As most fans of television can attest, series finales matter more than we could ever hope to describe.
Whether they conclude their respective series on an emotional, humorous, or far more surprising note, TV finales have the ability to make or break an entire television show. In some cases, an effective final episode can redefine a series’ place in the annals of pop culture. On the other hand, a disastrous finale can leave fans throwing up their hands in anger and disappointment, forever tarnishing a show’s legacy among contemporary viewers.
Thankfully, these TV series found a way to conclude their narratives more than satisfactorily, drawing their main storylines to a close with a final episode that left us weeping, laughing, and/or contemplating every episode that came before it.
Breaking Bad always succeeded in depicting Walter White’s slow transformation from a meek and mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher into a merciless, self-indulgent kingpin of crime. Having completed his metamorphosis into the narcissistic Heisenberg by the tail end of the series’ fifth season, Walt somehow managed to right all of his wrongs with Breaking Bad’s final episode. Reuniting with his estranged family and setting out to rescue his imprisoned protege Jesse, Walt secured his moral redemption with “Felina,” adding a whole new layer of depth to his notoriously complex character.
Perhaps the greatest sitcom ending of all time, Friends felt like the final chapter to a novel we’d spent 10 years avidly reading. The end of an era in more ways than one, “The Last One” effortlessly bid goodbye to the glory days of the main characters’ young adulthood, allowing viewers a glimpse into their next journeys in life, be it Monica and Chandler’s departure for the suburbs or Ross and Rachel’s long-awaited romantic reunion.
An entertaining lesson in creative ambiguity, The Sopranos’ final scene shows that, in some very rare cases, less is more in terms of narrative storytelling. Widely known today for its famous final scene, the fact that viewers and TV scholars continue to debate “Made in America”’s ending sequence almost 20 years later should tell you all you need to know about this classic TV finale. Aging like a cured piece of gabagool, we can’t imagine a more fitting ending to The Sopranos than “Made in America”’s unceremonious cut to black.
Given that every episode of Six Feet Under started with a death, it’s only fitting that season five’s “Everyone’s Waiting” began with a birth. Retaining the philosophical messages of every episode before it, “Everyone’s Waiting” drove home how fragile and fleeting life is, encouraging us all to enjoy our family, friends, and loved ones while we still can–because as Six Feet Under routinely made clear, you never know which day might be your last.
The Good Place never disappointed when it came to surprising viewers, catching everyone by surprise by the time its initial season finale aired in 2017. For the next three years, The Good Place maintained that same high caliber of exquisite storytelling, focusing on all the questions that make up life and our limited time in the universe–an idea only further emphasized in the series’ last episode, “Whenever You’re Ready.”
The Office may not have been the same without Michael Scott holding Dunder Mifflin together, but when it came time for the show’s final episode, all of the weaknesses of the preceding seasons were wiped away with one fell swoop. Cleverly weaving in the show’s documentary-style presentation, The Office’s “Finale” tied up the show in a neat and satisfying manner, complete with a heartfelt cameo from Steve Carrell and a fitting epilogue for every major character of the series.
Famously, M*A*S*H was on television far longer than the Korean War actually lasted, airing for a total of 11 years whereas America’s involvement in the conflict concluded after three years. As a result of this extensive runtime, by the time M*A*S*H’s finale aired in 1983, the emotional payoff of Hawkeye’s departure from Korea that much sweeter and more rewarding, allowing the exhausted soldier to return home after a decade spent on the battlefield.
