10 Most Bizarre TV Series Finales In History

5. Kenneth the Page is Immortal

Beckett Castle dies
NBC

In the hands of any other writers than Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, the final scene of 30 Rock's last episode would have been an indulgence too far. Far from being a disaster, it's a meta-gag that stays true to the show's absurdist streak.

The final episode is fairly standard sitcom fare, or as standard as a show like 30 Rock can manage. Liz Lemon becomes a mother to two adopted kids, Jack Donaghy finds himself again, and production on TGS comes to an end. It's in the final coda to the episode that things get wonderfully weird.

The new head of the network Kenneth Parcell is listening to a sitcom pitch from Ms. Lemon, based on the stories of her great grandmother. Giving the audience a knowing look, Kenneth commissions the show, and the camera zooms out to reveal flying cars in the background. We're far in the future and he hasn't aged a day!

It's a very silly joke, but a brilliant pay-off to one of 30 Rock's most enduring gags - what is going on with Kenneth? He's an immortal, an immortal who loves television!

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Contributor

Citizen of the Universe, Film Programmer, Writer, Podcaster, Doctor Who fan and a gentleman to boot. As passionate about Chinese social-realist epics as I am about dumb popcorn movies.