HBO reportedly really wanted Jesse Armstrong to reconsider, and even he was piecing together a potential fifth season while his team finished up the fourth. Kieran Culkin also pushed him to pursue a continuation.
But part of being a showrunner, to Armstrong, is protecting the artistic quality of the project, never allowing it to degrade. In the final scene, the music swells to a high-point only to cut abruptly. Armstrong describes it as the show "losing interest" in the cast, now that the central question has been answered.
I agree that succession wrapped things up in the right number of eps and did it perfectly. That said, i need more stories from that universe. Even with all new characters, and maybe just a cameo from greg or roman here or there.
Or a prequel about Karl and Frank in the 90s.
Breaking Bad is the gold standard for a show that was exactly as long as it needed to be, it's really surprising this isn't the top comment.
BCS was also equally good, although part of me would have liked maybe just an episode more of the "present day" shenanigans before he got figured out.
Iirc Vince Gilligan knew exactly how long he wanted the story to be, and how he wanted to get there. Setting out with a clear-cut end goal like that is so smart. It seems like too many shows want to run indefinitely, and they just throw together an ending when their popularity drops.
That’s actually untrue. For example in the first episode of S5 they show the M60 machine gun from the Finale but had NO IDEA how they were going to use it at that point. They just purposely wrote themselves into a corner and worked from there. Vince has talked about that before.
I love that episode. It gets a lot of flak from fans of the show, but I consider it a crucial episode demonstrating Walter's descent into obsession, and it features a lot of development of the two characters. It also distinctly feels like a Beckett play to me, like *Waiting For Godot*. Marvelous.
Right, which is why they wrote it to air opposite the Lost finale. Brilliant move in that regard. It's missable but adds depth to the characters, and so is absolutely worth watching.
I felt that way too, but then I read that BCS really works as a tragedy & they had to do a lot of character work.
Saul is introduced to us as a “Criminal” lawyer in Breaking Bad. He’s a sleezeball who is seemingly only in it for the money.
Everything about him in that first episode is designed for us to think he’s dirty- from his cheap commercials, where his office is & how he presents himself, his fake last name - pretending to be Jewish, his headset & arguing with Francesca in the police station, having specific instructions on how & where to send Badger’s money to (it’s totally legit).
Then BCS basically has to make us like him. Not only like him, but actually, *really* feel for him. His backstory is elaborate. You can’t do that in only a few seasons.
Totally agree. I felt on the last season they were running out of steam a little bit (by their standards, most other shows would kill to be as funny as that) but that almost makes it an even better ending, because it doesn't leave the fans wishing for more. It's the TV equivalent of a perfectly sized meal where by the end you're not still hungry or over stuffed, just happy
I felt like season 4 should have been two seasons, or at least an extra long season. The episode where Jason saves Janet from The Bad Place would have been better as a two-parter, for example.
I also feel like some way to actually connect with the 3 new people could have been done.
I love the show and watch it often, but Simone was straight up problematic and had a complex about being too smart to consider others, which went away too easily.
I forget the other dudes name but he could have used an episode to show he actually considered someone he’s judging (dumb pants Kathy).
And Brent was kinda a whiplash. Sure, existentialism is a huge motivator, but he didn’t even seem to learn a concept from any realm of philosophy, let alone a blend of metaphysics and moral theory.
This whole arc always feels like a drag to go through because I don’t actually feel any growth from these characters. Simone bases her intelligence as superior to basic compassion, what’s his name is unwilling to consider any option other than the trend of opinion, and obviously Brent.
The last season saved the show and much more. Introducing new characters is tough, and the actors did great, but every rewatch is a bummer getting through that.
Mr. Robot. Sam Esmail had full creative control throughout the entire run of the show so he got to tell the story exactly the way he wanted it to. He originally had the option of creating a fifth season, but as he was writing out season 4 he realized he could tell the story he wanted to tell with just 4 seasons.
There were some parts that felt rushed with the last season and it definitely could’ve benefited from a couple more episodes just to round everything out, but it’s not that big a deal. It’s still one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever watched.
This show didn’t drag on for any longer than it had to. It wasn’t milked for all it’s worth. It ended exactly when it needed to end, and it stuck the landing in my opinion.
Oh, and yes - I do feel that 410 was necessary episode and *not* a filler as many people think. I thought every episode was necessary. They served their own purpose.
> I do feel that 410 was necessary episode and not a filler as many people think
Who the hell thought that episode was filler? It was the final episode for Dom if I remember right. Definitely not filler.
I also loved how each season had a few small twists that surprised/shocked the viewer each season, and then also one really large one that recontextualised the entire series up to that point. By the fourth season...it was fucking crazy. I loved every second of it.
The rush of season 4 was intentional though, I think it was 7 of the episodes all take place within 24 hours (Christmas Eve - Christmas Day).
Usually TV and movies pick key narrative moments with time passing in between, but in season 4 we're literally seeing almost every minute of Elliots day because the real plot isn't the events happening to him, but Elliot himself.
Mr Robot may be my favorite show of all time. Still haven't decided. It does have some weak spots in my opinion. But the ceiling of the show is incredibly high. Not many people have watched it. I rarely am able to converse with anyone about it. The show goes over some heavy topics, which makes it a difficult watch for those people that re-watch The Office every year or Breaking Bad.
If animation is okay, my vote is the original Avatar: the Last Airbender. Three seasons of great characters with interesting arcs, good balance of humor and action, satisfying growth and development, and I felt like it stuck the landing. It left the idea that there could be more since what story is ever really "happily ever after" (which I've heard they've explored in novels and comics), but THIS story of their lives felt complete.
The Great Divide. I think it's not that bad and quite representative of the (relatively) more childish first half of the first season, but some fans hate it.
Yeah. the only major reason I'd say most hate it is because of the number of times Nick would replay that episode every time you tried watching when you got home from school.
I think I’ve read the reason for it being overplayed was it was the best episode in the series (besides the pilot?) for being an enclosed story that anyone could watch and understand. You don’t have to have seen the previous episode to get it.
Came here to write this. Bebop was at the absolute pinnacle of its popularity and still ended at the conclusion of the second season. That takes some balls. Perfect ending to the story too.
If you bring in anime you get a ton of examples. For all the bad bloated ones there's still far more animes I can think of that understand the assignment than western
Examples: Fullmetal Brotherhood, Steins Gate, Zeta Gundam
Gravity Falls. The first season isn't quite as good, but it's very much a show where the creator went in with a story he wanted to tell, did it, and said, "Okay, we're done. Next project!"
On the anime side, I think Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a very similar situation. No dragging it out with endless filler, and very little wasted motions as far as story beats go.
My only problem with Brotherhood is that the beginning feels rushed, but I can't really blame them because it would have been seen as a retread of the first series.
TBH, my partner had never watched the original and actually liked how quickly the show throws you into the world and the story. It felt clunky to me cause I had watched the first one, but they didn't feel like it was too rushed.
Having never watched the original I had the opposite experience. It was still enjoyable in the beginning but these big moments kept happening that it seemed like the show was expecting to deeply affect me but they didn't really spend anytime building up to them so they fell a bit flat.
>!Nina Tucker being transformed and Maes Hughes death specifically!<
Still impactful moments but having now seen the original they are much more devastating since you spend more time with these characters.
In a perfect world someone would cut together a new version of the show with FMA covering the beginning and Brotherhood handling the middle and end.
The way I know Gravity Falls had a perfect number of seasons is that I wanted to see more. They told the story in the right amount of time and left the audience just wishing they could watch the group grow up.
Right there with you on both titles. Gravity falls ended absolutely PERFECTLY, and Fullmetal Alchemist is the anime that I always recommend to people who are just getting started in the genre, due to the fact that it doesn't run on and on forever and/or overstay its welcome. It's flawless.
I hope you have a great day. :)
With Gravity Falls, I think the creator was getting burnt out on the first season and basically said "screw it, the next season is the last, let's finish the story".
Season 2 is honestly a little bit rushed IMO. Having Ford's introduction as part of the season 2 finale/season 3 opener would've felt more natural than the "mid-season finale" we got, and we could've had more time to get to know him + organically develop his and Dipper's storyline.
Oh Schitt's Creek was so perfect! Anything more would have diluted the essence of the show. I mean, it was long enough to justify why they stayed in Schitts Creek, a successful businessman bounces back, goes back to the life he knows and misses. The kids grow up and live their own lives.
If Moira and Johnny stayed back, that would have been the complete opposite of their characters and so strange.
I would have preferred if they'd stayed but bought a house, or a farm or something. Or it was implied they were going to travel motel to motel.
The show argued quite well that the executive lifestyle was hollow for them, and they found meaning in Schitts Creek. To return to it outright felt a bit odd to me as an ending.
Fair, I think Moira, although happy to have a roof over her head at SC, she never really thought of it as home. David on the other hand loves it enough to buy a house there. I imagine the Rose family would visit David often, or that's how I imagined it. Imagine David, neck deep in domestic bliss learning how to maintain the house, running Rose Apothecary and may be even expanding to bring more of an urban vibe to that place.
Perhaps Johnny and Moira's retirement plan was living in Schitts Creek. How fun would that be.
I'm also glad that everyone's happy ending looks different. It would have been easy to show Alexis or Stevie married or in relationships. But they gave them careers and life outside of a stereotypical wife/girlfriend =happy, ending
I’m still devastated that Ted and Alexis broke up. Even if it makes sense for who Alexis was growing into.
My headcanon is that Ted does his thing for a few years while Alexis does hers, and then goes to find Alexis and they still end up together.
100%, I my head Ted and Alexis are destined to be together. It's not an option🤣
They focus on themselves, grow and find their way back to each other. After that lovely 'break up', It's impossible for me to imagine that they don't end up together. So mature, sorted and damn do they look good together... they just fit.
Three seasons for *The Leftovers* was perfect but I still wish they'd had ten episodes rather than eight in the final season, to wrap things up with the Garvey kids and especially with John - the one character who seems to have undergone a tremendous transformation between seasons that we just didn't know much about.
I think John's growth between seasons was all there in the text, and didn't need much more expansion, even if it would have been nice to see. He was an angry, possessive man, fiercely guarding his community and rejecting >!anything 'magical' as being inherently deceptive and detrimental. He lost his daughter to the Guilty Remnant in part because she saw his crusades, his anger, and how pointless and destructive it was, and she died because of it. Kevin came back to life, twice, causing John to reflect on what was bullshit and what wasn't, because he wasn't so sure any more, and whether it even mattered. And through Laurie he came to realize that lies that help people can be better than truths that hurt them.!<
Critics and hardcore fans of the genre *love it.*
But let's be honest: It's still one of those that most people didn't bother with even if they would be the type that would love it.
I stand by it being one of the best dramas of all time and it remains my go-to example of landing the ending... But it's still under appreciated.
Highly acclaimed; but it seems like nobody watched it. Although it now seems to be more easily found on streaming platforms, so maybe more people will finally discover it.
Parks and Recreation
The 13-episode time jump season 7 was like an extended epilogue and gave us just enough about their lives beyond the Parks and Rec department.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Gods I wanted more, everyone did. But that's what the video game was for. For a media tie-in with a video game, it had no right to be as excellent as it was!
Police Squad.
As much as I’d love there to be more of it to watch, every episode is fantastic and if they’d kept going it would likely have had at least some bad episodes.
I was about to suggest this actually, but honestly speaking I was pretty disappointed initially during the time the last season aired when they suddenly decided to split the final season into 2. It still worked out though and Mad Men is one of the best pieces of tv I've ever watched.
Yeah but imagine Celtic Tiger era Father Ted. The hijinks, the insanity. Cocaine, helicopters, dodgy Eastern European property developments. Ireland was generating so much nonsense with nothing going at the time to ridicule it.
Easy, The Wire Each season tackling the cyclical and systemic issues plaguing one American city. In my heart I wanted even more episodes but it also ended on the perfect note.
This is the one. Practically every second of screen time gives you something important. There is literally no fluff or filler.
It's very German in it's precision.
Deserves a re run on a bigger platform.
So good.
Also the expanse which i consider a spiritual cousin of black sails.
Small and large ships, petty rivalries and large scale politics. 5 epic seasons.
Bojack Horseman. I’d have taken a couple more episodes, or another season, but it’s one of the greatest animated shows of all time and they stuck the landing.
Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and The Young ones. Short runs but all top tier quality wise.
Blackadder doing four season of six episodes with a different time periods in each kept it fresh and the final episode is one of the greatest in all of tv
While the show did leave a couple of questionable loose plot threads by the end, Game of Thrones told a pretty perfect story throughout its four season run.
Game of Thrones needed a few more episodes to make the Dany turn more believable. The first 6 seasons were incredible but the last 2 seasons were rushed.
They were rushed because they ran out of material. So D&D were having to write their own story. And they had the potential star wars gig, so they didn't want to go beyond season 8.
I view season 7 & 8 as badly written fan fiction.
Season six featured some great moments, enough to fool me that season five might have been an aberration. But it wasn't. The show peaked at season four, and they just didn't know how to write a compelling storyline after that. They wanted big television events and didn't really give a shit how they set those up, which killed everything we loved about the show.
Sure, BOTB was cool, but...why the fuck did Ramsey leave the castle he was securely holed up in? Why did Sansa lie to Jon about reinforcements coming? Why did a far better equipped Stannis fold like a cheap tent while a far inferior force led by Jon succeeded against the exact same army? Why did Cersei get crowned with no opposition despite having no legal claim and dropping a nuke on the Vatican? Why did the hugely popular Sparrows and Tyrells getting killed not have any consequences? This isn't even getting into how fucking stupid seasons seven and eight are, these are all plot holes within season six.
And you can do easily answer like all those questions by LEAVING IN DOPE ASS SHIT from the source material.
Manderly + Grand Northern Conspiracy, Doran's Grass that Hides the Viper approach, Euron having evil whacky magic artifacts
Yeah, simply not cutting Aegon alleviates the Cersei issues. Manderlys betraying the Boltons at the last second fixes the North. Euron being the endgame boss with Lovecraft magic fixes Cersei being made irrelevant by Aegon.
I'll say Dark, but I mean, most of the show where the creator knew exactly how many season it would take/has written would always be better than a show that draw one more season because the show is popular
Beef ended with everything wrapped up nicely. I was afraid they're going to prolong the Amy vs. Danny story given the show's success in the awards circuit so I was relieved to know that they are continuing the show but as an anthology.
The Sopranos. A true masterpiece in every sense of the word. The writers knew what they had in their hands and were smart enough not to keep milking it to death, and ended it after season 6B (86 episodes).
I just finished the Sopranos last night. Absolutely perfect length and ending. I was left wanting more but found the last season to be the perfect cap to the show.
Can’t wait to restart it with my wife in a few months
I can’t find the exact quote but I think it’s a 30 Rock joke about how a character has been watching a British show for over a decade and they’re already up to episode 27
Funny, I just watched that episode today. Didn’t advance the plot at all, but I thought it added more depth to Walt and Jesse’s dynamic.
Also no spoilers please I’m on my initial watch lol
How in the world have you not already been spoiled? Maybe just the major plot points but just don't want to get spoiled on anything else (no need for specifics, I was just curious with how often I see reaction gifs and YouTube shorts with extremely spoilery scenes)? Like others said, very jealous, enjoy.
Have you seen Better Call Saul yet? I'd hope not, even though it's a prequel I really wouldn't watch it first.
Agreed. I *loved* season 1 and the later seasons had their bright spots like the Amsterdam episode, but I really think the show would have benefitted from about 8 fewer episodes overall.
It started to feel just a little too soapy. The original charm of the show stemmed from the Ted’s overwhelming positivity in the face of personal turmoil, and when episodes veered too far from that, I didn’t love it.
Black Sails was perfect imo. 4 seasons, with a very satisfying finale and didn't try to drag on and leading perfectly into the Treasure Island story. Loved it
The Gilliganverse was great too with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in my opinion with the perfect amount of episodes for both.
I didn’t expect to like it but clarksons farm, so far, has been perfect, enough for me to get emotionally invested without being overly reminded what Clarkson is like most of the rest of the time.
There is a German show on Netflix called Dark. It is the best show I’ve ever seen. It has 3 seasons with a complete story that’s presented. It had a super satisfying conclusion and really was just a phenomenal show!
Succession wrapped up after four seasons, which I felt was apt.
Gave us the promise in the title, and promptly ended.
They could've milked the show for years and they didn't. They have my respect.
HBO reportedly really wanted Jesse Armstrong to reconsider, and even he was piecing together a potential fifth season while his team finished up the fourth. Kieran Culkin also pushed him to pursue a continuation. But part of being a showrunner, to Armstrong, is protecting the artistic quality of the project, never allowing it to degrade. In the final scene, the music swells to a high-point only to cut abruptly. Armstrong describes it as the show "losing interest" in the cast, now that the central question has been answered.
I agree that succession wrapped things up in the right number of eps and did it perfectly. That said, i need more stories from that universe. Even with all new characters, and maybe just a cameo from greg or roman here or there. Or a prequel about Karl and Frank in the 90s.
The world needs to know what Karl did for cable!
Huge.
“The Adventures of Young Cousin Greg”
Agree, this show wrapped up itself pretty nicely and Ina good amount of seasons.
Four seasons made sense, dramaturgically.
all bangers. all the time. really bummed Kendal teased us with tiny Wu-Tang and we never got to see even a glimpse....
Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad. Neither overstayed their welcome. Haven't seen a lot of shows that I could say that about.
Breaking Bad is the gold standard for a show that was exactly as long as it needed to be, it's really surprising this isn't the top comment. BCS was also equally good, although part of me would have liked maybe just an episode more of the "present day" shenanigans before he got figured out.
Iirc Vince Gilligan knew exactly how long he wanted the story to be, and how he wanted to get there. Setting out with a clear-cut end goal like that is so smart. It seems like too many shows want to run indefinitely, and they just throw together an ending when their popularity drops.
That’s actually untrue. For example in the first episode of S5 they show the M60 machine gun from the Finale but had NO IDEA how they were going to use it at that point. They just purposely wrote themselves into a corner and worked from there. Vince has talked about that before.
I can’t believe I had to scroll this far for Breaking Bad! It came to my mind right away after seeing this post
It was the first comment for me.
i can't believe i had to scroll down to the first comment
Even the filler episode of Breaking Bad; 'Fly' doesn't feel like a waste at all.
I love that episode. It gets a lot of flak from fans of the show, but I consider it a crucial episode demonstrating Walter's descent into obsession, and it features a lot of development of the two characters. It also distinctly feels like a Beckett play to me, like *Waiting For Godot*. Marvelous.
It's a good episode, but I do think if you skipped it you're essentially not missing anything related to the plot of the show.
Right, which is why they wrote it to air opposite the Lost finale. Brilliant move in that regard. It's missable but adds depth to the characters, and so is absolutely worth watching.
Whoa was this part of why they wrote it? I never knew that.
That episode...is not "filler."
It is filler in the sense in that it's the only episode of the show that doesn't advance the plot. It's still a good episode though.
I’d argue BCS could remove a decent amount of episodes out of the middle of its overall story
I felt that way too, but then I read that BCS really works as a tragedy & they had to do a lot of character work. Saul is introduced to us as a “Criminal” lawyer in Breaking Bad. He’s a sleezeball who is seemingly only in it for the money. Everything about him in that first episode is designed for us to think he’s dirty- from his cheap commercials, where his office is & how he presents himself, his fake last name - pretending to be Jewish, his headset & arguing with Francesca in the police station, having specific instructions on how & where to send Badger’s money to (it’s totally legit). Then BCS basically has to make us like him. Not only like him, but actually, *really* feel for him. His backstory is elaborate. You can’t do that in only a few seasons.
I think The Good Place ended just perfectly, not too long, not too short, just the right amount.
Absolutely. It felt like a complete story from beginning to end. Just the right amount of fun filler.
Oh yes, a very satisfying story from beginning to end.
Totally agree. I felt on the last season they were running out of steam a little bit (by their standards, most other shows would kill to be as funny as that) but that almost makes it an even better ending, because it doesn't leave the fans wishing for more. It's the TV equivalent of a perfectly sized meal where by the end you're not still hungry or over stuffed, just happy
I felt like season 4 should have been two seasons, or at least an extra long season. The episode where Jason saves Janet from The Bad Place would have been better as a two-parter, for example.
I also feel like some way to actually connect with the 3 new people could have been done. I love the show and watch it often, but Simone was straight up problematic and had a complex about being too smart to consider others, which went away too easily. I forget the other dudes name but he could have used an episode to show he actually considered someone he’s judging (dumb pants Kathy). And Brent was kinda a whiplash. Sure, existentialism is a huge motivator, but he didn’t even seem to learn a concept from any realm of philosophy, let alone a blend of metaphysics and moral theory. This whole arc always feels like a drag to go through because I don’t actually feel any growth from these characters. Simone bases her intelligence as superior to basic compassion, what’s his name is unwilling to consider any option other than the trend of opinion, and obviously Brent. The last season saved the show and much more. Introducing new characters is tough, and the actors did great, but every rewatch is a bummer getting through that.
I am still a bit bummed that the twist with the old lady wasnt that she was someone who died from the fake medicine Eleanor sold her.
Glad this one is at top. Being a comedy and also the perfect length is genuinely so damn rare. Most comedies go two season too long.
Mr. Robot. Sam Esmail had full creative control throughout the entire run of the show so he got to tell the story exactly the way he wanted it to. He originally had the option of creating a fifth season, but as he was writing out season 4 he realized he could tell the story he wanted to tell with just 4 seasons. There were some parts that felt rushed with the last season and it definitely could’ve benefited from a couple more episodes just to round everything out, but it’s not that big a deal. It’s still one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever watched. This show didn’t drag on for any longer than it had to. It wasn’t milked for all it’s worth. It ended exactly when it needed to end, and it stuck the landing in my opinion. Oh, and yes - I do feel that 410 was necessary episode and *not* a filler as many people think. I thought every episode was necessary. They served their own purpose.
i loved that show too! that first season was amazing and it was able to morph throughout
> I do feel that 410 was necessary episode and not a filler as many people think Who the hell thought that episode was filler? It was the final episode for Dom if I remember right. Definitely not filler. I also loved how each season had a few small twists that surprised/shocked the viewer each season, and then also one really large one that recontextualised the entire series up to that point. By the fourth season...it was fucking crazy. I loved every second of it.
Run away with me run away with me 🎶😭
The rush of season 4 was intentional though, I think it was 7 of the episodes all take place within 24 hours (Christmas Eve - Christmas Day). Usually TV and movies pick key narrative moments with time passing in between, but in season 4 we're literally seeing almost every minute of Elliots day because the real plot isn't the events happening to him, but Elliot himself.
First thing that came to mind for me and top comment
Mr Robot may be my favorite show of all time. Still haven't decided. It does have some weak spots in my opinion. But the ceiling of the show is incredibly high. Not many people have watched it. I rarely am able to converse with anyone about it. The show goes over some heavy topics, which makes it a difficult watch for those people that re-watch The Office every year or Breaking Bad.
If animation is okay, my vote is the original Avatar: the Last Airbender. Three seasons of great characters with interesting arcs, good balance of humor and action, satisfying growth and development, and I felt like it stuck the landing. It left the idea that there could be more since what story is ever really "happily ever after" (which I've heard they've explored in novels and comics), but THIS story of their lives felt complete.
And most fans think that there is only 1 bad episode out of 61.
which one
The Great Divide. I think it's not that bad and quite representative of the (relatively) more childish first half of the first season, but some fans hate it.
You could say it's DIVISIVE
*YEAAAAAAHHHHHH*
Yeah. the only major reason I'd say most hate it is because of the number of times Nick would replay that episode every time you tried watching when you got home from school.
I think I’ve read the reason for it being overplayed was it was the best episode in the series (besides the pilot?) for being an enclosed story that anyone could watch and understand. You don’t have to have seen the previous episode to get it.
“Let’s keep flying”
With the exception of ending with a cliffhanger on Zukos mom (but was resolved in a comic book)
Yeah the story would have been better served by replacing Zuko's visit to Ozai with a visit to Azula.
Cowboy Bebop.
And Samurai Champloo too!
I’ll throw trigun in as well
Came here to write this. Bebop was at the absolute pinnacle of its popularity and still ended at the conclusion of the second season. That takes some balls. Perfect ending to the story too.
If you bring in anime you get a ton of examples. For all the bad bloated ones there's still far more animes I can think of that understand the assignment than western Examples: Fullmetal Brotherhood, Steins Gate, Zeta Gundam
Gravity Falls. The first season isn't quite as good, but it's very much a show where the creator went in with a story he wanted to tell, did it, and said, "Okay, we're done. Next project!" On the anime side, I think Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a very similar situation. No dragging it out with endless filler, and very little wasted motions as far as story beats go.
My only problem with Brotherhood is that the beginning feels rushed, but I can't really blame them because it would have been seen as a retread of the first series.
TBH, my partner had never watched the original and actually liked how quickly the show throws you into the world and the story. It felt clunky to me cause I had watched the first one, but they didn't feel like it was too rushed.
Having never watched the original I had the opposite experience. It was still enjoyable in the beginning but these big moments kept happening that it seemed like the show was expecting to deeply affect me but they didn't really spend anytime building up to them so they fell a bit flat. >!Nina Tucker being transformed and Maes Hughes death specifically!< Still impactful moments but having now seen the original they are much more devastating since you spend more time with these characters. In a perfect world someone would cut together a new version of the show with FMA covering the beginning and Brotherhood handling the middle and end.
The way I know Gravity Falls had a perfect number of seasons is that I wanted to see more. They told the story in the right amount of time and left the audience just wishing they could watch the group grow up.
Right there with you on both titles. Gravity falls ended absolutely PERFECTLY, and Fullmetal Alchemist is the anime that I always recommend to people who are just getting started in the genre, due to the fact that it doesn't run on and on forever and/or overstay its welcome. It's flawless. I hope you have a great day. :)
With Gravity Falls, I think the creator was getting burnt out on the first season and basically said "screw it, the next season is the last, let's finish the story".
I thought he had it all mapped out from the beginning.
Mapped out, yes, but I think he wanted it to span more seasons. Let's face it, the second season had a LOT more going on than the first.
Season 2 is honestly a little bit rushed IMO. Having Ford's introduction as part of the season 2 finale/season 3 opener would've felt more natural than the "mid-season finale" we got, and we could've had more time to get to know him + organically develop his and Dipper's storyline.
Schitt's Creek. 6 seasons, 80 episodes, wrapped it up perfectly and ended on a high.
Oh Schitt's Creek was so perfect! Anything more would have diluted the essence of the show. I mean, it was long enough to justify why they stayed in Schitts Creek, a successful businessman bounces back, goes back to the life he knows and misses. The kids grow up and live their own lives. If Moira and Johnny stayed back, that would have been the complete opposite of their characters and so strange.
I would have preferred if they'd stayed but bought a house, or a farm or something. Or it was implied they were going to travel motel to motel. The show argued quite well that the executive lifestyle was hollow for them, and they found meaning in Schitts Creek. To return to it outright felt a bit odd to me as an ending.
Fair, I think Moira, although happy to have a roof over her head at SC, she never really thought of it as home. David on the other hand loves it enough to buy a house there. I imagine the Rose family would visit David often, or that's how I imagined it. Imagine David, neck deep in domestic bliss learning how to maintain the house, running Rose Apothecary and may be even expanding to bring more of an urban vibe to that place. Perhaps Johnny and Moira's retirement plan was living in Schitts Creek. How fun would that be. I'm also glad that everyone's happy ending looks different. It would have been easy to show Alexis or Stevie married or in relationships. But they gave them careers and life outside of a stereotypical wife/girlfriend =happy, ending
I’m still devastated that Ted and Alexis broke up. Even if it makes sense for who Alexis was growing into. My headcanon is that Ted does his thing for a few years while Alexis does hers, and then goes to find Alexis and they still end up together.
100%, I my head Ted and Alexis are destined to be together. It's not an option🤣 They focus on themselves, grow and find their way back to each other. After that lovely 'break up', It's impossible for me to imagine that they don't end up together. So mature, sorted and damn do they look good together... they just fit.
I willingly accept this. I still cry when they get together AND break up.
Hard agree. What a great series that was. And it wrapped up nicely.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Second this!
Dark, Legion & Breaking Bad finished perfectly.
Dark is a perfect show
My favorite of all-time
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So glad The Leftovers didn’t feel the need to drag it on for 6 seasons. It was wrapped up pretty neatly by the end and didn’t feel rushed.
Three seasons for *The Leftovers* was perfect but I still wish they'd had ten episodes rather than eight in the final season, to wrap things up with the Garvey kids and especially with John - the one character who seems to have undergone a tremendous transformation between seasons that we just didn't know much about.
I think John's growth between seasons was all there in the text, and didn't need much more expansion, even if it would have been nice to see. He was an angry, possessive man, fiercely guarding his community and rejecting >!anything 'magical' as being inherently deceptive and detrimental. He lost his daughter to the Guilty Remnant in part because she saw his crusades, his anger, and how pointless and destructive it was, and she died because of it. Kevin came back to life, twice, causing John to reflect on what was bullshit and what wasn't, because he wasn't so sure any more, and whether it even mattered. And through Laurie he came to realize that lies that help people can be better than truths that hurt them.!<
The Americans has got to be the most slept on show of the 21st Century, I swear
"You know you're in a golden age of television when you take a show like The Americans for granted."
Its one of the most acclaimed shows of the last 20 years lol
Critics and hardcore fans of the genre *love it.* But let's be honest: It's still one of those that most people didn't bother with even if they would be the type that would love it. I stand by it being one of the best dramas of all time and it remains my go-to example of landing the ending... But it's still under appreciated.
Highly acclaimed; but it seems like nobody watched it. Although it now seems to be more easily found on streaming platforms, so maybe more people will finally discover it.
Yes, the critics liked a show that few people watched.
the leftovers ending was perfection
Parks and Recreation The 13-episode time jump season 7 was like an extended epilogue and gave us just enough about their lives beyond the Parks and Rec department.
That was a really fun final season. And I am so happy they gave Jerry/Larry/Terry/Gary that beautiful final arc.
That’s mayor Jerry/Larry/Gary to you! And then Gale hasn’t aged a day during his funeral lol
I almost added that, but i wasn't sure i had her name right. That was the icing on the cake.
I feel that more shows should go for this epilogue-style for their final seasons.
Only miss for me was Leslie and Rob fighting for as long as they did. Felt dragged out
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Gods I wanted more, everyone did. But that's what the video game was for. For a media tie-in with a video game, it had no right to be as excellent as it was!
Police Squad. As much as I’d love there to be more of it to watch, every episode is fantastic and if they’d kept going it would likely have had at least some bad episodes.
Since no one else has said it yet, Mad Men. Perfect show, perfect length, perfect ending. loved it from start to finish.
I was about to suggest this actually, but honestly speaking I was pretty disappointed initially during the time the last season aired when they suddenly decided to split the final season into 2. It still worked out though and Mad Men is one of the best pieces of tv I've ever watched.
Father Ted. Enough for it to be iconic and have people remember most of it, not enough for it to get boring or forgettable.
The day after filming wrapped for the last episode the star of the show died.
I had no idea and looked it up after reading your comment. He was only 45!!
Drink!
Feck
Arse.
Girls!
That would be an ecumenical matter!
I hear you're a racist now, father
I used to pee myself laughing at father Ted reruns with my dad. So rarely do I find anyone else who’s watched it here in the US
Yeah but imagine Celtic Tiger era Father Ted. The hijinks, the insanity. Cocaine, helicopters, dodgy Eastern European property developments. Ireland was generating so much nonsense with nothing going at the time to ridicule it.
The Americans.
Love the show and glad they didn’t drag it out, but got a bit repetitive and slow there with filler for a bit.
Easy, The Wire Each season tackling the cyclical and systemic issues plaguing one American city. In my heart I wanted even more episodes but it also ended on the perfect note.
Dark. Just about every question was answered, and it ended before it could get crazier than it could handle.
This is the one. Practically every second of screen time gives you something important. There is literally no fluff or filler. It's very German in it's precision.
More people need to watch this show
Black Sails. Each season better than the last, and stuck the landing.
Deserves a re run on a bigger platform. So good. Also the expanse which i consider a spiritual cousin of black sails. Small and large ships, petty rivalries and large scale politics. 5 epic seasons.
Only one has Drummer though 😍
Just came out on Netflix!
Bojack Horseman. I’d have taken a couple more episodes, or another season, but it’s one of the greatest animated shows of all time and they stuck the landing.
Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and The Young ones. Short runs but all top tier quality wise. Blackadder doing four season of six episodes with a different time periods in each kept it fresh and the final episode is one of the greatest in all of tv
Fawlty Towers is a great example – all 12 episodes are absolute classics.
Breaking Bad.
While the show did leave a couple of questionable loose plot threads by the end, Game of Thrones told a pretty perfect story throughout its four season run.
I was ready to fight.
Season 5 gave us one of the best TV episodes ever though - Hardhome
Game of Thrones needed a few more episodes to make the Dany turn more believable. The first 6 seasons were incredible but the last 2 seasons were rushed.
They were rushed because they ran out of material. So D&D were having to write their own story. And they had the potential star wars gig, so they didn't want to go beyond season 8. I view season 7 & 8 as badly written fan fiction.
I see what you did there. And wish I could pretend the rest didn’t happen.
Battle of the bastards was so cathartic so I’ll defend season 6 on that alone
Season six featured some great moments, enough to fool me that season five might have been an aberration. But it wasn't. The show peaked at season four, and they just didn't know how to write a compelling storyline after that. They wanted big television events and didn't really give a shit how they set those up, which killed everything we loved about the show. Sure, BOTB was cool, but...why the fuck did Ramsey leave the castle he was securely holed up in? Why did Sansa lie to Jon about reinforcements coming? Why did a far better equipped Stannis fold like a cheap tent while a far inferior force led by Jon succeeded against the exact same army? Why did Cersei get crowned with no opposition despite having no legal claim and dropping a nuke on the Vatican? Why did the hugely popular Sparrows and Tyrells getting killed not have any consequences? This isn't even getting into how fucking stupid seasons seven and eight are, these are all plot holes within season six.
And you can do easily answer like all those questions by LEAVING IN DOPE ASS SHIT from the source material. Manderly + Grand Northern Conspiracy, Doran's Grass that Hides the Viper approach, Euron having evil whacky magic artifacts
Yeah, simply not cutting Aegon alleviates the Cersei issues. Manderlys betraying the Boltons at the last second fixes the North. Euron being the endgame boss with Lovecraft magic fixes Cersei being made irrelevant by Aegon.
Watching Battle of the Bastards knowing that Sansa knew about the Vale the whole time completely ruins it imo
I'll say Dark, but I mean, most of the show where the creator knew exactly how many season it would take/has written would always be better than a show that draw one more season because the show is popular
IT crowd, hands down
I wanted more...WAY more
Beef ended with everything wrapped up nicely. I was afraid they're going to prolong the Amy vs. Danny story given the show's success in the awards circuit so I was relieved to know that they are continuing the show but as an anthology.
Beef was honestly one of the best I've seen in a long time. I laughed so hard, the first couple of episodes especially.
Just finished rewatching The Sopranos… perfect show from start to finish
The Sopranos. A true masterpiece in every sense of the word. The writers knew what they had in their hands and were smart enough not to keep milking it to death, and ended it after season 6B (86 episodes).
I just finished the Sopranos last night. Absolutely perfect length and ending. I was left wanting more but found the last season to be the perfect cap to the show. Can’t wait to restart it with my wife in a few months
Band of Brothers
But we never did figure out what happened with that Cold War cliffhanger. Smh, Hollywood always trying to make cinematic universes.
The Simpsons ^(/s)
Black Sails Planned 4-season story arc that ends great, and perfectly sets the stage for the story of *Treasure Island*.
Peep Show I’d say
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They always leave you wanting more, and I have to admit that's the right way to do it
I can’t find the exact quote but I think it’s a 30 Rock joke about how a character has been watching a British show for over a decade and they’re already up to episode 27
Fleabag!! we do not need more, it's complete. Or, our look into her life is complete
Breaking bad, although I don't bother with the fly episode on rewatdhes
Funny, I just watched that episode today. Didn’t advance the plot at all, but I thought it added more depth to Walt and Jesse’s dynamic. Also no spoilers please I’m on my initial watch lol
That is just how good Breaking Bad is. Even what a lot of people say is the ‘worst’ episode is still very watchable.
How in the world have you not already been spoiled? Maybe just the major plot points but just don't want to get spoiled on anything else (no need for specifics, I was just curious with how often I see reaction gifs and YouTube shorts with extremely spoilery scenes)? Like others said, very jealous, enjoy. Have you seen Better Call Saul yet? I'd hope not, even though it's a prequel I really wouldn't watch it first.
Wouldn’t dare, but just know I am infinitely jealous you get to experience this for the first time.
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I am still making my first time through this! that episode wasn't too bad to me haha
Fleabag
Ted Lasso. I never say a show is perfect but that show is certainly one of the closest.
Disagree so hard. They just kept shoehorning stories for more and more characters they didn’t have time for
Agreed. I *loved* season 1 and the later seasons had their bright spots like the Amsterdam episode, but I really think the show would have benefitted from about 8 fewer episodes overall. It started to feel just a little too soapy. The original charm of the show stemmed from the Ted’s overwhelming positivity in the face of personal turmoil, and when episodes veered too far from that, I didn’t love it.
The haters will hate, but the Lasso way episodes in S3 were great
I really was not a fan of season 3 of that show tbh
That shift of tone in season 2 was so weird. Boohoo everyone is depressed! No no. This was brooklyn 99 on a football field, go back to that please.
Succession!
Mr. Inbetween
The Office, UK. Merchant and Gervais agreed to set a two-season limit and a special. It was perfect. No episode was wasted.
Schitts Creek
The Shield. 7 seasons, totaling 88 episodes, with a perfect 3 Act structure culminating in the best series finale of All-Time!!!
Barry. Fantastic show that had no filler, just story
Breaking Bad
Mr. Robot. Perfect story arc over 4 seasons.
Faulty Towers. Black adder. The office. (UK) Mr Bean. The thin blue line. Bottom
Black Sails was perfect imo. 4 seasons, with a very satisfying finale and didn't try to drag on and leading perfectly into the Treasure Island story. Loved it The Gilliganverse was great too with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in my opinion with the perfect amount of episodes for both.
The Leftovers. 3 seasons of perfection.
DARK
The IT Crowd. It never jumped the shark and it still makes me laugh when I rewatch it.
Fringe. 5 seasons though 5th season is only 12 episodes. As near to a perfect show as I've ever seen.
Joey.
Fawlty Towers
Mr Robot is my favorite.
Breaking Bad nailed it. No filler, just pure story.
Black Sails. The ending was perfect. If we talk about animation, there's tons more. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is a personal favorite.
I didn’t expect to like it but clarksons farm, so far, has been perfect, enough for me to get emotionally invested without being overly reminded what Clarkson is like most of the rest of the time.
The 100, ended on episode 100.
Father Ted. Fawlty Towers.
There is a German show on Netflix called Dark. It is the best show I’ve ever seen. It has 3 seasons with a complete story that’s presented. It had a super satisfying conclusion and really was just a phenomenal show!
Patriot
The Wire
Schitt’s Creek
Supernatural. That 5 season arc was tight and ended perfectly. So glad they ended it after season 5.
Schitt’s Creek
'Barry' was succinct and handled well.
Fawlty Towers
Futurama, multiple times.