'Better Call Saul' and 4 Other TV Series With the Most Heartbreaking Finales

The finale of a TV series is a defining moment that can elevate the story to timeless classic status or leave viewers with a bitter taste for years to come.

While happy endings bring comfort, it's often the heartbreaking final episodes that stay with us forever.

1. 'Six Feet Under', 2001-2005

IMDb Score: 8.7/10

Six Feet Under gave viewers around the world one of the most poignant and unforgettable TV farewells in history.

This drama about a family funeral home concludes with a shocking plot twist: the final montage reveals the deaths of all the main characters. We witness Claire's peaceful death at 102, alongside the tragic demise of other pivotal characters.

This montage is poetic and brutal, and it emphasizes the series' central topic.

2. 'Fleabag', 2016-2019

IMDb Score: 8.7/10

After two seasons of wry humor, unspeakable grief, and profound introspection, the unnamed main character falls hopelessly in love with a charming yet unapproachable priest.

Their emotional connection seems undeniable, making their goodbye all the more devastating. The priest loves her too, but ultimately chooses his vocation and devotion to his faith.

The final scene of Fleabag is painfully simple yet effective and touching. The woman sits at a bus stop with tears in her eyes, watching the man she loves walk away.

She looks directly at the camera, as she has throughout the series, and shakes her head, silently informing us that her story has ended.

3. 'His Dark Materials', 2019-2022

IMDb Score: 7.7/10

Readers of Philip Pullman's original novels were probably prepared for the emotional ending of His Dark Materials. But everyone else likely experienced genuine grief.

After restoring balance to the universe, soulmates Lyra and Will from parallel worlds discover that they can never be together. If they stay together, they will destroy the fabric of reality. So the couple makes a choice: they separate forever.

They agree to meet on the same bench every year on the same day to spend a little time together. No one dies – two young people are simply separated for eternity because they cannot be together.

4. 'Shameless', 2011-2021

IMDb Score: 8.5/10

The finale of Shameless shows that well-handled deaths of controversial characters can touch viewers.

Family patriarch Frank Gallagher, a reckless and self-destructive father, dies alone in a hospital bed from complications of the virus, hallucinating his own eulogy.

It's a sobering end for a character who has irritated his loved ones with his antics for a decade. Nevertheless, his expected and logical death feels like a heavy blow.

5. 'Better Call Saul', 2015-2022

IMDb Score: 9.0/10

The show essentially achieves the impossible by making you empathize with the character of lawyer Saul Goodman. After six seasons chronicling Jimmy McGill's moral decline, this ending seems unexpected.

In court, Jimmy confesses to all his crimes, fraud, lies, and the people he harmed, not to avoid punishment, but to seek forgiveness. His unconditional honesty robs Jimmy of any chance at physical freedom but grants him moral freedom.

And even when separated by prison bars, Jimmy and Kim smoke their last cigarette together.