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Intractable

(1,809 posts)
Mon Feb 16, 2026, 04:52 PM 15 hrs ago

The best sci-fi shows with the worst finales.

Discussion of Smallville, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, The Prisoner, and Star Trek: Enterprise.

I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in the article. They are some of my favorite shows (not Stranger Things and Smallville).

It needs to be mentioned that despite the time problems, the ending of Babylon 5 (truly one of the greatest shows) was mind-blowingly, heart-wrenchingly amazing!

The article doesn't go far enough in slamming the finale of the Prisoner. (They had many, many problems filming and producing the finale. It's jarringly inconsistent with the rest of the series. Who else could Number One be? Of course, it was going to be him.)

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/worst-sci-fi-finales-ranked-stranger-things

But the finale that most irked me is the end of Miami Vice.

We see Crockett, Tubbs, and Castillo squaring off against a dozen corrupt Feds, guns drawn, about to fire ... then a commercial break ... then Crockett and Tubbs saying good-bye.

For 40 years, I have wanted to know what happened with the Feds!

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The best sci-fi shows with the worst finales. (Original Post) Intractable 15 hrs ago OP
agree and disagree Eugene 14 hrs ago #1
Battlestar Galactica and THe Prisoner LogDog75 12 hrs ago #2
Firefly Easterncedar 9 hrs ago #3
Firefly was a ratings tragedy due to 9-11 and the superbowl, if I recall. Intractable 9 hrs ago #4
He killed off the Alan Tudyk character Easterncedar 8 hrs ago #5
It wasn't the series finale, but the last episode of season 2 of 'Millennium' was an incredible cliffhanger. LudwigPastorius 7 hrs ago #6
I remember watching Millenium and really liking it. Intractable 5 hrs ago #7

Eugene

(66,973 posts)
1. agree and disagree
Mon Feb 16, 2026, 05:04 PM
14 hrs ago

4. Babylon 5 - It fits the larger story. Season 5 is the square peg in the round hole.

2. The Prisoner - I liked it. It's a conclusion that raises as many questions as it answers.

1. Star Trek: Enterprise - yes, that was a slap in the face

LogDog75

(1,191 posts)
2. Battlestar Galactica and THe Prisoner
Mon Feb 16, 2026, 08:00 PM
12 hrs ago

It's been awhile since I watched Battlestar Galactica but from what I remember, they were fleeing the Cylons and trying to find Earth. At the end, the find an Earth-like planet and groups breakup and go their separate ways. If it was Earth, was it before humans populated the planet and we are descended from them. Or, did they find an Earth-like planet and do the same thing.

In The Prisoner, No. 6 is given a choice; become the new No.2 or be given his freedom. He chose his freedom. His journey from The Village to London is weird. But the very end of the episode, we see No. 6 and the Butler outside No. 6's flat. No. 6 gets into his car (which magically happens to be sitting there nice and clean) while the Butler stands on the flat's steps. When No. 6 drives away the front door opens buy itself the same way the front door in No 6's flat in The Village meaning he really didn't get away.

Intractable

(1,809 posts)
4. Firefly was a ratings tragedy due to 9-11 and the superbowl, if I recall.
Mon Feb 16, 2026, 10:30 PM
9 hrs ago

But, we got a concluding movie that was rather excellent.

Joss Whedon was a TV and movie genius. Too bad he turned out to be a creep.

Easterncedar

(5,895 posts)
5. He killed off the Alan Tudyk character
Mon Feb 16, 2026, 11:05 PM
8 hrs ago

I hated that.

Tudyk is great in the series Resident Alien, although the show is occasionally too gross for this old bird, so I stopped watching.

LudwigPastorius

(14,429 posts)
6. It wasn't the series finale, but the last episode of season 2 of 'Millennium' was an incredible cliffhanger.
Tue Feb 17, 2026, 12:38 AM
7 hrs ago

The way it was set up, it really seemed like the writers were going to go all-in for season 3 on the theological and occult allusions that the show had been building upon.

But, season 3 was the biggest let down of any series I've ever watched. So frustrating!

Intractable

(1,809 posts)
7. I remember watching Millenium and really liking it.
Tue Feb 17, 2026, 02:11 AM
5 hrs ago

A friend loaned his VHS tapes to me around 2003. But, I think there were only two seasons of tapes.

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