TV Finales: Good & Bad

[frogboy4]

I thought a thread about good and bad television series finales would be fun. Which ones are satisfying and the ones that left you feeling either "meh" or completely hosed? Possible spoilers ahead.

Some of my picks:
(in no particular order)

Good:

Fraggle Rock: for a rushed ending it has a sweet sense of completion. It took me years to finally see it and I was pleased.

Buffy: they managed to end the series on a great note and still left room for future adventures via graphic novels.

Angel: was faily weak it's last season, but made one heck of a final episode. The fates of the characters weren't clear, but they went out fighting.

Pushing Daisies: they couldn't quite complete everything they wanted, but managed to create a final sweeping shot that gave a great deal of unexpected satisfaction.

Sports Night: ended the only way it could. A great show that wrote itself a nice last send off that didn't feel too final, but was.

Dollhouse: i liked how they ended it. Bold, satisfying and many OMG moments.

Not-so-Good:

The X Files: I'm still not particularly pleased. This series is one that just seems to have faded away instead of ending with clear punctuation.

Gilmore Girls: yes, I love this show. I admit it. But the ending just bit. Booting the writer/creator of the show was a bad idea and I hope they eventually get everyone back for a future TV movie that ties things together.

Veronica Mars: was too good for television. It deserved a better send off.

Twin Peaks: should serve as a cautionary tale of how not to create series television if you intend to keep your viewers. A great show, but even at the end it raises more questions than provides answers. The movie didn't help much either.

Dead Like Me: what up with that? And the final movie years later was just terrible.

Those are just a few of my picks. What are yours?

 

[Drtooth]

I have to mention my absolute favorite Japanese show...

Kinnikuman, though I never got around to the "Scramble for the Thrown" series ended on 2 filler arcs that frankly weren't all that good. While the second series focused on a truncated version of the comic's last story arc, the first series petered out. In fact, the last episodes seem rushed due to lackluster ratings of said filler episodes. I had to watch these raw, and really fast when I saw them on Youtube. Japanese production companies are infamous for pulling EVERYTHING down.

By contrast, the third series, Ultimate Muscle didn't get a proper ending until 4Kids found the show successful enough to contract Toei to make specific episodes for the US. Much like the first series, it ended on a weird arc, leaving the Chojin Olympics arc unfinished. However, the new US episodes were based on that arc, giving us an ending to the series that wrapped it up, tying up that naggy loose end. Of course, they changed the ending that was written for the comic (because the comic ran longer, having another story arc after that, and more later) where Kid Muscle (star of the show) wins over Kevin Mask in the final match. It gave it a nice closure to the series, and a happy ending... but the comic demanded the Kid lost, leaving him to wander around, dejected leading into a different arc. it's a shame they wouldn't have done that one though.

As for stuff that people actually heard of....

Seinfeld... that's an ending I never really appreciated for a long time after. When it came right down to it, these were pretty despicable characters (except Kramer, who seemed to be the only nice guy in the series) and they got punished for being insensitive clods at the end, having every character come back to testify against them. Of course, Larry David wanted some sort of plotline that forced them to go away for a year... I guess in case one of the characters got a spin off... and the other plot line was having them move to a bio-dome for a year or something like that.

Futurama- the FIRST time... now, I thought they handled the Fry and Leela love story very well in that last episode... the one where Fry has to get the hands of Robot Satan to play the Holophoner, and composing an opera to express their love. While it did have the nagging feeling of a rushed ending, it did have a sweet final note... of course, 4 movies later and a new show on Comedy Central, I'm sure they've planned a special final episode to close everything when the time comes.

King of the Hill... well, somehow I think it could have ended with that episode where Hank has to deal with his father's last requests (especially how at the end he talks directly to the audience, like he did in the first episode)... but it ended with Bobby and Hank finally finding common ground and spending time as father and son. Grilling.

The Batman- while not my favorite Batman series, it had a lot of potential that slipped in and out during the series. While it was basically a crossover heavy last season (perhaps as a test for Brave and the Bold), the final episode was a 2 part special, "World's Finest" (with apperances by most of the Justice League) where Batman finally defeats the villain that was stalking him the entire series... not the Joker, not Riddler... Dr. Hugo Strange.

I also liked how full circle Jackie Chan Adventures ended, even though the fourth season was useless, and the fifth one seemed redundant.

Now, for the ones that I was disappointed by...

Darkwing Duck. They planned all this amazing stuff for the fourth season, the wedding of Darkwing and Morgana, the return of an even angrier, homicidal Taurus Bulba.... but the series eneded with Darkwing going back to the dinosaur age and getting stuck in a cocoon of maple syrup. this of course, was Disney's fault, as a full 13 episodes would have been 2 episodes over their production cap.

Angry beavers... we all know the story... they had a funny, snarky ending stabbing the network, and since it did, it never went into production because of Nick.

TMNT 2K3... I did like how it was about the Wedding of Casey to April, but it fell flat, especially with 2 very flat seasons that were made only to sell toys. While I feel the 5th season, as much as it borrowed from Naruto, was a better ending. It was produced in a way that another season would happen in time... but then Nickelodeon bought them out... However, the 25th anniversary special did have a sense of closure.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Jamie - I totally agree on Gilmore Girls and Dead Like Me - what the heck was up with those? And the Dead Like Me movie makes me shudder. It was awful!

I also agree with you on Fraggle Rock - it is beautiful and I still love the Magic Be With You Song to this day.

As for my picks (Spoiler Warnings!):

Best -

Friends - I was a huge fan. I still am. To the obsessive constantly quoting lines point. I hated Season 9, it lost alot for me after Rachel had her baby, but in Season 10 they brought it back around and I think the finale did a good job of wrapping everything up and the scene at the end with the keys on the counter still gives me chills.

ER - Same thing, it lost something for me in later years, but I turned back in for the final few episodes and again, get goosebumps when the final scenes parallel the Pilot episode and especially when Dr. Carter says "Coming Dr. Greene?" to Dr. Greene's daughter Rachel.

Cheers - this almost falls into both for me, best and worst, the overall episode was way too long, but the very final scene I thought was really good

The Cosby Show - Cliff and Claire doing what they did best. Dancing and showing their onscreen chemistry. Lovely.

Worst:

7th Heaven - How many times was it the "Final episode" ever only to come back for another season? Silly.

Home Improvement - I like that Al got married, but I kind of think it was silly and far fetched that they would "move their house"

Joan of Arcadia - One of those shows that should've been allowed to continue for a bit. I did not like where they ended up having to leave it either.

That's all I can think of for now but I'm sure there is more. Hopefully I didn't ruin too much for people but I did warn of spoilers!

 

[Drtooth]

Home Improvement - I like that Al got married, but I kind of think it was silly and far fetched that they would "move their house"

It really isn't all that far fetched... not very common, since it is VERY expensive and extremely complicated. But there are stories I've heard of that happening.

 

[redBoobergurl]

It really isn't all that far fetched... not very common, since it is VERY expensive and extremely complicated. But there are stories I've heard of that happening.

True. The entire storyline was kind of drug out over several episodes too, so that also bugged me a bit. But, that's just me!

 

[RedPiggy]

Gotta agree on Fraggle Rock being awesome. The finale helps me pretend The Gorg Who Would Be King didn't happen, LOL.

I think I saw an ending to Gummi Bears, where they finally meet up with and join the rest of their group and they're not alone anymore. It was sweet, as I recall.

Buffy was, shall I say, "Nifty."

Pity Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles had to end. I felt they developed some themes that started showing up in the second movie (making it a metaphor and ethical argument) better than the movies did. Cameron's sacrifice, John Henry's freedom, John Connor's date with destiny ... it was a nice finale.

Let's pretend that Turtles Forever is the finale for multiple projects. Instant win.

ReBoot. Even without the movies/4th season, actually getting the User to reboot the computer to save them from utter destruction was amazing to watch. However, while I'm not a big fan of the cliffhanger ending of the second movie, where Megabyte returns as a Trojan Horse, the ending to Daemon Rising should have been the actual ending, as it gave Hex a wonderful send-off.

I never saw it, but I'll trust Linkara's summary of Power Rangers in Space to say that it was designed to be the finale and it makes an excellent one, if not a little like Transformers and the "everyone evil either dies or becomes good" thing.

Dinosaurs. You never really see anyone die, and considering there's at least one episode that blatantly breaks the fourth wall (A New Leaf) like Muppets usually do, they leave open the idea that the "actors" for the show are alive and well, even if the story is finished. At least there wasn't the BS that was ....

LOST. What the --? I mean, if you followed the internet chatter at all and watched the show with some regularity ... you could see this coming from miles away. I think what angers me most is that the writers claimed the Island wasn't Purgatory, which was the original fan guess. Not only do they kinda tell the truth (it was an alternate universe instead), but the last shot of the wrecked plane at the very end almost teases with a "NOT"-style answer. Dead people could be stuck on the Island, which would lend credence to the idea the Island itself is the gateway to the afterlife, but I resent the idea of writers outright lying if it is the case they never survived the crash anyway (which I don't think is what happened ... did they ever show the flight number on the plane at the end? I just tend to think that it's either an homage to the beginning or a sign that it's starting all over again). At any rate ... while it'll make you cry ... it also makes you want to strangle the writers. The Man In Black was dumped on for millennia and he gets nothing but a skull-cracking nose-dive to the rocks below. Meanwhile, Jack's just wembling throughout the entire series and he gets to find closure and cross over? Huh? It was so bad that I've been having dreams of trying to help out poor Smokey. I feel so genuinely sorry the writers did that to him.

Roseanne. Now, this wasn't maddening like LOST, but it still has that "Screw it" ending. Roseanne "wrote her own ending", so to speak. Really?

Endings I WISH I could see:

Sesame Street. Don't flame me yet, boys and girls. As I understand it, it's barely on. Time to give it a well-deserved send off. While I want flashbacks, I don't want it to be just a clip show. Over the decades, the neighborhood has definitely been upgraded. The finale should be a mark of success, a celebration of picking themselves up by the bootstraps and beating the odds for an impoverished neighborhood. We could see what now-retired characters are doing (even in silent montages for non-recast characters). Maybe even through in something akin to VMX, where the neighborhood is declared a historical site or is otherwise acknowledged for being the source of inspiration that it is.

Pokemon. Resolve your loose ends, people. That, and I'll always be a Rocketshipper. Marry Jesse and James. Make Ash's life have a point. Global Team Smackdown. Maybe even get Mewtwo to come to grips with his issues and save Giovanni from an attack to show he's better than this villainous human.

Simpsons. End this show. Please. Similar to Pokemon, deal with whatever hasn't been dealt with. Actually, the movie would've made a good ending.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

one of my fave

Scrubs (the season 8 true finale) we saw JD grow up, an in a true JD fashion saw the glimpse of his future and Fantasies of whats to come down the road. it gave me closer to one of my alltime favorite shows and for the first time ever i cried for a tv show

 

[Drtooth]

Let's pretend that Turtles Forever is the finale for multiple projects. Instant win.

Well, that's just it... the 80's TMNT HAD a finale. Divide and Conquer, where the turtles defeated Lord Dregg with Krang's old human body, using the growth mechanism from the fifth episode. It may not have been the complete tied up ending where everything's back to normal... but Shredder and Krang were despensed of seasons ago, and Dregg and Mung were the main villains at that point.

You know, American cartoons rarely have decent send offs. If it's just to leave things open for a new series or what, they leave you wanting more.

However, there are rare times when they decide to give you closure.

Pinky and the Brain: Now, this one ended as the ambiguous "they're still at it" type of ending, but it was a very epic 3 part ending, and giving closure to the character of Snowball, who was reverted back into a regular hamster.

Animaniacs: Not so much. the last episode was an hour long special that consisted of 3 parts... an inside joke about cartoon music scoring, a Star Wars parody, and a meh clip show set to music. Fun fact... internationally, the Star Wars episode was actually the last episode of Pinky and the Brain, and it's even on the final P&B box set.

Freakazoid: well... they at least aknowledged that it was the last episode, and sang "We'll Meet again."

Disney's Doug: I believe it had the marriage of Patty's father to someone... can't remember who... but the last scene of the show featured Doug running out of pages in his journal, and starting over with a new one. I didn't like his "that's it. Good bye" at the end though.

Teacher's Pet: Well... technically the finale was the movie, and a very underrated movie it was. Events lead the dog to lose all desire to become human.

Emperor's New School: Kuzco graduates. Not much else... and if he didn't, it wouldn't have been much of an ending.

And of course, Rocky and Bullwinkle... which I still say ended with Boris Badenov getting shot off screen... Fearless Leader threatens Boris, if he drops the medal OR lets his boat sink (one is connected with the other) he gets shot either way, leading to

BANG

Rocky: Was that a shot?

Bullwinkle: Heck no, Rock!

Rocky: Well it sounded like a shot!

Bullwinkle: No! it was The End.

Narrator: By George, I think he's got it. It is the end. But stay tuned for another adventure with Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Bullwinkle: It may be a little hard to find, but don't give up.

Rocky: We're not!

 

[D'Snowth]

Animaniacs: Not so much. the last episode was an hour long special that consisted of 3 parts... an inside joke about cartoon music scoring, a Star Wars parody, and a meh clip show set to music. Fun fact... internationally, the Star Wars episode was actually the last episode of Pinky and the Brain, and it's even on the final P&B box set.

I thought that Wakko's Wish movie was the finale?

 

[Blue Weirdo]

Good Ending:

Star Trek the Next Generation: I mean the "All Good Things" episode not the movie Nemesis.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: While the show ended too early (sure 10 seasons is a good run but there are so many bad movies out there left to be riffed) the finale had a great send off. They're free.... yet the fun doesn't end.

Newheart: Normally a "none of it really happened" ending would suck but the way this one was pulled off with a throwback to the old Bob Newheart show was just brilliant.

Cowboy Bebop: Great example of how you can have a sad ending but have it well written enough that it's good.

The New Adventures of He-Man: Okay not the best He-Man cartoon but the only one with an actual ending. The evil Mutants are defeated and surrender. Skeletor's not willing to just give up so he and He-Man have a final all out battle that ends with Skeletor getting sealed in a capsule and sent drifting through space. He-Man has achieved total victory but it's open just enough to continue. In fact this was actually meant to be a season finale, had it been picked up again the new season would have seen He-Man return to Eternia only to find all **** had broken loose in his absence.


Bad Endings:

Quantum Leap: The last episode was dull confusing and ends with a black screen message "Dr. Beckett never returned home"

St. Elsewhere: The ultimate "None of it ever happened" cop-out.

ALF: Alf is about to leave Earth but the Alien Task Force shows up and captures him. Granted this was supposed to be a cliffhanger season finale but when the made for tv movie conclusion made years later sucked.

Phil of the Future: Phil and Keely finally decide to become an official couple only for the time machine to be fixed and Phil forced to return to the future and because of a new law he can never come back. And if that's not enough they leave and forget Curtis leaving the caveman stranded alone in the house.

Mighty Max: After an epic battle where Max finally defeats his arch foe but at the cost of his friends getting killed he gets thrown back to the moment he finds the cap and sets out to start his adventures all over again. So basically they just hit the rest button....

The Brak Show: Adult Swim tried to be clever about it by making it a big unexpected surprise but really they just made the fans even more angry.

Inuyasha: NOTHING was resolved it just ended! Granted the manga kept going and had an actual and decent conclusion but the anime just quit.

Spider-Man (90's): Bad enough they end with the clone saga which at the time was the worst Spider-Man storyline ever (Since passed by Brand New Day) but then Spidey goes off to search for Mary Jane who's lost in the multiverse and we never find out if he finds her.