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Asteriktos
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« on: March 27, 2012, 07:23:47 PM » |
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It seems like a lot of the TV shows I've loved over the years have had disappointing series finales. Some (for me) would be Seinfeld, DS9, Newsradio, and X-files. Is it just that I (we?) expect too much? Is it just hard to write one that wraps everything up? Am I just strange? (ok, I know the answer to the last one, but I mean strange as it relates to this particular topic)
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« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2012, 12:05:35 AM » |
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The ending of Scrubs was just aweful. Of course, the final three seasons were generally aweful.
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« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2012, 12:32:44 AM » |
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Hmmm, with the shows I like, I'm just generally glad if they get an ending at all- 9/10s of them usually end up just being cancelled with no closure for whatever series-wide arc happened to be going on (I'm looking at you, Fox, as the worst offender- seriously Brisco County Jr in the '90s followed by Firefly in the 00s? How you guys never folded is beyond me). That said, I found the conclusion to Chuck to be disappointing- not story-wise, just sad that it was all over! Newsradio, and X-files.
A general trend here is that the shows listed ended after the best reasons for watching were gone- Phil Hartman and Agent Mulder respectively. Is it just hard to write one that wraps everything up?
It is when the series is meant to be ongoing with no clear end envisioned from the beginning. I have high hopes for when How I Met Your Mother finally ends, as the writers have apparently had the ending scripted from the beginning- and ready to film in the event of the series not being renewed. |
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« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2012, 12:35:20 AM » |
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Roseanne.
Lock the thread up mods.
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« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2012, 12:42:36 AM » |
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It seems like a lot of the TV shows I've loved over the years have had disappointing series finales. Some (for me) would be Seinfeld, DS9, Newsradio, and X-files. Is it just that I (we?) expect too much? Is it just hard to write one that wraps everything up? Am I just strange? (ok, I know the answer to the last one, but I mean strange as it relates to this particular topic)
Most of those shows were already on the decline so it's not surprising that their series finales were not as good as some of the episodes in earlier seasons. But DS9's problem is that they found out they were going to be cancelled half way through filming their last season (otherwise they wouldn't have focused the first half of the season building up the Ezri Dax character), so the last half of the season was quite rushed. But though much the rest of Season 7 was rushed, I thought they did a great job with the series finale, they also took a break from the excessive action we'd seen in previous episodes, slowed down the story, and really did a great job resolving all characters and situations so you didn't feel like you were missing out by not getting another episode (which is also why the ending to the LOTR books was great, but the ending to the movie sucked). |
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Asteriktos
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« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2012, 12:56:51 AM » |
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seriously Brisco County Jr in the '90s Yeah, Bruce gets no love sometimes. A general trend here is that the shows listed ended after the best reasons for watching were gone- Phil Hartman and Agent Mulder respectively. Well, true enough. Most of those shows were already on the decline so it's not surprising that their series finales were not as good as some of the episodes in earlier seasons. But DS9's problem is that they found out they were going to be cancelled half way through filming their last season (otherwise they wouldn't have focused the first half of the season building up the Ezri Dax character), so the last half of the season was quite rushed. But though much the rest of Season 7 was rushed, I thought they did a great job with the series finale, they also took a break from the excessive action we'd seen in previous episodes, slowed down the story, and really did a great job resolving all characters and situations so you didn't feel like you were missing out by not getting another episode (which is also why the ending to the LOTR books was great, but the ending to the movie sucked).
I guess part of my issue with DS9 was that I was confused, especially in hindsight. I've heard Avery Brooks say in interviews that he wanted to quit the show, and that one of the main reasons that he stayed on was the family element (especially with Jake), how it was a positive thing for black people to see his relationship with Jake, etc. Also, Cassidy was pregnant with another child of his. And yet in the finale he just sort of goes off into the great unknown, with the implication being that he might be gone for quite a while. That doesn't exactly fit with the theme of being there for your family. And the whole crew breaking up (Worf to Klingon space with Martok, Obrien to earth, etc.) was, I guess, realistic, if not exactly what I wanted. The last image you had with TNG, for all it's flaws, was the crew growing closer together. Anyway, and I guess part of it might also be that I just wasn't ready for it to end.   |
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« Last Edit: March 28, 2012, 12:57:45 AM by Asteriktos »
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« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2012, 01:03:43 AM » |
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Most shows have jumped the shark one or two seasons before the series finale, so it's no surprise some finales are bad. the last decent finale i recall was MASH.
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« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2012, 01:47:09 PM » |
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Most of those shows were already on the decline so it's not surprising that their series finales were not as good as some of the episodes in earlier seasons. But DS9's problem is that they found out they were going to be cancelled half way through filming their last season (otherwise they wouldn't have focused the first half of the season building up the Ezri Dax character), so the last half of the season was quite rushed. But though much the rest of Season 7 was rushed, I thought they did a great job with the series finale, they also took a break from the excessive action we'd seen in previous episodes, slowed down the story, and really did a great job resolving all characters and situations so you didn't feel like you were missing out by not getting another episode (which is also why the ending to the LOTR books was great, but the ending to the movie sucked).
I guess part of my issue with DS9 was that I was confused, especially in hindsight. I've heard Avery Brooks say in interviews that he wanted to quit the show, and that one of the main reasons that he stayed on was the family element (especially with Jake), how it was a positive thing for black people to see his relationship with Jake, etc. Also, Cassidy was pregnant with another child of his. And yet in the finale he just sort of goes off into the great unknown, with the implication being that he might be gone for quite a while. That doesn't exactly fit with the theme of being there for your family. And the whole crew breaking up (Worf to Klingon space with Martok, Obrien to earth, etc.) was, I guess, realistic, if not exactly what I wanted. The last image you had with TNG, for all it's flaws, was the crew growing closer together. Anyway, and I guess part of it might also be that I just wasn't ready for it to end. Oh, I definitely wasn't ready for it to end and it doesn't seem that the writers were either. I think some of the writing with the Sisko character was wishful thinking for a movie that never materialized, you're right that that particular character was not wrapped up nearly as well as the others. But I think the whole Sisko and the prophets was poorly executed, it wasn't a bad idea and had a lot of potential, it was just never well executed. But that, along with the terrible Series Premiere (but lots of shows have trouble finding their stride during the first season), are my only two real criticisms of the series. |
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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry
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podkarpatska
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« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2012, 02:07:37 PM » |
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I remember being really PO'd years ago when St. Elsewhere (a med drama where Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel were both cast as young doctors - imagine that synchronicity!) ended and it turned out that the whole four years of the show were within the imagination of an autistic kid whose 'real life' dad was not a doctor but a cabbie or something.
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« Last Edit: March 28, 2012, 02:08:07 PM by podkarpatska »
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« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2012, 02:25:43 PM » |
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I remember being really PO'd years ago when St. Elsewhere (a med drama where Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel were both cast as young doctors - imagine that synchronicity!) ended and it turned out that the whole four years of the show were within the imagination of an autistic kid whose 'real life' dad was not a doctor but a cabbie or something.
Ah yes! I remember how much that ticked me off, too. |
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« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2012, 02:34:38 PM » |
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Quantum Leap's ending was fairly disappointing, as I recall.
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"Funny," said Lancelot, "how the people who can't pray say that prayers are not answered, however much the people who can pray say they are." TH White Oh, no: I've succumbed to Hyperdoxy! |
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« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2012, 10:04:39 PM » |
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The Simpsons.
Call me hasty, but it's a reasonable assumption at this point.
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« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2012, 12:54:49 AM » |
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I thought the ending to Lost was a little disappointing. The end of Deadwood was a huge down, since I think it ended at a spot where the show had plenty more juice left in it, but they ran out of funding.
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It is an education process for me as I learn about the psychology of spiritual apostasy. And others get the benefit of perhaps hearing righteousness for the first time.
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« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2012, 02:19:31 PM » |
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Big Love. Makes me mad all over again just thinking about it.
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« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2012, 03:07:38 PM » |
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The original "Dallas." Also, "Newhart." I mean, what the-- ?!  |
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« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2012, 09:20:09 PM » |
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The new Battlestar Galactica was a joke. The producers even admit they didn't care how to end it, so they just... did.
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« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2012, 09:30:43 PM » |
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The original "Dallas." Also, "Newhart." I mean, what the-- ?! Heh- I was thinking of citing Newhart as an example of a good conclusion- an ever-expanding aura of wackiness resulting in a callback- priceless. |
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"Funny," said Lancelot, "how the people who can't pray say that prayers are not answered, however much the people who can pray say they are." TH White Oh, no: I've succumbed to Hyperdoxy! |
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« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2012, 10:04:57 PM » |
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I liked the final "Newhart" episode; the whole series was dreamed by Dr. Hartley, waking up alongside the gorgeous Ms. Plesshette, Emily Hartley.
Anxious to see how "Desperate Housewives" ends.
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« Last Edit: March 29, 2012, 10:06:24 PM by Basil 320 »
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« Reply #18 on: April 01, 2012, 08:41:37 PM » |
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The ending of Scrubs was just aweful. Of course, the final three seasons were generally aweful.
I loved Scrubs' ending. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f2lfVwLxBM |
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