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Post by Duragizer on May 15, 2019 14:50:10 GMT -5
The latest (and very probably last) season of X-Files decidedly ended with a whimper. “Oh, everything you thought you knew was wrong, and we don’t have much more to say. Good night, folks!” What, you didn’t watch the final season of X- Files? Well, if so you didn’t miss much. The show almost became a tongue in cheek parody of itself. I regret not not watching the final season. It and Season 10 were revisionist, retrograde trash discharged from Chris Carter's swelled head. |
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Post by Rob Allen on May 15, 2019 18:10:01 GMT -5
The finale of Life on Mars was interesting. I only saw the US version, which was based on the British original. One line stands out in my memory: after they wake up in the year 2035, they're told, "President Obama wanted to be here to greet you personally, but her father is very sick and she and her sister are with him in Chicago."
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Post by Icctrombone on May 16, 2019 14:06:16 GMT -5
Blakes 7 had all the principle characters gunned down in the closing minutes of the final episode. Just unforgettable.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on May 16, 2019 14:30:17 GMT -5
Breaking Bad bugged me. Walt got to save his sidekick and have all his plans work perfectly, and didn't have to face any consequences for his actions because of convenient death.
It read to me like "Actually, ignore everything we were saying for five seasons. Evil is a pretty good idea after all!"
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 22:13:34 GMT -5
Blakes 7 had all the principle characters gunned down in the closing minutes of the final episode. Just unforgettable. I could not believe it ... and they did the unthinkable. |
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Post by berkley on May 16, 2019 22:33:42 GMT -5
Breaking Bad bugged me. Walt got to save his sidekick and have all his plans work perfectly, and didn't have to face any consequences for his actions because of convenient death. It read to me like "Actually, ignore everything we were saying for five seasons. Evil is a pretty good idea after all!" I can see that and felt a bit that way myself, but in the end I figured it wasn't meant to be morally instructive or prescriptive ("THIS is how you should act. Take heed!")
Also, from a larger perspective, I think Walt did pretty much screw himself (and a lot of other people) in the end: his whole thing was keeping his family together and protecting them - including to some extent the extended family of his in-laws - and that was all shot to hell. He goes to his death in that knowledge so while his final desperate plan is successful, it's more a matter of snatching what's left to be saved (financial security for his wife and kids, Jesse) from a fire that's already consumed what he was really concerned with.
But I might change my mind on re-watching, already I've forgotten some of the details. There's definitely some ambiguity there. Like a lot of fictional critiques or satires, it ends up glamourising to some degree the thing it's trying to criticise or satirise. The Simpsons, even shows like the Wire fall victim to this, IMO, even when they consciously try to combat it.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on May 20, 2019 17:27:44 GMT -5
Blakes 7 had all the principle characters gunned down in the closing minutes of the final episode. Just unforgettable. Simply one of the best series finales ever. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on May 20, 2019 17:33:33 GMT -5
Buffy was a victim of going on too long and the finale lacking the impact it could have. In fact, the "finale" of the 5th season, when they left the WB, could have and should have been the end. I guess I only remember finales if they bug me. I love, love, love Buffy but I don't really remember how it ended. (I totally remember the end of season 5, though!) |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
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Post by Confessor on May 21, 2019 3:47:58 GMT -5
I thought the GOT ending was absolutely fine (no spoilers!). Admittedly, most of the big excitement happened in the previous couple of episodes, and I think that left some people disappointed. But after eight seasons, it was important to get the tone of the finale right, and a large part of the last episode was concerned with doing just that, while bringing the principal characters' stories to a satisfying end, which I felt it did.
For me, the best book, film or tv series have endings that allow the story to live on in the audience's minds for years after the plot has ended. GOT achieved that I think; there wasn't a single main character who, at the end of the episode, I was thinking, "well, that didn't make sense", or "that was out of character", or "I wish that hadn't happened." The ending made sense thematically and brought the series to a satisfying close -- while leaving plenty of opportunity for a spin-off series or even a sequel, some years down the line (which I wholly expected it to do) -- and that was good enough for me.
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Post by tingramretro on May 21, 2019 4:17:41 GMT -5
The finale of Life on Mars was interesting. I only saw the US version, which was based on the British original. One line stands out in my memory: after they wake up in the year 2035, they're told, "President Obama wanted to be here to greet you personally, but her father is very sick and she and her sister are with him in Chicago." "Wake up in 2035"? Umm...sorry, but that is in no way based on the British version. Not remotely. Nobody got to wake up, in 2035 or anywhere else... |
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Post by tingramretro on May 21, 2019 4:20:10 GMT -5
Blakes 7 had all the principle characters gunned down in the closing minutes of the final episode. Just unforgettable. Simply one of the best series finales ever. What made it so great was that it was perfectly believable. You put half a dozen misfits with attitude problems together and pit them against a vast galactic empire; what, logically, is going to happen? Yep, they're all going to die! |
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Post by codystarbuck on May 23, 2019 16:39:34 GMT -5
You get a sort of series finale in the Dick Van Dyke show, though that is mostly a clip show. In the end, Alan Brady decides to turn Rob's book about his experiences into a comedy series, which is essentially what carl reiner did, in the first place. That is one of the earleistones I can think of. reiner pulled the plug on the series, after 5 seasons, as he felt it was as good as it could get and didn't want it to decline. Smart man.
MASH, as was said, went on far too long and shifted greatly on the dramatic front, once Alan Alda had more say in the series (and with the departure of Larry Gelbart and some others). it was still pretty good into seasons 7 and the further season have many gems. however, the overall tone of the show lost a lot and it grew repetitive. the finale was just really underwhelming, with very little comedy and yet another trip to the Hawkeye Flips Out well, which had already been done to death (insomnia, night terrors, psychosomatic illness, etc...) By those numbers, Hawkeye would have been shipped home long before, on Klinger's desired Section 8. That's not to say it was a bad finale, as the writing and acting are all there; just depressing and tired. Even then, it still lacked the punch of Henry Blake's departure.
Happy Days ended with the marriage of Joanie and Chachi; but, should have ended when Ron Howard wanted out. it was Richie's story, even after Fonz had taken over. It lost any resonance without Ron Howard.
Never saw Next Gen; but, babylon 5 did it right. it was structured as a 5 season story and the finale was planned at the onset. The 5th season is uneven due to the apparent cancellation, at the end of season 4 and last minute reprieve. The Earth War storyline was supposed to carry over to 5 and transition into the telepath issue and the Drakh War. Instead, it ended Season 4 and 5 starts with some wheel spinning of the new Interstellar Alliance, before getting to the telepaths (which was a bit less than anticipated), though the Drakh War pulled it out and the finale was the epilogue that was always planned.
Life on Mars, the US version, wasn't a patch on the UK series. They never really captured the period, like the UK series, and made it part of the whole. the US one felt like a facade, which probably explains the crappy space sleep ending. The UK version ends on a more logical conclusion, as that series leaves it for you to decide what is happening to Sam. Ashes to Ashes picked that up and took it into the 80s, then gave you an explanation for the whole thing. it had plot holes; but, emotionally, it felt right. Besides, Harvey Keitel played Harvey Keitel and that was not Gene Hunt. Phillip Glenister is the one true Gene Hunt.
To The Manor Born got a nice finale, with the wedding of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Richard De Vere, which built upon the romance that slowly unfolded across the series and Audrey's quest to regain her ancestral home. The reunion show, not so much.
'Allo-Allo went on too long; but, has a decent ending, as the war comes to an end and we see a later reunion of the characters.
One Foot in the Grave had a horrible ending, though the actors made the most of it. Its horrible from a viewers standpoint.
Frasier had a decent one, as Frasier follows his heart.
GOT is okay; but, they structured the show badly and didn't really give the climax the focus it needed. they could have cut some things out of seasons 5 and 6 and spent more time on what was needed in 7 and 8, to bring to a more satisfying conclusion. I wasn't so mad at the ending as feeling like things were rushed; rather like the Marvel films, before Avengers. Cap and Thor both felt like their third act was rushed to get to Avengers.
Newhart ended on a fine gimmick, which isn't exactly the same as ending the series properly; but, it's such a great joke that you forgive it.
The Office had an excellent ending, though after wading through 2 or 3 very shaky seasons. They last episode or two, before the finale, set it up well and the finale hit all of the right emotional buttons. The British series did similar, by giving David Brent something, while also providing some closure to the Dawn and Tim story. It was less sentimental than the American version; but, both ended well for their characters.
Barney Miller was another that probably went on too long; but, they cooked up a decent ending, with the closure of the precinct and the promotions of Barney and Levitt, plus bits and pieces for everyone else.
The German series Babylon Berlin has a pretty good ending too things, though it is undercut by the knowledge that the Nazis are coming into power and the future is bleak. It has a nice balance of joy and sadness.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 23, 2019 17:26:13 GMT -5
Barney Miller was another that probably went on too long; but, they cooked up a decent ending, with the closure of the precinct and the promotions of Barney and Levitt, plus bits and pieces for everyone else. I re-watched all of Barney Miller in the last couple of years and I think it probably ended at about the right time. It certainly shouldn't have gone on any longer. I oddly found that I really loved Dietrich, a character I hated when the show was originally airing. And that character was strong enough to let the show survive the loss of Fish and Yemana. On the other hand, Levitt was just an irredeemably bad character and his prominence was a stain on the latter seasons. The ending worked perfectly. |
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Post by codystarbuck on May 23, 2019 17:54:35 GMT -5
Barney Miller was another that probably went on too long; but, they cooked up a decent ending, with the closure of the precinct and the promotions of Barney and Levitt, plus bits and pieces for everyone else. I re-watched all of Barney Miller in the last couple of years and I think it probably ended at about the right time. It certainly shouldn't have gone on any longer. I oddly found that I really loved Dietrich, a character I hated when the show was originally airing. And that character was strong enough to let the show survive the loss of Fish and Yemana. On the other hand, Levitt was just an irredeemably bad character and his prominence was a stain on the latter seasons. The ending worked perfectly. Dietrich was great and added a nice new dynamic to things. I didn't mind Levitt and he got a few moments. he wasn't my favorite character; but, i thought he brought a nice vehicle for jokes from the rest of the cast and also gave a regular uniform perspective. Maybe it's because I am 5'6" that I have a soft spot for him. |
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