Anti-climactic finales?

[Octarine]

With the recent release of the finale of a certain film series, people are mentioning the term 'anti-climactic' again. (no I haven't seen it)

But this tends to be true of most series.

Finales are probably the most difficult thing to write. No matter how good, there is always someone who is disappointed. Perhaps authors should be like Terry Pratchett and continue writing until you cannot write anymore. Then again, that also reminds us of never ending soap-operas. Or series that deserved a finale but were cut short.

What are the best and worst examples of series finales? (series of at least 3)

 

[Viridian]

Me a few years ago:

"SNICKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!"

 

[Totenkindly]

Are we talking books, films, and/or TV, or just films?

For TV, I thought "Six Feet Under" had one of the best series finales I'd ever seen.
I had mixed feelings about the "Lost" finale, although the last five minutes was perfect.

 

[JocktheMotie]

BSG's finale was terrible. Harry Potter's finale was perfect. His Dark Material's finale was good.

 

[CrystalViolet]

I've just watched Buffy. I thought that ended well. Or it wrapped things up well.

 

[Totenkindly]

Bad:

- "Hannibal" (the last of the Tom Harris trilogy involving Lecter) was awful. It actually all came across as a big joke on Harris' part... he's a good enough writer to make the absurd somehow hold together on paper, but it was just a schlockfest... and the movie stupidly tried to mimic the book. It did not work on the screen, it just came off as C-rate cheese.

- "Return of the Jedi" was an average ending to a trilogy ("Star Wars") with a very promising beginning (one that has become a bedrock of American pop culture) and an exemplary middle.

- "Diehard 3 and 4" -- the series kept going downhill after the first one, which was solid if fluff.

- "Alien3 / Alien Resurrection" -- another spiral downwards for a series that had an opening that set the tone for horror movies for the next 20-30 years and a sequel that I've seen referred to as one of the most quintessential action pictures ever made.

- "Terminator 3" -- same thing, the total trashing of the two decent movies that preceded it.

- "Matrix Revolutions" -- an average movie that proceded another hallmark sci-fi opening (The Matrix) followed by a well-done action picture grounded in the Matrix mythology (Matrix Reloaded).

Good:

- Donaldson's "White Gold Wielder," the last book in the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Never made into movies, but the book made all mysteries clear, pulled everything together factually and emotionally and even nostalgically, and concluded with emotions that mirrored the tone of the trilogy.

- Mission Impossible: Aside from an over-the-top sequel, MI:3 definitely took things back up a notch.

- The Saw movies: The seventh and last pic wasn't the best of the series, and it is not for those with weak stomachs, but it did provide a suitable wrapup for what came before, in terms of a mysterious serial killer who actually did have a method to his madness... and who ironically is seen after movie #3 (I think) only in flashbacks.

BSG's finale was terrible. Harry Potter's finale was perfect. His Dark Material's finale was good.

I just watched all the movies this week. My favorites of the seven I've seen are movie #3 (prisoner of azkaban) and movie #7 (deathly hallows part 1). I actually anticipate a suitable wrapup for the series.

I haven't read the books yet.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

For TV, I thought "Six Feet Under" had one of the best series finales I'd ever seen.

Seconded. I can't imagine anything topping that. The last M*A*S*H and the last Newhart were pretty great too.