# How would you have ended a TV series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601 "2016-08-31T21:12:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/41 "2016-09-02T21:42:02Z")
The end of Enterprise should not have been a holodeck retelling featuring Riker and Troi, it takes away from the series by trying to pad ratings with people from a more popular show, just like when they had the Ferengi in an episode and the Borg. The premise was supposed to be the founding of the Federation, so show that. Not just have a last episode or two devoted to it, but the last season should have been about some galactic calamity, war, fighting, and then the principle players realizing the need for a united organization and working towards that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/42 "2016-09-02T23:02:23Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > The end of Enterprise should not have been a holodeck retelling featuring Riker and Troi, it takes away from the series by trying to pad ratings with people from a more popular show, just like when they had the Ferengi in an episode and the Borg. The premise was supposed to be the founding of the Federation, so show that. Not just have a last episode or two devoted to it, but the last season should have been about some galactic calamity, war, fighting, and then the principle players realizing the need for a united organization and working towards that. Amen, Brother! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/43 "2016-09-03T01:59:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The whole last season or so of _Galactica_ was pretty bad, but you could salvage a lot just by changing about five minutes of the last episode. Just make it clear that it really was time travel. I know that’s not what they intended, but they managed to do a heck of a lot of setup for that even if it wasn’t intended, and it’s the only explanation that makes any sense, given that they conclusively proved that both the other planet with modern tech was our Earth, and the planet they end up on is also our Earth. Oh, and if you’re going this route (or even if you’re not), make it so that the only ship (and people) who make it to this planet are the badly-damaged Galactica and those onboard-- No sending a raptor back to fetch the rest of the fleet. > > And I never saw the end of _Star Trek: Voyager_, but I assume that they end up making it back home somehow, and I assume that once they do, Janeway is not court-martialed. She should be: The whole reason they got lost in the Delta Quadrant to begin with was because Janeway was so adamantly insistent that they absolutely must violate the Prime Directive. The ending of Voyager at least featured what was expected, although like many finales everything happened at once. Plus the whole concept of Voyager is basically that the crew is inferior to the TNG crew, because the TNG crew got trapped in the Delta Quadrant way back in season 2 and got back home by the end of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/44 "2016-09-03T02:20:49Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **Battlestar Galactica [reboot]** - The mysticism throughout the entire show was just dumb, the ending doubly so. Science fiction derives it’s strength from all the immense possibilities of just the observable universe. It’s like ending the Sharpe TV Series with Richard getting into a Panzer. Because I don’t believe in reboots, I have no idea how that one did end. In any event, I would let events unfold the way they did for the audience that did watch the series. BUT, at the last moment, I would add a scene where Dirk Benedict comes crashing through the scenery (think the “_Doin’ the French Mistake_” scenario from _Blazing Saddles_), followed by REAL Cylons, the shiny toaster kind. He defeats them all in a blaster shootout that happens to leave the entire cast of the reboot dead. He fires up his communicator device, and reports: “Apollo? Starbuck here. Let Commander Adama know that the last of the Cylons have been destroyed. There’s been some collateral damage, but it wasn’t very many people. I’m sure the rest of _their_ civilization will be fine, unlike ours. \ Huh? Just a centon, I think I hear something.” Starbuck lifts a collapsed wall and out crawls the chimp in the robot dog suit. Starbuck keys his communicator again. “Apollo? Good news! I’ve recovered another survivor from the Galactica.” “It’s gonna be all right, boy. Everything’s gonna be fine.” FIN ---
**Author:** ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/45 "2016-09-04T02:41:55Z")
**CSI** They all go to a Who concert and the last song is “Who Are You”. **Cougar Town** They all go to a Bruce Springsteen concert and Courteney Cox gets up on the stage during “Dancing In The Dark”. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/46 "2016-09-05T01:55:10Z")
Galactica 1980 should have ended with operatives of FLAG discovering the remains of some cylons and taking them back to their scientists for reverse engineering. “Boy I bet this stuff would really be a boost to the Knight Industries Two Thousand project” one of the scientists could say. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/47 "2016-09-05T03:22:48Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Galactica 1980 should have ended with operatives of FLAG discovering the remains of some cylons and taking them back to their scientists for reverse engineering. “Boy I bet this stuff would really be a boost to the Knight Industries Two Thousand project” one of the scientists could say. “We’ve finally figured out how to make a red light move back-and-forth on the front of something. This is a real game changer!” ---
**Author:** ![Lorne\_Armstrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@Lorne\_Armstrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorne_Armstrong)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/48 "2016-09-05T08:59:04Z")
Hogan’s Heroes - Colonel Klink finally discovers what the POWs are up to and has them all hanged with piano wire. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/49 "2016-09-05T09:43:11Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **Battlestar Galactica [reboot]** - The mysticism throughout the entire show was just dumb, the ending doubly so. Science fiction derives it’s strength from all the immense possibilities of just the observable universe. It’s like ending the Sharpe TV Series with Richard getting into a Panzer. Ignoring the mysticism in BSG would be as pointless as ignoring the mysticism in Star Wars. Like SW, BSG was never science fiction - it was fantasy with SF hardware. The show made that clear form the very start. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/50 "2016-09-05T10:28:57Z")
Blackadder was a comedy series that went through periods of English history with Rowan Atkinson playing various descendants of the Blackadder family. However the final scene had a remarkable change of atmosphere (it was set in WW1.) I remember watching it with a load of my school pupils. They were laughing out loud at the puns and slapstick. But in the last moments the room fell completely silent. Truly memorable. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/51 "2016-09-05T11:51:23Z")
> [@Lorne\_Armstrong](#): > > Hogan’s Heroes - Colonel Klink finally discovers what the POWs are up to and has them all hanged with piano wire. But just before they are hanged, a high ranking nazi stops at the camp and insists on piano music before dinner. Hilarity ensues. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/52 "2016-09-05T12:40:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > it was fantasy with SF hardware. The show made that clear form the very start. How so? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/53 "2016-09-05T13:05:52Z")
The prophetic visions were a hint. As was the near-complete lack of science. ---
**Author:** ![Vicsage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e68b1a/32.png) [@Vicsage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicsage)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/54 "2016-09-05T13:15:42Z")
Always thought the name “Hogan"s Heroes” was wrong. My heroes don’t get captured. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/55 "2016-09-05T13:59:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > As was the near-complete lack of science. That did not deter many science fiction programs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/56 "2016-09-05T14:11:17Z")
Breaking Bad: Instead of sliding the gun to Walt and saying “do it yourself”, Jessie pulls the trigger and shoots Walt dead. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/57 "2016-09-05T14:14:44Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That did not deter many science fiction programs. 🙂 Other SF has \*bad \*science; BSG was different in that it had no science at all. How did the ships’ engines work? What was the technology behind the Cylons’ artificial intelligence? What was the principle behind FTL travel? Who knows? There has never, ever been a space show with less technobabble, with fewer plots resolved by reversing the polarity or ejecting the warp core. It’s one reason I loved it so much. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/58 "2016-09-05T14:31:41Z")
We actually knew a fair bit about those things. The jumps, for instance, could in principle be arbitrarily long distances, but required extensive calculations, and precision suffered the further you jumped. The calculations could be done by hand, but were usually done by computer. The calculations depended at least in part on local astrometric parameters at both your starting point and your destination, and so jumps within familiar space were easier and safer than jumps beyond that region. Entering random parameters would still jump you, but it was incredibly risky, because you didn’t know where you’d end up. Smaller vessels like the raptors could still have jump drives, but they were less precise than those on larger ships, and so were only practical for relatively short jumps. For a craft the size of a viper, meanwhile, it was either impossible or impractical to mount a jump drive. The Cylons had better jump tech, and so could make longer, more precise jumps with smaller equipment, and the humans were able to at least partially reverse-engineer that tech to improve their own drives. That’s a lot more about the practical operations of the FTL drives than we ever got from Star Trek. Or at least, a lot more than what we consistently got: The Trek creators tried to set rules like that, but were terrible about following them. The fact that they threw around terms like “warp bubble” doesn’t really make up for that. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/59 "2016-09-07T00:44:59Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > “We’ve finally figured out how to make a red light move back-and-forth on the front of something. This is a real game changer!” “Almost as good as that sentient cpu. To think, we were about to farm that work out to Cyberdyne!” ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601/60 "2016-09-07T01:31:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > We actually knew a fair bit about those things. The jumps, for instance, could in principle be arbitrarily long distances, but required extensive calculations, and precision suffered the further you jumped. The calculations could be done by hand, but were usually done by computer. The calculations depended at least in part on local astrometric parameters at both your starting point and your destination, and so jumps within familiar space were easier and safer than jumps beyond that region. Entering random parameters would still jump you, but it was incredibly risky, because you didn’t know where you’d end up. Smaller vessels like the raptors could still have jump drives, but they were less precise than those on larger ships, and so were only practical for relatively short jumps. For a craft the size of a viper, meanwhile, it was either impossible or impractical to mount a jump drive. The Cylons had better jump tech, and so could make longer, more precise jumps with smaller equipment, and the humans were able to at least partially reverse-engineer that tech to improve their own drives. > > That’s a lot more about the practical operations of the FTL drives than we ever got from Star Trek. Or at least, a lot more than what we consistently got: The Trek creators tried to set rules like that, but were terrible about following them. The fact that they threw around terms like “warp bubble” doesn’t really make up for that. None of that has anything to do with how FTL travel is supposed to actually happen. This is just how it’s dressed, to provide for plot complications and general atmosphere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-ended-a-tv-series/764601.md?page=4)