7. "Christmas Special," The Office
The original U.K. Office is darker, more cynical, more uncomfortable, and more awkward than the brilliant U.S. version could ever hope to be. It took its darkness and cynicism to the greatest lengths possible for the two-part, series-capping "Christmas Special," in which everyone has moved on, is trying to navigate life after having been featured on a semi-successful documentary series (curiously, the U.S. version has never commented on the fact that they're taping a show which will presumably be seen by the public), and absolutely no one is happy. Ricky Gervais' David Brent is the saddest, trying and failing to be a comedian; he wants to make others forget their problems yet hasn't even begun to work on his own. And then there's Tim and Dawn: Tim is still sadly stuck at Wernham Hogg and Dawn is off in Florida living with her wretched fiancé Lee. How all of this manages to turn into one of the happiest, most life-affirming endings of any sitcom is exemplary of Gervais and Stephen Merchant's twin ability to turn the mundane into the magical. When Dawn finally ditches Lee and comes back to Tim, there isn't a dry eye in the house.
6. "Daybreak," Battlestar Galactica
Through numerous political, social, and spiritual upheavals, Battlestar Galactica's driving theme was always, "All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again" (even though it took some time for that now-iconic phrase to be voiced). It opened with a healthy, Earth-like planet being nuked by the man-made Cylon robots, which were thought to have been destroyed in a violent war. It turned out that they had been so efficiently made that they had evolved into humanoid form to come calling for revenge. The series ends with a new healthy, Earth-like planet (heavily implied to be our own) on its way toward the same kind of omnipresent technology that led to all of this in the first place. In between, its characters grappled with fate, destiny, and all manner of other heady, life-or-death matters.
And yet it was always about cycles. As "Daybreak" so brilliantly shows, there was always a script these people were unknowingly following, and as prophetic vision after prophetic vision is fulfilled in an extremely intense final battle, we begin to realize that the show's still got a frakking hour left. So then it goes on to pose the question: once your purpose has been executed, what's next? You live. You continue on. You find new destinies, new purposes. It may all lead back to the same thing, but it's crucial to realize that it doesn't have to. If "Daybreak" is frustratingly vague on a few storytelling points, that's okay, because emotionally, it's as satisfying a conclusion as I've ever seen. Adama's ode to departed love Roslin, as he watches a fresh morning dawn on their new planet, is particularly heart-tugging: "When the sun rises behind the mountains here, it's beautiful. It reminds me of you."
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Will Penley
My favorite series finale would definitely be the long-slaved-over culmination of Clerks: The Animated Series, graciously provided to the series' creators by the wonderful network that is ABC.
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2 - El Bicho
You've left off quite a few classic endings that are legendary moments in television. Where's Newhart, St Elsewhere, The Fugitive, Howdy Doody, Mary Tyler Moore?
Nice to see OZ get a mention, but the majority of these fall into such a narrow timeframe and nerd mindset that who knows if some of your choices will be able to stand the test of time. Surely, that terrible BSG mess will long be forgotten for some bad writing that too many fans are sadly willing to overlook.
3 - Arlo J. Wiley
Well, these are totally subjective choices, and they're definitely the ones that mean the most to me.
I wouldn't really count a show like Howdy Doody on a list like this, by which I mean a show that didn't tell a story. If I did, the last episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson would've made the cut. I can't say that I'm too partial to the other shows you mentioned (I keep meaning to watch The Fugitive, though).
And as for BSG, do you mean the series as a whole or just the finale? If it's the finale, I can certainly understand where you're coming from, and I've had discussions about its arguable shortcomings, but it worked for me.
4 - Wesley Mead
Stellar choices, AJ! "Six Feet Under" is certainly a worthy number one. What a stunning 75 minutes of television.
Good to see the likes of "Arrested Development" and "Buffy", too. Personally, I'd have found room for "Frasier" and "Cheers", but I can't disagree with any of your picks here -- well, of the seven I've seen. Great stuff.
5 - Rebecca
Whenever this topic comes up, I always think of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Even if you didn't watch the series, the final episode is so brilliantly written and acted, an undeniably amazing cap to a great show. Arlo, if you've never seen that one episode, grab a box of Kleenex and give it a whirl. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll see what all the fuss is about (and probably replace something on your list, I'd replace BSG).
And kudo's for choosing "Oz" at all - totally underrated show - and "Six Feet Under" as number one. What an amazing ending.
6 - Baron
The Shield is absent. Really? It was far better than the majority, if not all, of these listed.
7 - Chris
was hoping six feet under was number 1... "wonder years" is right there though!!
8 - Rev
The Shield was by far the best series finale I have ever seen...just as their series blew the Sopranos out of the water, so did their finale...hands down.
9 - Rev
wonder years was a really good one, too.
10 - Jen
The finale of the West Wing is one of my favorites. The behind the scenes of inauguration day was cool.
11 - alastor
I'm a really emotional guy but I DO NOT cry easily. But Six Feet Under just blew me away, I cried all throughout the final montage of the deaths of all the characters. Though others say that that sequence was a bit over the top, I have to agree with you that it was fitting to end the series that way. As to its being number 1, I don't think I've watched enough shows to agree with you. :)
12 - Mike
Seriously, where was The Shield? Did the writer just not watch the show or was it just a mistake? I haven't seen a lot of these, but for as much as I enjoyed AD, The Shield's finale blows it out of the water.
13 - Mike
Newhart, Mash, Six feet Under, but what makes me mad are when networks like ABC terminate shows like Life on Mars, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, and only LOM's will get a proper ending
14 - Terry
The Twin Peaks finale is superior to most of these. In fact, all of these are from very recent shows. Is the writer sixteen-years-old?
15 - El Bicho
Everything is subjective, but if you are going to title something the ten best, you should have some sense of history. Throw out M*A*S*H and this would be better titled "...of the Past 10 Years."
The Shield was a very good one as well. I can't remember Twin Peaks.
In regards to BSG, the final season was an absolute mess.
16 - Bonkerz
If you really want to see compelling television, check out the finale of Wonder Showzen
17 - Sara
Um, no. We're forgetting "Friends"... the way they all walked out of the apartment one last time, leaving the keys, and onto a separate and more grown-up existence... plus Ross and Rachel finally reunited. It was exactly what the fans wanted (including great comedy), and there wasn't a dry eye when that finale aired.
18 - MissLobyt
Will & Grace : The Finale. To me, it was the best finale ever. Jack & Karen are the funniest couple in the tv history and that duet was really "Unforgettable"!!!
19 - John W
I think you already mentioned my two favorite season finales: Buffy and Angel.
20 - yinzer b
I can't believe no one has mentioned "The Wire" Amazing finale for an amazing show.
21 - Dr Dreadful
My favorite TV finale was Everybody Loves Raymond, because it meant that show wouldn't be on any more.
22 - Arlo J. Wiley
Well, sorry that almost all of these are fairly recent, guys. I considered adding the finale of All in the Family, but apart from that, I can't think of very many older finales that have meant as much to me as these do.
Also, I've only seen the first season of The Wire (which I loved to pieces), and as soon as I finish that, it's on to The Shield.
23 - Johnnycakes
Good piece but this nonsense about the Sopranos finale needs to stop. Please watch the scene again, Tony is as happy as he can be. He isnt paranoid at all. Chase has all but said Tony died. It's the greatest finale in TV history.
Below is an astonishing piece on the ending. Just read Part 2 of the essay linked below to fully understand the depth and beauty of 'the Sopranos'. Actually you should read the whole the thing but Part 2 is really a moving elegy to the show.
What is most impressive is that the writer has crafted a rather exhaustive critique of the conclusion of the final episode, while also providing a larger contextual view, of which the ending is a piece.
The writer also offers an analysis of the final scene and the sequence of shots that I havent read elsewhere. The essay also contains a fascinating look at the Kevin Finnerty coma dreams, the connection between Phil and Tony in the final season and of course, the meaning of those ducks and how they relate to the final scene.
What it expresses more than anything else is that David Chase created one of the great works of art of the last century. Reading this I want to watch the whole series again.
24 - alirai
good choices in general...Six feet under was definately AMAZING.im not ashamed to admit that i wept like a baby the last three episodes of that show.
another show i'd like to mention is 'the wire' which is arguably the best hsow of all time and the finale was definately up there and extremely fitting, quite possibly the best piece of television i have ever seen.
25 - alirai
its also great to see 'freaks and geeks' get the credit it deserves, probably the most underrated and overlooked show in tv history.