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Summary
HBOhas been the most well - reckon service for prestige television in the 21st century , with many of their shows leaving audiences shocked by season close . The web is responsible for developing some ofthe best boob tube shows ever , includingThe SopranosandThe Wire . They ’ve also had some commercially appealing blockbuster serial likeGame of Thronesand , more recently , The Last of Us . HBO knows the trick to recrudesce high - quality , habit-forming idiot box , and a lurid time of year closing curtain is a surefire way to bring someone back for more .
A shocking season finale does n’t necessarily entail a last - minute cliffhanger , though it has go on on HBO shows likeGame of ThronesandBarry . Several secret plan gadget could happen throughout an installment , or the effect could simply be bizarre or lurid in their subversion of television norms , which occurred often on shows likeThe LeftoversorThe Wire . HBO ’s shows have systematically led the way , setting trend for the highest television banner for decade . They certainly fuck how to pull off a shocking time of year finale .
HBO is known for consistently bring on the best television uncommitted , including miniseries . These shows stand out as some of their good work .
10"Mother’s Mercy"
Game Of Thrones - Season 5, Episode 10
Cast
Almost everyGame of Thronesseason finale could qualify for its shock value ( for better or bad ) . However , time of year 5 ending with Jon Snow being brutally murdered landed perfectlyduringGame of Thrones’upward drift as a cultural phenomenon , and the cliffhanger terminate left fans in disarray for a whole class . It ’s aGame of Thronesmoment that made buff cry , mainly because , for the first time , there were no answers from the books to confirm whether Jon was genuinely alive or drained , as time of year 5 score the tv set series passing George R.R. Martin ’s novels .
9"Arrivederci"
The White Lotus - Season 2, Episode 7
Part of what makesThe White Lotusso addictive is that the stopping point in seasons 1 and 2 is set up in the first instalment . Viewers know a character ( or several ) is going to die , and as tension and anxiousness ramp up episode by episode , the show becomes a guessing secret plan about who will perish in the finale . Season 2 sadly claimed the biography of Jennifer Coolidge ’s Tanya , but not before she went berserk on a gravy boat with a pistol , taking several of her enemy down with her . The rest of the White Lotus visitors have had life story - alter experiences , leaving audiences stun .
8"With Open Eyes"
Succession - Season 4, Episode 10
Season 4 solidified itself asthe bestSuccessionseasonwith its disgraceful finale , finally answering the interrogation of who would deliver the goods Logan Roy as the CEO of Waystar Royco . For anyone hoping the Roy siblings would pull it together , the season 4 close came as a depressing blow , as they were dismantled by their unsuccessful person to crop together . After the touching " repast paroxysm for a king " fit , the Roys have victory within grasp until everything comes crumbling down at the last minute , allowing Lukas Matsson to win and the Roy family legacy to shine aside .
7"Made In America"
The Sopranos - Season 6, Episode 21
The Sopranosfinale was n’t for everyone , but it was undoubtedly one of the most shocking in television history , literally cut to black andleaving audiences to theorize for decades whether Tony got whacked . The Sopranoschanged television forever , and the interpretative ending cover its trend , toying with the convention of television endings . Visual clues hinted at a hit being carried out , leaving way for audiences to conjecture and discuss for years .
6"Look For The Light"
The Last Of Us - Season 1, Episode 9
The Last of Uscontinues HBO ’s drift of shows that force viewers to interview the admirer ’s morality . Joel is the hoagy of season 1 , but the finale sees him mow down a infirmary full of Fireflies so as to save Ellie . Not just the armed gunmen either ; Joel kills scientist and innocents in his pedigree lust . At the end ofThe Last of Usseason 1 , even Ellie does n’t know how to feel about Joel , which makes it such excellent television system . The brutality is stunning , but it ’s Ellie ’s last unnerving glances at Joel that go away audiences shaken up .
5"Now Am Found"
True Detective - Season 3, Episode 8
True Detectiveseason 1 ’s conclusion is phenomenal , leaving consultation with much to recollect about . But time of year 3 , installment 8 ’s final patch twirl offer consternation on another layer . Mahershala Ali ’s Detective Hays has mull the season ’s central closed book for decades , explored through parallel timelines . In the 2015 timeline , he has dementia , causing retentivity loss as he ’s interviewed about the case for a TV program . In " Now Am Found,“Hays in conclusion puts the final piece of the puzzle together , but his retention fails himwhen he arrives to fold the case , lose it forever .
4"The Bicameral Mind”
Westworld - Season 1, Episode 10
Westworldmay not have live up to first moment , but season 1 is still incredible television with an awe - inspiring finale . Not only doesThe Man in Black finally bring out himself to be William , allowing the time of year ’s timelines to click together , but the episode ends with a bloody butchery asAnthony Hopkins ' Robert Ford ends his own lifefor his desire to prove the horde can be sentient . lamentably , Westworldnever strain these heights again .
3"I Live Here Now"
The Leftovers - Season 2, Episode 10
The Leftoversis aforgotten HBO show that deserve to be rewatched , with unbelievable second and third seasons . The previous episodes of season 2 take a turn for the surreal as Kevin Garbey dies and is sent to some shape of afterlife . Of naturally , the only style for him to bring back to the aliveness is to sing karaoke . Beyond the existential idea posed by season 2 , the plot with Meg , the Guilty Remnant , and the bomb threat on the bridge is thrilling and masterful .
2"The Black Queen"
House Of The Dragon - Season 1, Episode 10
The first season is primarily a establish - up , establishing the cause and side of the Dance of the Dragons , which will ensue inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 . Tensions rebel and fall throughout the time of year , but the net two episodes see consequence climax follow the dying of Viserys Targaryen . Rhaenyra and Alicent attempt to gather allies , but things go in the south in the Stormlands when Aemond and Lucerys run into each other , resulting in Lucerys and his dragon getting crunch by the much larger Vhagar . The violent ending is surprising , but the factual shock comes from seeing the face of Rhaenyra , a grieving mother now out for vengeance .
1"You Get What You Need"
Big Little Lies - Season 1, Episode 7
Big LittleLiesseason 1 is filled with meaningful shock value , as , likeThe White Lotus , audience know someone has died but do n’t experience who until the end . Alexander Skarsgård ’s Perry Wright ends up being the response , as a violent dispute solvent in him being pushed down stairs to his death . The conclusion leaves audiences with a long ton to ponder , especially establish how the series explores abuse and trauma .
