I remember sitting down, popcorn in hand, a glass of wine perched on my lap, eagerly waiting for the final showing of what I still believe to be the greatest show in TV history, Game of Thrones, as it drew its curtains. The story that I followed for years, passionately cheering on my favourite characters, was drawing to a close. Yet, even to this date, in Canada and across the globe, opinion is heavily divided on the ending.
If you are a punter, whether novice or adroit, think of this experience like logging into the Spin City casino and hoping you land their biggest Jackpot bonus. It’s an exploit that promises bang for your buck, delight, closure, and the ultimate payoff, but rarely does it deliver in the same way for everyone. Even to television series that are widely considered to be great, like Mad Men, it is almost inevitable that someone somewhere will be disappointed with the ending.
While some viewers will leave having been convinced that they have witnessed perfection, others will stare at their screens bewildered, annoyed, and ultimately questioning a lot of the aspects of the TV show they loved. It’s a crux that film producers ultimately must accept that endings will have to juggle exceedingly high expectations, especially for highly successful programs.
The Impossible Perfection Task
Many people (me included) across the globe have been known to place impossible expectations on our favourite teleplays to deliver the perfect denouement. Think of the weight of expectations that are placed upon writers of epic productions like HBO’s Game of Thrones, for example, or more recently, Amazon MGM Studios’ The Summer I Turned Pretty. It’s impossible to please the millions of viewers worldwide. Yet, we expect that the writers will satisfy the multiple arcs in place while maintaining the originality of their productions, a task that is akin to making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Viewers expect that the conclusions will be inevitable yet carry an element of surprise, and at the same time, provide the ultimate closure to the fans. As if the task wasn’t hard enough, you have to deal with the millions of different interpretations of the finales from across the world.
While it seems like this has always been the case with TV series endings, it hasn’t always been so. Historically, these shows were designed so that the viewer could hop on and off at any given time period. Major shows would quietly wither away when their production companies decided to cancel them, often long after their creative fuel was exhausted. However, somewhere along the line, the dynamic shifted. For example, in 1967, the conclusion of The Fugitive drew 67 million viewers worldwide. Suddenly, the endings for these programs stopped being mundane occurrences and graduated into canon events that would be discussed in the film universe for decades upon decades.
That is why in the modern realm, it is almost impossible to satisfy an audience, especially with a widely popular production. For example, the 2010 finale of the famed programme Lost inspired impromptu wine-glass throwing among fans, and of course, the Game of Thrones ending elicited heated Twitter debates, Reddit threads, and entire think pieces dissecting every creative choice.
Ingredients to a Good Ending
While we don’t claim to be world-renowned film producers, we’ve noted a few principles that can help explain why some conclusions leave viewers more satisfied than frustrated.
The Satisfying Arc
A good finish doesn’t mean that all loose ends are tied up. Rather, it means that characters reach the destination that their film journey promised. This doesn’t need to be viewed from one perspective. It may be through heartbreak, grief, happiness, loss, or many other scenarios. Their ending arc, so to speak, shouldn’t be forced. The overall narrative and emotional threads should ultimately feel complete, even if unsettling at times.
Meeting (Or Not Meeting) Expectations
With the commencement of every TV show production, you always have an expectation. A romance will promise love, while a horror show will promise thrills. As such, a finale should eventually honour the audience’s investment by either honouring or failing to honour these expectations.
Inevitability
The best culminations of shows should ultimately feel like this was the destination you were going for. It should feel like it was gravity pulling you through. Even with surprise endings, you should always be able to look at the clues you might have missed beforehand to come to this conclusion.
Leaving Room for Beginnings
The best conclusions leave the door open for imagination. Making it possible for us to imagine our favourite characters carrying on beyond our viewing. It acknowledges the simple fact that life, much like television, doesn’t truly end, and that’s the beauty of it all.
Keep Watching, Keep Hoping
Lots of these endings always leave us with a bittersweet feeling. This is because when a conclusion is delivered well, it justifies the years of emotional and timely investment, reminding us why we fell in love with the show in the first place. They form the basis of our next discussions, which leave room for alternative views, whether we agree with them or not. All in all, series endings are beautiful experiences that need to be felt. So, keep watching, keep hoping, and keep your opinions loud.
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