Plenty of Netflix shows have had finales that disappointed fans who stuck with the series all the way through. Sex Education, Ozark, and, most recently, Stranger Things all fit under this umbrella. Emotional beats rang false, payoffs to setups landed with thuds, the writing seemed to be a little off, characters made decisions that felt off base, important characters were killed off in a way that feels flat, there are many forms a finale can take that disappoint. Just look at Seinfeld. Not a Netflix original series, of course, but still a classic thought to be masterful almost all the way through that nonetheless had an absolute flop of a finale.
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But these following Netflix shows? They completed the difficult task of sticking the landing. If you were to ask every fan of the series how they felt about the final episode, at least 95% of them would say something along the lines of “It didn’t disappoint.”
5) Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai (which moved to Netflix starting with Season 3) aired its sixth and final season in three parts, meaning fans had to wait extra-long to get to the end. It was like Stranger Things, except Cobra Kai didn’t disappoint a portion of its fanbase.
In “Ex-Degenerate,” Johnny Lawrence takes on Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan, Mortal Kombat). It seems as though the fight is going Wolf’s direction, because he keeps cheating, but then Johnny has a tender moment with former adversary Daniel LaRusso, who gives him the pep talk he needs. Johnny comes out on top, we get most of the series’ fan-favorite characters getting happy endings, and Johnny and Daniel ultimately collaborate on training students in both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. It’s the show coming full circle and paying off not just the show’s six season run, but the original Karate Kid film as well.
4) The Crown
The epic multi-period piece The Crown was a show that didn’t take its own success to mean that it should stick around longer than it needed to. It had a specific tale to tell and didn’t drag itself out telling it just to squeeze another season in at the end.
With “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” The Crown gives a heartstring tugging farewell to Queen Elizabeth, who had died in real life just over a year before Season 6 aired. Imelda Staunton’s older version of the real-life figure has to reconcile with her middle-aged self (Olivia Colman) and younger self (Claire Foy) as she prepares to embrace with what comes after life. It’s a beautiful bow to tie on the whole thing.
3) The Haunting of Hill House
Probably the apex of Mike Flanagan’s projects for Netflix, The Haunting of Hill House is a consistently atmospheric and well-acted string of 10 episodes. That applies to the finale just as much as the other nine episodes.
“Silence Lay Steadily” shines a light on just what the Red Room is and how it can tailor its terrors to the individual’s specific fears. Timothy Hutton’s Hugh Crain makes a sacrifice for his children. The Crain children get past their differences as estranged siblings and unite. It all is emotionally satisfying.
2) Dark
Dark isn’t always the easiest show on the planet to follow, but it was and remains one of Netflix’s greatest sci-fi works. It also received a ton of acclaim throughout its three-season run, just 26 episodes in total.
As for the finale, “Paradise,” fans and critics alike lauded its emotional payoffs and true to the characters. We lose people from the alternate timelines, but in the process, we also avoid multi-dimensional catastrophe, and that comes from a personal sacrifice that plays as both organic and devastating. Just as important, the finale confirms the notion that the show could always balance character studying with lofty concepts.
1) BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman‘s final two episodes, “The View from Halfway Down” and “Nice While It Lasted,” aren’t just a satisfying wrap-up for the series, they’re two of the best episodes of the entire series. And the entire series was remarkably consistent throughout all six seasons.
In the latter episode, BoJack is granted furlough while serving his 14-month prison sentence so he can attend Princess Carolyn and Judah’s wedding. He reconnects with Todd and shows himself to be someone who genuinely thinks prison has been good for him, and that he’s glad to be sober and eager to make amends for his past misdeeds. He then has a conversation with the love of his life, Diane Nguyen, who tells him she’s married, but also that some people are meant to enter the lives of others and, even though they change said lives, don’t stick around forever. It’s a seriously deep finale and will probably always be the best in animated comedy history.
Which of these was your favorite Netflix finale? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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