Great last episodes?

I wonder if anybody's got any thoughts on how sitcoms should end? Whether the last ever episode should leave the characters in pretty much the situation as the spent the entire series in, or do something more dramatic?

I personally prefer the latter, and enjoy it when the writers do something drastic. For example, I liked the last One Foot In The Grave, when Victor Meldrew was killed in a hit and run, then his wife went and killed the woman who'd squished Victor. Another great last episode was MASH, when all the characters were really screwed with (Hawkeye had a breakdown, the chaplain went blind, etc). I haven't got an enclopedic knowledge of sitcoms so I'd be interested to hear about any other striking last episodes, especially which ones worked and which didn't.

An obvious one would be Blackadder Goes Forth, it still brings a tear to the eye when they go over the top running to certain death. Baldricks last plan, Darling getting drafted to the front line, the cheer to the end of the Great War, 1914-1917. Anyything after this episode I pretend they doesn't exsist, I felt this was the perfect end to the whole saga.

The Young Ones driving the bus off a cliff - classic ending.

Only Fools and Horses almost had a good ending (when they went off in to the sunset as millionaires). Shame that they ruined it by dusting the show off for a few more terrible episodes.

Some people don't like it, but I thought Seinfeld went out with a bang - they end up in prison (the perfect ending for a show whose motto was 'no hugging, no learning')

IMHO, the best last episode has to be Cheers - a funny and touching finale with Sam left alone in the bar, muttering the words, "I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the world"

I didn't like the flash back aspect to the end of Seinfeld, I thought it was a bit lazy, especially considering how many viewers were going to be watching it.

Black Books: A great last episode. Nothing drastic happens, it's just plain hilarious, like most Black Books. It does, however, leave you with a sense of things being wrapped up.

Father Ted: It seems as though everything will change, but of course Ted doesn't leave and things go back to normal. The montage at the end of a clip from each show and the final "Goodnight Ted" and "Goodnight Doogal" is perfect.

Frasier: A great last season and a great last episode. It possibly could have been a bit more grand, but the birth of Niles and Daphne's baby is nice to see, especially the monkey joke. And at the very end, Frasier is on to a new city looking for a specific Miss right.

Futurama: A lot of fans loved this last episode, but I was a bit disappointed. I really liked all of the events in the episode and the very end, but the writing was a little stiff, suffering from last-episodeitis.

I'm Alan Partridge: has a perfect ending with his book being pulped.

Spaced: Another absoultely perfect last ending.

The League of Gentleman: has one of the best last episodes. All of the revelations are wonderful. A great end to their best season. I haven't seen the film yet.

The Office: The second part of the special is possibly my all time favorite last episode.

Quote: Mike @ November 3, 2006, 2:25 AM

Futurama: A lot of fans loved this last episode, but I was a bit disappointed. I really liked all of the events in the episode and the very end, but the writing was a little stiff, suffering from last-episodeitis.

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You need not worry, Futurama is returning.

I think one of the best endings was Dad's Army, where they toasted, "To Britain's Home Guard".

Fawlty Towers, because it's not a "last episode", but just as brilliant and constantly funny as all of the others.

I agree with the comments about Seinfeld being a great last episode; it really took what the show was about and ran with it. I also agree that if only Only Fools and Horses had ended when they won the lottery it would have been perfect.

I also like the last ever episode of Larry Sanders, when he did the farewell broadcast of his chatshow. I seem to remember it's one of the few times when Jim Carey made me laugh (he appeared on Larry's last show and was incredibly nasty to him).

Quote: Jason Kindred @ November 6, 2006, 9:20 AM

I agree with the comments about Seinfeld being a great last episode; it really took what the show was about and ran with it.

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It was also great to see many of the supporting characters for one last time. The ending was so un-American, a refreshing change from the sentimental 'I love you...Not as much as I love you' Friends-type endings that we usually see. I also liked the judge's summing up - "I do not know how, or under what circumstances the four of you found each other...", touching upon the fact that, whilst this is a sitcom, Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are dark characters who don't belong in mainstream society.

Blackadder blaitently, other than that I thought the office Christmas speacial was fairly faultless, in general though isn't it better when they don't tie things up too much, the last episode of spaced does this really well.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Although the third series was below par and often recycled ideas from the sublime first and second series, the closing moments were bittersweet comedy of the highest level. Reggie going full circle and ending up in pretty much the same job he loathed with characters similar to those he tried to escape was surprisingly dark for a sitcom. His final moment, finding the times for a train to the coast still haunts me. For me this is black comedy at its most subtle and finest.

PS. The less said about the Legacy of Reginal Perrin the better.

Arrested Development had an interesting last episode as well. Not only did it echo the very first one, but they seemed to admit in the show that there was nowhere left to go with it.

Yes, Reggie Perrin was great and as you say, the full circle, was dark and ironic.

That 'last' episode of Fools & Horses were they finally became millionaires and they walked off into the sunset and Del's last words were "One day Rodney...we could be billionaires", it was just a perfect ending to the saga of Fools & Horses and the episodes that they strung together after that I try not to acknowledge because it just ruined it.

Am I the only person who thinks the final episode of Blackadder is a bit of self-important mawkish sentimentality?