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Many TV shows fall at the last hurdle when it comes to wrapping up their final seasons, but other series’ finales are their very best episodes. It is inevitably hard to satisfyingly wrap up a TV show, regardless of how long it has been running, as the finale is burdened with concluding multiple character and story arcs, as well as acting as a farewell. More often than not, they end up disappointing. As different viewers can often want completely different endings, many TV show finales also end up polarizing audiences.
Though it is rare, some TV show finales are way better than any episode that came before it. In some cases, the shows were simply canceled too early, and could have gone on to have many episodes as good as their enforced finales. In other cases, the shows operated at a certain quality for years, but the writers knocked it out of the park with the very last episode. Between HBO classics and cult, short-lived U.K. sitcoms, these TV shows peaked with their finales.
8 Broad City
Broad City follows the trials and tribulations of two socialites in New York City, and the failures in their careers and dating lives are always relatable and hilarious. Although Ilana and Abbi are arguably not real friends, and their friendship sometimes seems as strong as their hookups, the Broad City ending totally disproves that. Broad City season 5, episode 10, “Broad City,” is the perfect conclusion to their story, full of touching moments that Broad City rarely had before, but retaining the trademark irreverent humor. The Broad City finale is the show’s most engaging and vulnerable episode, and the previous 49 episodes might have benefited from something similar.
7 VEEP
VEEP impressively lasted a whole seven seasons, and the quality was consistently strong throughout. However, VEEP’s series finale introduces elements that would have been great to see earlier, such as its shockingly dark tone. Unfortunately, this aspect was seven years too late. A VEEP reboot is possible, but such a thing would ruin how perfectly dark the ending is. VEEP season 7, episode 7, “VEEP,” is packed with twists and capped-off with a gut-punching ending. Selina outlaws gay marriage and sacrifices Gary to the FBI before VEEP flashes forward 24 years to her funeral. While a reboot with returning characters would not work, a total remake with this darker tone could.
6 Ballers
Ballers delivered on being a spiritual successor to Entourage, and it successfully captured that same escapist feel, as viewers lived vicariously through the characters. For the most part, however, Ballers was nothing more than that until the elevated final episode. In terms of acting, the series finale is arguably the strongest performance in Dwayne Johnson’s whole filmography. Johnson is perfectly believable as Spencer Strasmore, and, ironically, it is a rare occasion where there is something seriously at stake for one of his characters. The Ballers series finale ends perfectly, as the feud between Boss Man and Spencer gives the excitement the series always needed.
5 Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under follows a family running a funeral home while dealing with some of the most dysfunctional lives imaginable. Six Feet Under season 5, episode 12, “Everyone’s Waiting,” is one of the highest-rated series finales ever, with a 9.9 on IMDb – a number it shares with Breaking Bad‘s iconic ending, although Six Feet Under was never as consistent. “Everyone’s Waiting” is the best episode of Six Feet Under and the most powerfully resonant, so long as audiences can withstand the emotional exhaustion. The finale flashes forward, showing the death of every family member – a powerful ending, but one that gives the Six Feet Under reboot a major problem.
4 The Office (UK)
The original U.K. version of The Office had a movie spinoff sequel, 2016’s David Brent: Life on the Road, but the classic and notoriously short BBC series properly ended with the two-part “Christmas Special.” The Office is completely different from the U.S. remake, as it thrives on its awkward moments, and while the whole series was full of such scenes, “Christmas Special” is the ultimate pay-off for the awkward humor that was set up from the very first episode. Between the hilarious blind date event and the secret Santa sequence, “Christmas Special” made the show’s already short run that much harder to stomach.
Curiously, Community has a movie sequel in development, which will finally complete the “six seasons and a movie” plan that was secretly hidden on a chalkboard in the wacky Greendale Community College. However, the true ending to Community is season 6, episode 10, “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry.” The final Community episode followed a few rough seasons after several cancelations, and was not only the best episode in years, it perfectly captured why the main characters are so lovable. As is the case with the best Community episodes of season 1 and season 2, the series finale nailed the pop culture references, cartoonish humor, and over-the-top sentimentality.
2 Firefly
Firefly has the fascinating concept of being a western in space. Unfortunately, it was not the sure-fire sci-fi hit that it sounded like, as Firefly was infamously canceled before every episode had even aired, despite later continuing through comic books and a movie. While Firefly would have likely got even better if it was not canceled, episode 14, “Objects in Space,” is the series’ peak. It introduces Jubal Early, a cool, Boba Fett-like bounty hunter who would never be seen again. Though Firefly was canceled, creator Joss Whedon got funding for a movie sequel, Serenity, but Jubal was still questionably absent.
1 Freaks And Geeks
Freaks and Geeks was a short-lived coming-of-age comedy produced by Judd Apatow and inspired by classic 1980s John Hughes movies, with the formula tweaked for modern audiences. Just like Firefly, Freak and Geeks was canceled after one season, and the end came just as the young actors were settling into their characters. Freaks and Geeks starred Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and many other comedy actors who are now well-established. Freaks and Geeks season 1, episode 18, “Discos and Dragons,” has all the heart and coming-of-age comedy found in previous episodes, but the chemistry between the actors and the performances is at its strongest in this TV show‘s finale.
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