9. The X-Files
The X-Files was, for the majority of its run, a great show that completely revelled in the mystery of extra-terrestrial activity, even if it totally went on too long, as evidenced by a finale that felt less like a bang and more like a whimper. The truth is out there…but we’re not going to find out anything about it because, of course, the show’s producers wanted to leave things open for the inevitable film – that’s films - that abounded. It was clear that the writers didn’t really know how to give fans a departure point – and didn’t really seem to want to, either – which is somewhat troubling given that fans had been expecting a mind-blowing solution to the show’s complex web of conspiracies.
So crummy had the show got that by Season 8 and 9, even David Duchovny was only an intermittent cast member, and it’s clear from his appearances that his heart really wasn’t in it. In the end, Mulder (Duchovny) ends up being put on trial for murder, so Skully (Gillian Anderson) has to help break him out. The mysterious Smoking Man is done away with in relatively lame fashion – being blown up by Black helicopters – and the show ends with an esoteric quote from Mulder that has the pretence of being thoughtful but is clearly a load of muddled twaddle:
“The dead are not lost to us. That they speak to us as part of something greater than us—greater than any alien force. And if you and I are powerless now, I want to believe that if we listen to what’s speaking, it can give us the power to save ourselves”.
Murder goes on to say, “Maybe there’s hope”, and that’s it. Dire.
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11 Comments
To have left off M*A*S*H, whose finale I personally think was the absolute worst ever, seems indicative of something I’ve noticed here as well as on other entertainment sites. Specifically, most entertainment writers seem to have forgotten there was an industry prior to 1980 or, worse, they feel there is no need to clutter up their prose with something approaching historical data or context. These days most top ten lists are clearly geared to the under 40 crowd which might be great for advertising demographics but seriously undercuts credibility. If you want to be ‘culture lite’ as a business model, that’s certainly your right. But how does that differentiate you from the broader marketplace?
Shows before 1980 often didn’t have recurring plot lines or a specific linear structure. They were often episodes that stood alone and never ended the arc of character development solidly. Shows like The Brady Bunch and All in the Family and I Love Lucy and Happy Days were shows built on stand-alone episodes.
The shows on this list have arcs, thusly, they are infuriating when they aren’t superior to the rest of the show.
Again someone that didn’t understand the lost finale… The finale isn’t the afterlive scene. It’s the final shot of Jack closing his eyes while the plane pass. The afterlive scene is just what it is. Afterlive. It’s like a season 7 of Lost, where after they are all dead ( and we ALL are going to die eventually) meet again and go to the next stage.
Twin Peaks :(
Enterprise.
The whole finale was just a holodeck simulation that took place during a TNG episode. A much loved character dies, the Federation is finally kick-started & all this is seen thru the eyes of 2 TNG characters who had a VERY tenuous link to even being there in the 1st place….
Not a nice way to say goodbye to a faithful cast, the ONLY trek cast that remained unchanged throughout the complete series run! How`s THAT for a golden handshake!
Married with Children, cause it got cancelled and thus never got a 12th series, it never had a proper ending
Though, I know I completely understand that I shouldn’t have had my expectations so high or above sea level at all, Smallville’s finale was terrible.
Yet another person who doesn’t understand the end of Lost. Do a bit of research or watch the show again before you criticize it!
Research what? The way the show meandered, piling on “mystery” after “mystery,” while the creators promised they had a plan before admitting they were making it up as they went along? The way the main bad guy’s motivation turned out to be mommy issues? The way the creators promised the Island was not purgatory…before effectively ending the show in purgatory in a “flash sideways” or -forward, or some other technical dodge?
Re: Lost
They were, in fact, NOT dead the whole time. I don’t recall where they said there would be no afterlife whatsoever, they just said that they were not dead the entire time in response to fans who thought everyone died on the initial crash in the Pilot episode.
If you have a link or a quote where they said there’d be no afterlife, I’d like to see it.
Stargate SG-1, sadly.