What Show Had The Best Series Finale Of All Time?

With “Game of Thrones” ready to come to a close, pissing off people seemingly by the minute, the question above appeared on my TL yesterday. It’s not a new question by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an interesting one. Series finales typically stink. Whether it be a show stretched out past its expiration date, a forced plot line, or cutting to a black screen causing the entire nation to wonder if their cable went out. It’s hard to end a show, but it’s been done before. “Breaking Bad” seems to have appeased most of its fans. I haven’t heard a ton of complaints about “The Wire” front to back – most of the (incorrect) gripes seem to fall with Season 2.

Responses to this tweet seem to claim “Newhart” fucking crushed its ending. “The Shield,” “Cheers,” and “M*A*S*H*,”all have appeared to pull off this feat. I know “Dynasty’s” ending was iconic but I’m not sure how people felt about it in real time or now. Mostly because I’ve never spoken out loud to anyone, anywhere, during any time about the television series “Dynasty.” But one show that absolutely CRUSHED its finale that doesn’t get enough credit is “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”

Granted, it’s not a scripted show. It’s a late night talk show with some sketch comedy intertwined. I very much get the difference between a written fantasy show like “Game of Thrones” or “Lost” being harder to end than a late-night daily talk show. But to me, that doesn’t make what he pulled off any less impressive. Especially given the circumstances in which he was forced out.

I’m a big fan of Conan. I’m a bigger fan of people telling other people to go fuck themselves. Conan spent his last week as host of “The Tonight Show” telling NBC to go fuck themselves in the most beautiful way possible. Between the hoards of all time guests he had come through for his final week to spending NBC’s money superfluously, it was a tour de force of fuck yous.

Ending with this speech going directly into “Free Bird” with Will Ferrell is the closest you can get to a Viking Funeral for a departing late night host.

Fucking nailed it. I’m sure Conan doesn’t remember this period of his life quite as fondly, but for me, this is easily my favorite series finale in tv history.

But, I understand I’m in the gross minority here. So other than “Breaking Bad,” what was actually the best series finale in television history?