It would be easy to make a list of the best comedy series finales of all time, but where's the fun in that? After all, we'd have to spend half the time subjecting the reader to the same old b.s. about how iconic the "M*A*S*H" and "Mary Tyler Moore" endings were. Those shows have had plenty of time to receive their accolades already, so why not keep things fresh? We've decided to shift focus onto the past 10 years specifically so shows will still be relatively topical. Oh, and we'll be rattling off the 5 worst finales as well, since you can't have winners without a few losers.
Note: This write-up is obviously **SPOILER HEAVY**. Consider yourself warned.
BEST SERIES FINALES
"Parks and Recreation" (Final Episode: February 24, 2015)
![best and worst comedy series finales, parks and recreation]()
Sweet, poignant and as consistently funny as the show had been throughout its run, the "Parks and Recreation" series finale is what you might consider the new gold standard. We can only hope that comedies to come will strive to emulate such a perfect ending as "One Last Ride." The time jumps to all the main characters' futures were surprisingly satisfying to say the least, but we can't help thinking they wouldn't have pulled that off nearly as well had the final season not jumped ahead in time, as well, bracing us for such a jarring leap forward in the end. Anyone who believes that time travel is tricky to write and should be avoided at all costs needs to watch this episode and choke on their foolish words.
"Futurama" (Final Episode: September 4, 2013)
![best and worst comedy series finales, futurama]()
Speaking of time travel, for a show with a premise so heavily tied to it, you knew it would play a major factor in the last episode (unless "Futurama" is brought back from the dead ... again). Of course, we don't think anyone expected "Meanwhile" to go out on quite the high note it did. The series had slipped somewhat in quality after its shift from FOX to Comedy Central, but it would always manage to surprise you every now and then with not just a good episode, but a great one. You could definitely chalk the finale up to the latter, as we got to see Fry and Leela grow old together with the world completely frozen around them. Even though their "will they/won't they" relationship had been dragged out way too long over the years, the finale made up for all of that, even ending in such a way that it perfectly looped back into the pilot episode.
"Scrubs" (Final Episode: May 6, 2009)
![best and worst comedy series finales, scrubs]()
We may have just inadvertently cracked the code for a great finale. It seems the key is to simply flash forward in time and show the main characters living happy lives. Sure, the ending of "My Finale" is actually more of a hypothetical future than an actual time jump, but it hits all the same feels. Overly sappy? Sure, but a show like "Scrubs" could have only ended in such a way. Plus, right before the final moments, a slew of old familiar faces from the series came back to say their goodbyes, and there's nothing that gives a finale more of a sense of closure than that.
Wait, what? They kept the show going for another season after this? Well, we're just going to consider that portion a spin-off (which it basically was). Besides, there's no way in hell we're rewriting this.
"Wilfred" (Final Episode: August 13, 2014)
![best and worst comedy series finales, wilfred]()
The "Wilfred" finale was essentially a two-parter, with the first part "Resistance" dealing with the death of the beloved dog Wilfred, and "Happiness" handling what that death actually means for Ryan (Elijah Wood). We know a lot of people skipped over this show due to the premise of a man seeing a dog as a human sounding extremely confusing, but in the end it was all pretty simple. The magic of the show may have initially been its "Is this guy crazy?" premise, but by the end, all you really just wanted to know was if Wilfred had been a good or bad influence. The fact that he had (in stark contrast to the original UK series ending) is what made the final episode so rewarding. Sure, Ryan was in fact crazy, but it was in accepting that his condition had actually helped him become more well-adjusted that he was finally on his way to true happiness.
"The Life & Times of Tim" (Final Episode: February 17, 2012)
![best and worst comedy series finales, the life & times of tim]()
If hardly anyone watched "Wilfred," then by comparison, no one watched "The Life & Times of Tim." It's a damn shame, too, because not only was it one of the funniest shows on TV, but it ended in the most painfully hilarious way possible. There's a wrong way to send off your series with a main character being crushed to death (see our next entry) and there's also a completely fitting way. This final installment titled "Corporate Disaster" featured everything that made the show great. Tim, unlucky as ever, gets himself in way over his head, does what he thinks he's supposed to, and it all go completely haywire. Only this time, since it was the finale, he actually caught a break and was sent on a company-funded vacation to lay low. On his way out the door, however, the giant "O" from the building fell on top of him, leaving Tim screwed for eternity by the company that always treated him like dirt.
WORST SERIES FINALES
"Two and a Half Men" (Final Episode: February 19, 2015)
![best and worst comedy series finales, two and a half men]()
Now to shift to the really fun stuff: ripping on terrible finales. "Two and a Half Men" is the second most recent finale on this list, but it has already cemented itself as one of the worst of all time. Hey, Chuck Lorre, we get it, you and Charlie Sheen don't get along. We don't feel like that's even a remotely decent excuse to let your feud overshadow the show itself, though. Sadly, that's precisely what the series finale "Of Course He's Dead" did by having it end with Sheen's old character Charlie Harper (a body double, as he was already killed off four years prior) smashed to death by a piano as he made his seemingly triumphant return. Then Lorre topped it all off with a smug pan out to reveal him sitting there watching, tossing out a quick "Winning" before being smashed by a piano himself. Hooray, you clearly don't even give a f**k anymore. Now we can all go back to pretending this show doesn't exist, because at least now it finally doesn't.
"How I Met Your Mother" (Final Episode: March 31, 2014)
![best and worst comedy series finales, how i met your mother]()
While we're on the subject of smacking longtime fans in the face, "How I Met Your Mother" did just that in its series finale "Last Forever" by having the mother that Ted had been yammering on about for far too long pass away. That's right, in the final episode of a show whose very title suggests its the story of a young man's journey to meet the woman of his dreams, she is casually blown off in the last minutes by even her own children in favor of Ted simply moving on from her death and getting together with his friend Robin. He promptly does so, it is predictably cheesy (blue French horn), and fans are left to ponder why they've spent the last nine years watching it. Roll credits.
"That '70s Show" (Final Episode: May 18, 2006)
![best and worst comedy series finales, that '70s show]()
The entirety of the eighth and final season of "That '70s Show" was pretty much a train wreck, having lost lead character Eric Foreman (Topher Grace) at the end of the previous season and Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) four episodes into this one. That said, you'd think having them both return in the series finale "Love of My Life" would have made up for that, especially when Eric and Donna seemed to get back together in the zero hour and Kelso was immediately back to his old shenanigans. But something about the whole thing felt very rushed, especially when you consider the time spent building to Eric coming home compared to the less than five minutes of actual screen time he's given at the very end. Plus, call us snobs if you must, but you shouldn't treat a finale like a clip show. Most of the second half of this last episode is just rehashed jokes and gags from the series, and if we wanted that, we could just rewatch the show. All this finale accomplishes is proving that the series should have ended a season earlier when it was still a show that we loved.
"My Name Is Earl" (Final Episode: May 14, 2009)
![best and worst comedy series finales, my name is earl]()
The series "My Name Is Earl" wound up becoming the "ALF" of its time. Not that the premises are at all alike, but both met similar fates by ending on frustrating cliffhangers. That's because between seasons, even though creator Greg Garcia had gotten the OK to do so, the show was cancelled and never given a season five to resolve not only who the father of Joy's children was, but to finish the overarching story of Earl's karma list. So in a strange twist, "Dodge's Dad" makes it on our list of worst comedy series finale episodes not because it was bad or unfunny (it's actually one of its funnier installments, with Norm Macdonald killing it once again as slimeball Little Chubby), but because we actually wanted more and will never get it. Yes, Garcia did divulge the details of how these questions may have been answered in his Reddit AMA, but not getting to see it play out in physical form is quite the disappointment indeed.
"Entourage" (Final Episode: September 11, 2011)
![best and worst comedy series finales, entourage]()
Remember what we said earlier about the key to all great endings being to leave your characters with happy futures? Well, thanks a lot, "Entourage," you really shot that theory in the foot. Of course, there are reasons why the overly sappy send-off didn't work here. Namely, much like "That '70s Show," the whole thing was incredibly rushed. Like, "Vince marries a woman who hated his guts one episode prior," rushed. "Entourage" was always a show on the cusp of being painfully tacky, but its last episode took that to the extreme, even forcing a post-credits sequence down our throats prepping us for a feature film that no one was asking for by this point. Not to mention the movie looks like complete trash and will hopefully bomb at the box office as much as this series finale did. But enough of our thoughts. What do you think are the best and worst comedy finales of the past 10 years? Let us know in the comments section below.
Note: This write-up is obviously **SPOILER HEAVY**. Consider yourself warned.
BEST SERIES FINALES
"Parks and Recreation" (Final Episode: February 24, 2015)
Sweet, poignant and as consistently funny as the show had been throughout its run, the "Parks and Recreation" series finale is what you might consider the new gold standard. We can only hope that comedies to come will strive to emulate such a perfect ending as "One Last Ride." The time jumps to all the main characters' futures were surprisingly satisfying to say the least, but we can't help thinking they wouldn't have pulled that off nearly as well had the final season not jumped ahead in time, as well, bracing us for such a jarring leap forward in the end. Anyone who believes that time travel is tricky to write and should be avoided at all costs needs to watch this episode and choke on their foolish words.
"Futurama" (Final Episode: September 4, 2013)
Speaking of time travel, for a show with a premise so heavily tied to it, you knew it would play a major factor in the last episode (unless "Futurama" is brought back from the dead ... again). Of course, we don't think anyone expected "Meanwhile" to go out on quite the high note it did. The series had slipped somewhat in quality after its shift from FOX to Comedy Central, but it would always manage to surprise you every now and then with not just a good episode, but a great one. You could definitely chalk the finale up to the latter, as we got to see Fry and Leela grow old together with the world completely frozen around them. Even though their "will they/won't they" relationship had been dragged out way too long over the years, the finale made up for all of that, even ending in such a way that it perfectly looped back into the pilot episode.
"Scrubs" (Final Episode: May 6, 2009)
We may have just inadvertently cracked the code for a great finale. It seems the key is to simply flash forward in time and show the main characters living happy lives. Sure, the ending of "My Finale" is actually more of a hypothetical future than an actual time jump, but it hits all the same feels. Overly sappy? Sure, but a show like "Scrubs" could have only ended in such a way. Plus, right before the final moments, a slew of old familiar faces from the series came back to say their goodbyes, and there's nothing that gives a finale more of a sense of closure than that.
Wait, what? They kept the show going for another season after this? Well, we're just going to consider that portion a spin-off (which it basically was). Besides, there's no way in hell we're rewriting this.
"Wilfred" (Final Episode: August 13, 2014)
The "Wilfred" finale was essentially a two-parter, with the first part "Resistance" dealing with the death of the beloved dog Wilfred, and "Happiness" handling what that death actually means for Ryan (Elijah Wood). We know a lot of people skipped over this show due to the premise of a man seeing a dog as a human sounding extremely confusing, but in the end it was all pretty simple. The magic of the show may have initially been its "Is this guy crazy?" premise, but by the end, all you really just wanted to know was if Wilfred had been a good or bad influence. The fact that he had (in stark contrast to the original UK series ending) is what made the final episode so rewarding. Sure, Ryan was in fact crazy, but it was in accepting that his condition had actually helped him become more well-adjusted that he was finally on his way to true happiness.
"The Life & Times of Tim" (Final Episode: February 17, 2012)
If hardly anyone watched "Wilfred," then by comparison, no one watched "The Life & Times of Tim." It's a damn shame, too, because not only was it one of the funniest shows on TV, but it ended in the most painfully hilarious way possible. There's a wrong way to send off your series with a main character being crushed to death (see our next entry) and there's also a completely fitting way. This final installment titled "Corporate Disaster" featured everything that made the show great. Tim, unlucky as ever, gets himself in way over his head, does what he thinks he's supposed to, and it all go completely haywire. Only this time, since it was the finale, he actually caught a break and was sent on a company-funded vacation to lay low. On his way out the door, however, the giant "O" from the building fell on top of him, leaving Tim screwed for eternity by the company that always treated him like dirt.
WORST SERIES FINALES
"Two and a Half Men" (Final Episode: February 19, 2015)
Now to shift to the really fun stuff: ripping on terrible finales. "Two and a Half Men" is the second most recent finale on this list, but it has already cemented itself as one of the worst of all time. Hey, Chuck Lorre, we get it, you and Charlie Sheen don't get along. We don't feel like that's even a remotely decent excuse to let your feud overshadow the show itself, though. Sadly, that's precisely what the series finale "Of Course He's Dead" did by having it end with Sheen's old character Charlie Harper (a body double, as he was already killed off four years prior) smashed to death by a piano as he made his seemingly triumphant return. Then Lorre topped it all off with a smug pan out to reveal him sitting there watching, tossing out a quick "Winning" before being smashed by a piano himself. Hooray, you clearly don't even give a f**k anymore. Now we can all go back to pretending this show doesn't exist, because at least now it finally doesn't.
"How I Met Your Mother" (Final Episode: March 31, 2014)
While we're on the subject of smacking longtime fans in the face, "How I Met Your Mother" did just that in its series finale "Last Forever" by having the mother that Ted had been yammering on about for far too long pass away. That's right, in the final episode of a show whose very title suggests its the story of a young man's journey to meet the woman of his dreams, she is casually blown off in the last minutes by even her own children in favor of Ted simply moving on from her death and getting together with his friend Robin. He promptly does so, it is predictably cheesy (blue French horn), and fans are left to ponder why they've spent the last nine years watching it. Roll credits.
"That '70s Show" (Final Episode: May 18, 2006)
The entirety of the eighth and final season of "That '70s Show" was pretty much a train wreck, having lost lead character Eric Foreman (Topher Grace) at the end of the previous season and Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) four episodes into this one. That said, you'd think having them both return in the series finale "Love of My Life" would have made up for that, especially when Eric and Donna seemed to get back together in the zero hour and Kelso was immediately back to his old shenanigans. But something about the whole thing felt very rushed, especially when you consider the time spent building to Eric coming home compared to the less than five minutes of actual screen time he's given at the very end. Plus, call us snobs if you must, but you shouldn't treat a finale like a clip show. Most of the second half of this last episode is just rehashed jokes and gags from the series, and if we wanted that, we could just rewatch the show. All this finale accomplishes is proving that the series should have ended a season earlier when it was still a show that we loved.
"My Name Is Earl" (Final Episode: May 14, 2009)
The series "My Name Is Earl" wound up becoming the "ALF" of its time. Not that the premises are at all alike, but both met similar fates by ending on frustrating cliffhangers. That's because between seasons, even though creator Greg Garcia had gotten the OK to do so, the show was cancelled and never given a season five to resolve not only who the father of Joy's children was, but to finish the overarching story of Earl's karma list. So in a strange twist, "Dodge's Dad" makes it on our list of worst comedy series finale episodes not because it was bad or unfunny (it's actually one of its funnier installments, with Norm Macdonald killing it once again as slimeball Little Chubby), but because we actually wanted more and will never get it. Yes, Garcia did divulge the details of how these questions may have been answered in his Reddit AMA, but not getting to see it play out in physical form is quite the disappointment indeed.
"Entourage" (Final Episode: September 11, 2011)
Remember what we said earlier about the key to all great endings being to leave your characters with happy futures? Well, thanks a lot, "Entourage," you really shot that theory in the foot. Of course, there are reasons why the overly sappy send-off didn't work here. Namely, much like "That '70s Show," the whole thing was incredibly rushed. Like, "Vince marries a woman who hated his guts one episode prior," rushed. "Entourage" was always a show on the cusp of being painfully tacky, but its last episode took that to the extreme, even forcing a post-credits sequence down our throats prepping us for a feature film that no one was asking for by this point. Not to mention the movie looks like complete trash and will hopefully bomb at the box office as much as this series finale did. But enough of our thoughts. What do you think are the best and worst comedy finales of the past 10 years? Let us know in the comments section below.