Whatever happened to happy endings?

[It's Not Lupus]

It's almost a requirement for a popular TV show to end on a sad, shitty note. Happy endings are cliche, but now sad endings are overused, and plot twists are expected. The modern audience has seen it all.

But it's just so bad when a show has a sad ending just for the sake of not having happy ending. Dexter and now How I Met Your Mother come to mind. I get that it can be more about the journey than the destination, but why not have both?

Also, it was surprisingly refreshing how straightforward season 1 of True Detective was.

 

[ElFenix]

Happy Endings was canned, Wayans Jr. is back on New Girl as Coach.

 

[Colt45]

the ending of dexter wasn't sad, it was retarded.


i think it reflects general mood.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Republicans made them illegal.





















Oh, you meant movies. My bad.

 

[KB]

HIMYM ended happy in a way.

Spoiler

Yeah it was sad that we find out the mother passed, but he got with Robin in the end, which he had been trying to do forever.

I think its hard to end on a happy note when something is ending. People want closure, happiness isn't required.

 

[z1ggy]

B/c writers want to be clever and be rememered for something.

 

[surfsatwerk]

L/R is <------------------- over there and they already have a thread on this.

 

[techs]

HIMYM ended happy in a way.

Spoiler

Yeah it was sad that we find out the mother passed, but he got with Robin in the end, which he had been trying to do forever.

I think its hard to end on a happy note when something is ending. People want closure, happiness isn't required.

Spoiler

"How I Met Your Step-Mother"

 

[Fritzo]

Yeah! And What ever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV? Everywhere you look , everywhere you go there's a heart...a hand to hold onto.

Everywhere you look , everywhere you go. There's a face of somebody who needs you.

Everywhere you look, when you're lost out there and you're all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home...

Everywhere you look.



source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

 

[momeNt]

Happy Endings was canned, Wayans Jr. is back on New Girl as Coach.

You didn't really read OP did you? Get it together man.

 

[dank69]

...

Oh, you meant movies. My bad.

Yeah this thread is disappointing.

 

[MetalMat]

Yeah! And What ever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV? Everywhere you look , everywhere you go there's a heart...a hand to hold onto.

Everywhere you look , everywhere you go. There's a face of somebody who needs you.

Everywhere you look, when you're lost out there and you're all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home...

Everywhere you look.



source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" meets "Full House"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ForaBSjKXic

 

[Fritzo]

Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" meets "Full House"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ForaBSjKXic

LOL

On a side note, I could have swore it said "even MTV" and not "evening TV". My eyes have been opened.

 

[Oyeve]

First sad unnecessary ending was in killing off the father in "The Wonder years". I was like, WTF?!?!? And he still nevers gets Winnie.

 

[poofyhairguy]

How I Met Your Mother

Ted survived and passed on his genes. It was going to be a sad ending a few seasons in when we figured out how lame Ted was.

First sad unnecessary ending was in killing off the father in "The Wonder years". I was like, WTF?!?!? And he still nevers gets Winnie.

That is one of the best TV show endings of all time.

 

[notposting]

My wife and I were discussing Castle the other day -- hoping maybe next season is the last before it really goes downhill. And they better not break them up to add drama either, just go out happy and on top.

 

[poofyhairguy]

My wife and I were discussing Castle the other day -- hoping maybe next season is the last before it really goes downhill. And they better not break them up to add drama either, just go out happy and on top.

He deserves a happy ending after Firefly.

 

[SamQuint]

I thought the end of Little House on the Prarie was lame. I think someone swindled the town away from the people of Walnut Grove or something so the town decided that it would be better to blow up the town themselves rather than have those people take it.

I think luckily most shows end without some big final episode.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

the ending of dexter wasn't sad, it was retarded.


i think it reflects general mood.

Yup!

It would have made more sense if he became a astronaut or something more retarded than what they made him.

Battlestar Galactica's (newer one) ending was....weird.

Breaking Bad's ending was pretty open ended.

 

[Midwayman]

They still have them if you know the right massage parlors.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Elisha Cuthbert is so fucking hot.

 

[02ranger]

Yup!

It would have made more sense if he became a astronaut or something more retarded than what they made him.

Battlestar Galactica's (newer one) ending was....weird.

Breaking Bad's ending was pretty open ended.

How do you mean? It seemed pretty final to me........

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It wasn't so depressing. Yeah, maybe not the fairy tale, but most people who were fans of the show thought that Ted and Robin belonged together.

 

[smackababy]

How do you mean? It seemed pretty final to me........

I think it was exceptionally well written. Mr. White had become the villain and got his credit. Sure, it was sad he died, but he tied up all this loose ends. His money will go to his family, Jesse will be free, and all his "debts" will be settled. Was it a happy ending? Sort of, depending on how you look at it. It was sad Mr. White was finished (and that the series was over), but it was happy in that everything was complete.

Most shows can't do that.


At least, those with a sad ending actually get a finale. The real sad endings are those shows cancelled mid season.

 

[02ranger]

I think it was exceptionally well written. Mr. White had become the villain and got his credit. Sure, it was sad he died, but he tied up all this loose ends. His money will go to his family, Jesse will be free, and all his "debts" will be settled. Was it a happy ending? Sort of, depending on how you look at it. It was sad Mr. White was finished (and that the series was over), but it was happy in that everything was complete.

Most shows can't do that.


At least, those with a sad ending actually get a finale. The real sad endings are those shows cancelled mid season.

I thought it was an excellent finale too. There have only been a couple shows I watch I was really satisified with the ending to, and Breaking Bad was one of them. I also really liked the way House ended. I've got a much longer list of disappointing endings, though.