Best TV Finales

I am begining to think TV Finales are improving with time. I feel as if this year alone, and 2 shows that actually inspire an emotional response and not just entertain, should go on the list. So I'll make a brief list of what I consider to be the best FINALES of all time.

1) M*A*S*H*. Umm, is there any question? Kept true to the series in the end of the war push, fire induced bug out, truce, celebration and finally the indviduals saying goodbye to each other.

2) BattleStar Galactica. It took the best of M*A*S*H*'s ideas, applied it to itself.

3) Newhart. While the rest of the episode isn't that memorable (they all move out of their sleepy Vermont town because a Japanese developer bought it and will make a golf course), everyone knows the last 2 minutes or so. Bob wakes up from a dream in his 1970s sitcom show with his 1970s sitcom wife.

4) e.r. What is it about anything related now to the character of Mark Greene that makes me cry? How about after 15 years finally getting to see the building in the very last shot? The cliched use of a certain Beatles song? Duplicating the shots/actions of the pilot episode? No, it was Ernest Borgnine's character letting go of his dying wife. That was us, the fan/viewer, and our show. Finally letting it go and dying with dignity.

5) Buffy the Vampire Slayer. GIRL POWER!!! How do you stop the armies of hell from being unleashed? Basically be releasing the one constraint we had by allowing the Slayer's power to go to all potentials.

6) Star Trek: The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine. Each had slightly different things. But both brought a nice end but let us all know there are many more things left for them to do. Trek has never been the same.

All the rest were either cancelled so a rapid rewriting was needed to create a finale, not that memorable, changed the meaning of the show, or set up spin offs that sucked.

With e.r. ending, the two longest running "scripted" shows I'm watching now are CSI (the Las Vegas one) and Smallville. One is going down in its ineptitude, while the other still brings the quality. So that leaves me with 24, House, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, Smallville, CSI, and Clone Wars as the only shows I'm still watching. 24 and Smallville seem to be the next likely ones to go. I'm sure I'll add Caprica and Stargate: Universe when it arrives, but whether they'll be worthy to stand on the shoulders of those that went down this year, who knows.