13 final shots that made our favorite TV shows even better

Perhaps even more than a full-length film, the series needs a perfect ending. But it is incredibly difficult to find such a final point that would suit everyone, there is too great a risk that the viewer, who has passed along with the heroes and authors for many years, will be disappointed. That's why the last frame of the series is so important, the moment before the final credits, which will be imprinted in the brain forever, which will be associated with memories of the whole show as a whole. And not every final turns out to be perfect-somewhere there are not enough emotions, somewhere there is a general fatigue, and someone fails to say goodbye at all, crossing out all previous years of work.

And yet here are a few shots that perfectly complete the big story. They are not always obvious, but they are more than touching — this is how parting should be. But we must warn you right away — there will be spoilers. Thousands of them!

"Twin Peaks" (1990) / Twin Peaks

The series "Twin Peaks" ended twice, and both endings are very impressive, but to illustrate the perfect ending, we preferred the last frame of the second season, after which Agent Cooper went on a long "vacation". We part with the characters almost in the middle of a word, on a question that goes nowhere. However, much scarier than the phrase "How's Annie?!" and Cooper's satanic laughter, which was destined to haunt loyal fans for a quarter of a century, is the reflection shown to us in the bathroom mirror-instead of Cooper, on the other side of the glass surface, there is a maniacally smiling Bob, a terrible entity that threatens the very existence of the universe.

The ending of the third season, of course, is also not bad, but, alas,after Laura's scream, they also show a mansion there, which does not fit into our requirements somewhat.

"Fucked Up" (1999) / Spaced

The creators of the British sitcom Spaced, called in Russia was either "Fucked up" or "Dividing the space", they did not assume that the 14th episode of their story would be the final one, but the ending of the second and last season of the show perfectly summed up everything that was shown to the audience earlier. We broke up with Marsha Klein's unusual tenants at the moment when they were most vulnerable, but at the same time Tim and Daisy found each other.

The final frame, in which the characters are sitting hugging on the floor with a dog on their knees, does not mean a happy ending, but anticipates a happy and interesting future. It's a pity that we didn't see it, because the will of the producers and authors moved out of this madhouse before the heroes of the series.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) / Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The cult TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" goes into obscuration with a frame in which the face of the heroine Sarah Michelle Gellar is illuminated by a smile, but we suggest remembering the ending exactly like this — a group photo of girls who once again saved the world from destruction. After all, the meaning of the ending is precisely this — Buffy is no longer alone, she is no longer the only one and not the chosen one, there are now people next to her who can be entrusted with taking care of the universe.

For seven years, the Great Force was a heavy burden for the girl, and now the shackles can be thrown off — this final frame means that Buffy will be able to live not only to fight, but also for herself, for her own happiness. Isn't that what we've been wishing for her all these years together?

"Friends" (1994) / Friends

For ten years of screen adventures, the heroes of the TV series "Friends" have visited many interesting places, but all the funniest and most amazing things happened to them in the walls of Monica's apartment, which the audience has long begun to perceive as something native and close. That's why the final panorama that completes the cult series leaves such a strong aching feeling. It is as if, together with the heroes, we are taking a last look at the place where we spent unforgettable hours and minutes, where we experienced strong feelings and experienced heavy blows of fate.

The camera dispassionately examines the walls and furniture, runs through the keys left by your favorite characters, and rests against the door they just left. We can only fill the empty frame with our favorite frames with memories of loyal friends who have decorated our lives.

"The Customer Is Always Dead" (2001) / Six Feet Under

The authors approached the final episode of the series "The Client is always dead" with a difficult baggage — in just one episode they had to complete the storylines of a good dozen leading characters, so as not to spoil the impression of the work done earlier. Did they succeed? Absolutely definitely yes — the ending of this series is rightfully considered one of the most successful, and the creators of the TV black comedy even had time to describe the future of their characters, and send Claire on a long road along the highway that goes beyond the horizon.

"The Sopranos" (1999) / The Sopranos

Even ten years after its first release on the screens, the finale of the series "The Sopranos Clan" is actively discussed by fans of the show — the final episode went dark in such an unexpected place that some thought they had problems with the antenna or a file was downloaded incorrectly.

The ending is really strong. Tony gathers the family in the diner, we are expecting some very important conversation, but at the moment when almost everyone has already gathered, the entrance bell of the restaurant rings, the head of the family looks up at the door, and the story ends there. Have you come for Tony was killed by the police or by his competitors, or maybe the decisive shot was fired by one of his own? We don't know. And no one knows. It turned out to be spectacular and ambiguous, like the whole series, which became a classic even during its broadcast.

"Wiretap" (2002) / The Wire

Perhaps the main crime series in the history of television, "Wiretapping" in the final turned out to be very stingy on emotions. But the ending of the story can not be called boring in any way — the final episode covered many places, looked into the affairs of many characters and drew a line to a good ten plot branches. It's hard to imagine how difficult it was for the authors of the series to choose the final frame, but they coped with this task perfectly — the "Wiretap" ends with a panorama of Baltimore.

Indeed, although every viewer had the opportunity to choose a favorite character to his taste, behind each hero there was always a city with its special atmosphere, recognizable profile and incomparable landscapes. Baltimore can rightfully be considered the main character of the series, and we are saying goodbye to him last.

"Ambulance" (1994) / ER

In fairness, it should be noted that not everyone who started watching the series "Ambulance" back in 1994 or later from the very beginning, reached the final — too strong changes have affected the cast of the drama, and storylines, and even the general mood of the show over 15 years. However, the authors of the popular series succeeded in the final point — the final episode, on the one hand, completed the main storylines, and on the other — showed that the work of doctors and medical staff does not stop for a minute.

"Stay Alive" (2004) / Lost

The finale of the mystical show "Stay Alive", which in some way became the catalyst for the boom of the TV series in modern Russia, still makes fans argue hoarsely about whether the final plot twist was right. Indeed, not everyone liked the fact that the authors literally divided all the previous six seasons by zero with the last frames and returned to the starting point, giving everything shown as a deathbed delirium.

But from a cinematic point of view, "Lost" ended perfectly, because few people remember that the pilot of the show started with a similar frame, only in it Jack opened his eyes. Even if you categorically do not accept the denouement, the last frame with Sheppard's wet eye closed for the last time suggests that the hero has found the peace that he deserved for a long time. After that, we can calm down too.

"Breaking Bad" (2008) / Breaking Bad

How should the series "Breaking Bad" have ended, so that the audience would consider the finale to be extraordinary, but at the same time realistic? We believe that Vince Gilligan was puzzling over this question long before the command "Motor!" was given in the final scene during the filming of the final episode.

The finale turned out to be the most powerful and famously closing a good dozen storylines, so a tired Walter White can quite afford to take a look at the "empire" he created and leave this world a few seconds before the appearance of the police. Could the story of a chemistry teacher who was afraid of his imminent death have a different ending? Definitely. But Walt chose the breathtaking path of Heisenberg, which gave us several unforgettable hours of experience in front of TV screens.

"Justice" (2010) / Justified

Perhaps the series "Justice" is not the most important show of the 2000s, and its final, sixth season is not at all the pinnacle of the narrative, but the finale of this crime drama turned out to be convincing and impressive. And especially the last minutes, when we are shown how a few years after the main events, Raylan Givens finds Eva, but gives her word not to reveal her whereabouts to Boyd. Then the main character goes to an old friend in prison.

"Abandoned" (2014) / The Leftovers

The third season of the drama "Abandoned" somewhat confused the audience — unlike the first two ten-part seasons, the finale was completed in eight episodes, so for some of those who watched the unexpected ending was a surprise. However, the surprise turned out to be pleasant — during the previous series, we managed to say goodbye to all the other characters and came to the finish line with the only question about how the fate of Kevin and Nora turned out. The fate of the characters was not easy, but their final conversation and the departure of the camera from the house in which the heroine was hiding for many years, with a delightful sunset and pigeons, are simply charming. If the previous episodes of the amazing drama about losses told about denial, anger, bargaining and depression, then the last frame shows the final acceptance. So necessary for both the heroes and the audience.

"The Americans" (2013) / The Americans

Probably, many viewers would like the espionage activities of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings in Washington to continue further, but the creators of the series" The Americans " from the very beginning firmly decided that the story of their heroes would end with the end of the Cold War — the governments met each other halfway, and the need for intelligence officers of the past disappeared. Moreover, the Jennings compromised themselves and revealed their identities to the main enemy, after which they had the only way out — to escape from America.

The final episode turned out to be very emotional, it is impossible to look without tears at the last conversation between Philip and his son, at how Paige remained on the platform. But the last frame of the "Americans" is truly knockout — the heroes who returned to Moscow look at the night city from the observation deck of the Vorobyov, and at that time Lenin, mountains. They were saved, but this salvation destroyed the family forever. It was impossible to think of anything simpler, but also more painful.