10 TV Finales That Actually Made Their Shows Better (#5 Is a Controversial Masterpiece)

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Sometimes, a TV show’s finale can actually improve how we remember the whole series. However, getting a satisfying ending isn’t easy. Many shows are canceled before they can finish their stories as planned. And unfortunately, even when a show does get its intended ending, it doesn’t always please fans. A prime example is Game of Thrones, which despite its massive popularity, received widespread criticism for how it concluded.

Many TV shows have ended strongly, with finales that felt truly satisfying and enhanced the series as a whole. Interestingly, even some of these well-executed endings weren’t universally loved, as a few fans were still let down despite recognizing the quality of the conclusion.

10) Angel

The biggest criticism of Angel‘s last season is that it was rushed. Joss Whedon struggled to get a final season approved, and when he did, it was cut short. This forced him to quickly wrap up the story, and while the final scene was actually a strong one, many fans were disappointed with how the series ended.

The finale wasn’t perfect – Lorne killing Lindsey felt anticlimactic, though Lindsey’s complaint about Angel being the one to do it was a funny touch. But the final scene, with Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Illyria standing together in the rain to face the coming apocalypse, was truly powerful. It perfectly captured the show’s central idea: the fight for good is never really over. That made it a fitting and satisfying end to a fantastic series.

9) Star Trek: The Next Generation

As a lifelong Trek fan, I truly believe Star Trek: The Next Generation is among the very best the franchise has to offer. They faced a huge challenge – introducing a whole new crew and hoping fans would embrace them. And embrace them they did! That Next Generation crew became just as iconic and loved as the original TOS team. The adventures were fantastic, the cast was phenomenal, and the series finale? It was a beautifully satisfying send-off, a perfect way to say goodbye.

The seventh season finale, “All Good Things,” brought the series to a moving close. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) experienced strange shifts in time, finding himself simultaneously in the present, seven years in the past before his first command, and 25 years in the future as a retiree in France. It was a heartfelt tribute to the fans and a fitting end to a beloved Star Trek series.

8) Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD

The final two seasons of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD weren’t just a strong finish; they significantly improved the show overall. Early on, the show was limited by needing to align with the storylines of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. This prevented the creators from fully developing their own unique world and characters. Once freed from those constraints, the show truly flourished.

The show Agents of SHIELD really improved when it began exploring the multiverse and different versions of Earth. This allowed it to break free from being tied to the main Marvel Cinematic Universe storylines. The final season, set on a distant Earth separate from the MCU, featured the show’s strongest stories. The series concluded with a satisfying scene of Coulson reflecting on the future with his team, bringing the show to a masterful end.

7) The Americans

The TV show The Americans stood out because it focused on the villains, though they considered themselves the good guys despite their often questionable actions. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys starred as a married couple of KGB spies who posed as ordinary Americans.

Throughout the series, we watched the couple maintain relationships with their neighbors and friends while raising their children, all unaware of their true identities. The finale of The Americans powerfully reframed everything that came before by taking away everything they cherished, even their lives. The show didn’t give anyone a happy ending, and arguably, no one deserved one, which ultimately felt like a fitting conclusion to their complex story.

6) Breaking Bad

Even from the beginning of Breaking Bad, I knew Walter White wasn’t headed for a happy ending. But what was so tragic was watching him constantly tell himself he was doing it all for his family. He kept convincing himself he was the good guy, even as he became someone truly awful and ended up ruining everything – and everyone – he cared about.

The final episode of Breaking Bad brought Walter White’s long-held justifications full circle, but at a terrible cost. While he finally provided for his family, as he always claimed he wanted to, and secured Jesse’s freedom, it ultimately led to his own downfall. Seeing Walter White’s story end with him lying on the floor was a fitting and powerful conclusion to an incredible series.

5) Lost

The ending of Lost is famously one of the most divisive finales in TV history. When the show wrapped up after six seasons, it was met with widespread criticism and disappointment. Many viewers and critics found the ending confusing, unsatisfying, and had numerous other issues with the story’s conclusion.

Ultimately, the ending of Lost felt inevitable, aligning with many early fan theories. Throughout the first season, viewers speculated about the show’s mysteries, and quite a few guesses proved correct: the characters were experiencing a kind of purgatory, needing to resolve their personal issues. While the show’s science fiction aspects sometimes overshadowed these more emotional themes, the finale beautifully brought everything together by showing the characters moving on to the afterlife, completing the series’ central ideas.

4) MASH

MAS*H was a popular TV show that skillfully blended humor with heartfelt stories about the realities of war. It began as a spin-off of the 1970 film of the same name, and followed a team of doctors working at a mobile army hospital during the Korean War.

The show often dealt with very difficult and sad events, like the deaths of characters we loved, but it balanced that with the funny, quick-witted humor of Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce. Because of this, the finale had to be perfect, and it delivered. As the war ended and everyone prepared to go home, each character reacted in their own way, and even the usually cheerful Hawkeye was struggling emotionally. The finale was a huge success, becoming the most-watched in television history with over 105 million viewers, and it powerfully reinforced the idea that war is a terrible experience.

3) The Sopranos

Many viewers were frustrated with the ending of The Sopranos, but it actually fits the show’s overall style. The HBO series centered on Tony Soprano and his struggle to juggle his life as a mob boss with his family life. Importantly, the show always presented events from Tony’s perspective – we experienced everything through his eyes, whether he was in control or caught off guard. The series focused on his personal journey and the ups and downs he faced.

The finale left many viewers convinced the main character was about to die, concluding with a seemingly normal scene of him at a diner with his family. Throughout the scene, characters entered and exited, creating tension as fans waited for a fatal moment. The screen then cut to black and stayed that way, leading some to believe there was a technical issue. While some criticized the ending as unresolved, there’s a compelling theory: the show is told from the character’s perspective. If he were to suddenly die, he wouldn’t experience the aftermath, and the black screen could represent that very moment. If this was the intention, it was a brilliant and fitting end to an exceptional HBO series.

2) The Shield

The final episode of The Shield had a devastating impact on all the central characters. The show centered on a group of hardened Los Angeles police officers who took down dangerous criminals, but they were corrupt themselves. While they saved lives and arrested criminals, they also took advantage of their positions for personal gain, shielded criminals who could offer them money, and planned for a comfortable retirement through shady schemes. By the series finale, only three officers remained: Shane, Vic Mackey, and Ronnie.

Shane’s actions, especially killing Lem, set him on a path to destruction, but the series finale delivered a powerful blow to the entire team. Facing inevitable consequences, Shane took his own life after a devastating act. Ronnie ended up in jail, despite arguably being less responsible than others. However, the fate of Vic was what truly made the finale satisfying. He avoided prison and continued to live, but was effectively sidelined with a mundane desk job – a fitting punishment for the once-tough cop. It was a perfect and poetic end for him.

1) Six Feet Under

HBO has produced many excellent shows, but Six Feet Under is considered one of its best. The series centers on a family operating a funeral home in Los Angeles, and explores their personal lives, relationships, and the constant presence of death due to their unique profession.

The episode “Everyone’s Waiting” was a fantastic way to end the series, solidifying it as truly special. The show begins with Claire leaving her family and then jumps forward in time to reveal what happens to each character, both the joys and the sorrows, ultimately showing us how their lives end. Seeing all the deaths happen one after another – from Ruth passing just a year later to David’s death twenty years on – is incredibly sad, but it powerfully reinforces the show’s central ideas and might just be the best series finale ever made.

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2025-11-17 21:45