These finales left a lasting impression. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most impactful final episodes of TV shows that left their mark on the industry and audiences everywhere.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "Sorry, we're closed."
00:03 Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most impactful final
00:07 episodes of TV shows that left their mark on the industry and audiences everywhere.
00:12 It's the last episode, people.
00:14 Do we really even need to tell you that there are spoilers ahead?
00:17 "He just called, he's on his way.
00:20 Meds come in separately, she had to go to the doctor.
00:24 Switch birth control."
00:25 10.
00:30 Watching Don Draper throughout the show's seven seasons was a rollercoaster, and his
00:35 final moments on screen were monumental.
00:37 When he left behind his work to concentrate on his personal journey, he had a revelation
00:42 during a retreat in California.
00:44 This led to his inspiration for the "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" campaign, aka, one
00:50 of the biggest ad campaigns ever.
01:14 We saw that the Don Draper we knew and loved was still there, even as he continued to try
01:19 and battle his mental demons.
01:21 Getting to see Peggy find love with Stan while Joan followed her career dreams was all just
01:26 icing on the Mad Men finale cake.
01:30 "What are you doing?"
01:31 "It's just a couple of little projects."
01:34 9.
01:35 The Last Newhart - Newhart
01:37 This finale pulled the rug out from under us in the best way imaginable.
01:41 Starring Bob Newhart, this show was his second successful sitcom, following the Bob Newhart
01:47 show.
01:56 In the finale, Dick Loudon continued running Stratford Inn despite the town being turned
02:01 into a golf course.
02:02 While that may have seemed like a satisfying enough ending, the final scene provided one
02:06 of the biggest twists in television history.
02:15 After Dick was hit in the head with a golf ball, he woke up as his character from The
02:19 Bob Newhart Show, laying in bed next to his wife from that series.
02:24 He explained that everything was a dream, and needless to say, audience members everywhere
02:29 were left floored.
02:32 8.
02:34 The Finale - Seinfeld
02:38 Controversial, we know.
02:40 While the finale split audience opinions, it was an undeniably clever way to bring back
02:44 so many of the iconic characters that had popped up throughout the show.
02:59 As Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George go to court after bystanding during a carjacking,
03:05 plenty of the show's eclectic personalities made an appearance as character witnesses.
03:10 It gave us an opportunity to reminisce on the best moments that happened throughout
03:23 the series, while solidifying that the core four were, in fact, not the greatest people
03:29 in the world.
03:30 Plus, we always love when an ending calls back to the beginning, and this show did just
03:34 that with the shirt buttons conversation.
03:41 7.
03:50 The End - Lost
03:51 While this finale may have left a few stones unturned, it left its mark with viewers at
03:56 home.
03:57 Jack defeated the Man in Black, and sacrificed himself to save the island after becoming
04:02 the new protector of it.
04:03 The last scene even mimicked the first, with Jack lying on the ground staring up at the
04:08 sky.
04:13 We finally learned what was going on with the Flash sideways, and that it was a purgatory-like
04:18 place for those who passed on from the island, to gather together before going to the afterlife.
04:30 Although this finale was nothing short of a polarizing whirlwind, it was definitely
04:39 an epic ending to a series that kept us guessing at every turn.
04:49 6.
04:54 The Last One - Friends
04:56 There were endless amounts of tear-jerking moments in this finale, and all of them made
05:00 us grateful that we were along for the ride with this group of friends.
05:07 Monica and Chandler unexpectedly became parents of two, and prepared to move to the suburbs,
05:13 with Joey in tow.
05:14 Meanwhile, Phoebe and Mike settled into married life.
05:29 The showstopper of the episode, however, had to be the "will they, won't they" couple of
05:34 the century deciding to give it a go for real.
05:51 Seeing the empty apartment at the end of the episode got us right in the feels, and we
05:56 couldn't imagine a more fitting ending.
05:58 5.
05:59 One for the Road - Cheers
06:02 Speaking of "will they, won't they" couples, Sam and Diane's fate was finally realized
06:06 in this finale.
06:15 We also saw Woody become a councilman, Cliff get promoted, Norm get a job with the city,
06:20 and Rebecca get married.
06:22 But when Sam and Diane almost ran away together, they realized, as Norm said, that Sam needed
06:27 to stay in Boston to be with his one true love.
06:39 Rather than Diane, he chose to stay at the place where everyone knew his name, at the
06:44 bar, with his friends, who had become his family.
06:47 The second most watched finale of all time, it was one of the most satisfying endings
06:52 to a TV series we can possibly think of.
07:03 4.
07:12 Felina - Breaking Bad
07:14 A show that had us on the edge of our seats through five seasons had to have a show-stopping
07:19 ending.
07:25 Walter White left no strings untied before his inevitable demise, as he assured his family
07:30 would get the money they were due, and he managed to save Jessie.
07:34 He also brought justice to those who had wronged him, and faced the music while reminiscing
07:38 on his time as Heisenberg.
07:56 Vince Gilligan's genius for creating captivating television was also demonstrated in Better
08:01 Call Saul, the spin-off he co-created, where the finale showed us Jimmy McGill's story
08:07 coming to an exciting conclusion.
08:15 But it was Felina that left us feeling like we had witnessed a magical slice of television.
08:22 3.
08:23 Everyone's Waiting - Six Feet Under
08:26 This final episode saw the characters dealing with something all too familiar to them - death.
08:31 But this time, it was one of their own who passed away.
08:49 Everyone dealt with Nate's death differently, with Brenda and David struggling the most.
08:53 The flash-forward sequences showed everyone moving on with their lives, and even in their
08:58 deaths, they all stayed true to themselves and got the endings that were fitting for
09:01 them.
09:11 This show taught us that there is beauty in life and in death, and watching the fates
09:15 of the characters get revealed one by one was the perfect way to encompass the show's
09:20 message as it wrapped up each storyline.
09:28 2.
09:34 Made in America - The Sopranos
09:37 The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the best series of all time, and the finale
09:41 was perhaps the most talked about part.
09:47 The last scene saw the Sopranos in a diner while tensions rose as the end of the episode
09:52 drew near, and then, suddenly, nothing.
09:55 The open-ended, cut-to-black ending has been discussed for years, and will probably be
10:00 debated for many more to come.
10:02 Did it mean Tony was abruptly killed?
10:04 Was there simply no more to say about this mobster's chaotic life?
10:07 One thing we know for sure is we can't hear "Don't Stop Believin'" anymore without thinking
10:12 of this iconic final scene.
10:21 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
10:25 30.
10:26 The Wire Whether hopeful or bleak, everyone faced
10:29 the music in the end.
10:37 All Good Things - Star Trek The Next Generation
10:41 Captain Picard Saved the Day One Last Time
11:01 The Judgment - The Fugitive Dr. Richard Kimball's story came full circle
11:06 in this satisfying finale.
11:19 Whenever You're Ready - The Good Place The group moved on one at a time in this poignant
11:24 conclusion.
11:39 The Last Show - The Mary Tyler Moore Show A goodbye that felt like a hug you didn't
11:44 want to let go of.
12:08 Goodbye Farewell and Amen - M*A*S*H This finale was the most watched in the history
12:13 of television for good reason.
12:28 After 11 seasons, Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen was witnessed by well over 100 million viewers
12:34 worldwide, and we can guarantee there were almost no dry eyes to be found in that audience.
12:40 As the Korean War drew to an end after a ceasefire was called, storylines were wrapped up and
12:45 saw the 4077th crew take down camp for the last time.
13:07 As the characters said goodbye to one another, we got the closure that comes along with saying
13:11 goodbye to them too.
13:26 The sight of that final message, written only visible from the air, never fails to make
13:31 us tear up.
13:32 Did any of these series finales leave you wanting more?
13:35 Let us know which ones in the comments.
13:56 Thanks for watching.
14:04 (upbeat music)
14:06 [BLANK_AUDIO]