Collage of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “Heartstopper,” and “Good Omens” (Illustration: Yanick Vicorin/Trill)
There are few moments more anticipated by television audiences than the finale of a show they have followed for years. After investing time in its characters, becoming immersed in its story, and forming communities around the world it has created, viewers expect the conclusion to give them a sense of closure
Not too long ago, this ending typically came in the form of a final season. In these episodes, unresolved conflicts were addressed, and character arcs were given the chance to develop and reach a conclusion fully. However, in the last few years, several major TV shows have concluded with a movie-length finale episode instead of a full-length season, as listed by FandomWire.
This format change comes with downsides. Often, trying to wrap up all the unresolved plot points in such a short time leads to a finale that feels rushed and incomplete to viewers.
Why the sudden “movie for finale” trend?
So why does the movie finale trend keep growing? It is most likely a combination of several factors. One reason could be that companies are attempting to turn major TV show finales into cinematic events. Take, for example, Stranger Things. Although the show did have a final season, Variety states that the last-ever episode was screened in more than 500 theaters all over the U.S. and Canada. This turned it into a major theatrical event.
Another reason could be marketing strategies. Calling something a“movie finale” makes it sound like an event rather than simply another season of television. It sounds like something fans are supposed to show up for. This comes with sorts of marketing advantages such as social media attention and potential for limited edition merchandise.
In some cases, the main reason for replacing a final season with a movie is a compromise between cancellation and continuation. A perfect example of this is Good Omens. This was a show that was meant to have a fully fleshed-out final season.
However this final season was reduced to a 90-minute movie finale after a controversy involving Neil Gaiman—author of thes fans awaiting a conclusion to their favorite show, there had to be some sort of middle ground between cancelling the show and producing an entire final season. Hence, a movie instead of a third season
Regardless of the reasoning behind this phenomenon, movie finales are here to stay. However, it is still important to address the downsides that come with this change of format.
Character Development
One of the biggest sacrifices made when a TV show is ended with a movie instead of a final season is character development and dynamics. It is very difficult to condense an entire season’s worth of character development into a two-hour-long movie.
Jeremiah from The Summer I Turned Pretty is a recent example of this. One of the biggest complaints from fans following the show’s movie finale was that Jeremiah’s character growth felt rushed, with much of it happening “off-screen.” Jeremiah had spent several seasons leaving a lasting impression on viewers and building a reputation for himself—and not necessarily a positive one. Changing that perception required more than a few scenes squeezed into a two-hour movie.
His growth needed to be shown gradually, allowing audiences to actually see the experiences and choices that changed him. Instead, much of that development had already happened by the time the movie began. Suddenly, Jeremiah can cook. Suddenly, he is in love with Denise. Instead of watching these changes unfold, audiences must simply accept them. This makes his character development feel less like a natural progression and more like a checklist of traits the writers needed to resolve before the credits rolled.
Not only was Jeremiah’s personal growth lacking, but his relationship with Belly lacked closure too. After they call off the wedding, the audience never sees them have a proper face-to-face conversation. Jeremiah and Belly were together for a long time and, although Belly always loved Conrad deep down, Jeremiah was—supposedly—very in love with her. This makes his relationship with Denise feel even more like it came out of nowhere.
Side characters
Then there are instances like Heartstopper, where a movie finale simply cannot give all of its characters the well-rounded conclusion they deserve. Although Nick and Charlie are at the center of the story, Heartstopper is a show that is built greatly around its side characters too.
Take Darcy, for example. Much of their storyline revolves around growing up in a toxic household with an unsupportive mother. Season 3 also sees Darcy begin questioning gender roles and exploring their gender identity. Yet by the time the movie arrives, their storyline is largely pushed aside. After their mother kicks them out of the house, we learn that Darcy moves in with Tara. The film, however, does little to explore what this transition means for them or how it affects their character development.
And that comes as a consequence of using a movie to replace an entire final season: there simply is not enough time to give every character the attention they need.
Episodic Pacing
It is also important to remember that TV shows are stories that were never designed to follow the same pace as a movie. The scripts for these two formats are fundamentally different. While a movie script is structured to tell a complete story within a limited amount of time, a television series is built around episodic pacing. This format allows its characters and conflicts to develop gradually over multiple episodes and, often, several seasons. When that story is suddenly condensed into a single movie, the pacing can suffer. It can feel rushed and incomplete.
One of the most recent examples of this is Good Omens. As mentioned before, PrimeVideo never intended Good Omens to end with a movie. They planned the show’s final run as a six-episode season set to release somewhere around 2024. However, PrimeVideo eventually scrapped the season and replaced it with a 90-minute movie instead.
In contrast to our other examples, the characterization in Good Omens remained strong despite the format change. However, this example shows us a different issue that comes with movie finales: too many plotlines in a very limited amount of time.
The original script tackled many subplots that were very difficult to condense into 90 minutes. We have the Second Coming, the missing Book of Life, Jesus on Earth, the dead archangels, Aziraphale and Crowley, etc. All of these plots had potential, but they needed time for proper development. Time that a 90-minute movie simply doesn’t have.
So, are movie finales always bad?
There are certainly many problems that can arise with movie finales. TV shows follow a very different script format, a format with episodic pacing in mind. They are meant to gradually develop characters, relationships, and plots. When this is changed out of nowhere, it can leave the audience feeling disoriented and unsatisfied.
Does this mean movie finales are inherently bad? Not necessarily. But if creators decide to end their shows with a movie, then they need to approach this change carefully. They need to make sure that the last full season resolved at least most of the secondary subplots so that the movie finale can focus on the main conflicts. There needs to be a substantial amount of planning in order for a movie finale to fully hit all the marks.
If you liked reading about this recent trend in television, consider readingthis other article on box office trends as well!
