MovieChat Forums > Rules of Engagement (2007) Discussion > That Series Finale was PERFECT

That Series Finale was PERFECT

posted 11 years ago by m7m14
29 replies | jump to latest

It had everything I wanted. It closed all story lines and left no cliffhangers. It even came full circle with all three of them pairing off (even Timmy and Russel lol) and finishing their engagements. Even the final credits with the applause and "Closing Time" playing. I'm not sure how fast they can edit an episode after hearing they were cancelled but it's almost like they knew it wouldn't be renewed.

Sad to see it end. It would be nice if TBS picked them up. They treat their shows with a lot more respect and I feel that they would have a better audience for the show anyway. One can only hope...

[–] Akimbo_Slice 11 years ago

I really wasn't expecting Russell and Timmy haha and I agree Closing Time was the perfect way to end the show

I'll be honest...if I was watching alone I probably would've shed a few tears when Closing Time came on and Jeff was telling everyone the good news

[–] tjones202 11 years ago

It was solid. I'm glad they ripped off King Of Queens at the end. It stayed consistent at least as ROE always borrowed heavily from other comedies. Hopefully Price, Warburton, Kajlich and Hudson land better roles.

[–] Akimbo_Slice 11 years ago

That was exactly what I was thinking too...but even though King of Queens is the better show IMO (by default because it's my favorite show) I think this show may have had the better series finale

[–] kristen1165 11 years ago

Yeah, King of Queens was the first thing I thought of when Audrey puked in the delivery room, at that point I knew she was pregnant, and if not for King of Queens ending the same way I might not have even thought that.

[–] Bilwick1 11 years ago

"I'll be honest...if I was watching alone I probably would've shed a few tears when Closing Time came on and Jeff was telling everyone the good news."

I did watch it alone, Akimbo, and I did shed a few tears.

Later in the week I watched it again with a friend of mine who has become a fan of the show and who had missed it Monday night but taped it. When "Closing Time" began, without saying a word, she handed me some Kleenex.

[–] Sam_Fisher_Agent_47 11 years ago

It had a bit of everything that series finale:

Friends finale: Surrogate pregnancy birth.

Everybody Loves Raymond finale: Final shot of main cast with a slow zoom-out and fadeout to black.

King of Queens finale: The main woman pregnant against all odds.

The only thing it was missing that I actually wanted, was similar to the way Michael J Fox left Spin City - all the cast at the end of the sitcom walking out onto the studio stage waving to the audience's applause and waving goodbye.

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Steven Seagal Fan Club President

[–] kiss_metallica 10 years ago

RE: Friends - Chandler and Monica adopted the twins. Biologically they were the birth mother's (Erica) and her ex-boyfriend's; Erica wasn't a surrogate. Monica & Chandler were just lucky to be there for the birth.

There was a surrogacy storyline on Friends; Phoebe was surrogate for her brother & his wife, but that was earlier in the series, she gave birth to the triplets in episode 100. Biologically her brother and his wife were the parents. She described it as: "totally their bun" just used her "oven".

On RoE, Brenda was like Phoebe, a surrogate for Jeff and Audrey; biologically the baby (Shay?) was Jeff and Audrey's.

The RoE ending was most like King of Queen's in the sense that they went a nontraditional route to start their family because they thought they couldn't have kids (KoQ adopted a baby from another country, China, I believe) and on the way back she realized she was pregnant.

You don't need double talk; you need Bob Loblaw.

[–] jmatrixrenegade 11 years ago

I think they knew it was going to be canceled by them rushing the wedding plans in the last few episodes after there was no sign of it being close in the past. The episode as a whole was very good, including the two end points (the hospital room fade was nice; the credits bit ended with a true ROE touch).

[–] DeathRay93 11 years ago

I loved the finale. So cool that they Audrey and Jeff are having a baby if their own. Glad that Jen and Alan are finally married loved the part with the priest in the old man's room. Timmy and Russell getting married was HILARIOUS! Playing Closing Time was amazing that's probably my favorite song ever.

[–] Synetech 11 years ago

I totally agree.

I did not know it was the series finale until the (almost) final scene with all of them wrapping things up in the hospital room, and when the first few notes of Closing Time started playing, I got a sinking feeling that it was the end. However, it did not leave me feeling despondent like some series finales have because it was so well made.

My only nitpick with it is that after the final hospital scene, they did an extra scene with Jeff and Audrey just before the credits (which was mediocre at best). It felt odd that they would single that couple (pun intended) out for one last scene. It would have been better to end after the hospital scene. Alternately, since it is a comedy, they could have followed this scene with a scene of Adam and Jen on their wedding night, with Adam doing something boneheaded, and then finish with a scene of Russel and Timmy on their wedding night with something like Russel making sarcastic sexual overtures to Timmy who then rolls his eyes and rebuffs him.

It did have a cliffhanger of sorts with the Russel-Timmy thing leaving how they work things out to our imaginations, but overall it was a very nice, proper finale. In fact, it was so well done that I don’t even feel the need or urge to have it ported to another network (I could have sworn that Cougar Town was re-cancelled.)

They probably did know that they may be cancelled because CBS has been treating them as filler for years now, so they have probably had a series finale at least half-ready for a while.

I’ll miss the show, but I’m glad we had it for as long as we did.

[–] mikey1969 11 years ago

Yeah, it should have ended with a group shot and the song, whether they had that scene, and then the group scene the next day in Jeff and Audrey's living room, with everybody over to announce the 'big news'. Going to the final Jeff/Audrey scene ruined the flow the episode had going. Otherwise, they did a pretty good job of sewing things up, soo to speak. lthough, speaking of sewing things up, Brenda should have been in the group shot. Not only was she a close character, she played a big part in this whole final season as the surrogate.

Not sure how the finale snuck up on anyone, I pretty much knew this was going to be the last season, and got that confirmed a few weeks ago. My O.C.D. loves the fact that they wrappeed it up with exactly 100 episodes. :-)

[–] m7m14 11 years ago

The after credits scene was classic RoE. That's what they were going for. Everything seems bliss then Audrey and Jeff run into a problem and solve it in their own silly way like they usually do. It was a perfect way to end the series. I do wish they had all of them (Jen and Adam, Timmy and Russel) with their own ending scenes though. I'm glad the show didn't end on just that group shot. That serious, somewhat sad shot wasn't RoE. But it was a nice touch and I'm glad it was included.

[–] pepegoldie 11 years ago

I agree the series finale was good except for Audrey being pregnant. They already had a baby of their own, to have her get pregnant implied that was the 'perfect situation'. I thought that was dumb. Timmy & Russell getting married bordered on stupid too. But I did like Jen & Adam getting married in the hospital. They didnt need a big fancy wedding after all.

[–] CanadianDollar 11 years ago

i didnt even know the show was done until they started playing "Closing Time" it was great that they tied the loose ends of Jen and Adam, but i wasn't surprised that Audrey became pregnant, it usually happens when you adopt or use surrogacy. the woman's body doesnt have the pressure of trying to have a baby.

but all in all i thought it was a good way to say good-bye after the fact that i didnt know it was the series finale.

[–] JP2005 11 years ago

I cried!! Totally surprised by Russel and Timmy exchanging vows. It was the perfect ending to an unappreciated show. Yes let's hopes there's life after tonight.

-If you have a job an illegal could steal, it's time to get a better job.-

[–] Go_Blue_99 11 years ago

I had no idea this show was ending until that final scene. Then I googled it and realized it. At least the producers were able to end the show with a "finale" type show.

[–] Remington3200 11 years ago

I didn't like it at all. Why would Timmy have to get married to stay in the country when in season 5's 22nd episode, Double Down, we learn that Timmy is already a citizen before Russell throws him a citizenship party?

Further, Timmy hates Russell for a variety of good reasons, so I'd think he'd rather leave the country than tie his future to Russell like that.

The episode struck me as sloppy writing by a team that knew the jig was up and had to turn in one final submission to meet contractual obligations. I thought it was a lazy ending to an otherwise very good sitcom.

[–] Sam_Fisher_Agent_47 11 years ago

The episode was perfect. The scene where 'Closing Time' started playing was very touching, seeing Jeff hug everyone and everyone was glad that things turned out for the best. Having the 6 members all together and happy was excellent.

Then, of course, Jeff and Audrey have a little baby drama. Jeff say's he'll take care of the baby, then how about Audrey taking care of Daddy? That part is simply VINTAGE Rules of Engagement :-)

So typical and funny.

I love this show and always will. Now it will have a permanent place on my mantle piece with Becker and Everybody Loves Raymond as my favorite sitcoms. In fact this will always be one my favorite ever sitcoms. None of the other shows that are on these days will come close.

Vale Rules of Engagement, I will miss you so very much. Love the cast, love the crew, love the show. Forever you will have a special place in my heart.

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Steven Seagal Fan Club President

[–] number1212 11 years ago

I thought it was a very good finale too. It was good to see Jen and Adam finally get married and Audrey and Jeff finally being parents.

[–] computermaximus 11 years ago

The Finale was perfect. The only thing that I didn't like was the scene before the credits with Jeff, Audrey, and the baby. There was no need for that scene. All of them in the room and the camera panning out the window would have been the perfect ending. As far as finales go it was one of the better endings a show has gotten.

The 2nd coming is upon us. No one will ever be the same again.

[–] Sam_Fisher_Agent_47 11 years ago

This finale was good. It didn't end the way most sitcoms do, such as characters leaving or going to other places/cities. It was simply all the usual cast together one final time. Then the final ending scene was great, it was vintage Rules of Engagement. They didn't make it out as if it was the final episode, just ending it in a humble manner as if it was a normal episode - similar to the way Everybody Loves Raymond ended. That's what I loved about it. The fadeout and the Closing Time song prior to that scene just added to the emotion.

I'm glad it finished perfectly on 100 episodes. That was quite an achievement - most sitcoms don't hit that mark.

Now... let the syndication party begin :D

_________________________________
Steven Seagal Fan Club President