Forget 'Game of Thrones,' This HBO Series Divided Fans Just as Much With Its Shocking Ending

HBO is known as the most consistent network for high-quality dramatic television, as the platform has lived up to the marketing stinger, “It’s not TV, it’s HBO.” Although HBO’s lineup of shows include all-time classics like The Sopranos, The Wire, The Leftovers, Succession, and Deadwood, these shows are also under increasing pressure to end in a satisfying way in order to justify the time viewers spent getting themselves emotionally invested in the story. No finale earned as much backlash as Game of Thrones, which ended on such a disappointing note that it effectively killed any good will that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss had earned from their excellent work on the previous seven seasons. While it didn’t get nearly as much backlash for critical decisions, HBO’s Mare of Easttownsparked divisive responses based on the ways that the core mystery was solved.