Here are, what i think, the best examples of series finales:

1. Dawson's Creek - emotional, beautifully acted, edited and the writers really went all out (thank you to creator Kevin Williamson who left the show after its first season, but came back after five years to write the finale...BRILLIANT). The story was great, and i loved the whole "five years later" thing and how it went totally back to its roots (and ignored all that happened in the awful sixth season). Amazing
2. The O.C. - see blog below...amazing
3. FRIENDS - Predictable, but very very emotional, and its the end to a cultural phenomenon.
4. Will & Grace - so wonderfully written...it brings everything full circle and shows that the show was't just one large gay-joke. Very well done and the very very UNpredictable

Here are, what i think, the WORST examples of series finales:
1. Roseanne - for such a smart, wonderful, hilarious show that is one of the best looks at lower middlefamilies, the ending was the worst in any shows history. Dan died the previous season? The whole last season was a giant lie/joke/never happened? I get that she's a writer and that she wrote what happened because she couldn't deal with reality, but seriously, what a cop-out for the writers of the show...they couldn't deal with where the show was going...so they had to make everything a lie...Jackie was the gay one, not the grandmother? So stupid. Darlene was married to Mark, and Becky to David? AGHHH! So really, what we invested years in was all a lie. I choose to completely ignore the finale all together. It was absolutely horrid
2. Melrose Place - Amanda and Peter fake their own deaths? Puh-lease! So stupid! What else happened in the finale? Who cares, it obviously sucked wayy too much. Surprising? Yes. Notorious stupid? Absolutely.
3. Reba - I know the CW cancelled it and they didn't have time to prep a finale of REBA sized proportions, but they could have done a little bit better. The last line "We're survivors" by Reba was the saving grace. Love me some Reba!
4. Frasier - Frasier starts over in Chicago? Awful. Why could't the fans of Roz and Frasier be satisfied. I mean, i know it's predictable, but it's what i wanted. Frasier should have been with Roz...anything else is less than the show.
5. 90210 - What else happened other than Donna and David getting married? I mean, Dylan and Kelly semi get back together. But, if you asked me, i always hated Kelly and Dylan. I MUCH prefered Dylan and Brenda, and Kelly and Brendan. And what's with them bringing Valerie back (who i loved, don't get me wrong) but not bringing Brendan or Brenda back for Donna and David's wedding, Just sloppy, considering the entire show was about Brendan and Brenda and the Walshes in the first place...(But, the show went considerably downhill when Brendan and Valerie left. They should have ended it then, not dragged it out for two more seasons.)

My thoughts on the final episode of the OC, The End's Not Near, It's Here.

It's been awhile since i've done one of these...since The Chrismukk-huh?, and i think that this will be the last time i'll post something like this. A few people have asked me to write something on the final episode, so here goes...If you know me you know i tend to write indepth and analyze the OC, and if you don't and you don't like it, you don't have to read it

Six Months Later
The episode opened six months after the earthquake. Had the episode picked up directly after the The Night Moves, i'm not so sure where the plot would have gone? Actually, i am sure; Here is what would have happened: The Cohens would have moved into Julie's, Ryan and Taylor would have tried to make it work, but ultimately they would have broken up, Seth and Summer would have started on their slump, Julie would have gotten pregnant and Frank would freaked out and left prompting Julie to get back with the Bullit, and...oh wait, all of that stuff happened. Had the jump not happened, the episode would have felt extremely rushed. As it was, i don't think the episode was rushed at all. It simply picked up six months after the earthquake. Everyone acted as if the earthquake was a distant memory, yet one that ultimately affected everything that happened within that six months, stuff that, if they had the time to show (had they made a full season) could have been great or it could have been boring, we'll never know. All we know is what they told us in the episode, and frankly, that's all i needed.

The first half of the episode, leading up to Julie's wedding cliffhanger, was incredible. It held the normalcy of any regular OC episode, except that along the way we had to learn what happened. In a way, it was exciting. It was as if with the earthquake Josh gave the characters, the viewers, and the show one last "blank slate," of sorts, to end on. Putting the pieces together of what happened with the characters, especially with Ryan/Taylor and Julie/Frank/Bullit. Julie being pregnant was an unexpected twist...i had to rewind my DVR during the episode to actually make sure that i heard "morning sickness" come out of Kirsten's mouth when talking to Julie. Everything about this episode was great. Ryan and Seth going to Berkeley to get back the Cohen's first house was really sweet and showed the strong family bonds, the gay waiter from the first season being the one to actually live in that house was such a cool nod to the first season too. In a lot of ways the finale mirrored The Ties That Bind.

One of the best and most touching moments was when Summer gave Julie the locket with Marissa's picture in it and says "I know she'd want to be here for you" and they both start crying into each others arms. It was beautiful and a wonderful moment between the two of them, just enough acknowledgement of Marissa for me.

What Happens Next?
In the middle of the episode we're left with a nice little cliffhanger with who Julie will choose...will it be Frank, the father of her child? or Bullit, the guy she doesn't love? Neither, and it's about time too. Throughout the show, since the very first episode Julie has been completely dependent on the men in her life. From her asking Jimmy to constantly fund her and Kaitlins monetary dalliances, to her secretly dating Caleb and asking him to help get her back into Newport scene in The Perfect Couple, to marrying for money (The Ties That Bind), and then back to Jimmy (twice - The Sno.C., The Dearly Beloved), falling for Dr. Roberts (The Heavy Lifting) and then taking his house from him (The Cold Turkey), to being with Bullit because of money and how he acted with Kaitlin. Granted, she actually loved Frank, but throughout all four seasons, we have seen Julie grow into a self-sufficient, emotionally stable, kind person. Yes, she still has hre maniplutive qualities (like with NewMatch and Kirsten and the prostitution ring storyline) but Julie has grown so much that to see her finally be able to walk away from a man and be single shows her character coming full circle. This is the episode that proves her transformation into a round character; someone who is now able to spread her wings and rely on only herself.

Ryan and Taylor semi-get back together. It's never actually confirmed, but its implied that they stay together. You can tell through Taylors usual long-winded explanation to the customs guy at the airport that they never really had a real reason for breaking up, just their usual crap, so obviously when they see each other anyone could tell that they still had feelings for each other, even though both parties tried to deny it. And when they finally rip each others clothes off at Julie's wedding, it was the moment that all Ryan/Taylor fans have been waiting for. I've always thought they had great chemisty, and them paired together was always one of the great things that was refreshing and healthy about the fourth season. They stayed together through Taylor going back to Paris, but who really knows? I'm sure that they weren't official, and that they became like any other normal couple when geography plays a part in their relationship. Sure they love each other...but they probably didn't remain together, solidly for the rest of their lives...not exlcusively anyway.

Seth and Summer finally make some healthy choices. Seth allowing Summer to go was great symbollically, as he has spent so much time in the show trying to get her to stay with him, he was able to let her go, which was so poetic. Their goodbye was really sweet and you could tell that she honestly thought that he was her destiny. Flapjacks was wicked cute also! Anyway, their goodbye shows how much has really changed in these characters, how Seth couldn't even handle Ryan leaving in the first season, but now, he has grown so much that he is able to let Summer go for a year on the road AND be able to say goodbye to Ryan.

Kirsten and Sandy and Baby Sophie Rose live happily ever after. Josh did that nod to Berkeley that he said he was going to do, which was cool. I thought the whole giving birth to Sophie in the same house that Seth grew up in was a really nice touch. Them moving to Berkeley was great, and since Sandy has wanted to leave Newport since the first season, it was a great way for Josh to have the characters move on with their lives.

The Final Montage: Encompassing All Four Seasons
The final montage was some of the most touching moments ever. When Ryan says goodbye to the Cohens, and then walks into the empty house, the house that gave him a new start, the first house that was really a home to him. Reflecting back on his first time in the house and the poolhouse, meeting Seth, having the Cohens adopt him officially...it was all too much for me to handle. It was brilliantly done, poetic, very well edited, and extremely well scripted. Josh knew what he was doing with everything, and he did it brilliantly. Everything encompassed all four years and the show so well, and when they flashed Marissa across the screen, showing that even now, Marissa is the last thing he sees when he leaves Newport, which is another way of him letting her go. Seeing Marissa for the last time just completely closes the show so well for me. (I actually gasped when i saw Marissa from the pilot episode in the montage...i was so sad).

There is so much to talk about within the final five minutes, but the best part is Ryan finding that kid, who was just like him, at the end. Life is a Song by Partick Park was the best song they could have possibly used. I can't imagine any other song. Great editing...perfect.

Where Do We Go From Here?
Kaitlin goes off to college and seems to put her full potential out there, which is great. Julie gets her degree and continues to be on her own. Frank is involved in his new son's life (which shows him changed from the Frank Ryan knew growing up). Sandy became a law professor. Seth and Summer finally got married. But the real questions are: What exactly happens with Ryan? And the answer is: Everything and anything! What we're supposed to get out of it is that Ryan lived because of the Cohens, sort of the same way that Marissa lived three extra years because of Ryan. The show is, was, and always will be about Ryan and his chance at a new life with the Cohens. The purpose of the final montage was to show that Ryan lived his life. He went on to Berkeley like he always wanted to, he graduated, he became an architect like he wanted to...he lived. The Cohens gave him that chance, and the final montage was to show how much he (and everyone else) has changed from the pilot episode. Ryan and Taylor looked at each other at Summer and Seth's wedding, which indicated that they still had feelings for each other, and perhaps they were still together, who knows. It's implied by their looks that they still loved each other, and it parallels what happened earlier in the episode at Julie's wedding when they get back together and said that they would make it work whatever. Who was Ryan talking to on the phone at the end? We can easily presume that it is his wife or at least a girlfriend that he lives with, and they purposely left it open ended so that Ryan/Taylor fans could easily be assured that Ryan and Taylor end up together (which is what i feel), and that fans who didn't want R/T together could think that Ryan simply moved on...although through the parallels between earlier in the show and the montage itself, it is implied that Ryan and Taylor are in fact together in the end. But the best part is, is that everything is closed, yet open-ended at the same time. We can fill in important details for ourselves of what happened between the Cohen's moving to Berkeley and Ryan finding the kid. I think Ryan and Taylor are happily together. They probably were finally in a place (at Summer and Seths wedding) where both of them had lived their lives seperate from each other but were finally ready for each other...the look they gave each other was unmistakable...i think that they are together in the end, that she is the one he is on the phone with at the end.

In conjunction with that, Ryan finding that kid at the end was brilliant. It was so symbolic, and definitely made the show come full circle, from beginning to end, and gave all four seasons meaning and importance.

All in all, i thought that episode was far from rushed, it was brilliant. Everything about it was extremely well put together. It may have seemed rushed only because it skipped ahead, but it wasn't. Did the Dawson's finale seem rushed? Nope. Maybe because it was two hours long, but FOX wasn't kind enough to give Josh two hours, and out of the one alotted hour, Josh created a spectacular finale, one that encompassed all four seasons wonderfully. Well done, and goodbye OC.

Life is a song, but you're scared to sing along until the very ending. Farewell OC, one of the most well-written and best edited shows on television. So much of my life is owed to this show, and i couldn't have asked for a better run and i couldn't have asked for someone as incredibly talented as Josh Schwartz. Thank Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Melinda Clarke, Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, Autumn Reeser, Willa Holland, Alan Dale, Tate Donovan, Chris Carmack and all of the great guest cast including Samaire Armstrong, Logan Marshall-Green, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Righetti, Taylor Handley, Chris Pratt, Michael Cassidy, Navi Rawat, Cam Gigandet, Gary Grubbs, Kevin Sorbo and everyone else associated with the show including Stephanie Savage and most importantly Josh Schwartz! Thank you for creating the best possible finale with great closure!

As a whole, the season was really not that bad. I hadn't seen the episodes since they originally aired, so it's exciting to re-watch them, especially after i spent the last few months rewatching the season 1 & 2 DVD's in anticipation of getting Season 3 for Christmas.

So, let's start with the one major trend i noticed which tended to bring down the episodes as wholes: the lack of music. If you notice, there is always background music, that faint little jingle in the background of every scene throughout the first two seasons is gone in the third. I know it seems like something little, but it really makes a difference in the viewing. The third season, in the episodes where there is no music throughout much of the episodes, they come off boring, and - dare i say - hollow. Another major difference between seasons 1, 2, and 4 is the editing within the episodes. Season 4 is fantastic in reference to the editing of the episodes, but some episodes of season 3 are ridiculously horrible...whether due to the fact that Josh Schwartz was very minimally involved in the production of the episodes or whatever it was...some of the episodes were just horribly put together. Take, for example, The Aftermath, which has infamously gone down as the worst episode of the O.C. That episode had some great ideas and great scenes; the scenes with Marissa, Ryan, Seth and Summer on the beach is one of my all-time favorite OC scenes, and the opening sequence of the episode (Ryan's dream) was perfectly done...until we realize Ryan was dreaming, which takes away from its powerful effect...it should have opened with Ryan's dream and then rolled to credits, everything following. The scenes jumped around in that episode, they didn't have flow, which is really important, especially in a show like this where continuity is essential.

On to episode two, The Shape of Things to Come. This episode is actually one of my all-time favorite OC episodes. It was wonderfully scripted, acted, the music was on point. It made the premiere look like a joke. The introduction of Taylor is something i'll always remember, as her character is unlike any other on the show. The ferris wheel scene was great, especially with Dean Hess and Taylor standing right behind him. I just cannot get enough of this episode. I loved that they kicked Marissa and Ryan out of Harbor, which made for great potential in future storylines. Episode three, The End of Innocence, marks a landmark for Ryan and Marissa, where they finally sleep together. This is another fantastic episode, an episode that should have marked the beginning of a GREAT season, but unfortunately, one of the many downfalls of season 3 was that virtually every episode was written by a different writer, which resulted in a serious lack of continuity between episodes, which was shown in the fourth episode The Last Waltz. I do like this episode alot, but we went from a happy Ryan and Marissa, who finally slept together, facing adversity headon together, to an uncertain future for the couple. For me, i knew that something HUGE was going to happen to Marissa or Ryan/Marissa within this season because of this episode. To dissect the episode, we start with Marissa meeting new friends, which was the obvious start for the Seth/Summer/Ryan threesome which was soon to come. Marissa blew off Ryan to go to the Newport Union dance, and she didnt even invite Ryan to come...now, i can understand wanting to meet new friends and doing anything to get said friends, but she could have invited Ryan to the dance, so everyone can get to know everyone, as opposed to Marissa suddenly excluding Ryan, which didn't even happen during the Oliver story-arc. This is to me, was the start of their downfall. Another indication to this is the name of the episode. The Last Waltz. By association, a waltz is something elegant, something proud and seemingly effortless, and the way Ryan and Marissa acted with each was nothing of the sort, added to that, their "song" that they danced to was "Forever Young," and when you read the lyrics, it seems to hint at Marissa's eventual death, especially since we know how season 3 ends, this episode just seems to be a bit of foreshadowing to that. Also, i didn't mind Johnny and Chili at first, either...i thought they were pretty good inclusions. Did their stories go on a bit too much, YES, but for awhile his storyline was not bad.

While episodes 2, 3 and 4 were great episodes, the season takes a turn for the worse during the fifth. The Perfect Storm was just a horrendous episode. The Charlotte storyline, which in my opinion was the WORST story-arc the show has ever seen, was another reason why the beginning of season 3 was lackluster in comparison to the last two. The only thing that made this episode hold on was Summer/Taylor banter and how Sandy wheeled his powers to get Ryan back into Harbor. The thing i hated was Ryan's storyline in this episode. Fishing? Come on...Marissa was great though, because she let Ryan go with Theresa back to Chino in season one when she needed him, but she needed to tell him how she felt and give it to him hard, so bravo to her. But Ryan trying to leave his problems behind to go fishing just seems like such a reverse in his character, and not only that, but its such a cop-out and sticks out as completely out of the blue. The editing in this episode was completely tragic, as well. I remember initially watching this episode on TV and thinking that this was the start of the shows downfall. Episode 6, The Swells, was a pretty good episode, with the party at Chili's, Summer and Ryans interactions, Seth and Taylor and the senior lock in. This episode marks Taylors come-around, which is great and marks a pivotal point in her character. I like Volchok alot and he had potential to really stir up trouble, which happens later, obviously. Episode 7, The Anger Management, was a valiant effort and definitely TRIES to uncover new territory for the characters. I love how Ryan tried to control his anger and used his brain over his fists. Julie stood up Charlotte and one of the best lines of the show was born "there's only room for one manipulative b*tch," and Taylor trying to break up S/S was also hilarious. It seemed that with these two episodes that the show was trying to keep itself from drowning from the horrendous The Perfect Storm, and it succeeded. These episodes are entertaining, and definitely good OC episodes, not the best, but not bad either.

Episodes 8 The Gameplan, 10 The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah, 11 The Safe Harbor and 12 The Sister Act were also some great episodes with great writing. The Gameplan was hilarious and had some great Ryan/Marissa moments. The Chrimukkah episode was one of the better episodes of the season; Josh Schwartz wrote it, and you can tell. He knows his characters and it comes across as genuine. The Safe Harbor was undoubtedly the best episode of the season, one of the best of the series, imo, and The Sister Act, where Kaitlin returns is awesome as well...It's remarkable how much Willa Holland looks like both Julie and Marissa, and she acts just like Marissa, but she is totally mini-Julie. Now, i must say that Johnny's storyline should have ENDED with The Safe Harbor when Ryan and him part ways. There was no need at all for his story to continue on -- what? for Marissa and Ryan to have troubles? to kill him off the show? There was no need and that was my main criticism of the writers and Season 3 as a whole. Also, the way everyone treated Seth and his smoking pot was ridiculous and so uncalled for. Now, i don't smoke pot often but i have and i know people who do it; it's a pretty big habit and it's really not damaging as the writers tried to make it out to be - so unrealistic. Now if Seth was doing anything else i would have been OK with everyone trying to rally around Seth, but it is only pot. Anyway...

And then the season gets sloppy and weird and very unwatchable. There are a few VERY key reasons why much (not all) of the rest of the season is watchable, and they are Taylor, Kaitlin, and the Julie-Neil relationship. Johnny's death was very much a relief, but brough with it another Oliver-type aftermath. Once was enough, we didn't need another Oliver type storyline, but we got one...Ryan met Sadie (this years Theresa) and Marissa went off the deep end (as per usual)...but all of this could have been avoided.

What Worked this Season:

• Ryan's Storylines (getting kicked out of Harbor, getting back in, managing his anger, trusting Marissa - even when she didn't deserve it, the bar mitzvah, helping Johnny, interning at the Newport Group, learning to become a better boyfriend and a more open person - even if it was Sadie who got him there, Berkely, his mom, Marissa, his interactions with Seth and especially Summer
  
• The whole second and third episodes
• Taylor Townsend
• The return of Mini-Coop
• Ryan and Marissa actually happy
• Seth and Summer working as a team
• Kirsten's storylines. I LOVED her this season, she went from being the ice queen to someone who is warm and caring. Her and Sandy were really really cute this season, and to those who say that Kirsten had no storyline, i suggest you re-watch the season. NEWMATCH!
  
• Julie Cooper and the Trailer park - hilarious. The Gus lines are forbidden - i hated this chick! How could Ryan do that to Marissa, and how could Marissa move on so quickly, which brings about the next major issue:
• Continuity. For soul mates, neither Ryan or Marissa seemed interested in sticking it out with eachother. In The Perfect Storm Ryan didn't go out to sea because he said "i don't know where my future is, but i know it's with you and not on some boat in the middle of the ocean" yet Marissa was leaving Newport and Ryan to go sailing with her dad...she obviously didn't feel the same way, yet we were made to believe she did, and neither of them invested the time to work it out.
  
• The editing of *some* of the episodes was so poor...The O.C. is a great show that deserves 100%
  
• Johnny's storyline. First off, he should not have been a main focus of the teen storyline. I mean, we couldn't go 2 minutes without hearing his name, or seeing his b*tch-boy crying face. His story should not have been so large, and it should have ended at The Safe Harbor.
• Sandy and his becoming Caleb, with Henry Griffin and getting mixed up with the Hospital stuff.
  
• Seth and his pot addiction/lying to Summer...wtf was that about.
• Marissa choosing to spend time with Johnny over Ryan, her new friends over her best friends, Volchok over Summer.
• Marissa's downward spiral. With the Alex relationship during season 2, and finally becoming 'friends' with Ryan at the end of season 2, Marissa showed great improvement and a greater maturity. Yes, she had alot to deal with with Trey and the shooting, but she should have talked to Ryan about it. They could have worked it out...but the writers were determined to kill her chances. Now, yes, i am a Marissa fan, but i'm not delusional. Marissa was ridiculous this season, but she did show some improvement, which was taken away. I just hated how when she crashed with Volchok, she really really crashed hard and went deeper into a spiral then ever before.
  
• Matt Ramsey - I hated him and his stories, he just brought Sandy down...and him and Marissa thing was just weird.

Luckily for season 3, the showed picked back up to its full glory with episode 22, The College Try and continued on to The Graduates. These four episodes were fantastic and really showed what the show was made of. I liked the idea Marissa/Volchok, but it could have been done different. I liked Volchoks character in a way, but he was too bad. There are things i liked about every episode, and i feel that this season was a buffer for the fantastic season four. It was a great bridge to get the show out of the land of predictability, and in the end had some great stories and introduced some great characters. Marissa was a beloved character, but her death was very symbollic, and that finale episode will forever be my favorite finale, it was so bittersweet and symbollic, well done, well scripted, and well edited. The good storylines were great, however the bad storylines were pretty bad. I just wish they would have given Ryan/Marissa a real shot within the season. But Josh did a brave thing in killing off Marissa, and i stand him and his creation. He is a creator, a writer, an artist, and he knows what's best for his characters...and an even better show has come from it.

Season one was a great set up and forbidden>All in all, all four seasons represent a whole story, and thats why i LOVE The O.C.