ALL: Best/Worse endings?

[ian]

I haven't really watched soaps long enough to have experienced the loss of a show. I remember Port Charles going out but I never watched it, Passions of course, though I dont know how it ended cause I didnt follow it to DirecTV... and now GL... and I've heard mixed things about how the light will ultimately switch off.

Those that remember shows going off the air: SFT/SB/AW/EON/Loving/RH etc.... or even primetime like Dallas/Dynasty...

How did they ultimately choose to end it? By the end was the show as bad as say GL is now (I surely hope not)and was this good/bad? How do you just stop years of storyline, like some sort of Mayan Calendar? and, after reserving yourself to the cold hard truth that this show was going to end, do you think the ending did the rest of the run any justice at all?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

[EastMA2]

I'm not a fan of daytime soaps that end with a cliffhanger. I think that Search and Ryan's Hope were well done. RH captured their best years by reuniting couples and of course having Maeve sing Danny Boy.

Search ended with Stu and Jo talking about searching for tomorrow. I thought that was appropriate.

I like Another World's last sequence in their last episode, playing the old theme music and showing pictures of old characters, but I hated Cass and Lila's wedding with the gorilla.

I hope GL does us proud.

[tanyia2]

I have heard some things about GL's ending and it is not good. The butcher of soaps Ellen Wheeler will do her very worst.

[JackPeyton]

I liked AW's ending. They pretty much tied things up, but left you to wonder what happen in the lives of the characters you loved.

Search's ending was also good. I felt it fit the show well and was a nice sned off, but ive only watched episodes here and there. Same for RH.

Passions ending was... very passions. lol.

PC didnt get an ending, that sucked.

i think that those are the only ones i have seen.

[Cheap21]

Port Charles was one of the worst simply bc it had no ending. ABC wouldnt let them wrap up and write a finale to the show

Sunset Beach got a pretty good one

[J. Keith H.]

The two endings that I can remember sucking were Capitol and Dark Shadows (the original).

[DRW50]

I wish the ending for A World Apart was online. I saw it on WoST years ago. It was surprisingly effective. I think Susan Sarandon's character was coming to terms with giving her baby up. I think there was a christening or some other service. And at the end, Clifton Davis, playing a musician, had everyone join along with "Everything is Beautiful."

[dc11786]

Actually, the final episode of "A World Apart" is on youtube. I believe the poster who use to call himself WashesWhiter has returned and posted the episode. There is a lot of other rare stuff including promos for "The Best of Everything" and "Return to Peyton Place." The first time I saw it, I wasn't really impressed, but the second go around, I found it touching.

I thought "Texas" did a very good job tying things up. The only hint of trouble came from Judith Wheeler who hinted to gossip hound Stella Stanton that her divorce from Grant would be very juicy. I kind of like when things are left up in the air, to an extent. It's nice to know the characters will continue on in a way.

I found the ending of "Three Steps to Heaven" rather bizarre. A blind Bill Morgan was taken into an embrace by malacious Jennifer Alden moments before the scene cut out. There was further narration from Lauren Gilbert, who stepped out of character and announced Bill and Poco would find happiness with one another after many trials and tribulations.

Most people found the ending of "The Doctors" poor, but I think it was a good resolution to what was left of the series. The bad guys went to jail, for the most part, and couples reunited.

I felt bad for "Port Charles," but it had that desperate soap feeling for some time. Pairing random characters without story because they were both on contract and needed to meet their guarntees. The Alison-Jamal fan in me was actually a little delighted that it was hinted Alison was pregnant with Caleb's baby since I hate Rafe and Alison. The fact they were the only couple not to be reunited in "Miracles Happen" was disappointing.

"Capitol" definitely went out with audience wanting more. I feel sorry for its fans.

While unintentionally the final episode, I thought "Spyder Games" was such a cop out. The Boris storyline, the thread that tied most of the show together, ended in accidental murder. What BS! I was glad it was left up in the air whether heirhead Julie died of a coke overdose. God knows she would have lived if it continued so now I can pretend she perished. I would have liked to have seen Natalia at work for the Fort Kent Tree Frog Foundation, but some things weren't meant to be. And who would have thought that Megalyn Echikunwoke would end up on network television?

The final episode of "Loving" wasn't really good. Watching Charles and Lorraine reunite was dull. I didn't care for Deborah's involvement with the Clay doppleganger, even though her fight with Lennox seemed interesting. Kate and Neal seemed sweet, but rushed.

I've never seen them, but I would love to see the episodes leading up to the finale of "Search for Tomorrow." I believe the character of Jo had visions of the future of most of the final characters. The final episode itself was nice.

"Rituals" finale sounds pretty bleak. Christina shoots and kills her sister Sara in the final moments before a flashforward where Christina recounts the fate of the characters, which was fairly tragic. I think fans forget how dark the Corringtons' writing could get.

I loved the final episode of "Dark Shadows," but I'm one of the few people who would say 1841 PT was one of their favorite arcs. Similarly, I enjoyed how "Strange Paradise" ended, even if it was completely out of character for Raxl to be the cause of all the drama plaguing the Desmond family for generations.

It's too bad "Generations" went off the air when it did. It was on fire when it was cancelled. I love how soap books say it was hinted that Chantal was Peter Whitmore's daughter. It was a little more than hinted. Chantal DEFINITELY wasn't Henry Marshall's daughter. The end of the mob plot was riveting and lead for some interesting drama for Kyle and Sam. I will say I think Dorothy Lyman was miscast as Rebecca Whitmore. I certainly think she was a bolder Rebecca than Pat Crowley's, but it didn't work for me. Then again, maybe the powers that be wanted to take her in a new direction given the new storyline. Jonelle Allen was a gem even in the final days when she was putting all the pieces together about Ruth and Peter. Delightful.

The finale of "Ryan's Hope" was a wonderful tribute. The Maeve/Mary and Jack/Mary scenes were beautiful.

While I've never seen it, it's too bad "Love of Life" ended the way it did. Ann Marcus had salvaged the show after Jean Holloway's Bambi/Reverend Brewster fiasco. I'd kill to see anything from Marcus' tenure on that show.

[DRW50]

I also liked the 1841PT storyline. It was different and generally entertaining and well-acted. I think people were upset because the last episode didn't feature any of the old characters.

[typoprone]

Was that the show's old theme music playing? I thought it was Bette Midler's rendition of "In This Life."

[DRW50]

dc, thank you for telling me about that episode being available. I am so pleased to get to see this again. It's so simple and quietly moving. What soaps used to be.

[SFK]

Well, when Rachel did that sweep of the room and looked at all the framed photos, yes, it was Bette Midler's "In This Life" playing (which I believe was the theme to one of Vicky's weddings too). But as they came back from every commercial break, they'd show a few clips of a particular character within the old interlocking rings logo with Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris singing the old theme, "When I'm with you, you take me away... to Another World" then Victoria Wyndham said in v.o., "Celebrating 25 years of excellence" which I don't have to tell you was just sad and ironic to be hearing as the show was inching towards its final moments.

I also didn't care for the gorilla nonsense, maybe if it had happened earlier in the week, but NOT for the final episode. The last moment was very nice, heartbreaking really, but I would have loved it if Carl and Rachel made it to the top of the stairs when the doorbell rang, and Rachel ran back down to answer it and there was Iris. "Rachel! I was hoping Cahl would ansuh the bell ..." FADE OUT. (This of course is a direct reference to her line re: Mac when she made her previous return.)

I never watched an ep of SFT in my life, but damn if that finale doesn't put a lump in my throat every time. As if I'd known and loved those characters for years...

Loving, well I was sad that everyone who "made" loving had been offed, but I was sooooo excited about The City I can't even tell you. The City's finale was nice and upbeat, I was terribly disappointed that it was cancelled, but it had a short and sweet(ish) run and in a weird way I appreciate that the last ep wasn't too maudlin. Can't believe it only lasted two measley years. And I hated that they killed Sydney Chase. We need more Sydney Chases.

Capitol I can deal with, it's not hard for me to imagine that Sloane got saved at the 11th hour, though I would have enjoyed watching the "war" between Myrna and Sam and the kids taking sides. I read that had the show stayed on the air, Sam was to be murdered (Richard Egan was retiring, he was quite ill with cancer) and there would have been a murder mystery. Also hated how they ruined (and killed) Mark Denning, but I suppose that was a while before cancellation.

[quartermainefan]

Edge Of Night's ending I liked. Yeah it ended on the beginning of a new story, but I liked the idea that the soap goes on, only we just don't see it. Plus, they brought back their old version of their moody theme music for the finale and dropped the tech nonsense.

Ryan's Hope was a sad ending, but I liked it. Dallas's ending was particularly weak. While they brought back a bunch of key players, it was all a dream episode that ended on a cliffhanger. Dynasty I think they didn't know they were being canceled but they did have that abysmal reunion movie a few years later where they wrapped things up. Knot's Landing has a nice final moment where everyone moved back to their old house on the cul-de-sac, so it was sort of like back to square one with the original characters/

[teplin]

Best: Texas. In fact, the last six months of the show was pretty incredible.

Worst: Santa Barbara. The show had fallen so far from its glory days that it was really a mercy killing, but that last shot of exec prod Paul Rauch snuffing out a cigar was an insult.

[Paul Raven]

Some of these have been mentioned,but here's a rundown on how cancelled soaps wrapped up:

Love of Life didn't resolve anything.Ben was on trial for assaulting and Betsy staggered from hospital room to courtroom,to clear his name,only to collapse.The ending had the cameras roaming through the empty sets and long time director Larry Auerbach dimmed the studio lights.

The Brighter Day had Paul Langton(Uncle Walter)step out of character and inform viewers what would happen to the characters.

Edge of Night had Preacher and Jody split up,he to team up with Liz Correll.Liz made amends with her sister Beth,who married Miles.Mike and Nancy's daughter Laurie returned after many years.But the show ended in mystery as Chris uncovered villians of Monticello past.

Texas.Gregory believed his mother Ashley was alive and she reappeared in a snowstorm to be reunited with Justin-only there were no footprints...Rikki lost Brette to her archeology,Judith let Grant go to be with Reena,but vowed to sue him for his company and Victoria lost her TV station.She made a final speech which echoed the sentiments of cast and crew.

The whole cast gathered and made a toast'To Texas!'

From These Roots wrapped up stories happily and Ben Frase delivered a final speech and a New Years chorus of Auld Lang Syne was sung.

Somerset wrapped up its crime story with the reveal that respectable Dan Briskin was a crimelord.All the cast gathered happily in a hospital room.

Where The Heart Is had Adrienne and daughter Liz leaving town,Julian reunited with wife Mary,Michael went back to ex Vicky and Kate recovered from schizophrenia with support of Steve.

Secret Storm had Laurie realise she was not a woman from a previous life but was infact the victim of a scheme to drive her crazy.Mark was cured of his drinking problem when he left Laurie to back to the priesthood.Kevin was cured of paralysis and the final scene was Kevin,Amy,Lisa and Valerie on the floor rejoicing.