Series finales done right

[mr.brighteyes]

The West Wing. Everyone moves in everyone moves on. The Bartletts leave the office and the residence as the Santos's move in. Sam comes back to be the Josh to Josh's Leo. the President pardons Toby at the last second. Donna gets an amazing new office. A just reward for playing second fiddle to Josh for so long,

As much as I would still love to see President Santos govern The series ends with the Bartlett family coming home to New Hampshire which admittedly is how it should end since the series was about them and not the new president.

Perfect Ending

[Mac Danny]

Series Finales that were great IMO.

The West Wing

Mash

Angel

Newhart

That is all I can think of right now. Maybe Facts of Life??

[DubipR]

Newhart



Without a doubt the greatest series finale in tv history. End it right here

[1505627]

avatar the last airbender

[RonnieThunderbolts]

The Wonder Years. Great ending. The last narration segment, telling viewers what happened to Kevin Arnold and his friends and family was so moving, when he talked about his dad dying two years later, and writing to and getting a letter from Winnie every week for the 8 years she is in Paris before picking her up from the air port when she came back, with his wife and first son, or Wayne becoming the head of the family, taking over the furniture business their dad had started and finally growing up. The character had been very well developed, it was time to end the show, and they did it very well.

.

[ForeverTaskmaster]

Angel
The Shield
Point Pleasant

[mr.brighteyes]

Angel
The Shield
Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant was an awful show that was canceled in the first season. What was the season finale?

[lou-bert vs. q-bert]

Well, MASH's finale was good, but it really should have come years before the show turned into a sappy melodrama.

While I didn't see it, I heard The Fugitive finale was excellent.

[Cyke]

Frasier comes to mind. Sure, everything is built up in absurdly wacky ways, like a sitcom times 10, but it was sweet and pretty ambitious.

Plus it did everything the Friends finale did, but far better.

[Infernorhythm]

M*A*S*H
Angel
Newhart

And even thought it wasn't a real series finale, as it was cancelled, the last episode of Journeyman was brilliant.

[thehod]

I loved the last episode of the Life on Mars.

[Captain Trips]

Well, MASH's finale was good, but it really should have come years before the show turned into a sappy melodrama.

In my opinion MASH morphed into two different shows that were both excellent in their own respects. The first three seasons with Trapper and Henry were just comedic gold. The episodes of these seasons were just such a consistently high quality. I can watch them again and again and never get tired.

MASH version 2 (as it were) began when Charles joined the 4077th. BJ's and Potter's first two years of the show really seemed to be a transition. Even though the show creators were wise enough not to have BJ be a new Trapper and Potter be a new Henry, it took a little while for these two to become their own characters. A really wise move was to shake up the dynamic between Frank, Margaret, and Hawkeye. Where at first it was Hawkeye and Trapper vs. Margaret and Frank, we never saw Hawkeye and BJ vs. Margaret and Frank. There really wasn't even Hawkeye and BJ vs. Frank that much. But this was where it became clear that the writers just didn't know what to do with Frank anymore.

These two seasons, 4 and 5, are the weakest of the entire series. Gary Burghoff was getting too old to still be playing a naive, 19 year old virgin, Iowa farmboy. And since there was no more Hawkeye and Trapper plotting schemes for Radar to help out carry out, Radar became even less interesting. Klinger, who is a much more interesting character, started to get more of the spotlight in these two years, but wouldn't become really fully fleshed out until season 6 and on.

Charles was a great character, and his chemistry with Hawkeye and BJ rivaled the chemistry of Frank with Hawkeye and Trapper. Margaret was a completely different character now too, but in a way that worked for her interaction with Charles. While MASH become much more serious from season 6 onward, the shows were still of a consistent high quality that worked with how the characters had grown and evolved. The Hawkeye of the first season and the Hawkeye of the last are radically different characters.

The final episode of MASH was one of the best conclusions to a series that I have ever seen. The tone, subject matter, and final moments of these characters together was done pretty much perfectly. But, the way I see it, this was the final episode of MASH version 2. The final episode of MASH version 1 was Henry's last episode. And again, that was a pretty much flawless episode that was perfect for the characters of those three years. Yes, I know it was shocking to have Henry killed, but there was always an undercurrent of the consequences of war that was prevalent through those three years. And Henry's death encapsulated this theme in a way that fans of the show would never forget and a final scene that will always be remembered.

[The Black Guardian]

Quantum Leap
Seinfeld
Wonder Years
Cheers

[Lord of Denial]

Babylon 5.

[Legato]

Quantum Leap
Seinfeld
Wonder Years
Cheers

Despite that the ending was a downer.

Farscape.

[the goddamn batman]

Spaced had a perfect ending.

[bringthenoise]

Well everyone else has said Angel already, but I'll throw Buffy in as well.

[mr.brighteyes]

Quantum Leap
Seinfeld
Wonder Years
Cheers

In what way did Seinfeld have a good ending. The series was humorous enough but the finale was just stupid. They brought as many guest stars back as possible to make up for the fact that it was a weak plot..

What always cracked me up was the Buffy and Angel finales were polar opposites and yet people complained about both of them.

[Chiasm]

Despite that the ending was a downer.

Farscape.

Eh?

If your talking about the actual series I suppose but if your talking about The Peacekeeper Wars finale I thought it was a high point to go out on.

[Chiasm]

Does Serenity count as a finale to Firefly? If so then it was great.

As someone else mentioned, Journeyman's sorta finale was brilliant especially given that the writers had to put it there without much warning.

Its been many years since I've seen it but I think I recall Star Trek: TNG's ending being great.

And I'll mention Alias with a big asterisk because while most of the ending was rather blah, the part of the ending with Jack Bristow defeating the now immortal Arvin Sloane was awesome beyond words.

[Infernorhythm]

Spaced had a perfect ending.

Gaah! How did I forget Spaced? That may be one of the most pitch perfect shows ever and had one of the best endings ever.

And yeah, the more I think about it, the more brilliant the Journeyman ending was. Easily the best acted show in a long time.

[Wannabe]

Freaks and Geeks had a good ending. I don't think it ever aired, but it had a good ending.

[Toonimator]

Does Serenity count as a finale to Firefly? If so then it was great.

As someone else mentioned, Journeyman's sorta finale was brilliant especially given that the writers had to put it there without much warning.

Its been many years since I've seen it but I think I recall Star Trek: TNG's ending being great.
Yes to all three! I just wish Journeyman had gone on longer. NBC's post-Heroes 10pm slot has been a sore spot with me, as there were at least two shows I really enjoyed (Journeyman and Studio 60) that got canned for no good reason. Yeah, yeah, 'ratings', but nothing else they plopped in there fared much better.

And Farscape's Peacekeeper Wars was a nice goodbye to the series. I think Legato bolded "Quantum Leap" to show THAT ending was a downer, not Farscape. And it was; Sam doesn't go home. He takes control of leaping, but doesn't go back, and while Al gets a happy ending, Sam's fate is ambiguous. Does he keep leaping, righting wrongs throughout the decades as himself? Is Al still with the project helping him out, or did he never join, meaning Roddy McDowell or someone else is assisting him? Or... what?

[Wenatchee the Hatchet]

Sam's fate in Quantum Leap is he leaps around space and time helping people. It's not a downbeat ending exactly, but it assumes you'll assume that he keeps doing what he's been doing. As I understood the series they figured they'd followed it up to the point where they admitted they were doing a sci-fi variation of Highway to Heaven and just dropped it where it was.

[Ilash]

Freaks and Geeks
Frasier
Angel
Spaced
Arrested Development

These have all been mentioned haven't they? They are all great though.

[cosmoboy]

Eh?

If your talking about the actual series I suppose but if your talking about The Peacekeeper Wars finale I thought it was a high point to go out on.

The downer ending he was talking about was Quantum Leap.

[Redem]

I like the last episode of Beast Wars, the only down point was Tigerhawk who didn't serve much of a purpose except killing Tarantuala bllowing up the Predacon base and showing how powerful the nemeisis was.

[Lord of Denial]

The downer ending he was talking about was Quantum Leap.

I like it, considering I never really liked Sam.

[Kage Kisaragi]

Justice League Unlimited

The Cosby Show

[frankiedetroit]

In my opinion MASH morphed into two different shows that were both excellent in their own respects. The first three seasons with Trapper and Henry were just comedic gold. The episodes of these seasons were just such a consistently high quality. I can watch them again and again and never get tired.

MASH version 2 (as it were) began when Charles joined the 4077th. BJ's and Potter's first two years of the show really seemed to be a transition. Even though the show creators were wise enough not to have BJ be a new Trapper and Potter be a new Henry, it took a little while for these two to become their own characters. A really wise move was to shake up the dynamic between Frank, Margaret, and Hawkeye. Where at first it was Hawkeye and Trapper vs. Margaret and Frank, we never saw Hawkeye and BJ vs. Margaret and Frank. There really wasn't even Hawkeye and BJ vs. Frank that much. But this was where it became clear that the writers just didn't know what to do with Frank anymore.

These two seasons, 4 and 5, are the weakest of the entire series. Gary Burghoff was getting too old to still be playing a naive, 19 year old virgin, Iowa farmboy. And since there was no more Hawkeye and Trapper plotting schemes for Radar to help out carry out, Radar became even less interesting. Klinger, who is a much more interesting character, started to get more of the spotlight in these two years, but wouldn't become really fully fleshed out until season 6 and on.

Charles was a great character, and his chemistry with Hawkeye and BJ rivaled the chemistry of Frank with Hawkeye and Trapper. Margaret was a completely different character now too, but in a way that worked for her interaction with Charles. While MASH become much more serious from season 6 onward, the shows were still of a consistent high quality that worked with how the characters had grown and evolved. The Hawkeye of the first season and the Hawkeye of the last are radically different characters.

The final episode of MASH was one of the best conclusions to a series that I have ever seen. The tone, subject matter, and final moments of these characters together was done pretty much perfectly. But, the way I see it, this was the final episode of MASH version 2. The final episode of MASH version 1 was Henry's last episode. And again, that was a pretty much flawless episode that was perfect for the characters of those three years. Yes, I know it was shocking to have Henry killed, but there was always an undercurrent of the consequences of war that was prevalent through those three years. And Henry's death encapsulated this theme in a way that fans of the show would never forget and a final scene that will always be remembered.

Nicely laid out, Cap'n. Since I first heard Wayne Rogers mention it, I've often wondered how the show would have developed had Trapper been given more to do than support Hawkeye.

[Captain Trips]

Nicely laid out, Cap'n. Since I first heard Wayne Rogers mention it, I've often wondered how the show would have developed had Trapper been given more to do than support Hawkeye.

Thanks for the comment. I wonder what the show would have been like if Wayne Rogers stayed on after McLean Stevenson left. I think Trapper was a good character, and it would have been interesting to see him evolve over the course of the show.

[Caanan]

The UK version of the Office has the best ending to any show ever.

I mean, to make you actually turn around and CARE about David Brent? After I watched the two specials, I went straight back and watched the whole thing all over again, with a complete new perspective and respect for David Brent. Bloody brilliant writing.

The Extras Christmas special was also rather excellent. Particularly the long rant in the Big Brother house about celebrity culture.

Also, I thought the last episode of Futurama was a great ending, and prefer to keep thinking of it that way. The movies have been average at best, so I cling to the memory of that holophone opera episode, and the glimmer of hope for Fry and Leela.

[Sean Walsh]

Also, I thought the last episode of Futurama was a great ending, and prefer to keep thinking of it that way. The movies have been average at best, so I cling to the memory of that holophone opera episode, and the glimmer of hope for Fry and Leela.

Have you seen the latest movie (Into the Wold Green Yonder)? You'll.....possibly like it.

[Caanan]

Have you seen the latest movie (Into the Wold Green Yonder)? You'll.....possibly like it.

Not yet, but that gives me hope! Thanks, Sean. :o)

[Ontir]

In my opinion MASH morphed into two different shows that were both excellent in their own respects. The first three seasons with Trapper and Henry were just comedic gold. The episodes of these seasons were just such a consistently high quality. I can watch them again and again and never get tired.

MASH version 2 (as it were) began when Charles joined the 4077th. BJ's and Potter's first two years of the show really seemed to be a transition. Even though the show creators were wise enough not to have BJ be a new Trapper and Potter be a new Henry, it took a little while for these two to become their own characters. A really wise move was to shake up the dynamic between Frank, Margaret, and Hawkeye. Where at first it was Hawkeye and Trapper vs. Margaret and Frank, we never saw Hawkeye and BJ vs. Margaret and Frank. There really wasn't even Hawkeye and BJ vs. Frank that much. But this was where it became clear that the writers just didn't know what to do with Frank anymore.

These two seasons, 4 and 5, are the weakest of the entire series. Gary Burghoff was getting too old to still be playing a naive, 19 year old virgin, Iowa farmboy. And since there was no more Hawkeye and Trapper plotting schemes for Radar to help out carry out, Radar became even less interesting. Klinger, who is a much more interesting character, started to get more of the spotlight in these two years, but wouldn't become really fully fleshed out until season 6 and on.

Charles was a great character, and his chemistry with Hawkeye and BJ rivaled the chemistry of Frank with Hawkeye and Trapper. Margaret was a completely different character now too, but in a way that worked for her interaction with Charles. While MASH become much more serious from season 6 onward, the shows were still of a consistent high quality that worked with how the characters had grown and evolved. The Hawkeye of the first season and the Hawkeye of the last are radically different characters.

The final episode of MASH was one of the best conclusions to a series that I have ever seen. The tone, subject matter, and final moments of these characters together was done pretty much perfectly. But, the way I see it, this was the final episode of MASH version 2. The final episode of MASH version 1 was Henry's last episode. And again, that was a pretty much flawless episode that was perfect for the characters of those three years. Yes, I know it was shocking to have Henry killed, but there was always an undercurrent of the consequences of war that was prevalent through those three years. And Henry's death encapsulated this theme in a way that fans of the show would never forget and a final scene that will always be remembered.

I think the transition of the show from the goofier comedy, to more serious began with the departure of Henry. He leaves the unit in a scene very much what the show had been, down to planting a kiss on Hotlips that staggers her, then the choppers come, it's back to the grind of meatball surgery until Radar enters. As you probably know, none of the actors knew what was coming. Burghoff had only been handed the side and told to go in and tell the cast what was on it. He and Radar staggered in and blew the cast out of the water. Not only had MacClean left the show, but Henry was dead. The dath of the Korean War wasn't something they dealt with anymore, it was something that touched them personally and they, like the show, would never be the same.

Goodbye, Farewell, Amen set the standard for final episodes. The last episode of Mad About You equaled it, but Six Feet Under blew everything out of the water, and it's going to be a long damn time before anyone comes anywhere close!

[The Black Guardian]

In what way did Seinfeld have a good ending. The series was humorous enough but the finale was just stupid. They brought as many guest stars back as possible to make up for the fact that it was a weak plot..
The whole point of Seinfeld was weak plots.

[Captain Trips]

I think the transition of the show from the goofier comedy, to more serious began with the departure of Henry. He leaves the unit in a scene very much what the show had been, down to planting a kiss on Hotlips that staggers her, then the choppers come, it's back to the grind of meatball surgery until Radar enters. As you probably know, none of the actors knew what was coming. Burghoff had only been handed the side and told to go in and tell the cast what was on it. He and Radar staggered in and blew the cast out of the water. Not only had MacClean left the show, but Henry was dead. The dath of the Korean War wasn't something they dealt with anymore, it was something that touched them personally and they, like the show, would never be the same.!

Yeah, I agree with all of this. Up until that scene of Radar coming into the OR, the entire show had still been done in the same style of goofy humor that had been the norm for the past three seasons. The death of Henry not only marked the transition of the show, but basically drew the line in the sand and said that things would never be the same again.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The thing about M.A.S.H and its move from comedy is something I saw Alan Alda in a reunion special mention. For that 1st season it was HA HA , moments. There was more of a comedy and laughing at this war . But the moment it changed was in that 1st season.

It was the episode where Hawkeye's best friend dies before his eyes. At that moment , Alda has said ...people were like...ok this isn't all HA HA comedy. And seeing that moment it was a sharp turn the series could take and be serious.

In the 4th season we have to remember , Margret and Frank broke up as she got enganged . The dynamic that Captain Trips mentions played a big part. They even had Hawkeye and Margret get close as friends a season or 2 later.


I think the biggest loss was Henry Blake though. Nothing against Wayne Rodgers as Trapper , but Blake's loss was a big one. He was the clutzy commander in charge of this rag tag group of people. It was a big loss and I'm sure he regretted it later leaving a popular show at the point he did.

[Ilash]

The whole point of Seinfeld was weak plots.

How so? Seinfeld was one of the most intricately plotted shows ever.

[Abraxas]

"The Prisoner" anyone? Written and Directed by Patrick McGoohan. The strangest finale ever.

"Gilmore Girls". It was tough to say good bye to Lorelai and Rory.

"OZ". Keller's last hurrah.

"Superman: The Animated Series" Supes done right.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" Larry and his new family. I regard this as a series finale until I see the commercials for a new season.

"The Larry Sanders Show" How Leno should have gone out.

[Bruce Wayne Jr.]

I liked the Seinfeld finale.

They got what they deserved, but still remained endearing characters.

[Gary Joyce]

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" Larry and his new family. I regard this as a series finale until I see the commercials for a new season.



http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/seinfeld-cast-t.html?iid=top25-Exclusive%3A+'Seinfeld'+cast+to+appear+on+'Curb+Yo ur+Enthusiasm'

Can't wait! Wonder if they touch on Michael Richards' controversy, especially since Larry is living with the Blacks. I can just imagine Leon's reaction.

[Deep_Sleeper]

I can't wait until the finale of Entourage. I love that show and I think it's gonna be awesome.

[Jared]

No mention of TNG's All Good Things yet? I thought it was a very fitting end to the show. TNG never had an over-arching plot, but the last story did deal with the main theme of humanity achieving its potential which was so prevelent for seven years. And it was probably the best that Q has even been. It was basically a "life goes on as usual" end, but with a nice bonus of character development. Picard sits down at the poker table with the rest of the cast, saying "I should have done this a long time ago." It was a touching moment.

I think Seinfeld was attempting to do a parody of the typical finale, with the parade of old stars and stories popping up, but it just failed utterly. Jerry doing stand up in prison during the end-credits was the only part of the whole thing that was funny. It certainly didn't help that the clip-laden finale was preceded by a clip-laden retrospective special.

[Bruce Wayne Jr.]

I think Seinfeld was attempting to do a parody of the typical finale, with the parade of old stars and stories popping up, but it just failed utterly. Jerry doing stand up in prison during the end-credits was the only part of the whole thing that was funny. It certainly didn't help that the clip-laden finale was preceded by a clip-laden retrospective special.

The Seinfeld crew, to some degree or another, screwed over all those people! I found it very appropriate that the show called them out on their behavior.

The Larry Sanders finale was fantastic as well. Any fan of the show had to cry a little watching this one.

I wish Curb had ended with the last season, because it just felt so right. Larry goes against the grain in the biggest way, and most importantly, he's finally happy. Cheryl's a great character, but Larry's just too silly for her!

[Caanan]

I'm gonna up the nerd factor a little and say that when the school burned up at the end of Degrassi Junior High, why... I almost cried. ;o)

[Stressfactor]

The thing about M.A.S.H and its move from comedy is something I saw Alan Alda in a reunion special mention. For that 1st season it was HA HA , moments. There was more of a comedy and laughing at this war . But the moment it changed was in that 1st season.

It was the episode where Hawkeye's best friend dies before his eyes. At that moment , Alda has said ...people were like...ok this isn't all HA HA comedy. And seeing that moment it was a sharp turn the series could take and be serious.

In the 4th season we have to remember , Margret and Frank broke up as she got enganged . The dynamic that Captain Trips mentions played a big part. They even had Hawkeye and Margret get close as friends a season or 2 later.


I think the biggest loss was Henry Blake though. Nothing against Wayne Rodgers as Trapper , but Blake's loss was a big one. He was the clutzy commander in charge of this rag tag group of people. It was a big loss and I'm sure he regretted it later leaving a popular show at the point he did.Hawkeye and Margaret became more than just "good friends" -- they slept together once and it was after that their relationship largely changed. They realized that one night does not a love affair make but they end up respecting and caring more about one another afterwards.

[Stressfactor]

I don't know about "Done Right" but I've got to give the ORIGINAL series finale of Magnum P.I. some major props for doing the completely unexpected and making a move that also could have (and as it turned out was) really unpopular but they took the risk anyway. Too many shows end up chickening out on stuff.

The second series finale chickened out.

[Ontir]

The whole point of Seinfeld was weak plots.

The problem with the Seinfeld finale had nothing to do with plot, it had everything to do with being horrifically un-funny!

My friends and I gathered to say goodbye to a friend, and we ended up feeling like we'd wasted years of our lives. I think the ending of the show has a good deal to do with my being completely unable to watch it in re-runs now.

[gorosaurus]

St. Elsewhere
The Young Ones
Newhart

[Stony]

I don't know about done right, because they left... everything... up in the air.

But the ending of TWIN PEAKS snagged a fishing-hook so deeply in my lip that I'm still tugging on the line after all these years

[Stressfactor]

Nerd quotient 10 but.....


Sapphire and Steel -- another freaky, non-ending ending that just leaves you haunted.

[Cyke]

Nerd quotient 10 but.....


Sapphire and Steel -- another freaky, non-ending ending that just leaves you haunted.

I think the teaser of that episode induced nightmares.

[ForeverTaskmaster]

Point Pleasant was an awful show that was canceled in the first season. What was the season finale?
Point Pleasant wasn't as awful as it was made out to be. Ok, it has been cancelled, but that doesn't mean anything. Lots of other good shows get cancelled just like that. Point Pleasant had a very pleasant ending.

[Howard Allan]

St. Elsewhere
The Young Ones
Newhart


St. Elsewhere had a terrible ending. Shades of Dallas and Bobby's wife dreaming an entire season.

[Captain Trips]

I though the last episode of Cheers was pretty good as well. It was nice to see Diane come back and finally resolve her walking out of Sam's life 7 years prior.

[hugh45]

Six Feet Under. Best ending of all times!!

[hoffmandu]

Six Feet Under. Best ending of all times!!

I second this. This holds the numero uno slot on my list too. In fact, that last season was rocking.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Hawkeye and Margaret became more than just "good friends" -- they slept together once and it was after that their relationship largely changed. They realized that one night does not a love affair make but they end up respecting and caring more about one another afterwards.

I had always thought the "sleeping togethor" scene was one where you could say they did or did not. If I remember right they kissed and were in a cave , hugging close ...scared etc etc. But they seemed to bury a lot of the animosity they had towards each other.

Where Hawkeye admitted he was scared of dying and that the only way he had to handle it all was to tell jokes.

[fireSTRIKE!]

The Fugitive (original series)

[Stressfactor]

I had always thought the "sleeping togethor" scene was one where you could say they did or did not. If I remember right they kissed and were in a cave , hugging close ...scared etc etc. But they seemed to bury a lot of the animosity they had towards each other.

Where Hawkeye admitted he was scared of dying and that the only way he had to handle it all was to tell jokes.No, they didn't SHOW anything BUT the next day had Margaret starting out being really uncharacteristically "lovey" towards Hawkeye -- even calling his "darling" or "sweetheart" or some such pet name (I can't remember exactly what she called him it's been a few years) until, as the day wore on, their relationship changed into what it then became -- something that wasn't a love affair but was more friendly and understanding than it had been.

While it might have been a "did they or didn't they" it really came off as more of a "they did".

[Mike Pothier]

Cowboy Bebop. Spike is no longer running from his past, the weight is gone. He's at peace.

[Toonimator]

Did you post that before? I could've sworn I read exactly that message about Cowboy Bebop in this thread a few days ago, only there's no such message.

[Mike Pothier]

Nope, you just have psychic powers.

Can I have tomorrows lotto numbers?

[Ontir]

St. Elsewhere had a terrible ending. Shades of Dallas and Bobby's wife dreaming an entire season.

It was absolutely brilliant!!!

I do wish Paltrow & Co. had gotten to do the other ending though. That sounded amazing.

[tornshattered]

BtVS finale made up for that horrible season 7.

Eli McBeal

Can't really think up anything else.

[Treqqor]

Put me down for another vote for TNG's "All Good Things".
That was as perfect an ending as I could ever have hoped for, for the series.

DS9's was half perfect, if not for the villainous tirades of Dukat at the end.

The less said about Voyager's finale, the better.

But yes. To me, TNG is the golden standard for series finales.

That and Newheart's classic!

[matt_hatyber]

Jericho. A great ending to a great show.

[Ontir]

I actually like Voyager's ending better than Next Generation's. Next Generation was all too nicely tied up in a bow. Voyager was a decent ending to a terribly flawed series. I think if Next Generation had ended the way Generations played, it would've been far better.

[rondre sleazde]

Angel
Roswell
The Shield
Daybreak
The OC
THe Wire

[Ontir]

You know, I loved Roswell through the arrival of Emily De Ravin, but when they brought in the reincarnated monarch storyline, it all fell apart.

the Mary Tyler-Moore Show had a fantastic finale.

I loved the final episode(s) of Sex and the City. Carrie in Paris, the girls embracing "Big" when he finally pulled his head out of his ass. Though I will say I longed to see the finale that Sarah Jessica Parker had suggested: Big walks away from a crying Carrie for the final time, and in desperation she yells, "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!?"

[darkkeeperjr]

"Good Times" ended well. they finally got a lucky break and left the getto.

[Cyke]

I actually like Voyager's ending better than Next Generation's. Next Generation was all too nicely tied up in a bow. Voyager was a decent ending to a terribly flawed series. I think if Next Generation had ended the way Generations played, it would've been far better.

Well, Voyager did get home by a wormhole that doubled as a plot hole :)

Justice League Unlimited


While the last season was certainly better than 90% of anything on TV, I'd argue that the previous season finale was the perfect ending. The whole Cadmus arc was just tightly written without missing a beat, raising some very self aware questions that predated the likes of "The Dark Knight." "Panic in the Sky" and "Divided We Fall" were both epic and tied up a lot of loose ends. "Epilogue" itself just felt like that for the entire DCAU, and I consider those three episodes to be one giant finale.

[Treqqor]

I actually like Voyager's ending better than Next Generation's. Next Generation was all too nicely tied up in a bow. Voyager was a decent ending to a terribly flawed series. I think if Next Generation had ended the way Generations played, it would've been far better.

Just to have a friendly (and most geeky!) disagreement here, I liked the bow for TNG, which it really had to be with the movies coming around the corner.

But Voyager did what it did best. Showed that it didn't care about the characters (Janeway is a baby that potentially destroys MANY lives because she's guilty that she lost people under her command, going against everything we learn about the timeline), continuity (Chakotay and Seven?! Talk about out of the blue for the final episode!) and just plain dumbness (Batmobile armour saving the day because of future tech... again... way to do it on your own, guys!)

This is just from memory, I haven't seen the episode since it aired, maybe I'm remembering some of the details wrong. But I remember just shaking my head through most of the episode. So few redeeming qualities.

[stealthwise]

I second this. This holds the numero uno slot on my list too. In fact, that last season was rocking.

Thirded. I was honestly blown away.

[Athena Bast]

Just to have a friendly (and most geeky!) disagreement here, I liked the bow for TNG, which it really had to be with the movies coming around the corner.

But Voyager did what it did best. Showed that it didn't care about the characters (Janeway is a baby that potentially destroys MANY lives because she's guilty that she lost people under her command, going against everything we learn about the timeline), continuity (Chakotay and Seven?! Talk about out of the blue for the final episode!) and just plain dumbness (Batmobile armour saving the day because of future tech... again... way to do it on your own, guys!)

This is just from memory, I haven't seen the episode since it aired, maybe I'm remembering some of the details wrong. But I remember just shaking my head through most of the episode. So few redeeming qualities.

No, you got it right.

Seven should have ended up with Harry.. at least that seemed where it was going until the 180 of the finale. Shit ending to otherwise crappy series.

The one good thing that came out of Voyager was Battlestar Galactica.

[RDMacQ]

I'll say

Newhart

Farscape- the Peacekeeper Wars

Mad About You ( the dark horse candidate)

MASH

Probably others that I'm not thinking of. I think the best series finales prove a definite sense of finality, and not in a cheap way that has a wedding or someone's death. A real sense of "the stories over, no going back." Either that, or chose to go out on your best joke- like Newhart did.

[Ontir]

"Good Times" ended well. they finally got a lucky break and left the getto.

I was just thinking about that episode the other day. It was really good.
Sadly, I learned not too long ago, the actor who played Michael died of AIDS, which is why I never saw him again.

I think if the Next Generation had crashed the ship then, and ended with the new Enterprise under construction, it would've given the films a better starting point.

[Bergman]

I'll say

Newhart

Farscape- the Peacekeeper Wars

Mad About You ( the dark horse candidate)

MASH

Probably others that I'm not thinking of. I think the best series finales prove a definite sense of finality, and not in a cheap way that has a wedding or someone's death. A real sense of "the stories over, no going back." Either that, or chose to go out on your best joke- like Newhart did.

I hate it when all the characters are really doing is moving.

[handOFfate]

Star Trek: The Next Generation's "All Good Things" was excellent. And DS9's finale was pretty good too, although I didnt like Sisko going with the prophets.
Voyager was just a bad series with a fittingly bad ending. The only good things about the series was Jeri Ryan and The Doctor's one-liners.

[darkkeeperjr]

I was just thinking about that episode the other day. It was really good.
Sadly, I learned not too long ago, the actor who played Michael died of AIDS, which is why I never saw him again.

I think if the Next Generation had crashed the ship then, and ended with the new Enterprise under construction, it would've given the films a better starting point.


You do know that the guy that plays Michael is now 45. It was an urban legend that he died of aids.

[Ontir]

Clearly and quite obviously I did not know it was an urban legend. Had I, I'd never have repeated it. I'd only heard the story scant weeks before making the post to which you replied.

That out of the way, I think "BSG" ended superbly. I thought they were going to leave an opening for further minis or films, and I'm rather surprised they're not, but I love the way it ended.

[hawkeye comeback]

Got to be the Wire, i didn't know what to do myself once that had once i finished watching the last season.

but i do have the final series of sopranos and the shield to watch at some point which might replace the ending of the wire as my favourite.

[ArtEvans]

I liked the series finale of Buffy in retrospect (although it annoyed me at first)...

-We got a Buffy/Angel ending that was about as happy as it could be given Angel had his own show that Buffy wouldn't be appearing on

-The Slayer mythology came to a climactic, empowering conclusion

-It was epic on a grand scale: the Hellmouth blows up and Sunnydale is destroyed

Too bad it was only one hour. It should've been two and included some of the flashbacks Joss had to cut.

Honestly, there's no series finale that I actually want to watch over again. Sometimes they're too "final", and what's the point of just watching that?

FYI: The Angel series finale is awful. It felt like Joss Whedon horked on me.

[ArtEvans]

I don't know about done right, because they left... everything... up in the air.

But the ending of TWIN PEAKS snagged a fishing-hook so deeply in my lip that I'm still tugging on the line after all these years

It's hard to count that as a proper finale because David Lynch filmed it hoping the show would get picked up for a third season. Things weren't really meant to end that way. It's a really good episode and it's unfortunate there weren't any more. I thought the ending to Fire Walk With Me was much more satisfying, though.

[ArtEvans]

Also, I wish I could include Veronica Mars, but that series ended way too soon, and therefore the ending was unsatisfying. (Veronica breaks up with Logan, AND her dad loses the election? I know it's a noir show, but come on---no need to depress us all!) I'm still bitter towards the CW about that.

[Zero Hunter]

Cheers had a really good ending too. No real major life changing things just the whole gang sitting around smoking, drinking, and talking. A nice change of pace from most sitcom endings where everyone goes off to do something different or gets married or has a kid or some such.

[Jared]

I was quite happy with BSG's finale. In a way there is room for a distant sequel or spinoff, but until then I'm assuming that the Centurions built V'Ger.

[Samanthab]

avatar hmm it was good but I want to see another series from them though

[suttercain]

Six Feet Under

[darkwolf]

Dead Zone
Star Trek TNG


FYI: Angel didn't end. How can you consider that last episode an ending ? It was more see you in the real finale.

[Toonimator]

Dead Zone had a finale? Crap! I thought they just canceled it outta nowhere... what happened?

[Alexrules]

Cheers had a really good ending too. No real major life changing things just the whole gang sitting around smoking, drinking, and talking. A nice change of pace from most sitcom endings where everyone goes off to do something different or gets married or has a kid or some such.


Oh, I hated it when Jay Leno shows up and everyone's drunk. Oh wait! That was the tonight show held at the Cheer's bar after the show. My mistake. :evilsmile:

It was alright.

I always loved TNG's last episode.

[CaptainCanada]

TNG's is classic; old cast members return (O'Brien and Yar), we revisit the beginning of the show and a potential future, and they resolve the whole Q thing in an incredibly fitting way (particularly when you consider that they weren't planning that far ahead when the show debuted; while Death Wish was good, that was really the last we should have seen of Q).

DS9's finale is also great, but it falls short of TNG's and being a totally satisfying finale, because of how Dukat is handled. They spent seven years turning him into arguably the most complex Trek villain, and, in the final battle, his motivation just turns out to be "muahahaha, I'm sooo evil, and I finally beat you, Sisko!"

The West Wing has already been mentioned, and I think ER's finale makes a great companion piece; both written by John Wells, in both cases he used the whole final season to gradually wrap up characters' stories, leaving the actual finales to serve as very compact stories, each ending with a perfectly crafted callback: Bartlett's unwrapping the 'Bartlett for America' napkin, and the Carter/Rachel dialogue.

I'll also mention Alias's final episode; they had to bring to an end a mythology that had never been meticulously mapped, and, while there's no grand explanation for most of it, the final revelation of Rambaldi's primary device and Sydney's role in it ("Unless she be stopped she will render the greatest power unto utter desolation.") worked. The one negative was the resolution of Irina's character, but, frankly, they'd been thrown loops with her since Olin's protacted absence in S3. And Jack Bristow got one of the most badass final lines in TV history.

[How 'Bout This Heat]

Sopranos.

The rare episode where everything just fits perfectly. Not one missed beat or moments that rang false. Tony's story was finished and we were shut out from his life.