TV series finales: From ‘Succession’ down, the best and worst goodbyes of 2023

It’s become rarer for series to run years on end in the streaming age. More ambitious shows have created a higher rate of turnover, meaning the challenge of devising “series finale” frequently becomes an issue after only three or four seasons, as occurred with several of this year’s most-celebrated farewells.

It’s become rarer for series to run years on end in the streaming age. More ambitious shows have created a higher rate of turnover, meaning the challenge of devising “series finale” frequently becomes an issue after only three or four seasons, as occurred with several of this year’s most-celebrated farewells. In another departure from the past that owes a strong debt to “Lost,” it has also become common for shows to decide to end well in advance and build toward that, a factor that distinguishes the programs mentioned from those that concluded without the benefit of crafting a clear finish. Debating finales has become its own spectator sport, from the ardent defenders and critics of “The Sopranos” to people who felt understandably let down by “Seinfeld” (can Larry David do better on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” next year? We’ll see) to the surreal finish of “St. Elsewhere,” which still serves as a landmark in terms of taking big, unexpected swings. While it’s hard to produce a great finale for a mediocre show, it’s more than possible to screw up a great one. So which series stuck the landing, and which didn’t? A look at some of the shows that signed off in 2023, in descending order of satisfaction. Some spoilers ahead (particularly in links to the full reviews), and a footnote: This list excludes Amazon’s “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and the FX crime dramas “Mayans M.C.” and “Snowfall,” which concluded after four, five and six years. Although I watched all three for a time, I didn’t continue viewing closely enough to fairly assess how well they tied things up. ‘Succession’ (4 seasons, HBO): The year’s best show not surprisingly yielded the most impressive payoff, starting with the gutsy decision to kill off Logan Roy (Brian Cox) early in the season, before letting the true succession battle play out. A candidate for the series-finale Hall of Fame, for Jeremy Strong’s reading of the line “I am the eldest boy!” alone.