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If I ma lean into this for a second, I think that any work of art or literature is and must be open to criticism and critiquing. That said, the criticism must be fair, honest and constructive. That does not equate going easy on the subject; far from it, only that the criticism...
...should be as well-considered as the art one wishes one had viewed. "It sucks" is a reaction, not a critique. However much person A may not like something, if person B did, then likely it didn't suck, it's just that *you" didn't like it, which is not the same thing...
...similarly, "it's not what I expected" may or may not be a valid criticism depending on several important questions. It may not be what you expected but if it's consistent with who the characters were, what they believed and how they acted then the author's action is fair...
...if, however, the unexpected ending is the consequence of making characters behave in ways that run counter to who they intrinsically are, then that's a perfectly valid criticism. Further to that point, if a given character does a huge 180-degree turn, you have to ask...
...was that turn inconsistent with who the character was *before* that, or is that turn, however extreme, consistent with who the character was previously? Does it make sense that this person, believing this way, would make this particular turn?...
No show should ever be "written for the fans" because the artist has to follow their own path...but by the same token, it must also not be a betrayal of the trust placed in the story by fans on the assumptions that the writers are playing fair. The importance of playing fair...
...with the audience is one of the most crucial aspects of any creative endeavor. In theory, at the end of any story you should be able to back up the whole thing and all the clues needed to perceive the ending were there in plain sight the whole time they just needed decoding...
...which is the obligation of the writer: to play fair, and decode the clues in a way that is natural and logical. Which is why the argument of "we had to change things because some fans had figured it out" (not specific to any show, just thinking out loud) is actually...
...counter-intuitive. If you've been doing you're job appropriately as a writer in setting out the bread crumbs to a logical conclusion, then it's not only unsurprising but validating that some fans figured it out. It's not about the need for a Big Surprise, it's about...
...the journey, about the reactions of your characters to those inevitabilities. The measure of a character is in how they confront the inevitable, not in how they react when suddenly everything is switched up for impact. Written correctly, the impact should be on the heart...
...which is infinitely more profound, interesting and emotional than just knocking somebody off or having a big fight over stakes that are ephemeral or simply of the moment. Art is what happens in the space between the perceiver and the perceived, and as a result...
...it is absolutely appropriate for the receiver of the art to say "this does (or doesn't) work for me" as an individual reaction, and then to critique, logically and fairly, where the work succeeded or fell short. That's the bargain every artist enters into when we start...
...down this road. Nobody can deny the artist his vision, but similarly nobody can deny the audience their reaction to that vision; one side of that equation doesn't get a vote on, or through objection invalidate the other side. And yes, there may be factors...
...outside the control of the artist, but that's not a get-out-of-jail-free card. There are always limitations; the question becomes how well you deal with those limits and, if your vision is important, hew to that vision regardless of the bowling balls being thrown at you...
...which is why I've always maintained, in this account, that constructive criticism and critiquing is welcome because that's the only way I can learn where I've screwed up (and I admit freely that like every other artist I have, on occasion, muffed it), so to bring this...
...back around: I think any show or any work of art must be open to criticism, provided that a) it's done fairly, honestly and with forethought, b) is emphasized as each person's unique opinion, and c) is done in such a way as to honor both the receiver and source of the art.
