10 Greatest TV Series Finales Of All Time

This controversial open ending left fans of the troubled vampire perplexed at the time. Angel and what's left of the principle cast are backed into a corner. An apocalyptic group known as the Circle of the Black Thorne unleash hell on Los Angeles, sending a demonic army to finally cancel Angel Investigations once and for all. Knowing defeat is likely inevitable, Angel draws his sword and says, "Let's go to work."

Roll credits.

Angel's last words are fitting. For 5 seasons he has worked toward redemption. Once the world's most sadistic vampire, Angel's tortured soul heroics have been a struggle every step of the way. The same can be said for supporting characters such as Spike and Gunn, who also came from troubled backgrounds. The uphill battle to do good against insurmountable odds (the wealthy Wolfram and Hart were essentially unbeatable throughout the show) was the key theme of the Buffy spin-off.

Before their ambiguous farewell, we see the characters live out what are likely their last days on Earth. From Spike's unexpectedly well received poetry reading to Angel's poignant farewell to his son, the scenes are rich in character development and emotional pay offs. A sad but suitable ending for the series.