Sharp Objects' final scene made the frustrating series great because it avoided the "offputting cuteness" of other limited series finales

Entertainment Weekly

"There’s an offputting cuteness toward the end of some of the most acclaimed short-run dramas, a sudden-onset finale instinct to wrap everything up on a good note," says Darren Franich, referring to everything from True Detective to Fargo. But with its nasty, brutish and short ending, Sharp Objects went in a different direction. "I didn’t always love Sharp Objects, will always wonder if it would’ve been twice as good half as long," says Franich. "But the final moments ascended to greatness by, paradoxically, descending toward B-movie cheap thrills: A cadaverous DIY art project, a redemption exploded, that climactic 'Don’t tell Mama!' suggesting the crowdpleasing catchphrase in a family sitcom broadcast straight from Hell. You’re left with one twisted epiphany."

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