Crafting a solid, well-rounded TV show is no small feat. Especially one that drags on for ten seasons and 200 episodes. Sooner or later, the writers are going to run out of ideas and the show is going to spiral away into irrelevancy.
But if a show has particularly talented writers, it may pull off the rarely seen feat - being consistently good across the board. Not many shows get better with age, and even fewer have a final season that is often considered its strongest. It just goes to show the unbelievable talent on display.
These are ten TV shows whose final season was its best.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-08)
Avatar was smart - it got in, it told its tightly-plotted and well thought out story, and it got out. That is, before Legend of Korra came in - with amazingly divisive results. Either way, Avatar is exceptional in that its Peabody-winning third season was by far its best. It has a few filler episodes, but even those are good. It contains amazing character development and spectacle, not to mention one of the strongest finales in TV history.
The Shield (2002-08)
The Shield is an oft-forgotten cop drama that ran on FX throughout the 2000s. It's also one of the exceptionally rare shows that gets better as it goes. Each season is better than the last (except maybe the divisive season 4), and it all culminates in the thrilling and heartbreaking seventh season. Character and story arcs are wrapped up in tragic fashion, and it contains what is arguably the greatest finale in cable television history.
Breaking Bad (2008-13)
Breaking Bad is widely regarded as one of the best shows ever, and opinion remains divided regarding its greatest season. Many would argue that the show peaked in season four. But there's no denying that 5 was also an exceptional piece of entertainment. 5A was a little slow and meandering, but 5B brought it all home in amazing fashion and more than made up for its predecessor's mistakes. The fact that Ozymandias still has a 10/10 rating on IMDb after 118,000 votes says it all.
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Breaking Bad seemingly followed in The Sopranos' footsteps. Like Breaking Bad, the final season is split into two halves.
Like Breaking Bad, the first half isn't nearly as well regarded as its second. And like Breaking Bad, the stellar second half more than makes up for its predecessor's flaws. Season 6B of The Sopranos is some of the greatest, saddest, and most philosophical television ever aired.
The Americans (2013-18)
The Americans is another FX drama that remains criminally underappreciated and under-watched. For some bizarre reason, this show just never clicked with the general public, despite containing a thrilling story and being one of the greatest shows of the 2010s. The show's sixth and final season is a mesmerizing piece of television, upping the violence and drama to a nearly-unbearable, but always thrilling, degree. It's a fantastic ending to a fantastic show.
Six Feet Under (2001-05)
Six Feet Under was always critically acclaimed, but it was buried at the time by other, more popular shows like Lost and The Sopranos. Six Feet Under remained consistently excellent across all five of its seasons, but season five escalates the drama. The final four episodes are particularly great, and it contains one of the greatest finales of all time. It's certainly the most beautiful - a poignant and introspective look at death and the fact that it will catch us all sooner or later.
The Leftovers (2014-17)
The Leftovers is a short but sweet drama, airing just 28 episodes throughout three seasons. Like The Americans, The Leftovers was critically under-watched throughout its runtime, and it mostly fell by the wayside of the general mainstream.
Some of that might have to do with the middling first season, which is by far its worst. But the show got so much better in seasons two and three, with three being an especially brilliant and heartbreaking piece of television.
Cheers (1982-93)
Cheers did the impossible - it remained excellent throughout eleven seasons and nearly 300 episodes. Even to this day, nearly thirty years later, Cheers remains (arguably) the only sitcom in television history to remain consistently excellent across its runtime. Season 11 was just as great as the rest, and its triple-length series finale, One for the Road, is often heralded as the greatest finale in sitcom history.
Blackadder (1983-89)
Blackadder is another sitcom that remained consistently excellent, but it only aired 24 episodes compared to Cheers' near-300 - it's hardly a fair comparison. If there's one thing British television is known for, it's getting in and out before a show grows stale. Blackadder Goes Forth is often considered the best season of the show, taking place in the trenches of Flanders during World War I and featuring a surprisingly dark (but fitting and satisfying) ending.
Parks And Recreation (2009-15)
Parks and Recreation is a weird beast - it starts painfully slowly, with season one serving as a major barrier to entry for newcomers. But it finds its feet with season two, remains consistently strong, and ends on a high note with season 7. This season contains a few duds - primarily 2017 and William Henry Harrison - but for the most part, it's great. Two episodes in particular, Leslie & Ron and One Last Ride, elevate season 7 above the others.