The 20 saddest TV finales that had viewers crying like a baby

While Selina Meyer of Veep might not be the most likeable of characters — in fact, she’s quite reprehensible at times — the finale of the show is still sad. After all, the series ends with her funeral, at which it’s revealed that she only served one term as President, despite all of the sacrifices she made to attain her goal. After all that she went through, her ambition ends up being thwarted, and even those who worked with and served her end up seeing her as little more than a figure of mockery.  

The genius of so many of Mike Flanagan’s horror productions is that they effectively combine scares with genuine emotion and feeling. The end of Midnight Mass, for example, sees the death and defeat of its sinister vampire villain and his acolytes, but many others have also perished. As such, this sad finale is a potent and poignant warning about the perils of extreme religious zealotry and the way that such belief can ultimately bring about more despair and death than hope and grace. 

Throughout its run, Bo-Jack Horseman never shied away from darker material. This holds true in the finale, which sees the title character grappling with the consequences of his actions. Finales don’t come much sadder than this one, particularly since it’s clear that he can never rebuild his old life. Even Diane makes it clear that their friendship is definitively over. The finale reveals the extent to which some mistakes can never be undone. Instead, one has to live with the consequences of one’s actions. 

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend invited viewers to follow the bizarre, hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking life of Rebecca Bunch, its titular character. By the time the series has come to an end, she has fully come to terms with both her borderline personality disorder and her tendency to turn her life into her own musical. She has moved on and become a happier and more functional person, even if she has left her old loves behind. It’s the type of ending that manages to be perfectly poignant and, thus, a fitting send-off to this very odd character.

Parks and Recreation was, from the beginning, a very sweet show that always wore its heart on its sleeve. It was the kind of show that invited the viewer to love its characters and to want what was best for them. The finale was as satisfying as the rest of the show, but it was also a bit bittersweet since many of the characters moved on from Pawnee. It ultimately left the viewer wanting to spend even more time with these characters, which is always the sign of a successful series finale. 

Viewers of Boy Meets World watched Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and the others grow and mature during the series’ seven seasons. This makes the finale a particularly sad one since it sees them all departing to start their futures. The most emotional moment, however, is when Cory bids farewell to Mr. Feeny, who has been such an indelible part of all of their lives. It’s the kind of tearful farewell at which the sitcom excels, and it helped to ensure the show’s place in the pantheon of great TV comedies.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air certainly didn’t pull any punches with its finale. It’s truly the end of an era, as the entire Banks family ends up moving away from California. The real emotional heart of the episode, however, is the moment when Uncle Phil tells Will that he is, quite simply, his son. Given just how much the two of them have been at odds over the course of the show, this is quite an admission, and it’s the kind of moment that is designed to leave even the most cynical viewer in tears.

The fourth season of Killing Eve  ended up being quite divisive among fans of the show, particularly since it ended up seeing the demise of Jodie Comer’s Villanelle, who was killed in the series’ final moments. It was, to be sure, a rather sad end to the series, particularly given how much the series had asked viewers to invest in her as a character, particularly in her romance with Eve. Of course, there was no realistic hope that she would survive past the ending, but it was still quite sad to see this character be given such an abrupt send-off.

The Office fittingly ends with the episode “Finale,” which brings the series to a close and nicely ties up the various plotlines, with particular focus on Dwight’s marriage to Angela.  Like the best sitcom finales, it’s one of mingled joy and sadness, particularly since it sees Steve Carell return as his beloved character Michael. It’s always sad to say goodbye to a sitcom as long-running and cherished as  The Office, but at least the show gave its characters the send-off they deserved.

Throughout its run, Breaking Bad largely eschewed sentiment in favor of a grim and hard-hitting storytelling approach that was appropriate for its subject matter. In the end, Walter White is left lying in a pool of his own blood, presumably dying. Though a fitting end for a man who has become a monster, there’s something sad about it, too, as the viewer can’t help but wonder what his life would have been like had he not been so willing to give in to the darker impulses of his nature.

Succession’s four seasons focused on the various efforts of the Roy family to gain control of patriarch Logan’s vast company and its holdings. In the end, it’s Tom, the son-in-law, and his quasi-estranged wife Shiv, who end up victorious, though it’s clear that their future is one filled with misery and self-loathing. Meanwhile, sons Kendall and Roman are largely left out in the cold. It’s an ending that is fittingly sad and bleak, in keeping with the series’ overwhelmingly cynical view of the world. 

The series Dinosaurs has arguably the saddest ending in the sitcom's history. For much of its run, it was a straightforward–though decidedly odd–sitcom, focusing on a family of dinosaurs. The finale, however, ends with an oncoming Ice Age that will certainly spell the end of the main characters the audience has grown to love. The fact that nothing can be done to prevent extinction is a potent way to end a sitcom, and it’s an ending that has only become sadder and more relevant with the passing decades. 

During its six seasons, Schitt’s Creek matured from a pretty typical fish-out-of-water story to something much more meaningful as the Rose family grows and matures, thanks to their time in the titular town. The finale is a beautiful and heartfelt sendoff, and among other things, Patrick and David finally tie the knot. It’s the type of finale at which the sitcom excels, and each character gets their special ending. It’s sweet and sad and touching because while the viewer is happy they all get to have a great future, it’s always hard to say goodbye to such beloved characters. 

Few sitcoms have achieved as much depth as The Good Place, which managed to take the form and use it to interrogate and explore weighty philosophical questions. The viewer literally has to say goodbye to several characters, as Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason all enter the doorway that will dissolve them and let them end their existence altogether. Even so, the finale hits all of the right notes, leaving the viewer feeling satisfied that they have gotten to spend so much time with such wonderful and complex characters. 

The Starz series Spartacus had more than its fair share of production troubles since its original star, Andy Whitfield, had to withdraw from the series for health reasons after the first season. Still, in subsequent seasons, it did justice to the ancient story of a gladiator who rebelled against the Romans. The ending is powerful and yet tragic, for it sees the death of the title character and several of his companions, even as several of their fellow rebels manage to escape into an uncertain future. 

There’s always something poignant about the ending of a long-running sitcom, and the finale of Friends is no exception. Aptly titled “The Last One,” the finale gives all of the characters the kind of send-off they deserve, most notably by finally giving Ross and Rachel the romantic conclusion to their dynamic. The ending is particularly bittersweet as they all leave Monica’s apartment, thus bidding farewell to the setting for many of the series’ most hilarious and poignant moments.

Cheers looms large in the history of the sitcom. After all, it managed to last eleven seasons and produced almost three hundred episodes during its run. Its finale is very much a tear-jerker, with reunions and more than a little heartbreak. Among other things, it was notable for the return of Shelley Long’s Diane, who had left the show several years previously. It brings the various character arcs to a satisfying conclusion, and the last shot of the bar at nighttime is appropriately poignant.

There’s no question that MASH was a true cultural phenomenon, and its finale managed to pull in a remarkable number of viewers. It’s easy to see why this would be the case since the last episode marks the moment the various characters finally get home. Though this is obviously a good thing, it’s a little heartbreaking. The last scene — in which Hawkeye looks down on the word “goodbye” that B.J. has spelled out in rocks — is surely one of the most beloved moments in TV finale history. 

Will & Grace was a true trailblazer of a sitcom, bringing unabashedly gay characters into the living rooms of millions of Americans. By the time the series reached its conclusion, the title characters had had their fair share of ups and downs, but it all came to a head when Grace ended up with her ex, Leo, leading to a seemingly permanent estrangement. Fortunately, it all ends happily enough in the end, and the finale manages to pull on the heartstrings with its depiction of a friendship that, despite some struggles, never truly dies.

The hit sitcom The Golden Girls tugged on the heartstrings in its two-part finale. The episode marks when Dorothy, so long unlucky in love, finally finds it with Blanche’s Uncle Lucas, and the two ultimately get married. This breaks up the fabulous foursome that had entertained millions of Americans throughout the series’ seven-season run, and it’s more than a little bittersweet to see Dorothy finally get the happy ending she’s been seeking so long. The last shot of Rose, Blanche, and Sophia hugging one another is sure to bring a tear to any viewer’s eye.