Final Seasons

Within the last year, we have seen some of the best television shows of this generation come to an end. OZARK and BETTER CALL SAUL called it quits, forcing us to say goodbye to largely deplorable characters whose absence will leave a permanent void in our viewing lives. Unlike the constraints that used to be placed on popular programs (my beloved LOST being the prime example of this) whose popularity dictated the length of their run, there is more freedom now for producers to dictate the tenure of their series.This allows for the story and characters to have (for the most part) a beginning, middle, and end. Currently, three of the best shows on television are nearing the end of their respective runs, with each wrapping up on their own terms.

TED LASSO has the fewest number of episodes out of any program on this list, but star/producer/co-writer

Jason Sudeikis has maintained that the creative team always envisioned this particular story running for three seasons. Nearing the end of its run, it doesn’t exactly feel like we are marching towards a conclusion, and there have been plenty of rumors swirling that spin-offs may be on the horizon. This wouldn’t be hard to believe, as the supporting characters in TED LASSO have become just as important as the titular character. In fact, over the first half of the current season, it often feels as if Ted (Sudeikis) has taken a backseat, while the likes of Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddinham), Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) have become just as important. Given the fact that each episode only clocks in around the 30-minute mark, it’s difficult for any of them to stand on their own given the constraints.

Despite this, TED LASSO remains a lovable and utterly charming comedy in an age when darkness often takes center stage. The other two titles on this list are perfect examples of this, which makes the darling of Apple TV all the more appealing. Sudeikis has emerged as about the most likable character that has ever existed, exuding positivity and charm with each spoken word of dialogue. He is perpetually and endearingly hokey, but this has rung true from the first second of the show to the last. There are multiple laugh out loud moments in every episode, and enough off-kilter pop culture references that decoding them all feels like a game within itself.

BARRY features plenty of obscure references of its own, but its tone is a far cry from good ol’ TED. Now in its fourth and final season, the comedy has shifted much more towards drama as a reckoning comes for veteran-turned-hitman Barry (Bill Hader.) As an audience, we always knew this was coming. At some point, the body count and horror that Barry has inflicted upon others had to catch up with him, and it appears that this time as finally come.

Hader, who has his hand in every aspect of the show including directing all of the episodes of the final season, has crafted an ever-evolving series that at times exudes genuine hilarity and then within seconds (sometimes even within the same scene) delivers heartbreaking agony. From the beginning we’ve understood that he is a killer whose life experiences have completely destroyed him, and though he yearns for redemption, forgiveness, and love, we’ve always known that it is unlikely that he’ll ever fully have all of these things.

Like TED LASSO, the supporting characters and performances in BARRY are exemplary. Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Henry Winkler all deliver careerdefining turns, which is not something that can be said lightly, particularly given the expansive and iconic resumes of Root and Winkler. Each and every one of the aforementioned cast members could justifiably be nominated for an Emmy, and I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility that they could.

The same argument can be made for the cast of SUCCESSION. The savage dramedy about a wealthy family and their unwavering thirst for power only has a few episodes to go and it has not faltered for a single moment. It is overflowing with slimy, seedy characters that will do anything to raise their stature and pad their bank accounts, without any regard for who they have to burn along the way. They are deplorable, horrifying individuals, yet as an audience, we can never get enough. Crafting insults and deception into an art form, every person has a part to play and ice in their veins as they attempt to rise above the others and emerge as the king or queen of a media empire.

Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Caulkin, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, and Alan Ruck are all superb, embodying individuals that you would hate in real life, yet reluctantly adore on the screen. It is impossible to single out one character or performance that stands out amongst the others, as the cohesion of the ensemble is what makes the show so irresistible and addicting. Together they provide a glimpse into a world of opulence and betrayal, set amidst dazzling locales and accompanied by what may very well be the most haunting and beautiful theme music of this century. Virtually every episode in SUCCESSION’s run has been better than the one that preceded it, and like most modern masterpieces, it longs to keep viewers talking long after the final episode has aired.

by Brian Miller