In the next few days, two of the most popular television shows of recent years will, sadly, be coming to an end.
Succession’s satirical look at capitalism and Ted Lasso’s uplifting comedy about an unlikely football coach have been rewarded with critical acclaim, awards and devoted audiences.
Darkly comedic crime drama Barry, about a hitman, was also a runaway hit with fans and critics, and came to an end last week.
But while fans will undoubtedly be disappointed that their favourite series are concluding, they’ll also be excited to see how the creators bring the series to an end. There is, after all, a lot riding on how they do it.
Looking back through the history of television, the likes of Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Breaking Bad delivered adequate finales. Newhart, Dinosaurs and St Elsewhere decided to finish in a downright weird manner. While The Wire, Lost, Dexter and Game of Thrones culminated in such disappointing styles that the episodes almost ruined everything that had gone before.
But there are some shows that climaxed perfectly, bringing an end to their stories in a surprising yet satisfying manner that made audiences feel both happy and sad to be bidding farewell to its characters.
So, which TV shows have particularly great conclusions? Here we take a look at six.
Warning: There are many spoilers ahead
The Sopranos
Audiences were literally left in the dark when The Sopranos came to an end in June, 2007, after 86 episodes. A very intense scene, set to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin', showed gangster Tony Soprano eating dinner with his family in a diner, a suspicious man watching him and Meadow Soprano struggling to park.
Then, suddenly, its creator, writer and director David Chase cut to black. Audiences were left to wonder if this signalled Tony’s death. Years later, Chase has yet to give a concrete answer, which just makes the intrigue and debate over the entire show all the more intense.
Mad Men
Going into Mad Men’s final few minutes, it was hard to tell whether or not its concluding episode would be a success. While viewers had been shown the fates of Pete Campbell, Joan Holloway, Roger Sterling and Peggy Olson, they still didn’t know how Mad Men would leave its protagonist, Don Draper. All its creator, writer, and director Matthew Weiner needed was a smile, though.
After spending the final few episodes suggesting that Don was going to have an epiphany that would change the direction of his life, a small smile grows on his face during a meditation class, before then cutting to the ground-breaking 1971 Coca-Cola advert, which features several people Don has encountered throughout the episode. Proving that, even though he really wants to, the character would never change.
The Good Place
While The Good Place never quite had the consistency of other hit comedies, its final episode surpassed those of 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation and even the US version of The Office.
After a hefty amount of time in the afterlife, Jason, Tahini, Eleanor and Chidi each decide that they’re ready to move on and end their existence in the universe. Not only was it told in an emotional yet deeply profound manner, it also proved that knowing when to end your series is just as important as how you do it.
Six Feet Under
Another show that never managed to hit the heights of its dramatic peers, Six Feet Under almost immediately made up for its shortcomings with its finale, which was instantly deemed one of the finest in television history.
After bringing to an end its storylines, Six Feet Under then used numerous flash-forwards to show the main events in the characters’ lives, including their deaths. Set to the song Breathe Me by Sia, we see Ruth dying in hospital, Keith being shot and killed by robbers, David and Rico having heart attacks, and Brenda and Claire dying at home, with the latter surrounded by photographs of family members. It was a poignant and all-encompassing farewell to a show that dealt with grief and death in an honest fashion.
Fleabag
Even though Fleabag lasted for just two seasons and 12 episodes, it’s rightfully acclaimed as one of the finest dark comedies yet created. After seemingly suggesting that Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag was going to finally have her happy ending with Andrew Scott’s Priest, she is instead rebuffed by him. Even though he loves her, he chooses God over Fleabag.
Rather than being inconsolable, Fleabag accepts his decision. Then, as she walks away, rather than addressing the camera, she leaves the audience behind. Waller-Bridge expertly incorporates the fourth wall storytelling device that made Fleabag so original into the narrative, and uses it in such a way that it makes the finale feel all the more fulfilling and ingenious.
Blackadder
Probably the most famous ending on the list, the fourth season of Blackadder, which is set in the trenches during the First World War, ends with the men finally having to go into No Man’s Land. Just before they do, Baldrick tells his commander that he has a plan to avoid certain death. But Blackadder tells him it has to wait. Instead they run into a hail of machine-gun fire.
This sad and tragic scene fades from the muddy trenches of war to a peaceful field of poppies in 1989, signalling that, despite the silliness of the show and its characters, people just like Blackadder, Baldrick, and George gave their lives for their country.
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
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Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
