Worst FINAL Episode of a TV Show
 

There was the best final ep, so how about the worst.

I'd say ALF. I know it wasn't intended to be the final one but it ended up being it. ALF gets caught and that's it. Grrr.
The new Fugative also had a final episode that was part 1 of 2. It will never be made.

If a show gets canceled and the final one is a cliff-hanger, the network should at least let one more show be made to end the show.

Even if a show did not end with a cliff hanger but left loose ends open, one more show should be made so resolve things. I always wanted at least 1 more episode of A-Team where they got their pardon (would have been great if they had found the proof and cleared their names)



Of shows that had a bad final that was intended to be the final episode. Star Trek TNG had a extreemly boring one.

'All Good Things ...' was quite possibly the best episode of the show, for my money. While others had more action, rarely can a series finale encapsulate all of the style of a show, wrap it up, and give a legitimate direction for the future. It brought the story full circle, showed all the progress we had made, and why we still had a long way to go. I found it to be incredlbe.

Anyway, that being said ... I'm not going to judge unresolved cliff-hangers, as we never know what would have happened. I hate to say it, but <I>The X-Files</I> sticks in my mind as a particularly bad intended finale from recent memory. Another from this year that was a let-down was <I>Ally McBeal</I>, but as I'm sure it was a rushed finale, I won't fault it too much.

But the all-time worst finale, running so far in the lead of all others, was 'Endgame', the two-hour finale of <I>Voyager</I>. We've discussed this episode in detail around here before, so I won't bore you with too much exposition, but in short not only was it a horrible finale for the show, but it also is quite possibly the worst moment in the 35+ year history of the franchise. In one two-hour episode, we saw at full volume, why those who do not understand Gene's vision should not be involved with the show. The writers of <I>Deep Space Nine</I> understood what Trek was about, but they went a different direction, and that was fine.

Braga, however, just doesn't get it, and in that episode we see the absolute worst of humanity portrayed in a glorifying light. Not only should her crew have stopped her, but Janeway should be court-martialed for her actions. Abusing time to intentionally change the past for your own selfish motives is one thing. Gathering technology from the future to take with you to the past to assist in the large-scale slaughter of your enemy? If Braga had his way, Q would have been right: we are a barbaric race who has no business existing any longer. True to the show's form, it lamely relied on time travel and the Borg as major plot devices for yet another time, but this time, not only did they completely miss the heart of the Trek franchise, but they pissed in its face.

das

Most shows these days at least get a final episode. Show like the original Trek and Lost and Space never got one but I have to say Seinfeld and X-files ended lamly with people from past episodes there just to be there and the actual ending was lame.

The final episode of Star Trek: TNG boring?
Huh?

The Million Dollar Game for the XFL

It was even a blowout

Oh, I realize I'm in the vast minority, but the final episode of Seinfeld was one of my favorites

I agree with cooper2000... Seinfeld's last episode was probably one of it's poorest. :down:

I think the final episode of Seinfeld was a perfect conclusion to the series. Somehow we liked these characters who in real life wouldn't be all that likable. And these characters get their just deserts for their behavior. It still managed to be funny in my opinion too. Man I miss that show.

I think the <I>Seinfeld</I> finale was a victim of over-promotion. While it wasn't the best episode on its own merits, I think it was hurt significantly more by the non-stop media blitz for months before it even aired. On the whole, people would probably never thought of it as incredible, but without the hype, I imagine the reaction would be closer to "that was pretty good" than "boy, that was lame."

das

I've always been disappointed with the series finale of Quantum Leap. The episode itself was just fine, actually, it summed up the entire series pretty well. Then as the final scene fades to black we get text which tells us that Sam NEVER returned home.

How depressing is that. All he wanted to do throughout the entire series was get back home then we find out he never does! I hate to imagine an elderly, worn down Sam Beckett still forced to "put right what once went wrong" until his dying day.

That last Voyager was about the worst finale show I've ever seen. I felt like I'd been personally punked out by Barga and Berman.

Rosanne's finale was pretty terrible. In fact the last 2 seasons of that show were downright limp.

The Seinfeld characters always got what they deserved at the end of each episode, to say they got what they deserved at the end was an oxy moron.
That was a show that went on much too long and the last few seasons were not very funny anymore.
About Quantum Leap, I have to say that I was dissapointed with that episode as well. It was never meant as a final episode thought, they put that narration there because it wasnt picked up so they made it a final episode even though it wasnt.
The fact that Sam Beckett never returned home was a Huge let down so I agree.

Vger...I agree with above comments.
Braga does not get it. Period.

Another Roddenberry in name only series that needs
dishonorable mention is Earth Final Conflict.
I can not believe this series ran for 5 years.
Let alone had a series finale.

I thought it was wonderful. The point wasn't that Sam didn't get to go home. He wasn't "forced" to do anything. The leaps were going to get more difficult, but the choice would always be his to stop whenever he was ready. Sam, knowing the importance of his work, <I>chose</I> never to return home. I liked it.

das

I'll agree with you that Braga didnt and doesnt have a clue. He is ruining Star Trek. He always depended on easy plot devises and also the Borg.
After Barclay worked so hard he didnt even have anything to do with them gettting home and couldnt we have seen them actually arrive on Earth and play out the plots and characters?????
Nooooo! Course Not.

I agree with das 100% on Ally, X-Files and Star Trek TNG and Voyager.

I loved the finale of Quantum Leap but I also didn't like the ending. I started searching online and read that Donald P. Bellasario (the creator) didn't know it was the last episode until the 11th hour and was unable to shoot anymore scenes. With that said, there was an alternate ending shot, but never seen beyond the editing room and if he could do a movie, he would have Sam return home.

The way bartender Al made it sound was like Sam could come home whenever he wanted, but should also continue to leap. Sort of like going to work and coming home at night.

Did anyone ever see the final ep of Ellen? It was supposed to be a clever "retrospective" of "classic" show clips, had the show been running for 40 years. Good idea, right? Instead, she comes off as totally pissed off and bitter during faux interview segments. After all the controversy, I think she was fed up and just wanted to say "f you" to everyone.

I'm not sure I'd like the new ending. There was something very powerful about that final scene for me with Sam breaking down and wanting to go home, and Al explaining he could go home, but then he wouldn't be able to leap anymore. It's too easy if he can just leap at will and go home at night. I'm sure Bellasario may have pulled off a different ending with equal effect, but simply allowing him to return home doesn't work in my mind's eye. But then, I've been satisfied with the current finale for so many years that perhaps I just cannot see another one working.

das

I think that is why the show was cancelled, no one watched the show, even the final. I never heard there was a final for her show.

What was the final for EFC? I have watch about 1/4th of the shows, but never new there was a final.

My vote for worst show is Seinfeld. I was never so bored watching a TV show, and I loved the series.

I thought the end of Voyager was great. I do agree it did not live up to Gene's vision and what Janeway did was totally wrong. It shows how twisted she had become. She could become a villian in future ST movies.

Endgame could have been even better if they would have shown the crew beaming down to Earth. We could have seen 7 of 9 show emotion with seeing the worlds beauty for the 1st time and her greeting her aunt. Janeway being arrested. Many other responces would have been what Gene might have wanted.

Voyager

DS9 (started so strong and ended so weak)

I think I see a common theme here.

Ds9 ended weak? what were you watching?

Seinfeld's finale was one of the worst episodes of the series.

I was watching a weak Star Trek show, just like Voyager and Enterprise. You know the ones I'm talking about...War ends miraculously in 45mins and the Captain becomes a god. (Please!)

and the Voyager final ep.don't get me started.