No matter what, a TV show finale is going to be divisive, but when the last episode is truly great, this is more satisfying than any other installment of the series. It's difficult when a TV show finale betrays viewers, leaving fans to ponder the characters' future forever. When done right, the last episode reestablishes the best parts of the series that kept viewers watching for many years. When done wrong, it disrupts the series' legacy, disappointing people who have been rooting for the show to succeed since the beginning.
There are some TV shows where the final season is the worst, which increases the need for a truly great finale to make up for the loss of momentum in the series' last outing. However, all of these shows took the series finale as an opportunity rather than a daunting task. In most cases, these projects had started losing their way. Some had been on the air for too long, while others had moved away from the initial premises. Regardless, what they all have in common is that the finale was a pitch-perfect ending that no one will ever forget.
8 Parks And Recreation (2009–2015)
This Sitcom Found Its Voice & Became An All-Time Hit By The Final Season
One of the best things Parks and Recreation ever did was differentiate itself from the tone and style of other sitcoms airing at the time, namely The Office. When the show leaned into the hope and heart that made it so fun to watch, Parks and Recreation developed its own way of looking at the world and found its audience. As the show began winding down in the sixth and seventh seasons, Parks and Recreation had to consider where to take its ambitious characters, as it no longer made sense that they would stay in Pawnee forever.
Parks & Rec's Leslie Knope Proved A Harsh Reality About Sitcom Leads By Becoming One Of The Greatest
From Homer Simpson to Michael Scott, sitcom leads are typically dim-witted characters, but Parks and Rec's Leslie Knope proved they didn't have to be.
However, "One Last Ride," the two-part finale, answered these questions and showed that when characters are as kind and genuinely caring as the ones in the show, things will turn around eventually. Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope was the heart and soul of the show, but it was the entire ensemble that made it worth watching. Though Parks and Recreation season 7 is very different from the rest of the series, the finale follows each of the characters as they make mistakes and find their callings, reuniting over the years to reminisce about their beginnings.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Parks and Recreation (2009–2015) |
93% |
89% |
7 The Originals (2013–2018)
Though It Was A Sad Ending, The Originals Struck The Perfect Tone In The End
Though The Originals wasn't on the air for as long as its predecessor, The Vampire Diaries, it still filled a vital niche within the franchise's universe. The original vampires were some of the best characters on The Vampire Diaries, and getting to follow the Mikaelson family and see them grow, shedding some of their more violent tendencies, made The Originals an iconic series. However, due to the family's legacy of murder and mayhem, especially Klaus' (Joseph Morgan), there was only one way "When The Saints Go Marching In" could've ended.
After many years of redemption, Klaus and his brother Elijah (Daniel Gillies) make the ultimate sacrifice, but it feels fitting for the show. One of the reasons the spinoff was so popular was because The Originals repeated The Vampire Diaries' greatest strength of making the villains compelling characters. Fortunately, The Originals left the door open for Legacies, the other spinoff in the TVD universe, and proved that audiences still want to get swept away by the supernatural world of the story.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
The Originals (2013–2018) |
84% |
72% |
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- Showrunner
- Julie Plec
6 Cheers (1982–1993)
Diane Returns, & Cheers Acknowledges The Impact It Had On Television
As the show credited with popularizing the iconic will-they-won't-they romantic dynamic on television, it was only fair that Cheers brought back Diane (Shelley Long) one last time to spar with Sam (Ted Danson). Sitcom series finales are also difficult, as the shows are more episodic and stay away from more serious topics unless it's a very special episode. However, the finale of Cheers, "One For The Road," definitely qualified as a series installment to take seriously. Cheers finds the right balance between moving on and sticking by your family in the final episode.
"One For The Road" examines this, asking if Sam would be better off leaving the bar and striking out on a new adventure.
Diane had exited the series many years earlier in season 5, shaking up the structure and premise of the series. However, Cheers remained popular without her, even though Sam was still carrying a torch for his lost love. "One For The Road" examines this, asking if Sam would be better off leaving the bar and striking out on a new adventure. However, Cheers stays true to its original purpose in the final moments, driving home the importance of having a place "where everybody knows your name."
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Cheers (1982–1993) |
87% |
95% |
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- Showrunner
- James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles, Ken Estin, Sam Simon, David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Bill Steinkellner, Cheri Steinkellner, Phoef Sutton, Tom Anderson, Dan O'Shannon
5 Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
For A Show About Death & Dying, Six Feet Under Isn't Afraid To Be Hopeful
After watching the Six Feet Under series finale, "Everyone's Waiting," it's not hard to see why it's so often cited as one of the greatest TV finales of all time. Many shows have tried to capture the magic of "Everyone's Waiting," but few have succeeded because it so perfectly suits the tone and trajectory of Six Feet Under as a series. As Six Feet Under drew to a close, the fifth and final season was a highlight as a whole, as it recentered and refocused the show's purpose.
After spending years watching the Fisher family handle the deaths of others, "Everyone's Waiting" takes the audience through the rest of the characters' lives up until their final moments. It's sad but not devastating, as the message of the finale is that each character has a full life ahead of them and that their journey has just started. While each character makes big decisions in the series finale, it's Claire (Lauren Ambrose), who the series sticks with until the end, as the youngest Fisher with the most to find out about her future.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Six Feet Under (2001–2005) |
81% |
96% |
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4 Fringe (2008–2013)
After The Unexpected Final Season, Fringe Left Viewers On An Emotional Note
What began as a series that was often unfairly compared to The X-Files soon became an epic sci-fi masterpiece that dealt directly with multiple reality storylines before that was part of mainstream media. Fringe is an underrated supernatural crime drama that deserves far more recognition, especially considering the big risks that season 5 took. The Fringe series finale, "An Enemy of Fate," isn't just a victory lap or quick wrap-up of the series' themes, as there were unanswered questions and thrilling action sequences that needed to be explored.
"An Enemy of Fate" isn't the kind of series finale that you can throw on, as it requires the context of the show's entire run.
Of course, while audiences were concerned with the fate of the world and the time skip at the top of season 5 had created many exciting new plot points, the relationships and characters were of the highest importance. "An Enemy of Fate" isn't the kind of series finale that you can throw on, as it requires the context of the show's entire run. However, this is what makes the story's payoff so satisfying since viewers who had stuck with Fringe through all of its ups and downs were thoroughly rewarded.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Fringe (2008–2013) |
91% |
80% |
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3 ER (1994–2009)
As The Preeminent Medical Drama For Years, The Pressure Was On For ER's Goodbye Episode
While are different, fans of the action-packed new medical drama should check out the classic procedural for its influence on the genre and the way it evolved over the seasons. ER was enormously successful while it was airing, running for fifteen seasons and garnering plenty of critical and audience acclaim. However, ER wasn't immune to losing steam as the seasons progressed, and the turnover of characters and actors became increasingly significant. With such a rich and iconic legacy to preserve, the series finale had to make up for lost time.
Fortunately, "And in the End..." was an epic conclusion to the medical show, proving that ER will always have a place in the genre's history. The episode unfolds like a typical installment of ER in some ways, with patients coming in and out of the hospital and doctors forced to step up in both medical and emotional capacities. However, the finale brings some character arcs full circle while paying tribute to those who were lost along the way, like Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards). Nostalgic without being sappy, the ER finale makes the final season worth watching.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
ER (1994–2009) |
N/A |
89% |
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- Showrunner
- Michael Crichton
2 Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)
After Some Big Changes In The Final Season, Friday Night Lights Stuck The Landing
Though the premise of Friday Night Lights might seem straightforward enough, the sports drama changed a lot over its five-season run, with Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) moving schools in season 4. While Friday Night Lights season 1 is regarded as the strongest installment of the show, having Taylor move on to a new challenge after leading the Panthers proved to be the right move for the show. New characters and actors, like Michael B. Jordan, were introduced, and the series maintained its high school setting.
Friday Night Lights understood that viewers were still attached to the original cast and made a play for our nostalgia that worked wonders.
However, the series finale of Friday Night Lights understood that viewers were still attached to the original cast and made a play for our nostalgia that worked wonders. All the major players from the early seasons come back to Dillon to resolve their past conflicts and look toward the future. One of the most rewarding parts of "Always" is the fact that characters like Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) are shown to have come so far, which mirrors the way the town of Dillon changed and grew more accepting as the seasons progressed.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Friday Night Lights (2006–2011) |
97% |
93% |
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- Showrunner
- Jason Katims
1 M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
The M*A*S*H Finale Perfectly Captures What The Show Was All About
After eleven seasons, M*A*S*H was still beloved, but it was starting to grow a little repetitive, and the idea that the Korean War was still going on all these years later was pushing the boundaries of believability. There was little question that M*A*S*H needed to come to a close, and it was vitally important that the series finale struck the right tone. The show was known for blurring the line between comedy and drama, evolving into a show with critical social commentary that imparted many moving moral lessons.
Hawkeye's 10 Best Episodes Of MASH
MASH's Captain Hawkeye Pierce is an incredible surgeon, and certain episodes of the sitcom are staples in the character's journey and development.
The series finale, season 11, episode 16, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," was everything viewers could've hoped for and more. It was unexpectedly dark, with Hawkeye (Alan Alda) grappling with the trauma he's witnessed over the years, but simultaneously hopeful, allowing all the fan-favorite characters to say farewell and move on to the civilian lives they had been dreaming about. Still, one of the most important episodes of M*A*S*H to revisit, no matter how much time has ed, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" cemented M*A*S*H as a TV show like no other.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
M*A*S*H (1972–1983) |
N/A |
89% |
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- Showrunner
- Larry Gelbart
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