What makes a good season finale

by Hodge Dauler ‘24

What goes into a finale, whether it be one season or the whole show? Should it have tragedy and loss, like in Grey’s Anatomy, or surprise and disaster, like in 9-1-1, or even mystery, like in Blacklist? What exactly makes a good season finale?

While the aspects of a season or tv show finale represent only a small portion of the show as a whole, a finale can be the difference between you watching the next season or finding a new show. There are also many aspects of a finale, such as “tying loose ends,” introducing a new character or plot, that you expect from it. 

One part of a finale is the “tying of loose ends.” This is when an earlier problem is solved, and it results in suspense and action that either closes off the show or propels it into the next season. In solving an earlier problem or mystery, the viewer is entertained, and their desire for the answer is fulfilled, making them want more. One show that does this extremely well is Blacklist, a tv show about an international criminal working with the FBI, as every season sets up many problems and mysteries that are solved in the finale in a spectacular way. These loose ends aren’t the only part of the finale though, as characters have to be considered too.

This character part of the finale includes the introduction, as well as the demise, of a character. Not surprisingly, though, this is all to advance the plot into the next season, with the death or introduction of the character in the lead. This gives the show ample time to introduce the character or get over their death more in the coming episodes. For example, Grey’s Anatomy in almost every season finale either “kills off” or introduces a character, and with it being one of the longest running network tv shows, it obviously works. Now that we’ve gone through both “loose ends” and characters in the finale, what about the plot?

The introduction of a new plot point in the finale allows it to be continued into the next season, where it can be elaborated on. An example of this is any good tv show you look at, just like Blacklist or Grey’s Anatomy, as the reason that they are considered “good” is a result of their plot, which is advanced every season finale, adding to the action or suspense that draws the viewer in. Tv, though, isn’t that important, right?

While, yes, tv is not the most important thing in everyday life, in the moment of watching it, the show, as well as the finale, seem like the most important things ever. The reason is that when you go looking for entertainment, you want to feel fulfilled, and that is what tv and a good finale bring you, while a bad finale deprives you of that. There are a lot of shows with bad season finales  such as, according to ScreenRant, Jane the Virgin, The 100, and Reign(Wyse). While these shows may seem completely different, they actually have two things in common, the likability and the season finale. Even if all of these shows were awesome in the beginning, like the award winning show; Jane the Virgin, they deteriorated in the end all because of a finale, just showing how important it is.

The question of what makes a good tv show or season finale may not have a unified answer, but there are many aspects that people can agree on, such as characters and plot. Tv may also not seem like the most important thing right now, but it is still a routine that a lot of people find comfort in, a routine that requires entertainment, which comes from a good finale, as without it there is no entertainment and therefore comfort. That means that the answer to what makes a good finale is open for interpretation from you, the audience member, but I still ask you, what makes a good finale?

Work Cited

Wyse, Alex. “The Most Hated Series Finales Of All Time.” ScreenRant, ScreenRant, 23 Dec. 2020, screenrant.com/series-finales-worst-all-time/. Accessed Mar. 2, 2021.