10 Best Last Lines from TV Series Finales

Television series finales are at their best when they can come to an end on their terms.

Fans of ABC‘s The Middle were delighted by the series finale’s last moments, seeing the young members of the Heck family growing up, having kids of their iwn and getting married.

As for Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) looking back on all the things they had in their lives, despite not having much at all.

The series’ final lines came as Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher) and Brick (Atticus Shaffer) fought and Brick complained about sitting in “The Middle,” and he repeated with his famous whisper “The Middle” before viewers left the Heck family for the last time.

Some of the most memorable TV shows in history have given audiences last goodbyes they’ll never forget with their last episodes, often turning to the last words before the show fades to black to leave audiences with shock, heartwarming goodbyes or one final tribute.

Scroll through to see some of the best last lines from beloved television series’ final episodes.

Cheers

The legendary sitcom ended in 1993 in a rather symbolic way. As the famous place where everyone knew each other, Sam (Ted Danson) stands alone in the empty establishment and tells a patron through the window: “Sorry, we’re closed.” 

Parks and Recreation

The NBC comedy’s finale gave viewers a peek into Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) promising future, but ends in present day, with the team posing for a photo after fixing a swings.

In the last moments, Ben (Adam Scoot) asks his wife, “You ready, babe?”

“Yes,” she answers as she turns toward the camera. “I’m ready.”

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

After their hometown of Sunnydale crumbles into the Hellmouth, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends stand at the edge of the ruins, reflecting how life has changed.

“You’ve just got to live like a person; how does that feel?” Faith (Eliza Dushku) asks.

“Yeah, Buffy,” Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) says. “What are we gonna do now?”

Buffy just smiles.

The Office

“All in all, I think an ordinary paper company like Dunder Mifflin was a great subject for a documentary,” Pam says in her last interview, as Michael hangs a watercolor of the office building. “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”

Friends

As the group turns in the keys to their apartments for the last time, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) suggests they get some coffee.

“Sure,” Chandler (Matthew Perry) agrees. “Where?”

Gilmore Girls

The fan-favorite WB/CW series got the last season it always deserved on a Netflix revival, where fans finally got to hear the famous last four words creator Amy Sherman-Palladino had envisioned for the end of the show.

The finale of A Year in the Life ends with Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) sitting in Stars Hollow’s famous gazebo.

“Mom?” Rory says.

“Yeah?” Lorelai asks.

“I’m pregnant.”

Boy Meets World

One of the most heart-warming endings in TV history, Boy Meets World ends with the four main stars saying goodbye to Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), thanking him for all he’d given them and demanding he tell them he loves them — which he refuses, saying it would be inappropriate.

After they all leave, he becomes emotional. “I love you all,” he says, looking over the empty classroom. “Class dismissed.”

Sex and the City

The HBO comedy ended with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) reflecting on relationships on voiceover.

Over a montage of the group of friends with their husbands, children, and lovers that ends with Carrie walking down the street and answering a call from Mr. Big (with viewers finding out his real name is John) she says:

“Later that day, I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”

Seinfeld

The final scene (aside from the closing credits) of the fan-favorite sitcom ends with a mundane conversation about which buttons to button on a shirt. A conversation they had had in the first episode of the series.

“The second button is the key button. It literally makes or breaks the shirt. Look at it — it’s too high, it’s in no-man’s-land,” Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) tells George (Jason Alexander).

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?” George asks. “You think?” Jerry replies. “I think we have,” George says, and Jerry finally agrees, “Yeah, maybe we have.”

The Sopranos

The most divisive finale ending in television, The Sopranos came to a close with a rather tense dinner scene pointing toward Tony Soprano’s assassination.

With every sudden movement and every new customer the enters, viewers feel Tony might reach the end of his rope.

“I went ahead and ordered some for the whole table,” Tony says before the screen goes dark, leaving viewers anxious and uncertain.