Spoilers TV Shows with Great Endings

[Randomthoughts]

I have three of them:
1) ST:TNG: This has been mentioned (and I liked the ending) but I consider Picard Season 3 (which features most of the TNG cast) an even better ending.

2) Dexter: I liked the ending of Season 8 but I consider Dexter: New Blood as the true and fitting conclusion of our favorite serial killer.

3) Spartacus: The show had it stops and starts, but when it finally ended, I thought the last episode brought a fresh and satisfying ending to the rebel gladiator.

 

[Stalker0]

2) Dexter: I liked the ending of Season 8 but I consider Dexter: New Blood as the true and fitting conclusion of our favorite serial killer.

I think New Blood has a decent ending.

However, as a way to undo the horrific ending that is the OG Dexter, its pure gold

 

[Zardnaar]

Star Trek Deep Space Nine (DS9). It had 7 seasons and told a lot of stories. However, the pilot and ending line up perfectly and every character has a satisfying arc that few series could ever boast. Best complete Trek series to date.

Pretty much the only Trek show that wasn't a bit meh early on.

Casual non trekking sci fi fans seem to somewhat like it as well.

 

[MarkB]

Pretty much the only Trek show that wasn't a bit meh early on.

Casual non trekking sci fi fans seem to somewhat like it as well.

There are a fair few meh episodes in the first and even second season, as they're still throwing off the episodic nature of previous Trek. What makes DS9 stand out is that its pilot episode perfectly captures the themes that will go on to become the show's backbone.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Dexter: I liked the ending of Season 8

You may literally be the only person who did. It's the textbook definition of a show with a terrible ending that almost no-one liked.

Spartacus did have a decent ending though. It was an underrated show generally, perhaps because people didn't want to think a show so visually stylized and with so much sex and violence could be "good". It's actually a much better portrayal of the real "vibe" of classical Rome (I say this with my partially-earned ancient historian hat on)_than shows which sanitize or modernise classical Rome more, HBO's Rome did (and if you don't think that's sanitized, read about actual Rome sometime lol).

 

[Zardnaar]

There are a fair few meh episodes in the first and even second season, as they're still throwing off the episodic nature of previous Trek. What makes DS9 stand out is that its pilot episode perfectly captures the themes that will go on to become the show's backbone.

Has the occasional dud episode. Compared to early TNG which had the occasional good episode. And a meh pilot.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Pretty much the only Trek show that wasn't a bit meh early on.

Casual non trekking sci fi fans seem to somewhat like it as well.

I count myself a non-Trekkie but general sci-fi fan. I think DS9 is the best series, although since I haven't seen any of the newer series maybe there's mo' better to be had. And by newer I mean anything after DS9.

That being said - I don't think DS9 actually had a very good ending. It was fine. Perfectly cromulent, to borrow a feeling from another show. But was Cisco's much vaunted connection to the space gods really nothing more than an ability to fire a phaser rifle? Pretty sure plenty of Star Fleet grads can do that.

Also, the lead up to the ending was just weird. They actually dedicated time (Was it 2 episodes? My brain is saying 2 episodes) to having several of the central cast help some holograms from the holodeck. Saved their holo-bar from holo-mobsters or something naughty word stupid like that. Episodes that could have been dedicated to the main plot. Truthfully, I don't think they ever quite threw off the shackles of episodic TV.

But the show did have some good character arcs. And the over arching plots worked pretty well.

 

[Zardnaar]

I count myself a non-Trekkie but general sci-fi fan. I think DS9 is the best series, although since I haven't seen any of the newer series maybe there's mo' better to be had. And by newer I mean anything after DS9.

That being said - I don't think DS9 actually had a very good ending. It was fine. Perfectly cromulent, to borrow a feeling from another show. But was Cisco's much vaunted connection to the space gods really nothing more than an ability to fire a phaser rifle? Pretty sure plenty of Star Fleet grads can do that.

Also, the lead up to the ending was just weird. They actually dedicated time (Was it 2 episodes? My brain is saying 2 episodes) to having several of the central cast help some holograms from the holodeck. Saved their holo-bar from holo-mobsters or something naughty word stupid like that. Episodes that could have been dedicated to the main plot. Truthfully, I don't think they ever quite threw off the shackles of episodic TV.

But the show did have some good character arcs. And the over arching plots worked pretty well.

I really like Stargate Atlantis but I'm not putting it forward as a great ending.

Breaking Bad, Sopranos yes.

 

[rmtew]

TL;DR: In an age where I rewatch things I enjoy and gain reenjoyment from the rewatch, I can excise specific shows or seasons from existence and make a better experience. I can make a great ending for myself.

When I was younger and watching things like Farscape and Stargate as they aired I often complained about endings and season cliff-hangers and series that never got resolution. Part of it was that things were different then, the media had to be caught on air and I didn't want to miss it and wanted to be caught up so I could discuss it without for instance being spoiled and so on. Now we can rewatch things on demand, and can often consume a whole series as it comes out.. well you know this.

Now given how often I rewatch series I like I've come to different conclusions from the different perspective. If I didn't like the ending I can excise that episode and enjoy the story I was told. Often if I didn't like the ending I didn't like the season (especially given many shows have season-long story arcs) and I can excise that season and end up with the standout first one I did like.

Some of my top of my head :

• Westworld only had a first season for me.
• Altered Carbon only had a first season for me.
• The Boys only had a first season for me.
• The X-Files had 9 seasons, a lot of episodes can be marked for me as do not watch even story arc ones. Excise complete new season ending. Keep old one.
• Star Trek, Stargate, Farscape: a lot of episodes can be marked for me as do not watch. Excise Farscape ending. Excise Stargate Universe ending. Give some thought to considering excising the end of Stargate from when Macguyver left. Definitely keep Voyager ending.

There's some negotiation with myself for this. I long considered Farscape to be a dumpster fire of mind-numbingly boring episodes and bad writing from in-the-day watching, with a terrible ending. Nowadays I think I'd mostly excise the ending.

 

[Morrus]

Black Adder Goes Forth. Look, it's a classic and mostly for the ending. Not that the rest of the show is weak. It isn't. It's a great show right up to the ending. Then the ending, where (almost) all the main characters go "over the top" and get gunned down before the shot fades to a WW1 cemetery, was just... a gut punch in the best way. I was not expecting such an emotional ending to what is basically a screwball comedy. I should mention all the seasons of Black Adder ended with some/most/all the central characters dying. But this season just hit home with the very real tragedy of the senseless losses of World War 1.

This is the correctest answer.