Sometimes the destination is more important than the journey, and that’s often the case with a really fantastic ending. I know that I’m often way more excited to indulge in some binge-watching if I know that everything is going to be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
5
Person of Interest
Watch Person of Interest on Amazon Prime
The uninitiated might not immediately think of Person of Interest as great television in any sense of the word, but they would be sorely mistaken. Created by Jonathan Nolan and airing on CBS, Person of Interest doesn’t have an enormously fantastic start. As the series goes on, however, it finds its footing and never loses it again. What starts as a case-of-the-week standard series evolves into a smart thriller about the implications of artificial intelligence.
Many fans were worried that Person of Interest wouldn’t get a proper ending, but we were luckily all gifted with a truncated fifth and final season that wrapped everything up beautifully. But the finale, “return 0,” is the pinnacle of the series and easily one of the best finales I have ever watched. It’s not often that shows, especially network ones, get to end on their own terms. Person of Interest was able to go out on a creative high, and that’s a big reason I find myself bingeing it at least once a year.
4
The Leftovers
Watch The Leftovers on HBO Max.
I totally understand if The Leftovers is a show that you skipped for years, but now’s as good a time as any to finally give it a proper chance. Co-created by Lost showrunner Damon Lindelof, The Leftovers is equally interested in rich characters and supernatural mysteries. But The Leftovers isn’t quite as interested in trying to give you answers to any of those mysteries.
Now I know that might not sound like it leads to a satisfying ending, but it’s because Lindelof and company don’t focus on answers that the finale works so well. It leaves time for a rich character study and a surprisingly subtle finale that is equal parts uplifting and devastating. Even if you’re not a fan of Lost and its controversial ending, there’s a big chance that you’ll find yourself wowed by The Leftovers and what it has to say about the human condition.
3
Breaking Bad
Watch Breaking Bad on Netflix
I mean, obviously, right? If there’s a mainstream example of perfection (or near-perfection) when it comes to television shows absolutely sticking the landing, it absolutely has to be Breaking Bad. Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) journey from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to drug kingpin is one of the best character arcs of all time, and creator Vince Gilligan’s masterpiece has been and will continue to be talked about for years to come.
Even if Breaking Bad had only gotten a decent ending, it would still probably be in the upper echelon of prestige television dramas, but Gilligan wasn’t content with that. The finale of Breaking Bad makes good on all of its thematic promise, and leaves little doubt that everyone involved knew how to craft an ending that was satisfying to the audience while being true to the characters.
2
The Good Place
Watch The Good Place on Netflix
It’s rare for a comedy show to opt for more of a serialized approach to storytelling and be around long enough to get a proper ending, but The Good Place is a wonderful exception to that rule. Flawed characters trying to become better people in the afterlife isn’t a premise that you would immediately think you could mine four seasons’ worth of brilliance from, but creator Michael Schur knows what he’s doing.
The Good Place is gut-bustingly hilarious, and it remains so throughout, but where it really shines is in its more tender and emotional moments. These moments reach a crescendo in the final season, and you’ll find yourself wiping away tears of sadness just as much as laughter. The Good Place is a revelation, and it’s hard to imagine another comedy series measuring up to its level of quality anytime soon. A lot of that is on how well it ends.
1
Dark
Watch Dark on Netflix
Time travel as a fictional concept is never easy to pull off satisfyingly, and even less so as a serialized television show that runs for more than one season. Add in extremely convoluted storylines with a grim tone and a family tree more confusing than a physics equation, and you have Dark. This German-produced series has everything working against it, but it elevates itself because of its complexity. It’s willing to commit to everything it is presenting, and you’ll be all the more glad that it does.
Even so, trying to wrap things up when there’s so much to do is a Herculean task, but again, creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese are more than up for the job. Instead of going for an ending as mind-blowing as the premise and events leading up to it, Dark opts for something a little more on the simple side. It works at a level I could never have anticipated. Because while you’ve been focused on varying timelines and alternate realities, Friese and Odar have been luring you in with wonderful characters. The real twist of the series is realizing just how much you care about all of them when the credits roll for the final time.
Nailing a good ending is truly a hard thing to do, but these shows represent the best in class. Of course, if you’re looking for shows with endings that will leave you more disappointed than you’ve ever been, we have that covered for you, too.
