Worst series ending concepts

[James Heard]

My worst ending (which ranks lower than some of the others mentioned but frustrated me none the less) Quantum Leap. All the emotions you went through with Sam and Al and he doesnt get back home. That was depressing in that the reason you watched every week was the see his adventures and hope he eventually got back home.

Man, I couldn't disagree more. I think Quantum Leap was probably the best series ending I can recall. Seriously, I have to avoid that thing when flipping through reruns, because its such a perfect continuation of earlier episodes with enough "here's what's really going on" to be grand. Plus, it's respectful. I don't know how else to vocalize it. I mean, in tone it's everything that Enterprise's final episode wasn't.

Of course, to be fair I vaguely remember seeing the MASH final episode and thinking that was awesome too.

 

[DonTadow]

Man, I couldn't disagree more. I think Quantum Leap was probably the best series ending I can recall. Seriously, I have to avoid that thing when flipping through reruns, because its such a perfect continuation of earlier episodes with enough "here's what's really going on" to be grand. Plus, it's respectful. I don't know how else to vocalize it. I mean, in tone it's everything that Enterprise's final episode wasn't.

Of course, to be fair I vaguely remember seeing the MASH final episode and thinking that was awesome too.

But the thing is Quantum Leap didn't end, it just kept going on without us knowing about it. I would have rather him died in the last episode (as i thought they were going) as opposed to have him continue the show without the viewers.

 

[Samnell]

Just a quick comment on earlier posts about the lack of God in Star Trek. I don't know what Gene Roddenberry's personal belief's were

He was an atheist and a secular humanist. A search of the internet can find any number of quotations of his on the subject of gods and religions which are...less than flattering. Such quotes are surely way beyond the limits of the board's no religion and politics rule.

 

[Elemental]

I liked the DS9 ending. It wasn't all happy as at least one major character bites it. I didn't see the last B5 as the final season kind of meandered and kind of sucked.

The thing that I could never understand was the leaders of the Federation sitting down and making peace with the very individual who had personally ordered the genocide of the Cardassians for no good reason, shortly before.


The ending of Buffy was...not bad exactly, but it felt like it had been trimmed down from a double episode, and there were some serious WTF moments. For example--"We've no idea what this artifact does, or what it's meant for. Let's use it in a ritual to transform everyone into real Slayers, on the off-chance it works."

That said, I did like the revelation that there wasn't actually any grand mystical reason there couldn't be multiple Slayers, it was simply calcified tradition. And the axe / stake weapon was a nice easter egg for those who had read Fray (a comic series written by Whedon, set in a cyberpunk future world and following the first Slayer to appear in centuries--well worth a look).


I actually liked Mortal Kombat: Conquest up till the end. More cheese than a dairy farm, but the fight scenes were entertaining, there was a nice metaplot developing, and it was fun spotting stuff from the games (such as the Black Dragon clan or the Reptiles). And at the end, Shao Khan breaks out a bunch of invincible assassins never seen before, which kill the rest of the cast, even the characters who were supposed to survive into the present. It came across as an RPG where the players have really pissed of the GM, so he arbitarily declares all the characters have been killed.

 

[mojo1701]

The thing that I could never understand was the leaders of the Federation sitting down and making peace with the very individual who had personally ordered the genocide of the Cardassians for no good reason, shortly before.

What, the Female Changeling? She was to undergo a war crimes trial.

 

[Black Omega]

I actually liked Mortal Kombat: Conquest up till the end. More cheese than a dairy farm, but the fight scenes were entertaining, there was a nice metaplot developing, and it was fun spotting stuff from the games (such as the Black Dragon clan or the Reptiles). And at the end, Shao Khan breaks out a bunch of invincible assassins never seen before, which kill the rest of the cast, even the characters who were supposed to survive into the present. It came across as an RPG where the players have really pissed of the GM, so he arbitarily declares all the characters have been killed.

To be honest, I liked Mortal Kombat, the TV series. Kinda wished I'd taped it. It started bland but after a while they seemed to realize the villains were interesting and the heros were bland, so the show focused on the villains plots and betrayals and the heros were just caught up in the middle. Add in plenty of bikini clad martial arts girls. And an ending where they said 'screw it, everyone dies, the heros lose.'

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

Ditto on the Farscape remarks. Several threads were too quickly tied up (return of Jool and Jothee, "Sputnik" not quite dying, the Human / Sebecean connection and their relationship to the Eidelons) for my tastes.

Married... With Children kinda fizzled out and a couple of cast members didn't know the show was cancelled til they read about it IIRC. But there were only so many twists on plot lines they could do. Kind of sad for a flagship show that put Fox in contention with the Big Three networks.

Transformers! Remember how big the "Return of Optimus Prime" was? They could've left off with the movie where all the old toys die to make room for the new ones but the absolute finale had Optimus Prime returning to use the Matrix as a cure for the Hate Plague as well as returning as the leader of the Autobots. IIRC, the GI Joe movie (with Cobra-La) was something of a test since Duke was supposed to die yet they changed the dialogue at the end with him somehow surviving the snake arrow through the chest. "Shot through the heart and Serpentor's to blame." To add insult to injury, they shark jump with Cobra Commander returning somewhat to human shape, Serpentor devolved into a snake and the formation of the Python Patrol or somesuch to milk a lil more toys out of the franchise.

While Brisco County Jr at least tied up all the loose ends (that I recall anyways), the ending didn't feel right given how much Fox had to have spent on its ad campaign for that show. I mean there wasn't even a Christmas themed episode!

Didn't the War of the Worlds series have something of a craptacular ending with an even moreso reboot?

Mystery Science Theater 3000! Man, that ending was lamer than a 2 legged horse.

Samurai Jack. At least they could've ended it where the foolish samurai warrior finally beats the mighty Aku then returns to the past to set things right. They did it with Trunks in Dragonball Z (sort of). And the "lost episodes" were the final four that Cartoon Network was just sitting on.

Star Wars: Clone Wars. Hellooooo? What the heck kinda ending is that? It's like it was some sort of leadin to a movie.

The Flash. Man, I wanted to see that one last longer maybe facing more of his Rogue's Gallery (Trickster was it wasn't he?). Heck, the Hulk finally ended when the Not So Jolly Green Giant fell out of a plane, changing back to David Banner before crashing. I suppose that's sort of final but no Shehulk?

 

[Elemental]

What, the Female Changeling? She was to undergo a war crimes trial.

I could swear I remember seeing her at the treaty signing. I'll have to watch it again.

 

[mojo1701]

I could swear I remember seeing her at the treaty signing. I'll have to watch it again.

She was. She would agree to the war crimes tribunal and the unconditional surrender because of Odo.

 

[Kesh]

Right. She agreed to end the war and stand trial in exchange for Odo curing the Founders of the plague.