13 Noteworthy TV Shows That Ended in 2016
6. The Grinder – May 10th
Family-centered shows that provide both that special touch of humor and focus on two brothers are a dime a dozen, and The Grinder was not just hilarious, it was poignant, it was smart, it was refreshingly honest.
And though we won’t get any more episodes (Why FOX, why?!), we’re glad we got a chance to know the Sanders. We’re better for having known them.
7. Castle – May 16th
Castle didn’t exactly go out on a high note. Ending in its eighth season, the show announced before its cancellation that its leading lady, Stana Katic, would not be returning for another season.
Fans were rightfully outraged, and we all wondered how the show might go on without Kate Beckett. We didn’t find out though, because the news of Castle‘s cancellation came just before the season finale.
8. Penny Dreadful – June 19th
Penny Dreadful was a rarity among the other ended series of 2016 – and among ended series of any year in general. Typically, viewers will be aware either well before or shortly after a show’s last episode that it was, indeed, the final episode. But the Showtime supernatural-drama, led by the transcendent Eva Green as tortured Vanessa Ives, pulled a fast one on all of us and gave us a surprise series finale.
With no news announced about its fourth season, the third season’s finale found its lead, Vanessa, sacrificing herself to put an end to her never-ending torment and free her friends from their ongoing battles with all manner of monstrous antagonists.
It was an incredibly bleak ending, but viewers hoped that there would at least be some kind of resurrection twist in a subsequent season. Instead, after Vanessa’s somber funeral and before the credits rolled, a title card announced this as “The End.”
And it was – mere moments after the episode aired, show creator John Logan announced that he’d chosen to end the show at that point. Gotta admire that level of creative determination and control, but we’ll sure miss Vanessa, Ethan, Sir Malcolm, and the rest.
9. Person of Interest – June 21st
Person of Interest‘s final season will be remembered for a long time for the memorable moments it delivered.
From the death of Root and Reese and Team Machine’s final victory over Samaritian, longtime fans of the show got to witness one last hurrah for one of the most underrated shows in the last decade.
10. Containment – July 19th
Containment was always promoted as a limited series, but it quickly caught the attention of many fans. The first thirteen episodes of this series had everything – drama, romance, people dying horrific and bloody deaths thanks to a particularly virulent virus.
One season simply wasn’t enough to tell the whole story, which led fans to be left with a cliffhanger at the end of the series, but no Season 2 to pick back up and continue the story. While we got some finality – Katie’s death and the reunion of Lex and Jana back in the Cordon – the overall saga remained unresolved. The Cordon was still up and, though a vaccine seemed to be on the horizon, there was no end to the containment in sight.
Plus another thirteen episodes just to ogle Chris Woods arms in well-fitting black T-shirts would have been more than OK with us. #Jatie forever, y’all – in our hearts at least.
Caralynn Lippo
Caralynn is a freelance writer and editor, but most importantly, she is a diehard TV addict. A few of her current favorites are Mr. Robot, You're the Worst, iZombie, and The Vampire Diaries. She also writes about TV for Romper, The TV Junkies, and TV Fanatic.