In your opinion, which endings to sci-fi shows and movies you rank as the best? And which you would rank as the most terrible?
Sci-Fi Endings: The Best and the Worst
- Thread starter Joe Washington
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Might as well say it now: ENT's ending is the worst of all time, and the worst that is possible under all known laws of physics.
But we shouldn't forget that VOY's sucked too.
So far, the best ending was Farscape's. DS9's was okay. X-Files had lost it so long before that a sucky ending was expected. BSG really should have stopped before "National Geographic" (those who know what I mean will know what I mean.)
Lost doesn't have too high a hurdle to clear to win the prize of Best Sci Fi Ending Ever.
But we shouldn't forget that VOY's sucked too.
So far, the best ending was Farscape's. DS9's was okay. X-Files had lost it so long before that a sucky ending was expected. BSG really should have stopped before "National Geographic" (those who know what I mean will know what I mean.)
Lost doesn't have too high a hurdle to clear to win the prize of Best Sci Fi Ending Ever.
Babylon 5's "Sleeping in Light" is by far the best ending for a show. And as Temis has already said, there's no beating Enterprise's "These Are the Voyages" for the worst.
As for the best ending for a film, I would have to go with 12 Monkeys. I love how everything comes together in the end, thus solidifying one of the best depictions of time travel I've ever seen.
I have a feeling a lot of people are going to mention A.I. Artificial Intelligence for the worst ending, but I'm partial to it. However, I'm having trouble thinking of even one because when I think "worst ending," I think the film must otherwise be enjoyable or else it would be just called a bad film. With that in mind, I can't think of any examples. The closet I come is Event Horizon but it's the entire final act of the film that I hated.
As for the best ending for a film, I would have to go with 12 Monkeys. I love how everything comes together in the end, thus solidifying one of the best depictions of time travel I've ever seen.
I have a feeling a lot of people are going to mention A.I. Artificial Intelligence for the worst ending, but I'm partial to it. However, I'm having trouble thinking of even one because when I think "worst ending," I think the film must otherwise be enjoyable or else it would be just called a bad film. With that in mind, I can't think of any examples. The closet I come is Event Horizon but it's the entire final act of the film that I hated.
Planet of the Apes ends with an iconic sequence. And, although the sequels are not as good, I'd say the endings of part two (Beneath the Planet of the Apes) and three (Escape from the Planet of the Apes) are just as good. I won't reveal them, in case people haven't seen these films (they should).
Best:
Avon facing the Federation alone in the last frame of "Blake's 7."
Also, Sam Tyler takes the leap in the original "Life on Mars." That was spectacular. I didn't think they'd have the guts to do it, but they did, and I was thrilled.
Worst:
"Enterprise." What a shame the writers of that final piece of crap didn't watch their own show. Never before have I actually wanted to put my foot through my television.
Avon facing the Federation alone in the last frame of "Blake's 7."
Also, Sam Tyler takes the leap in the original "Life on Mars." That was spectacular. I didn't think they'd have the guts to do it, but they did, and I was thrilled.
Worst:
"Enterprise." What a shame the writers of that final piece of crap didn't watch their own show. Never before have I actually wanted to put my foot through my television.
Darth Vador is Luke's dad... oh fuck!
The end of the movie Sunshine was really bad, the first half of the movie was fun.
Event Horizon is amazing! How dare you make fun of that movie!
BSG comes to mind right now for best ending, and I don't know exactly where you think it should have ended Temis, but I'm glad it went as far as it did. With so many shows either getting cancelled or giving us non-endings like Voyager did, it's about time a show gave us a real ending with some meat on it. I can't imagine why anyone would want less.
Yeah, yeah. Shush it.
I actually like Event Horizon, ending and all. Should I be ashamed?
My memory of the GALACTICA ending: I taped it to watch it later. It ran long so I didn't get the end. I watched it up to the planet, they settled and destroyed the fleet into the sun, and the last scene was a long line of crew slowly hiking off over the hill. Then my taped stopped so I assumed I didn't miss much more.
They repeat it a week later and I watch it again, then I get to this ending and it goes on for like another 10 MINUTES! I can't remember what it was but there was a bunch of crap in New York and MooreRon shoves his ugly face into a cameo, then I see a bunch of Asimos dancing or some dipsh*t stuff, then a montage of japanese robot product lines on the Times Square big screen.
The movie had a better ending when my tape had stopped 10 minutes earlier.
And I'm curious as to how many people also had this same experience. It ran long and the tape stopped, and it was okay. They watched the repeat and saw the real ending and UGH!!! Dancing Asimos!
The ending of "The Shield" sucked. Here's why:
In the episodes leading up to the finale there were multiple references to "The President" coming to the area. The cop on the run even used the police being diverted for traffic duty as a means to escape. Then Mackie had met foreign terrorists he had never met before and he didn't know what they wanted. And the FBI was involved in everything and the cops were going down for many crimes they had committed with no way out.
All the pieces were here for this ending: The foreign terrorists were there to kill the President. Vic Mackie and the FBI finds out. All the cops converge on the event, including the cop on the run. Mackie and the other cops either get killed as heroes, or save the President which results in the FBI HAVING to drop the charges to protect their public image. It could have been an adrenaline-rush thrill ride. Vic Mackie saving the President in a wild public shoot-out against organized foreign hitmen: Awesome!
Instead here's what actually happened: The President's arrival was nothing but a few throw-away lines that went ignored by the plot and forgotten. The foreign terrorists were forgettable and nothing happened. One cop killed himself after dragging his hiding on for three episodes. Then Mackie got a job in front of a computer and learned how bad Windows Vista was.
In the episodes leading up to the finale there were multiple references to "The President" coming to the area. The cop on the run even used the police being diverted for traffic duty as a means to escape. Then Mackie had met foreign terrorists he had never met before and he didn't know what they wanted. And the FBI was involved in everything and the cops were going down for many crimes they had committed with no way out.
All the pieces were here for this ending: The foreign terrorists were there to kill the President. Vic Mackie and the FBI finds out. All the cops converge on the event, including the cop on the run. Mackie and the other cops either get killed as heroes, or save the President which results in the FBI HAVING to drop the charges to protect their public image. It could have been an adrenaline-rush thrill ride. Vic Mackie saving the President in a wild public shoot-out against organized foreign hitmen: Awesome!
Instead here's what actually happened: The President's arrival was nothing but a few throw-away lines that went ignored by the plot and forgotten. The foreign terrorists were forgettable and nothing happened. One cop killed himself after dragging his hiding on for three episodes. Then Mackie got a job in front of a computer and learned how bad Windows Vista was.
I thought the endings of all the Star Wars movies were good. T2, Planet of the Apes, The Matrix, Dark City, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind are other movies that I like the endings of that come to mind.
Really enjoyed the end of DS9...I can't think of any other sci-fi show I've watched all the way to the end that I've really liked the ending of.
Adding my voice to the ending of ENT and VOY as poor. Knowing, Star Trek (2009), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008?) have all disappointed me with their endings.
Really enjoyed the end of DS9...I can't think of any other sci-fi show I've watched all the way to the end that I've really liked the ending of.
Adding my voice to the ending of ENT and VOY as poor. Knowing, Star Trek (2009), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008?) have all disappointed me with their endings.
Wrath of Khan had the bet ending of any Trek movie.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
ANGEL and BUFFY's endings were great yet sucked because they killed the best characters off. (Actually, they are fantasy not sci-fi, and I was never that into either show, but I was surprised they hadn't been mentioned yet.)
ENT and VOY's end sucked because they were forced. TRANSWARP HUB WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT...CHAKOTAY AND SEVEN? Riker's Enterprise holodeck program? What???
Deep Space Nine's got too whistful by the end, and Sisko's the one Trek captain in limbo as his show ended. Picard got to play poker, Kirk got his body back (literally), Janeway got back to Earth, Archer was about to thrill millions with another gazelle speech.
Worst Star Wars ending was a tie between Phantom Menace's lame-o celebration (Chief Toad and the light ball? WTF?) and ROTJ Special Edition's Yanni-esque music montage than made the original yub-yub song seem like Mozart.
I AM LEGEND's endings sucked...either one. "I STILL CAN'T FIX THIS!"
Road Warrior had a good ending. "We never saw Max again, the last words I remember were 'sugar tits'..."
ENT and VOY's end sucked because they were forced. TRANSWARP HUB WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT...CHAKOTAY AND SEVEN? Riker's Enterprise holodeck program? What???
Deep Space Nine's got too whistful by the end, and Sisko's the one Trek captain in limbo as his show ended. Picard got to play poker, Kirk got his body back (literally), Janeway got back to Earth, Archer was about to thrill millions with another gazelle speech.
Worst Star Wars ending was a tie between Phantom Menace's lame-o celebration (Chief Toad and the light ball? WTF?) and ROTJ Special Edition's Yanni-esque music montage than made the original yub-yub song seem like Mozart.
I AM LEGEND's endings sucked...either one. "I STILL CAN'T FIX THIS!"
Road Warrior had a good ending. "We never saw Max again, the last words I remember were 'sugar tits'..."
2001: A Space Odyssey is, well, one of the most mind-blowing endings to a sci-fi picture.
While we're on the subject of Kubrick, the ending to A.I.? That isn't really good. It's overlong and overdone, honestly.
I don't have a favourite ending to a sci-fi series (and if I did, it's probably "All Good Things"), so let's say I was actually pretty satisfied with Charlie Jade's ending.
"These Are the Voyages" has nothing on "Endgame", though. There, I said it.
While we're on the subject of Kubrick, the ending to A.I.? That isn't really good. It's overlong and overdone, honestly.
I don't have a favourite ending to a sci-fi series (and if I did, it's probably "All Good Things"), so let's say I was actually pretty satisfied with Charlie Jade's ending.
"These Are the Voyages" has nothing on "Endgame", though. There, I said it.
I won't either, but partly because I only dimly remember them. At this point my most vivid memory of the Planet of the Apes sequels is wanting to crawl into a pit and die, I didn't enjoy a single one.
First, Whettstone, The Sheild is not scifi. Second-some of us liked the BSG ending. I never had a problem with Voyager's ending-it was so-so, just like the series. Loved TNG and DS9. Enterprise was a cop-out for all of us that stuck thru the crap to get to the decent season(s). Farscape-worked out in the end. Life On Mars(US) was great except for the hairstyle on Gretchen Moll. That "took me out of it" and reduced it to "Meh" for me. SAAB kind of annoyed but it was an exciting ending. Now I'll leave myself in front of the crosshairs.
Best ending? A toss-up between B5 and Quantum Leap. Loved them both and both left me with unnoticed tears leaking from my eyes. A close runner up (also tied) would be Charlie Jade and Journeyman.
Worst? Jeremiah. In the ending, events were rushed and compressed that begged further elaboration. All because the people behind the scenes couldn't do their jobs. That's right-they failed at their jobs. I include J Michael in this. Their job, when the day was done, was to deliver the viewing experience to the consumers but they were so busy fighting amongst themselves they couldn't do that. So, worst ending.
As for movies-I'll say 12 Monkeys or 2001 are in the top, along with Alien/Aliens and Star Wars. As for worst-I have to narrow the field to major releases since 1966. And I choose a two-fer: Damnation Alley and I Am Legend, mainly because they are the same ending. A cop-out, trying to feel good, sucky ending it was, too.
ed.,-Honorable Mention for Best Ending-Wrath of Khan, Honorable Mention for Worst Ending-ST V, starting with the point where the opening credits finished.
Best ending? A toss-up between B5 and Quantum Leap. Loved them both and both left me with unnoticed tears leaking from my eyes. A close runner up (also tied) would be Charlie Jade and Journeyman.
Worst? Jeremiah. In the ending, events were rushed and compressed that begged further elaboration. All because the people behind the scenes couldn't do their jobs. That's right-they failed at their jobs. I include J Michael in this. Their job, when the day was done, was to deliver the viewing experience to the consumers but they were so busy fighting amongst themselves they couldn't do that. So, worst ending.
As for movies-I'll say 12 Monkeys or 2001 are in the top, along with Alien/Aliens and Star Wars. As for worst-I have to narrow the field to major releases since 1966. And I choose a two-fer: Damnation Alley and I Am Legend, mainly because they are the same ending. A cop-out, trying to feel good, sucky ending it was, too.
ed.,-Honorable Mention for Best Ending-Wrath of Khan, Honorable Mention for Worst Ending-ST V, starting with the point where the opening credits finished.
Best: Gattaca, The Search for Spock.
Worst: Battlestar Galactica.
Worst: Battlestar Galactica.
Maybe because Vic Mackey was never the Great American Hero, and the ending you imagine would be just the lamest, cheesiest, most dissonant from the show it's supposed to end, most horrible ending to a TV show ever?
Also, I'm not sure what makes The Shield Science Fiction.
Best ending to an SF movie: Twelve Monkeys, The Terminator, Threads, The Fly, Donnie Darko
Strangely, I can't think of any horrible endings to a SF movie I otherwise liked. I admit I don't remember the ending of AI: The Artificial Intelligence very well, but I suppose it's because the movie was rather forgettable.
Even stranger than that is that I've just realized I have trouble thinking of SF shows whose ending I found really great. There were things I loved and things I hated about both BSG and DS9 endings, so I'm putting them in the "mixed bag" category. The X-Files ending was very meh, but the mythology had been ruined 3 years earlier, and seasons 8 and 9 were an improvement over the dreadful season 7.
Strangely, I can't think of any horrible endings to a SF movie I otherwise liked. I admit I don't remember the ending of AI: The Artificial Intelligence very well, but I suppose it's because the movie was rather forgettable.
Even stranger than that is that I've just realized I have trouble thinking of SF shows whose ending I found really great. There were things I loved and things I hated about both BSG and DS9 endings, so I'm putting them in the "mixed bag" category. The X-Files ending was very meh, but the mythology had been ruined 3 years earlier, and seasons 8 and 9 were an improvement over the dreadful season 7.
Completely agreed. This is 'The Shield', not '24'. The current ending is entirely appropriate to both the style and themes of the show.
Speaking of tape stopping, when I was taping the finale of Battlestar Galactica, the tape stopped just after the Galactica jumped away from the Cylon base into the direction of Earth and before the scenes taking place on Earth. In the beginning, I was angry that I didn't have enough tape to cover the whole finale but after watching the part I wasn't able to tape, I would have felt better it had ended with the shot of Galactica heading towards Earth leaving it to our imagination what happens next like the Sopranos ending.
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