MSCL.com

I watched the final episode tonight for the first time in years. I watched the final scene three times. It kills me not knowing who Angela ended up with! I'd totally forgotten this feeling...I remember feeling it when the show first aired. I know there's fan fic, but does ANYONE know if it was ever revealed what would have happened if the show had continued?

I have come to the conclusion that MSCL ended at the exact right moment. One of the major themes of the show was Angela's ongoing "obsession" with Jordan Catalano. If she dumped him and went for Brian, the geek next door who she was always fighting with in a neighborly way, the show would totally change its premise and meaning. I do believe some things are meant to die young so they will always remain beautiful and perfect in our minds. Let's admit it, MSCL was a great show, but it couldn't have gone on much longer without "jumping the shark."

Ok, I really have no idea what 'jumping the shark' means, maybe Lacy can explain that one sometime. Anyways, I think Lacy is right about MSCL ending at the right time. Yes it is sad that it ended, I hate that, but this way it ends still beautiful and intriguing, leaving us always wondering and thinking about the show and what might've happened. I think any show that makes you think while it is on the air, as MSCL did, should continue to leave you thinking and wondering when it ends. In that case MSCL was extremely successful, hey we are still talking about it YEARS later. MSCL raised questions, and for it to continue to do so, is just a testament to its power, success, and beauty.

Hope Springs Eternal

For those of you who don't know what "Jump the Shark" means, I got this definition off of jumptheshark.com: "It's a moment. A defining moment when you know your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant you know...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it jumping the shark." Most believe MSCL never "jumped the shark." It didn't have time to, but chances are it would have eventually if the show had continued into another season.

Could the show have remained that brilliant without Angela obsessing over Jordan? Would splitting her attention/affection between Brian and Jordan have watered things down to the point of killing the show? I agree that the shows cancellation definitely has a huge impact on it's mystique. On one hand; ending the show so soon did assure it's perfect track record of flawless episodes. On the other hand, I (for one) would have loved to see more.

k-man

I think the reason the show ended where it did (other than ABC's idiocy) is that the writers wanted to give us a chance to write our own endings. While that is frustrating because maybe we're never sure how we want it to end, it is beautiful as well because it taps our imagination for that final scene.

As for "jumping the shark," I don't think this show would have done this for quite a while. It definitely ended too soon, and I do think that with the writing it had behind it as well as the wonderful cast, this show could have easily taken us through Angela's high school years without losing its allure.

"When you drink from the cup of life, chug." ~ Citibank billboard

Yes, I totally agree with all of you. I'm not saying that it was a bad ending! I just meant that it kills me to not know what happened.