Speaking Of "Finales"..... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

pilotguy · 05-07-2004, 07:01 AM

Yes, I DID watch the "Friends" finale last night (although I'm not a true fan, I DID have a sense of curiousity about the whole thing). I thought that the finale was OK, but I couldn't help but make mental comparisons to "Wings". A couple of observations:

1. At the end when Rachel came back to Ross and they ended up together, the audience applauded and even cheered a little....but the whole thing seemed rather tame compared to the spontaneous full-blown response that broke loose from the "Wings" studio audience when Helen agreed to marry Joe. THAT crowd went WILD...and it was so genuine! Maybe Joe and Helen hadn't "burned out" their fans with an "on again-off again-on again-off again" romance the way that Ross and Rachel had over the years.

2. In watching other series' finales, I realize what a true "class act" WINGS was. WINGS ended with a lot of dignity and class. There were some surprises in the finale, but nothing "way out wild".....Crystal didn't wake up as K.C. Cunningham from "Happy Days" and realize that the whole 8 years of "Wings" had been just a dream! The WINGS finale managed to be a little sad, but it also ended with a sense of optimism and on a generally pleasant note.

While WINGS had obviously slipped in overall quality over the last couple of seasons, the finale seemed to get it's act together and give the viewers the heart, character integrity and writing quality that made fans fall in love with the show in the first place.

I think that WINGS should be noted as having one of the BEST series finales of ANY sitcom!

Chocoholic · 05-07-2004, 11:07 AM

I think the Wings finale is OK. It did tie up some lose ends. What I really didn't like though is I thought Lowell and maybe even Alex should have come back and something positive should have happened to Antonio for a change. I hate how they turned him into such a whiny, pathetic loser at times near the end. That's another reason why I can hardly watch a lot of the episodes from the final two seasons. They really ruined Antonio, IMHO.

I also don't like how NBC didn't bother to do a clip show with Wings like they did with Seinfeld, Friends, and (next week) Frasier. Even though Wings may not have been the mega-hit that those three shows are, it still lasted for 8 seasons and I think they deserved a better send-off. I think Frasier deserves a little more attention than it's getting too. I'll watch Wings over Seinfeld or Friends any day of the week.

Krista2882 · 05-07-2004, 12:49 PM

pilotguy, I agree!!
I watched the "Friends" finale too, even though I haven't been a regular watcher of "Friends" since about season 4.... but at one time, It was my favorite show, and I realized that I've basicaly grown up with "Friends"... i started watching it when it started when I was in 7th grade

and that show has been on through half of my middle school years, all of my high school years, and 4 of my college years! So of course, I had to watch the finale, even though I was annoyed at how much hype it's been getting..

and I was doung the same thing- comparing it to the Wings finale! And I agree... even though "Friends" ended on a happy note- Ross and Rachel finally getting back together for good, Monica and Chandler moving to a new house and having two new babies... etc... it's still sad in a way because everything's changing between the 6 friends...
but with Wings it was like, Joe and Helen were going to Vienna for a year while Brian ran Sandpiper, and then they'd be back, and everything would go on just as it always had...

I do think Wings had one of the best finales that I've seen.... and I just realized that I haven't seen many shows with actual finales... most of the shows that I've ever watched get cancelled before they have a legitimate ending!

losthighway · 05-08-2004, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pilotguy

I think that WINGS should be noted as having one of the BEST series finales of ANY sitcom!

TOTALLY agree Pilotguy!

I think the final Wings episode was very well written and left fans with a level of satisfaction....not just with the resolution of things for the characters, but just staying true to the quality of the show.

I watched the Friends final and thought it was pretty awful. Seinfeld, M*A*S*H, Cheers were all much higher profile shows, but they just didn't hit the mark with the series finales.

I wasn't happy with the way NBC treated Wings at the end, with every little appreciation or recognition. But at least they didn't treat it like Drew Carrey on ABC. I hardly ever watched that show but it is kind of sad when a show is on the air for 7 or 8 years, and the final episodes won't be run until sometime in the summer.

peter may · 05-08-2004, 08:37 AM

i finally got to watch the Last ever episode of Wings last night "Final Approach" and loved it.

An excellent ending scene where helen & joe say goodbye to everyone.

pilotguy · 05-08-2004, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by losthighway
I watched the Friends final and thought it was pretty awful. Seinfeld, M*A*S*H, Cheers were all much higher profile shows, but they just didn't hit the mark with the series finales.

I've always thought that "Cheers" had one of the WORST finales of ANY TV show!

They brought back Shelley Long, who had publically washed her hands of the series after her departure, and centered virtually the entire finale around Sam and Diane! The other characters (especially Rebecca) were really given the "fast shuffle" in wrapping up THEIR storylines.....

I can't believe that Kirstie Alley (who worked her TAIL off in that series and did an excellent job) wasn't hurt, offended and ANGRY by the shabby treatment that her character received in the finale....It was NOT fair!

pilotguy · 05-08-2004, 09:41 AM

Something else that's great about the "WINGS" finale:

While most people concentrate on the "Joe and Helen Leaving For Vienna" storyline, the finale also shed new light on the Brian-Casey relationship.....

The finale had the two of them realizing that they truly LIKED each other, and that their relationship was NOT just "all about sex". They had a special friendship and they enjoyed being around each other. While Casey probably knew this all along, it was obvious that Brian was just realizing it....and after that touching scene, the viewer realized that it's just POSSIBLE that Brian and Casey WOULD end up together as a REAL couple (not just sex partners).

That scene was another positive aspect of the finale, and was a very nice way to have the characters say "goodbye" to us.

Krista2882 · 05-09-2004, 09:48 AM

I don't think I've ever seen the "Cheers" finale, but it sounds pretty crappy. lol.

and peter- that's great that you finally got to see the Wings finale! I've only seen it once so far, and now after this topic, I want to watch it again! now! ...but i'm at work. so i can't. pooo.

Chocoholic · 05-09-2004, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pilotguy
I've always thought that "Cheers" had one of the WORST finales of ANY TV show!

They brought back Shelley Long, who had publically washed her hands of the series after her departure, and centered virtually the entire finale around Sam and Diane! The other characters (especially Rebecca) were really given the "fast shuffle" in wrapping up THEIR storylines.....

I can't believe that Kirstie Alley (who worked her TAIL off in that series and did an excellent job) wasn't hurt, offended and ANGRY by the shabby treatment that her character received in the finale....It was NOT fair!

I didn't like the Cheers finale either for that reason. While I do love Cheers, Diane Chambers is my absolute least favorite sitcom character EVER!

A thing I've observed is that Cheers fans who prefer the Diane years prefer Frasier to Wings while Cheers fans who prefer the Rebecca years prefer Wings to Frasier. It's certainly true with me.

pilotguy · 05-09-2004, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Kristen
A thing I've observed is that Cheers fans who prefer the Diane years prefer Frasier to Wings while Cheers fans who prefer the Rebecca years prefer Wings to Frasier. It's certainly true with me.

I never thought of that before, but it DOES make sense!

People who like the snobbish, pseudo-intellectual character of Diane Chambers would probably also enjoy the Crane brothers, who share many of the same qualities.....

However, Rebecca is more of a tough "kick-ass" character whose life is never quite going the way that she'd like it to...and THOSE qualities are shared by Helen Chappel, as well as other "Wings" characters at one time or another....

Another thought: The "Frasier" characters who would probably appeal to "Wings" fans MOST are Roz Doyle and Martin Crane (both tough characters who don't take much garbage from anybody).

Krista2882 · 05-09-2004, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Kristen

A thing I've observed is that Cheers fans who prefer the Diane years prefer Frasier to Wings while Cheers fans who prefer the Rebecca years prefer Wings to Frasier. It's certainly true with me.

hey, that's interesting! It's true in my case too! lol. I agree with pilotguy on the reasons why that probably is.
and you're also right, pilotguy, in that the only characters on "Frasier" that I like are Roz and Martin. lol

spunkygirl · 05-11-2004, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Kristen
I didn't like the Cheers finale either for that reason. While I do love Cheers, Diane Chambers is my absolute least favorite sitcom character EVER!

A thing I've observed is that Cheers fans who prefer the Diane years prefer Frasier to Wings while Cheers fans who prefer the Rebecca years prefer Wings to Frasier. It's certainly true with me.

Not me, I hated Rebecca she was too whiny, needy, clingy, man hungry, etc. etc. etc.

Also to me Kelsey Grammer hasn't been funny since he was on Cheers

Mr. Television · 05-11-2004, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Kristen
I didn't like the Cheers finale either for that reason. While I do love Cheers, Diane Chambers is my absolute least favorite sitcom character EVER!

A thing I've observed is that Cheers fans who prefer the Diane years prefer Frasier to Wings while Cheers fans who prefer the Rebecca years prefer Wings to Frasier. It's certainly true with me.

I never thought of that but its true with me. I like Rebecca more than Diane and Wings over Frasier. As a matter of fact I rarely watch Frasier.

aeromasspilot · 05-12-2004, 04:04 AM

I agree with pilotguy... Wings really did go off the air with class. There weren't a lot of far-out plots or unrealistic stunts.
Remember Giligan's Island or Hogan's Hero's? They didn't have any finale's about getting rescued. (at least, none that I remember) . I really hope that another channel re-runs Wings at normal viewing hours. There are still many laughs to be found in each episode.

jim

phoebe7165 · 05-30-2004, 08:58 PM

OK, some of you know what a big fan of Friends I am, and I just now watched the finale today(sorry, I've been out of town again). As much as I like the show, I did think the finale was pretty anti-climactic and predictable. I mean, c'mon, Ross & Rachel getting back together? Who didn't see that coming? I just glad it's over because then maybe I won't have to hear over & over again about how much you hate the show. OK, I know you don't like it. Can we move on? I know everybody is entitled to their opinion but I've sat quietly and read you bashing a show that I liked. You don't see me bashing anything you like. That's the reason I quit going on the TVLand message board because people would bash the shows I liked. OK, I said it and I'm not going to say anything else. I don't want to alienate everybody. That's if I haven't already. BTW, Wings still rules, of course. That's my way of buttering you up again.

05-07-2004, 07:01 AM	#1
pilotguy Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 1,305	Speaking Of "Finales"..... Yes, I DID watch the "Friends" finale last night (although I'm not a true fan, I DID have a sense of curiousity about the whole thing). I thought that the finale was OK, but I couldn't help but make mental comparisons to "Wings". A couple of observations: 1. At the end when Rachel came back to Ross and they ended up together, the audience applauded and even cheered a little....but the whole thing seemed rather tame compared to the spontaneous full-blown response that broke loose from the "Wings" studio audience when Helen agreed to marry Joe. THAT crowd went WILD...and it was so genuine! Maybe Joe and Helen hadn't "burned out" their fans with an "on again-off again-on again-off again" romance the way that Ross and Rachel had over the years. 2. In watching other series' finales, I realize what a true "class act" WINGS was. WINGS ended with a lot of dignity and class. There were some surprises in the finale, but nothing "way out wild".....Crystal didn't wake up as K.C. Cunningham from "Happy Days" and realize that the whole 8 years of "Wings" had been just a dream! The WINGS finale managed to be a little sad, but it also ended with a sense of optimism and on a generally pleasant note. While WINGS had obviously slipped in overall quality over the last couple of seasons, the finale seemed to get it's act together and give the viewers the heart, character integrity and writing quality that made fans fall in love with the show in the first place. I think that WINGS should be noted as having one of the BEST series finales of ANY sitcom!

05-12-2004, 04:04 AM	#14
aeromasspilot Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 27, 2003 Posts: 20	season finales I agree with pilotguy... Wings really did go off the air with class. There weren't a lot of far-out plots or unrealistic stunts. Remember Giligan's Island or Hogan's Hero's? They didn't have any finale's about getting rescued. (at least, none that I remember) . I really hope that another channel re-runs Wings at normal viewing hours. There are still many laughs to be found in each episode. jim

05-30-2004, 08:58 PM	#15
phoebe7165 Pop Culture Goddess Forum Star Join Date: Apr 15, 2003 Location: US of A - the country of "really bad music" lovers Posts: 11,600	OK, some of you know what a big fan of Friends I am, and I just now watched the finale today(sorry, I've been out of town again). As much as I like the show, I did think the finale was pretty anti-climactic and predictable. I mean, c'mon, Ross & Rachel getting back together? Who didn't see that coming? I just glad it's over because then maybe I won't have to hear over & over again about how much you hate the show. OK, I know you don't like it. Can we move on? I know everybody is entitled to their opinion but I've sat quietly and read you bashing a show that I liked. You don't see me bashing anything you like. That's the reason I quit going on the TVLand message board because people would bash the shows I liked. OK, I said it and I'm not going to say anything else. I don't want to alienate everybody. That's if I haven't already. BTW, Wings still rules, of course. That's my way of buttering you up again.
	__________________ Rest in Peace to my Penny-pie. You really were a GREAT dog. I'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge. Penny 9/1/97-12/9/09 Rescued animals make the best pets. Opt to Adopt!!

05-07-2004, 11:07 AM	#2
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	I think the Wings finale is OK. It did tie up some lose ends. What I really didn't like though is I thought Lowell and maybe even Alex should have come back and something positive should have happened to Antonio for a change. I hate how they turned him into such a whiny, pathetic loser at times near the end. That's another reason why I can hardly watch a lot of the episodes from the final two seasons. They really ruined Antonio, IMHO. I also don't like how NBC didn't bother to do a clip show with Wings like they did with Seinfeld, Friends, and (next week) Frasier. Even though Wings may not have been the mega-hit that those three shows are, it still lasted for 8 seasons and I think they deserved a better send-off. I think Frasier deserves a little more attention than it's getting too. I'll watch Wings over Seinfeld or Friends any day of the week.

05-07-2004, 12:49 PM	#3
Krista2882 Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 10, 2003 Location: CT Posts: 1,370	pilotguy, I agree!! I watched the "Friends" finale too, even though I haven't been a regular watcher of "Friends" since about season 4.... but at one time, It was my favorite show, and I realized that I've basicaly grown up with "Friends"... i started watching it when it started when I was in 7th grade and that show has been on through half of my middle school years, all of my high school years, and 4 of my college years! So of course, I had to watch the finale, even though I was annoyed at how much hype it's been getting.. and I was doung the same thing- comparing it to the Wings finale! And I agree... even though "Friends" ended on a happy note- Ross and Rachel finally getting back together for good, Monica and Chandler moving to a new house and having two new babies... etc... it's still sad in a way because everything's changing between the 6 friends... but with Wings it was like, Joe and Helen were going to Vienna for a year while Brian ran Sandpiper, and then they'd be back, and everything would go on just as it always had... I do think Wings had one of the best finales that I've seen.... and I just realized that I haven't seen many shows with actual finales... most of the shows that I've ever watched get cancelled before they have a legitimate ending!

05-08-2004, 08:37 AM	#5
peter may The SO Limey Senior Member Join Date: Feb 26, 2002 Location: LONDON Posts: 1,883	i finally got to watch the Last ever episode of Wings last night "Final Approach" and loved it. An excellent ending scene where helen & joe say goodbye to everyone.

05-08-2004, 09:41 AM	#7
pilotguy Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 1,305	Something else that's great about the "WINGS" finale: While most people concentrate on the "Joe and Helen Leaving For Vienna" storyline, the finale also shed new light on the Brian-Casey relationship..... The finale had the two of them realizing that they truly LIKED each other, and that their relationship was NOT just "all about sex". They had a special friendship and they enjoyed being around each other. While Casey probably knew this all along, it was obvious that Brian was just realizing it....and after that touching scene, the viewer realized that it's just POSSIBLE that Brian and Casey WOULD end up together as a REAL couple (not just sex partners). That scene was another positive aspect of the finale, and was a very nice way to have the characters say "goodbye" to us.

05-09-2004, 09:48 AM	#8
Krista2882 Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 10, 2003 Location: CT Posts: 1,370	I don't think I've ever seen the "Cheers" finale, but it sounds pretty crappy. lol. and peter- that's great that you finally got to see the Wings finale! I've only seen it once so far, and now after this topic, I want to watch it again! now! ...but i'm at work. so i can't. pooo.