I simple od not understand why there is so much hate out there for the last season fo Ellen. The first half of the last season was absolutely brillant as the show finally found a clear direction and used it.

My personal favorite, and one of the funniest things I have ever seen on tv is the Emma Thompson episode, where Ellen gets a job as Emma's assistant and discovers that she's gay, and from Dayton, Ohio. This was an absolutely brillant episode and was hilarious at every turn- probably the best episode of any sitcom that season.

Granted, the intro of Laurie did start to suck the life out of the show, but I still have two favorites from the second half.

The chicken suit episode was hilarious in a slapstick stupid sort of way, while the series finale was another brillant episode. Particularly hilarious was the guest turns by Christine Lahti and Juliana Marguelies, but in all, the script was fantasic. And you have to love the song at the end of the episode:

Who's bright and healthy and gay?
Who goes a different way?
Who finally came out to her friends?
Who, who, who? Ellen!

spence, Paige, Audrey and Joe,
They all suspected, but they didn't know,
They had to wait 'til the end of the show,
For her to come out of the closet.

Who has a lesbian smile?
Who has a lesbian style?
Who's happy and healthy and gay?
Who who who? Ellen!

Ellen. you crazy gal.

That song still leaves me in giggle and if there is any place to download it, let me know.

well, I think there's 2 reasons why people dislike the last season

1. while now "Gay-TV" is more common, in 1997-8, the last season of Ellen was really shocking and envelope-pushing. A lot of heterosexual viewers weren't yet ready to see such a series, even tho just a few years later, they could watch Will And Grace. It was just too ahead of it's time in 1997, even tho if it was now, most of the same viewers who turned off the tube in droves would probably have embraced it better.

2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.

**
2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.
**


That was my only reason for not liking the last season. Plus there was no more "Buy the Book" and Ellen's apartment.

I love the first 10 episodes or so, but the thing that really did make the show "jump the shark" was the introduction of Laurie. It was at that time that the other characters got pushed almost of existance and then it became the "Gay Ellen" show. So I do agree in a way, but overall there were still some really classic episodes that still make me look back at that season fondly.

http://lebeauleblog.com/2014/10/24/what-the-hell-happened-to-anne-heche/6/

Heche also found time to do a guest spot on Degeneres’ sitcom, Ellen. A strange thing happened with Ellen the sitcom. When Degeneres and her character came out, the show had a spike in the ratings. But after that, the sitcom which had been light as a creampuff during the first four season started to deal more and more with gay and lesbian issues. Even Chaz Bono, the media director for GLAAD at the time, criticized the show for its serious shift in tone. A backlash started, ratings dropped and the show was cancelled not long after hitting its highest ratings ever.

Although I love that Ellen helped make it acceptable to have gay characters in leading rules on broadcast tv. I gotta say I kinda wish Ellen's character would have stayed straight. I just found it funny with her mom always worrying about her find a man. I also didn't like the fact that she left the bookstore job I think that setting was great for the show. Also Ellen should have waited at least a season to have Ellen date if they were gonna have the character be gay and come out.
Just my opinion...

well, I think there's 2 reasons why people dislike the last season

1. while now "Gay-TV" is more common, in 1997-8, the last season of Ellen was really shocking and envelope-pushing. A lot of heterosexual viewers weren't yet ready to see such a series, even tho just a few years later, they could watch Will And Grace. It was just too ahead of it's time in 1997, even tho if it was now, most of the same viewers who turned off the tube in droves would probably have embraced it better.

2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.

I agree with this post. I loved Adam better than Spence, but I digress. Ellen just simply wasn't the same formula anymore after Ellen came out. Had Ellen been gay from episode 1, and had the lesbianism not become such a social issue and ALL about lesbianism,it would have been okay with me. I simply loved the Ellen formula with the ensemble cast.

Although I love that Ellen helped make it acceptable to have gay characters in leading rules on broadcast tv. I gotta say I kinda wish Ellen's character would have stayed straight. I just found it funny with her mom always worrying about her find a man. I also didn't like the fact that she left the bookstore job I think that setting was great for the show. Also Ellen should have waited at least a season to have Ellen date if they were gonna have the character be gay and come out.
Just my opinion...


Gotta agree here. Loved the mom worrying about Ellen finding a man. It was a staple of the show. The apartment and Book store were also gone. I agree. I LOVED Ellen. But it took a complete serious shift, the girlfriend was suddenly front and center, Paige was backburnered...it became a completely different show. A show I couldn't anymore recognize.

**
2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.
**


That was my only reason for not liking the last season. Plus there was no more "Buy the Book" and Ellen's apartment.


I agree with this. PLUS, I honestly did not like the fact that Ellen came out mid series. Had Ellen been gay from season 1, then fine. But to insert such a big change in the middle of a successful sitcom..a sitcom with a cast that worked so incredibly well together, just hit a nerve with me, and obviously, a myriad of fans. The show had gone through so many changes already...from season 1 to season 2...there had been a HUGE change in characters already (although I was not much of a fan of season 1). Then, just when the chemistry between the characters, the acting, AND the writing was so great, they ax Adam and insert Spence. THEN they get rid of Buy the Book and Ellen buys a house. THEN she is gay. And THEN she falls in love pretty quickly, and the supporting characters were significantly back burnered. Too much change. TOO MUCH. And really,the old adage is right....'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. Ellen was great DESPITE some initial changes. because the actors, characters and writers made for a wonderful formula (eg. Ellen, Paige, Adam/Spence, Audry, Joe). You don't mess with that. If you want to be successful you don't. I LOVE Ellen...but the constant changes were just too much.

Although I love that Ellen helped make it acceptable to have gay characters in leading rules on broadcast tv. I gotta say I kinda wish Ellen's character would have stayed straight. I just found it funny with her mom always worrying about her find a man. I also didn't like the fact that she left the bookstore job I think that setting was great for the show. Also Ellen should have waited at least a season to have Ellen date if they were gonna have the character be gay and come out.
Just my opinion...

It's debatable if not commonly agreed that Ellen for better or worse, "jumped the shark" (and why the ratings failed towards the end) with the coming out episode. In fairness, things more or less really started to go downhill after Ari Gross was replaced the writing just wasn't as good the last few seasons. And ironically, Ellen never really had an identity and while it did produce funny stuff, it didn't have any sort of direction until she came out.

It's not that I "hate" season 5, I just like the other seasons more because the ensemble cast played more of a part in the other seasons. This sitcom had an AWESOME cast and they all went on the back burner when Ellen came out. Season 5 was the "Adventures of Gay Ellen Show".

In hindsight, towards the latter end before she came out, partly what made the show funny was that you knew she was gay and her silly escapades with dating knowing full well she really didn't want those men.

But once Ellen came out, the show arguably was not as funny because each show revolved her being gay and beating the "dead gay horse". Maybe if the writing was better then said storylines would've been better get out of that particular arch.

well, I think there's 2 reasons why people dislike the last season

1. while now "Gay-TV" is more common, in 1997-8, the last season of Ellen was really shocking and envelope-pushing. A lot of heterosexual viewers weren't yet ready to see such a series, even tho just a few years later, they could watch Will And Grace. It was just too ahead of it's time in 1997, even tho if it was now, most of the same viewers who turned off the tube in droves would probably have embraced it better.

2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.

People on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/uu8lyv/comment/i9dx67n/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) have perfectly summed it up. After Ellen Morgan came out of the closet, the show just became decidedly less funny. It became all about her exploring her sexuality. Before that Ellen/These Friends of Mine wasn't a show that was built around romantic relationships. And the Ellen character was appealing in the early seasons because she was kind of asexual.

well, I think there's 2 reasons why people dislike the last season

1. while now "Gay-TV" is more common, in 1997-8, the last season of Ellen was really shocking and envelope-pushing. A lot of heterosexual viewers weren't yet ready to see such a series, even tho just a few years later, they could watch Will And Grace. It was just too ahead of it's time in 1997, even tho if it was now, most of the same viewers who turned off the tube in droves would probably have embraced it better.

2. a lot of fans, myself included, agree that when Ellen is at it's best, it's an ensemble show. In seasons 3 and 4, we cares as much about Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey as Ellen herself, kinda like a Seinfeld-ish clique... after Ellen came out of the closet, the series pushed the supporting players into the distant background, and it was ALL about Ellen, which is good since it's her show, but a lot of fans missed all the interactions with the other characters.

It was telling that Ellen fired the writing staff from the previous season, the ones who won an Emmy with her for writing "The Puppy Episode" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Puppy_Episode), and brought in all new writers.

Gotta agree here. Loved the mom worrying about Ellen finding a man. It was a staple of the show. The apartment and Book store were also gone. I agree. I LOVED Ellen. But it took a complete serious shift, the girlfriend was suddenly front and center, Paige was backburnered...it became a completely different show. A show I couldn't anymore recognize.

A perfect summarization that I just read is that what started as a cute, funny sitcom about a goofy gal and her friends, became a Norman Lear show towards the end.

I liked all her shows!!!