In an age of endless TV reboots, do finales still matter?
It's rare these days for a show to actually finish properly instead of being unceremoniously cancelled by a flailing streaming service (R.I.P. The Wheel of Time). But this year we have some big series coming to an end, including Andor and The Handmaid's Tale, which both finished this month, and Squid Game and Stranger Things still on their way.
The pressure is on for these shows to wrap up not only through a satisfying final season but with an all-important final episode. It's not crazy to say that everything relies on the final episode sticking the landing, or else risking being hated and mocked forever (see: Game of Thrones).
In 1990 American comedian Bob Newhart ended his eponymous sitcom Newhart (1982-1990) with a stunt finale that managed to change TV history. In the final episode, after a Japanese millionaire buys the town in which the show is set and turns it into a golf course, Newhart's character wakes up in bed next to his wife from an earlier show (The Bob Newhart Show, which ran from 1972 to 1978) and says, 'You won't believe the dream I just had!' – and describes the entire run of Newhart.
It was not the first show to use the 'it was all a dream' trope, with I Dream of Jeannie using it in the '70s, and soap opera Dallas using it in the '80s to retcon away their entire ninth season in a (successful) bid to salvage failed ratings. But the most memorable use of it was for a series finale, and possibly why it became shorthand for a 'lazy' way of ending things.
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Increased scrutiny on final episodes – especially through the 'golden age' of television – has led to a handful of universally lauded finales. This month marked the 10-year anniversary of the beloved final episode of Mad Men, which ranks up there with finales of shows such as Six Feet Under, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. However, shows that don't stick the landing – Game of Thrones, Lost, Killing Eve, Dexter, Gilmore Girls – are often more memorable, sometimes so unsatisfying or trite that they taint the legacy of a once-loved series.
The stakes are high – or at least they have been. Now there's always potential to just reboot a show a few years later and gloss over the finale's mistakes.
In just a few weeks, as its name suggests, Dexter: Resurrection will literally bring its titular serial killer back from the dead. And it's not even the first time the franchise has tried to correct its course.
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The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Greta Thunberg was one of 12 detained in Israel after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. This is what happened next
There were rumours on social media that Irish actor Liam Cunningham, best known for playing Davos Seaworth on HBO's Game of Thrones, was also aboard Madleen, however, those were false. Cunningham did help launch the vessel at the port in Catania, but did not board the Madleen as a passenger. Irish mixed martial artist McGregor is now feuding with Cunningham, whom McGregor called a 'virtue signalling bottler' for not travelling to Gaza on Madleen in a since-deleted post to X. Cunningham responded to McGregor on X, writing: 'Didn't know you could read and write, Conor. Thought you used your hands to tap out.' Was Greta Thunberg kidnapped as she claimed? Each passenger – excluding Faiad, who was broadcasting live to Al Jazeera – pre-recorded a video message to be released should Madleen be intercepted by Israeli forces. In Thunberg's video message, shared to Freedom Flotilla Coalition's social media pages after Israeli forces boarded the privately owned vessel and towed it to Israel with its detained passengers, she said: 'If you see this video, it means we have been kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces'. Passengers reported at around 3am local time on Monday morning (around 10am Monday AEST) that Israeli drones were encircling the ship, eventually spraying it with a white substance. The nature of the white substance remains unclear, though it was described as paint-like. Shortly after, when Madleen was roughly 100 nautical miles (approximately 185 kilometres) away from Gaza in international waters, Israeli forces stopped and boarded the ship. Soldiers ordered Madleen's 12 passengers to throw their phones overboard, before filming themselves giving Thunberg and her fellow passengers sandwiches and water bottles. That footage was later shared to X by Israel's Foreign Ministry, which wrote: 'All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.' French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the immediate return of the six French nationals detained by Israel to France, his office said, with lawmakers from leftist party France Unbowed calling Madleen's interception by Israel a 'clear violation of international law'. According to Israeli media, in response to the incident, Israel's charge d'affaires Dan Poraz was summoned by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, with Brazil's Foreign Ministry requesting the release of Madleen's detained crew. Turkey, meanwhile, called the Israeli seizure of Madleen 'a clear violation of international law' in a statement shared to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. 'This heinous act by the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state,' the statement said. There was no immediate response from the German or Dutch governments, though protesters gathered in Berlin and The Hague to demand the release of Madleen's crew. What aid was onboard the Madleen? Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a June 1 press release that Madleen was carrying a token amount of 'baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children's prosthetics' for people in Gaza. Loading In May, after an 11-week blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel began to allow some basic aid into Gaza, and set up a new distribution system using a controversial new United States-backed aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Desperate after 20 months of war, thousands of Palestinians are being directed to new aid hubs to collect food, but the past two weeks have seen frequent shootings occur near the new aid distribution hubs. Witnesses and Palestinian health officials said at least 12 people were killed by Israeli fire and others wounded on Sunday in Gaza as they headed towards two aid hubs. In response, Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. After Madleen's seizure, Israel's Foreign Ministry claimed in a statement on X: 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity – and which included less than a single truckload of aid – more than 1200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.' It further claimed: 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies. The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.' Humanitarian workers have warned of famine in Gaza unless Israel lifts the blockade and ends its military offensive. What did Israel say? Ahead of Madleen's seizure by Israeli forces, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned in a post on X: 'I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza – and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end.' 'To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza,' Katz's statement continued. 'Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organisations – at sea, in the air, and on land.' Katz also said Israel's 18-year-long blockade is enforced to 'prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas' and is essential to Israel's security as it aims to destroy Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. He also said he had ordered Thunberg to be shown videos from October 7, 2023, while in detention. What happens next? At around 10pm on Monday (5am Tuesday AEST), roughly 18 hours after Madleen's interception, Israel's Foreign Ministry said the ship had docked at Ashdod Port, around 40 kilometres south of Tel Aviv. 'The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,' the ministry wrote on X. Five hours later, at 10.21am Tuesday AEST, the ministry said Madleen's passengers had arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, expected to leave for their home countries imminently. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation,' the ministry said in a statement to X. 'Consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement on X that Madleen crew members who do not agree to leave immediately are expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Greta Thunberg was one of 12 detained in Israel after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. This is what happened next
There were rumours on social media that Irish actor Liam Cunningham, best known for playing Davos Seaworth on HBO's Game of Thrones, was also aboard Madleen, however, those were false. Cunningham did help launch the vessel at the port in Catania, but did not board the Madleen as a passenger. Irish mixed martial artist McGregor is now feuding with Cunningham, whom McGregor called a 'virtue signalling bottler' for not travelling to Gaza on Madleen in a since-deleted post to X. Cunningham responded to McGregor on X, writing: 'Didn't know you could read and write, Conor. Thought you used your hands to tap out.' Was Greta Thunberg kidnapped as she claimed? Each passenger – excluding Faiad, who was broadcasting live to Al Jazeera – pre-recorded a video message to be released should Madleen be intercepted by Israeli forces. In Thunberg's video message, shared to Freedom Flotilla Coalition's social media pages after Israeli forces boarded the privately owned vessel and towed it to Israel with its detained passengers, she said: 'If you see this video, it means we have been kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces'. Passengers reported at around 3am local time on Monday morning (around 10am Monday AEST) that Israeli drones were encircling the ship, eventually spraying it with a white substance. The nature of the white substance remains unclear, though it was described as paint-like. Shortly after, when Madleen was roughly 100 nautical miles (approximately 185 kilometres) away from Gaza in international waters, Israeli forces stopped and boarded the ship. Soldiers ordered Madleen's 12 passengers to throw their phones overboard, before filming themselves giving Thunberg and her fellow passengers sandwiches and water bottles. That footage was later shared to X by Israel's Foreign Ministry, which wrote: 'All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.' French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the immediate return of the six French nationals detained by Israel to France, his office said, with lawmakers from leftist party France Unbowed calling Madleen's interception by Israel a 'clear violation of international law'. According to Israeli media, in response to the incident, Israel's charge d'affaires Dan Poraz was summoned by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, with Brazil's Foreign Ministry requesting the release of Madleen's detained crew. Turkey, meanwhile, called the Israeli seizure of Madleen 'a clear violation of international law' in a statement shared to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. 'This heinous act by the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state,' the statement said. There was no immediate response from the German or Dutch governments, though protesters gathered in Berlin and The Hague to demand the release of Madleen's crew. What aid was onboard the Madleen? Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a June 1 press release that Madleen was carrying a token amount of 'baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children's prosthetics' for people in Gaza. Loading In May, after an 11-week blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel began to allow some basic aid into Gaza, and set up a new distribution system using a controversial new United States-backed aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Desperate after 20 months of war, thousands of Palestinians are being directed to new aid hubs to collect food, but the past two weeks have seen frequent shootings occur near the new aid distribution hubs. Witnesses and Palestinian health officials said at least 12 people were killed by Israeli fire and others wounded on Sunday in Gaza as they headed towards two aid hubs. In response, Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. After Madleen's seizure, Israel's Foreign Ministry claimed in a statement on X: 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity – and which included less than a single truckload of aid – more than 1200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.' It further claimed: 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies. The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.' Humanitarian workers have warned of famine in Gaza unless Israel lifts the blockade and ends its military offensive. What did Israel say? Ahead of Madleen's seizure by Israeli forces, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned in a post on X: 'I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza – and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end.' 'To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza,' Katz's statement continued. 'Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organisations – at sea, in the air, and on land.' Katz also said Israel's 18-year-long blockade is enforced to 'prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas' and is essential to Israel's security as it aims to destroy Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. He also said he had ordered Thunberg to be shown videos from October 7, 2023, while in detention. What happens next? At around 10pm on Monday (5am Tuesday AEST), roughly 18 hours after Madleen's interception, Israel's Foreign Ministry said the ship had docked at Ashdod Port, around 40 kilometres south of Tel Aviv. 'The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,' the ministry wrote on X. Five hours later, at 10.21am Tuesday AEST, the ministry said Madleen's passengers had arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, expected to leave for their home countries imminently. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation,' the ministry said in a statement to X. 'Consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement on X that Madleen crew members who do not agree to leave immediately are expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!"
