When a good series comes to an end, it’s always a big moment. If it isn’t done right then the whole thing can be ruined (Dexter managed to avoid this by having the final three seasons suck eggs before its lousy climax). Anyway, when it IS done right, damn it if it ain’t a thing of ever-lasting beauty! Here’s 10 of the best…

Star Trek: The Next Generation.
I felt a black hole open up in my heart once the credits started rolling. I still miss this show dearly. The last scene shows Captain Picard finally joining his senior staff in a game of poker. He does this as a gesture to solidify their relationships and to help prevent them from drifting apart in the future as he saw when he was time jumping. Ahhhh, time travel. The final words… “The sky’s the limit…”

Golden Girls.
I never watched the show religiously but I did love it whenever it came on. What a brave show to be all about four elderly women and the journey through life at that point in their lives. Not only that but also four extremely talented women. This episode breaks the group apart. Dorthey is going to live with her soon to be new husband Lucas (Leslie Nielson) with Sophia joining them later and Rose will go live with her daughter after suffering a heart attack a couple episodes earlier. I loved the triple goodbyes. The final words, “You’ll always be my sisters…always.”

The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The only part of the show that I’ve ever watched is the final scene. I’ve seen it so many times. I still feel so connected to the characters and even got a little teary eyed. It’s a great send off of a great cast. You have Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, Betty White (again!), Valerie Harper, and Cloris Leechman. Plus she show had three spin-offs. The group hug always gets me. The final words, “It’s a long way to Tipperary and my heart’s right there.”

Seinfeld.
A show about nothing. I loved it but the finale was a bit disappointing. They brought back most of the supporting characters as character witnesses when the gang is put on trial for not being good Samaritans. In the end they’re found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison. The very last scene finds them in a prison cell talking about, well, nothing. The final dialogue is a call back to the very first scene of the first episode about the proper placement of the second button. I miss this show a lot; it was smart and funny even when it was about nothing.

Friends.
Another show that you’ve lived with for so long that it was really hard to let it go. It was a part of many moments in my life even though I was too young to go through any of them at the time. Ross and Rachel finally got together and Monica and Chandler finally have kids. They’ve all moved out of the amazing apartment they all lived in a one point. Monica and Chandler are moving to the suburbs but they want just one more coffee together. The final words:
Rachel: “Should we get some coffee?”
All: “Yea!”
Chandler: “Where?”

Growing Pains.
I distinctly remember watching this finale and remember the very last shot of Maggie running back into the house to get the picture of the family and finding that Mike had written “Mike Seaver was here”. I took this to heart and wrote that on my closet door when I moved out of my first house. Similar to the Friends finale, Growing Pains ended with the family moving out of the house and saying goodbye to all of their memories. The final words, “Goodbye”

Newhart.
I never watched Newhart or The Bob Newhart Show but I would say that the idea behind the last scene is brilliant. It’s all a dream and calls back to the Bob Newhart Show. They created the set and got Suzanne Pleshette to reprise her role as Emily. I love when TV shows crossover and call back to jokes made earlier or in other shows. It brings things full circle for me. The final words, “You know, uh, you know, you really ought to wear more sweaters.”

Cheers.
One of the most watched finales of all times. It was also a precursor to the Ross and Rachel
“will they, won’t they” thing. In the episode, Diane (Shelly Long) comes back and they decide to leave Boston together to start a new life. They rethink their decision and part ways. Final scene is of Sam at the bar closing up. My parents were so sad when this show ended. It had been a big part of their lives. The final words, “Sorry, we’re closed.”

Battlestar Galactica.
A lot of people didn’t care for the finale. I thought it took the mythology a bit too literally with the whole God’s plan thing. It still was a great series that I think I might need to watch again. This finale actually had an epilogue attached to it. 150,000 years after the survivors land on Earth, we find Gaius and Six on modern day Earth commenting on how everything might turn out the same or it might not. Will the cycle be broken? Who knows? The final words, “Silly me.”

The Sopranos.
What a great TV show. It was the first show I remember really talking about with my parents. The ending was riveting. Are they all going to be shot in the diner? They have to be right? They’re the mob. Nope! Just blackout… leaving you wanting more but not giving it to you. The final words, “I ordered some for the table.”

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