Top 10 Most Emotional Moments in Series Finales

Never has a song and dance made us sob like this. While the majority of the final episode of “Ted Lasso” is spent waiting for the outcome of the big game, there’s something else that really gives us the feels. After learning that Ted plans to leave Richmond and head back home to the US, the team plans a big surprise. During practice, they perform a very special rendition of “So Long, Farewell” from “The Sound of Music.” The tenderness of the moment is matched only by its silliness - which pretty much sums up the series.

We thought that Patrick’s rendition of “The Best” would be the thing that made us cry hardest during this Canadian cult-classic show’s run. We were sorely mistaken. Although the finale episode of “Schitt’s Creek” is filled with a number of emotional moments, it’s when David walks down the aisle that makes us cry the most. As Dan Levy’s character makes his way to Patrick, an orchestral version of “The Best” plays, calling back to that beautiful scene from an earlier season in the show. It’s really everyone else’s reactions that get us though, particularly Moira. As the officiant, she’s equal parts hilarious and heartwarming.

We still struggle emotionally when we think about how this couple ended. Throughout “Battlestar Galactica,” the relationship between Starbuck and Apollo is a fraught one. They’re passionate in more ways than one, fighting and loving their way through the end of the world. It’s interesting then, that the end of their relationship finishes on such a quiet, bittersweet note. After finding Earth, Apollo and Starbuck are left alone. He wants to explore, but her purpose has been fulfilled. While Apollo looks the other way, she disappears without a trace. Seeing Apollo standing on Earth alone is heartbreakingly poignant.

A single character can make or break a show. And if we’re being honest, “The Office” just didn’t feel like “The Office” without Michael. Steve Carell left the American sitcom after seven seasons of work. It was still a funny show, but we always felt like something was missing. So, when Michael made a special appearance in the finale, things snapped back into place - along with all the feels. With Dwight and Angela’s marriage, a best man was needed. Jim was an OK substitute, but no one was better than Michael, who surprised Dwight on the big day. It was an emotional reunion between the friends, buttoned with a beautiful, “That’s what she said” joke as only Michael could deliver.

To tell you the truth, pretty much every moment in every episode of “The Leftovers” makes us want to weep uncontrollably. And the show’s series finale is no exception. The show revolved around a global event where 2% of the world’s population disappears. In the final episode, Nora tells her ex-partner Kevin about her journey through a machine that was meant to replicate the event. According to Nora, it sent her to an alternate reality where the 2% lived, while the other 98% disappeared. She found her family, but realized that they were happy and that she had no place with them anymore. It’s a heartbreakingly somber moment and one that we can’t get out of our heads.

Every episode of “Six Feet Under” began with a death. Except for the finale. However, the birth that began the series’ final episode isn’t the part that made us break out into sobs. At the end of “Everyone’s Waiting,” we see a glimpse into the future of everyone in the Fisher family.
Each moment in the Fisher’s future is filled with hope and sadness, as we learn how each one of them ultimately dies. It ends with Claire, who outlives the entire family. She passes away at the age of 102, surrounded by memories of the Fishers, represented in beautiful photographs. If that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, we’re not sure what will.

The plot of the very last episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” definitely has its tear-jerking moments. But it’s what happens as the credits roll that makes us really lose it. After the last moments of the famous sitcom, the audience gets to see the cast members taking their final curtain call. It makes the only time throughout the show’s run that you see all of the major cast members together at the same time. Also, it includes a lovely moment from Mary Tyler Moore herself, where she calls her show-mates “the best cast ever.” It’s a peek behind the curtain that we’ll never forget.

Yes, Rachel got off the plane. And yes, that makes us tear up. But we think there’s another moment in the “Friends” series finale that hits us even harder in the feels. At the very end of the episode, all of the friends are standing in Monica’s now-empty apartment. It’s the last time they’ll be together in that space, and they all start to sniffle as they leave their keys on the counter. Not quite ready to say goodbye to each other, they decide to get one last cup of coffee. It’s a beautiful moment that nobody wants to end, and it's punctuated by a reliably sarcastic Chandler quip.

If the “Friends” goodbye wasn’t emotional enough for you, we’ve got one more that’s even more of a tear-jerker. At the end of “The Good Place,” it seems like our four main characters are living together in harmony. Eventually though, Chidi decides he’s ready to leave. When he realizes Eleanor can’t stomach his being gone, he stays to spare her feelings. In one of the series’ most emotional moments, Eleanor realizes how selfish she’s being. The two watch one last sunset together before Chidi moves on. Audiences were left stunned, speechless, and reaching for the tissues.

After 11 long years, one of the most popular television shows in the US finally came to an end. The entire run of “M*A*S*H*” is pretty emotional, but one moment stands out from the rest. We finally got to see the toll that war took on Hawkeye when he broke down in the final episode. Watching Hawkeye finally come to terms with what he has seen is difficult to watch, and makes us choke up every time. Actor Alan Alda portrays the moment with heart wrenching vulnerability and anger.

Which series finale had you reaching for the tissues and sobbing uncontrollably? Drop us a comment below and let us know!