the show as well. However, the story did continue in the comic series Angel: After the Fall, where you can get an insight into the aftermath of that climactic confrontation scene.

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The Society

The Society is a 2019 mystery teen drama on Netflix that explores the harrowing experiences of a bunch of teenagers who, upon returning home from a cancelled school trip, find themselves completely deserted in the town of West Ham, Connecticut, and surrounded by a dense forest. They must learn to live on their own after their family, along with the rest of the town, has mysteriously vanished. It was a modern take on William Golding’s 1954 novel, “Lord of the Flies,” with a sci-fi twist. Season 1 wrapped up with mind-blowing plot twists, and thus, it was only justified when fans expressed their disappointment over its cancellation for a second season.

In the finale, we see Will and Allie replaced from their position of power by the devious trio of Campbell, Harry, and Lexie. Meanwhile, Becca became a mother, but the father's identity was still a mystery. And then came the greatest shock: a plaque in the real West Ham dedicated to the “missing children,” suggesting they were stuck in an alternate reality. According to the makers, The Society was cancelled as a consequence of the complications arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, otherwise, it was all set for another season. It really left fans devastated as so many of their questions and doubts went unanswered.

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Mork & Mindy

Mork and Mindy was a late 70s gem that captured audiences with its delightful charm and pure gold comedy. The sitcom featured Robert Williams in the role of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, who wanted to explore Earth and study its people with the help of his human friend, Mindy, played by Pam Dawber. It was considered to be a spin-off of the 1974 sitcom, Happy Days. However, Mork and Mindy came to a close after running for four seasons. In the finale titled “Gotta Run,” split into three episodes, Mork forms a bond with a fellow alien, Kalnik, who turns out to be a villain in reality, planning to destroy him.

Things go haywire when Kalnik trashes Mindy's place and reveals Mork’s alien identity to the world. In an attempt to escape, Mork and Mindy use magical time-travelling shoes, but they end up going back to prehistoric times as a result of some glitch. In the last scene, we see a cave painting of Mork and Mindy holding hands, and inevitably wonder if they were able to make it back home. Initially, the producers planned a fifth season where Mork and Mindy would continue to travel through time and meet historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin. But sadly, ABC cancelled the show, and the episodes were streamed out of order, unintentionally making The Mork Report, a thoughtful exploration of marriage, the final episode.

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My Name is Earl

Greg Garcia’s My Name is Earl, was a masterful combination of slapstick comedy and heartfelt moments that first premiered on NBC in 2005. The sitcom was about the story of a man named Earl Hickey who became determined to make amends for his past mistakes after discovering that karma is real. However, the series took an unexpected turn by the end of the fourth season. Fans were shocked to learn that Earl was the biological father of Dodge, and Earl Jr. was not Darnell’s son after all, as had been made to believe all along.

The last episode ended on an optimistic note with the message, “To be continued,” leaving fans eagerly waiting for another season. But the audience did not get any closure, and the plot remained unresolved because of the series’ abrupt cancellation. Apparently, the producers and television networks like Fox, TBS, and TNT could not come to an agreement that wouldn’t compromise the artistic integrity of the show. As a result, Earl’s journey still remains incomplete to date.

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The OA

The OA is not just another show on Netflix, it offers one of the most mind-bending experiences throughout its two seasons. Brought to life by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the series tells the story of a blind woman named Prairie Johnson, played by Brit herself, who returns after mysteriously disappearing for seven whole years with her blindness cured and a story that's almost impossible to believe. She calls herself “the OA,” which stands for “original angel.” To add to the mystery, Netflix decided to cancel the show after the second season, leaving fans with more questions than answers.

Season 2 takes a shocking turn, as Prairie, now known as Nina Azarova, finds herself stuck in a new dimension. Here she, along with the other characters, learn that they are part of a TV show called The OA. Something like Nolan's Inception but with a more layered approach to existentialism. The final scene is even more baffling, with Prairie fatally wounded. As she falls, the screen goes completely black. The end. Viewers were simply shocked, desperate to know what happened next. But even the raving reviews and strong fanbase could not stop The OA from meeting its untimely end.