Best TV series finales of the last decade.

So...

With both 24 and Lost ending recently there has been a lot of talk in the news lately about series finales. Which ones are the best? Which are the worst? Today, I'm going to talk about the best series finales of the past decade because, frankly, I think pretty much every news source has left off some amazing series enders. This list is in no particular order, by the way.

1. Monk. This mostly undiscovered gem of a show basically put USA on the map as a serious network and inspired their whole "characters first" approach to TV. It also led to the very similar and way inferior Psych. The Monk series finale is on this list because it expertly wrapped up the mystery of who killed Monk's wife, a mystery that has been a big part of the show since episode one, and dealt with Monk's OCD in a way that brought closure, but didn't feel like Monk wouldn't be Monk anymore. Every other supporting character also got a great send-off that wasn't shoehorned in at the last minute, but rather built up from little bits and pieces here and there seen throughout the shows' history.

2. The Shield. The finale for this show was really an extension of the series and taken on it's own it's a credit that it's as awesome as it is. Six seasons worth of storytelling boiled to a head in a sad, yet satisfying ending that would make Shakespeare proud.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The second of three Star Trek spin-offs (and the darker, more "realistic" of the Star Treks) that popped up in the late nineties, this series technically closed shop in 1999, but it's such a brilliant finale that I had to included it on this list. I love the way this finale took the two big mythological elements of this show and managed to do the impossible by winding them down together and making them feel connected. I also loved that all the characters (I lost count at 13) got the proper send-offs they deserved and that everything was wrapped up in a bow without feeling forced. Another thing this finale did which all finales should take note of: the show ended in a way that brought total closure for the characters, but left the viewer with a feeling that a new journey was beginning for them. One door closes, another one opens.

4. 24. After an uneven season, 24 heated up when Dana Walsh was ID'd as a mole and Jack Bauer finally went rogue, realizing that the greater good he always fought for was no longer being served by the White House and it's Commander in Chief. I loved that this finale was all about Jack, even though he really didn't appear in it too much. Also, the final scene between him and Chloe was fittingly emotional given that this is 24 we are talking about.

5. Lost. A lot of people seem to be a little disappointed that this finale didn't wrap up more of the island mythology, but, personally, I like that it gave us enough hints to be able to puzzle out answers to most of the questions for ourselves and left the others open for plenty of debate and interpretation. How long before we have a Lost 101 class at some prestigious Ivy league school where the final grade includes an essay on what the smoke monster really is?

6. Rome. A series that was cancelled after two seasons by all accounts shouldn't have even had time to give itself a good, let alone great finale. But that's where you can tell good writers from bad ones. This finale really hit home just what fans were going to miss with the loss of this well-crafted, intriguing drama. I like this finale because it had a lot of smart, subtle nods to previous episodes, such as Pullo's realization about being a secret father and Cleopatra pulling the wool over Marc Antony's eyes.

7. Friends. A little forced with the whole Ross-Rachel will they/won't they drama finally getting resolved after, what, 10 long seasons. But the Chandler-Monica plot was top notch, and Joey and Phoebe were game for a few great last lines. Plus, it's nice to see an ending that leaves it's characters in a good, happy place.

8. Sex and the City. The season leading up to this finale was probably the weakest, but the resolution was sweet. All the characters were in a better place and seemed to have found what they were looking for over the course of the show. That is, until the movie came along and ruined everything!

9. Scrubs (the first time). Even though ABC decided to bring this comedy back after the fact as a kind of spin-off, the original finale was so darn good that no one bothered to tune in after that because it felt like it was all over. The finale was funny, moving and had JD coming to a few good realizations about his life based on another day at the hospital. In short, it was pretty much like any other episode of this witty little show.

10. ER. Bringing back all the original characters gave this finale closure by making the episode feel like it was coming full circle, but I like the way it really just played out like yet another day at the hospital, which, to the characters, it was. A lot of shows try to use this formula for their finales, but ER is one of the rare exceptions where it succeeds beautifully.

11. Alias. This show started to go down hill halfway through season three when they introduced Sydney's "long lost" sister. It was a desperate attempt to find some kind of replacement character to hang the show on should Jennifer Garner decide to walk away, which she, thankfully, didn't. Two and a half years later that sister was dead, leading up to the ultimate fate for her father and killer and series baddie Arvin Sloan. This finale had a few surprising deaths on the good guy side as well, but ended happily with out two favorite heroes, Sydney and Vaughan, reunited and essentially riding off into the sunset together.