The concerns surrounding the good death partake in a strain of thought prevailing in the new millennium characterised by a general disenchantment towards science and technology as by a spiritual vacuum. The reality of dying does not necessarily reflect what is happening in palliative care. Most deaths occur in general hospitals’ acute care units or in long-term care hospitals where alleviation of suffering may be far from perfect. The characteristics of a good death are primarily defined by control and autonomy, eminently individual values. Use of these criteria for assessing of end of life trajectories is not unanimously agreed upon as is the necessity to provide all patients the accessibility to good palliative care services.