Best/Worst TV show finales

[Fusion]

With a lot of long running shows coming to an end this year (Alias, Will & Grace, That 70's Show, Malcolm in the Middle, The West Wing etc), it brought back memories for me of other finales. What do you think where the best or worst show finale ever? I'll list a few of mine's:

Best:
M*A*S*H finale- To this day, it's the highest rated television show ever in the U.S (and I believe the only non-Superbowl entry in the top 10), which is a testament to how much the show was loved. I thought the finale of M*A*S*H was absolutely perfect. The good-bye's were handled just right. The individual story lines were shocking (Father Mulcahy goes possibly deaf! Klinger decides to stay in Korea!), poignant (Hawkeye finally DOES lose it) and so joyous (B.J gets to finally see his daughter, Potter will retire and spend the rest of his life with his loyal wife). The last shot of Hawkeye reading "goodbye" from B.J still chokes me up every time I see it. And I chose to believe that monstrosity of a spin-off called "After M*A*S*H never existed!!

Cheers finale - Another great one. Sam returns to his one true love: Cheers. I liked how the finale didn't have a "life altering" story line, for the most part. Meaning no character died or went away, except Frasier. Life at Cheers continued at the end. One can still imagine Norm sitting at that stool, Woody serving drinks, and Sam hitting on a pretty girl. Perfect.

Worst:
Seinfeld - For a show that great, the finale was HORRIBLE. They all get arrested and put on trials for their past sins? Basically just an excuse to parade/relive the show's great moments? And in the end they goto prison??? Vomit. What a let down for an all-time great show.

[Matteh]

I thought the last episode of Futurama was good - was basically like any other episode except you just know that Fry and Leela live happily ever after after two seasons where basically all Fry did was try and pull. Certainly didn't feel disappointed by it.

Last episode of Friends seemed like a way of getting everyone paired off for good and was all really chummy and mneh. But then Friends lost its way years before they finally finished.

[Barney Rubble]

The finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was seriously lame. I used to like that show ( ) but the end was just...crap. The finale of it's counterpart, Angel, was much better.

The Friends finale wasn't bad for mine, could have been a lot worse.

[Matteh]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

The finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was seriously lame. I used to like that show ( ) but the end was just...crap. The finale of it's counterpart, Angel, was much better.

The Friends finale wasn't bad for mine, could have been a lot worse.

Buffy lost it's way when Willow went to the bad...
and i stopped watching Angel the season after the baby appeared.

[Beleg]

Buffy finale was completely lame.

Dawson's Creek's was a pretty good one until the very end - though I did like the serial flashbacks and the song.

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Matteh

Buffy lost it's way when Willow went to the bad...
and i stopped watching Angel the season after the baby appeared.

The final season of Angel was actually really good. They stopped with all the long storylines lasting about 10 episodes and went back to the self-contained ones like they started off with, I much preferred that.

As for Buffy, IMO it lost its way as soon as Angel left. Didn't help that the main character was really annoying, and that they kept finding ways to keep their best actors out of the important storylines. The final season was a bit ridiculous.

[cpr]

Ok lets stick a british one in there.

Blackadder goes Forth.... Twas the last of all the series (ignoring the rubbish back and forth joke), the way the last episode built up to the unbearable fear thats hung over them all series. The previous 3 had ended in death, but you knew life went on in the other 3. The 4th really did feel like the end, the scene of them all charging over the top, facing certain death, then fading out to the poppy fields. Damn good end to a damn good series.


I'd agree friends was pants end, but i'd also agree if lost its way a long time before (though what i saw of the last series it did get back to its old form for its parting run).... Never did watch the TV M*A*S*H... too far departed from the film, which is one of my favourites ever, so its hard for me to enjoy it really (not saying its rubbish, i just cant help but see it and remember the much better film)

[Dasa]

Originally Posted by Matteh

I thought the last episode of Futurama was good - was basically like any other episode except you just know that Fry and Leela live happily ever after after two seasons where basically all Fry did was try and pull. Certainly didn't feel disappointed by it.

I liked it as well, although they left the ending open in case of new episodes (which are coming soon in the form of 4 straight to DVD movies).
I thought the finale of The Office was great as well. The moment when Brent finally has enough of Finchy is gold.

[Pedro Delgado]

I liked the last Buffy, all Lord of the Ringsy with all the wee demon fellas swarming, but on a five dollar budget comparatively. I agree the final series was way OTT but hey, you've got to go out with a bang. Never really watched Angel, didn't Spike turn up (even though he died in the Hellmouth) in that?

[pasag]

Best ever

Arrested Development. Every single epsode was brilliant and the ending took the whole series to a new extreme. I cant recommend the show highly enough

The Office - Finishing on the Chrismas specials was awesome. I was sad for a week afterwars knowing I would never see a new episode of David Brent again.

Mad about you - Cant remember much, but I remember that the child was really a ******* the whole time and it was a big episode

Firefly - Went out on a bang, the movie which was just as good as any episode, but not better

Worst ever
X - Files - Such a great series went right down the drain after both Duchovny and Anderson left, not just the finale but the entire last season was a let down. For 10 years they were building up to an alien invasion and finding the truth that was out there...never happened.

Cant remember anyothers, but as said there will one to add in the tommorow such as Alias and Sopranos next year.

/edit the bleeped out word means a child born to unmarried parents

[Dasa]

Originally Posted by pasag

Arrested Development. Every single epsode was brilliant and the ending took the whole series to a new extreme. I cant recommend the show highly enough

Where'd you see this? I didn't think it had been broadcast in Australia yet, and I can't find the DVD for series 3 anywhere..

[pasag]

Its hard to explain.

I am also looking for the DVD, perhaps ebay.

[Shounak]

Final Episode of OC season 3 was a cracker.. Makes me wonder how they're going to do the next season though..

[Blaze]

The Office was awesome

[cpr]

Originally Posted by pasag

Its hard to explain.

read

I'm not explaining as i'll be potentially opening myself up to a lot of trouble if any legal people find out