Many people consider this to be the "golden age" of television. It is called that because there are more well-received TV shows currently airing than ever before. Scripted shows like Breaking Bad, Atlanta, Game of Thrones, and so many others have set a new standard for what we watch on the boob tube.
From weekly shows that we consume like the old days to the stuff we binge in one sitting on streaming services, there are tremendous series everywhere. One of the things that made a lot of these shows so successful was that they knew how to end a season with a bang. So here are the 10 best season finales of the decade.
Atlanta - "The Jacket"
One of the most creative and inventive shows of the decade is FX's Atlanta. The incredible Donald Glover created the show, stars in it, and often acts as director, writer, and more. The first season wrapped up with "The Jacket," which turned out to be one of the more subdued episodes on this list.
It focuses on Earn (Glover) as he searches for his lost bomber jacket. That doesn't seem like an interesting story on its own. But retracing his steps led to seeing someone wearing it get gunned down by the police. The adventure ended when he managed to retrieve a key from the jacket, which was to a storage locker. The revelation that Earn was living in this locker shed a light on all of his actions and was a gut punch to end the season.
Arrow - "Lian Yu"
Coincidentally, users on IMDb happen to rank this as the best overall episode in the history of the CW Network's Arrow. Season 4 is often cited as a low point for the series but Season 5 picked things back up. "Lian Yu" was that season's final episode and it brought the show full circle by taking things back to the island where it all began.
Oliver Queen teamed up with old rivals like Slade Wilson to do battle with one of his greatest foes, Adrian Chase. It was an intense war that led to one of the best cliffhangers of the decade. Oliver saved his son from Chase but it may have cost him dearly as the island holding all of his friends was blown up.
Chuck - "Chuck Versus The Subway/Chuck Versus The Ring: Part II"
For five seasons, Chuck was one of the most underappreciated gems on television. The NBC series blended spy action, nerd humor, and romantic drama better than almost anyone. The third season was supposed to end after 13 episodes only to get extended to 19 episodes. And the showrunners still managed to deliver a fantastic ending.
"Chuck Versus The Subway/Chuck Versus The Ring: Part II" was a two-parter that aired on the same night. It brought all aspects of Chuck's life together. We watched as his father was murdered in front of him, were captivated as his sister found out about his secret life, and cheered when he finally defeated his nemesis, Daniel Shaw.
The Office - "Finale"
The first of a few series finales that you'll find on this list goes to The Office. The show ran for 201 episodes spanning nine seasons on NBC. It went through plenty of changes, as well as highs and lows. And when it all ended, it was beautiful. "Finale" saw the characters react to the ending of the documentary that was being filmed the entire time.
This two-part episode wrapped things up perfectly. From Erin finding her birth mother to Angela marrying Dwight to the perfect return of Michael Scott with a classic, "That's what she said," it gave viewers everything they wanted. Not many shows with this history can stick the landing but The Office did.
The 100 - "Praimfaya"
At the end of season three, the folks of The 100 dispatched of the problematic Becca but faced a new problem. A second nuclear apocalypse was coming in the form of a "death wave" of fire. All of season four dealt with the coming doom and the finale, "Praimfaya" showed that our heroes couldn't stop it. Instead, they had to escape it.
Octavia and her group of survivors nestled in the bunker but the real struggle came from Bellamy, Raven, and their group trying to find a way back to the safety of space. To get there, Clarke risked her life to save them. She succeeded and everyone was supposed to meet back up in five years when it was safe. But the episode flashed forward to over six years in the future, showing that things didn't quite work out. It was the show's best cliffhanger.
Friday Night Lights - "Always"
Like Chuck, another NBC series that was underappreciated was Friday Night Lights. It struggled to consistently find an audience but was almost always among the best shows on television. The fifth and final season came to a close with an episode titled "Always."
As is the case with all great series finales, it did a spectacular job in giving viewers closure. East Dillon won a State Championship before closing for good, Julie and Matt had their happily ever after, and Coach Taylor followed his wife to a job out of state. It was all very touching.
Parks And Recreation - "One Last Ride"
A case could be made that the best NBC workplace comedy of the decade wasn't even The Office but Parks and Recreation instead. It had a more consistent high quality throughout its run, right up until the series finale, "One Last Ride." This hour managed to hit everyone right in the feels.
"One Last Ride" wrapped up the present-day storylines of each character. But whenever Leslie physically interacted with one of them, it flashed forward to how their future went. Each of these scenes was touching and perfect for the characters audiences had come to love over the years.
Sherlock - "The Reichenbach Fall"
BBC America's Sherlock helped launch both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman into superstardom. Each season is only three episodes but they play out like mystery films. None executed this better than season two's incredible "The Reichenbach Fall."
It pitted Sherlock Holmes against his greatest adversary, Jim Moriarty. The two geniuses competed in the ultimate battle of wits and it was riveting to watch unfold. The famous rooftop scene is one of the best of the decade. Moriarty has Sherlock beat and even shoots himself in the head to ensure that Sherlock would have to die to save his friends. And Sherlock does so, leaping off a building while saying an emotional goodbye to Watson.
Breaking Bad - "Face Off"
The series finale of Breaking Bad had a strong case for the list but season four's "Face Off" gets the slight nod. This episode was everything that made this series such a force in the world of television. For one, it wrapped up the Gustavo Fring arc with a bang as half of his face was literally blown off in his death, hence the episode title.
But it also set things in motion for the final season. The revelation that Walter poisoned young Brock to get Jesse on his side was a new low for the character. It culminated in him "breaking bad" and showed that he'd do anything to keep his power. This is simply one of the finest hours of television in history!
Game Of Thrones - "The Winds Of Winter"
Considering the backlash of the disappointing final season, it's difficult to mention Game of Thrones positively these days. But let's not forget that when the show was great, it was nearly untouchable. The season six finale, "The Winds of Winter" was peak Game of Thrones.
It opened with a moment fans have waited for as Arya killed Walder Frey to avenge the Red Wedding. Then you had the phenomenally laid out scene where Cersei destroyed the Sept with wildfire. It also confirmed the famous "R+L=J" theory of Jon Snow's true parentage. The unbelievable hour ended with Daenerys finally making her long-awaited trip to Westeros.