Best Series Finale? (Spoilers)

[Dog]

Out of The Shield, The Wire, and The Sopranos (other shows I watch haven't ended yet), I'd go with The Shield. It tied up all of the loose ends, was emotionally charged, all-around unforgettable, and the ending struck the perfect balance of conclusiveness and ambiguity.

I thought the final scene of The Sopranos was perfect, though the episode as a whole was a bit bland. I can't stand when people rag on the ending just because it was inconclusive. Would they really be much happier with a cliche "Tony dies, fade to black" or "Tony lives, fade to black." ending?

The Wire's finale was great too, though not really as powerful as some of its earlier season finales.

[Monkmaster]

I'm about halfway through The Shield...can't imagine how they're going to end it yet.

I think I preferred the Soprano's ending over the Wire's. The Sopranos ending was definitely something different, that's for sure.

Oz's ending was alright but I think Seinfeld's might be my favourite ending.

[Paragon]

The best finale of any show was Newhart's, when he gets hit by a golf ball and wakes up in the original Bob Newhart show. Absolutely brilliant!

[el drewto]

Seinfeld

As the camera panned out and the characters discussed their petty topics unfettered by iron bars, It made me realize the existentialist conundrum they face; that their lives are so meaningless that they can go on undeterred by imprisonment, that their normal lives showed little more true freedom than a life in jail; that their lives of nothingness are imprisonment and will always be imprisonment.

[Mantikore]

M*A*S*H

and Battlestar galactica

[Paragon]

Originally Posted by el drewto

Seinfeld

As the camera panned out and the characters discussed their petty topics unfettered by iron bars, It made me realize the existentialist conundrum they face; that their lives are so meaningless that they can go on undeterred by imprisonment, that their normal lives showed little more true freedom than a life in jail; that their lives of nothingness are imprisonment and will always be imprisonment.

Actually, that's probably one of the worst series finales ever. In fact, it's one of only four or five non-amazing Seinfeld episodes.

[Euda]

Cheers always deserves a mention.

[Spam Man Sam]

Battlestar Galactica. Because I week before the finale I had just finished reading Neil Postman's book Technopoly, which is essentially a companion piece to the last few mins of the finale and to the series Caprica.

[el drewto]

Originally Posted by VladieShark

Actually, that's probably one of the worst series finales ever. In fact, it's one of only four or five non-amazing Seinfeld episodes.

Yeah, I know. It's just thats the first thing I thought of when I saw that episode, and I've never had the chance to whip out that wall of text until know.

The four or five non-amazing seinfeld episodes? Would those be the two finale episodes, the two where Kramer goes to Las Angeles, and the one where Jerry and Elaine try to be friends with benefits?

[Fish]

Originally Posted by PizzaNazi

I'd go with The Shield. It tied up all of the loose ends, was emotionally charged, all-around unforgettable, and the ending struck the perfect balance of conclusiveness and ambiguity.

I'd agree with this. When I was watching the finale, I actually didn't know it was the finale...I didn't even know the season was ending, let alone the entire show (I'd been watching downloaded episodes, since I'm in Japan). It was really shocking, but upon reflection, it was the only way to end that show with a feeling of both conclusion, ambiguity.

Also, 6 Feet Under had a very conclusive ending.

[Paragon]

Originally Posted by el drewto

Yeah, I know. It's just thats the first thing I thought of when I saw that episode, and I've never had the chance to whip out that wall of text until know.

The four or five non-amazing seinfeld episodes? Would those be the two finale episodes, the two where Kramer goes to Las Angeles, and the one where Jerry and Elaine try to be friends with benefits?

I wouldn't throw the Kramer goes to LA episodes in there. Jerry and George screwing with the cops during the second part + Kramer's interrogation were absolute gold. Those episodes definitely had their moments. The Jerry and Elaine one isn't too great, but, seeing as Larry David thought it would be the last episode of the series when he wrote it, I think it's ok (although I'm glad they decided to ignore it when the show was picked up for a third season). Had it actually ended up being the series finale at the time, it would have been very fitting. Anyway, here's my bottom 4...

The Finale
The Pilot
Male Unbonding (Way to not even have a "the" in the title)
The Red Dot

I'm sure there's at least one other episode I don't like. Doesn't matter, though. The series may have had a shitty beginning and end, but just about everything in-between was absolutely brilliant.