Top 20 Worst Final Seasons of Animated Shows
By the final season, these shows were drawn out. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for cartoons that fumbled at the finish line.
Transcript
00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for cartoons that fumbled at
00:14the finish line.
00:15What's going to happen to you?
00:18Well, a good captain always goes down with his ship.
00:26Doug
00:27Dear Journal, can you please bring Doug back to Nickelodeon?
00:30Most who followed the middle school adventures of Doug Funny were disappointed when his TV
00:34show relocated to ABC.
00:44Many viewers felt that the later episodes lost the world's offbeat personality.
00:49With everything from character dynamics, storylines, and even music feeling dry and stagnant, the
00:54final season amplified these complaints, featuring plots that lasted too long and wooden moral
00:59lessons that no longer resonated with sincerity.
01:02Even the big moments, like Patty's long-awaited proposition for a date date, didn't feel
01:07as impactful as they should have.
01:19The once-beloved Nicktoon ended on a disheartening note, followed by a lackluster movie release
01:25that only worsened the blow.
01:29Cameos from celebrities are a trick Johnny Bravo pulls multiple times, but most fans
01:34wouldn't argue they're what defined the show.
01:37So why does the finale of the whole thing center around a guest appearance from Shaq?
01:48We understand this isn't a show focused on plot.
01:51We just like a little more finality in our finale.
01:55Does Johnny finally find love, or does he face his ultimate comeuppance?
01:59Okay, neither of those is particularly likely, but the final season could've explored these
02:04questions.
02:05We wanted some change in the status quo, and meeting an NBA star doesn't cut it.
02:20The Ren and Stimpy Show Those that did appreciate their bizarre and
02:24bawdy take on humor relished the days when creator John Crisfalusi ran the show.
02:29After Crisfalusi's departure, the new team struggled to maintain his unique vision, and
02:34the final season suffered the worst.
02:43Compared to the early stuff, fans found the stories to be formulaic and the animation
02:48somehow lacked the bold originality and delightful grotesquerie that made it stand out.
02:53Consequently, the final season felt like a big letdown that was unfortunately predictable
02:58under the new leadership.
02:59So it was not as disliked as the Adult Party cartoon reboot, whose negative reception fully
03:05solidified the doom of Stimpy and Ren.
03:20Wander Over Yonder Serialized shows were everywhere in children's
03:36animation during this era, from Adventure Time to Steven Universe and even Regular Show.
03:41That said, there was still plenty of room for goofy cartoons that were just that, and
03:45Wander Over Yonder served that purpose to a tee.
03:49Until it didn't.
03:50The show proved why it's probably better if not all shows incorporate serialization
03:54in its second and final season.
03:56The show got canceled, making its experiment with longer form storytelling feel rushed.
04:01Lore Dominator in particular doesn't get the arc she deserves.
04:05We love a good redemption story.
04:18Danny Phantom Danny Phantom is a beloved Nickelodeon show
04:22from Fairly Oddparents creator Butch Hartman, known for its spectral hijinks and overarching
04:27plot lines.
04:28Unfortunately, it ended in a way that, while not ghastly, left us feeling disappointed.
04:36The awkwardly paced and over-stuffed two-part
04:46finale makes us wish we could have seen our second favorite Ghostbusters in a feature-length
04:50conclusion instead.
04:52That said, we've already seen the Fairly Oddparents reboot.
04:56Could Danny Phantom be next?
04:57We'd love to see these characters again for a second goodbye with some room to breathe,
05:01especially now that the Danny and Sam romance is, hopefully, out of the way.
05:19While technically a miniseries, Wizards was essentially the third chapter in a trilogy.
05:24It had the daunting task of concluding not one, but three separate animated shows set
05:29in the science-fantasy Arcadia world co-created by visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro,
05:34being the follow-up to Trollhunters and Three Below.
05:37Unfortunately, Wizards received the shortest runtime of the three shows, despite having
05:41the most ground to cover.
05:51The concluding series has to resolve an entire universe, and the pacing suffers for it.
05:56There was an Arcadia movie released after this, but unfortunately, it has a similarly
06:00mixed reputation amongst viewers with complaints about underdeveloped characters.
06:16Some say the Flintstones went downhill with Pebble's birth in season 3.
06:21Others point to Bam-Bam's arrival in season 4.
06:24Even well into season 5, though, the show was still producing strong episodes like Dr. Sinister.
06:32Yet, most agree that the series officially jumped the Prontosaurus in season 6 with The Great Gazoo.
06:45Like Scrappy-Doo, we're sure that Gazoo has his unapologetic fans.
06:50However, there's no denying that his very presence undermines the show's prehistoric premise,
06:54and his grating voice doesn't help.
06:57Gazoo aside, the final season included some of the show's most boneheaded storylines,
07:02like Fred turning into an ape.
07:04Despite Gazoo's exit in the penultimate episode,
07:07we're not confident that the show could have recovered had it gotten a seventh season.
07:20The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.
07:23There's an unfortunate trend of even beloved shows dropping off in quality
07:27as they enter their final run of episodes.
07:29What makes Jimmy Neutron frustrating is the lack of evolution in the characters
07:33and cliched plots in the final season.
07:44The intended finale is a generic villains band together story,
07:47and things could have been more interesting, especially for Jimmy and Cindy Shippers.
07:51This is a franchise whose pilot was a theatrical movie,
07:55and the show was a massive success.
07:57Why couldn't the finale season have been just as epic?
08:00Nickelodeon, if you're listening,
08:02it's not too late to give Jimmy the cinematic send-off or revival he deserves.
08:18Number 12, Rugrats.
08:21Nickelodeon seemingly has a habit of letting beloved shows in unceremoniously.
08:25Even after running for over a decade and being one of Nickelodeon's most popular shows ever,
08:31receiving three theatrical films, Rugrats ended with a whisper, not a bang.
08:37The finale is a run-of-the-mill episode instead of a celebration of a show
08:41with a 13-year legacy that helped put Nick on the map.
08:44The all-grown-up sequel series shows us what Tommy and the gang got up to as teens,
08:49but we wish we got a more fitting end to their era of infant escapades.
09:07Of course he does! We have all the fun!
09:10Number 11, Voltron Legendary Defender.
09:13To say that the final season of this once-universally-praised series was divisive would be an understatement.
09:20I'm afraid this is where we part ways.
09:22While season 8 got some positive reviews from critics,
09:25its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't even crack double digits.
09:29Viewers were especially upset regarding the fate of Princess Allura,
09:33one of the show's only women of color.
09:35Shiro and Curtis' wedding might have marked a significant moment for the LGBTQIA representation
09:42if the show had taken more time to flesh out their relationship.
09:48The pairing felt like an empty gesture after what happened to Adam the previous season,
09:53which showrunner Joaquin Dos Santos apologized for.
09:56Adam, I'm sorry.
10:00The drop in quality doesn't excuse the toxic backlash from various fans.
10:05That said, Voltron just didn't come together at the end.
10:09Number 10, The Powerpuff Girls.
10:12Sugar, spice, everything nice, and a dash of Chemical X,
10:16these were the ingredients for an awesome cartoon.
10:18Get out of there! You're nothing but a big party pooper!
10:22But the Powerpuff Girls lost an essential ingredient during its last seasons,
10:27creator Craig McCracken, who shifted attention to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
10:32Imaginative ones. Some kids aren't that creative, so they just copy what they see on TV.
10:36Powerpuff Girls was entrusted to the controversial Chris Savino,
10:40who couldn't maintain the sharp timing that McCracken brought to the table.
10:43It hurts so bad!
10:45The sunburn or the humiliation?
10:48Both!
10:49Following an underwhelming fifth season, the show officially lost its mojo,
10:54and its JoJo, in a sluggish final season.
10:57It's wicked awesome, bro!
10:59With cringeworthy episodes like Sunscreen,
11:02and underwhelming villains like Pirate Crack McCragen.
11:06Get it?
11:07I'll be having that treasure, or I be not Captain Crack McCragen!
11:12The Powerpuff Girls were long past their prime.
11:15However, we will take the final season over any episode of the reboot,
11:19or that live-action show that never went anywhere.
11:22We don't talk about that.
11:23There comes a time in every dog-sitter's life where she must put her foot down and say no.
11:31When the OG Ninja Turtles series ended,
11:33audience felt it had become too dark and brooding after starting on a light-hearted note.
11:38After I crush your friends into oblivion, you're next!
11:42With the 2003 series, it was the other way around.
11:46Fans praised the first five seasons for capturing the gritty edge of the comics.
11:50With season six's fast-forward storyline, though,
11:53you could sense the censors urging the showrunners to tone it down.
11:57This is even more apparent in the final season.
12:00Back to the sewer.
12:01Nice!
12:02Get back!
12:07Kid-friendly tone came with some jarring redesigns.
12:10The turtles have pupils now?
12:12The stories felt flat as well with the turtles having to fight another shredder
12:16with April and Casey planning a wedding.
12:18At least the movie Turtles Forever ended this incarnation on a higher note.
12:23Today, we're more than allies.
12:25We're brothers.
12:30Dexter's Lab had two opportunities to go out in style.
12:33The season two finale, Last but Not Beast.
12:36I wish that I could have saved the world from the giant monster.
12:44And the TV movie, Eagle Trip.
12:46While both brought a sense of finality,
12:48Cartoon Network decided to resurrect Dexter for two more seasons.
12:52He was the one who saved the future!
12:55What? No way!
12:57That didn't just happen!
12:59I wanted to be the one who saved the future!
13:04Unfortunately, creator Genndy Tartakovsky was moving on to other projects
13:09and voice actress Christine Cavanagh was on the verge of retirement.
13:13Chris Savino took over as the main creative force,
13:16which went over about as well as his Powerpuff Girls tenure.
13:20Not only did the show undergo an underwhelming visual overhaul,
13:24but the comedy became slower, weirder, and at times, trollish.
13:28Of course, Dexter.
13:30It would be my pleasure retrieving that information for you.
13:34Tartakovsky might have returned for season four's Chicken Scratch,
13:38which originally debuted theatrically.
13:40But even then, the show had become a chore to watch.
13:48Number seven, Centaur World.
13:50It's always impressive when a cartoon can balance zany antics with more serious elements.
13:55It's just a bad dream. When I wake up, I'll be back.
13:59It's just a bad dream. When I wake up, I'll be back.
14:02Adventure Time may be a children's show,
14:04but it struck this balance perfectly while having surprising depth.
14:07Even Futurama could sometimes get serious, but it knew not to overdo it.
14:11In its final season, Centaur World strikes too strong a tone at any given time
14:16instead of finding a happy medium between the fun and the not-so-fun.
14:19It doesn't help that the payoff is a rushed finale
14:22that floods the viewer with a ton of last-minute lore.
14:25What did you do? What did you do?
14:28What did I do? What did I do?
14:30Why I waited for you.
14:32I shouldn't be here.
14:33And now you've come to set me free.
14:36We love to see more experimental adult animation on Netflix,
14:39so it's a shame this show didn't live up to the promise of the first season.
14:45From the beginning, this animated reality show mashup prided itself on bad taste.
14:50In the earlier seasons, though, the shock value was complemented by clever in-jokes
14:55and well-defined characters.
14:57Look behind you. It's Denzel Washington.
15:00Denzel!
15:01By the time we got to the final season,
15:03virtually any wit went out the window in favor of forced dark humor and gross-out gags.
15:09This might be acceptable if the laughs delivered.
15:12Yoko Ono. Mitsubishi. I have a small penis.
15:17But the creators seem to get wrapped up in the mentality
15:20that if a joke is tasteless, it's automatically funny.
15:23And if you disagree, then you're just an easily offended snowflake.
15:27Which of these eight assbags will be banished from the drawn-together house?
15:32A show can be funny and offensive, but we won't tolerate laziness.
15:36Season 3 is so lazy that it leaves us on a clip show
15:40with many moments that aren't worth reminiscing over.
15:46You might have noticed a trend with several of these shows.
15:48Once the creator left, the series should have called it quits as well.
15:52The Boondocks may be the most obvious example.
15:55So much of this hilarious, provocative, and insightful show
15:58was grounded in Aaron Magruder's biting commentary.
16:03With Magruder not returning for the fourth and ultimately final season,
16:10the show became a cheap imitation of itself,
16:13with the commentary being sacrificed in favor of senseless shock humor.
16:16I'ma get a spin-off show called Black Assistant Bitches Who Killed Their Bosses.
16:20How bad was the final season?
16:22Based on the Emmy submission ballots,
16:24the crew apparently didn't even enter it for Outstanding Animated Program Consideration.
16:29There were talks of Magruder returning for a reboot,
16:32but with that project scrapped,
16:34we'll have to settle for rewatching those first three seasons.
16:51After the conception of Poof in Season 6
16:54and the introduction of Sparky the Dog in Season 9,
16:57could this Nick toon fall any further from grace?
17:09The worst was saved for last with Season 10 bringing in Chloe Carmichael,
17:13Timmy's new neighbor who he must now share his fairies with.
17:20Just like the theme song's updated lyrics,
17:23Chloe's presence simply felt forced with Nickelodeon desperately attempting to milk what was left of the series.
17:28Almost a year after the Season 10 finale,
17:31Butch Hartman announced that he was leaving Nickelodeon,
17:34was scribed by creator Greg Weissman.
17:37Hartman's exit essentially marked the end of the original series.
17:41We wish the show could have received a more ceremonious send-off,
17:45but at this point, its cancellation was a relief.
17:54Number 3. Teen Titan
17:56It's a bit ironic that Things Change is the name of the finale of this superhero action show,
18:01given that the episode and the season don't seem interested in finishing any character arcs.
18:17A better name would have been Things Change, People Don't,
18:20but the more things change, the more they stay the same.
18:23The point is, it was disappointing, leaving the final season on a sour note.
18:27The TV movie Trouble in Tokyo was no more conclusive.
18:40The Teen Titans later received a more comedic adaptation with Teen Titans Go,
18:44and while the original still hasn't received a full revival,
18:47it did at least get a fun crossover with a new version.
18:50Number 2. Star vs. The Forces of Evil
18:53Star is one of the most energetic shows that Disney has ever produced.
18:57While the series never lost that energy, it did lose focus going into its last season.
19:02Throughout its run, the show seemed to be building toward one thing,
19:06only to abandon certain storylines and characters in the end.
19:12Toffee's presence, in particular, was missed for much of the season.
19:16While it's satisfying to see Star and Marco finally declare their true feelings,
19:20we should have gotten here much sooner.
19:27The showrunner could have learned a thing or two from Kim Possible,
19:30which used its final season to explore Kim and Ron as a couple.
19:34Where the Starco romance dragged on,
19:36the finale has the opposite problem with too many rushed elements packed into 23 minutes.
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20:01Number 1. Gargoyles
20:03Season 3 of Gargoyles, a.k.a. The Goliath Chronicles, opens on a promising note.
20:09That's because the premiere was scribed by creator Greg Weissman.
20:13Brave words for a man who hides his face behind a hood.
20:17After that, Weissman had little creative input.
20:20A shift from syndication to ABC came with stricter censorship, leading to Weissman's falling out.
20:26Thanks, Fox. These shades are way cool.
20:30The once dark, emotionally complex series was dumbed down with stories about Broadway going Hollywood,
20:36while villains like Demona took a backseat.
20:38The animation was downgraded as well, with the outsourced Nelvana taking over for Disney television animation.
20:45An equitable trade.
20:46If you want a Gargoyles continuation with Weissman's personal touch,
20:50we'd suggest checking out the comic series that started in 2006.
20:54That is, if you can find a Ford to collect them all.
20:58Seriously, Disney, we need a reprint.
21:01If you're feeling particularly animated about your disappointment in your favorite show's final season,
21:06let us know in the comments down below.
21:19Do you agree with our picks?
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