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Score: 8.4 Great 29 votes

The Final Frontier (2)

Episode Number: 164    Season Num: 7    First Aired: Monday May 24, 1999    Prod Code: 722
A few years have passed since the previous episodes. Mabel is making her first movie and it's a biography of her family's history. We get to see what happened to Jamie, Paul and other loving characters many years into future.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, Paul Reiser, Victor Levin, Victor Levin
Director: Helen Hunt
Star: Helen Hunt (Jamie Stemple Buchman),  Paul Reiser (Paul Buchman),  Cynthia Harris (Sylvia Buchman),  Louis Zorich (Burt Buchman),  John Pankow (Ira Buchman),  Maui (Murray the Dog)
Recurring Role: Suzie Plakson (Joan Golfinos),  Cyndi Lauper (Marianne Lugasso),  Richard Kind (Mark Devanow),  Leila Kenzle (Fran Devanow),  Jeff Garlin (Marvin),  Carol Burnett (Theresa Stemple),  Hank Azaria (Nat Ostertag),  Mo Gaffney (Dr. Sheila Kleinman),  Judy Geeson (Maggie Conway),  Paxton Whitehead (Hal Conway),  Anne Ramsay (Lisa Stemple),  Lisa Kudrow (Ursula Buffay),  Robin Bartlett (Debbie Buchman)
Guest Star: Janeane Garofalo (Mabel Buchman),  Cara DeLizia (Teenage Mabel Buchman),  Tim Conway (Clerk / Justice of Peace),  Missi Pyle (Beautiful Woman),  Todd Shinto (Beavis Buchman)

Notes

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Janeane Garofalo (Mabel) has the last line on the show ever. It was about Paul and Jamie: "And these two, if you'll pardon the expression, lived happily ever after." (edit)
This isn't only the final episode. Is the third try of one. Danny Jacobson & Paul Reiser wanted to end the show on season 4, and then on season 6, but at the end, they choose 7 seasons, because NBC wanted to keep the show as long as possible. Both Resier & Hunt got 1 million dollars for each episode of season 7, and they said that they agreed only if season 7 will be the final. (edit)
Helen Hunt won an Emmy for her best performance in this final episode for best comedy actress. (edit)
As you can see, the final episode has the name of the original Mad About You theme song. (edit)
As Mabel stated, Murray died when Mabel was 6 years old. (edit)

Quotes

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Job: (To Paul and Jamie at the wedding) Okay, well, uh, you have the ring, the witness is asleep in the crib, dog’s lost interest, so I guess we could move right along. By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. And, we got seven seconds left, so you can kiss each other squarely on the mouth. (edit)
Mabel: (voice over) Yes, it was not my best film. I see that now. But it was what I would call a hugely successful screening. To me, there is no greater act of courage than being the one who kisses first. And bearing that in mind, I ask all of you who are not my mother to turn around for a second. Mom, I love you. Okay everybody, you can turn back around. I said at the beginning that I blame my parents. And I do. I blame them for making me crazy, I blame them for being so difficult... but most of all, I blame then for making it impossible for me to dismiss the idea that love can actually work out. (edit)
Mabel: (voice over) My therapist said that the reason I clashed with my mother so much is that we’re so very much alike. That statement alone upped me from two sessions to three sessions a week. (edit)
Mabel: Here’s something. Our dog Murray died when I was six. So naturally, my parents told me about it when I was twelve. (edit)
Fran: I don’t understand! You can send a monkey to Pluto, you can’t make a high heeled sandal that doesn’t last right in my calf. (edit)

Trivia

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Here's how the show ended:

Ira and Marianne:
Ira and Marianne ended up with eight children, one from every continent and two from New Jersey.

Mark and Fran:
Mark and Fran invited an adventuresome Swedish couple into their marriage, and they’ve never been happier.

Marvin:
Marvin became an international wrestling champion fighting under the persona "Angry Tina."

Debbie and Joan:
Debbie and Joan got married in Hawaii after it finally became legal for keeps. Debbie’s husband still thinks it’s a phase and he phones on the first of every month, saying, "Come on."

Sheila:
Dr. Sheila Kleinman became Mabel's therapist. She thinks she’s very good.

Burt and Sylvia:
My grandmother moved to Boca Raton, Florida but it didn’t take, so then she moved into my parents building, but two floors down, as not to intrude.

Lisa:
Lisa is exactly the same.

Nat and Murray:
Nat Ostertag became the host of the longest running local cable TV show, "Hey D'ere, Ho D'ere, It’s Your Dog D'ere."

Hal and Maggie:
Hal and Maggie Conway were found to be spies and were deported back to England. Nobody there likes them either.

Ursula:
Ursula Buffet, as you know, became governor of New York.

Mabel:
She's fine.

Paul and Jamie:
And these two, if you’ll pardon the expression, lived happily ever after. (edit)

Allusions

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Episode Title: "The Final Frontier"
The show's finale title is a reference to the show's theme song titled "The Final Frontier," sung by Andrew Gold (seasons 1-5) & Anita Baker (seasons 6-7). (edit)
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Community Reviews (3)

 
8.0
Great
The Final Frontier (2)
"Series finale"
One of the best series finales ever
Continue » Posted Feb 27, 2007 8:43 am PST

acreid
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with this review
1 user disagrees
with this review
10.0
Perfect
The Final Frontier (2)
"Series finale"
I loved the Season Finale.
Continue » Posted Jul 22, 2005 11:11 am PST

kaempf82
Report Abuse 5 users agree
with this review
4 users disagree
with this review
3.0
Bad
The Final Frontier (2)
"Out of character"
The finale was extremely out of character for the show. The show was always lighthearted and funny, and the finale was sad and dark. It made me cry. Not a very good way to send viewers away remembering the spirit of the show.
Continue » Posted Jun 22, 2005 1:26 pm PST
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Episode Vital Stats

 
Episode: The Final Frontier (2)
Season Number: 7
Episode Reviews: 3
Episode
Score:
8.4 Great 29 votes
Rating Statistics:
perfect: 10 (34.5%)
great: 6 (20.7%)
superb: 5 (17.2%)
good: 3 (10.3%)
Other: 5 (17.1%)
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