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Fans often find it hard to part ways with a beloved TV series, but the challenge is even greater for the writers. Crafting a finale that feels fulfilling without slipping into overly sentimental or melodramatic territory is no easy task. Iconic shows like Seinfeld and Game of Thrones are often cited as examples of series that faltered in their final episodes.
On the bright side, some exceptional series have nailed their conclusions. Here are ten standout examples, listed in the order they aired.
[SPOILERS AHEAD!]
10. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977)
Ending a series about a fictional show can be cleverly achieved by canceling the show within the show. The finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, titled “The Last Show,” masterfully maintains its feminist undertones without becoming overly didactic—a hallmark of its seven celebrated seasons.
As the concluding episode unfolds, tensions rise at WJM-TV. A new station manager, Mr. Coleman, begins laying off veteran staff members, targeting Mary’s news team. The finale could have easily veered into predictable territory. Had Coleman fired only Mary, it would have felt too politically heavy-handed, even for 1977.
Instead, Coleman dismisses Mary, Lou, Murray, and Sue Ann—two women and two men. The fact that Ted Baxter, the self-absorbed and incompetent anchor, is spared highlights the workplace bias often favoring men, particularly in the 1970s.
Following Ted’s awkward on-air goodbye, Mary and her colleagues share an emotional group hug. Their tears and reluctance to let go are palpable as they shuffle together toward a tissue box. The scene underscores the collective sadness, not just for the women but for everyone. Mary’s final glance and smile at the camera reassure viewers that she’ll be just fine.
9. M*A*S*H (1983)
Although set against the backdrop of a real conflict, M*A*S*H was a fictional series that captivated Americans more than the actual Korean War. The U.S. involvement in Korea, lasting from 1950 to 1953, occurred shortly after World War II, leaving the public exhausted by war and largely indifferent to foreign conflicts.
In contrast, the show about a mobile army surgical hospital—a MASH unit—ran for 11 seasons and 256 episodes, beginning in the 1970s. Blending sitcom humor with dark comedy, the series was groundbreaking, even with its laugh track, which now feels outdated or out of place. Alan Alda’s portrayal of chief surgeon Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, which earned him multiple Emmys, remains a standout performance of its era.
Despite consistently strong ratings, the show decided to conclude after 11 seasons, mirroring the end of the three-year Korean War. Demonstrating its knack for prolonging a story while keeping audiences engaged, M*A*S*H wrapped up with a 2½-hour movie finale, attracting 106 million viewers—a record for the most-watched series finale in television history.
The most poignant moment comes in the final scene. Hawkeye bids his farewells and boards a helicopter to return home. As the iconic theme music swells, he looks down to see his dear friend, B.J. Hunnicutt, played by Mike Farrell, who has arranged stones to spell out “goodbye.”
8. Cheers (1993)
On May 20, 1993, 93 million viewers watched as America’s beloved bartender made his final last call. To put this in perspective, the most-watched show today, Paramount’s Yellowstone, draws around 11 million viewers.
The two-hour Cheers finale accomplished something rare: it subtly acknowledged the show’s decline. Six lackluster seasons had passed since Diane (Shelley Long), Sam’s original love interest, departed. When Sam sees her on TV accepting an award for Outstanding TV Movie writing—a nod to the finale’s extended runtime—he reaches out to congratulate her.
Diane unexpectedly arrives, accompanied by a man she claims is her husband. However, it’s revealed he’s actually her gay friend pretending to be her spouse. When his partner shows up, the ruse falls apart, reigniting the spark between Sam and Diane.
As the episode progresses, it becomes clear that Diane’s return—a far more compelling character than Kirstie Alley’s Rebecca—signals the end of Sam’s bartending era. The two announce their engagement, and Sam bids farewell to his bar family despite their objections.
The climax arrives when their flight is delayed, forcing Sam and Diane to confront the reality that they were romanticizing their past at the expense of their present. Their breakup cleverly addresses Diane’s abrupt exit years earlier while playfully teasing fans about what her staying might have meant. In the end, Norm’s prediction rings true: Sam would always return to “her”—Cheers.
7. The Larry Sanders Show (1998)
Feel free to channel surf now. The finale of The Larry Sanders Show, aptly titled “Flip,” delivered a fitting conclusion to the brilliant series while mocking the overly sentimental endings typical of variety shows. Garry Shandling’s portrayal of a self-absorbed yet insecure late-night host was both hilarious and poignant.
As one of HBO’s earliest Emmy-worthy productions, The Larry Sanders Show showcased the talents of Garry Shandling and Rip Torn, who played Larry’s brash producer, alongside rising stars like Jeffrey Tambor, Bob Odenkirk, and Janeane Garofalo. The series provided a raw, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the egos, rivalries, and drama of a late-night talk show, complete with a stream of celebrity guest appearances.
The final episode amplified this theme, featuring ex-staff members hurling insults at Larry before the show. Once the cameras started rolling, a parade of 1990s celebrities delivered insincere farewells, only to retract them during commercial breaks. Jim Carrey performed a satirical song praising Larry, then bluntly told him off. Carol Burnett brought Ellen DeGeneres to resolve a feud with Larry, while Tim Allen pretended to be friendly on-air but cursed him off-air.
The only genuine goodbye came from Larry’s co-host, Hank Kingsley, but even that was interrupted by an unexpected visit from Jerry Seinfeld. Meanwhile, Jon Stewart, before his Daily Show fame, waited in the wings, pretending to be grateful as he prepared to take over Larry’s time slot.
6. Six Feet Under (2005)
The five-season journey of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles, was groundbreaking in multiple ways. Notably, David Fisher, portrayed by Michael C. Hall (later of Dexter fame), offered one of the earliest realistic depictions of a gay character—and an interracial gay couple—on television.
A defining feature of the series was its opening sequence, which always began with a death, often leading the deceased to Fisher Funeral Home. Whether from suicide, car accidents, illness, or household mishaps, each episode started with tragedy and evolved from there.
While not necessarily a top-ten series of all time, it arguably boasts the most powerful final scene in TV history. As Claire, the youngest Fisher, drives away to start a new life on the East Coast, Sia’s “Breathe Me” plays in the background—a moment that helped catapult Sia to fame. Claire sees a vision of her late brother Nate in the rearview mirror before he fades away, prompting her to break down in tears.
The show then leaps forward in time, revealing the deaths of each main character. Ruth, the family matriarch (1946-2025), dies in a hospital. Keith (1968-2029), David’s husband, is killed during a bank robbery. David (1969-2044) passes away at a picnic. Finally, Claire (1983-2085) dies at the age of 102 as the credits roll.
Last year, rumors circulated that HBO might attempt a Six Feet Under reboot, potentially ruining its legacy. Thankfully, the idea was shelved, and the revival (2021-22) never materialized.
5. The Sopranos (2007)
The Sopranos ushered in television’s second Golden Age, paving the way for iconic dramas like The Wire and Breaking Bad. Creator David Chase was aware of the show’s monumental impact but struggled with how to conclude it.
The finale, “Made in America,” is unforgettable. In the last scene, Tony and his family gather at a quintessential New Jersey diner. AJ joins them at the booth as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” plays. A suspicious man walks by and heads to the restroom while Meadow struggles to park. She finally enters, Tony looks up, and…
… the screen cuts to black. The abrupt ending left many viewers confused, thinking their cable had failed. This sparked the most heated debate in TV history: Did Tony survive, or was he killed?
Chase finally confirmed in 2021 what many had long suspected: Tony did not survive. The creator expressed surprise at the debate, as Tony’s fate was always sealed—though not necessarily in that specific manner.
“The ending I originally envisioned wasn’t the diner scene,” Chase explained. “I imagined Tony driving from New Jersey back to New York for a meeting where he would be assassinated, mirroring how he entered each episode from New York to New Jersey.”
Ultimately, Chase decided that Tony’s dual role as a crime boss and family man could be more poignantly resolved in a diner setting. Holsten’s in Bloomfield, NJ, where the scene was filmed, now features a plaque honoring the iconic moment.
4. Breaking Bad (2013)
Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White stands as one of television’s most intricately layered antiheroes, surpassing even House of Cards’ Frank Underwood, Tony Soprano, and more recent figures like Marty Byrde from Ozark.
Crafting a fitting conclusion for a character as complex as Walter White was no small feat. Many antihero-centric shows have faltered in their final moments, with Dexter being a prime example. With his family estranged, his health deteriorating from cancer, and both law enforcement and a drug cartel on his trail, Walter must resolve unfinished business for his family and his legacy.
The finale’s most crucial moment isn’t an action-packed sequence but a quiet revelation of Walt’s true motives. During a final visit to his estranged wife, Skylar, he admits that his transformation into Heisenberg wasn’t solely about providing for his family. “I did it for me,” he confesses. “I enjoyed it. I excelled at it. And I felt truly… alive.”
The remainder of the episode, while almost secondary, is masterfully executed. Walt exacts revenge on two former business partners who cheated him out of millions, simultaneously finding a way to transfer his illicit earnings to his son. In the climactic scene, he rigs a machine gun in his car’s trunk, which eliminates the drug gang while he feigns protecting his longtime associate, Jesse. Jesse escapes, and Walt, fatally wounded, succumbs as police arrive and the screen fades to black. A flawless ending.
3. Better Call Saul (2022)
Vince Gilligan is the only creator to appear twice on this list—first for Breaking Bad and now for its prequel, widely regarded as the best spinoff in TV history. Over six seasons, the series meticulously traces the evolution of Jimmy McGill, a small-time con artist, into the morally compromised lawyer Saul Goodman.
In many respects, Better Call Saul outshines its predecessor. It features two standout performances—Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill and Rhea Seehorn as his love interest, Kim Wexler—compared to Bryan Cranston’s singular role in Breaking Bad. The series also succeeds despite the constraint that viewers know Jimmy survives, given the events of Breaking Bad.
As the final season progresses, we witness Saul Goodman’s complete transformation into a cunning, self-serving manipulator who rationalizes others’ suffering for his own benefit. The finale masterfully reveals the extent of Jimmy’s selfishness, answering the central question of how far he’s willing to go.
Facing a life sentence, Saul initially manipulates the system to reduce his punishment by implicating others, including Kim. He secures a cushy prison arrangement but, in a final courtroom speech, reverts to his true self—Jimmy—unable to betray Kim. He accepts a life sentence, freeing her from legal consequences. This conclusion solidifies Saul as a deeply flawed character, answering the series’ central question with precision.
2. After Life (2022)
Created by and starring Ricky Gervais, After Life spans three seasons, each with six concise half-hour episodes. Despite being overlooked by the Emmys, Gervais considers it his finest work, a significant statement from the mind behind The Office.
Gervais portrays Tony, a small-town journalist in England who tragically loses his wife, Lisa, to cancer in her 40s. Before her passing, Lisa records heartfelt videos for Tony. Throughout the series, Tony reflects on these emotional messages, interwoven with flashbacks of their joyful life before her illness.
What sets After Life apart is the prominence of Brandy, the couple’s German shepherd, who becomes a central figure in Tony’s life. Brandy serves as a living connection to Lisa and plays a crucial role in preventing Tony from taking his own life multiple times.
Brandy’s significance reaches its peak in the show’s exceptional finale. At a local fair, Tony, still grappling with grief, performs kind acts for his friends, raising concerns about his mental state. As Tony and Brandy walk away, Lisa’s ghost briefly appears, echoing the lingering question from The Sopranos: “Will Tony die?”
The scene shifts as Brandy disappears, symbolizing her passing before Tony’s. This poignant moment suggests Tony’s survival, with the dog’s lifespan naturally ending before his. It’s a powerful conclusion to an unforgettable series.
1. The Americans (2018)
From its inception, The Americans was destined to conclude with the fall of the Soviet Union. But could the Jennings family, undercover Soviet spies in Washington D.C., survive until then?
Set in the 1980s during the Reagan administration—the twilight of the Cold War—the series depicts the highly skilled spies employed by both sides. While the show features front careers, elaborate disguises, secret exchanges, and covert killings, its heart lies in the complex relationship between its married protagonists, Phillip and Elizabeth.
Or rather, their “marriage.” As Soviet operatives, they were assigned to pose as a married couple, even raising children who believed they were ordinary Americans. Their eldest, Paige, eventually learns the truth, but their younger son, Henry, remains unaware.
The finale excels by leaving many questions unanswered. The Jennings’ fabricated American life is so entangled that escaping it creates more uncertainty. When their cover is blown—thanks to their FBI agent neighbor, Stan Beeman—Phillip and Elizabeth flee. Paige chooses to stay, possibly to continue her parents’ mission, while Stan reveals the truth to a devastated Henry.
Will Phillip and Elizabeth’s arranged marriage in America evolve into a genuine one in the USSR? The show leaves this unresolved. However, it reveals that their intelligence helps prevent a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, a key figure in the Soviet Union’s eventual collapse.
