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The following article contains spoilers for HBO’s best shows with perfect endings!The 21st century has been a golden age of television drama, a period of prestige and perfection that has seen the medium rapidly evolve into one of the most popular and prominent forms of entertainment. HBO was the spearhead of this meteoric rise through the late 90s and early 2000s, and the premium network has remained at the pinnacle of the medium throughout the ensuing decades with a litany of iconic series that perfected the art of long-form storytelling.
Given the lasting acclaim and tremendous prestige so many HBO shows have enjoyed, it is no surprise that the network has routinely proven itself to have a talent not only for delivering outstanding series, but for knowing how to end them in a rewarding fashion as well. Ranging from sweeping crime masterpieces that helped pioneer a new age of television drama to underrated gems that stand among the best TV series ever made, these shows feature some of the greatest finales television at large has ever seen.
10
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2000–2024)
Prior to starring in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David was famous for his creative involvement in the hit sitcom Seinfeld, which ended as the four main characters ended up in jail after standing trial for violating the “Good Samaritan” law and facing damning character assessments from the litany of people they had crossed over the years. It was a polarizing resolution to what was one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, and yet Curb Your Enthusiasm replicating this finale was a stroke of genius.
After following Larry David through his misadventures in Hollywood, the hit HBO comedy concludes with the television comic on trial for being a good Samaritan and, inadvertently, violating a Georgia election law. The stream of cameos, callbacks, and chaos is a treat to watch, especially as it is laced with self-aware meta-jokes that poke at Seinfeld’s finale without reducing itself to being a mere parody. Complimented by a final scene that reaffirms the series’ strict adherence to trivial irreverence and characters not learning from their mistakes, “No Lessons Learned” delivers Curb Your Enthusiasm a perfectly on-brand and appropriate resolution 24 years after the series began.
9
‘Station Eleven’ (2021)
Pivoting from a series that ran for over two decades to a miniseries consisting of just ten episodes, Station Eleven is a criminally underrated post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world where a violent flu virus has decimated mankind. As survivors cling to their humanity 20 years after the outbreak, a troupe of traveling performers strives to bring a sense of artistic expression and human connection back to the world, even as they find themselves pursued by a violent cult.
What makes Station Eleven such a noteworthy outlier from the string of apocalyptic shows that have aired in recent decades is its unwavering sense of optimism. It champions humanity’s love for artistic endeavor as an essential and undying element of our species’ existence. The limited series’ final moments are a beautiful meditation on this idea of human connection and the value of art, allowing it to conclude with a lasting message that is both mature and hopeful.
8
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Going from one modern masterpiece of the miniseries format to another, Chernobyl is revered by many as one of HBO’s finest ever productions as well as a quintessential achievement of small-screen excellence. The historical drama explores the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986, covering both the immediate effects and the long-term consequences of the radiation fallout, the political corruption and cover-up schemes, and the sheer manpower required to contain the potential carnage.
The final episode of the five-part limited series is a cathartic, though bleak, revelation of all that transpired as the story shifts from grueling disaster suspense to a haunting and educational exploration of the science behind the incident and the moral corruption behind its concealment. It runs more as a courtroom thriller, with Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) exposing the secrecy, conniving, and amorality of the Soviet Union when he shares the unfiltered truth through the stunning “cost of lies” monologue. It’s harrowing and unsettling, but it illuminates vital real-world issues that demand attention while also highlighting Valery’s tragic suicide and the role it would play in forcing the Soviets to acknowledge their mistakes.
7
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
With a series as vast and all-encompassing as The Wire, it is impossible to say that its finale alone wrapped up the series. Instead, the final episodes work in cohesion to bring about a rewarding and mature conclusion to the series that excels at delivering closure for essential plot threads and characters while emphasizing the way in which the cyclical nature of crime, corruption, and chaos would carry on.
The series as a whole functions as a holistic delve into the criminal infrastructure, police system, and political landscape of Baltimore, gradually expanding its scope across each of its five seasons without ever losing touch with its visceral sense of realism and brutality. It remains painfully authentic right up until the end, be it because of beloved characters meeting bittersweet fates or the tragedy of seeing the youths fulfill damning placements in the drug trade environment. Its final montage is an important ode to the imperfection of the city and the pitfalls in modern America, and it is particularly poignant today given how little has changed in the 18 years since the series finale was released.
6
‘Barry’ (2018–2023)
Across its ceaselessly intriguing four-season run, Barry solidified itself as one of HBO’s most interesting and daring series. Combining dark comedy, crime intensity, action violence, psychological drama, and rich character study, it follows former U.S. Marine Barry Berkman (Bill Hader), who wrestles with loneliness, depression, and PTSD while working as a contract hitman. When his tailing of a target lands him in an amateur acting class in L.A., he finds an unexpected outlet for his emotional turmoil, but his newfound passion and his past life are always at risk of clashing.
The unique story thrives not only as a meditation on trauma and guilt but as a relentless skewering of Hollywood’s sensationalism of violence as well, a point that is made abundantly clear in Barry’s breathtaking finale, “wow.” It resists bombast and action mayhem, instead delivering a purposefully anti-climactic ending to Barry’s journey while giving all the key supporting characters resolutions that feel earned and appropriate. The revelation that, years later, a biopic was made about Barry’s life that portrays him as a tragic hero accentuates this idea of violence in entertainment with satirical wit and devastating thematic might.
5
‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)
The ending of The Sopranos is one of the most famous moments in television history, one that was initially polarizing but has come to be respected in time as its meaning has been understood. After following New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) across six stunning seasons of crime drama, Season 6 sees Tony’s gang under pressure from enemies in New York, leading to a viciously intense final stretch that emphasizes the harsh dangers of a life of crime and forces viewers to value their own mortality and the fragility of life.
The series finale doubles down on these ideas, with its iconic, though fiercely debated, cut-to-black ending presenting a resolution that is open-ended though undeniably nihilistic. The prevailing theory is that the abrupt cut signifies Tony is killed while enjoying a family outing, but fans have come up with contrary ideas that are still argued to this day. In many ways, the true brilliance of The Sopranos’ conclusion is that it is still such a central topic of discussion among TV lovers 19 years on from its premiere. It represents a bold artistic choice, a thematically charged resolution, and a moment in small-screen entertainment that will continue to be discussed for many years to come.
4
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
An astonishing feat of war drama that stands as one of HBO’s finest productions even 25 years on from its premiere, Band of Brothers stuns as an engrossing immersion in Easy Company’s progression through the European Theater of WWII. Opening with their basic training and air drop into Normandy, covering the many battlefields they fight on the frontlines of, and ending with their tumultuous presence in Germany following V-E Day, the series captures the utter destruction of war as well as the camaraderie that develops between soldiers.
After the ceaseless brutality the troops endure amid the scourge of war, the finale, “Points,” becomes a tragic observation on how fragile life can be as it follows the men as they struggle to determine if they have enough points to return home or if they will have to fight in the Pacific. Ending with a heart-wrenching summary of how each of the soldiers lived their lives upon returning home, Band of Brothers concludes as a profound testament to the service of the troops and a poignant reminder of how so many of them faded into lives of obscurity after the war.
3
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers marks what is arguably the most underrated series of the 21st century, let alone the most overlooked title in HBO’s impressive catalog of TV shows. Operating more as a meditative observation of trauma, grief, and loss rather than a plot-driven narrative, it transpires in the years after the “Sudden Departure,” an inexplicable tragedy in which two percent of the world’s population vanished. It captures a palpable sense of despair and heartache as it follows survivors in a grim world where extreme cults have emerged, and ordinary people are torn between remorseful longing and moving on.
While the majority of the three-season run takes place 3–7 years after the Sudden Departure, the finale springs forward decades to focus on the reunion of Kevin (Justin Theroux) and Nora (Carrie Coon). Somber yet sweet, it brings their tumultuous love story to a beautifully delicate end while finding the perfect balance between explaining certain details about the Sudden Departure and leaving some ideas up to audience interpretation. It is a thoroughly rewarding conclusion, especially for viewers enthralled by the series’ complex, enigmatic, and richly empathetic tone.
2
‘Succession’ (2018–2023)
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s “King Lear” while also functioning as a skewering satirical thriller of corporate politics and immense wealth in modern America, Succession transfixed millions around the world with its four-season run. It follows the Roy family, focusing on three siblings each trying to present themselves as the best candidate to succeed their father, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), and take ownership of his multi-billion-dollar conglomerate media company.
While much of the series sees the siblings vying against each other, much of Season 4 sees them having to unite to prevent Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) from taking the company away from them. It is an engrossing season of unyielding tension, and it comes to a powerful close in “With Open Eyes” with their scheme to hold onto control blowing up in their face in catastrophic fashion. It leans heavily on the series’ themes of the Roys’ shared trauma, toxic sibling rivalry, and the cost of conniving while delivering a visceral image of the soul-crushing despair of losing.
1
‘Six Feet Under’ (2001–2006)
A forgotten masterpiece lost amid HBO’s most dominant titles of the early 2000s, Six Feet Under is an absorbing dark comedy revolving around the dysfunctional Fisher family as they own and operate their late father’s funeral business. Featuring social drama that hasn’t aged a day, captivating surrealist sequences including conversations with the deceased, and a faultless understanding of the balance between drama and black humor, there is much the series perfects, but its finale may be its most impressive feat.
Toying with its own premise and formula, Six Feet Under closes with a sense of total closure. It stays true to its thematic emphasis on mortality and life as it makes several jumps forward in time to reveal how and when each of the major characters dies. It evokes wave after wave of emotional catharsis, presenting both grief and tender humanity in equal measure. To this day, it is considered by many who have seen it to be the greatest television finale of all time, a triumph that only consolidates its standing as one of HBO’s most underappreciated series.
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Ryan Heffernan
Almontather Rassoul
