A season finale is a hard thing to pull off. They often have to find a balance between offering a solid conclusion to the season while also leaving the viewers wanting so much more that they return when the show does. There's a certain feel about a season finale - sort of a "look how far the show's come" or "look how much has changed since the season premiere twenty or so episodes ago" kind of thing. So here are some of my favorite season finales from my favorite TV shows.
Frasier 3.24 "You Can Go Home Again"
Frasier's season finales were always poignant and hilarious but this was the best one. Roz gives Frasier a tape of his first broadcast as KACL's radio shrink and he takes a trip down memory lane while listening to it. We get to hear Frasier's laughably bad first show before he had his great catchphrase "I'm listening". We also get to see his bad relationships with Roz, Niles and Martin. These relationships seem almost un-mendable. Of course, when the flashbacks end, we realize how far Frasier and his circle of friends and family have come. He even lets his hidden love for Eddie the dog show for just a few seconds. It's a beautiful episode, one that really sticks with you and reminds you why this is no ordinary sitcom.
How I Met Your Mother 3.20 "Miracles"
Season 1 ended with Marshall and Lily breaking up and Robin and Ted hooking up. Season 2 ended with Marshall and Lily marrying and Robin and Ted splitting. Season 3 ends with Ted completely rethinking his life after a car accident and the gang debating the existence of miracles (Marshall believes, Robin is skeptical of course). The show is always best when everyone is together discussing things and telling stories to prove their point. Barney's "pencil in the nose" story is a priceless gem but Kid Robin's dog/turtle Sir Scratchawan is an absolute laugh-riot. Along with the laughs is a major step forward for Ted, who decides to propose to girlfriend Stella. This is the only finale with a cliffhanger but it works.
Alias 1.22 "Almost Thirty Years"
Remember Alias's first season? Alias was the most fun in Season 1, putting Sydney through the dangers of double agentry. This episode gave us everything we loved about the show including a wonderful cliffhanger than left us begging to know more. Sydney was in some disguise, Jack did what he had to do no matter what, Francie was Francie, Vaughn helped Sydney with the right amount of romantic undertones. It seems like a completely different show when Season 2 begins. We're introduced to new sets, new characters, the elimination of SD-6. But Alias is always stellar.
Friends 5.23-24 "The One in Vegas"
Season 5 is the best Friends season. The finale is a laugh riot, with Joey's "hand twin", the return of Regina Phalange, Richard drama, an almost wedding ("give us a sign!" and the elevator opens to a priest) and a drunken wedding. For two season finales in a row to end in a wedding (and both of them with the same character) seems like overkill, but it works. The Ross-Rachel and the Chandler-Monica chemistries are on-fire and Joey and Phoebe are as hilariously adorable as ever. "Vegas" is a good-natured, funny finale with a slight cliffhanger.
30 Rock 2.15 "Cooter"
With a cast this large and uniquely talented, 30 Rock often has to pile in a lot of material into 21 minutes so that each member gets to shine. No episode does this as well as the season 2 ender which sends Jack to DC to work for Bush, gives Liz Lemon a pregnancy scare, has Kenneth applying to be a page at the Beijing olympics and shows Tracy finishing his revolutionary pornographic video game (these last two have Jenna hilariously popping in and out). "Cooter" has my favorite line ever in the history of 30 Rock: Jenna's backdoor brag--"It's hard for me to watch American Idol because I have perfect pitch". In fact, this episode is chock-full of amazing Jenna moments ("Touch my knees-butt", saying "I was told there would be no nudity" in Chinese, "I see myself in you..."). The stuff in DC goes a little over my head with its political commentary. Liz's plot is also very funny ("pre-before, natal-ruined", "aaah! things are happening!") and the Sabor de Soledad cheese curls. This episode is a joke-a-minute and really shows Tina Fey's excellent writing skills.
Sex and the City 3.18 "Cock-a-doodle-do!"
Miranda was always the most relatable of the foursome and her plotline in this episode--she feels she's in a rut because she orders the same thing from the same restaurant--is one directly from my life. This episode isn't remarkable but that's part of its charm. It's funny and dramatic, emphasizing the friendship between the girls. Yeah, it glamorizes and romanticizes Big but at least we know Miranda is against him. Cynthia Nixon, with her 2 Emmys, 1 Tony and 1 Grammy, is the best actress of the group and Miranda is easily the strongest woman andfriend with the most relatable problems. This episode ends with a shot of the four women with a bunch transvestites at a rooftop party--for that image alone, this is a fun episode.
Cougar Town 1.24 "Finding Out"
When this show premiered , it was about a recently divorced 40-year-old named Jules getting back into the dating scene (a cougar). Then around episode 6, titled "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)", the show became more about Jules and her wacky friends (they call themselves the "Cul-de-Sac Crew")and less about her as a singleton. Since then the show has evolved into a mixture of Friends and Scrubs, with a perfect and hilarious ensemble, a lot of heart, and copious amounts of sunshine and alcohol. The finale is a perfect example of this. In fact, I'd show this episode to new viewers as an introduction to this wonderful sitcom. This episode doesn't have a grand event or a shocking cliffhanger. It's simple and raucously funny (the Grayson remix and "fine, beer me" and the devil faces are too, too funny). And the ending song ("Leave Your Boyfriends Behind" by Leona Naess) is a wonderful choice and it perfectly suits the new themes of Cougar Town. And, I just want to be a part of the Cul-de-Sac Crew!!
Entourage 2.14 "The Abyss"
This episode provided the first look at this New York-raised four best friends living in Hollywood when they are all mad at each other. Movie star Vince's manager Eric struggles between the right personal choice for Vince and the right professional choice. It's an interesting episode. After 21 episodes of solid friendship, it's a little unsettling to see this group fight. But I think that's why this episode works so well. And then of course, in typical "bro" fashion, everything is resolved without any sort of dramatic confrontation or apology scene.
Dexter 2.12 "The British Invasion"
I love Dexter. And Rita. And I hate Lila, the British bombshell who ruined Dexter and Rita's morbidly perfect life. This episode is so great because it got rid of two of Dexter's adversaries (Doakes and Lila). The funny thing is Doakes was just trying to be a good cop and actually we should have been rooting for him to stop Dexter's vigilante serial killings. But I so wanted him to die so that Dexter could continue his brand of justice. I love that each season of Dexter is its own self-contained story with a conclusive ending. It gives a feeling of resolution--because I like being in Dexter's world more than I care about each of his adversaries.
Arrested Development 1.22 "Let Them Eat Cake"
Like the Cul-de-Sac Crew, I just want to be a part of the Bluths' world. It's silly and funny but it is also razor sharp and uniquely intelligent. Picking out the cultural references and the background jokes and the call-backs to other episodes is one of the fun parts of AD. And it gives each episode an intense re-watchability. This episode gives each of the actors an ability to show their strengths and it just goes to show what perfect casting, perfect writing and perfect direction can do for a sitcom.
So these are my favorite season finales. What are some of your favorite TV episodes?
