Wrapping up a TV series is no small feat. Not only must the finale tie up all loose ends and deliver a fitting send-off for the main characters, it must do so in a way that makes the audience feel that their investment in the show was worth it. Game of Thrones holds an average score of 9.2 on IMDB, but the finale received a dismal 4.0. House of Cards and How I Met Your Mother also had controversial and divisive endings, which fans debate to this day.
However, this balancing act is not impossible to achieve with a finale. Who could forget the Coke ad coda of Mad Men, or The Sopranos‘s abrupt cut to black? For a few series, their finales are the best thing about them. They join a list that includes some truly impressive TV swan songs.
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‘Hannibal’ (2013-2015) – IMDb: 9.7/10
“When life becomes maddeningly polite, Will, think about me.” Hannibal concluded with Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) taking shelter with his longtime friend/nemesis Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), as Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage) pursued them. Face to face in one of Lecter’s lairs, Lecter and Will are forced to reflect on their histories and the future of their relationship. The episode ratchets up the tension throughout, before capping it all off with a dramatic scene on a cliff-top, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes at Reichenbach Falls.
Mikkelsen does an admirable job of stepping into the gigantic shoes of Anthony Hopkins. He succeeds in putting his own spin on one of the most iconic screen villains. But the highlight of the show was not him alone but his chemistry with Dancy.
‘The Americans’ (2013-2018) – IMDb: 9.7/10
“You were meant for better things. We all were.” Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell star in this Cold War drama about a pair of Russian spies embedded in the United States. The show is at its best when dealing with the characters’ moral choices and the conflicting ties of family and country. It made for an interesting commentary on what it means to belong to a nation.
The leads play these challenging roles with a lot of depth, and they were never better than they are in the finale. The series ended with the pair of them looking out over Moscow, left to deal with the consequences of their decisions, unsure what the future will bring.
‘Spartacus’ (2010-2013) – IMDb: 9.7/10
“I am Spartacus.” Spartacus had a shaky beginning, and a difficult production process, including the untimely passing of its original star Andy Whitfield. However, it managed a graceful ending, delivering action and drama in spades.
The final season revolved around the confrontation between Spartacus’s army of former slaves and Roman general Crassus (Simon Merrells). It pulled off plenty of narrative twists, and the finale did the same, dispatching its hero in a way that was shocking yet entirely consistent with everything that preceded it.
‘Chernobyl’ (2019) – IMDb: 9.8/10
The surprise hit Chernobyl explores the infamous 1986 meltdown at the nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine, with a focus on the lies and recklessness of those in charge. It made for nail-biting TV and a searing indictment of institutional corruption.
The centerpiece of the episode is Legasov’s (Jared Harris) impassioned testimony in the courtroom. With a little help from some cue cards, he lays bare the regime’s responsibility for the disaster. It’s Harris’s best performance since Mad Men. (However, this scene was a bit of historical revisionism, since Legasov himself never actually spoke at the court.)
‘Gravity Falls’ (2012-2016) – IMDb: 9.8/10
Gravity Falls centers on twins Dipper and Mabel Pines’ summer vacation with their Great Uncle Stan in a remote woodland town. The Pines twins encounter all kinds of mysteries while chasing a journal that seems to hold the key to understanding the town. In the process, they learn several life lessons. It’s kind of like Adventure Time, mixed with The Simpsons and Twin Peaks.
The biggest sign of Gravity Falls’s impact might be its influence on the next generation of cartoons. You can see its imprint all over the current slew of brightly-colored shows featuring fantastic adventures and believable drama. Gravity Falls lives on in Steven Universe, Star vs the Forces of Evil, and even in some ways Rick and Morty (which was co-created by Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch’s college friend and collaborator, Justin Roiland).
‘The Office’ (2005-2013) – IMDb: 9.8/10
The last season of The Office was a mixed bag, mainly due to the absence of Steve Carell. Nevertheless, the finale was suitably funny and nostalgic, bringing back jokes and references from every season. It also devoted large chunks of time to each of the main characters and where their lives were taking them.
One of the highlights is the surprise cameo by Carrell. He shows up as Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) best man and speaks a few words to the camera. “I feel like all my kids grew up, and then they married each other. It’s every parent’s dream,” he says. It’s the perfect Michael Scott mix of sincerity and cringe-worthiness.
‘Six Feet Under’ (2001-2005) – IMDb: 9.9/10
This dark comedy from HBO focuses on the Fishers, a dysfunctional family that operates a funeral parlor. After the patriarch dies, sons David (Michael C. Hall) and Nate Jr (Peter Krause) jointly inherit the business, causing all kinds of friction. Alongside the drama, the show also grapples with weighty themes.
Critics flipped out over the final episode, in particular, which has since been consistently ranked as one of the greatest finales of all time. It flashes forward to show the future of each of the main characters in a way that was unlike anything else on TV in 2005.
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (2008-2020) – IMDb: 9.9/10
This animated series created by George Lucas is one of the most beloved entries in the Star Wars franchise. It takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, with a focus on Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Mace Windu, alongside new faces Ahsoka and Captain Rex.
The final four episodes work as a single feature, packed with cinematic scenes. There are battles, duels, and explosions aplenty as Ahsoka and Rex fight their way out of a Star Destroyer. Darth Maul also has some great villainous moments, including wrecking the ship by ripping out its hyperdrive. The spin-off, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, is set to release its second season next year.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005-2008) – IMDb: 9.9/10
The climax of Avatar: The Last Airbender came in a four-parter titled Sozin’s Comet, which is more like a self-contained feature than a traditional finale. It follows three simultaneous storylines. Sokka, Toph, and Suki take on Fire Nation airships. Iroh and the Order of the White Lotus fight to liberate the city of Ba Sing Se. Finally, Aang unlocks the avatar state and prepares for his showdown with Firelord Ozai.
The episode received rave reviews from fans and critics alike. “This is complicated stuff, the reconciliation of religion and violence, and it’s beautifully rendered,” wrote Susan Stewart for the New York Times, “Simple enough for Nickelodeon fans and subtle enough for their parents, with humor to puncture the pomposity inherent in the heroic genre.”
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013) – IMDb: 9.9/10
At this point, Breaking Bad is beyond iconic. Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) metamorphosis from chemistry teacher to meth kingpin has been canonized as one of the greatest performances in TV history. The finale fired on all cylinders, with Walt unleashing a remote-controlled machine gun on his enemies and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) escaping to an uncertain future. Not to mention, it features one of the most powerful closing shots ever: Badfinger‘s ‘Baby Blue’ plays as the camera pulls back from Walt’s face, rising impossibly high.
At first, audiences rooted for Walt as he broke free of his boring life. It was thrilling to see an ordinary guy live on the edge. But the series slowly revealed Walt for what he was: selfish, lacking in empathy, with a darkness over him as clear to see as the cancerous “shadow” on his CAT scan. He claimed that he did what he had to do to provide for his family, but that was never the full truth. In reality, it was to satisfy his ego.
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