A series finale is a strange kind of event. You spend years with a set of characters, and then everything gets wrapped up in an hour or two. Some endings feel rushed, while others leave people sitting quietly as the credits roll.
The six finales below are remembered for the second kind of reaction. They come from different decades and genres, yet each one gave viewers a real reason to reach for a tissue.
MAS*H: Goodbye, Farewell and Amen
The two and a half hour finale of MAS*H aired on CBS on February 28, 1983. It drew an estimated audience of about 106 million viewers, which made it the most watched television broadcast in American history at that point. For many years it also held the record as the most watched scripted finale.
The story follows the Korean War medical unit as the fighting ends and its members head home. The goodbyes between Hawkeye, B.J., Margaret and the rest are understated, and that restraint is part of why they land. The final image of B.J. leaving a message for Hawkeye is still one of the best known farewells on television.
Six Feet Under: Everyone’s Waiting
HBO aired the Six Feet Under finale on August 21, 2005. The series centered on the Fisher family and their funeral home, so death was always its subject. The finale leans into that by following Claire as she drives away from home toward a new life.
During her drive, the episode flashes forward to show how each major character will eventually die. The sequence is set to Sia’s song Breathe Me, and critics and viewers have often named it among the most moving endings ever made for TV. It works because it treats mortality as a quiet fact rather than a shock.
Friends: The Last One
Friends ended on NBC on May 6, 2004, after ten seasons. Nielsen figures put the audience at roughly 52 million viewers in the United States, making it one of the most watched TV episodes of the 2000s. Many people watched in groups, which suited a show about a group of friends.
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The emotional core is the wedding aftermath, Rachel’s decision about Paris, and the six characters leaving their shared apartment for the last time. The keys on the counter and the empty set carry more weight than any big speech. After a decade of comic timing, the show let a simple pause do the work.
Lost: The End
Lost wrapped up on ABC on May 23, 2010, after six seasons. The finale ran longer than a normal episode and drew a large live audience, even though opinions on the answers it gave were divided. The emotional payoff came from the characters rather than the mysteries.
Its closing scenes show the survivors reuniting in a place beyond their lives on the island. Jack’s final moments, lying in the bamboo forest, brought the show back to its opening image. Even viewers who disliked the plot choices often said the reunions moved them.
Parks and Recreation: One Last Ride
Parks and Recreation ended on NBC on February 24, 2015, after seven seasons. The finale used flash forwards to show where the residents of Pawnee end up over the following decades. It was warm throughout, which fit the show’s reputation as one of the kindest comedies on TV.
Many of the most affecting moments are small ones. Leslie and Ann’s friendship, Ron’s quiet growth, and Leslie’s hope for the town all get a final beat. Viewers cried because the show took its time to say thank you to its characters.
This Is Us: Us
This Is Us ended on NBC on May 24, 2022, after six seasons. The series was built around the Pearson family and moved between timelines, so its finale had a lot of ground to cover. It focused on the final days of Rebecca Pearson and the family gathering around her.
The episode also returned to the early days of Jack and Rebecca, closing the loop on the show’s central love story. Viewers were already used to crying through the series, so the finale delivered exactly the release they expected. It showed how a family drama can end by looking at a life as a whole.
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