Book Ends/Live-Action TV: Difference between revisions

** The Third Doctor's run [[Doctor Who/Recap/S7 E1 Spearhead From Space|begins]] and [[Doctor Who/Recap/S11 E5 Planet of the Spiders|ends]] with The Doctor stepping out of the TARDIS and collapsing.

* The very first episode of ''[[Seinfeld]]'' began with Jerry commenting about the second button from the top on George's shirt being in an odd place. At the end of the series finale, {{spoiler|as the group sits in their prison cell,}} Jerry once again brings up the shirt button and quotes verbatim the first lines of the first episode. [[Larry David]] mentioned that he wanted the show about nothing to end right where it began, therefore going nowhere.

'''Jerry:''' Yeah, maybe we have. }}

* The pilot of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' features a final scene in which Buffy, Xander, and Willow walk off exchanging light-hearted banter, followed by Giles commenting "The world is doomed." The series finale features a scene in which Buffy, Xander, and Willow walk off exchanging light-hearted banter, followed by Giles commenting "The world is definitely doomed."

** In two instances, the opening narration is used to imply that "we're back to the beginning" or "it's come full circle":

*** ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Star Trek Enterprise]]'', at the end of its series finale, uniting all three ''Enterprise'' captains:

'''Archer:''' ... [[Mythology Gag|to boldly go where no man has gone before]]! }}

*** The [[Star Trek (film)|new movie]], with {{spoiler|Leonard Nimoy as Elder Spock reciting the famous lines just before [[Crowning Music of Awesome|Michael Giacchino's magnificent orchestral rendition of the original ''Star Trek'' theme blasts over the end credits]]}}. Trekkies everywhere cried tears of joy.

* ''[[Cheers]]'' began the series with Sam Malone coming out of the back room, turning on the lights and opening the bar. The series ended with Sam locking the bar, turning off the lights, and strolling back into the back room.

* ''[[Roswell]]'' started and ended with Liz introducing herself.

''Last episode:'' "I'm Liz Parker and I am happy." }}

* ''[[The OC]]'' ended with Ryan asking a down on his luck kid if he needed help, the same thing Sandy asked him at the beginning.

* ''[[The West Wing]]'' did this a few times - for example, in "17 People," which begins and ends with the sound of Toby bouncing his rubber ball.

** Also, the entire storyline begins and ends with Josh springing Sam out of a meeting of lawyers to come work for the president, and Sam promptly [[Lampshade|lampshades]] it:

'''Sam''': ...if nothing else. }}

** However, this is only an instance of bookends in-universe; actually the first scene was shown in a [[Flash Back]] in the second series opener, and the second in the last episode but four.

* In the pilot episode of ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'', Peter catches a cab driven by Mohinder. Peter asks Mohinder if he ever had the feeling he was meant to do something special, and a conversation about destiny and natural selection ensues. In the first episode of Volume Four, after an adventure that put both of them in a bad light (and made plenty of heroes turn on each other), Peter again catches a cab driven by Mohinder and, laughing, asks the same thing. Mohinder says he had the feeling, but was proven wrong.

** The last scene in Volume Five also reflects the pilot, when Claire {{spoiler|goes public}}.

* The first and last episodes of ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' intentionally mirror one another, with a very similar occasion (an announcement on a boat) and often identical lines at certain critical moments, although sometimes flipped to different people saying them.

'''Buster''': (Finale) They still have boats? }}

* The ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'' episode "Vehicular Fellatio'' begins with Larry trying to open a vacuum-sealed package and failing, eventually screaming in frustration. He buys a knife for opening packages. At the end, when he needs it, he finds that it's in a vacuum-sealed package...