'Transparent' Season 5: Longtime fans left disappointed by the 'trainwreck' musical finale have one question: 'Why?'

Shelly (Judith Light), with her introspection, and various stages of relatable grieving manages to capture our hearts like never before.

After a two-year wait, Amazon's 'Transparent' premieres its musical series finale on Friday, September 27, and it's safe to say viewers have some thoughts. The show's transgender protagonist Maura Pfefferman, portrayed by Jeffrey Tambor, has been killed off for the fifth and final season of the show, and the final season is all about her family coming to terms with her loss — and for some reason, they do it through musical numbers. 

Tambor was called out for his alleged sexual predatory behavior, which resulted in his firing from 'Transparent', and the creators decided to explain his absence by killing off his character. While the move has been welcomed by the fans, season finale seems to have missed the mark, especially with the musical aspect of it coming across as unnecessary.

One of the viewers tweeted after seeing the series finale, "Can honestly say I didn’t enjoy the #TransparentFinale Did Not like", while another opined, "It was entertaining at some points. But what was the point in making a musical finale? This is what they’ve been writing for 2 years?!?" A truly disgruntled fan wrote, "The Transparent musical finale is lucky everyone is distracted by Stupid Watergate because it is a big ol' mess."



 

This is not to say that the other characters did not have an impact or that the brilliant actors did any worse than in the past four seasons. In fact, Shelly (Judith Light), with her introspection and various stages of relatable grieving, manages to capture our hearts like never before. She and Davina (Alexandra Billings) have some poignant scenes this season, and both actors did a wonderful job of narrating it. 

In totality, though it is a mess, it's a mess you cannot miss, especially if you have followed the lives of the Pfeffermans for the last four seasons. Maybe, it is the roughness around the edges that makes the series finale so uniquely 'Transparent.'

If you still haven't watched it, log on to your Amazon Prime account and say a final goodbye to the Pfeffermans.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Ellen Pompeo returns as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 brings another emergency to Grey Sloan Memorial.
2026-10-15T18:15:35.000Z
Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvester Stallone reunite in the first teaser for Paramount+’s 'Frisco King.'
2026-10-15T16:46:54.000Z
Sylvester Stallone returns as Dwight Manfredi in 'Tulsa King' Season 4, where rival gangs threaten to change his criminal empire.
2026-10-15T16:18:54.000Z
‘Tulsa King’ takes viewers beyond its namesake city as Dwight Manfredi’s empire grows across seasons. Here's a look at the real-life locations.
2026-10-15T16:02:35.000Z
Hal’s final move at the G7 raises questions about his loyalties as Kate confronts Grace, but keeps the viewers waiting for more.
2026-10-15T15:39:21.000Z
Season 6 of ‘Abbott Elementary’ premiered on October 7, and new guest stars are set to appear in upcoming episodes
2026-10-15T09:31:47.000Z
Linda Cardellini's ‘Crystal Lake’ Episode 1 pays tribute to a real snake killed during ‘Friday the 13th’ filming
2026-10-15T07:17:19.000Z
The adult animated series follows a celebrity escape artist who is pulled back into a war between Apokolips and New Genesis
2026-10-15T07:03:30.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ Season 15 Episode 2 puts Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide's marriage to the test after the latter's promotion
2026-10-15T05:26:51.000Z
‘VisionQuest’ introduces a young pickpocket from London whose past traces back to Westview and ties into ‘Agatha All Along’
2026-10-15T05:12:19.000Z