‘The Bear,’ ‘Outlander,’ ‘Euphoria’ & Other 2026 TV Series Finales Ranked
Spoiler Alert
When it comes to series finales, satisfying your audience is one of the most difficult jobs in TV, and 2026 proved that was certainly the case for some favorite titles.
Whether it was The Bear, Stranger Things, Outlander, Euphoria, or The Boys, fans had their opinions, but how do the series endings from 2026 stack up? We’re ranking the major series finales that have aired so far this year, including the above, alongside Hacks, Tell Me Lies, The Neighborhood, and more.
Which shows delivered finales comparable to Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, and which was the new Game of Thrones? While that’s all in the perception of the viewer, we’re doing our best to appropriately rank the latest titles based on how well they were received. Scroll down to see where they land on our scale, and let us know which series finale of 2026 was your favorite so far in the reader poll and comments section below. (*Note: Finales included in this roundup are from previously announced final seasons, not shows that were canceled)
10. Stranger Things
The year started out with a bang as Stranger Things‘s legendary run came to a… conclusion. While we were certainly left hanging on the edge of our seats as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), the Byers family, and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), among others, faced off with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the grandeur of this long-teased final fight also made us long for the small-scale joys of the earlier seasons. Not to mention, after Eleven’s efforts to keep her found family together, her fate is left unresolved as she appeared to sacrifice herself to close the connection between the real world and the Upside Down for good. Sure, the implication is that she survived, but the epic installment left us a little empty inside. But hey, not every series finale can be the best, and landing a plane with so much riding on it is easier said than done.
9. The Neighborhood
The Pasadena, California, neighborhood looked a lot different when Gemma (Beth Behrs), Dave (Max Greenfield), and Grover Johnson (Hank Greenspan) moved out of it to head back home to Kalazamoo, Michigan, for Dave’s new job. Meanwhile, the Butlers had to deal with losing their best friends and plan a double wedding for their sons, with two surprise pregnancies for the brides at the same time. Although the finale wrapped everyone’s stories up, fans wanted to see more of the actual wedding, which the whole season had built up to, instead of just the reception. Despite that, there most likely wasn’t a dry eye watching the final moment when the Butlers and Johnsons said goodbye to each other. With no spinoffs announced, fans just have to imagine that the friends will meet again. — Brittany Sims
8. Euphoria
It’s no secret that Euphoria‘s third season wasn’t its best, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t entertaining. Still, watching Rue (Zendaya) overdose on fentanyl after she was tricked by big bad Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) was excruciatingly painful. In addition to that sad loss, more of the time was spent on new characters as Ali (Colman Domingo) sought revenge for Rue’s death with a visit to the Silver Slipper in a memorable shootout sequence. Sure, we may not have loved the overall ending, but there’s no denying the cast behind this buzzy series delivered top-tier performances in the closing chapter, and that’s what we’ll choose to remember.
7. The Boys
Some viewers were arguably disappointed by the small-scale aspect of Homelander (Antony Starr) and Billy Butcher’s (Karl Urban) scorched-earth battle, but The Boys‘ series finale was ultimately satisfying. Homelander met his long-overdue demise, but not before feeling powerless in the lead-up, and Butcher’s endless quest to eradicate the earth of supes was put to a stop by Hughie (Jack Quaid) in one of the series’ more emotional moments. Those who lived and died in the series finale were expected, and without Homelander and Butcher to mess with the scales of power, a true sense of balance was achieved. A divisive finale, The Boys‘ ending may not have been flawless, but it was more than decent for where the show had led viewers after five seasons.
6. The Way Home
After four seasons of following the Landrys — Del (Andie MacDowell), Kat (Chyler Leigh), Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow), and Jacob (Spencer MacPherson) — and their time-traveling pond, this Hallmark Channel series wrapped up pretty perfectly. It gave us a moment we’d been waiting for (Evan Williams‘ Elliot proposed to Kat!), five more minutes for Del with her late husband Colton (Jefferson Brown), time with those in the past eras, and even a wedding (Jacob and Holly Deveaux’s Abby), all while answering questions (KC’s identity!) and leaving some lingering (Why the mystery around Claire?!). While we would have loved to have seen what would have been next, especially with what executive producers Alexandra Clarke and Heather Conkie told us, Season 5 could have been. — Meredith Jacobs
5. Tell Me Lies
The Hulu college drama ended on its own terms and went out with a bang. As Tell Me Lies Season 3 weaved between the college timeline and the 2015 wedding timeline, showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer dropped bombshell twists and new romances (Bree and Wrigley forever!) that captivated fans. All the secrets and lies boiled over at Bree’s (Cat Missal) and Evan’s (Branden Cook) wedding, where Stephen (Jackson White at his absolute best) went on a wedding speech rant for the ages. The series finale didn’t answer every single question, but that’s life. Sometimes you don’t get all the answers. Like Lucy (Grace Van Patten) with Stephen, we just didn’t want to quit Tell Me Lies. But if the show had to go out, this series finale was the way to do it. — Avery Thompson
4. Power Book IV: Force
As Tommy Egan’s (Joseph Sikora) time in Chicago came to a close in Power Book IV: Force, every Power fan wondered if this could be the moment when we’d have to say goodbye to Tommy for good. In an action-packed, twist-filled final hour that contained plenty of gunfire and bloodshed, Force brought everything full circle with Tariq stepping in to help his Uncle Tommy. Despite everything that’s happened — Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) did kill Ghost, after all — Power Book IV: Force solidified a Power universal truth: After the chaos, family is what remains. The series finale’s last moments even served as the jumping-off point for the newest spinoff, Power: Legacy. Power truly never dies in this universe. — Avery Thompson
3. Outlander
Outlander‘s series finale was a long time coming, and while the installment had a bit of a slow build-up, the payoff more than made up for the wait. Introduced in Season 1’s premiere, the mystery of Jamie Fraser’s (Sam Heughan) ghost was finally revealed as he found himself drifting through space and time after being shot on Kings Mountain. It turned out that Jamie’s spirit was responsible for spawning the flowers that would lead Claire (Caitriona Balfe) to the standing stones at Craigh Na Dun, ultimately sending her traveling through time to find him. The revelation only further solidified their soulmates-of-all-time status, and the final gasp in the episode’s closing moments restored hope that the couple survived in the end. The only drawback? We need to know what happened next after it appeared that Claire had reached full healing power abilities with her whitened hair.
2. The Bear
The Bear bid viewers adieu on a high note with the FX dramedy delivering all of the warmth and comfort these characters have deserved, but barely had the wherewithal to figure out in early seasons. Despite a chaotic seven-episode arc tracking a dinner service that could determine the fate of the titular restaurant, the finale episode, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” visited the establishment in the wake of torrential downpours, tense dinner service, and unexpected flooding. In the light of a clear and rainless day, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) learn that the restaurant has been awarded not one, but two Michelin stars, and it had nothing to do with the prior night’s miracle of a service. While there are many highlights from this episode, it’s the picture of family brought together for Richie’s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) daughter’s birthday that reminds us that this group has reached the point in their lives they’ve been striving for since the beginning of the show. It’s not a perfectly tied-up package, but life never is. This finale was delectable until the final drop.
1. Hacks
It’s rare to have a series with essentially a perfect run, but Hacks comes pretty darn close with its finale episode, which saw Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) embark on an epic Parisian adventure. Following Deborah’s less-than-promising cancer diagnosis, she made the choice to go through with assisted suicide, asking Ava to join her in Europe for a final vacation before she bid the world adieu on her own terms. Despite Ava’s misgivings surrounding her creative partner’s choice, she tagged along, hitting up all of the major sites, including flea markets, the Arc de Triomphe, and a walk through the Louvre. In the end, it was comedy that made Deborah change her course, opting to return to Vegas to write another special with Ava’s help. There are too many moments to highlight, but to put it simply, Hacks landed the plane.
Conversation6 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
G
Outlander did well! Bloody brilliant!!
6
-
V
Loved Outlander and The Way Home, cried thru both finales. I just can't get into Hacks, just started season 2 and it just hasn't grabbed my attention to even continue
1
-
L
Loved Hacks! 💙
1
-
S
You left Watson out
1
-
A
It was cancelled, so per the intro at the top, was ineligible for this list.
1
-
-
M
The Neighborhood series finale is definitely one of the worst in sitcom history...Boring, bland, and quick. They basically just popped the Johnson family out, like they were never there. And did it with little drama. As well as the story of the wedding had no emotions or drama... Terrible Terrible Terrible
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services