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Summary
For better or bad , a television show ’s series stopping point has the major power to shape its perception for old age . Whether during a rewatch or in memory , the ending can perpetually alter how a show is remember . The purpose of a finale is to cater closure and enclose up loose story threads . However , it is a delicate balance . A spoilt termination can retroactively infect former season , leaving a bitter gustation that lingers . On the other helping hand , a satisfying conclusion that ties everything together can validate the time invested and elevate the show ’s legacy .
A poor finish jars with expectations and quality arcs , often feeling hasten or nonsensical . This permanently change perceptions . In line , a meaningful , well - executed finale bring home the bacon an worked up proceeds . This is consider inthe serial end ofThe Crown , where the terminal of an era is satisfying . It brings coherence and neatly bookends the journeying in a room that constantly enhance the perception of the series as a sodding work . Ultimately , the close holds power over how a show will be call back . A botched ending casts a apparition , while a neat finis endures through future viewings and reminiscing .
10The Hills
“All Good Things…” (Season 6, Episode 12)
Cast
The Hillswas a popular 2000s reality show purportedly documenting the lives of young friends in Los Angeles . However , the much - anticipated 2010 finale stunningly revealed the show ’s dishonesty . In the final setting , the camera pulled back to expose an artificial indoor set up on a Hollywood studio backlot , unwrap that none of the drama seen during the show ’s six seasons was authentic . This treachery of trust like a shot and irreparably redefine the show . A program once reckon genuine reality telecasting was unmasked as a fictitious scripted play . This scandalous finis moment shatter assumptionsand drive the consecrate hearing to recognise they had been willfully misled .
9Seinfeld
“The Finale” (Season 9, Episode 24)
The 1998Seinfeldfinale was highly anticipated , but look air pressure to integrate the show ’s ensemble gratifyingly . It bright come after by bringing back iconicSeinfeldcharactersto testify to the main grapheme ' years of niggling offensive activity . Seeing all the quirky enhancer , like the Soup Nazi , Bubble Boy , and Man Hands , reappear made the closing curtain feel like a celebratory reunification that honored the show ’s history . Having them all reprobate the chief four to jail reinforced why these supporting oddballs were so crucial to the off - kilterSeinfelduniverse . By cramming in fan favorites , the finale emphasize how fully realized and richSeinfeld ’s mankind was , enhancing its legacy as one of clowning ’s great sitcoms .
Seinfeld ’s finale is one of the most divisive episodes of television ever ; however , the two - part time of year 9 finale is a fitting end to the long - running situation comedy .
8Sex And The City
“An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)” (Season 6, Episode 20)
Sex and the Citycentered on four female friends sail animation and sexual love in New York City . Its charm stemmed from their tight sisterly bond transcending the men that roll in and out of their lives . This made the divisive finale featuring Carrie reunify with Mr. Big sense abrupt and antithetical . This decision to emotionally invest in a formerly non - committal humankind now rendered as a stable married man retconned the show ’s central theme . Rather than friendly relationship and personal growth , conventional Romance language became the takeaway , always altering perceptions of whatSex and the Citypurportedly valued .
7Lost
“The End” (Season 6, Episode 18)
Lost ’s monumental initial popularity was , in great part , down to the glut of mystery woven throughout seasons 1 and 2 , and while many of those were addressed along the agency , multiplebig question remained unreciprocated by the timeLost ’s serial publication finalerolled around . Multiple big questions remained unanswered by the timeLost ’s series finale terminate too . The long - look conclusion alluded toward what the island really was , why the Man in Black involve to be stopped , and what made the main Oceanic 815 survivor special , but seldom offered the clearly - cut reply hearing had been waiting six time of year for .
get matters worse , Lost ’s flash - sideways timeline was wide misinterpreted as substantiation that the popular " the island is purgatory " hypothesis was justly all along . In trueness , the flash - sideways was a situation forLostsurvivors - united by their very special , very substantial , experience - to meet before snuff it onto the afterlife . How this nonnatural realm was created and why Jack ’s dad was its tour guide became yet another mysteryLoststayed cryptic about until the end , and in lieu of an actual explanation , many were well-chosen to have the inaccurate purgatory rendition . Maligned or misunderstood , fairly or unfairly , Lost ’s finale became the go - to example of a TV ending that go to satisfy .
6How I Met Your Mother
“Last Forever: Part 2” (Season 9, Episode 24)
The premiss ofHow I Met Your Motherpromised a sweet taradiddle about find the narrator ’s destined wife . But the dissentious closing curtain unpick much character growth to force an finish planned early on on with “ Aunt Robin . ” After years investing in the quest for the Mother , she was abruptly vote out off while Robin was reestablish as the ultimate making love interest . What was once viewed as an innovational situation comedy with relatable characters navigating adulthood and Romance language was deoxidize by the conclusion intoa gimmicky come-on - and - alternate . undo season of spark for an unrealistic ending left a sour taste , evermore altering the perceptions of the show .
5The Office
“Finale” (Season 9, Episode 25)
The Officepopularized sitcoms filmed in mockumentary style , supposedly allow a crew to document average workplace life . After nine season , the finale finally come up to the invisible filmmaker by showing the aired documentary and panel . abruptly the interviews , candid moments , and twat antics were explicitly grass for camera within the show ’s humans . The finale exposed the docuseries concept as literal , no longer feeling like an organic glimpse into a composition company branch . This changed the immersive illusion the show had maintained . WhileModern Familyupheld its documentary framing as purely stylistic , The Officedid it in a way that required reconciling a new filterthrough which to view prior events .
The Office ’s Divine Greg Daniels had another idea for the final view of the series . Here ’s a breakdown of the other ending take Dunder Mifflin .
4MAS*H
“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” (Season 11, Episode 16)
MASHwas a pioneering dark drollery adjust during the Korean War that tackled hard themes like warfare ’s psychological toll . After 11 time of year , the extended series finale drew a disk 106 million viewers to come together this groundbreaking show . Seeing the unflappable Hawkeye enduring PTSD hurt humanise the character and strongly spotlight the realism of state of war . Juxtaposing this with lighter leave-taking moments substantiate the show ’s range in blending wry humor and commiseration . Ultimately , this finale spotlightedMASH ’s deepness in portraying complex characters grappling with the life history - altering impacts of war . The ability to dextrously balance lightheartedness and drama , even during the final gut - punch exemplified whyMAS*Hwas in advance of its time and sealed its legacy as one of boob tube ’s most impactful comedy .
3Game Of Thrones
“The Iron Throne” (Season 8, Episode 6)
Despite being acclaimed for its intricate plotting and bluff storytelling , the maligned series last ofGame of Thronesexemplified the show ’s declining timber . Rushed story arc , farfetched twists , and unsatisfying fates for beloved characters contrasted sharply with early time of year . The stick conclusion to honor ruler - ship to marginal Bran mat up unearned , highlighting the closing curtain ’s sloppy construction . Unlike the canny basis that defined the show originally , the finale ’s clumsy wrap - up betrayed that very gist . The diminished care and logic of the close episode endanger the showrunners ' flounderingwithout reference fabric . The coda exemplify the arguable declination ofGame of Thrones ' later season , leaving a tarnished legacy for a once brilliant show .
2The Sopranos
“Made in America” (Season 6, Episode 21)
The Sopranos ' ill-famed cut - to - smuggled close shocked looker expecting closure for Tony ’s story , but creator David Chase on purpose subverted expectations by concluding with equivocal tension rather than resolution . This jarring lack of wages highlighted the show ’s underlie melodic theme about the anxiousness of mortality and morality over past narrative atonement . Instead of wrap up story threads , the finis left Tony trapped in paranoia , symbolizing the karmic hell he created through a felonious liveliness . This is the same feeling viewers feel when their TVs abbreviate to black , fear that something was missed or wrong . This opaque finish forced a reassessment of whatThe Sopranosfundamentally stood for .
1Six Feet Under
“Everyone’s Waiting” (Season 5, Episode 12)
Allfive seasons ofSix foot Underwere acclaimed for confronting mortality unflinchingly . Therefore , its closing curtain collage revealing every main character ’s death was thematically powerful while still gut - wrenching . Flashing forward to depict their terminal moments made the show ’s never-ending reckoning with exit distressingly touchable . Seeing beloved characters meet realistic , unglamourous ends drove homeSix Feet Under ’s message about appreciating fleeting life . It was a melancholic celebration of characters and their briefly intersecting journeys . This artful , worked up finale sustain death ’s inevitability , but foreground the importance of love every minute . It cementedSix Feet Underas a cathartic examination of what really matters when facing the finite nature of existence .
