The “Animaniacs” cartoon series was known for its irreverent, 4th-wall-breaking humor, but the final episode appeared to end with the characters’ violent deaths, leaving fans shocked. 

“Animaniacs” was a cartoon originally created in the early 1990s that often parodied pop culture, historical figures, and pushed the boundaries of conventional cartoons at the time. The ensemble series, starring the Warner siblings who live in the Warner Brothers water tower made many jokes that humored both children and adults, 

It was revived in the 2020s on the Hulu streaming service and according to Rotten Tomatoes was well received by critics and common viewers alike.

In an era of widely hated reboots, the new “Animaniacs” series on Hulu appears to have picked up where the franchise left off with the same brand of humor, even having an entire song, “Reboot It,” about how the entertainment industry has run out of ideas and resorts to resurrecting old successful shows to make easy money. 

However, a clip went viral online of characters Wacko, Yakko and Dot lamenting the final episode of their show, before they appear to be annihilated by a falling meteor. “We’re really all about to die,” Dot laments.

“The fact the series was ending was never in doubt, with Hulu originally only planning to make two seasons of the cartoon but extending that thanks to the high public demand for the show,” pop culture outlet MovieWeb reported. “However, many had hoped that despite Hulu calling the episode the last time the Warner Brothers and Warner Sister would be seen ever, there could be a chance that the show would be sold to someone else. That now doesn’t seem on the cards, and the resulting abrupt, skewed ending to the series has caused a wave of backlash online.”

MovieWeb observed that fans of the well-liked Animaniacs reboot were enraged that their show is canceled while the widely hated spinoff “Velma” appears to be surviving on HBO MAX.

“Naturally, the reaction of fans to any cancelation always included a comparison with other shows that perhaps shouldn’t have been green-lit according to popular opinion,” the same outlet observed. “In this case, Animaniacs demise coincides with the continued belief that Velma has secured a second season despite being one of the worst rated programs to ever hit HBO Max.”

“Velma,” is the HBO spinoff of the classic Hanna-Barbera series, “Scooby-Doo,” that has been condemned for controversies such as sexualizing minors and pushing a woke agenda, all while being a mean-spirited and dark take on the original beloved characters.