TV Tuesday: Saying Goodbye

[yourlibrarian]

While some TV shows end up in a clear, happy way, this isn't always the case. Would you rather a TV series end in a ambiguous way or one which guts you?

Comments

[executrix]

I'm a Blakes7 fan. It is not an ambiguous ending.

[yourlibrarian]

It can also be the reason some people watch, I'd think. A show that has a really fitting ending, regardless of what it is, can make for a resonant view.

[yourlibrarian]

Not that a gut wrenching ending stops fans from rewriting the ending, but it seems to me that an ambiguous ending is more open ended and subject to continuation? But a gut wrenching ending may actually keep the show alive for fans longer because it makes such an impression?

I think to me it may make more of a difference how well the ending fits the show itself.

[goodbyebird]

I don't mind an ambiguous ending if that's what the creators intended. Cancelled on a cliffhanger however...

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah, that is definitely worse in my book.

[olivermoss]

This. If it has an ending, that's awesome

[mxcatmoon]

Definitely ambiguous. It helps keep the fannish momentum going as it leaves the door open for imagining what might happen next. Tragic endings might spur a lot of fix-its, but there's always that pall hanging over everything. But then, I'm a happy-ending lover, so they are also very welcome.

[yourlibrarian]

I would agree with you about the pall -- plus given this is an era of things coming back for extra seasons or movies, that sort of ending makes it more difficult.

[impala_chick]

I prefer ambiguous endings. That leaves more room for my imagination to continue playing with my blorbos. A great ambiguous ending to me shows the main characters reaching the conclusion of their arc/story but there are still other plot points open and not everyone is happy. Right now I'm only thinking of movies (instead of TV shows) with ambiguous endings - I think they work great for horror films. Like 10 Cloverfield Lane or the Conjuring Universe.

Endings that gut me make me think of cliffhangers or situations where there's no emotional payoff whatsoever for my favorite characters. For example, I'm still salty about the Roswell New Mexico ending :( I got the sense the writers were trying to leave it open-ended, but with the main characters separated in a very emotional way, it felt more like a devastating ending.

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah, it's like the Merlin ending. On the one hand there's the idea that Arthur will return. On the other the coda they used was terrible.

[impala_chick]

Oh you're so right. They tried to give an ambiguous ending but then the coda made it devastating instead.

[saddlerfan]

I like it when things are happy but also still open so that people can make up their own continuation. (Maybe this is the fic writer in me talking. No, not maybe. DEFINITELY.)

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, it's probably most satisfying when everything isn't tied off completely.

[wendelah1]

Neither one? I won't watch shows if I know they end badly. Life is short.

[yourlibrarian]

Or don't get a true ending!

[rogueslayer452]

It honestly depends on the story being told. I don't mind either if it makes sense for what the narrative was going for. I just want a satisfactory ending, be it ambiguous or one that completely destroys me, the latter which can be quite cathartic when done well.

With that being said, I'm very much a fan of ambiguous endings for stories. Shows, movies, books, I like there being not really a happy or even a conclusive ending or an answer to everything but something that is open for interpretation, for the audience to use their imaginations of what happens afterwards or come up with their own conclusions. Personally, I find that more fun, and it definitely gets the creative juices going.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I agree about how satisfying it is for that show. Feeling like the wrong ending is pasted on would likely satisfy very few.

[feurioo]

If I feel fannish about a show, I definitely prefer an ambiguous ending (= better fanfic material). Other than that, it always depends on the story that's being told. An ending that guts me can also be satisfying from a narrative standpoint (= it was always supposed to end like this and couldn't have ended differently).

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, an ending that ends up being misleading in contrast to the rest of the narrative is just frustrating.

[dickinsons]

In this day and age when TV shows get cancelled so often, I'm satisfied with a show that has an ending, period. I think any tone can work for an ending as long as it fits the show, but I'll admit I like it when there's some space for thinking what happens next. So maybe some characters survive, or the leads are done with their adventures but they have kids, etc.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, a cliffhanger where every character's future is in doubt or there's no resolution to where everything has been leading is not ideal to many.

[dickinsons]

I remember watching Kyle XY and the last episode just... ended with a big twist and that was that. Very, very confusing.

Details on the ending, spoilers for Kyle XY

If I remember correctly, the main character was chasing the villain and when he caught him the guy went "Wait, don't kill me! I'm your brother!" THE END.

So I'd rather have a resolution, good or bad, than something bizarre like this lol.

[yourlibrarian]

Wow, yes. I remember trying out a few episodes but I didn't stick with it. However I am with you 100% on the WTF of that.

[goldentunes]

To echo what's already been said, I enjoy both open/ambiguous endings as well as gut-wrenching endings that completely destroy me. As long as the ending is well written, I will enjoy and appreciate it.

What I cannot deal with is yes, shows being cancelled on a cliffhanger, or shows completely losing it halfway or towards the end as they drag on and on. Nowadays I try to avoid shows with too many seasons or movies with never-ending sequels. Though if I'm being honest, badly written endings can also be fun because of the immediate boom of fix-it fics.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes! That's something that annoys me too, a zombie show that should have had an ending but just keeps getting dragged on because enough people are still watching that it's not worth replacing.

[goldentunes]

Exactly!!! I’m not a fan of the “let’s milk this cash cow forever since we can” mentality, and am not in the camp that goes “who cares? This is my favourite show I’m happy it’s going to go on forever and ever”.

There is beauty in endings, be they happy, ambiguous, or sad, and the number of shows/franchises I have dropped halfway despite them starting off amazing just makes me go 😔

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah there are definitely shows where you think "I wish this had stopped here."

[lauramcewan]

I'd rather have a gut-wrenching, but clear, end, than ending on a cliffhanger of any kind and announcing the show is not renewed.

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah, when storytelling runs into capitalism. 😒

[goldentunes]

Oh hahaha I was trying to avoid mentioning capitalism but this exactly sums it up. Storytelling is meant to be an art! Argh!!

[tablesaw]

Finales that try for gut-wrenching often feel come off trite to me, so I usually prefer the ambiguous.

[yourlibrarian]

There can certainly be overuse of some things ::nods::

[queer_scribbling]

I think it depends on what seems like a clear or ambiguous ending for the show and whether a season finale was forced to be a series finale.

[yourlibrarian]

True -- quite a few shows these days do end things in a way that could be a series finale, but that's not the same as what would be a planned ending.

[executrix]

It's aspirational but not irrational for showrunners to hope that if they get canceled on one network, they'll be picked up on another. Although sometimes the shows, like Post-Mortem Buffy, Come Back Wrong.

[tinny]

I'm very much for happy endings.

People like to fix bad stuff, but the thing that really stuck in my mind is the season ending for E.R. called "one more for the road", which was all happy for everyone, and it definitely kept me more invested and more creative than any unhappy ending ever could have.

Since I now only have the choice between bad and open, I'll definitely go with open.

But if I have free choice: happy ending all the way.