Finales are kind of a touchy subject. After a several-year run, both viewers and showrunners want to see satisfying end to their beloved show, but unfortunately, those ideas don’t always match up. Often, a creator will plan out a show including its conclusion along with the pilot, but somewhere along the way, the story takes off in a direction the first season could never have predicted. In this case, the original ending probably doesn’t make as much sense as it once did, and the choice between writing a new one and leaving it as is often makes the difference between a terrible finale and a truly great one.
There have been many, many series finale failures throughout the years (How I Met Your Mother, anyone?), but conversely, we’ve also been privy to number of flawless endings. Such as:
1. Parks and Recreation
The Parks and Rec finale was very bittersweet. After a shortened seventh season, we said goodbye to the Pawnee crew in the best way possible: with each of them playing an important, bureaucratic role in fulfilling one last Parks’ request–juxtaposed with a flash forward through all the pivotal moments in their lives. We watched Leslie, Ben, April, Andy, Ron, Donna, Tom, and Garry all achieve their dreams in the future, but we also got to see them doing what they do best in the present.
2. Friends
After nine seasons, endless debates over whether or not Ross and Rachel were ever on a break (they were), a few surprise romances, and a lot of shenanigans along the way, Friends ended its very successful run by tying up just about every loose end. Monica and Chandler had their twins, the iconic, rent-controlled apartment was back on the market, Phoebe was married to Paul Rudd, and Ross and Rachel were finally together. She got off the plane, you guys. She got off the plane.
3. Breaking Bad
Likewise, the Breaking Bad finale tied up all its loose ends, as well, but in the spirit of the show, those loose ends demanded a mortal sacrifice. But before Walt succumbed to a necessary and predictable end, he saw and provided for both his children, admitted to Skyler that his transgressions had been self-involved, freed and subsequently made his peace with Jesse, killed Jack, and left the way open for Jesse to take his revenge on Todd. Tragic, but ultimately, it was the only way for the show to end.
4. M*A*S*H
The long-running, mega-successful tv series, M*A*S*H, was based around the lives of the doctors and medical professionals of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital stationed in South Korea during the Korean War, and in 1983, it ended its run with a finale that remains the most-watched television conclusion in history. 121.6 million viewers tuned in to see “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” and they were awarded with one of the most satisfying ends to a television series ever.
