TV shows make for one of the best pastimes in modern entertainment. Some series, like sitcoms and procedurals, invite audiences to stay invested in a series for over a decade, others opt for shorter strategies, such as anthology shows or limited stories. For some series, there is a consensus among fans and critics alike that a notable decline in quality has set in, often occurring around a show’s sixth or seventh season. Where some series experience a consistent decline, others do make sure to leave audiences with a positive, rewarding conclusion.
While some series maintain an impressive level of quality throughout, others taper out towards the end, with some rebounding in their final episodes. This can happen for a number of reasons, ranging from losing a star who shows up in the finale to delivering some much-desired closure for the viewers. Finding the right ending for a series can be a difficult task, especially if the series has dropped off — but some shows manage to impress audiences on their final note.
10The Clone Wars Came Back in the Best Way Possible
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2008-2020 | 133 | 8.4/10 |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars explores the conflict between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, following Obi-Wan and Anakin as they lead the clone army against the Separatists. Beginning with the animated movie that paired Anakin with his apprentice, Ahsoka, the series continued apace, showcasing key battles against the likes of General Grievous and Count Dooku.
Before the release of season seven, there was a consensus that The Clone Wars had peaked between its fourth and fifth seasons, with iconic arcs like the Battle of Umbara and Maul’s conquest of Mandalore. However, the return of the series in its seventh season showed the series had more to say, and the final arc established itself as arguably the best of the series.
9Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ends With an Epic Battle
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-2003 | 145 | 8.3/10 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows the arrival of Buffy Summers to Sunnydale, a town situated on top of a gateway to Hell. Due to its location, the town is under constant threat from demons, vampires, witches and more, requiring the aid of a vampire slayer — in this case Buffy — to protect the innocent. The series follows Buffy through emotional and personal ups and downs, from her on-again/off-again relationship with Angel to her coming back from the dead. She is aided by her friends, Xander, Willow, and, later, her sister, Dawn.
Most fans of the series generally agree that it peaked between seasons two and four, though every season had its share of memorable episodes. Its final season stands out as one of the weaker of the series, but its conclusion gave the characters an epic send-off as they rally an army of slayers to take on the First Evil. Despite some heartbreaking moments, the finale served as a true end of Buffy’s protection of Sunnydale and reminded audiences of how great a series can be with real stakes.
8Boston Legal Honors Denny and Alan’s Relationship
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-2008 | 101 | 8.5/10 |
Boston Legal tells the story of a small group of lawyers working for the prestigious Boston law firm, Crane, Poole & Schmidt as they take on a variety of cases, from the whimsical to the tragic. The series primarily focuses on two best friends, the liberal hotshot, Alan Shore, and the conservative seasoned partner, Denny Crane. Despite their political differences, the pair bond over their love of women, money and fishing, representing one of the best male friendships on TV. From the first season, Denny was faced with the prospect of developing Mad Cow Disease, something that led to a tragic, slow mental deterioration throughout the series as he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, with Alan standing by his side.
The later seasons of Boston Legal were good, but the earlier seasons were impossible to beat, with a better cast of characters and more emphasis on the “bromance” between Denny and Alan. However, the finale gave audiences a moment of bittersweet closure as the two best friends got married, allowing Alan to take care of his friend no matter what. After arguing Denny’s right to try experimental drugs, the pair wed at the same time as Shirley and Carl, being officiated by a Supreme Court justice.
7Frasier Ends on an Optimistic Note
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-2004 | 263 | 8.2/10 |
The original Frasier series picks up where Cheers left off, with Frasier Crane settling into his new life back in his hometown of Seattle. While there, he rebuilds a friendship with his brother, Niles, while working as a radio psychiatrist. When Niles informs him that their father, retired cop Martin Crane, needs assistance after recovering from a gunshot, Frasier agrees to let him live with him. They hire a physical therapist, Daphne, to help out. The series revolves around Frasier and his friends in their weekly misadventures, involving anything from family arguments to questions around the brothers’ elitism.
Frasier experienced a significant decline in its final seasons, as the Moon family started taking up too much time and the allure of Niles and Daphne’s will-they/won’t-they was settled. The final season particularly stands out as a fairly weak one due to its inclusion of unlikable characters and predictable stories (though it does have some of the series’ best too). After a largely lackluster season, however, the series is capped off by Frasier setting off yet again to another city, this time in search of love. While the impact the series’ revival had on its original ending has been debated, the season eleven finale was hopeful, optimistic and wholesome.
A renowned radio psychiatrist, Dr. Frasier Crane, relocates to Seattle to rebuild his life and career. Living with his retired police officer father and assisted by his quirky physical therapist, Frasier navigates the ups and downs of family dynamics, professional challenges, and romantic pursuits.
6Angel Rebounds In Its Final Season
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDB Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1999-2004 | 111 | 7.9/10 |
Angel — a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer —tells the story of the heroic vampire of the same name, beginning with him settling into Los Angeles, where he sets up shop as a private detective after the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There, he teams up with Cordelia Chase, Wesley Price and more characters from Sunnydale as he takes on demons, vampires and a Satanic law firm, Wolfram & Hart. The series takes on a notably darker tone than Buffy in some stories, such as Angel losing his son, Connor, to his enemy, Holt — only for him to return believing Holt to be his father.
While the first and second season of Angel were brilliant, seasons four and five were a mixed bag, pursuing divisive arcs like the Connor and Holt story. In the fifth season, however, the series completely transforms and deals with Angel suddenly becoming head of Wolfram & Hart. The fifth season managed an impressive balance between slice of life, horror and the absurd, making up for the prior two seasons. While not every viewer loves the open-ended finale, it represented how the series had changed for the better.
5The Big Bang Theory Gave Audiences Closure
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-2019 | 280 | 8.1/10 |
The Big Bang Theory begins when two nerdy physicists and roommates, Leonard and Sheldon, meet their new neighbor, Penny, an aspiring actress and waitress new to LA from Nebraska. Along with their friends, Raj and Howard, Leonard and Sheldon invite Penny into their social circle, kicking off a years-long friendship that sees the group become better people. One of the series’ longest-running stories was the will-they-won’t-they relationship between Penny and Leonard, something that kept audiences guessing.
It’s no secret that The Big Bang Theory’s later seasons forgot what the show was about, constantly downplaying its geek culture basis in favor of relationship drama. Those who had loved the earlier seasons weren’t as enamored by the later ones, but the final season managed to make up for lost time around the nerdy side of the show. The final episode finally wraps up some of the series’ longest-running plot threads, seeing Penny announce her pregnancy, the elevator getting fixed, and Amy and Sheldon winning their Nobel Prize. The final shot of all the characters sitting on the couch gives viewers some comfort in their closure. There are no unexpected surprises — things go on as usual, but with every character a better person for having known each other.
4The X-Files Brings Back Mulder in Its Finale
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-2002 / 2016-2018 | 217 | 8.6/10 |
The X-Files tells the story of two FBI agents tasked with investigating cases of unexplained and possible paranormal origin. On one side is Fox Mulder, an open-minded agent who believes aliens abducted his sister as a child. On the other is Dana Scully, an analytical scientist paired with Mulder in the hopes of debunking his work. However, as the pair take on a variety of cases, from shape-shifters and werewolves to alien abductions and psychics, Mulder begins to make a believer out of his skeptical partner. The ongoing plot of the series involves a mysterious cabal, the Syndicate, who prevent the agents from discovering the truth behind alien life on Earth. The finale sees a long-awaited revelation behind the Cigarette Smoking Man and his role in the conspiracy.
The finale to the X-Files is by no means perfect and certainly pales in comparison to the earlier seasons. However, the return of Fox Mulder after a two-season absence, as well as an attempt to resolve key plot points, showed there was an effort to end the story. Considering how dull season seven had been, as well as Mulder’s absence throughout eight and nine, seeing him and Scully reunited let viewers walk away somewhat satisfied. The show should have ended much sooner, but it was better to finish with Mulder than without.
Two F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
3Friends’ Finale Gave Everyone a Happy Ending
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2004 | 234 | 8.9/10 |
Set in New York City, Friends focuses on a group of six characters bonded by mutual friendships, shared histories and common interests. The group is made up of; naive but lovable actor, Joey; straight-laced lovable loser paleontologist, Ross; bossy chef with a love of cleanliness, Monica; free-spirited and artistic Phoebe; hard-working and easygoing Chandler; and the sheltered Rachel Green, who breaks off her wedding in the pilot and has to make a living for the first time. The series follows the group in a variety of silly but relatable situations, from workplace arguments and romantic relationships to illnesses and burglaries.
Friends maintained an impressive streak from start to finish, but it enjoyed its best years in the middling seasons, which gave fans some of the show’s best moments. After certain changes, such as Joey and Chandler no longer being roommates or Ross mishandling his love life, the series could feel slow and repetitive compared to earlier seasons. However, the finale did give fans what they wanted: happy endings all around and Ross finally patching things up with Rachel.
Friends
2Curb Your Enthusiasm Rewards Seinfeld Fans Too
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-2024 | 120 | 8.8/10 |
Curb Your Enthusiasm follows Larry David playing himself as he navigates his career, Hollywood and personal life. The series works as a more grounded and mature version of Seinfeld, playing into David’s grumpy persona as he gets into a variety of relatable misunderstandings. Often coming across as a jerk despite being right, the series follows him as he becomes embroiled in minor scandals, feuds and controversies.
Curb Your Enthusiasm has always been a great series, but much of its comedy gold stemmed from the middling seasons, with the final season ending the show at the right time as the magic was leaving. Its finale rewards viewers in the best way possible by, in effect, redoing the divisive Seinfeld finale, having Jerry and Larry reunite following the latter’s trial. After sparing his friend jail time, Seinfeld states “this is how we should have done the finale,” referencing his own series and giving fans a do-over at the same time.
1Monk Ended as Fans Always Knew It Would
| Years in Production | Episode Count | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2002-2009 | 124 | 8.1/10 |
Monk follows the life of a former detective, Adrian Monk, who is trying to get back on his feet after his wife was murdered. Thanks to the help of a private nurse named Sharona, Monk starts taking on cases as a private investigator for the San Francisco Police Department, working alongside his old colleague, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer. Throughout the series, the detective’s keen attention to detail proves an asset when working on his cases, even if it hinders his personal life.
From start to finish, Monk teased the eventual discovery of the person responsible for the death of Trudy Monk, with several seasons ending with Adrian finding a new lead. While the latter seasons were still fun, they lacked the originality and creativity of the earlier seasons’ whodunit style and often felt like just another procedural. However, the finale focused on Adrian finally solving the case audiences spent eight years hoping to see unravel. The episode avoided tropes and clichés often associated with “last case” stories and avoided gimmicks. Instead, it ended with closure and justice for Adrian in a serious yet touching conclusion.
