5 TV Shows Finales That Were Just Too Heartbreaking to Handle 

Sometimes a show lasts much longer than it should, like The Big Bang Theory. Sometimes it defies its own logic, like Dexter, and more often it simply fails to live up to fans' expectations, like Game of Thrones.

Ending a show in a way that makes everyone happy is even harder than getting viewers hooked in the beginning. Even if you loved everything that happened up to the last episode, a terrible aftertaste can ruin the whole experience.

This list includes endings that were not only perfect, but also broke our hearts.

1. Six Feet Under

One of the defining dramas of the 2000s, Six Feet Under ended in both a maternity hospital and a cemetery. After the unexpected death of protagonist Nate, show creator Alan Ball decided to show exactly how each member of the Fisher family would meet their finale and end up six feet under.

With the help of flashforwards, the timeline of the deceased extends all the way to 2085, and in each case, the viewer is emotionally destroyed. It's also the finale that George R. R. Martin himself called the greatest in television history.

2. Shameless

The British know how to do comedy, but in this case, the American version of Shameless was even better and bolder. The dramedy about the Gallagher family in Chicago lasted 11 seasons: just enough time to get attached to the characters and not want to let them go.

In the finale, Frank dies: the dementia ruined his life, and Covid-19 did what tens of pounds of drugs and thousands of liters of strong alcohol could not. His death was presented without unnecessary drama – Frank dies in the hospital, but in his mind he flies around The Alibi Room, and says goodbye to his grown-up children. During the cremation, his body explodes from the amount of alcohol in it. A wild end to a wild show.

3. Normal People

Viewers knew in advance how the adaptation of Sally Rooney's acclaimed novel would end, but that did not stop the show's creators, Lenny Abrahamson and Alice Birch, from breaking everyone's hearts.

Having found happiness together, the lovers decide to let it go: Connell is offered a writing internship in New York, while Marianne stays in Dublin, where she feels safe. The "normal people" decide to meet again after a while to see where life and dreams lead them.

4. Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge wanted to end Fleabag after the first season, but thanks to everyone involved, she was persuaded and viewers got another wonderful season of one of the brightest projects of recent years.

The show ends with the now-famous dialog between Fleabag and the priest, played by Andrew Scott: both confess their love for each other, but the priest clarifies that he chose God.

Fleabag breaks the fourth wall for the last time, silently bids the audience farewell, and leaves. Adding to the symbolism, the fox follows the priest, signaling his doubts about faith and celibacy. As for Fleabag, the search for herself continues.

5. The Leftovers

Lindelof and Perrotta's dramatic show is an absolute masterpiece. This is a story about grieving people and their attempts to get on with their lives. One terrible day, two percent of the world's population simply disappears. Those who remain are called Leftovers and have no idea what exactly happened.

The third season immediately made it clear that the show would end with something epic – in the very first episodes, Nora was given an opportunity to go to her missing family.

The finale takes us into the future. It is dedicated to the meeting of now old characters. Nora, in one of the best monologues in TV history, tells Kevin that she found herself in a parallel world where disappeared people live. There she found her family – a husband and two children – who... live a happy life. After that, she returned and started a new life, finally letting go of the guilt for their "deaths."