Random TV Shows That Had Supposedly Happy Endings (13 items)

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  (#13) 30 Rock

  • Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Katrina Bowden

  The final scene between Liz (Tina Fey) and Jack (Alec Baldwin) is beautiful; the duo expresses their mutual feelings of platonic love, just before Jack — who has left his job as head of the network — sails off on his boat into the cold, dark night. After decades spent climbing the corporate ladder left him unfulfilled, he's hoping to start a new life of adventure that will allow him to experience true happiness. 

  That's all well and good, but at this point, Jack is a 60-something-year-old man who has no love in his life (beyond the one true friend he's sailing away from) and not much direction. Sure, he's rich and he'll probably be fine financially speaking, but is there any real indication that he's going to find happiness? If he's looking for human connection, he's unlikely to find it on the archetypally isolating ocean, and the show never suggests that he's become less of a money-hungry businessman, despite his rejection of full-time work. 
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  (#9) Mad Men

  • Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser

  In the final moments of Mad Men, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) seems to have escaped the hollow world of advertising; the viewer finds him smiling on a beach, seemingly at peace. Then comes the successful Coca-Cola campaign that uses Don's slogan, and viewers are hit with the immediate realization that Don never escaped that world at all.

  His peace is fleeting, as he's more than happy to dive right back into what's apparently the only life he knows how to live. From the first episode, it's clear that Don thinks highly of himself, and his character doesn't grow or mature much over the course of the series. While, technically, he's returning to a successful career, the very premise of the show is that his job is ultimately his undoing. There's a reason no one likes being called a "mad man." 
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  (#12) The Office

  • Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, Melora Hardin, David Denman, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper, Zach Woods, Amy Ryan, James Spader

  There has always been some debate surrounding the character of Jim Halpert (John Krasinski); many see him has the lovable nice guy, whereas others whole-heartedly believe that he's actually a terrible person, and that Pam (Jenna Fischer) is much better off without him.

  While many fans of the show were delighted when Jim and Pam's rocky relationship finally worked out, one has to wonder whether Jim is truly a supportive husband and co-parent, or whether Pam's just getting stuck with an additional child by marrying him. Throughout the series, Jim consistently puts his needs above Pam's, and their marriage goes on hiatus in season nine when he takes a job in Philadelphia (without telling his wife). 

  Jim's "dream job" causes him to miss important events in his children's lives, and Michael and Dwight are left to help Pam raise their kids. On top of that, he dumps $10,000 of their savings into this new company (again, without telling Pam). This all leads up the the series finale, wherein Pam decides to reward Jim's impersonal sweetness by putting her life on hold so that they can relocate to the company's new branch in Austin, TX. 

  While this is all great for Jim, there is a mountain of evidence to suggest that the sweet, selfless Pam is destined for a life of misery. In addition to having no real future career path in mind, the way the finale wraps spells trouble for Pam's prospective future employment. Dwight fires the couple so that they can collect severance packages, which is great for Jim (who already has a new job lined up), but leaves Pam hunting for employment after having been fired from her previous position of 10+ years. There's no way this ends well for her. 
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  (#4) Frasier

  • Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce

  In the final season of Frasier, the titular character (Kelsey Grammer) starts dating a matchmaker named Charlotte (Laura Linney) who he connects deeply with, even though they theoretically shouldn't be a good pair. As the series comes to a close, so too do many of Frasier's dreams. His radio program wraps up, as does his relationship with Charlotte, who moves back to Chicago. 

  As his romance fizzles and his family moves on — Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) have their first child while Frasier's dad (John Mahoney) gets married — Frasier accepts a job in San Francisco, where he'll have his own TV show. As he's preparing to leave, he says goodbye to his loved ones, and acknowledges how they've moved on with their lives; it's almost as if he recognizes he has no place there anymore. Then the episode ends with the revelation that he's actually going to Chicago to win back Charlotte. 

  Fans have to wonder why he's passing up such an amazing career opportunity for a woman he's only known a few months. Does he truly want to spend his life with her, or is he simply envious of his family members, who've found fulfillment through love? Plus, whatever happened to the whole Roz (Peri Gilpin) and Frasier thing? There was something there and it feels like a missed opportunity. 
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  (#11) Rules of Engagement

  • Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson

  Rules of Engagement comes to a reservedly sentimental end (as most run-of-the-mill sitcoms do) with a final few gags thrown in on the way out the door. One of these gags is Russell (David Spade) marrying his assistant Timmy (Adhir Kalyan) to save the young man from deportation.

  While this makes for a passable (if insensitive) one-time gag, Russell and Timmy's marriage is obviously a sham, and the faux couple are undoubtedly in for years of close, horrifying government scrutiny. How funny is the joke when, years after the finale, Russell is caught locking lips with a woman in public? When that happens, Timmy will be swiftly deported, and Russell will potentially face jail time. 
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  (#5) Weeds

  • Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould

  To be fair, it's pretty ambiguous whether or not the ending of Weeds is supposed to be happy. Since the final scene depicts Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) contentedly smoking a joint with her entire family on the porch (despite their myriad issues and separations), the implication is that things have kind of worked out, especially since she makes a mega-lucrative deal with Starbucks to sell off her empire. Are things really all good though? 

  Andy (Justin Kirk) and Nancy's relationship has finally come to a definitive end, and while that may be for the best, it still leaves each of them alone after years of tumultuous romances. Silas (Hunter Parish) is happy with his wife, but he's made it clear that, while he still loves his mom, he doesn't want a relationship with her, which is sad no matter how you slice it. Things aren't quite as bad for Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon), as he's managed to become a successful fraudulent cult leader, which at least comes with some benefits.

  Then there's Shane (Alexander Gould) who, despite his best efforts, has fallen victim to substance abuse and kind of hits rock bottom. He's an alcoholic detective, and although his family eventually convinces him to try rehab, he's somehow managed to end the show more unhinged than he was at the start. Best case scenario, it's all bittersweet.

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