6 Reasons Why You Feel Sad After Finishing a TV Show (and How to Cope)
You found a good TV series to binge-watch or have been following a particular show for years, but it has now come to an end. However, instead of being happy, you feel sad or empty after finishing the TV show. You are not alone.
Many people usually experience post-show depression. It is normal to feel upset and even cry when one of your favorite TV shows ends. But why does this happen?
In this article, we shall discuss some of the reasons why you feel sad after finishing a show and how to cope. Read on…
Why You Feel Sad or Empty After Finishing a TV Show
- Attachment to the characters
Getting attached to TV characters because you relate to them, empathize with them, or like their personality and story is the main reason why you feel sad after finishing a show.
If you’ve been following a series for several seasons over the years, you have gotten to know the characters well, observed their development on this journey, become invested in their lives, felt all kinds of emotions watching the story unfold, and the show has likely been a big part of your life.
When a good TV show ends, you may feel sad because you have to let go of the characters you got emotionally attached to. It is time to say goodbye and accept that they are not real people and their world doesn’t really exist.
READ ALSO: 10 Signs of Main Character Syndrome and How to Get Rid of It
- There is no more story
Feeling empty and sad at the end of a TV show is normal, especially if you binge-watched it or spent years following it. There are no more episodes to watch, and no others will ever be released because the story is over.
You may feel even more upset after finishing a TV series that has an abrupt ending. For instance, the finales of shows that got canceled, especially those that ended on cliffhangers can leave you with a lot of questions for which you will probably never get answers because the chances of the story ever continuing are slim.
- Nothing to occupy your time with
You found a good TV show with several seasons to binge-watch and were probably so engrossed in the story that you didn’t do anything else while watching it. Now that the show is over, what do you do with your time?
Lacking an activity to fill your time with is one of the reasons why you feel empty after finishing a TV show you binge-watched. You probably can’t even remember how you used to spend your free time before you started watching the show.
It can also happen after following a long-running series on network TV. You could have gotten used to a particular show airing on certain days and times and not know what to do during that time slot when the show is over.
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- An unsatisfactory ending
Shows don’t always end how you want them to. For instance, the characters you were rooting for could fail, die, or make bad decisions.
At other times, some things you were looking forward to may not happen, for example, ‘TV ships’ not sailing, favorite characters not getting redemption, potentially epic fights not happening, plot holes remaining unfixed, or characters failing to discover secrets.
Also, if the resolution to the issues the characters in the series were experiencing is too easy or different from what you were hoping for, the TV show’s ending can be disappointing, hence, you feel sad after watching the finale.
- It is the end of a chapter in your life
When you have been following a TV series for years, you may start to track and associate some changes in your life with the show’s seasons and events.
For instance, maybe you were in high school when your favorite show started, experienced some hardships when season ‘X’ of the series was airing, got married the same year some of the characters in the show got married, etc.
You feel sad after finishing a TV show because its finale marks the end of a chapter of your life. It was not just a show to you. It was a big part of your life during your happy and sad times and likely influenced you significantly, and it is now over.
The Netflix Trip song by AJR, which is about the TV show The Office, perfectly captures how one’s life can be connected to a series they follow over time.
- Loss of a sense of community
Do you remember the way plenty of people used to discuss TV shows like WandaVision and Game of Thrones as each episode aired? What happened to all those people when these shows ended?
When you love a particular series, you may form the habit of getting together with family and friends to watch it, join forums about it, and discuss it with other fans on social media. The reason why you feel sad after finishing a TV show is that you will miss the experience of watching and discussing it with others and the sense of belonging you had for being part of its fandom.
When a show ends, people will probably no longer talk about it as much, and there will be no more need to come up with theories on what could happen next. The story is over, and most people will leave the fandom and move on to the next big show.
If you are feeling sad and empty after finishing a show for any of the above reasons, here are some ways to cope with post-show depression and move on with life.
What to Do to Cope When a Favorite Show Ends
- Reconnect with real life
Imagine watching shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, or other series with more than two seasons non-stop. Binge-watching TV shows with several seasons could make you neglect other important areas of life and may even lead to you losing touch with reality.
One of the best things to do to cope if you feel sad or empty after finishing a good show is to take a break from watching TV and reconnect with real life. Take a walk around your neighborhood or in nature, hang out with family and friends, do some work, and engage in activities that ground you in the here and now.
Connecting with yourself, others, and the nature around you will enable you to disconnect from the fictional characters, their stories, and their universe.
- Engage with other fans
You are most likely not the only fan of your favorite TV show. When it ends, one of the best things to do is to engage with other people who love the TV series, some of whom may also be experiencing post-show depression.
You could find other fans to connect with on social media platforms and forums such as the TV show’s subreddit, Quora, YouTube, Facebook groups, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). Share your feelings and theories about the show and ask or answer questions from others.
Engaging with other people in the fandom after your favorite show ends can improve your mood, give you a different perspective, make you discover things you weren’t paying attention to, and help you pass the time. It will be a good way to continue enjoying the series after it is over.
READ ALSO: How to Make New Friends as an Adult
- Watch bonus content
Another good way to cope when you feel sad about your favorite show ending is to watch bonus content such as bloopers, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes videos.
Bloopers are short video clips showing mistakes made by one or more cast members during filming. Deleted scenes are videos that were filmed but didn’t make it to the final version of the show for one reason or another. Behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos show the process of making the show.
Bloopers can make you laugh and remind you that these people are just acting so you can start detaching from the TV show’s fictional world. As for deleted scenes and BTS videos, the bonus content could give you more insight into the characters, the show’s universe, and the filmmaking process.
- Read the source material
Nowadays, many TV shows are adapted from books, comics, and Wattpad stories. If the series you finished watching is based on such, reading the source material can help you cope with the ending. They enable you to stay connected to the characters and get more information about them and their world that the TV show probably omitted or changed.
In most cases, the books are better than the TV show adaptation, hence, you may enjoy reading them even more than watching the series. It’s also a good way to pass the time with a different hobby after finishing watching a show.
READ ALSO: 35 Fun Things to Do When Bored at Home Alone
- Look up the cast
Perhaps the reason why you feel sad after finishing a TV show is that your favorite character died or had some other bad thing happen to them at the end of the series.
Looking up the actor playing that role on social media and search engines like Google and Bing can help you cope with post-show depression.
If a character died, look up the actor to get the reassurance that they are still alive in real life and remind yourself that they were just acting. For characters whose stories had a different ending, search for the actors to see what they are doing now.
- Watch fan edits
To continue enjoying your favorite TV show after it ends, watch fan edits about its characters to relive their journeys throughout the series. They can be edits showcasing how badass a character was, sad ones showing their struggles, or happy ones about their relationships, jokes, and other joyful times.
READ ALSO: 50 Best Uncle Iroh Quotes About Life and Tea (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Watch similar shows
When you are feeling sad and empty after finishing a good TV show, watching something similar is one of the best things to do to cope with post-show depression.
Look for shows in the same genre and discover a new fictional world to get immersed in. If the series has remakes, spinoffs, film continuations, or is part of a franchise, you could watch other related TV shows to learn more about the characters and the fictional universe.
- Try a different genre
Maybe your favorite TV show left a bad taste in your mouth due to a disappointing ending. To move on from its story and universe, watching something completely different can help.
Look for shows in different genres to avoid reminders of the last show you finished watching and find new characters, worlds, and stories to love.
- Watch something else the actors have been in
The actors who played the roles of your favorite characters have most likely been in other movies and TV series.
If you are feeling sad about the ending of a TV show you love, watch other things the cast has been in to see them on your screen again. You may discover another good show to binge-watch.
- Distract yourself
Watching TV is probably not the only thing that makes you happy. You most likely have other hobbies.
When feeling sad or empty after a good show ends, you can cope by distracting yourself from things to do with it. Keep yourself busy while engaging in other activities you enjoy.
- Turn to fanfiction
Just because a show has ended doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to the characters. Sure, the official canon story is over, but there are ways you can continue the story.
Reading or writing fanfiction is one of the best things to do when your favorite TV show ends. These activities will enable you to spend more time with the characters in their universe and explore the different ways the story could have unfolded. You may even get the satisfying ending you didn’t get from the show itself.
If you can write (or want to see if you can write), writing fanfiction will be a great way to explore your creativity and practice your skills while telling stories where you don’t have to come up with original characters.
- Purchase the show’s merchandise
Just like most of us like having souvenirs after visiting new places, you should get something to remember your favorite TV show by once it ends.
You could buy TV show merchandise such as T-shirts, figurines, mugs, sweatshirts, phone cases, picture frames, hoodies, tote bags, pillowcases, beanies, and jewelry with images and favorite quotes from the series printed or engraved on them.
Remember not to overspend on merch or buy something you may regret purchasing later.
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- Rewatch the show
If you can’t move on from a good TV show after it ends, it is okay to rewatch it from the beginning. You will probably notice details you didn’t catch before, experience the same positive emotions you felt watching the show the first time, feel less tense because you already know how it ends, and relive the good memories attached to the other times you watched the series in the past.
Rewatching a show enough times will make it predictable and boring to you at some point, enabling you to move on from it.
- Accept that it is over
No matter how good or bad the ending was, the best thing to do after finishing a TV show is to accept that everything comes to an end at some point, and move on.
Acknowledge your feelings, but don’t entertain negative emotions for too long. Also, do not waste too much time wishing things had gone differently, reading/watching reviews, or arguing with people who have different opinions about how the show could have ended.
It is done. The story is over, and the best thing to do now is accept that, be thankful for the experience, and move on.
READ ALSO: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
Wrapping Up
The ending of a favorite show can be bittersweet. You may be happy that the series got a conclusion, which is rare nowadays as it has become more common for shows to get canceled prematurely, but feel sad that the story is over and it is time to say goodbye to the characters and their fictional world.
It is okay to feel sad when you finish watching a good TV show. But you shouldn’t have negative emotions about it longer than necessary or be overly attached to the story and characters. Try to move on. If you are feeling empty or sad about your favorite TV show ending, use the above tips to discover why that is happening and find ways to cope.
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