Top 5 TV Series Finales
After reading the Six Feet Under Season Five review posted earlier today I was inspired to concoct a list of the greatest season finales of all time, since well, Six Feet Under had such a fantastic finale. After spending the better part of the afternoon trying to remember all the finales I have seen in my life I believe that I have been able to come up. There are some spoilers within so please proceed with caution.
5) Arrested Development - A show that FOX did not give a fighting chance to was still given the opportunity to bring the show to a decent close, wrapping up all the loose ends some stemming from the very first episode of the series and brought the series full circle while still keeping the funny coming. At first I was disappointed that the show would not continue, but I am now glad that it ended when and how it did and hope that they don’t try and resurrect it somewhere down the line.
4) Sopranos - A lot of people may disagree with me here, but after taking some time to digest the final episode, the final scene in particular I realized that this was an extremely well done ending. Instead of ending with a cliché, such as the death of the mina character, or a happily ever after, David Chase took the last few minutes of his popular show to put you in the shoes of the main character and feel how he feels every second of the day. On the edge of his seat, looking around every corner wondering if the next person he sees is going to be the one toe end it for him. Brilliant.
3) Futurama - The episode itself wasn’t planned to be a series finale but it was created to be one just in case FOX decided they didn’t want to continue the show. (They didn’t). In the episode Fry, wanting to once again prove his love for Leela gets his hands on the Robot Devil’s hands (in a hilarious scene) so that he can create a holophoner opera dedicated to his true love. As the episode continues more and more twists happen until Fry, back in his original hands, closes out his opera, and the show, with a very touching moment.
2) Angel - I only just watched both Buffy and Angel this past year, and while Buffy’s finale was good Angel’s finale was unreal. Chock full of great moments like Connor coming to Angel’s rescue, Illyria asking Wesley if he wanted her “lie to him now”, Lindsey’s rage at being taken out by a lackey and not Angel liked he had wanted to Angel’s final “Personally I want to kill the dragon”. Sure it may not have had “closure” in the traditional sense, but it kept with the theme of the show in that the good fight never, ever stops.
1) Six Feet Under - If this finale can’t at least get you a little misty eyed then you have no soul. Starting by breaking the tradition of opening an episode with a death instead starting with the beginning of life, all the way to the end where we get glimpses of the future of all the main characters including how each one meets their end. From Ruth seeing both Nathaniel’s waiting for her on her death bed to the very amusing death of Brenda who gets talked to death by Billy all set to the beautiful song “Breathe Me” it is an absolute masterpiece and should be the standard to which all season finales should aspire too.
5) Arrested Development - A show that FOX did not give a fighting chance to was still given the opportunity to bring the show to a decent close, wrapping up all the loose ends some stemming from the very first episode of the series and brought the series full circle while still keeping the funny coming. At first I was disappointed that the show would not continue, but I am now glad that it ended when and how it did and hope that they don’t try and resurrect it somewhere down the line.
4) Sopranos - A lot of people may disagree with me here, but after taking some time to digest the final episode, the final scene in particular I realized that this was an extremely well done ending. Instead of ending with a cliché, such as the death of the mina character, or a happily ever after, David Chase took the last few minutes of his popular show to put you in the shoes of the main character and feel how he feels every second of the day. On the edge of his seat, looking around every corner wondering if the next person he sees is going to be the one toe end it for him. Brilliant.
3) Futurama - The episode itself wasn’t planned to be a series finale but it was created to be one just in case FOX decided they didn’t want to continue the show. (They didn’t). In the episode Fry, wanting to once again prove his love for Leela gets his hands on the Robot Devil’s hands (in a hilarious scene) so that he can create a holophoner opera dedicated to his true love. As the episode continues more and more twists happen until Fry, back in his original hands, closes out his opera, and the show, with a very touching moment.
2) Angel - I only just watched both Buffy and Angel this past year, and while Buffy’s finale was good Angel’s finale was unreal. Chock full of great moments like Connor coming to Angel’s rescue, Illyria asking Wesley if he wanted her “lie to him now”, Lindsey’s rage at being taken out by a lackey and not Angel liked he had wanted to Angel’s final “Personally I want to kill the dragon”. Sure it may not have had “closure” in the traditional sense, but it kept with the theme of the show in that the good fight never, ever stops.
1) Six Feet Under - If this finale can’t at least get you a little misty eyed then you have no soul. Starting by breaking the tradition of opening an episode with a death instead starting with the beginning of life, all the way to the end where we get glimpses of the future of all the main characters including how each one meets their end. From Ruth seeing both Nathaniel’s waiting for her on her death bed to the very amusing death of Brenda who gets talked to death by Billy all set to the beautiful song “Breathe Me” it is an absolute masterpiece and should be the standard to which all season finales should aspire too.