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The 17 best TV series finales of all time, from 'The Americans' to '30 Rock'

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"The Americans" ended last week with an incredible, thrilling finale that was the perfect cap to a phenomenal series. 

Series finales are difficult. They require an ending, but not too much of an ending, and often don't go well. After "The Americans" blew us away, we're fondly looking back on some of the best series finales from the distant and recent past. 

Here, we collected some of the greatest series finales that left us shaken, happy, or confused in the best way possible.

Here are 17 of the best series finales of all time, from "M*A*S*H*" to "The Leftovers":

SEE ALSO: 'The Americans' ended with one of the greatest series finales ever, and it marks the end of TV's Golden Age

"M*A*S*H*"— season 11 episode 16, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

When it aired: February 28, 1983

After 11 years on the air, "M*A*S*H" lived up to expectations in its series finale. And it is still the most-watched TV series finale of all time. In the end, the characters finally get to go home, but that also means they won't be together anymore. It's a bittersweet ending that forever changed what a series finale for a TV show can be, because it doesn't always have to be the happiest ending possible.



"Cheers"— season 11 episode 26-28, "One for the Road"

When it aired: May 20, 1993

Besides the return of Diane, the series finale of "Cheers" is still so great because it isn't much different than a typical episode. All of the characters have similar problems: Jack and Diane get back together but then they break up (they were the original Ross and Rachel), and Cliff is annoying, as always. The series ends as most episodes of the show do: with the Cheers gang contemplating life at the bar. 



"Six Feet Under"— season 5 episode 12, "Everyone's Waiting"

When it aired: August 21, 2005

It's easy for a montage from the early aughts set to a indie song to age poorly, or just remind you of "Grey's Anatomy." But the "Six Feet Under" finale doesn't, after almost 13 years. It hammers in the theme of the show — death — but never feels ham-fisted. It shows the deaths of all the major characters on the show, but is somehow more sweet than sad. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker learned by embedding herself with The New York Times as it covered the first year of Trump's presidency

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  • Documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus looks at how The New York Times covered President Trump in his first year in office in "The Fourth Estate."
  • The four-part docuseries examines the inner workings of the paper's newsroom and the reporters getting the stories.
  • Garbus told Business Insider a big reason for doing the project was to show the importance of journalism in the "fake news" era.


Like many in the country, documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus (“What Happened, Miss Simone?”) was shocked when Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States. But what really fascinated her was how the media would be able to cover one of the most hostile presidents toward the press in modern times.

And when Trump went on a tirade on Twitter in November of 2016 about if he was going enter the building of the “failing” New York Times for an interview, the wheels began turning in Garbus' head.

“I thought, ‘What if I could be a fly on the wall at that meeting,’” she told Business Insider.

In that moment, Garbus had the idea for her next project: a look at how The New York Times, one of the most esteemed news outlets, would cover a president in the era of “fake news.”

In the four-part Showtime documentary series, “The Fourth Estate” (episode one aired Sunday), Garbus is given unprecedented access by the paper to chronicle its coverage of Trump during his first year in office. The filmmaker is there to capture some of the biggest stories about the Trump White House — from Michael Flynn’s resignation as national security adviser to James Comey’s firing as FBI director by Trump. And we are right there when breaking news happens or a reporter gets something extraordinary, like Trump calling the Times’ White House correspondent Maggie Haberman to comment on the collapse of the health care legislation in the Senate.

The docuseries is an interesting look at the reporters and editors who have been on a non-stop Trump news cycle the past year, and gives us a glimpse at how they use sources and gumshoe reporting to get the news out to the world, while still having some semblance of a personal life.

“I walked in there trying to understand the ecosystem, how it goes from a reporter having lunch with somebody to becoming a story that you then go back to the government for comment,” Garbus said. “That whole process was opaque to me and it was something that I learned along with our viewers.” 

How she got in the newsroom

Though Garbus got the "okay" from the heads of The New York Times to make the docuseries, she still had to get the permission of every single reporter and editor she wanted to film. Needless to say, not everyone was instantly receptive. But there were some that Garbus felt were pivotal to have.

“Maggie Haberman, she’s one of their star White House reporters and she’s also a really compelling character,” Garbus said. “She’s a working mom who lives in New York and is traveling down to DC and has incredible sources. She was important.”

the fourth estate 2Some of the most compelling moments throughout the series are when the camera is following Haberman. Having covered Trump since back in her days reporting at The New York Daily News, she’s in many ways the Trump decoder for the paper. She is the one they turn to in order to better understand the president and his behavior. But then Garbus also shows Haberman's personal life as a mother who is never home and has to continue on the Trump grind — even though she thought Trump would lose the election and promised her family once that happened she would be home more.

And then there’s the Times’ Washington correspondent, Michael S. Schmidt, who at first declined Garbus’ invitation to be in her project. Over time, he had second thoughts.

“You might tell he’s not in episode one, but then you see more of him in the episodes going forward,” Garbus said. “He was someone who was very wary and skeptical but then decided to play ball. I’m so happy he did because he was really one of the reporters that was getting so many scoops and advancing our knowledge of Trump and the investigations this past year.”

And Schmidt’s personal life is very different than Haberman's. He’s single and basically lives and breathes his beat. At one point in an episode, he says half jokingly that he doesn’t even have food in his refrigerator because he’s never there.

Garbus pinballs back and forth from the newsroom in New York City to the Washington, DC bureau — the latter being where a lot of the exciting breaking news takes place in “The Fourth Estate.”

She admitted the entire filming was not a comfortable experience. Often reporters would brush away her camera or run into a conference room if they were speaking to a source, but when news broke things got easier as the newsroom went into action and Garbus and her two crew members (some episodes are also directed by Jenny Carchman) would just react to what they were seeing.

It was when nothing was going on that the filmmakers stuck out like a sore thumb.

“You would be pointing your camera at someone refreshing their Twitter feed and that’s annoying,” Garbus said.

Disdain toward the press isn’t going to stop any time soon

Hanging over all the episodes in the docuseries is how the media is portrayed as a bunch of liars and fabricators by Trump.

Garbus shows this in a few different ways, from reporters interacting with Trump supporters to the eerie score throughout the series which is done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who have done scores for “The Social Network” and “Gone Girl”).

One of the big motivations for Garbus to do the project was to show just how much goes into a story actually making it to print.

“Every time the Times has a scoop related to, say, the FBI, they call the FBI for comment, you give them the opportunity [to comment],” Garbus said. “The sausage making in some way is very unglamorous but that’s what I really wanted to expose and demystify. I think there have been so many attacks on journalism, but the way these reporters make sure someone is on the level with them and the amount that they don’t put into the newspaper that they hear is pretty incredible.”

donald trump rally pennsylvaniaIn one of the most chilling moments of the docuseries, Garbus’ team follows a Times reporter to one of the rallies Trump did after he became president. At one moment, Trump bashes the media in the room and Garbus’ team, inside the press section, shows the crowd around them becoming more and more volatile toward the press. It’s an instance that Garbus believes isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

“You can’t built up the emotions of people and call out the press to people without inciting violence,” Garbus said. “I think there will be more instances like that and that’s really alarming. But these journalists are not afraid.”

And Garbus wants to continue looking at the press and Trump. Though “The Fourth Estate” has been wrapped for a while, she doesn’t rule out some kind of sequel either at the Times or another outlet.

“I think looking at the press right now is important,” she said. “We don’t know where this roller coaster ride we’re on will end, but many of us agree the press is an important partner to have on that ride.”

"The Fourth Estate" airs Sundays on Showtime, or stream the entire docuseries here.

SEE ALSO: 11 villains who should be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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8 details you might have missed on the latest episode of 'Westworld'

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO's "Westworld" season two, episode eight, "Kiksuya."

Many baffling mysteries were resolved on Sunday's episode of "Westworld" as we followed the powerful life of Akecheta — one of the first hosts built for the park who became fully conscious decades before Dolores or Maeve. 

As we watched new events from Westworld's past (all of which have been added to INSIDER's timeline guide here), questions about Arnold's maze, the Ghost Nation hosts, and more were answered.

Keep reading for a closer look at eight details you might have missed on "Westworld."

Since the episode focuses so heavily on Akecheta's journey, we should start by reminding you that he was one of the first hosts ever built.

Akecheta, Angela, and Dolores were part of the first group of hosts built by Arnold and Ford. Akecheta was with Angela when they first pitched the Westworld park to Logan Delos.



"Kiksuya"— the episode title this week — means "remember" in Lakota.

Akecheta and the other Native hosts in "Westworld" are all speaking Lakota. The episode's title connects Akecheta's journey to the way we were first introduced to Arnold's bicameral mind experiment for bootstrapping consciousness.

On the first season, Dolores heard Arnold's voice (which was really her own subconscious speaking to her) saying, "remember." This was the start of her retracing of the maze journey.



Arnold's plan for the hosts' gaining true consciousness started with the maze pattern. That's why Akecheta slowly "woke up" after finding the toy.

"I heard a new voice inside," Akecheta said. "But before I understood it, they took everything from me." 

That voice was his own subconscious waking up, just as Arnold had designed it to. He began remembering his past experiences as a host, and then Akecheta's encounter with Logan pushed him even further to understanding the true reality of his existence.

Part of Akecheta's subconscious coding might have even recognized Logan as the man he had met out in the real world prior to the park's opening and Arnold's death.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

John Oliver compares Trump's strategy against Mueller to OJ Simpson's murder trial defense

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  • John Oliver on Sunday compared President Trump's approach toward the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation to OJ Simpson's defense strategy in his 1995 murder trial. 
  • The "Last Week Tonight" host noted that support for Mueller's investigation has declined in public opinion polls as Trump and Fox News anchors like Sean Hannity continue to "discredit" the investigation. 
  • Oliver called Trump "a sociopathic, misogynist millionaire, evolved from celeb to undeserving folk hero, who suddenly has evidence piling up he may have done something terrible, and puts the whole system on trial."
  • "It's basically the story of OJ all over again," he said. "Trump is going full OJ and it's working."

"Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver on Sunday addressed the latest developments of the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into President Trump's 2016 election campaign, which Oliver has for several episodes labeled "Stupid Watergate."

Trump and his supporters, including Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, have routinely referred to the investigation as a "witch hunt." But as Oliver noted, this investigation is a "witch hunt" that has already produced several guilty pleas and indictments

"If this is a witch hunt, then witches exist," Oliver said.

Oliver said support for Mueller's Russia investigation has declined in public opinion polls as Trump and Fox News have continually tried to "discredit" the investigation.

The "Last Week Tonight Host" played clips showing how Hannity "paints a picture that the investigation is itself one gigantic scandal."

In calling Trump "a sociopathic, misogynist millionaire, evolved from celeb to undeserving folk hero, who suddenly has evidence piling up he may have done something terrible, and puts the whole system on trial," Oliver compared Trump's approach toward the investigation to the defense strategy of OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial.

"It's basically the story of OJ all over again," he said. "Trump is going full OJ and it's working."

Watch the segment below:

SEE ALSO: Trump won't stop ripping up papers, so staffers have to literally tape them back together 'like a jigsaw puzzle'

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Jennifer Lopez says she's not rushing into marriage with Alex Rodriguez: 'I've made plenty of mistakes in my past'

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jennifer lopez and alex rodriguez met gala 2018

  • An interview with Jennifer Lopez appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday.
  • During the segment, Lopez spoke about her relationship with Alex Rodriguez, who she has been dating since 2017.
  • Lopez said that she's not ready to tie the knot with Rodriguez just yet, because she's "made plenty of mistakes in my past."
  • Lopez added that they're going to "do things at our own pace," rather than make any hasty decisions.

 

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have been a steady Hollywood couple since they started dating in 2017, but the "Dinero" singer isn't ready to walk down the aisle any time soon.

During an interview that aired on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday, Lopez explained that she's not feeling the pressure of getting engaged to Rodriguez.

"We have to take our time," Lopez said. "I've made plenty of mistakes in my past. We're mature now. We're grownups and we're going take our time and do things at our own pace."

Lopez added that her life is currently focused on her work and her two children, Max and Emme.

"We're truly blessed," she said. "We don't need anything more right now."

Questions about a wedding for Lopez and Rodriguez were sparked after Lopez released a track titled "El Anillo," which translates to "The Ring." Fans speculated that through the song, Lopez was dropping hints and encouraging Rodriguez to propose

In her "GMA," interview, Lopez explained the meaning behind the song. 

"It was written about the two of us, but it's not about the two of us," she said.

Lopez added: "I feel like they [the songwriters] wrote it because they want that to happen."

In March 2017, People reported that the singer and the baseball player were dating. Since then, the couple has shared details about their relationship on social media, from date night photos to workout videos. They have also gushed about their relationship during late-night show interviews and spoken about how well their children get along. 

Rodriguez has two children, daughters Natasha and Ella, from his previous marriage to Cynthia Scurtis. Lopez welcomed her twins with ex-husband Marc Anthony in 2008. Prior to that, the singer was married to Ojani Noa in the late '90s, married to Cris Judd in the early 2000s, and engaged to Ben Affleck.

Watch Lopez discuss her relationship with Rodriguez the video below.

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Women spend 4 times more money than men to compete for love on the 'Bachelor' franchise

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  • People sometimes spend thousands of dollars to become cast members in the "Bachelor" franchise.
  • Women will typically spend anywhere from $1,800 to $8,000 to appear on "The Bachelor."
  • Female contestants are expected to bring a full wardrobe for approximately seven weeks — including cocktail dresses and ballgowns — plus makeup and hair products.
  • Many women will also spend money on pre-show beauty preparation, such as spray tans and facials.
  • Men will typically spend between $300 and $5,300 to appear on "The Bachelorette."
  • Male contestants are also expected to bring a full wardrobe, but suits and ties have the advantage of simplicity and interchangeability.


Those who think it's impossible to put a price tag on love have never watched "The Bachelor."

It's no secret that the franchise's potential cast members are expected to make sacrifices for little (if any) payoff. The application process is intense and there's no compensation, for starters. Many even quit their jobs to film the show, despite being unsure of how many roses they may receive.

Contestants are also required to provide their own clothing — except for the two finalists during the finale — for the duration of their time on the show, which can span almost two months in different cultures and climates. 

You may not realize, however, the disparity that exists between "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" contestants' spending habits. 

Women will spend anywhere from $1,800 to $8,000 to appear on "The Bachelor."

"You spend way more than you normally would, because you know you're going on TV. And, you may be meeting your future husband so you feel like you need to dress to impress," Sarah Herron, who was most recently on "Bachelor In Paradise," told E! News.

Some contestants decide to cash in their 401(k)s or go into credit card debt to fund their onscreen wardrobes.

Jillian Harris, former contestant turned Bachelorette, revealed that she could "easily" see how someone might spend upwards of $40,000 on clothing, "now that designer labels are even more important" in the era of social media.

"I had re-mortgaged my house and I spent something like $8,000 on clothing (which is still a lot)," she wrote on her blog

Of course, it's impossible to put an exact price tag on "The Bachelor" preparations, as each woman's resources vary wildly. The cost will also depend on personal style. According to fashion and television blogger Dana Weiss (better known as Possessionista), season 16 winner Courtney Robertson"wore all designer labels," while former Bachelorette Jillian Harris "wore almost entirely Forever 21."

courtney robertson the bachelor

In a recent interview with Glamour, season 22 contestant Bekah Martinez said she was so broke after competing on the show that she "returned everything that still had tags on." 

"When you think about it, between cocktail parties and rose ceremonies, if you're going to be there for any amount of time, you're going to need at least 10 dresses," she told Glamour. "I didn't have really any at all. I was like, 'This is going to cost me thousands of dollars if I buy all of these.' Knowing that there's a potential to go on the show for two months and not make any money during that time — I'm not working, but I still have to pay rent and all my living expenses — there was no way I could spend a few grand on clothes."

Martinez managed to borrow outfits from friends, local brands, and a contact in the fashion industry — though she still spent about $800 on heels.

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The women drop cash on more than just cocktail dresses. According to interviews conducted by E! News, some contestants have admitted to getting Botox, putting in extensions, and signing up for fancy gym memberships to prepare to be seen on national television. Most get highlights, haircuts, lash extensions, spray tans, eyebrow shapings, facials, and manicures. 

Marikh Mathias, who became famous last season for accusing another contestant of "glam-shaming," told Time that she spent about $70 on eyelashes alone

Women also need to bring enough makeup and hair products to last, as they are expected to primp themselves every day — except the first night and the finale.

"A couple days before filming, I went to Sephora and bought foundation, eye shadow palettes, brow fillers, like every single thing you could ever imagine,"season 20 contestant Olivia Cardi told Allure. 

Men will typically spend between $300 and $5,300 to appear on "The Bachelorette."

Of course, it's unlikely that most men will drop hundreds of dollars on makeup and heels (although, on spray tans and hair products, it's certainly possible. We're looking at you, Jordan).

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Luke Pell, season 12 fan favorite, told E! News that he did almost nothing to prepare for the show in terms of beauty.

"The makeup thing is crucial. Guys don't have to worry about looking beat at 5 a.m. after a long rose ceremony, with no makeup on," Becca Tilley, who competed on two different seasons with two different bachelors, told E! News.

Pell did, however, spend approximately $5,000 on four or five new suits — though the website concludes that this figure is probably an outlier.

"[For men] it's more like: A few shirts and ties, a few suits, and a few casual outfits," E! News reports. "Men's clothing has the unbelievable benefit of being much more wide-ranging and easily interchangeable — and anyone who came to 'The Bachelor' from an office job already had a closet full of suitable options."

For a show that has built its fame and wealth on heteronormativity, these truths are not altogether surprising — although the actual figures are still unsettling.

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Amazon is in talks to save 'Lucifer,' which was recently canceled by Fox

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  • Amazon recently picked up SyFy's "The Expanse" after a strong campaign by fans to save it after its cancellation in May.
  • Now it is considering picking up Fox's "Lucifer," which was canceled last month after three seasons.
  • Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in an interview with Deadline that the studio is in talks to bring it back, particularly because of its big audience in the UK. 

Amazon saved SyFy's "The Expanse," a critical favorite, after it was canceled in May. And now it is considering saving another show that got the axe in May: "Lucifer."

"Lucifer" was canceled by Fox after three seasons. The series, based on a spin-off of "The Sandman" comic books (Neil Gaiman is one of the creators), follows Lucifer Morningstar, AKA, the Devil. He is bored in hell, and abandons it to go to Los Angeles where he runs a nightclub and manages to become a consultant for the LAPD. 

Fox said that "Lucifer" was canceled due to its poor ratings. But it developed a devoted audience throughout its run, especially internationally, so its cancellation came as a surprise. 

In an interview, head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke told Deadline that the studio was considering bringing "Lucifer" back along with "The Expanse."

“We were talking about Lucifer,” Salke said. “I know that international, especially the UK group, was really bullish on that show." Salke said she's heard conversations about saving "Lucifer," but one thing is getting in the way: the first two seasons of the show are available on Hulu, which could potentially make the series pick-up a little more complicated than "The Expanse," which was already available to stream for Amazon Prime members. 

If Amazon does choose to bring "Lucifer" back for a fourth season, it would be the second show canceled by Fox in 2018 to get saved. The first was the cop comedy  "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which NBC picked up for another season less than two days after its cancellation. 

SEE ALSO: The best summer movie of every year since 2000

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Alicia Silverstone says her 7-year-old-son tried to French kiss her after watching 'Clueless'

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  • Alicia Silverstone appeared on CBS' "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on Monday and told the talk show host about the time her 7-year-old son, Bear, went to a Los Angeles screening of "Clueless."
  • Silverstone said she was apprehensive about letting her child see her film "because it's not appropriate."
  • After seeing the movie, Bear tried to French kiss Silverstone.
  • Silverstone said she found the situation to be "very sweet," but added that he no longer tries to kiss her. 

 

Alicia Silverstone took her son to see her popular '90s movie "Clueless," and he had an unexpected reaction to seeing the film.

Silverstone appeared on CBS' "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on Monday and spoke about her 7-year-old son Bear. During the interview, Silverstone revealed that he tried to French kiss her after seeing a lot of on-screen makeouts in "Clueless." 

Silverstone said that she didn't intend for her child to see "Clueless" yet "because it's not appropriate."

"It's not that bad, except for the creepy thing with your stepbrother," Colbert joked, referencing the romantic relationship between her character, Cher, and her stepbrother Josh (played by Paul Rudd). 

Silverstone explained that she and Bear went to a showing of "Clueless" at a Los Angeles cemetery (California's Cinespia is known for its outdoor movie screenings). 

"He loved it, but the one thing he took away from it, aside from all the things I was worried about, was he kept trying to French kiss me afterwards, which was very sweet," Silverstone said. 

Colbert then questioned the actress to find out how she reacted: "And you said, 'That's not appropriate?'" 

"I just kept my mouth closed!" Silverstone said. "That's what I did. And I just giggled."

She went on to say that is was "super sweet," but Colbert wasn't too convinced. 

Silverstone added that since then, her son has stopped trying to imitate what he watched. 

"It's fine," she said. "He's not doing it anymore, but that's what his takeaway was."

Silverstone currently stars on Paramount Network's new show,"American Woman." But the actress is still known for her role as the sassy and fashionable Cher Horowitz in the cult classic "Clueless."

Watch the video below (Silverstone talks about her son at 5:28).

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The 23 most ridiculous 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' job titles of all time

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Since its inception in 2003, "The Bachelor" franchise has seen its share of outrageous contestants and even more ridiculous job titles to go with them. From "tickle monster" to "mistress," here are some of the most unforgettable occupations that viewers have seen.

"Dog lover"— Kelly Travis

If only you could have an actual career based off of loving dogs. Travis was on Juan Pablo's season of "The Bachelor."



"Free spirit"— Lucy Aragon

Rather than list herself as "unemployed," Aragon opted for a unique approach to her occupation and labeled herself a "free spirit." The California-based woman, who was on Juan Pablo's season of "The Bachelor,"later appeared on "Bachelor in Paradise."



"Sport fishing enthusiast"— Tara Eddings

Eddings didn't make the best first impression during "The Bachelor's" season 19 premiere, but suitor Chris Soules still gave her a rose. She was eliminated the following week.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 12 worst TV series finales of all time, from 'Seinfeld' to 'Girls'

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It's difficult to wrap up a television series, especially shows that have been on for so long that a planned ending isn't really possible anymore.

A good final episode should bring back the themes of the entire show and its season, while tying things up (but not too tight). Often it goes terribly, and even some of the most iconic, well-written shows in television history have terrible finales.

Here, we collected the absolute worst series finales that still make our blood boil. 

Here are 12 of the worst series finales in television history, from "Seinfeld" to "Dexter":

SEE ALSO: The 17 best TV series finales of all time, from 'The Americans' to '30 Rock'

"Gossip Girl"— season 6 episode 11, "New York, I Love You XOXO"

When it aired: December 17, 2012

Bart Bass, who is the Loki of the "Gossip Girl" universe considering how many times he dies, is truly dead at the beginning of this episode. Chuck Bass (Bart's son) and Blair Waldorf spend the majority of this final episode on the run from the law for pushing him off of a building. The big, stupid, desperate reveal that Dan is Gossip Girl leaves more plot holes than it closes, and the series ends with unbelievable endings for these awful characters. For example, the finale implies that Nate Archibald will become the mayor of New York City, but he has never taken the subway. 



"Roseanne"— season 9 episodes 23-24, "Into that Good Night"

When it aired:  May 20, 1997

The ninth season of "Roseanne" was such a mess that everything that happened in it got completely ignored for its brief tenth season and revival in March. In season nine, the Conners win the lottery, which completely changed the tone of a show that was praised for its depiction of blue collar Americans. The awful final episode reveals that Roseanne's husband, Dan, is dead, and that the majority of the events in the season were made up for Roseanne's memoir. It was a finale that focused more on wrapping up a bad season, rather than the show itself. 



"How I Met Your Mother"— season 9 episodes 23-24, "Last Forever"

When it aired: May 31, 2014

Unfortunately, "How I Met Your Mother" ended the show in a way everyone knew was coming, but convinced themselves wouldn't happen because it was so obvious: Ted and Robin end up together because the titular "Mother" dies of cancer. To make it even worse, Ted's kids are the ones who suggest that Ted hooks up with Robin, who they refer to as "aunt." The series finale caps a nearly decade-long tease that is a major deception to this show's characters. It instantly made the show difficult for many fans to revisit or recommend to friends. 



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Amazon saved 'The Expanse' after George R.R. Martin contacted Jeff Bezos about it and fans flew planes over the company's HQ

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The Expanse

  • Amazon picked up the acclaimed space-drama series "The Expanse" last month after fans petitioned the company to save it, following the Syfy network's cancellation of the show. 
  • The scene behind Amazon's decision to save "The Expanse" involved fans flying bannered planes over the Amazon headquarters, and "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin sending an email in support of the show to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to Deadline.

Amazon's decision to save the acclaimed series "The Expanse" from its cancellation by the Syfy network last month resulted from the input of some truly fervent fans and several big industry names, according to a report from Deadline.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the show's renewal last month at a panel with the cast of the series at the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles.

This week, Deadline spoke to Jennifer Salke, the new head of Amazon Studios, who detailed how fans of the series, in an attempt to get Amazon to renew the show, sent her cakes and flew rented airplanes over the company's headquarters with banners that read "#SaveTheExpanse."

"There were airplanes circling us, I was having cakes delivered, there was a whole thing happening," Salke told Deadline of the fan campaign for the show. "And then really smart people, whose opinions I really value creatively, started reaching out to me, saying, 'Have you seen this show, "The Expanse," it’s actually great.'"

Salke said Bezos received emails from notable people like "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin "to every captain of industry, like the founder of Craigslist," all of whom told Bezos that Amazon should save the show. 

After Syfy cancelled "The Expanse" in May, citing declining ratings, over 130,000 fans of the series signed a Change.org petition asking either Netflix or Amazon to renew the show.

Amazon already owned the international streaming rights for "The Expanse," which made it a likely home for the show's renewal. The show's fourth season will air on Amazon Prime. 

SEE ALSO: Amazon has saved the acclaimed Syfy show 'The Expanse,' and fans are thrilled

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People are petitioning Netflix to keep Anthony Bourdain's TV show 'Parts Unknown' available

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  • Chef, writer, travel expert, and food icon Anthony Bourdain died on Friday at age 61
  • His CNN show "Parts Unknown" is currently streaming on Netflix.
  • But the series is set to expire from the streaming platform on June 16.
  • People are petitioning Netflix to keep "Parts Unknown" for longer, so they can rewatch the show for so those new to the series have time to watch all 64 episodes. 
  • Netflix didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

Anthony Bourdain, 61, died last Friday in an apparent suicide. In the wake of his death, many turned to rewatching Bourdain's food and travel TV series "Parts Unknown" (CNN) and "No Reservations" (The Travel Channel) as a way to remember the iconic chef, restaurateur, and writer. 

"Parts Unknown" was one of the many programs scheduled to leave Netflix this month. Saturday, June 16 will be the last day US Netflix subscribers can stream all eight seasons of "Parts Unknown."

Upon realizing the series was set to leave the streaming platform, many people have been calling for an extension of the show's time on Netflix.

Journalist Wilkine Brutus of the Palm Beach Post tweeted at Netflix the day of Bourdain's death to ask Netflix to keep "Parts Unknown" on its site "for the new generation." 

"In this toxic political climate, we have to spread content that promotes authentic human connection," Brutus wrote in the tweet that garnered 15,000 retweets and 42,000 likes.

Others on Twitter followed suit. 

One fan, Tanner Palin, even started a Change.org petition. As of this article's publication, the petition had over 5,300 signatures (of the 7,500 goal).

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown petition Change.Org

Netflix adds and removes content each month, usually due to licensing agreements the company has with other production companies and networks. "Parts Unknown" is a CNN series, and therefore Netflix would have to come to a new licensing agreement with the network or the show's production company, Zero Point Zero, in order to extend the show's availability for subscribers.

Netflix didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment regarding the requests from subscribers to extend the time "Parts Unknown" is on its platform.

If the show does leave Netflix, you can watch small segments of "Parts Unknown" on CNN's website, and you can rent or buy the series on both Amazon and iTunes. 

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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

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This spoof of 'The Office' opening with a dog will make your day

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  • Twenty-five-year-old Paulina Lang made a spoof of "The Office" opening with her dog, Enzo. 
  • Enzo is a male samoyed and a very good boy.
  • He patiently makes several outfit changes throughout the video.
  • Lang told the Press Association she recently binge-watched the show on Netflix.

If you're a fan of "The Office," you probably know the opening by heart.

But you've never seen it with a dog. Until now. 

Move aside Dunder Mifflin. Enzo, a male samoyed, is the head pooch of Dunder Woofin Paper Company.

Watch it below:

The spoof was made by 25-year-old Paulina Lang, who told the Press Association she recently binged “The Office” on Netflix.

"Enzo is unquestionably like Michael Scott," said Lang. "He wants everything to revolve around him and is an attention seeker – and when people aren’t paying attention to him he’ll act pretty goofy to get them to notice him."

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Enzo didn’t just dress up as Michael Scott in the spoof.

He also channels his inner Dwight (note the glasses).

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And here he is as the Nard dog himself, Andy Bernard.

andy bernard dog

You can follow Enzo on Instagram here. Here's to hoping for more spoofs. 

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8 TV friend groups we definitely wouldn't want to hang out with

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We may be in a time of peak TV, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to overlook problematic programming— past and present. For example, many popular sitcoms center on groups of friends and depend on that ensemble dynamic to carry the show.

However, sometimes the chemistry is bad, the characters are poorly-written, or something just generally seems off. Here, we present the eight worst sitcom friend groups of all time.

Frenemies Serena and Blair of "Gossip Girl" were a bit too venomous.

Although quintessential “frenemies” Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf come out as friends in the series finale of “Gossip Girl,” their on-again-off-again friendship is full of backstabbing and toxic behavior that we’d never accept out of a bestie.



Drinking was too much of a focus for the friends on "Cheers."

The gang that hangs out at the bar Cheers in the sitcom of the same name seems like a nice enough group of people. But friendships that are centered primarily on the act of drinking alcohol aren’t altogether healthy.



Jack on “Three’s Company” was a just a terrible character all around.

The threesome of Jack, Janet, and Chrissy had to pretend that Jack was gay so their landlord would let him live there. Meanwhile, Jack is actually a total womanizing jerk. That sure doesn’t sound like a formula for true, lasting friendship.



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Jimmy Kimmel mocks Trump's 'special bond' with Kim Jong Un after North Korea summit

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  • Jimmy Kimmel mocked and questioned President Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his monologue Tuesday night.
  • "Usually when Trump signs an agreement with a foreigner, it's a prenup," Kimmel joked. 

Jimmy Kimmel opened his "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" monologue on Tuesday night by laying into President Trump over his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"It has been an Un-precidented 24 hours for the United States and North Korea as our president, Donald Trump, met with his favorite Little Rocket Man," Kimmel started out. "A lot of pundits think it was a mistake to meet with an unstable dictator, but Kim Jong Un said, 'You know what? I'm going to do it anyway.'"

Kimmel noted that Trump told the press he had formed a "special bond" with Kim after meeting with the North Korean leader for only 38 minutes. The host added: "That's fast. His dentures take longer to bond than that."

"Trump claims he got North Korea to commit to destroying a missile testing site, and this is a quote, he said 'We didn't put it in the agreement because we didn't have time,'" Kimmel continued. "Usually when Trump signs an agreement with a foreigner, it's a prenup. And that's all in writing."

Kimmel then questioned the potential outcomes of the summit, suggesting that the meeting would cause Kim to do "nothing differently."

"Trump wanted to make it look like he did something big, whether he did something big or not. He was not leaving the summit without claiming he made a deal,” Kimmel said. "So he sets the meeting, he has this sit-down, he hears what he wants to hear — blah, blah, blah. As soon as the meeting's over, he runs out, calls a press conference, declares victory, everyone goes home, Kim Jong Un does nothing differently at all, and we go back to our lives, too."

Kimmel show personality Guillermo Rodriguez and the host proceeded to sit down for a mock summit to sign their own version of the "friendship agreement" that Trump and Kim signed. 

Watch the monologue below:

SEE ALSO: Trump's weak North Korea summit may be the beginning of the end for the US as the world's leader

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Jeremy Renner explains how he broke both his arms while filming the movie 'Tag'

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  • "Avengers" star Jeremy Renner broke both his arms while filming "Tag."
  • The actor went on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and explained that he hit the ground after doing a stunt on the second day of filming.
  • "It's a stack of chairs like 20 feet high, and it's supposed to fall over, and I'm supposed to ride it down like a surfboard and then keep running," he said. 
  • The stack of chairs didn't fall, but Renner did.
  • He did the stunt again without realizing that he had broken his arms. 
  • He went back to work after going to the hospital, and they ended up CGI'ing one of his arms that had a cast on it. 
  • Renner said the worst part was that he ended up locked in the bathroom with his pants down.
  • "It's a round knob," he said. "I couldn't use my elbow, so I was kicking the door like, 'Get me out!'"
  • Watch the hilarious interview below.

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Jeremy Renner says Mark Ruffalo was the only original Avenger that 'chickened out' of getting a matching tattoo

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Mister Rogers shared a particular type of message that research shows could be good for your health

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  • Fred McFeely Rogers, of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," passed away in 2003, but his legend lives on, memorialized in a recent documentary about his television show. 
  • He promoted love and kindness to millions of children who watched the program from 1968 to 2001. 
  • His values have since proven to benefit people's mental health and happiness — people who are generous and volunteer their time for the benefit of others seem to be happier than those who don't. 
  • Happy people tend to have fewer health complaints and live longer than those who are unhappy.

The release of the Mister Rogers documentary, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" calls to mind the essential message of Rogers' long-running children's program, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Fred McFeely Rogers, who died in 2003, was also an ordained Presbyterian minister. Over the course of three decades on public broadcasting, he brought to millions of children what his faith's General Assembly referred to as "unconditional love."

In preaching love, Rogers wasn't just attending to the moral character of his youthful audience. He believed that he was also promoting their health. As he said in 1979, "My whole approach in broadcasting has always been, 'You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions.' Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important."

Since Rogers' death, evidence has mounted that he was on to something — namely, that love and kindness truly are healthful, and that people who express them regularly really do lead healthier lives. Simply put, people who are generous and volunteer their time for the benefit of others seem to be happier than those who don't, and happy people tend to have fewer health complaints and live longer than those who are unhappy.

Love gave rise to a calling

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Born in Pennsylvania in 1928, as a young minister Rogers regretted the messages television was conveying to children in the 1960s. He said, "I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen.""Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" debuted nationally in 1968 and won its creator and host many accolades, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom, two Peabody Awards, and over 40 honorary degrees.

Rogers believed that the need to love and be loved was universal, and he sought to cultivate these capacities through every program, saying in a 2004 documentary hosted by actor Michael Keaton, one of his former stagehands, "You know, I think everybody longs to be loved, and longs to know that he or she is lovable. And consequently, the greatest thing we can do is to help somebody know they're loved and capable of loving."

Love and health

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As it turns out, there are many ways in which love and kindness are good for health. For one thing, they tend to reduce factors that undermine it. Doing something nice for someone causes the release of endorphins, which help to relieve pain. People who make kindness a habit have lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. Intentionally helping others can even lower levels of anxiety in individuals who normally avoid social situations.

Carrying out acts of kindness, or even merely witnessing them, also increases levels of oxytocin, a hormone with health benefits as diverse as lowering blood pressure, promoting good sleep and reducing cravings for drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. That oxytocin should have so many health benefits is not so surprising when we recall its central role in stimulating uterine contractions during birth, the letdown of milk during lactation, the pleasure associated with orgasm and pair bonding.

Acts of generosity and compassion also appear to be good for mood. A 2010 study showed that while people with money tend to be somewhat happier than those without it, people who spend money on others report even greater levels of happiness, an effect that can be detected even in toddlers. When people give money to others, areas of the brain associated with pleasure are activated, and this response is greater when the transfer is voluntary rather than mandatory.

Such happiness can have big benefits in longevity. For example, a review of 160 published studies concluded that there is compelling evidence that life satisfaction and optimism are associated with better health and enhanced longevity. Another study of older people showed that, even after correcting for other factors such as age, disease and health habits, those who rated their happiness highest were 35 percent less likely to die in five years than those who were least content.

What would Mister Rogers say?

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Of course, Rogers would remind us that there are reasons to be committed to love and kindness that extend far beyond their health benefits. Rogers was, after all, not a physician but a minister, and ultimately he was ministering to an aspect of human wholeness that cannot be analyzed by blood tests or visualized with CT scans. In a commencement address at Dartmouth College in 2002, he focused less on the body than what he might have called the spirit:

"When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed."

When Rogers encouraged children to be kinder and more loving, he believed that he was not only promoting public health but also nurturing the most important part of a human being — the part that exhibits a divine spark. As Rogers indicated in another commencement speech the year before at Middlebury College, "I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what's best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we're doing what God does; so in appreciating our neighbor, we're participating in something truly sacred."

In expressing such deeply religious sentiments, Rogers was not trying to undermine a concern with bodily health. In fact, he regularly encouraged his viewers to adopt healthy life habits, and Rogers himself was a committed vegetarian and lifelong swimmer who maintained a low body weight his entire life. Yet he also believed that health alone does not a full life make, and he regarded the soundness of the body as but part of the wellness of whole persons and communities, which may explain why he was able to face his own mortality with such equanimity.

Just a few months before he died, Rogers recorded a message for the many adult fans who had grown up watching "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." In it, he practiced what he preached, saying:

"I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger. I like you just the way you are. And what's more, I'm so grateful to you for helping the children in your life to know that you'll do everything you can to keep them safe. And to help them express their feelings in ways that will bring healing in many different neighborhoods. It's such a good feeling to know that we're lifelong friends."

SEE ALSO: 7 ways today's world is making you lonelier

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16 times fans saved TV shows from cancellation

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Fans have a lot of influence over their favorite shows. 

On more than one occasion, fandoms have united in efforts to save a series from cancellation, find it a new home on another network, or even raise money for a movie spin-off.

Recently, Netflix released a two-hour finale for "Sense8" fans after canceling the beloved series and in the span of 24 hours, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" was canceled by Fox and then picked up by NBC — both the results of vocal fans.

Here are 16 series that were saved or brought back thanks to fans.

"Sense8" was brought back for a two-and-a-half hour finale.

Netflix canceled the beloved series after two seasons and a Christmas special. But after a month of online fan protests and petitions, the streaming service announced that they'd bring the show back for a special finale. 

Show creator Lana Wachowski wrote a letter thanking the fans for their passion and efforts. 

"The passionate letters, the petitions, the collective voice that rose up like the fist of Sun to fight for this show was beyond what anyone was expecting," she wrote. "In this world it is easy to believe that you cannot make a difference; that when a government or an institution or corporation makes a decision, there is something irrevocable about the decision; that love is always less important than the bottom line."



"Timeless" was renewed three days after being canceled.

NBC canceled the time travel show but its return to the network was swift. Co-creator Eric Kripke took to his Twitter following the show's renewal to thank fans for their social media efforts to revive the series.

"So huge thanks to @nbc for supporting us," he tweeted. "And THANKS for the fan support. It's a MAJOR reason we're back. It worked, guys!"

A third season is up in the air for now.



From cancellation to being picked up by a new network, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" endured a wild 24-hours

Nine-Nine! After news hit the internet that Fox had canceled "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" May 10, grieving fans expressed their dismay online. Even celebrities including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Hamill, Guillermo del Toro, and Sean Astin rallied their support and even started a group text about it. Then on Friday night, news broke that NBC had saved the show by picking it up from Fox. 

"The Twitter response was like, 'Oh, wow, people are really responding to this,'"co-creator and showrunner Dan Goor told Vulture. "And every time I refreshed it, I was getting tens of thousands of likes, which was crazy to me...People really responded to the fact that it's a very diverse cast, that it feels very inclusive, that the jokes aren't at the expense of characters."



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The 20 most popular TV shows right now

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Hannah Tyler 13 Reasons Why Netflix

There is no shortage of TV to choose from these days, whether it's catching up on the best shows of all time or the newest Netflix originals you might have missed.

To learn what shows have the most hype from fans, INSIDER worked with Parrot Analytics, which compiles available global data on social media, blogging, pirating, and other factors to figure out the viewer demand for shows.

Parrot assigned each series an "expressions" total that reflects average daily audience demand from all countries from April 8 to June 6, 2018 (adjusted for each country's population).

Keep scrolling to see the 20 most popular TV shows right now.

20. "America's Funniest Home Videos" (ABC)

Average Demand Expressions: 2.56 million

The 28th season of "America's Funniest Home Videos" concluded on May 20, helping mark it as the longest-running primetime entertainment show on ABC. The network renewed "AFV" for a 28th season, which will begin this October.



19. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Nickelodeon)

Average Demand Expressions: 2.59 million

Though SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom pals are definitely still popular among TV watchers, the spike in demand expressions for "SpongeBob SquarePants" might be due to its current rise in the meme world.



18. "Gotham" (Fox)

Average Demand Expressions: 2.69 million

The fourth season of "Gotham" concluded in May, and Fox announced the show was going to have a fifth and final season that will likely begin this coming fall.



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