Summary

• A satisfying TV show finale aligns with the series themes & gives characters deserved endings, happy or not.
• Longer series finales face pressure to please audiences, balancing expectations & wrapping up narratives.
• Series like Breaking Bad and The Leftovers end with impactful moments that resonate with viewers, leaving room for interpretation.

The ending of a TV show can make or break the series, and when creators provide a conclusion that satisfies the viewers it's often very positively received. While some critically acclaimed shows leave their finales open-ended on purpose or let the bad guy off without consequences, a satisfying ending will ensure that everyone gets what they deserve. However, that doesn't mean it will necessarily be happy, or that beloved characters will get a happily-ever-after, but they will reach the ultimate conclusion of their story arcs.

There are many ways to end a TV show, and the longer a series goes on, the more pressure mounts to please the audience and wrap up the narrative in a way that will preserve the show's legacy.

There are many ways to end a TV show, and the longer a series goes on, the more pressure mounts to please the audience and wrap up the narrative in a way that will preserve the show's legacy. To be satisfying, a series finale can still evoke deep feelings, as TV shows with a sad ending are still well-loved. Additionally, satisfaction can only occur if the final plotline aligns with the themes and tone of the overall series. Pivoting at the last second to make all the stories fit together nicely isn't enjoyable, only confusing.

10 Breaking Bad (2008 - 2013)

Season 5, Episode 16, "Felina"

The end of Breaking Bad drives home the point that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was never a good guy and never had his family's best interests at heart. For five long seasons, Walt tried to convince himself and his family that he became a meth dealer to make enough money to take care of them after he was gone. However, in the series finale, he its to Skyler (Anna Gunn) that it was always about his desire for power.

From the beginning, it was clear that Walt was going to die one way or another, but in the final moments, it's the way he dies that gives Breaking Bad such a great payoff. Additionally, he helps Jesse (Aaron Paul) make it out alive, and if there was any character that deserved to survive it was Jesse. By killing the men who were out to get them and tying up all the loose ends with his family, Walt can die in relative peace, and whether or not he deserves it is up to the audience to decide.

9 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997 - 2003)

Season 7, Episode 22, "Chosen"

Few series finales have come as full circle as the last episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The entire series revolves around Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) journey as the chosen one who must sacrifice everything to save the world. The finale of season 7 is interesting when juxtaposed with the finale of season 5 because Buffy was initially supposed to end after season 5. However, season 7 gives a better ending because it sees Buffy finally able to share the burden of being the Slayer and not have to feel alone in the world anymore.

Part of why season 7 could have such an uplifting ending was because season 6 was so dark, and the enemy in season 7 was the ultimate force of evil in the world.

Many things the characters wanted in season 1 came true by the finale, but not in a way that was overt fan service or put aside the darker elements of the show. Part of why season 7 could have such an uplifting ending was because season 6 was so dark, and the enemy in season 7 was the ultimate force of evil in the world. Buffy The Vampire Slayer did an excellent job of continually raising the stakes every season. It saved the most deserved triumph of good over evil until the very end.

8 BoJack Horseman (2014 - 2020)

Season 6, Episode 16, "Nice While It Lasted"

By the end of BoJack Horseman, no one is rooting for BoJack (Will Arnett), but that doesn't mean the audience isn't still deeply invested in the outcome of his story. The highlight of "Nice While It Lasted" is easily the final moment between BoJack and Diane (Alison Brie) sitting on a rooftop together the same way they did in the season 1 finale, "Later." They have changed so much as characters since that commiserative moment so many years ago, and they leave the audience with the promise that life keeps going.

BoJack and Diane will keep living long after the most dramatic parts of their stories are over. The series doesn’t try to redeem BoJack or make excuses for his actions, it merely informs the viewer that he’s still out there and will evolve for better or worse. On the surface, this might seem bleak. However, nothing else could so perfectly encapsulate what BoJack Horseman had to say about life. None of the endings are happy, but they’re not really endings at all.

7 MASH (1972 - 1983)

Season 11, Episode 16, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"

Hawkeye was the lens through which the audience watched the comedy and trials of wartime, and watching him and the series evolve over eleven seasons made MASH one of the most unforgettable shows of all time.

Many of the best original characters stayed on MASH until the end, including the most important character, Hawkeye, played by Alan Alda. Hawkeye was the lens through which the audience watched the comedy and trials of wartime, and watching him and the series evolve over eleven seasons made MASH one of the most unforgettable shows of all time. Though it was set during the Korean War, MASH went on for many years longer than the war did, and came to be known as a direct commentary on the war in Vietnam which was contemporary to the timing of the series.

The episode was two and a half hours long and chronicled the war’s end as the characters prepared to return home. It's an intense episode that grapples directly with the cost of war and the trauma soldiers face during their time in battle during the first half of the episode. It's some of Alda's best acting of the series, and for a moment it seemed as though the show would end on a note of despair. Fortunately, MASH lets its characters say heartfelt goodbyes and lets the audience know how much it meant to them to make the show.

6 Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 - 2008)

Season 3, Episode 21, "Sozin's Comet - Part 4: Avatar Aang"

Although Avatar: The Last Airbender only ran for three seasons, its impact on animation and television in general cannot be overstated. It's maintained a high level of popularity to this day as seen in Netflix's recent live-action adaptation, but it's hard to beat how fully formed the narrative of the animated show is. Each season completes an arc, and by the time Aang and Firelord Ozai face off in the finale, the audience has been waiting for this showdown for almost the entire show. Luckily, the action and fight choreography in the battle don't disappoint.

A brilliant move on the creator's part was to have Aang be blocked from the Avatar state throughout season 3, and only regain his power at the last second, raising the stakes as much as possible. Additionally, Aang grappling with his dedication to nonviolence versus the need to end Ozai's life is an extremely strong and compelling part of the larger moral questions the show contends with. Although it's officially a children's show, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a better ending than many TV shows, completing its arc clearly and successfully.

5 The Americans (2013 - 2018)

Season 6, Episode 10, "Start"

Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Phillip (Matthew Rhys) make it out alive and get to start a new life together in Russia.

The Americans kept audiences guessing from start to finish. Though a story about KGB agents undercover in the United States during the height of the Cold War shouldn't have a happy ending, The Americans does. At least, as happy an ending as possible within the context. Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Phillip (Matthew Rhys) make it out alive and get to start a new life together in Russia. However, they leave their children behind in the U.S. Though leaving behind a child is a terrible fate, it's the right thing for both Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati).

Part of what made The Americans such a hit was that audiences knew that the Jennings were fighting for a doomed cause, and nothing these fictional characters did would prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite the political intrigue, murder, and betrayal, the ultimate draw was the relationship between Elizabeth and Phillip. Viewers wanted to know if their marriage would last and if their feelings for each other would survive. It's a beautifully tragic moment when their relationship survives even if it's the only thing that will.

4 Broad City (2014 - 2019)

Season 5, Episode 10, "Broad City"

All 5 seasons of Broad City are great, and though season 5 didn't receive the highest critical acclaim, it still holds a special place in the hearts of fans because it was a touching farewell to Ilana (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson). The heart and soul of Broad City is their friendship, and the thought that they could part ways and not spend forever in New York together is heartbreaking. However, having them end the series by staying in one place would have gone back on all the great character development that takes place throughout the show.

Abbi leaves New York and "Broad City" follows her and Ilana’s last day together. It features all the best and worst parts of living in New York and is a testament to how the two women were a family. It took guts for Glazer and Jacobson to commit to a bittersweet ending as so much of the show is purely comedic. However, to say that the comedy didn't tackle difficult subjects and contend with grief would be a disservice. Broad City was a comedy to the end, but that doesn't mean it wasn't impactful and important.

3 Monk (2002 - 2009)

Season 8, Episode 16, "Mr. Monk and the End - Part 2"

Though Monk eventually returned with Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie in 2023, the series finale still provided a strong and satisfying conclusion for viewers who had been with Monk from the beginning. The show could not have existed without Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, and the final episode gave him plenty of material to work with to show off his acting abilities and give Monk a fitting end as a character. It's in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part 2" that Monk finally solves his wife's murder and can finally move on with his life.

After all the time he spent agonizing over his wife's death, Monk deserved to get closure, and he wasn't the only character who got a positive ending.

After all the time he spent agonizing over his wife's death, Monk deserved to get closure, and he wasn't the only character who got a positive ending. Everyone was given a new lease on life and a chance to move into the next phase of their relationships and careers. The episode ends by showing everyone living happily in the future, doing what they do best. In Monk's case, it's continuing to investigate crimes and helping the people who need it most.

2 The Leftovers (2014 - 2017)

Season 3, Episode 8, "The Book of Nora"

The Leftovers can be a grueling show to watch, as it takes almost the entire series run for the story to start to reveal the silver lining among the devastation and grief that wracks so many of the characters. Ultimately, The Leftovers ending was initially confusing to viewers and required some explaining, but it wouldn't be The Leftovers if the story isn’t attempting to unpack deep philosophical questions. In the episode, Kevin (Justin Theroux) and Nora (Carrie Coon) are reunited many years later as older people, and they share their experiences.

For a show that consistently defied expectations and refused to give concrete answers to any of the viewers' questions, it came as a shock that The Leftovers had such a sweet conclusion in the end. Nora has found the answers and closure she's been looking for since her family disappeared before the events of season 1. At the same time, Kevin has given himself over to faith in the unknown, understanding that all that matters is that he and Nora are together.

1 Cheers (1982 - 1993)

Season 11, Episode 28, "One for the Road"

Cheers redefined the sitcom genre and originated the will-the-won't-they relationship dynamic with the excellent chemistry of Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long). However, Diane left the show many seasons earlier, seemingly putting their relationship to bed. Luckily, she returned for the series finale and let fans see her and Sam together again, even if it was ultimately short-lived. Initially, Sam and Diane plan to run away together, but they both realize they have exactly what they need in life without each other.

Due to this, Sam ends up returning to the bar, where he belongs, showcasing the true meaning of the show. Cheers posits that life is about being where the people who love you are, and that familiarity is one of the sincerest forms of intimacy. The same faces crowd around the bar and are thrilled to see Sam return because his staying in the same place isn't a sign of stagnation or regression but of contentment. Like the other characters on the show, Sam is happy to stay in Boston and keep building his sound family.