Great and horrible tv series finales

[Underdog 28,580]

56 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

If something like Newhart happen today, the Internet would’ve leaked it.  

If Newhart would have happened today, he would have woke up next to Howard. 

[Gil Bang 25,920]

9 hours ago, oSuJeff97 said:

Speaking of recent shows, I thought the Veep ending was just about perfect.

Breaking Bad was very satisfying.

I know lots of people hated it, but I loved the Sopranos ending.

Another controversial one that I really liked was Battlestar Galatica.

And yeah someone said above... if "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox" had been the last episode of Curb, that would have been perfect.

Curb is still going.  They are filming now for season 10

7 hours ago, Bojack said:

Deadwood was cancelled unexpectedly between seasons.  That was never meant to be the end of the series.  

Sort of.  They intended to do 2 movies of 2 hours each.  Then they cancelled them.  Then HBO came back to Milch and asked for 1 movie.  Milch now has Alzheimer's and is in poor condition.  He also spent 25 million bucks betting on football, horses, and on cocaine and heroin.  He pissed away the rest.  Over 100 million in earnings, and he's living in a rented house now.    They didn't spend 13 years on it.  They did jack shit for over a decade;  When they got the order, they started writing, and then filming.  

Edited May 21, 2019 by Gil Bang

[RPM 26,317]

8 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

Milch now has Alzheimer's and is in poor condition.  He also spent 25 million bucks betting on football, horses, and on cocaine and heroin.  He pissed away the rest.  Over 100 million in earnings, and he's living in a rented house now.

Fucker stole my gameplan!

[mchookem 16,322]

that's sad. between NYPD Blue and Deadwood, Milch is a gotdamn tv dialogue legend. that sucks ☹

[hayden_horn 11,362]

bulk of the series, dude

[hayden_horn 11,362]

is this your homework, larry?

[Aqua Buddha 14,582]

9 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

It’s interesting how few shows get it right. I think it helps cement the idea that most of the time these writers don’t expect a show to be super successful and aren’t starting with an end in mind, and so then they have to make shit up as they go and then eventually put a bullet in it. GoT is the ultimate example.

That’s why sometimes these one-season shows or miniseries are the best. Russian Doll comes to mind as a good recent example. S1 of True Detective was epic, but even that ending was a bit of a letdown.

I do think Justified did it pretty well. And yes Serenity/Firefly counts in my book.

Then they're shitty writers.  Any good writer thinks out the entire story arc from start to finish.  If anything, they have the ending in mind and find the details to finish it.  Start with a premise and no arc and you end up with dog shit like that Ozark show.

[Gil Bang 25,920]

55 minutes ago, mchookem said:

that's sad. between NYPD Blue and Deadwood, Milch is a gotdamn tv dialogue legend. that sucks ☹

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/david-milchs-third-act

[Gil Bang 25,920]

and to OP, King of the Hill had a great finale.  

[Aqua Buddha 14,582]

6 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

USA Today with a very respectable list.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/05/20/series-finales-best-worst-game-of-thrones-americans-breaking-bad-lost-mash/3739840002/

Solid ranking, actually.

[Uncle Boobs 1,248]

ALF

[Bojack 2,074]

Right on about ALF.  It ended on a really dark note. Last we saw, he'd been caught by the government and was likely going to be dissected.  Willie just stood there like an idiot.

 

[South Austin 52,454]

I was really disappointed in the Cathouse series finale.  I was expecting more girl-on-girl action.

[Aqua Buddha 14,582]

I think the problem with series finales is when the writers try to give everyone a happy ending and make everything work out in the end.  We all know that life doesn't work out that way and good endings (in my opinion) leave the door open for a little heartbreak, although Friday Night Lights didn't have that and I consider that one a good ending.  

A good writer should also start with the ending in mind.  Sure, there's the premise and the character development but what is your story arc?  Any good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  I do have some sympathy for writers whose shows get extended.  You have to stretch that middle out to the point of boredom.  (It's my main complaint with streaming shows.  It doesn't force time constraints on a writer and constraints are what make you creative.)  

[Phoenix 65]

People forget that under the surface the Sopranos was always cryptic with tons of subtle symbolism. I'll admit that I wasn't observant enough to pick up on all the subtle clues. But ultimately it is very clear that Tony was whacked in that restaurant.

[seven 1,367]

55 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

I think the problem with series finales is when the writers try to give everyone a happy ending and make everything work out in the end.  We all know that life doesn't work out that way and good endings (in my opinion) leave the door open for a little heartbreak, although Friday Night Lights didn't have that and I consider that one a good ending.  

A good writer should also start with the ending in mind.  Sure, there's the premise and the character development but what is your story arc?  Any good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  I do have some sympathy for writers whose shows get extended.  You have to stretch that middle out to the point of boredom.  (It's my main complaint with streaming shows.  It doesn't force time constraints on a writer and constraints are what make you creative.)  

I don't understand this point, what time constraints are you talking about? The rigid 22/42 minute episode or that a season is released all at once? 

Streaming has allowed more creativity imo. 

[Sbbruin 21,829]

I watched "The Office" finale last night, and for an episode with only a small cameo from Michael Scott, I thought it was a pretty good way to wrap up the show.

[Aqua Buddha 14,582]

2 minutes ago, seven said:

I don't understand this point, what time constraints are you talking about? The rigid 22/42 minute episode or that a season is released all at once? 

Streaming has allowed more creativity imo. 

Basically the unlimited number of seasons but I guess you had that with traditional TV as well.  Too many of these series drift because of unlimited time constraints.  (Billions and Ozark are awful at this point.)

[Pato del Muerto 52,485]

I’m hoping, and I lamented it not happening with dead to me, that streaming services lead to more complete stories being produced instead of open ended ideas. 

Movies and books that are made into movies/series have the entire story written before they start shooting. 

Why must tv remain character driven instead of story driven?  Come up with a complete story, work it into episodes or seasons if you must, fund it, produce it. 

The recent Catch-22 series for Hulu was a good expression of this. They took the source material and created a 6 episode story. 

 

[drewcifer 33]

Best: Game 7, 2019 World Series.

Worst: BCS Championship Game, 2009 Season.

[ztejas 43,411]

8 hours ago, Bojack said:

Right on about ALF.  It ended on a really dark note. Last we saw, he'd been caught by the government and was likely going to be dissected.  Willie just stood there like an idiot.

 

I don't know why, but this entire wikipedia section is hilarious to me. 

Fusco commented in 2007 that his most enjoyable experience on ALF was sitting in the Writers' Room and pitching jokes, while pushing the limit as to what NBC censors would allow. Fusco commented that, "the greatest things were the jokes we couldn't put in the show."^[13] Specifically, puns dealing with ALF eating cats and other pets were problematic after NBC reported that a child placed a cat in a microwave after watching the show.^[13] In the pilot episode "A.L.F.", ALF is seen consuming a beer with Brian. Fusco defended the premise saying that "ALF is 285 years old, he can drink beer, he's old enough." However, as ALF became more popular with children, NBC told Fusco "you can't have him drinking; the kids are watching, it's a bad role model." Even though Fusco believed that ALF was "an adult: he can do it," the alcohol consumption concept was discarded by the end of the first season.^[13] The cat-eating concept carried sporadically into the second season, with references including the "wedding cat" in the episode "Something's Wrong With Me," the Melmacian equivalent of a wedding cake.

For the hour-long season 1 episode, "Try to Remember," originally broadcast on February 9, 1987, ALF tries to simulate a jacuzzi by bringing Kate's electric mixer into the bathtub, thus receiving an electrical shock that caused amnesia. Fusco ended the original episode with a public service announcement from ALF himself, warning of the dangers from mixing water and electricity. Despite this, NBC reported that a child attempted to recreate the scenario and nearly electrocuted himself in the process (Fusco confirmed that the child was unharmed); Fusco was forced to refilm the opening sequence, replacing the electric mixer with a manual egg beater. ALF's amnesia is instead caused by a cranial concussion received after slipping in the shower (a "thud" is heard rather than a "zap"), with all mentions of being shocked either overdubbed with new dialogue or deleted entirely (including ALF's public service announcement). This edited version was used for a Fall 1988 rebroadcast, as well as all future U.S. and Canadian syndicated airings.^[13]

In 2010, blooper footage surfaced in which ALF was made to deliver racial jokes and inappropriate sexual comments. He was actually mocking a then-recent episode of L.A. Law dealing with Tourette syndrome. Asked to comment, producer Steve Lamar stated that the footage was from an era when things were not so "ridiculously PC".^[15]

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

49 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I’m hoping, and I lamented it not happening with dead to me, that streaming services lead to more complete stories being produced instead of open ended ideas. 

As mentioned, Catch-22 is a good example.  I think you will see this (and are seeing this)  - they are chasing a different audience in some cases with those shows.  They want people who get hooked on stories and have to watch he whole thing.  If you get character-driven shows, people pick a few episodes that they rewatch.  Story-driven encourages a full rewatch   

Even though it started on SyFy, Expanse is another good example.  Maybe Altered Carbon on Netflix as well (and there are many other examples). 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Freaks and Geeks had a really good ending. The uncut version that came out on DVD was even better. Carlos the motherfucking Dwarf.

[Al_4_ISU 12,451]

Breaking Bad is the gold standard.  Everyone got exactly what they deserved, and it was well written all the way to the end.

Seinfeld is the bottom.  It was a lazy-ass clip show.

GOT was somewhere in between.  The actual outcomes were fine, but the way it was rushed made it awkward, undeveloped, and clumsy.

The Wire was solid, but not spectacular.  The whole damn thing just keeps going on like it always has.

HIMYM was better than Seinfeld, but worse than GOT.  It was even more rushed, and pointless.  Getting the kids permission to bang their "aunt"?  Cool.

[huge 3,793]

Breaking Bad and Justified are the ones I enjoyed the most.

 

GOT ended up with some shit in the last season but the finale did the best it could with the aforementioned shit.

[HouTex 1,866]

Great:

Magnum P.I.

Seinfeld 

Newhart

Lonesome Dove (not sure this qualifies)

The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (not sure this qualifies)

Ok:

Leftovers

MASH

GOT

The Sopranos

Breaking Bad

Horrible:

HIMYM

Lost is often cited for a horrible finale, but I didn't watch enough of that show to form an opinion.

Edited May 21, 2019 by HouTex

[Red Five 40,845]

The best show not yet mentioned is probably Mad Men. Its finale was ok. 

[Deej 76,755]

I thought the Parks and Rec finale did a nice job of wrapping things up.

 

 

 

[notre dame joe 186]

12 hours ago, Bojack said:

Right on about ALF.  It ended on a really dark note. Last we saw, he'd been caught by the government and was likely going to be dissected.  Willie just stood there like an idiot.

 

 

It got darker when I learned that the producer had the cast blacklisted for standing up to him. 

 

in re: Lost.  The actual last episode made sense with the show, which by their final season had lost its steam and audience.  So there was nothing wrong with the finale that wasn't already wrong with the show.  I suspect the same will go for the Simpsons if they will or already have had a finale. 

[Buzzrock 14,902]

Then they're shitty writers.  Any good writer thinks out the entire story arc from start to finish.  If anything, they have the ending in mind and find the details to finish it.  Start with a premise and no arc and you end up with dog shit like that Ozark show.

I don’t think think Larry David is a shitty writer, and he has said that he totally freaked out when Seinfeld got picked up because he thought they were going to run out of ideas. But they kept making it work every week.

And then you got that ending.

[Aqua Buddha 14,582]

1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

 

I don’t think think Larry David is a shitty writer, and he has said that he totally freaked out when Seinfeld got picked up because he thought they were going to run out of ideas. But they kept making it work every week.

And then you got that ending.

 

I'm not that Seinfeld had a story arc to begin with, though.  It was "a show about nothing," after all.  

[Reynolds Woodcock 4,739]

Good:

The Americans

The Wire

Breaking Bad

Mad Men 

Sopranos 

Bad:

LOST

God Awful:

Game of Thrones

Dexter

[PencilPusher 454]

21 hours ago, drewcifer said:

Best: Game 7, 2019 World Series.

Wow! Care to let us in on what happens.....may want to put down a bet in Vega$

[HouTex 1,866]

19 hours ago, Red Five said:

The best show not yet mentioned is probably Mad Men. Its finale was ok. 

I forgot to mention Mad Men.  I thought it was good, but not great.  I thought it was shitty to give Betty cancer--but everyone smoked so much I guess someone had to get it.

[RPM 26,317]

Watched what was to be the season finale that turned out to be the series finale of The Kids Are Alright. You could see they had a lot more story to tell, but it kinda worked for a wrap up.

[BayouBill 835]

For me The Leftovers is #1...The parts with them meeting at the dance and Nora telling him what she saw but most likely making it all up was beautiful writing.

#2. The Americans

#3 Wonder Years

[seven 1,367]

The amazing thing about leftovers is all 3 season finales also would have been beautiful series finales. 

[South Austin 52,454]

In case any of you nostalgic fuckers want to have a good cry.

 

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3,861]

On 5/20/2019 at 7:38 AM, Neonmoon said:

he entire season 5 of The Wire was pretty shitty. 

I've said elsewhere that season sucked but the actual last episode was cool.  Seeing Mike turn into Omar.  Seeing Dookie turn into Bubbles.  Seeing "that was for Joe" and the transition to Slim Charles meeting with the connect.  It was great to show the game goes on.

[APMP 688]

Halt and Catch Fire had a perfect finale. Friday Night Lights did as well. Other great ones for me, where I watched the whole series, include Breaking Bad, The Americans, and The West Wing (I don't care what anybody says, that framed napkin was enough).

Worst is HIMYM. The later released alternate ending is canon as far as I'm concerned.

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

23 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

I watched "The Office" finale last night, and for an episode with only a small cameo from Michael Scott, I thought it was a pretty good way to wrap up the show.

After Michael Scott left, they should have just jumped to the last two episodes (AARM and finale) and called it quits!

[HiggyBaby 2,529]

Star Trek : Voyage and Star Trek : The Next Generation, both were damn great
 

Been a while since I’ve seen the Voyager finale. Was that the one where they wormhole their way home whole being chased by the Borg? Don’t recall it being that bad .

[HiggyBaby 2,529]

IIRC Quantum Leap had a pretty disappointing finish.

 

[RPM 26,317]

13 minutes ago, HiggyBaby said:

IIRC Quantum Leap had a pretty disappointing finish.

 

Yeah it did. They could have changed everything with a different epilogue.

[drewcifer 33]

2 hours ago, PencilPusher said:

Wow! Care to let us in on what happens.....may want to put down a bet in Vega$

Ha, dammit. Meant 2017. 2019 Series ain't going past four.

[BigOrange1 6,433]

1 hour ago, seven said:

The amazing thing about leftovers is all 3 season finales also would have been beautiful series finales. 

and i actually that the season 3 finale was the weakest of the bunch.  i'd rank the finales as such: season 2, season 1, season 3.

[notre dame joe 186]

1 hour ago, HiggyBaby said:

 

Been a while since I’ve seen the Voyager finale. Was that the one where they wormhole their way home whole being chased by the Borg? Don’t recall it being that bad .

 

No one remembers anything beyond that and overplaying the Angry Granny Janeway card.  IMO TNG was the only good Trek finale; but the GOAT series finale.