I'm sure many of you have noticed, when T.V. shows end, if they've been around for any length of time, they have one of four types of endings.

1. Maintain the Status Quo:

We end the show with the impression that things will continue pretty much as they always have. These sorts of endings aren't as common as they used to be. A notable example of this ending was Star Trek: TNG.

2. Go Their Separate Ways:

There are big changes in the lives of the characters, and each of them depart for some other place, saying farewells to each other. This is a fairly common type of ending, seen in series such as M*A*S*H.

3. They Finally Get Together:

A couple everyone has been pulling for on the show finally wise up, realize they're right for each other, get together, and head off into the sunset together, either having tied the knot, or on their way to do so.

4. The End of the Journey/Coming Full Circle

Someone who came into our lives as green and naive grows up and has finally reached the point in their lives where they're no longer the student, but instead the teacher. They've achieved their goals and are free to move on to bigger and better things.

Which of these is your favorite type of ending, and what shows have you seen incorporate them?

I hate it when a long series ends altogether. It's just so upsetting. Like in Friends when they had a #2 ending, or Will&Grace when they had like a combined #2 AND #3 ending. Sometimes they even make me want to cry for a moment. Just knowing that there isn't going to be any more. Ever.

God I'm going to be torn when Scrubs and House finally end...

^cliff hanger?

That's what I think too. It really depends on the series.

all i can think of when i read number 2 is Samurai Champloo.

^Oh yeah.. those endings. usually there's one left standing isn't there?

Battle Royale comes to mind.

It doesn't matter to me what the ending is as long as the main or supporting character doesn't die. Especially if the main/supporting character is female. For some reason I get realy pissed off and sad. Like in the Basilisk, Jyu-Oh-Sei, Gantz, and even Orphen. I truely do hate those kinds of endings.

Personally I'm in favor of an ending thats more "The End of the Journey/Coming Full Circle" and or "They Finally Get Together" Like in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and To Love Ru.

Those are the best kinds of endings. They really leave you satisfied.

I hate the endings where everyone dies. Horror movies seem to be doing that a lot now. It's just so infuriating.

This may just be me, but does anyone else ever feel "betrayed" by the creators if a show has a bad ending? It's like, I spent so much time watching it and I want it to end good!

Personally I really do like endings 1 or 4. They stress the journey is more important over the destination. Such was the theme of Star Trek: Voyager. They toast to their journey, rather than their success.

It's rare for me to encounter an Ending #5: This is where the characters do grow, but there is no status quo maintained. Everything changes. The characters die off, revelations are made, apocalyptic climax. The hero does not get the girl, in fact she dies in his arms. The tragic story-telling, of the tragic hero. Romeo and Juliet type stories, or Hamlet perhaps, count as a #5? My biggest examples to date is Wolf's Rain and Char's Counterattack, where the story wraps up with the day being saved through the main characters grief and rage, in some form. That they are given another chance, in Wolfs Rain, or that the hero's sacrifice allows others to learn a lesson such as in Counterattack. Or even similar, when everyone dies Except the hero, who is assumed to possibly die offscreen, such as in john carpenters The Thing.

I do like those endings, when they're done appropriately. They leave the viewer with a sense of emotional stress. It may not always be a pleasant feeling but it is a Feeling nonetheless. You can choose to feel real happy or real sad, depending on your point of view and upon reflection of the tale.

I would agree with NoT_QuItE_LoSt as well. For me, I think it just really depends on the series.

I have to say my favorites would be probably be Ending #4 and Ending #3, but for some reason I also like Ending #2. I guess, I just like sad stuff. xD