The best TV finales of all time prove that ending a series on a high note is what usually determines how well that show will be ed. Be it in a 20-minute comedy series or a prestige drama, a good series finale must summarize what made a show special while also offering a satisfying conclusion to the stories of each character. Poorly received conclusions such as Game of Thrones season 8's ending, for example, exemplify just how difficult nailing a finale is.
Considering how many popular TV shows, such as Dexter and Game of Thrones, had underwhelming finales, it may seem like good endings are the exception rather than the rule. However, that is not at all the case. Here are the 26 best TV finales of all time, and how they shaped television’s history.
26 The Expanse Season 6, Episode 6, "Babylon's Ashes"
After being canceled by SyFy after season 3, The Expanse returned for three more seasons on Prime. While The Expanse’s universe is large enough for the show to have continued for many more seasons, The Expanse season 6’s finale was a solid ending for the series. The Expanse season 6, episode 6, “Babylon’s Ashes” saw the main characters ing forces to take down the Free Navy in an epic battle that brought multiple storylines together. Ending The Expanse with an action-packed episode was the right decision, even though cool spaceships and planets were just a small part of what made the show so good.
25 The Good Place Season 4, Episode 13, “Whenever You’re Ready”
Despite being one of the best comedy shows of recent years, The Good Place had one of the most emotional final episodes of all time. After the shocking The Good Place twist, it seemed impossible for the show to recapture what made season 1 so good. Fortunately, The Good Place never tried to replicate season 1 and instead explored different formats and themes during the other three seasons. Still, as hilarious as it was to follow Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason as they explored the mysteries of the afterlife guided by Michael and Jennet, The Good Place had to have a definitive ending.
How to wrap up a show that deals with life after death was a tricky challenge, but The Good Place season 4's ending pulled it off. “Whenever You’re Ready” offered closure to all of the main characters while also paying off the show’s main message. The Good Place’s series finale dealt with the idea of mortality, finality, and being able to let go. Despite still being a funny episode, The Good Place’s series finale deal with those themes in a very sensible way. Saying goodbye to The Good Place’s characters may have been bittersweet, but the series could not have had a better finale.
24 E.R. Season 15, Episode 22, “And in the End…”
It can be difficult to wrap up shows that ran for dozens of seasons, especially when they had a “case of the week” structure. E.R. was an innovative series in many ways, and the E.R. finale did not disappoint. E.R. season 15, episode 22, “And in the End…” centered on Carter opening his own medical clinic, although it also featured a parallel storyline focused on Tony Gates. E.R.’s finale saw the returns of most of the series’ main characters, although George Clooney’s Doug Ross did not appear. Ross did appear in E.R.’s penultimate episode, meaning that E.R.’s final stretch of episodes got to revisit as many characters as possible and wrap up their stories.
23 Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3, Episode 21, “Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
The Avatar universe continued past The Last Airbender, including but not limited to The Legend of Korra and the animated Avatar movies. However, those Avatar sequels and spinoffs did not make Avatar: The Last Airbender’s series finale less special. “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang” was the final chapter of a four-part episode that concluded The Last Airbend’s Book Three and the show as a whole. “Avatar Aang” featured exactly the final battles viewers expected to see, namely Aang vs. Ozai and Katara vs. Azula. The Last Airbender’s finale also concluded Zuko’s character arc, bringing the show to an end in the most satisfying way.
22 Cheers Season 11, Episode 26, “One For the Road”
Cheers’ journey from being almost canceled in season 1 to becoming a ratings champion in later seasons was concluded with one of the most-watched TV series finales of all time. “One for the Road” was 70 minutes long without commercials, although the episode would later be split in three for re-runs. Despite the feature-length-ish runtime, Cheers’ finale did not feel dislocated from the rest of the show. Quite the contrary, “One for the Road” brought all the elements that made the series so popular, including the combination of comedy and sweetness, now enhanced by a sense of finality that only good endings can achieve.
21 Lost Season 6, Episode 18, “The End”
’s divisive ending is arguably one of the most important moments in the history of television and pop culture in general. Lost, along with other contemporary shows, changed how stories were told on TV and set the bar high for any serialized works of fiction. Of course, Lost’s popularity was only matched by how controversial some creative decisions, including the ending, were. Still, more than a decade later, Lost’s final episode has perhaps aged better than the show’s final seasons, as contradictory as that may sound. Lost’s final shot was an instant-classic moment that will always be ed for years to come. While not every answer was necessarily satisfactory, Lost’s finale was what the show needed.
20 Parks & Recreation Season 7, Episode 13, “One Last Ride”
Wrapping up sitcoms and comedy shows is not easy, as Seinfeld’s series finale and How I Met Your Mother’s ending prove it. Parks & Recreation went for the fast-forward approach, and while comparisons to The Office’s finale can be made, “One Last Ride” was a quite unique ending. Viewers got to see what happened to each main Parks & Recreation character at different points in the future, from 2017 to 2048. Parks & Recreation’s finale did not lose track of the show’s tone despite being a very different episode compared to the rest of the series, making it one of the best finales for a comedy show.
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19 The Shield Season 7, Episode 13, “Family Meeting”
A woman goes missing and the opportunity to take down a drug operation comes up. What could have been the setup for just another The Shield episode was the beginning of what was arguably the best entry in the series and one of the best series finales of all time. While The Shield’s finale is far from a happy ending, it respected the character arcs set up since the beginning of the series, offering a satisfying conclusion for an often overlooked TV show. The Shield’s finale aired in 2008, and perhaps the only comparable finale to an equally impressive crime drama would only happen five years later with Breaking Bad's "Felina."
18 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 12 “Victory And Death”
Star Wars: The Clone Wars had two endings before the series was revived for a seventh and final season on Disney+. Clone Wars season 7 revisited planned arcs and storylines that never made it into the show, offering the conclusion that viewers thought they were never going to see. “Victory and Death” was the final entry in a four-episode arc that concluded Clone Wars with a thrilling plot that took place concurrently with Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Even though “Victory and Death” was part of a four-season arc, Clone Wars’ final episode stood on its own and conclude the series in an intense, emotional way.
17 Twin Peaks: The Return (Twin Peaks Season 3), Part 17 & Part 18
When Twin Peaks: The Return was announced, the prospect of revisiting those characters through the eyes and words of David Lynch and Mark Frost could not have been more exciting. The bar for Twin Peaks season 3 was extremely high, even more so for the series finale. Twin Peaks Part 17 and Part 18 were as controversial as a Twin Peaks finale could be, offering everything viewers could have anticipated from the ending while also taking major risks. Twin Peaks: The Return’s finale answered questions and created others, leaving the door open for that world to continue. Still, with no plans for Twin Peaks season 4, “Part 18” remains the show's true ending.