The Best and Worst Series Finales

With the series finale of “The O.C.” on Thursday, I thought it would be a good time to look at some of TV’s best and worst series finales…

Let’s start with the worst:

“Seinfeld”

Sorry, I know that many consider this show to be one of the all-time best, but this finale has to rate as one of the all-time worst. They went to jail? What? Suddenly, the show about nothing became about something, and it wasn’t good. It was nice to see all of our favorite characters back, like Teri Hatcher’s “They’re real and they’re spectacular” girl, but couldn’t the fictional NBC execs have saved them at the last minute? For that matter, why didn’t the real NBC execs step in?…

“Quantum Leap”

As is the case with many series finales, this show didn’t really get enough time to give us the finale we wanted, but we still deserved something better than this. Sam leaps into a bar where the bartender seems to know everything about him (You get the impression that he’s God.). The two reminisce about some of Sam’s leaps so when he leaps out of the bar, Sam feels he really is making a difference. We then get a graphic telling us that Sam never leaped home and that he was still out there. Based on the leaps that were discussed in the episode, I believe this was a “lost” episode (“QL” was constantly preempted by baseball in its early days.) the producers dug out and just slapped the ending graphic on for a conclusion. And the graphic couldn’t have told us he finally made it home, why?

“Another World”

I watched this show for half of my life, so when NBC announced its cancellation, I was devastated—especially since the show had just started getting good again. And I knew it wouldn’t be easy to tie up years and years of story in a way that would make everyone happy, but there had to be a better way than this. The episode centered on Cass and Lila’s wedding, but Cass wasn’t there because he had been kidnapped by a gorilla! Cass and the gorilla had some history, but even longtime fans had to shake their heads at this one—especially when the cast was reduced to singing and dancing to get the gorilla to release Cass. The show had its good moments—the return of Grant, the coupling of David and Cindy—but the gorilla thing was hard to forgive…

“Dallas”

Since “Dallas” helped create the season-ending cliffhanger craze, I guess it was appropriate that the series ended with one as well. It’s just a shame it wasn’t a better one. J.R. got the “It’s a Wonderful Life” treatment as a devil, played by Joel Grey, showed J.R. what things would be like without him. Cliff Barnes was successful, Bobby was a loser—but it was nothing that would make J.R. want to kill himself. Still, there he was, pointing the gun to his head as an evil-eyed Grey screamed at him to do it. Meanwhile, Bobby was just returning home. He heard a gunshot and ran into J.R.’s room, saying only, “Oh my god.” We learned later in a TV movie that J.R. was still alive, but this classic deserved a better farewell than to tease us with something so implausible…

“Roseanne”
Seven years after the “Newhart” dream twist (see below), “Roseanne” tried something similar. After the Conner family welcomed home Darlene’s baby, the show completely turned as we discovered that Dan died from his heart attack after all, Roseanne never won the lottery, Jackie was gay, and Mark was dating Darlene, while Becky was with David. It seems that seasons four through nine had been in Roseanne’s imagination for a story she was writing. I’m sorry, but killing a character off-screen that you were so happy to see live is just wrong…

Now, for the best…

“Friends”

Yes, I know that Monica and Chandler brought the babies home immediately. And yes, I know Monica left them alone across the hall. But did Ross and Rachel end up together? Okay then! Let it go…

“Frasier”

Though it didn’t get nearly the hoopla of the “Friends” finale in the same season, this was the better written of the two. The show went back to what it did best—Frasier and Niles trying to be perfect, but never coming close (this time while planning their dad’s wedding). We also got some poignant moments with the birth of Daphne and Niles’ child and Frasier saying goodbye to his radio audience. Plus, Frasier finally got the girl…

“Search for Tomorrow”

As I said before, it’s not easy to end years and years of story and make everyone happy; but “Search” came pretty close. After tying up all of the current stories, the show chose to end focusing on Jo and Stuart, the two veterans. As everyone celebrated the McCleary wedding, Jo turned to look out the window. Stuart asked, “Jo, what are you searching for?” Her reply? “Tomorrow. I can’t wait.”

“Sex and the City”

Carrie’s on-again/off-again love, Big (who we later learned was actually named John), finally realized he couldn’t live without her and he and Carrie decided to have a real relationship. In the alternate ending, Carrie turned Big down—which would’ve served him right—but this ending was definitely better. And how could any woman turn down Chris Noth? Plus, we got a great wrap-up for all of the other characters as Charlotte found out she was getting a baby, Miranda showed true love toward her mother-in-law and Samantha got her groove back…

“Newhart”

It’s the ending that’s been spoofed a thousand times, but it is a classic. After Japanese investors build a golf course around his inn, Bob is hit in the head when a golf ball comes through a window. But when he comes to, he is in bed, telling his wife about the horrible dream he just had—which you presume was about the Japanese investors. However, when his wife rolls over, it’s Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife in “The Bob Newhart Show.” The entire show about Bob, the innkeeper, was the dream of Bob, the psychiatrist from “The Bob Newhart Show.” It was a great twist…

“St. Elsewhere”

Viewers expected a lot of sappy scenes with this one and we got them, but we also got one of the most original endings ever. While looking at a wide shot of the hospital, the building started to shake strangely. The camera pulled back to show St. Eligius Hospital in a snowglobe in the hands of Dr. Westphall’s autistic son, Tommy. His relatives sat around wondering what he was dreaming up while looking at that globe. What he was dreaming up was the entire show, which turned out to be a total figment of his imagination. Many fans were disappointed, but I found the ending totally original—which described “St. Elsewhere” as well.

“Third Watch”

This is the way series finales should be. We got touching reunions, sad goodbyes, and even a romantic wedding proposal. But we also got a dramatic story to force those things—the complete destruction of the stationhouse by gangbangers. And because the show is never at a loss for melodrama, Sgt. Cruz sacrificed herself to stop the gang from hurting anyone else. Plus, we got the return of old friends Jimmy, Kim and Doc—in a plausible and realistic way. However, the real bonus was Sully’s narration of what had happened to everyone since we last saw them, but instead of just giving us some dull graphics, we actually saw the future in action. NBC didn’t give the show much time, but it made the most of it…

“Everybody Loves Raymond”
Too many times shows try to make their series finale extra special, but “Raymond” chose to make it just another episode—although for a brief moment, when Raymond didn’t wake up, we started to wonder. It was funny and sweet all at the same time—just like the best “Raymond” episodes…

I know that I’ve forgotten some, so be sure to post your comments and let me know your favorites—and least favorites.

And soon we’ll see which category “The O.C.” falls into. I’ve got a bad feeling it’s that first one…

Stay tuned…