Just as all TV series aren’t created equal, neither are all series finales. Many are fine, a few are quite poor, but some are no less than fantastic.
What follows is a definitive ranking of the 30 Best Series Finales of All Time, including the utterly sublime swan songs of gritty dramas, big-hearted comedies and several genre-TV favorites from the past seven decades.
Review the TVLine staff’s ranking below, and then hit the comments with the truly grand finales that you are glad to see included — as well as those you would have singled out yourself.
Capping a rather unexpectedly stellar season, and across an at-times thrilling two hours, the series-ender served up great fights (including Daisy versus a Quake-ified younger Malick), timey-wimey exposition dumps (Fitz has been where/when all season long?!), incredibly heartwarming reveals (Hey, Alya!), a parade of perfect, individual epilogues in the closing act… and one bit of Marvel-ous, out-of-this-world fan service (S.W.O.R.D., anyone?). — M.W.M.
It was the finale we should’ve gotten for Seinfeld. The fictional Larry David even said it himself after Jerry Seinfeld picked him up from the slammer following his sentencing for breaking a Georgia polling law. Not only did the Curb closer right one of TV history’s outstanding wrongs, but it satisfied on its own accord, bringing back heaps of guest stars who testified against Larry and rehashed his many curmudgeonly acts and social faux pas. Plus, watching Seinfeld and David banter back and forth glued smiles to our faces. Watching a pair of comedy legends nail a big goodbye? What a way to go out. — Nick Caruso
When the “child” Observer, Michael, required an escort to the year 2167 (where he might stop the evil Observers’ invasion), Walter decided that it was his fate to make the trip and thus get “deleted” from the present, so as to “to assure the future of humanity, your future with Olivia,” he told Peter. “Your future with Etta.” When Walter later did so, the series leaped back to the park from the opening of Season 5 — only this time, when Peter calls for young Etta, he makes it into his arms, while mom Olivia beams. Back home, Peter finds in the mail the letter that VHS Walter said he’d one day receive: a white tulip card. — M.W.M.
Now that’s what we call going out with a bang! The CBS comedy concluded its 12-season run with a two-parter in which newly minted Nobel Prize winner Sheldon not only apologized to his friends for his insensitivity, he professed his love for them — and inadvertently told the world that Leonard and Penny were expecting while he was at it. — C.M.
Though “The Last One” broke up the old gang by sending Monica and Chandler to the suburbs with their adopted twins, it also reunited Ross and Rachel, and left us with the comforting sense that the six BFFs would always be there for one another, even if the show would no longer be there for us. — Charlie Mason
However difficult it is to craft a satisfying series finale, take that and triple it for a time-traveling genre show full of complicated mythology. And yet, the Syfy series completely nailed the landing with a conclusion that felt carefully crafted and completely earned. When the final minutes echoed the pilot’s opening scene, we were left a bit breathless at how beautifully the story came full circle. — Vlada Gelman
Snowfall examined how the 1980s crack epidemic destroyed an entire community, so a happy ending was never in the cards for the FX crime drama. That point was eloquently driven home with a devastating series finale that saw the show’s once-powerful drug lord grasping at the remnants of his lost empire. The hour delivered a brutal but fitting ending as a destitute Franklin wandered the same palm tree-lined streets as the series premiere, now a shadow of his former self and a sobering reminder of addiction’s true cost. — Keisha Hatchett
Dr. Richard Kimble’s 120-episode odyssey came to a thrilling close some 56 years ago, in a two-parter that first drew the accused wife-killer, pursuer Lt. Gerard and the elusive One-Armed Man to Los Angeles, then brought the tale full-circle back to Stafford, Ind. There, atop an amusement park tower, Kimble got the confession he had long sought, before Gerard shot the One-Armed Man, who then fell to his death. — M.W.M.
HBO’s corporate drama ruthlessly pulled the rug out from under the Roy siblings — and us — with a finale that denied all of Logan’s children the Waystar throne and sent each of them into devastating spirals of despair. (It hurt all the more that the finale also gave us a few fleeting moments of Kendall, Roman and Shiv actually being happy and joking around together.) It was a stone-cold bummer of an ending, yes… but given how cynical and melancholic the Roys’ saga had been, it felt like a perfectly fitting send-off. — Dave Nemetz
Even in its wobbly post-Steve Carell seasons, The Office retained its ability to stick the landing on a milestone episode. Its series finale served up payoff after payoff, including a realistic end to the show’s documentary conceit, new chapters for central couples Jim and Pam and Dwight and Angela, and emotional resolutions to smaller storylines, like Erin’s sweet reunion with her birth parents. Plus, the episode got us good with the surprise return of Carell’s Michael Scott, who landed his best “that’s what she said” joke of the series. Silly and sentimental, The Office’s swan song was an expertly balanced goodbye to Dunder Mifflin’s motley crew. — R.I.
Parenthood wouldn’t be Parenthood if it didn’t make us cry — and the NBC dramedy’s finale certainly brought on the waterworks. But even though the Bravermans lost patriarch Zeek in the final episode, the hour wasn’t weighed down by grief and heartache. Rather, with the help of a several-year time jump, the finale became a beautiful (and, yes, ugly cry-inducing) celebration of love, family and the joyous moments that can be found even in the most difficult times. — Rebecca Iannucci
The FX drama wrapped its six-season run with, of course, much gunplay, a couple more deaths, a few happy (or happy-ish, for Raylan and Winona) endings, a four-year time jump and a wee surprise — in the form of the baby boy that Ava apparently was pregnant with, via Boyd, when she fled Harlan for California. Raylan let fugitive Ava have her peace by visiting Boyd in prison to fib that his lady love had died in a car crash. When a moved Boyd asked Raylan why he made the trip from Miami to deliver this news in person, Raylan gave the matter some thought, before Boyd surmised: “We dug coal together,” and in doing so formed a bond that eclipsed their lawman/outlaw dynamic and was a running theme through the series. — M.W.M.
Selina Meyer’s farewell was anything but a lame duck: A mad scramble for presidential delegates led to plenty of plot twists, F-bombs and Jonah ridiculousness — along with an unexpectedly emotional moment that hit like a ton of bricks, when Selina let the unfailingly loyal Gary take the fall for the Meyer Fund scandal. (It was risky for a show as ruthlessly funny as Veep to get serious in its final minutes, but that risk paid off big time.) It was all capped by a priceless flash-forward to Selina’s funeral… which got upstaged by the news of Tom Hanks’ death. Of course. — D.N.
Forget about the giant stone “cork” for a moment. The fact is that “The End,” despite some perceived storytelling shortcomings, inarguably delivered incredibly satisfying beats that paid off our years spent with the castaways. Hurley being put in charge of the island. “We could go Dutch.” “Sayid….” “Claire…??” “I remember!” Jack slugging it out with The Man in Black. “No. That’s not how you know me.” Ben nudging Locke to rise from his wheelchair and enter the church. “Everyone dies sometime, kiddo.” Wounded Jack dying in the jungle, echoing the series’ opening frame. And all as Michael Giacchino’s score infused each moment with rich swells of emotion. — M.W.M.
NBC’s afterlife comedy wrapped up on a beautifully philosophical note, with Eleanor and her fellow humans all separately deciding to end their eternal existences by walking through a door in a serene redwood forest. (Even heaven gets old after a while, it seems.) We laughed, we cried… it was forking lovely. — D.N.
A wonderful mix of nostalgia and future possibilities, “And in the End” brought back together old friends/colleagues Carter, Benton, Corday, Lewis and Weaver, while also shepherding in County General’s next generation of docs. And who should be among them but the late Dr. Greene’s daughter Rachel! We can think of no more perfect, full circle ending than Carter turning around and asking the prospective med student if she’s coming to treat a critical patient as the show’s iconic theme song started to play. — Ryan Schwartz
We could write pages about what made the acclaimed AMC drama’s finale “Felina” so wicked good. But the part we loved best was cancer-stricken chemistry teacher-turned-drug lord Walter White admitting to wife Skyler that he hadn’t dealt meth for their family. “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it.” And how. — C.M.
This one had a lot to live up to after its predecessor ended on such a satisfying note — for more on that, see above — but AMC’s prequel managed to deliver a stirring closing statement of its own, with Jimmy McGill finally coming clean for his years of shady legal wrangling and reclaiming his name. (Bob Odenkirk was never better.) Jimmy won back the respect of his beloved Kim Wexler, and their final scene together, sharing a romantic cigarette while he serves out a lengthy sentence in federal prison, was perfectly bittersweet. — Dave Nemetz
What better way to wrap the sci-fi franchise’s first offshoot than with a throwback to TNG‘s premiere? Captain Picard time-jumped among three distinct eras of his life, only to realize that humanity’s trial — which Q kicked off in the series’ premiere, “Encounter at Farpoint” — was still underway. Of course, Jean-Luc came out on top, avoiding the Enterprise’s eventual destruction and even fitting in a poker game with his crew before the credits rolled. — Kimberly Roots
Just when we expected FX’s Cold War spy drama to go out in a hail of bullets, with multiple characters getting killed off, it ended on an appropriately restrained note instead, with an elegantly constructed, magnificently heart-wrenching finale. It packed plenty of epic emotional moments, too — Stan finds out! Paige gets off the train! — before dealing married Soviet spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings perhaps a fate worse than death: starting a new life in their Russian homeland after leaving their children behind in Reagan’s America. — D.N.
Sad as it was to see Joe walk away from those he cared for most, it was exactly what was needed to bring the series full circle. Our once-reptilian protagonist had endured the pain of becoming human and all the loss that it entails. And emerging from the dust of Gordon’s demise, and Joe and Cameron’s on-again/off-again romance, was the rebirth of Cameron and Donna’s working relationship, which, over time, had become the very best part of the show. — R.S.
We’ll always hoist a glass to “One for the Road” — and Sam Malone’s decision to forsake his chance at a reunion with old flame Diane Chambers to remain in Boston with his true love: the gang at the bar. — C.M.
There was never anything simple about this blue-chip HBO drama. So we were gratified that there was nothing simple about the episode with which it concluded, either. Dishing out endings happy (Bubbles, finally clean) and heartbreaking (Dukie shooting up), “-30-” allowed the series to keep it real to the end. — C.M.
Never afraid to remind viewers that war is hell, the long-running CBS comedy didn’t just say a funny “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” with its Alan Alda-directed finale. It also forced Hawkeye to unearth repressed memories of a refugee woman smothering her clucking chicken crying infant to keep their bus from being discovered by enemy soldiers. — M.W.M.
After three seasons, the HBO drama — arguably one of the most daring series in television history — gave us a last gift before its Sudden Departure: It allowed “The Book of Nora” to boil down its whole surreal plot to a poignant love story between two characters for whom we’d come to care almost desperately. — C.M.
Though the NBC/DirecTV drama was always about much more than football, it really scored with “Always.” Back then, TVLine’s Michael Ausiello called the series ender — which gave a happy ending to the Taylors as the clock ran out — “spectacularly satisfying yet utterly gut-wrenching.” — C.M.
Sad as it was that the Six O’Clock News team (save Ted Baxter!) was fired in “The Last Show,” the episode still felt like as warm a hug as Mary Richards and her friends shared before she mustered up the courage to turn the world on with her smile one final time. — C.M.
The last episode of Bob Newhart’s 1982-90 comedy was a dream come true: After being KO’d by a golf ball, innkeeper Dick Loudon woke up as the funnyman’s old Bob Newhart Show character — in bed with his wife from that series, Suzanne Pleshette’s Emily! The entirety of Newhart had been a dream! — C.M.
Crime doesn’t pay. So Michael Chiklis’ Vic Mackey learned in the FX drama’s near-perfect swan song, “Family Meeting,” as the corrupt cop not only lost his kids and the last of his friends but was [shudder] forced to accept a desk job. — C.M.
“Everyone’s Waiting” did the near impossible: Just two episodes after the death of Peter Krause’s Nate, it flashed forward to the demises of all of the major characters on HBO’s beloved funeral-home drama, yet managed to feel more uplifting than downbeat. Miraculous. — C.M.
In a July 17, 2023 post, you guys called the LOST final one of the worst but now here you are calling it one of the best. Which is it?
Incorrect; that was a poll asking readers to “defend” a series finale that is sometimes labeled, by others/Others, as among “the worst”:
https://tvline.com/lists/worst-series-finales-dexter-game-of-thrones-himym-revisited/
How you respond to comments, makes me question why I keep visiting TVLine.
Why don’t you post another advert or listicle?
Worst? Best? It depends on who you ask. While I didn’t LOVE it, I was satisfied with the ending. Because this show was analyzed to death after every episode, I think people who hated it, did so because it wasn’t what THEY wanted to happen. I let go of my expectations and allowed the writers to tell the story THEY wanted to tell.
I was heavily into the Lost-verse during its run, and didn’t love the finale, but also didn’t have the vitriol for it that some did. Over the years, and with more rewatches than I care to admit to, I have come to appreciate it much more. I think you’re right that people disliked it because it wasn’t the ending that THEY wanted.
The Lost finale lent heavily toward a spiritual/religious ending which violently triggers a lot of people. It’s why it’s loved(myself) and loathed by others. Not much middle ground.
As to lists, it’s all individual tastes in the end. They are quite meaningless, really.
Surprised not to see This is Us on list
I think the penultimate episode, which I loved, of This is Us should have been the last one, centering around Rebecca. The actual last episode felt like an epilogue and spent too much time on Randall.
The series finale was decent but I think it was overshadowed a bit by the episode before the finale, The Train.
Where’s Orphan Black?
So many shows missing but it’s just one persons opinion.
The Train episode was the emotional finale… though it was not the last episode broadcast.
Justice for the Lost finale!
The fact that neither Psych nor Futurama were on this list is such a gross injustice. I realize that both came back in other forms but the main series finales were both incredible.
I’m really curious which Futurama finale you’re talking about because they’ve had like 4 and from what I remember they’re good, but curious which you had in mind.
I personally loved the Alias finale. The whole thing ended with pretty much everyone in the places they should be: Arvin Sloane and Irina Derevko, dead; although Jack was dead, he died doing something good; Dixon now Deputy Director; Vaughn & Sydney with their two children semi-retired & living the good life on the beach…but then Vaughn & Syd’s daughter showing her remarkable skills like her mother, which indicated an interesting future.
Loved it.
Totally agree about Six Feet Under. Loved it!
LOST? No.
I agree with many of these that I’ve seen. I think it’s a toss-up (no surprise) between Friday Night Lights and Parenthood and for series that are grounded in reality, I think flash-forwards showing that life goes on and brings joy is very satisfying.
Loved the Homeland finale! While the show itself went on a little too long, Saul getting the book from Carrie with the intel at the very end was perfect.
Surprised Burn Notice didn’t make this list!! It was a brilliant full-circle moment: “my name is Michael weston and I used to be a spy”
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are criminally low in this list. I’d say both belong in the top 5. I would also agree Six Feet Under belongs near the top, but my #1 is definitely The Leftovers. I also think Community deserves a spot in this top 30.
I remember buying Sia’s album shortly after the Six Feet Under finale.
‘Breathe Me’ was all the rage in 2005.
I watched it Live as it happened and was blown away… I just got the song not album…
It set a standard for series finale that hasn’t been exceeded…
This list is really good. If it were me, I’d put ‘The Good Place’ a bit higher, but I get it. The shows higher up were also top notch.
Nikitaaaa
A list like this that includes Lost is a non-starter. That finale was terrible.
For me, it would be How I Met Your Mother that would make such a list a non-starter. I LOVED the Lost finale.
Love to see my favorites like Lost and TNG. But best of all the underrated 12 Monkeys. What a great ending to a great show.
No Person of Interest ? The show was amazing and the ending was perfect.
Finale was good for sure but IMO not the best episode of the series, or even the final season. I’d have picked The Day the World Went Away as the best of S5, just for Finch’s speech, and put it up with The Devil’s Share as the best eps of the show. (Yes, I know most people would choose If-Then-Else)
I’m not sure how not being the best episode of the season detracts from it being judged as a series finale and being compared to other series finales.
Once again, TVLine forgets that Babylon 5 existed. “Sleeping in Light” is the best TV finale I’ve ever seen, and it still makes me sob over 25 years after I first saw it. I am going to presume the writers have never seen it, because if you had, it would be on this list.
Very true. What an ending.
I completely agree, but then B5 gets passed over repeatedly. I think one reason it was so good is that JMS conceived of it as a five season show, knew where the series was going from the beginning, and executed it flawlessly, despite being almost forced to finish a year early. I loved the ending.
I couldn’t agree more with this! Babylon 5’s series finale, “Sleeping in Light”, is absolutely amazing! :)
Agreed! I was just talking about B5 with a coworker as being one of my top favorite shows because of its excellent character development and storytelling.
Oh, the memories. Some great shows here. Had forgotten about 12 Monkeys. The Americans, one of the best shows of all time, IMO.
I started typing all my favorite finales (special shout out to the last episode of the original Charmed) and realized it would be far more efficient to say this: it’s hard to disappoint me when it comes to endings. I’ve watched a lot of shows (more than 50) and loved most of them, even controversial endings like Game of Thrones or HIMYM. It’s far more effective to name the ones that I wasn’t a big fan of: Killing Eve on number 1. How to ruin a show in 1 episode. Others I didn’t necessarily hate, but didn’t love them either: Gossip Girl, Star Trek Enterprise. Think that’s about, so yeah, guess I’m easy to please. I want to mention so many shows that I loved the ending of, but I’d be naming a lot and felt this was faster, lol
I was hoping Charmed or the Middle has made the list. :(
Newhart was definitely the best and most original ending, at the time, of all series endings. not only did it supply a fantastic ending to the surreal Newhart, it corrected the rather bland ending to the Bob Newhart Show, where Bob and Emily just move away from Chicago.
The Newhart finale is the gold standard for finales in my book. Should be #1.
The downside of the ending is that it totally invalidated the whole series up to that point. It’s still a great ending in its uniqueness and impact, but the fact that all the characters on Newhart turn out to have never existed is a bit troubling.
I haven’t watched all of these, but the few that I have seen I mostly agree with being on this list (Fringe, Newhart, TNG, Justified). Sorry, but I hated the ending to The Good Place. But, there is one show that never shows up on these lists that I think is the best ending of any show I’ve ever seen. And that show is Dwight In Shining Armor. I do realize very a few people ever heard of the show, but if you get the chance, it is a family friendly show with a lot of heart and humor.
Oh yeah, also 12 Monkeys was good, but I wouldn’t list it in the best of all time.
PERSON OF INTEREST! Hands down one on the best Finales ever! Considering CBS burned off the final season. Shame on them. I really hope one day they reboot this series.
Lost finale is right next to GoT, and at least they tried to tie things up in GoT. How on earth is this on the same page as Breaking Bad or Justified?
They completely tied up everything in the Lost finale. That’s one of the reasons I thought it was perfect.
While I enjoyed SHIELD as a show, I’m not sure I’d rank the finale or any of the final season in a list of “best of…” tbh.
One finale I would have included however is Spartacus. That show kept its quality all the way through and had a very impactful final ep.
Glad to finally see Justified on a best of list but I would put it at #1 and Mad Men (who didn’t make the list) as #2.