Creating a great TV finale is truly a work of art. Somehow a single episode is expected to provide closure to a story that fans have been dedicatedly following for years. It has to be satisfying but not too perfect, conclusive but not too cutesy, sad but not in a way that’s too self-serious. And while juggling all those contradictory extremes, it also has to stay true to the distinct tone of its universe.
With the series finales of “Succession” and “Barry” on the horizon, it’s worthwhile to look back through the greats. From CBS classics to critically-acclaimed anime, here are some of TV’s best series finales that went above and beyond.
“The Americans” (FX)
Here’s how good the series finale for “The Americans” is: despite the fact that U2’s “With or Without You” is forever tied to “Friends,” its use in the final episode of the FX spy drama is an emotional gut punch of the highest order. One of the best TV shows of the century wrapped up in a way that was surprising, sad and supremely satisfying – it ended the only way this show could have ended. And while Matthew Rhys won an Emmy for his final season performance, we’re still not over how he, Keri Russell and the rest of the show largely went underappreciated during its time. Consider this your heads up to watch it now if you haven’t. – Adam Chitwood
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Heading into “Better Call Saul’s” sixth season, no one thought that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould could top “Felina.” But, by God, they did it. What makes “Saul Gone” so masterful is how it hinges on choice. Over the course of two series and 10 seasons, both “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” established Slippin’ Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) as a master manipulator who was able to bend and twist the law to his will. And for most of “Saul Gone,” that’s exactly what Jimmy does, squirming and playing the victim to get a reduced sentence. It’s only when he realizes how his crimes will impact Kim (Rhea Seehorn) that Jimmy changes his tune, confessing to every part of Walt’s empire and a myriad of other crimes. When Jimmy and Kim share that final cigarette, they do so as equals — two kings of the con who chose to go straight for each other. It may very well be the most twisted yet romantic relationship brought to screen. – Kayla Cobb
“Better Things” (FX)
Pamela Adlon’s examination of motherhood was many things: messy, often raunchy, funny. But above all, it was honest. “We Are Not Alone” is as delicate and soulful as every other installment of this FX gem. What’s notable about the finale is that it never once feels like a conclusion. Rather, it feels like another day in a rich and fulfilled life. As Max (Mikey Madison) attends a Buddhist art seminar, Duke (Olivia Edward) has a saga with her fish. To the very end, “Better Things” accomplished what Adlon has always done best: transforming the ordinary into the invaluable. – KC
“Bojack Horseman” (Netflix)
Typically, a good finale attempts to tie up every remaining loose end. Series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg took the exact opposite approach with “BoJack’s” finale. “Nice While It Lasted” is a last episode filled with questions, ranging from when did Diane’s (Alison Brie) boyfriend propose to her to who was invited to Princess Carolyn’s (Amy Sedaris) real wedding and what’s going on with Todd (Aaron Paul). The audience, just like the incarcerated BoJack (Will Arnett), isn’t given any of these answers. As BoJack and Diane sit together one last time under the Los Angeles sky, there’s a sense that this chapter of their lives has officially come to a close. It’s a poignant moment and a brutally honest one. Pretty good for an alcoholic TV star from the ‘90s. – KC
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“I did it for me.” With those five words, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) put seasons of fan speculation to rest, finally admitting to Skyler (Anna Gunn) that Heisenberg never had anything to do with his cancer diagnosis or protecting his family. The “Breaking Bad” series finale perfected the tightrope walk the series established from Episode 1, giving each character exactly what they deserved without skimping out on the action. Jesse (Aaron Paul) was given the true second chance he needed thanks to his former partner and an automated machine gun mounted on a car. As for Walt, he was finally able to live and die on his own terms. “Felina” managed to do the near impossible, tying up nearly every loose end while still preserving the integrity of this gritty yet poetic world. – KC
“Cheers” (CBS)
If you were to look up “satisfying TV finale” in the dictionary, there would be a picture of “Cheers.” “One for the Road” hits all the classic beats, from a rushed wedding thanks to Kirstie Alley’s Rebecca to the conclusion of an 11-season-long will they, won’t they. But even though Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane’s (Shelley Long) relationship ended with the two of them on different coasts, there was peace to it. “Cheers” was always appealing because it truly felt like the neighborhood bar where everyone knows your name, and in the end, Sam prioritized that sacred space above all else. He really is the luckiest SOB on earth. – KC
“Cowboy Bebop” (TV Tokyo)
There’s a reason why every anime fan insists you need to watch Sunrise and Hajime Yatate’s series. “Cowboy Bebop” is simply that good. Wildly imaginative yet profoundly human, the neo-noir sci-fi show deftly jumped all over the tonal map. One minute it was making jokes about growling stomachs and annoying commercials, the next it was dissecting the morals of eco-terrorism or uprooting its entire premise to become a horror movie. But there’s something so effortlessly cool, irreverent and sadly silly about Spike’s final finger gun “bang” that elevates this show from great anime to great television. – KC
“Fleabag” (Prime Video)
Gleefully irreverent and genre-bending, in 12 short episodes this Amazon Prime Video show somehow convinced its viewers of the undying love between a hot priest (Andrew Scott) and a woman who steals statues and has a multi-night flings with a man nicknamed Arsehole Guy. So it’s no surprise that its final moments matched the series’ cheeky ethos. After finally sleeping with the hot priest, he tells Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) that he loves her but he can’t be with her because of his relationship with God. Torn but smiling through the pain, Fleabag looks into the camera one last time and shakes her head. As she walks away, the camera stays behind, never to know what will happen to Fleabag. It’s a beautiful moment that wonderfully mirrors the odd mix of sorrowful acceptance that come with an amicable breakup. – KC
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
“Friday Night Lights” had a long and winding road from NBC to DirecTV, but those who continued to follow the show (or caught up with it on Netflix) were rewarded with a fitting end to one of the best TV shows of the 21st century. True to its big, beating heart, the series finale tugs at the heartstrings as Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and Tami (Connie Britton) are faced with a game-changing decision.
“The Good Place” (NBC)
How do you end a show that takes place in the afterlife? That was the task put in front of “The Good Place” creator Michael Schur, and the NBC comedy absolutely nailed the landing with a series finale that manages to be funny, resonant and extraordinary in equal measure. What does it mean to be a good person? And is trying enough? The finale doesn’t attempt to answer the philosophical themes at the center of the show so much as it offers hope – hope that humanity, at its base level, can do the right thing. – AC
“Halt and Catch Fire” (AMC)
AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire” got off to a rocky start (the “Breaking Bad” + “Mad Men” formula was a little too obvious in Season 1) but eventually morphed into a wildly exciting character drama all its own, chronicling the rise of the PC revolution in the 1980s. While the show began by centering its two male leads, played by Lee Pace and Scoot McNairy, it evolved into more of an ensemble and, by Season 2, had put Mackenzie Davis and Kerry Bishe’s characters front and center. Fittingly, then, the series finale ends with them and the absolute perfect grace note in the show’s final moments. – AC
“The Leftovers” (HBO)
If “Lost” found Damon Lindelof struggling to balance the mythological with the character-centric, his next series “The Leftovers” saw him jettisoning mythology completely. To that end, the show’s emotional series finale (complete with a massive time jump) offers a full meal and then some. As Nora (Carrie Coon) and Kevin (Justin Theroux) reunite, Nora tells of a journey to the other side – the place where those lost in the Sudden Departure went. A world that didn’t lose 2% of its population, but 98%. Did she actually go? Did she make this story up? And does Kevin believe her? A pitch-perfect finale leaves the answers to those questions up to the viewer, letting the show’s themes of loss and love permeate long after the credits have rolled. – AC
“Lost” (ABC)
Would “Lost” have been better had ABC agreed to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s ask to end the show sooner? Yes. Is the series finale still a fitting and satisfying ending to the story as a whole? Yes. “Lost” was never truly about the mysteries at the heart of its mythology, but about the characters – who they were, who they became, and how they each changed one another on the way. In that respect, the series finale fully delivers on what the show was really about, naysayers be damned. – AC
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
The critically-acclaimed Prime Video comedy unveiled a final season that proved divisive among longtime fans this year, after choosing to dedicate less time to the central storyline of Midge’s rise to fame in the ’60s for sporadic looks into her future and success in comedy after finally landing her big break. But that choice was also a masterful storytelling technique that gave audiences the chance to see where the comedian and her loved ones went after she finally made her dreams come true, from failed marriages and feuds to comedy roasts and the relationship with her often neglected children. And though the season introduced an unfortunate years-long quarrel between Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Susie (Alex Borstein) in the future, fans got to see the pair make peace before the end of the series finale, solidifying that the show’s core relationship was always the one between the comic and her longtime manager. — Jose Bastidas
“Mad Men”
The image of Jon Hamm’s Don Draper meditating to find that deep within the recesses of his mind there exists only an idea for a new ad remains a piece of iconography that’ll forever sit with the “Golden Age of TV.” While the lauded drama series lost a bit of its step towards the end (separating Don from the rest of the characters for the latter chunk of the show was a choice), Matthew Weiner’s series finale delivered a fittingly cynical take on Don that was in lockstep with the show’s thematic thrust. – AC
“M*A*S*H” (CBS)
It was easy to forget the stakes of Larry Gelbart’s CBS comedy. Between Hawkeye’s (Alan Alda) quips, Margaret “Hot Lips’” (Loretta Swift) eye rolls and Klinger’s (Jamie Farr) outfits and general misery, there was always a great joke to laugh at during the series’ 11 seasons on the air. That wasn’t the case when it came to “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” the two-hour finale of the series. After a ceasefire goes into effect, members of the 4077th MASH throw a party and start to go their separate ways. In the episode’s final moments, there are no jokes or gags. There’s simply raw, emotional honesty between a group of people who have stared down the gates of hell together and who know they will likely never see each other again. Bittersweet doesn’t even begin to describe this rich television cocktail, which we suspect tastes nothing like a lighter fluid martini. – KC
“Six Feet Under” (HBO)
Perhaps the best ending ending for a TV series ever, the minutes of “Six Feet Under” brilliantly uses the show’s own dramatic device to chronicle what happens to each and every character while packing an emotional gut punch to boot. Indeed, pull up the ending on YouTube and it’ll still turn you into a puddle of tears nearly two decades later. Sia’s “Breathe Me” soundtracks a montage of the deaths of every single character while Lauren Ambrose’s Claire drives away from her family. The finality, of course, is the point. – AC
“The Sopranos” (HBO)
It takes a lot for an episode of television to ruin a song. But when you’re talking about a single episode ruining one of the most popular rock anthems of all time that’s a staple at every karaoke night, you know you’re dealing with a darn good finale. “Made in America” was true to David Chase’s vision in every frame, wasting no time on sentimental goodbyes as Tony (James Gandolfini) comes out of hiding to ensure his family is protected. The last hour of “The Sopranos” was as stressful and action-packed as every other installment of this series as Tony ordered a hit on the man trying to murder him (Frank Vincent) and tried to make amends with his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and son (Robert Iler). It’s only when the diner’s bell rings as “Don’t Stop Believin’” plays that Chase’s crime drama finally paused to take a breath. And ever since the finale cut to black, we’ve been holding ours. – KC
“Succession” (HBO)
OK, we haven’t seen it yet. But c’mon.
“Veep” (HBO)
When Season 7’s ending first premiered, many critics complained that it was too brutal and reminiscent of the 2016 election to enjoy. But that was always the point of this venomous take on American politics. Directed and written by David Mandel, “Veep” left no room for sympathy or doubt as it showed the full extent of Selina Meyer’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) monstrous need for power. In the end, Selina’s ambition cost her everything — whatever love from her daughter that remained, her morals, any respect her army of minions had left, her party, her reputation, her Gary (Tony Hale). Knowing what she sacrificed isn’t the haunting part. No, in our current political climate, it’s knowing that all of this pain and backstabbing was worth it. – KC
“Barry”
Hypothetically if I’d seen the “Barry” finale I would hypothetically say it belongs on this list. – AC
