Five theses on the difficulty of ending Quality TV series

In long-term narratives such as television series, closure is often postponed for a long time. At the same time, the difficulty of ending a story with multiple characters and plotlines can be said to be endemic to the serial form. Indeed, the denigration of serial fiction is as old the form itself, and in order for a series to be elevated to the status of art, perhaps its seriality must be controlled by the promise of an ending. This chapter explores what difference it makes for the spectator whether or not a television series is plotted through to a planned, intentional finale. I argue that the search for authorial presence plays a central role in our expectations, experience, and evaluation of a finale. The ending is especially important for the viewer’s search for authorial comments, intentions, or a moral in the story. I suggest that one explanation for why there is always (a promise of) an ending in American quality TV is because a proper finale reminds and reassures the spectator that the series is authored, as compared with popular culture, which often appears unauthored.