Teen Drama Series Finale Time-Jumps
One of the saddest aspects of our favorite shows coming to an end is not knowing where the characters end up in the long term.
Four of the core teen dramas, however, solved that problem by including time-jumps in their series finales. This allowed us to see the characters’ stories conclude in the present day and then also see where their lives took them years later.
Keep reading for a breakdown of the teen drama series finale time-jumps.
Dawson’s Creek
Episodes 6.23 and 6.24, “All Good Things… Must Come to An End”
Unlike some of the other shows on this list, where the series finales only jumped ahead to the future in the final minutes, the “Dawson’s Creek” series finale took place entirely in the future. After the penultimate episode’s present-day conclusion, the last episode, “All Good Things… Must Come to An End,” was set five years later.
We learned that in the intervening years, life had taken some of the characters out of Capeside, but now they’re headed back for Gale’s wedding. Among the other revelations: Pacey is running his own restaurant in town, Jack is teaching at the high school, Jen is a single mom, Joey is a New York-based book editor with a boyfriend named Christopher, and Dawson is in Los Angeles producing “The Creek” — a TV show about their lives.
The two-hour finale tackled burning questions new and old: What was wrong with Jen? Would Joey end up with Pacey or Dawson? Another time jump, one of unspecified length, gives us the answer to that last question in the episode’s final moments.
The O.C.
Episode 4.16, “The End’s Not Near, It’s Here”
“The O.C.” series finale actually had two time-jumps as well. The episode begins six months after the Cohens returned to their earthquake-ruined home in the penultimate episode. With their house still significantly damaged, the clan is now living with Julie and Kaitlin. Julie and Kirsten are both months into their pregnancies and the former is on the precipice of marrying Bullit. Taylor is off in France with Ryan insisting he’s over her, while Seth and Summer are in a bit of a rut as they play house.
The second time jump occurs with less than three minutes left in the episode. Several years after Ryan bids farewell to the Cohen home for the last time, he’s a student at Berkeley, Sandy is a law professor, Julie herself graduates college, and Seth and Summer finally walk down the aisle. It all comes full circle when Ryan offers to help a young kid — much like Sandy did for him all those years ago.
One Tree Hill
Episode 9.13, “One Tree Hill”
“One Tree Hill” was no stranger to time-jumps, using the device multiple times throughout the series — most notably with season 5 taking place more than four years after season 4. The final episode gives us one last time-jump at the very end.
Back in the Tree Hill High gym, where long ago we watched Nathan reign over the court, a teenage Jamie takes the floor in a Ravens jersey. He’s not the only kid who’s grown up — infants Lydia, Jude, and Davis are now young children. Naley and Brulian are still together, because of course they are, while Millie is pregnant and Skills is apparently back with Bevin. The closing voiceover is chills-inducing on its own but even more so when you realize it’s a callback to a season 5 episode.
Gossip Girl
Episode 6.10, “New York, I Love You XOXO”
With approximately four minutes left in the series finale, “Gossip Girl” jumps ahead to five years in the future. Chuck and Blair, who wed during the present-day portion of the episode, are now the proud parents of a little boy named Henry and are hosting a rather special event at their home: Dan and Serena’s wedding.
We’re treated to some notable returning faces, particularly Jenny and Eric, and some random ones — who would’ve predicted Rufus would end up with Lisa Loeb?! To top it all off, in the final moments there’s the reincarnation of Gossip Girl, whose identity is once again a mystery.
Notably missing from this list are “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “90210.” Both of their series finales were firmly planted in the here and now. Even so, I don’t find myself wondering what happened to their characters in the future. I am content knowing that, at the end of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Kelly was finally ready to get back together with Dylan (“I don’t wanna wait”), and that, at the end of “90210,” Liam and Annie were engaged. That’s how it’ll always be in my head. (Which is to say, nu90210 drastically changing Kelly and Dylan’s relationship is not canon to me.)
I also have to admit that I’m no less satisfied with the endings of “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “90210” because they didn’t have time-jumps. But those time-jumps that “Dawson’s Creek,” “The O.C.”, “One Tree Hill,” and “Gossip Girl” featured did hit in really special and meaningful ways. I know what happened in the end and I know what will forever be.
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