I originally wanted to have a post about the "best" and "worst" endings but immediately felt irritated because that's subjective and hard. (The best and worst ever?) Then I started thinking about how some endings leave you feeling bad and others leave you feeling good even if the majority of the content doesn't make you scream "BEST SHOW EVER" or "WORST BOOK EVER!" So instead, I want to know what endings left you feeling on the up and what left you feeling on the down. I've got my picks...
Books
On the up: Okay, this is a weird pick since the ending was actually pretty dark, and I've mentioned this book before, but whatever-- I'm going to say Gone Girl. I screamed. I needed to know what happened next. I had to drink wine to calm down. As a writer, I thought it was brilliant. It invigorated me and made me want to write. It may be the best ending I've read, ever? Is that too dramatic? Oh no, I used the word "best."
On the down: This book was actually great, and I don't think the ending was bad. I'm not sure if I would've done it differently, but it depressed the hell out of me. I'm talking about The Book Thief. The beloved character who dies at the end? After all the growth? And the main character's reaction? I was done. Didn't care about anything that happened next. Goodbye my heart.
Honorable mention for on the down: The Real Lolita. It's about-- you guessed it-- the real Lolita. This story is crazy and sad and true, and it haunted me for weeks. Why did I do that to myself? What did I expect, honestly? (Look it up if you enjoy being disturbed.)
Television
On the up: Parks and Rec, you guys. Usually finales are sad, boring, and you never want to watch them again. Characters leave and no one knows when they'll see each other. Characters leave in the Parks finale too, but through a series of flash forwards, we see that they reunite again and again, that they are in each other's lives FOREVER, and that the best truly is to come. Also, it's hilarious. No finale holds a candle.
On the down: Anyone who knows me knows my answer will always be Dexter. I will never not be furious about how they took such a unique, complex show and turned it into a soap opera, how they slaughtered character development, how everything the show was building up to was tossed out the window for something less interesting and definitely less satisfying. And don't even get me started on the UNFORGIVABLE DEATH! I went from wondering if I should buy a Blue Ray player to get the DVDs with all the extras to deciding I could never watch it again. I am truly a woman scorned.
Honorable mention for on the down: I saw The Wonder Years finale on Nick at Nite when I was thirteen and I'm not kidding, I blame it for jump-starting my junior high depression. I started re-watching the series years ago and was like, "The finale won't make me that sad this time! I'm a grown up!" And then half way through the series I was like, "Nope."
Almost-honorable mention for on the down that has changed because reboot: Will & Grace. I could not believe that those two would go twenty years without speaking--so depressing. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that the show comes back, and the whole thing was Karen's drug-induced dream. Still waiting for my Wonder Years reboot where Kevin and Winnie reconnect at their high school reunion...
Movies
On the up: I can think of many movies that leave me feeling great, but I'm going to give the edge to Clueless. The story line ends happily, yes, but the closing credits-- neon colors and General Public's "Tenderness?" It's just as much a part of the movie as the actual movie. I always sit and watch the whole thing until "Supermodel" comes on. Someone help me explain why this is so perfect and great, because I can't articulate it.
On the down: Bird Box. They are not okay! No one is okay! How long can they stay in that place? How will they
get food? Probably no one should reproduce, right, because unless you're blind, you won't be able to fend for yourself. What happens when the blind people age and die? Will they just have to
blind each other to keep going? How will they fight that thing, and what is it? Why was the tone like, "Everything's great now! There's butterflies here!" No!
Honorable Mention for on the down: How exactly is Love Actually a happy movie, you guys? Because it ends with
a singing little girl pointing to a boy? Am I the only one still crying for Snape's wife?!
Wow, I have an honorable mention for "on the down" in every category. Hope that doesn't mean I'm a negative person.
Your turn--tell me your picks!
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