The 10 Best TV Show Endings, Ranked

• Finale Air Date: May 6, 2004
• Title: “The Last One”

Friends is one of the most beloved and iconic sitcoms in television history. Throughout its ten unforgettable seasons, viewers got to enter into the quirky friend group of Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe. The final season was the culmination of a lot of on and off again relationships, big life changes for the group, and lots of unknowns about the future.  

In the series finale, Ross and Rachel finally rekindle their roller-coaster of a relationship in the iconic “I got off the plane” scene. Meanwhile Chandler and Monica finally get the baby they had been trying for for a long time, and we find out that they are actually having twins! Though the characters are moving on to new adventures, it's clear that their friendship will always prevail and is what got them to where they are at the end of the show.

• Finale Air Date: February 28, 1983
• Title: “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen”

After an iconic eleven-season run, the M*A*S*H finale had to deliver for its fans, and it did not disappoint. The finale episode had a run-time of two-and-a-half-hours, ending with a deeply moving farewell. The finale was a combination of humor, drama, and the realities of war, just as the show was throughout its years. 

At the time it aired, the M*A*S*H finale was the most-watched television episode ever, as viewers were desperate to say goodbye to the MASH unit doctors and staff.

• Finale Air Date: February 24, 2015
• Title: “One Last Ride”

Parks and Recreation was the epitome of quirky and dysfunctionally endearing characters, so it was no surprise that the finale was expertly crafted with an equal amount of laughs and emotional moments. The finale gave viewers a glimpse of all of the lovable characters’ futures, and, as suspected, they are all going on to live their best lives. The Pawnee Parks and Rec department was one of the most easy to love group of characters of any show, and as much as viewers wished they could watch them be their hilarious selves on the show forever, the finale surely helped to tie up any loose ends and left fans both laughing and crying with joy.

• Finale Air Date: May 17, 2015
• Title: “Person to Person”

The Mad Men finale provided an emotional conclusion to the trials and tribulations that viewers saw Don Draper go through throughout the series. Don's ups and downs and desire to find his purpose came full circle in the finale as Don finds inspiration for the iconic "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad in the closing moments. The Mad Men finale was a highly rated episode for the show that viewers were captivated by for its seven seasons.

• Finale Air Date: May 28, 2023
• Title: “With Open Eyes”

Depending on who your were rooting for in the run-up to the Succession finale, it was either a shot to the heart, or a win for the anti-Kendall fans out there. Despite the beginning of the episode looking like it was going to be a win for the Roy children -- whom had been broken beyond repair just a few episodes before -- disaster strikes for Kendall, Shiv, and Roman in the final moments as their dreams of running their father's company fade away.

The episode was a roller coaster of emotions and certainly did not disappoint with drama, the occasional laugh, and the unpredictably that the show was known for.

• Finale Air Date: May 28, 2023
• Title: “wow”

The devastating ending to Barry was on brand for the show which was an endlessly devastating story of a very troubled man who deserved everything that was coming for him, but for some reason you were hoping would prevail. The finale was certainly not an uplifting end to the story, but was an incredibly well done episode nonetheless.

• Finale Air Date: August 15, 2022
• Title: “Saul Gone”

Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of Jimmy's own bad actions. In the finale of Better Caul Saul, viewers are taken through a series of flashbacks helps to piece together some of the unknowns about Jimmy/Saul's past, and though its no surprise that he is doomed for prison, it took until the last moments to find out if Jimmy was going to take much responsibility in hopes of some regained respect before life behind bars.

• Finale Air Date: March 9, 2008
• Title: “-30-”

The Wire finale was a bleak reflection of the show’s consistent portrayal of urban decay and societal unrest that the series took an honest look out throughout its run. Much like the series as a whole, the finale did not have an easily resolved conclusion to the issues presented, but it stayed true to its cynical attitude toward urban problems. All in all, the finale was the perfect ending to the thought-provoking show that had an unbelievable run.

• Finale Air Date: June 10, 2007
• Title: "Made in America"

A lot of people might be surprised to see The Sopranos not in the number one spot for best TV endings. However, because of how controversial the various interpretations of the endings are, it did not feel right to make it number one. That said, The Sopranos finale is as iconic as they come. Tony had quite a few loose ends to tie up in the final moments of the series which had fans captivated for six seasons, and though the ending was frustratingly ambiguous, I think many can agree that it was on brand for the beloved show.

• Finale Air Date: September 29, 2013
• Title: “Felina”

Much like the ending of its spin-off, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad fans had a pretty good sense that Walter White's fate was not looking very good. With his health rapidly declining and the nationwide manhunt to find Walter and deliver his inevitable sentencing to him increasing, Walter was doomed. However, the episode brought a surprising amount of closure for Walter with his family and his own reflection of himself. After a series of anxiety-inducing episodes, fans got the finale they deserved and this episode will forever go down as one of the great TV endings of all time.