Why are Satisfying endings so rare? Is it because at the end of the day, no one wants to see something they love come to an end? Is it really that hard to write up a good conclusion to a long standing series of events? Is it just anecdotal on my part, or do many a series seem to end on a low note compared to the build up of events that lead to it. Examples of which(Spoilered for your convenience.)
I tried offering two examples of good endings and two, not so good. I don't know if it just boils down to me not liking endings, or if it's just that common to find endings are just lacking. I know Video Games have left me with a bad taste in my mouth of late as well. Especially Far Cry 3(Who's ending I won't touch because my spoiler boxes refuse to work at this point, so bleh.)
I'll start this out by saying I greatly enjoyed the books as a boy. While they lost some of their luster as time went on, still an enjoyed read. The ending however, was just. Well, pure Deus Ex Machina. No early build up, no established plot lines other than the cape. Just, bleh, left a bad taste in my mouth.
Honestly, I don't know how I would've ended this one. Speaking as a Writer, I've got to say the man wrote himself into a proverbial corner. The fact that Roland finally reaches the tower only to have his mind erased and the chace begin anew time and again, is, cruel. I mean, yes, he deserves punishment for his actions, for his undying need to reach the tower. But that's pushing it a bit far.
An ending I didn't entirely see coming-but granted, that's more than likely my own damn fault. The Boxes of Orden were explained and introduced from the very first book, so you can't fault the author for Deus Ex Machina ala Harry Potter. And ultimately, dividing the world into two separate universes, one with and one without magic was a fair way of finding the balance that many people wanted. I'd give it a fair pass given the difficulty of writing such a long running series and maintaining a fair degree of writing skill. All in all, I'd give this one a "ended well, satisfied with the finish."
From the very first-ish episode, the end game boss was and always will be, Fire Lord Ozai. So, they had a clear goal and an established ending. Avatar Aang would face the Fire Lord, eventually. What would come of it was up in the air. While many argue that the Lion Turtle was a Deus Ex machina moment and I do agree with that assessment, after what we learned in Korra Season 2, I'm more willing to give that moment a pass. Having rewatched the series a few days ago, I noticed the prevailing theme was choice. Avatar Aang knew he would eventually be faced with the dilemna of killing the Fire Lord, despite how much it would hurt him to do so. He faced this eventuality, choosing to forge his path as best he could, struggling with the knowledge that it might ultimately come to that. Upon finding the Lion Turtle(Whom, as I said in Korra Season 2, was shown to be a great spiritual creature.) he did all he could do. He asked for help with his dilemna, he chose to submit himself to the ultimate point he feared he might reach. But because of his determination, he was shown a method of doing what needed to be done without crossing the line he was terrified to cross. Because of his willingness to do it if he needed to, he gained the strength needed to bend the energy of a man as driven by passion as Ozai himself.
I tried offering two examples of good endings and two, not so good. I don't know if it just boils down to me not liking endings, or if it's just that common to find endings are just lacking. I know Video Games have left me with a bad taste in my mouth of late as well. Especially Far Cry 3(Who's ending I won't touch because my spoiler boxes refuse to work at this point, so bleh.)
