Multiple factors determine the quality of a season finale, including how well it wraps up most of the subplots that had played out in previous episodes and how it triggers discussions through cliffhangers and shocking twists. On many occasions, the final episodes only manage to achieve one of these things.
However, a couple of seasons’ conclusions are considered perfect, given the way both satisfy fans and leave them wanting more. These episodes also incorporate better arcs for characters that are typically neglected and have better production values compared to the rest.
10 Cheers
“One For The Road” (Season 11, Episode 26)
The highlight of the Cheers series finale is the return of the waitress Diane Chambers, whose actress, Shelley Long, brought in a good number of the sitcom’s Emmys. Having been last seen in Season 5, she reemerges for yet another great romance arc. Additionally, viewers witness Rebecca Howe’s transformation as she shifts her preferences from wealthy men to the plumber, Don Santry, who she eventually settles with.
“One For The Road” also has one of the most memorable last lines in TV shows. When a customer walks into Boston’s Cheers bar, the owner and former Red Sox pitcher, Sam Malone, tells him: ‘Sorry, we are closed.” The remark is symbolic, confirming that the story has indeed ended.
9 Spartacus
“Kill Them All” (Season 1, Episode 13)
“Kill Them All” marks the beginning of the event that history celebrates Spartacus for. The Thracian warrior is mainly known for almost bringing Rome to its knees during the Third Seville War, but for most of the first season of Spartacus, he is but a gladiator in the House of Batiatus.
Things change when he learns that Batiatus is responsible for his wife’s death. The protagonist starts a revolt that results in one of the bloodiest episodes in TV history. Unlikely alliances are formed, especially between Spartacus and his rival Crixus, enabling the massacre to be much more effective. The season finale also features some of the best action sequences in the show, notably one where the gladiator leaps from Crixus’ shield and launches himself at the Romans on the balcony.
8 The Simpsons
“Who Shot Mr. Burns? – Part I” (Season 6, Episode 25)
The Simpsons has parodied popular TV shows multiple times, but none is unlikely to top “Who Shot Mr. Burns.” The season finale borrows elements from the Dallas Season 3 finale, “A House Divided,” where someone attempts to kill the arch-villain J.R. Ewing.
The episode has arguably one of the best cliffhanger endings, which involves Mr. Burns getting shot by an unknown assailant after taking Springfield’s oil for himself and making plans to block the city from the sun’s rays. Just as is the case in Dallas, the shooter’s identity isn’t revealed until the next season, hence giving fans the task of solving the whodunnit mystery by themselves.
7 M*A*S*H
“Goodbye, Farewell And Amen” (Season 11, Episode 16)
At 2 hours long, “Goodbye, Farewell And Amen” feels like some of the most entertaining war movies ever made. The M*A*S*H episode does best to bring closure as fans not only get to see how the Korean War affected each of the main characters but also learn about their postwar plans.
The series finale is defined by feel-good moments as opposed to other episodes that mostly highlight the horrors of war. There are a couple of great musical numbers like “Oh! Susanna” by Stephen Forster and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, performed by the Chinese band that surrenders. Additionally, a few characters fall in love while others save lives. Today, it remains the most-watched series finale, with a total of 105.97 million viewers (via USA Today).
6 Grey’s Anatomy
“Death And All His Friends” (Season 6, Episode 24)
In the Season 6 finale, Grey’s Anatomy covers the sensitive topic of mass shootings by letting the disgruntled widower of a deceased patient on the loose. Through the shooter, Gary Clarke, the episode analyzes human psychology and the tendency to shift the blame on others.
Clarke feels the doctors are responsible for his wife’s death, so he goes on a rampage, a development that brings out the courage and daredevilry of the Seattle Grace surgeons. Fans get to see most of them in action heroes, with some even daring the shooter and others doing their best to hide or save those in danger.
5 How I Met Your Mother
“The Final Page” (Season 8, Episode 11)
After several seasons of depicting Barney in the same way, How I Met Your Mother repackages the character in “The Final Page.” The fan-favorite character slowly morphs from a womanizer to a cunning lover who uses his relationship with Patrice to propose to his true crush, Robin.
By pairing Barney and Robin, the show also leaves Ted’s future uncertain, leaving fans with plenty of questions that pump up the anticipation for the next season. The character is shown to be doing well in business, but it’s constantly emphasized that he truly desires a good relationship. Sadly, this eludes him.
4 The Sopranos
“Funhouse” (Season 2, Episode 13)
Right from the moment it’s revealed that Sal “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero is an FBI informant, The Sopranos fans get the feeling that his death is inevitable, but how it plays out in “Funhouse” is what makes the episode iconic. Instead of being told about it by someone in the DiMeo crime family, Tony has a dream where a fish resembling Big Pussy confesses.
Given how often the show relies on dreams to underscore specific themes, it’s a creative way for the information to be disclosed. Big Pussy is thus taken to a boat where Tony, Paulie, and Silvio give him the firing squad treatment, marking the end of his story.
3 Lost
“Through The Looking Glass” (Season 3, Episode 22)
It’s no surprise that “Through The Looking Glass” got 3 Emmy nominations, as the Lost episode offers hope while analyzing topics such as depression and addiction. Ninety days after the Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, the survivors get the feeling that they might leave the island after Jack manages to communicate with a passing ship.
Jack also resorts to drinking and taking oxycodone due to the stress triggered by staying on the island and having to provide guidance to other people on the island. Additionally, the season finale features one of the best showdowns between The Others and the survivors, with the action sequences leaving fans both entertained and stunned.
2 Homeland
“Marine One” (Season 1, Episode 12)
The first season of Homeland is too good that other seasons never quite manage to top it, and much of its awesomeness stems from questions about where Sgt. Nicholas Brody’s loyalties lie. The war veteran is revealed to be working with the high-ranking al-Qaeda member Abu Nazir, but at the same time, his country treats him as a hero.
The tension, therefore, lingers all over “Marine One” as Brody wears a suicide vest and prepares to blow himself up with the Vice President. The final decision is inspired by his daughter’s pleas, with the former soldier changing his mind after being asked to return home.
1 Breaking Bad
“Felina” (Season 5, Episode 16)
The demise of the protagonist or antihero always feels like a major loss, but in Breaking Bad’s series finale, Walter White’s death is satisfactory because he accomplishes everything he wanted. He saves Jesse, gets revenge on Jack Welker’s gang, leaves 9.72 million dollars for his son, and avoids getting captured.
The fact that Walter doesn’t get to be a statistic in some of the most tragic Breaking Bad deaths is satisfying. His demise isn’t caused by any of the things fans thought would kill him. He neither dies of cancer nor gets killed by one of his enemies. He succumbs to an accidental gunshot wound sustained from the machine gun he used to kill gang members.