A undecomposed finale should hold out long in the memory , but there are also many TV show endings which have sparked sempiternal discourse for all the wrong reason . It ’s not an easy task to wrap up a long - run show in a path that pleases everyone . A few shows , likeBlackadderandSchitt ’s Creek , deliver crowdpleasing finales , but it ’s far more vulgar for a show to be memorable because of an ending that leave fans disappointed .

It ’s human nature to want to talk over controversial topics more than those which people tend to check on . This is why many of the most wide discourse idiot box show termination of all time are one which split masses ’s thought . Some show produce intentionally ambiguous endings to feed into these debate , while others end in such a controversial path that fans ca n’t help but extend their own opinions about what should have been done differently .

Here are the 26 best series finales of all time , including divisive endings such as The Sopranos ’ “ Made in America ” and Lost ’s “ The ending . ”

BoJack Horseman, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad

10Game Of Thrones

Season 8, Episode 6, “The Iron Throne”

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The last time of year drew criticism as a whole , and the series last did n’t help matters .

Game of Throneswas always bound to encounter job when it outpace George R. R. Martin ’s material , and the final time of year was specially controversial . The show see red many fans with the way it wrapped matter up , especially with its treatment of Daenarys , Cersei and Jon Snow . The final season drew criticism as a whole , and the serial finale did n’t help matters .

Game of Thronesseason 8seemed to shy off from many of the show ’s greatest timber . While previous seasons were happy to draw things out and give tale lines as much clock time as they necessitate to build up organically , season 8 rushed along at breakneck speed , and this had the unsatisfying bang - on outcome of cheapen the emotional shock of the finis , which bring a young earned run average of peace of mind to Weseros .

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9Seinfeld

Season 9, Episodes 23 & 24, “The Finale”

Although theSeinfeldfinale institute back a ton of rooter - favorite characters to act as fictitious character viewer at the trial , its ending has inspire heated debates for years .

Seinfeldco - Maker Larry David left the show after time of year 7 , but he returned to make one of the most controversial finales in TV chronicle . In " The Finale , " Jerry ’s luck seems to have add up in , as NBC are once again concerned in pass on him his own tv set show . However , after a planer malfunction grounds Jerry and his friends in a small town in Massachussetts , they retrieve themselves on the wrong side of the law , and they must confront a trial amid a medium hysteria .

Although theSeinfeldfinale brought back a ton of rooter - favourite characters to roleplay as character witness at the trial , its ending has inspired het public debate for years . The four friends are sentenced to a year in prison , and the show end with Jerry performing comedy for his fellow inmates . Larry David clearly took the criticism on instrument panel , as theCurb Your Enthusiasmfinale remakesSeinfeld ’s final episode , but with a happier ending .

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8The Sopranos

Season 6, Episode 21, “Made in America”

The Sopranoscan put down title to one of the most divisive TV finales of all meter . However , eff it or loathe it , it is undeniably memorable .

The Sopranoscan put claim to one of the most divisive TV finales of all time . However , love it or loathe it , it is undeniably memorable . As Tony and his family model down to rust at a dining car , he is unaware that there are work force wait to toss off him . The screen cut to Joseph Black as Meadow walk in from the parking lot , and that ’s all there is . NoScarface - style final gunfight , no emotional terminal words , no fucking stiff .

AlthoughThe Sopranosdoesn’t show it , it seems fair clear that Tony dies in the finale . The closed book over how it all goes down has been debated ever since the finale aired to a befuddled and enraged consultation , but the more interesting question is why the show cuts to melanise . The finale mess about on a smuggled screen door for a whilebefore the credit eventually range . This is a bold , deliberate move , and it invites the consultation to make up their own judgement .

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7Mad Men

Season 7, Episode 14, “Person to Person”

Mad Men ’s mysterious ending seems to give a satisfying close to everyone except Don , who find himself just as untethered as always .

Mad Menwas created by Matthew Weiner , who worked as a writer and executive producer onThe Sopranos , so it should n’t come as a surprise thatMad Mendelivers a similarly opinion - provoking termination . At a retreat in California , Don unfold up emotionally more than he ordinarily does . After some worked up phone calls with the people closest to him , he sits in group meditation , and an enigmatic smile cower across his expression . The instalment then prune to a famed Coca - Cola advert from the seventies .

delirious Men ’s cryptical endingseems to give a satisfying ending to everyone except Don , who find himself just as untethered as always . However , in the show ’s net moments , it suggest that he may have constitute some sort of enlightenment , or some exemption from his double-dealing life . The other possibility is that he ’s smiling because he just came up with a great commercial for Coca - Cola , record that work consumes even his most sanctified moments .

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6Blackadder

Season 4, Episode 6, “Goodbyeee”

World War I is the windup ofBlackadder ’s outing through the chronological record of history , and the series conclusion picture that nothing will ever be the same again .

Blackadder ’s serial close is remembered for all the correct grounds , and it ’s often cited as one of the effective episodes of the show . Each season ofBlackaddertakes place in a dissimilar historical period . The quaternary and last time of year focuses on the trenches in World War I. The time of year unavoidably leads toward Edmund and his fellow soldiers being ordered to abut out into no gentleman ’s land , although they know they will almost certainly not make it back alive .

Blackadderfires jokes at its audience deep and fast , but it terminate on a astonishingly affecting here and now , as the battleground of World War I fade away , to be supplant by a ocean of poppy . It ’s a touching tribute to the fallen soldiers , and it has even more weight to it give the cathode-ray oscilloscope of the entire serial . World War I is the climax ofBlackadder ’s expedition through the annals of history , and the serial finale show that nothing will ever be the same again .

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5Gravity Falls

Season 2, Episode 20, “Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls”

The genius of the intact " Weirdmageddon " arc is how it so dexterously ties together the show ’s narrative togs .

LikeBlackadder , Gravity Fallsmanaged to extradite an unbelievably cheering finale . The genius of the entire " Weirdmageddon " electric discharge is how it so deftly tie together the show ’s story threads . Each of the account book and each part with their unique visual symbols comes together for a immense payoff . Even some of the instalment which seemed like filler at the clock time are suddenly given new signification in the finale .

Gravity Fallsonly had 2 time of year , and this allowed the show ’s creator , Alex Hirsch , to design everything out meticulously . The three - episode Weirdmageddon coda is not only the culmination of the show ’s many mystery story , but it ’s also the show ’s emotional mop up , as Stan and Ford reconcile their differences and the people of Gravity Falls number together to defeat a common foe . It ’s the kind of finale with so many intelligent callbacks that it urge on its audience to part over from sequence 1 .

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4Friends

Season 10, Episodes 17 & 18, “The Last One”

TheFriendsfinale is a sweet-scented send - off for the character , but it has still draw criticism for the way it handle Ross and Rachel ’s kinship .

Friendsdelivered a Solanum dulcamara endingwith its final episode . With Monica and Chandler moving homes , it marked the ending of an era for the friendship group who had been through so much . Friendsis about a very specific period in liveliness , when people no longer swear on their parents but do n’t yet have families of their own . After ten seasons , this period is finally coming to an end , and the characters no longer rely on their friendships as much .

TheFriendsfinale is a sweet-scented send - off for the case , but it has still drawn criticism for the way it handlesRoss and Rachel ’s human relationship . One of telecasting ’s most notorious on - again - off - again couple always seemed like they would end up together , but their human relationship may not have warrant such a fairy tale ending . Ross puts Rachel through a lot of emotional turmoil throughoutFriends , so her decision to rick her back on a huge calling chance to stay in New York with him is confutative at best .

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3How I Met Your Mother

Season 9, Episodes 23 & 24, “Last Forever”

How I Met Your Motheralready showed multiple prison term before the finale why Ted and Robin are n’t quite right for each other , so their felicitous ending seems like it will be suddenly - populate .

How I Met Your Mothermay have given itself an inconceivable task , with so much anticipation over the existent story of how Ted meet his wife . This anticipation build over nine seasons , and each breadcrumb on the track only makes the finale intemperately to draw off . The ultimate reveal was always going to be an anticlimax , but the way thatHow I Met Your Motherhandled its final instalment has draw scathing criticism from fans .

After so much buildup , How I Met Your female parent ’s finalekills off Tracy just after preface her . The entire story that Ted recite his children , the entire series , turns out to be his way of test the amniotic fluid and efficaciously ask for their permission to move on and rekindle his romance with Robin . How I Met Your Motheralready show multiple times before the finale why Ted and Robin are n’t quite correct for each other , so their well-chosen ending seems like it will be short - lived .

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2Schitt’s Creek

Season 6, Episode 14, “Happy Ending”

The " Happy Ending " of the episode ’s claim refers to the termination of David ’s wedding twenty-four hour period massage . The serial close is a little more emotionally complex .

Schitt ’s Creekdelivered an incredibly unproblematic finale , but stripping back any unneeded fluff made the show ’s final mo much more affecting . The characters , and the actors , get to flourish goodbye to the show along with the fans , as the member of the Rose syndicate each go their freestanding ways . Thanks to its emotional news report and plenty of laugh , " Happy Ending " is one of thebest episodes ofSchitt ’s Creek .

The " Happy Ending " of the instalment ’s title relate to the result of David ’s wedding 24-hour interval massage . The series finale is a little more emotionally complex . Schitt ’s Creekdoes provide a happy ending in the sense that David and Patrick get married , Johnny climbs back to the top of the business sector world with Stevie by his side , and Moira gets to wear one last preposterous wig , but it ’s also lamentable that the Rose family are parting way just as they have emotionally reconnected .

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1Lost

Season 6, Episodes 17 & 18, “The End”

Lost ’s ending in the end revealed the answer to some of the show ’s most enthralling mysteries , but there were just as many others leave unresolved .

Lost ’s closing last revealed the resolution to some of the show ’s most captivating mysteries , but there were just as many others left unsolved . While this naturally upset deal of fan who were hope for concrete answers , Lostbenefits from not wrapping everything up in a clean little bow . For a show that get so much of its drive from its tangled web of secret , it could easy have get across as artful if the finale had spell things out like Hercule Poirot in the lottery way .

It ’s common knowledge thatLosthad to deviate from its original plan . While the show ’s Jehovah earlier envisioned the intact arc of the show , they were push to ad-lib a lilliputian when ABC implored them to widen the serial to six season . This could explain why some whodunit inLostgo unexplained . Lost ’s controversial finalechose to focalise more on the grapheme than the extrasensory enigma of the island .

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