Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr.) famously said that “part of the journey is the end”, but for mosttelevisionfans, thepointof the journey is the end. Over the years, series finales have assumed the outsized power of recontextualising the entire series that came before it.Several fan-favorite series have found themselves unableto outlive the spectre of their underwhelming finales. Conversely, a show “sticking the landing” can improve its reputation in perpetuity.
From belovedsitcomsto game-changingtelevision shows, the difficulty of nailing a series finale is universally daunting. From tying up loose ends to creating satisfying resolutions and intriguing audiences with possible character futures, these shows delivered the perfect final notes.
10’Better Call Saul' (2015–2022)
“Saul Gone”, Written by Peter Gould
Expectations were low whenVince GilliganandPeter Gouldannounced theirintentions for a Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) spinofffollowing the conclusion ofBreaking Bad. An entire show centered around Walt and Jessie’s colorful lawyer did not seem like the logical continuation for the franchise, but by the arrival of the show’s first season in 2015, all fears were quickly allayed. Starring Odenkirk,Jonathan Banks,Rhea SeehornandGiancarlo Esposito,Better Call Saulwas a pensive and heartbreaking exploration of the events that turned Jimmy McGill into the notorious Saul Goodman.
While the series was originally mostly set as a prequel to the events ofBreaking Bad, the show would eventually explore what happened to Jimmy after the events of the original show. The show’s finale, which was written and directed by Peter Gould, is an expert culmination of not just the series but the entire franchise. Unlike the action-heavy conclusion ofBreaking Bad, Peter Gould leans into the more measured approach that had setBetter Call Saulapart. This approach provided a thorough examination of Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman’s psyche and him finally taking responsibility for his many illegal actions.
Better Call Saul
9’BoJack Horseman' (2014–2020)
“Nice While It Lasted”, Written by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
In the vast array of anti-hero dramas, Netflix’sBoJack Horsemanwas at points the most hilarious and the most devastating. The show, which debuted in 2014, followed a self-sabotaging washed-up actor, his insatiable desire to reclaim relevance and his tumultuous personal relationships, all amidst his declining mental health and addiction issues. It was a show that was never afraid to engage with dark topics, covering discussions of suicide, childhood abuse, addiction, sexism, racism and much more.
It could understandably be difficult for a show that reached theintense dramatic and emotional heights ofBoJack Horsemanto arrive at a satisfying conclusion. However, with its finale, series creatorRaphael Bob-Waksbergwas able to strike the perfect balance. The show’s finale did not lose sight of the sensibilities that made it a critical hit and cult-favorite. It provided a satisfying conclusion to its complex characters without coming across as cloying. It successfully balanced its acidic and nihilistic nature with a hopeful world view that resulted in an episode that was not afraid to say the tough things but also left room for a hopeful future.
BoJack Horseman
“Felina”, Written by Vince Gilligan
Arguably, the greatest television series ever made, Vince Gilligan’sBreaking Badconcluded after 62 episodes with the explosiveFelina.While many point to theRian Johnson-directedOzymandiasas the peakof the final season,Felinacombined the many aspects of what had made the show revolutionary and succeeded in satisfying its many diverse fans.
Written and directed by Gilligan, the episode sees Walter White on an apology tour, finally taking accountability for his actions and trying to right his wrongs with the limited time he has left. Leaning into the show’s action sensibilities, the episode’s climax involved a shootout at an Aryan compound that was, in trueBreaking Badstyle, rife with emotional payoffs. While the episode has been accused of letting Walter off the hook (a criticism that the creative team would seek to address in bothBetter Call SaulandEl Camino), the episode never loses sight of who Walter is in the story and arguably, provides the only logical conclusion to Walter’s story.
Breaking Bad
7’Fleabag' (2016–2019)
“Episode 6”, Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s comedic masterpiece reached cultural ubiquity in its second season, culminating in an excellent, emotional and universally praised season and series finale. With the introduction ofAndrew Scott’s priest character,Fleabagwas able to further investigate its title character’s impulses, motivations and hidden desires while telling, in her words, “a love story”.
Fleabag’s final episode ties all the season-long narrativestogether while placing its central characters in their best positions for success since the show’s premiere. As Phoebe Waller-Bridge promised us in the season’s premiere, it is a love story, but it was also much more than that. It was a story about a messy woman finally overcoming her self-destructive tendencies and allowing herself the space for growth. It was a story about sisters choosing time and time again to support each other despite always being at each other’s throats. It was a story about true love, finding it and being willing to let it go. All of this is excellently portrayed and culminates in a heartbreaking bus stop scene that has remained in pop culture ever since.
6’I May Destroy You' (2020)
“Ego Death”, Written by Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel’sI May Destroy Youwas a critical juggernautwhen it debuted in June 2020. Written entirely by Coel, the limited series followed Arabella, a popular writer attempting to rebuild her life after being raped. Co-directed bySam Millerand Coel, the 12-part series was an honest, funny and unflinching look at the nature of sexual assault, its survivors and what revenge for the abused can look like.
The show’s finale, titledEgo Death, was an ambitious and daring piece of television that defied all the norms of the form. In the episode, Arabella imagines multiple ways that she and her best friend Terry (Weruche Opia) could exact revenge on her rapist. It is an excellent depiction of someone confronting their demons while refusing to be defined by their trauma. In the stellar episode, Arabella’s several imagined confrontations with her rapist provide vastly differing results, but in the end she maintains her agency by choosing to move on. In the stellar episode, Coel manages to sit a hopeful healing journey for Arabella side by side with the harsh truth that justice for abusers isn’t always realistic.
I May Destroy You
“Person to Person”, Written by Matthew Weiner
After seven previous nominations, the episode that finally earnedJon Hamman Emmy Award had to be worth the wait. WithPerson to Person, theMadMenseries finale, it certainly was. As is well documented, wrapping up one of the best television series of all time is no easy feat.Mad Men’s deep ensemble of characters complicated the already difficult task at hand for series creatorMatthew Weiner.
Unlike Walter White, who had arguably become a villain by the end ofBreaking Bad,Mad Men’s Don Draper was a more complexcharacterand required a defter touch. The finale goes to great lengths to successfully tie up various characters' loose ends before arriving at an intellectual and emotional resolution for its lead character. While it cannot be said for certain that he left that retreat a monumentally better person, the episode succeeds in placing him in the best position, maybe even ready to create a historic Coca-Cola advert.
4’Mr Robot' (2015–2019)
“Hello, Elliot”, Written by Sam Esmail
It is almost impossible to discuss the excellentMr. Robotwithout wading into series-ruining spoilers. The technological thriller, created and mostly directed bySam Esmail,was a landmark series in the second half of the 2010s.Rami Malekwon a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance as Elliot Alderson, a mentally challenged social justice hacker who is recruited byChristian Slater’s Mr Robot to his group of hacktivists.
Mr. Robotwas proudly an anti-capitalist and anti-establishment piece of art that sought to critique the prevailing powers and give a voice to the downtrodden, both in its fictional world and in the real one. However, despite these lofty themes on its mind, it was always a show about its main character and his anxieties, his relationships and his mental health struggles. In its excellentfinale, whichwas written and directed by Sam Esmail, the show made sure to return to this central interest. The show delivered another final twist in its final hour and, in doing so, provided a deeper understanding of its central characters and finally presented an optimistic future for Elliot.
3’Succession' (2018–2023)
“With Open Eyes”, Written by Jesse Armstrong
Successionwas always about two things. On its face, it was primarily about who would succeed the family patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), as head of the multimedia empire. However, on further inspection, it was more importantly about a group of failed adults trapped in a cycle of abuse, incompetence and superiority complexes. As intriguing as who would eventually become CEO of Waystar Royco was the question of whether the three main Roy children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook), would ever be able to put aside their vices and exist as healthy siblings.
In the90-minute series finale, written by Jesse Armstrongand directed byMark Mylod, these two facets of the show come to a head. The episode manages to bring the kids together in moments of familial bonding before ripping them apart in heart-wrenching ways that the show had become a master at. It is an episode that highlights the efficacy of the silent ‘yes men’ while examining the inefficiency of those who have risen to the top of world-leading industries. InSuccession, everyone is still a neglected child and acts as such, even resorting to physical fights in boardrooms.
Succession
2’The Good Place' (2016–2020)
“Whenever You’re Ready”, Written by Michael Schur
How do you wrap up a show about the afterlife? That was the inevitable question that facedMichael Schuras he approached the finale of his NBC sitcom,The Good Place. The comedy began with the premise of a morally bankrupt woman being mistakenly accepted into ‘The Good Place’ after her death. To avoid being found out and sent to ‘The Bad Place’, she asks her ethics professor soulmate to help make her a better person in the afterlife.
Over four seasons,The Good Placecontinued to evolveand creatively engage with scholarly topics like ethics, philosophy and religion. Unlike its contemporaries, who were endlessly fascinated with anti-heroes and questionable characters,The Good Placesought to find the best in its characters and continually improve them. In its two-part finale, it takes its time with the characters, making sure to depict their positive changes and providing a hopeful balm to a world of cynicism and villainy.
The Good Place
1’Veep' (2012–2019)
“Veep”, Written by David Mandel
Throughout seven seasons and two showrunners,Veepwas always adamant that it was the worst people who were in charge of the Government. Its characters, who, again, were the leaders of the American Government, were usually a combination of inept, morally bankrupt, vindictive, short-sighted, prejudiced or apathetic. Hence, it made sense that the show’s finale would see some of its worst characters rising to disproportionately important roles. Similarly, the ascent of certain characters were underscored with the question of “at what cost?”.
The finale simultaneously delivers the required comeuppance to certain characters while underlining its central ethos that the terrible leaders would continue to fail upwards in a system that rewarded mediocrity and was more focused on personal gain than social good. The show’s legacy has continued to grow in the years since its finale. While that stands as a testament to the show’s enduring quality, crystallized in its finale, it is depressing to consider that a satire as ludicrous and as biting asVeepwould so soon become prophetic.
