this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's the delta again homie...

These are the finalies that over performed series average by the largest magnitude.

A show that was 9.0 season average and a perfect 10/10 for the finales would have a delta of 1.0

Well below the 1.4 delta number 35 has on this list, despite having a "perfect" finale.

Like. #2 is a 9.1 and #35 is 9.3

So #35 is a better final than #2 on your list of best finalies.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You're right that this isn't a "Best TV Show Finale" list. Most like "Shows That Ended With A Bang!". The Middle looks like a very consistent show that ends with a big uptick. That 70's show had declining quality until the finale brought it back up to what looks like it's best rated episode. This is still an interesting list. I think an inverse list would also be very interesting to look at: ie. Which TV shows bombed their finale? (Will GOT be #1?)

Another question I had was... wtf happened with Golden Girls season 2 finale?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is still an interesting list. I think an inverse list would also be very interesting to look at: ie. Which TV shows bombed their finale? (Will GOT be #1?)

OP posted it the other day, made the same mistake but I think they updated the title. Should be easy to find if you look at their post history.

Still good data, and interesting stuff, just bad titles

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Found it, thanks! https://sopuli.xyz/post/16369988

That's just a sad list actually. Scrubs might have been on the other list if they had called season 9 a spinoff.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

There was also a crosspost on this community, [email protected], with a lot more comments

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I’ve watched all eight seasons of Scrubs several times. I just give season 9 the Godfather part III treatment.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh man, same here. I identify with JD too much. Never seen season 9 a second time although I kinda want to like it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Same. We’d either get along really well or annoy each other in four minutes.

Ba ba bwaaaanu

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For anyone wondering, low outlier in the Adventure Time data was season 6, episode 37, Water Park Prank, which was created and directed by series guest animator David “swatpaz” Ferguson and featured significant design differences from the usual series episodes.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4657994/?ref_=ttep_ep37

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, it was... interesting. There was also that episode where they turned into birds that had a different animation style, or was that the same one? Cannot remember. Recently rewatched the entire show, it still is awesome.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

There were several guest animated episodes including the one you mentioned which is called "the food chain*

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

They didn't even mention BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Millennials have no sense of tradition.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Angel is there, which is weird because I remember the finale being kinda stupid

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Oregon trail generation got prime SMG, and we're apparently millennials now

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

So what episode of the Golden Girls did everyone hate?

Edit: I googled it and it was because it was a crappy spin off pilot

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Seems unfair to have Bleach when you consider TYBW was from a different studio and isn't finished yet.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Which TNG episode is that really poorly rated one roughly 30% into the run?

EDIT: From the looks of the graph, it's the season 2 finale. And when reading up on that episode, it's a clip show hacked together to save on money, due to earlier episodes having gone over budget.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_Gray_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)

"Shades of Gray" is widely reviled as the worst-ever Next Gen episode, with good reason. This isn't an episode that makes anyone look good, and I don't just mean Pulaski, Troi or LaForge – I mean the writers, director and producers of the series. Even Marina Sirtis and Diana Muldaur seem to be trying too hard to make the paper-thin storyline work, over-emoting and making absurd faces. The only person who deserves any kudos is Jonathan Frakes, who somehow manages to keep Riker his usual charming self."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Breaking Bad was great from beginning to end. This is a list of finales that over-performed the rest of the episodes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah... I question the efficacy of the methodology. A show that had nothing but perfect 10 episodes during its entire run wouldn't make this list. But a real data-driven way to assess this escapes me... It's the kind of question that would do better by survey, because elements a single number doesn't capture, like how memorable the episode was and how it impacted the series as a whole which the episode ranking does not capture are absolutely relevant to what makes a good finale. I guess the fairest data-driven way to measure a good finale would be to capture the general ranking of the series as a whole before the finale, and then after it, and the biggest shift would indicate the finale with the strongest impact, but this is still not a perfect estimate for "best".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ah Six Feet Under, what a beautiful finale that was, and back when everyone watched it as it was broadcast. Good memories.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I have never seen a better, more fitting, and poignant finale. It was just so beautiful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Haha, the Picard show season 1 and 2 were so terrible. And 3 was only good because a ton of fan service.

The Good Place had a high rated finale? That surprises me. I liked the series but the last season especially towards the end was quite meh. They manoeuvred themselves into a corner that was difficult to get a satisfying end out of and I don't think they succeeded. But seems like I am alone with that opinion.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I agree with your assessment of Picard, but haha yeah you're alone in that opinion of the Good Place. I recently rewatched/binged the whole series again and I found the overall story arc held together well, with a clear vision throughout. My criticism of it would be against the points where they tried to be too slapstick or absurdist because HuMouR plus some minor filler that could have been trimmed. The ending, though, was a natural culmination of the themes they talked about, and I thought it was poignant and beautiful and suited the rest of the content. It wasn't perfect but whenever the subject of finales or series endings come up the Good Place is held up as an example of how it's done.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I'm bawling every time at the end of both seasons 3 and 4. Season 1 finale turned the whole thing on its head. Season 2 might be "the worst", but only because there has to be one. It was still a perfectly fine end to a season that set up the next season really well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Hmm, I gave up on Picard after S02. Do you think the uptick in S03 is because they legitimately improved things, or because the only ones left watching didn’t know any better?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

There was a 4 hour youtube video that just recent dropped about Picard lol. Basically though, s3 is still complete trash, it's just that s1 and 2 were sooooooo bad that 3 looks like a masterpiece in comparison

And the fan service was awful, it was just 'hey remember these things?' With literally no reason or impact to the story. One episode is just a pointless romp through memory lane when they visit a museum or something.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I felt like the end of The Good Place was absolutely splendid, so I guess maybe it just wasn't for you?