Grand Finale: Difference between revisions

When a show (usually of the [[Failure Is the Only Option]] or [[Stern Chase]] variety) comes to an end with sufficient lead time, the production team may decide to go out with a bang by ending the endless chase, destroying the undestroyable foe, or in some other way definitively and permanently changing the core axioms on which the show depends. It usually resolves all the conflicts that have driven the series over its entire run, and offers some kind of resolution to the dramatic tension that they have powered.

 

 

In contrast to American television series, anime series tend to be single, continuous season-long stories that build, like an episodic novel, to a climax in the final episode. In these cases, a Grand Finale is the only fair (and the usual) way to end the show. Of course, since most anime is based on manga, occasionally the anime [[Overtook the Manga|gets ahead]] of the manga (or gets canceled before the manga ends) and the anime writers have to [[Gecko Ending|make up their own ending]], which is usually not as good as the eventual ending of the manga. Alternatively, a la ''[[Bastard]]!'', ''[[Angel Sanctuary]]'', and ''[[Ichigo One Hundred Percent]]'', the writers can just leave it hanging.

 

 

Expect to see [[Contractual Immortality]] and [[Joker Immunity]] thrown out the window.

** Though ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'' did this as well, and in spectacular fashion. The entire last dozen episodes of the anime/two volumes of the manga are a combination of [[Tear Jerker]] and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]].

* The explosive climax of ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'', where events have inevitably led the main characters, but which is nothing like they expected.

* The playful [[Gundam]] spuff ''[[SD Gundam Force]]'' had one of the biggest finales ever. Every single character that had ever appeared, in every form they'd ever taken appeared on a stage. They all said their goodbye's. Some saluted, some waved others, {{spoiler|Zapper's gang}} claimed they'd go on forever. It was all rather touching actually.

* ''[[Sailor Moon (Anime)|Sailor Moon]]'' went out with a series of giant revelations about the major conflicts throughout the story and loads of character deaths, leading to a [[Distant Finale]] showing Usagi marrying Mamoru in the manga. The anime version had different revelations, killed and revived all of the Senshi again and just ended the show with a rather traditional ending that had only a few series finale elements.

== Comic Books ==

* ''[[One Hundred Bullets (Comic Book)|One Hundred Bullets]]'' ends the conflict between the Minutemen and the Trust, and ties up all other remaining plotlines, by {{spoiler|Slaughtering the lot of them, and leaving the survivors at the mercy of a [[Bolivian Army Ending]] (Loop, Victor, and Will not included).}}

* ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]'' provides a definitive end to [[Batman]]'s career, and ends his conflict with [[The Joker]] on the side....until ''[[The Dark Knight Strikes Again]]'' came out. After that, ''Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader'' (a direct reference to the above) became more fitting an end.

* ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'''s ''Alamo'' ended with {{spoiler|a final showdown between Jesse and Cassidy, Tulip executing Herr Starr, and The Saint Of Killers taking his vengeance against God.}}

* ''[[The Prisoner]]'' finally escapes and destroys The Village and finds out who #1 is...[[Gainax Ending|or does he?]] Not according to the semi-canon [[Graphic Novel]] ''Shattered Visage''.

* ''[[Babylon 5]]'''s last episode, "Sleeping In Light", which also doubles as a [[Distant Finale]], and was actually filmed ''before'' the final season, as the writers didn't know whether the show would be continuing.

** ''The End of Time'' was a send-off for both the Tenth Doctor and showrunner [[Russell T Davies]].

* As usual, ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'''s "Chosen" had to top everyone else, with a triple play — closing the Hellmouth, defeating the First Evil and its army, ''and'' permanently changing the magical rules that define who becomes a Slayer and how. And completely destroying the entire city of Sunnydale, leaving only an enormous crater. Sadly, it still wasn't as powerful as the [[Heroic Sacrifice]] which closed Season 5.

* On the other hand, the final episode of ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'' was Grand, but not Final, ending just as our heroes launched into a [[Bolivian Army Ending|doomed charge]] against a demonic army. The message here was not "It's over, go home", but a final statement that the battle would ''never'' end.

* ''[[Northern Exposure]]'': "The Quest"...if one is willing to apply some [[Canon Dis Continuity]] to the episodes after Dr. Fleischman's departure.

* However, the ultimate Grand Finale, in terms of sheer viewership and dramatic power, had to be the final movie-length episode of ''[[MASH]]'' entitled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen". It ended the Korean war, irrevocably altered several characters, and brought an era of television to a close...''plus'' it holds the record to this day for the highest single-episode ratings of any scripted show ever. The only thing on television to ever get higher ratings was the 2010 [[Super Bowl]].

* [[Sudden Downer Ending|"Changing Nature"]] from ''[[Dinosaurs]]''. The episode has Earl Sinclair {{spoiler|accidentally setting off a chain of events that ''will'' destroy the world and as a consequence, all the dinosaurs in the show die out, including the Sinclair family. The last thing we actually see before the dinosaurs go extinct is news anchor [[Punny Name|Howard Handupme]] telling the viewers "This is Howard Handupme signing off for the very last time. [[Tear Jerker|Goodnight...and goodbye..."]]}}

* ''[[Dark Oracle]]'''s finale episode, "Redemption" killed off the [[Big Bad]] and former villain {{spoiler|Omen}}, featured [[Big Bad Wannabe]] Vern's {{spoiler|[[Heel Face Turn]]}} and wiped the comic, the source of all the show's problems from existence.

* ''[[Quantum Leap]]'' ends with [[God]] Himself telling Sam that he has always been the master of his own fate and that, contrary to what he believed, Sam has done a lot of good by helping people throughout history one at a time. The lives he touched, touched others, and those, others. Realizing something of his own value, Sam gives up a chance to go back and saves his friend Al's marriage to Beth (Al's first wife and true love). The ending consists of a few text lines confirming that Al and Beth have their [[Happily Ever After]] {{spoiler|[[Tear Jerker|and Sam Beckett never returned home.]]}}

* ''[[Smallville]]'' has the [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|fittingly titled]] "Finale". Clark finally flies for the first time and finally becomes the [[Superman|hero]] he's destined to be.

** Although the game still allows the trademark option of letting you save your character for future use. Either they were giving players one last dose of hopeful nostalgia, or they weren't completely ruling out the possibility of a sequel.

* Though there are sure to be other games and media produced later, ''[[Resident Evil 5]]'' certainly feels like a Grand Finale. Series [[Big Bad]] Albert Wesker has finally abandoned all subtlety and now [[A God Am I|harbors delusions of godhood]], and is ready to unleash a biological threat of global proportions as opposed to one isolated to a mansion or a city. At this point in the timeline, Umbrella is all but gone. And at the climax, {{spoiler|the game defies [[Joker Immunity]]; Chris Redfield, his new partner Sheva, and his old partner Jill Valentine finally end Wesker's madness with a couple of well aimed rocket propelled grenades. While Wesker's waist deep in a lava pit.}} The ending is different this time as well: there are no mysterious phone calls, no stingers, no hints that {{spoiler|Wesker might still be alive}}. Only the relieved looks on the heroes' faces as they realize that their struggles against the threat posed by Umbrella {{spoiler|and Wesker}} is finally over. Series producer Masachika Kawata even said that the inevitable ''Resident Evil 6'' will "have to reinvent the series with another full model change or else it won't be able to keep on going."

** ''[[Megaman Battle Network]] 6'' also served as the big finale for its characters. Dr. Wily decides to stop being evil and tries to help society for a change, Mega Man can finally interact with his brother in the human world thanks to a Copy Bot, a quick [[Where Are They Now? Epilogue]] bit to bring us up to speed on the others and the [[Official Couple]] of Lan and Mayl even get a little [[Babies Ever After]] moment.

* ''[[Legacy of Kain]]: Defiance'' brings Raziel and Kain's destiny full circle with {{spoiler|Raziel's [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}. After being an [[Unwitting Pawn]] to nearly ''everyone'' in the series, Raziel finally chooses his own destiny and {{spoiler|willingly merges with the Soul Reaver and renews his loyalty to Kain}}. Other plot threads are resolved as well. Moebius {{spoiler|[[The Dragon]] to the true [[Big Bad]] of the series the Elder God and}} the time traveling villain responsible for Kain becoming a vampire in the first place, is rendered [[Deader Than Dead]] in the most final way possible {{spoiler|when his soul is devoured by the Elder God}}. And {{spoiler|the Elder God himself}} is finally defeated by Kain wielding the fully empowered Soul Reaver. The last scene implies that Kain has finally accepted his destiny and responsibilities as the Scion of Balance as well.

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' had possibly the grandest of grand finales: a four episode/two hour movie special that had been built up to for three seasons. Besides the {{spoiler|ultimate fate of Zuko's mother}}, most plot threads were tied up neatly, and it finally put a definitive end to the [[Shipping Wars]] for the primary pairings (or at least what's canon) with a [[Big Damn Kiss]] as the final shot of the series. In the Extras version, it even says, as the last Extra of the entire show, "Kataang wins!" How's THAT for grand.

* ''[[The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh]]'' got "Winnie The Pooh & Christmas Too". By this point, Paul Winchell had retired from the role of Tigger (Until Pooh's Grand Adventure), and they got him to come back for this last episode, and a very heartwarming one it is.

* ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' is another exception to the rule, with a grand, two-part finale -- the second part of which was a colossal battle pitting the Justice League and the Secret Society against Darkseid and his armies in an [[Enemy Mine]] scenario -- a battle that not only spanned the entire world, but also the entire length of the final episode.

* Surprisingly, ''[[Camp Lazlo]]'' ends with one of these. As appropriate to the tone and style of the series, it's not so much flashy as spectacularly weirder than anything that's happened previously -- and this is a series where an entire episode revolves around one character getting stuck up another's nose. It still qualifies as definitively and permanently changing the core axioms on which the show depends, though.

** Not to mention the fact that Scoutmaster Lumpus {{spoiler|turned out to NOT be the camp's scoutmaster}}. Samson, the [[Butt Monkey]] of the series said it best: "I think it just got to the point where things can't possibly get any weirder."

* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'', "Phantom Planet": After some humiliation competing against a new ghostbuster team, Danny decides to remove his powers and retire. However, the world is imperiled and needs Danny again. With great difficulty, Danny regains his powers and succeeds in saving the world. As a result, Danny is honored throughout the world while he and Sam hook up for good in his new and busy life.

* ''[[Transformers]]: [[Beast Wars (Animation)|Beast Wars]]'' ends with a final confrontation between Megatron and Optimus Primal on an ancient and massive warship in a battle for the fate of the timeline itself.

* ''[[The Replacements (Animation)|The Replacements]]'' had a Grand Finale where Conrad Fleem's face is finally revealed, and it's revealed that he's {{spoiler|Todd and Riley's uncle}}.

* ''[[Gummi Bears]]'' had "King Igthorn", which ended with Igthorn losing his castle and army of ogres, Gummi Glen is destroyed, or at least severely damaged, and the Great Gummi's are confirmed to return.

* ''[[Sixteen]]'''s finale had Nikki {{spoiler|moving to Iqualuit, Nunavut after her father landed his dream job up there. Notable for the fact that it averted the show's typically light-hearted mood, and most fans upon hearing of the initial announcement of the episode were mostly saying "[[Like You Would Really Do It]]". Yes, they really did it.}}

* ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' had "Secret of the Omnitrix", a 3-part episode/TV movie that had Ben learning more about the Omnitrix, meeting its creator, ending his feud with his cousin Gwen at last, and defeating Vilgax. The end, right? [[Ben 10 Alien Force (Animation)|WRONG.]]

[[Category:Plots]]

[[Category:Grand Finale]]