Welcome to Finale Girls, a new podcast all about TV we love (and hate) from writers Rachel Rippetoe and Mallika Mitra.

In every episode, we'll discuss what we're currently watching and the latest TV news. Then we'll zero in on a season finale. A finale is where the possibilities narrow, when the road ends. Did our writers and directors know where they were going all along? Did they take a wrong turn, now off-roading on a muddy path that will be difficult to steer out of? Or did we arrive at our desired destination with the integrity of the show still intact? How does an ending inform everything that led up to it?

A season finale is a last gasp, the final word spoken, lingering in the air for months or, in the age of HBO’s Euphoria, years. If creators get it right, that echo can cement the show in the zeitgeist for decades to come. If they get it wrong, its cultural currency can evaporate.