4 Steps to Coping When Your Favorite TV Show Ends

Idina Menzel may tell you let it go, but just listen to her endnote on New Year’s Eve in Times Square – sometimes the storm just needs to rage on. Not everything can be let go. Schoolwork can definitely be let go, but can your favorite TV shows? What does a sane person even do when their favorite Tv series ends for good? It’s a long windy road to recovery, and we’re here to help. Check out the steps below for how to properly grieve your favorite characters and shows, and watch for the physical pain that will follow.

Step 1 (Acceptance): You Don’t.

This sounds dramatic, but it’s true. It could be 12 years from now, and you’ll still remember bits and pieces of your favorite show. If you’re lucky, you’ll still have access to even watching it, and those characters you loved so much will still be a part of your heart. They say that time heals all wounds, and while this isn’t necessarily dealing with real life, it still applies. It’s going to hurt the next day. And the day after that. And while you’re in the middle of taking an exam and a certain word appears. Or when you’re at work and you hear the slight tune of a song that played in episode 67 that pulls at your heartstrings. The constant reminders will fade with time, but you’ll never truly “get over” your favorite characters or your favorite show ending, because it means something special to you personally. This leads us to the next point.

Step 2: Don’t Listen to Anyone

You’re going to hear a lot of things as you go through this intense, heartbreaking process. You’re going to hear completely insane things like “it’s just a show” and “none of this is real” and the personal favorite “please stop crying so hard, you’re scaring the cat.” You need to stand your ground here. Sure, your roommates and friends may be sane in their reasoning, but these things are important. Your show meant something special to you, so no, roommate that-obsesses-over-makeup-and-cooking, that is your thing, and this is mine. And I don’t care if I’m scaring the cat.

Step 3: Take Time to Mourn

As step one has already covered, this is going to be awful. Do yourself a favor and separate yourself from the world as much as you can. For example, if you know when your series finale airing, plan on going home. Some things are worth missing your gen ed class you’ll never need for the rest of your life Thursday morning for. This is one of them.

Step 4 (Acceptance Part 2): You Move On

While we’ve already covered that you will never ever be okay again in your entire life, now that your show is over, you need to find some sort of sanity again. There’s only so much ice cream you can eat, and crying too much is bound to leave you dehydrated. Maybe new episodes of your show will no longer air, but illegal downloading and Netflix exist for a reason! You’ll always have those episodes to go back and rewatch. It may literally set your organs on fire, but reliving your best memories will ease the blow. That’s the beauty of good television (or really bad television that you just can’t get away from due to severe emotional attachment): it stays with us forever.

If none of the above work, please seek therapy. Good luck.