Saying hello to a new year means saying goodbye to the previous, as well as some of your favorite shows. Although 2020 will have several new shows and seasons, the start of the decade will also be the end of an era for shows like Supernatural, Lucifer, The Good Place, Criminal Minds, and more.
Check out what shows are ending and what impact they will forever have on audiences around the world.
Arrow
What started as another comic book show in 2012, Arrow started a whole TV universe on The CW, bringing in more stories and characters every year. Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow, brought to life a well-known DC superhero, putting his own take on the millionaire playboy-turned-vigilante. After eight seasons and 170 episodes, Team Arrow will be saying goodbye at the end of the first month of the new decade. There is currently a spin-off in the works called Green Arrow and the Canaries, starring Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance, Earth-2), Juliana Harkavy (Dinah Drake), and Katherine McNamara (Mia Smoak). With DC Universe’s Stargirl premiering in Spring 2020 on the network, the expanding universe on The CW will forever be known as the Arrowverse, even after Arrow takes its final bow.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In 2012, the very first Avengers movie came out, and with it came the death of Agent Phil Coulson. In 2013, it was revealed Agent Coulson had lived and would be starring in a brand new Marvel show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. tied directly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the majority of the show, with a couple of movies changing the course of the show, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier when S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Season 6 was the first season not to have any tie-ins with the MCU, but it still proved that it could hold its own, despite constantly being on the bubble of renewal. Season 7 will be the show’s last. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is currently Marvel’s longest-running season, with season 7 airing in summer 2020 on ABC.
Supernatural
Very few shows have existed that can compare to The CW’s powerhouse Supernatural. Now in its 15th season, the show’s three main stars, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins, made the announcement early in 2019 that season 15 would be the final ride for the Winchester boys. The ability for a show to go out on the terms of the stars is a rare occurrence and proves the love and tenacity of the actors, crew, and fans of this lightning-in-a-bottle epic. From monsters to angels and even God himself, the Winchesters stood the tests of time and foes, paving the way for so many shows that followed, including The CW’s Arrowverse. Its legions of passionate fans have stood out in the world of fandom as beacons of do-gooders and love, breaking records and doing deeds both benevolent and strange in the name of kindness. Without a new adventure from the Winchesters looming on the horizon, the world will be a different place for many, but the lessons learned won’t soon be abandoned or forgotten. Carry on, boys, there’ll be peace when you are done. The finale of Supernatural airs Monday, May 18, 2020 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on The CW.
Criminal Minds
Crime shows aren’t new to the circuit — however, for nearly 15 years, Criminal Minds has been one of the most successful and longest-running television shows in CBS history. CBS made an official statement while the show was in the middle of its 14th season that the show’s 15th season would be the last. Over time the special FBI’s BAU has become a family that trickled over into the fans being part of that family, too. Fans have heavily related to the characters’ personal struggles and relationships, proving just how loyal the fanbase for the show has become since its debut in 2005. Criminal Minds will wrap up its final season with 10 episodes, bringing its total count to 325, one of the top 20 of all time by episode. The 2-hour season 15 premiere of Criminal Minds airs Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on CBS.
The Good Place
What the fork are we going to do without The Good Place? Created by Michael Schur, it stars Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, D’Arcy Carden, and Ted Danson. Schur announced in June 2019 that the current fourth season would be the final. Delivering a total of 51 episodes, or chapters, The Good Place has been one of the very rare sleeper hits that not only delivers on comedy but also has a bit of a lesson for each of us built-in. Each one of the four seasons has shown immense character growth, and most of all, that people can truly be better not only when they want to but are given the tools to do so, and that in the end, Jason may actually be the smartest of us all. With iconic episodes where the main four are trapped in Janet’s void to avoid death when already dead, to season 1 and Chidi unable to make a choice on the train problem. While we wait for Chidi to find The Answer to the end of the world, the finale of The Good Place airs on January 30, 2020 on NBC with an extended episode, plus an after-show special to be hosted by Seth Myers.
Schitt’s Creek
The world can be a cynical and scary place to live in. Thank goodness, then, that we’ve been able to escape to Schitt’s Creek for the past five seasons. Dan Levy’s comedy about a dysfunctional family forced to live in a rural town after losing their fortune at first seems like a typical fish-out-of-water show meant to mock the outsiders. But as the Rose family begins to feel more at home, they start to grow and change as people. Schitt’s Creek has given us some of the most iconic TV moments of the last few years, like Patrick and David’s romance and Alexis’ pronunciation of “David” (not to mention anything Catherine O’Hara does onscreen as Moira). The show took a while to catch on with mainstream audiences, and it’s fitting that Levy has chosen to go out on top with season 6 rather than drag out the ending due to the influx of new viewers. Schitt’s Creek is simply the best, better than all the rest … and we will miss it dearly.
Lucifer
Wait, didn’t we already say goodbye to this show? Fox canceled it in 2018 … oh, Netflix. So yes, Netflix grabbed up this phenomenal dramedy after MUCH fan outcry and gave it new life. However, the resurrection was to be short-lived. Picked up initially for a season 4, the streaming service announced that season 5 would be the last time this charming devil and his friends graced our screens. The fan response was, again, ginormous. And, even with the show’s cast counseling us to be grateful for what we had been given, the fans clamored on social media for a season 6. Netflix answered with an extended order for season 5 of 16 episodes. This should allow the show’s writers to give our devil an appropriate send-off. The final season will be split into two airings of eight episodes each; there is no release date as of this writing. Though, after Lucifer’s appearance in this year’s DC/Arrowverse crossover, we can hope we have not seen the last of our favorite Samael.
