Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Shows can’t last forever. It’s one of the joys and really only a minor sorrow of this here Peak TV age we, the viewers, find ourselves navigating. However, on the opposite end, the shows’ creators must figure out exactly how much TV to do and how to call it quits. And just because the shows get better, doesn’t mean the endings so as well. But in 2018, this group of shows stuck the landing about as well as expected, if not to perfection. They served their characters and their fans in a way that was satisfying, that evoked a sense of closure, and that guaranteed viewers would fondly look back on their offerings and not regret the precious time they’d invested and dedicated to watching these stories.
Here we’ve collected seven shows that know how it’s done, how to gracefully exit, and how to avoid inevitable bar arguments about whether they pulled it off or not (still lookin’ at you, Lost, which I remain PRO the ending). These final episodes of television let their characters ride off into the sunset in a way that was pleasing for most if not all watching and participating. This batch of shows will live on in the streaming world, but the way they ended their original runs is worth celebrating: by continuing to spread their legacy in the form of peer pressuring your friends into a binge-watch.
'The Americans'
The Americans was already great, but to end with such a beautiful, emotionally complex episode that tied things up as much as a Russian spy drama really could, was a feat we’ll remember for years to come. Saying goodbye to Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings (and their wigs), and those closest to them that did and did not know who they truly were, was a masterful, fulfilling goodbye to one of the absolute best television dramas of our time. The show was always complicated and thrilling and heart-wrenching, and the finale delivered on all of that and more.
*Spoilers*
With Phillip and Elizabeth headed back to Russia, Paige hanging out at a train stop upstate (or you know, somewhere else in the U.S.) and Henry unofficially adopted by Stan, each character ended up in a place that was essentially where they wanted, or at least needed to be. The final episode of the FX series remains gripping, satisfying, and surprising where it counts, which is what any of us who sat through all six seasons of this show (and continually questioned who we were rooting for) not only deserved, but came to expect.
'Scandal'
How to end a series that took this many batshit crazy twists and turns. A show that had the President of the United States murder a sitting Supreme Court Justice in the middle of the second season. Olivia Pope had won and lost, killed and nearly been killed, been betrayed and kidnapped, wound up at the right hand of two separate U.S. presidents and on the shit-list of at least that many as well. Scandal often returned to the idea that with all these underhanded deeds — murders; we mostly mean murders — happening in the shadows of the corridors of power, the only thing one could do to defeat them was to expose them to the sunlight. And so in the series finale, that’s exactly what happened. The shadowy B613, a extra-governmental cabal that at one time had been run by Olivia’s father, Olivia’s boyfriend, and Olivia herself, was exposed to the public. Everybody admitted to the things they’d done (again: murders; so many murders) in front of Congress. Mellie appears to hold onto the presidency for at least a time, which is the only justice most Scandal fans were hoping for. And in the end, there was even the hint that Olivia went on to become President herself. Which, in classic Scandal fashion, is both deeply insane while at the same time being just a little bit inspirational. Farewell, Scandal. We can’t wait to find the next show that can be as exhilarating a rollercoaster through seven seasons as you were. — Joe Reid
'New Girl'
Did we NEED another season of New Girl? Probably not. But was it good to hang out with the crew from the loft? ALWAYS. The final season of the Fox comedy gave us a look at what Schmidt and Cece were like as parents, what Jess and Nick were like as a couple (for real this time) and even challenged our tear ducts to take on the news that Ferguson the cat had passed away (shame on you, New Girl). This show deserved to end on its own terms and it did precisely that. I feel comfortable knowing these beloved characters have made it officially into adulthood and yet will remain just about as clueless as ever, just like the rest of us mere mortals, except we never had the chance to meet Prince.
'Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce'
After 5 glorious seasons of love, heartbreak and laughter, our favorite ladies from Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (who make up one of the most diverse and talented casts on television) finally got their happy endings. Through a season of turmoil and triumphs (Delia gets pregnant with Phoebe’s ex-con brother’s baby! Jo’s in a love triangle! Barbara gets an on-air job offer! Phoebe gets a girlfriend! Abby and Mike move in together!), the women band together, stronger than ever before, to face their uncertain futures. We are not left in suspense, however. In a sweet epilogue that involves a four-year time jump into the future, we see the group older, wiser and settled in a tremendously satisfying ending. Oh yes, and their wardrobes are still poppin’. — Karen Kemmerle
'Casual'
What many of these series finales have in common is the suggestion that its characters have grown up just a tiny bit, yet will always remain who they truly are. No show has demonstrated this better than the finale of Casual, which closed out its fourth and final season on Hulu this summer. The half-hour dramedy which expertly explored themes of love, family, relationships, technology, and how they all mash together, had viewers feeling wistful before the episode was even over, but in the best way possible. The people in this group, if you can even believe it, were each making grown up decisions for themselves. Casual ended on a note that was touching and hopeful, that suggested the dysfunctional relationship between these family members was not a curse but a learning curve, and that made every minute of this streaming journey worth taking.
'Love'
Some viewers were shocked about Gus and Mickey’s on/off wedding in the finale of Love, but what else would you really expect from these two after three seasons on Netflix. They were rarely 100% on the decisions they were making, but they always knew, sometimes simply deep down, that they liked being around the other person. Making that official for life will surely come with its challenges for this fictional couple, but that they, and the show as a whole, made this decision at all is the real triumph. Love was not a show that needed to last forever. Keeping the story of Mickey and Gus to three entertaining seasons, topped off with a mostly happy ending, is the kind of thing a smart show should do in order to encourage a pleasant binge-watch from viewers for years to come.
'Adventure Time'
In a television landscape dominated by endless reboots and spin-offs, the finale of Adventure Time felt like a breath of fresh air. Not only did Pendleton Ward’s series show the epic final fight it’s been quietly teasing since its first episodes, it presented that showdown in a way that was deeply emotionally fulfilling. Seeing a decade’s worth of lovable characters fight for their lives and each other was rewarding, but it was “Come Along with Me”s sweet and wise final song that played the series off the way it deserved. The only thing Adventure Time ever asked of us was to trust it and to love each other, and in its final moments it quietly emphasized how empowering and wholesome friendship truly is. — Kayla Cobb
