The End Of A TV Series And Feelings Of Emptiness

The end of a TV series that we watch for several years with great interest is never easy. This does not mean that you have to say goodbye to the characters and their stories.

There is another interesting factor to mourn: the end may not have been good or what you expected. This is an increasingly common reality in our daily lives and of great interest to psychologists.

Stephen King recently said that we are seldom completely happy with the end of a TV series or book if we have had a passion for them. This is because it is difficult for people to give up something when there has been an emotional bond.

The feeling of loss is thus real to a very high degree, and so is the frustration that comes with it.

Psychology assumes that the  world of popular culture (perceived as the set of artistic and cultural manifestations that surrounds us)  directly affects people.

The universe that sm TV series creates is thus powerful. We are dealing with media that we let into the private hours we spend at home.

TV series and their end are thus social phenomena. It is something that can easily replace, if only for a few days, interests in other social, political or economic events.

For many, this fact is very worrying, for others it is just a reflection of a society that reflects another part of their lives on TV series.

The end of a TV series and the emotions we experience

The phenomenon of the end of a TV series and the contradictory emotions that people experience is not something new. An example of this was Arthur Conan Doyle – a successful writer who wrote about adventure.

They were published weekly in  The Strand Magazine,  and the adventures of the charismatic main character captured thousands of readers. Who was it? Sherlock Holmes.

Doyle  , however, never felt any particular appreciation for his character. He wants to do other things; to write a different type of literature.

For this reason, he decided to kill Sherlock Holmes in Reichenbach Falls. That was when he was confronted by something unexpected. Readers threatened him and on more than one occasion he feared for his life.

He had no choice but to revive the man on Baker Street shortly thereafter.

The readers of Sherlock Holmes were probably some of the first fans to experience the kind of suffering that is so common today:

• First you have to say goodbye to the characters.
• Furthermore, one has to deal with an unexpected end.

TV series – more than just entertainment

Doctor Who  is one of the longest-running TV series in history. With over 50 years on the resume, several generations have grown up with the adventures of the famous time lord.

The Simpsons is another example that has been around in our lives since 1989. Furthermore, series like  CSI, Gray’s Anatomy  and  Supernatural have  more than 300 episodes each.

While the episodes air every week, many viewers will grow, mature, make changes, suffer losses and succeed, and we live in parallel with the stories on the screen.

The bond we create with these universes is therefore inevitable.

• TV series offer much more than entertainment for many people. People discover hobbies, jobs to pursue, countries to travel to, interesting concepts, actors, directors and screenwriters to follow.
• It is also a way to temporarily disconnect from reality. Connecting with other stories and characters generates relief  and helps us reduce stress.
• We must also not forget the social component of this medium. Watching the latest episode of a particular series is in a way a ritual. Thanks to it, we have topics to discuss at work. Being part of a group that talks about a certain series on social media is also a way to get to know new people.

Make sure a TV series is over

Today, nine years after the last episode of  Lost  aired, many continue to create theories about its end. If it’s hard to accept the end of a TV series, it’s even harder when you do not fully understand it.

In the line of somewhat controversial endings, we can also add Game of Thrones, How I Met Your Mother, Dexter, House of Cards  and  Breaking Bad.

All fantastic series that surprised us with their characters,  but which left a strange feeling of disappointment behind for some.

How can you accept the end of a TV series when you are not happy with its end? Of course, you can not do the same with the authors as Annie Wilkes in the classic Lida. 

Even though we create an emotional bond to these TV series, they are still just fantastic stories with beginnings and endings.

We can mourn along with all the fans, friends, acquaintances and relatives. We can share feelings and above all evoke the good times that the series included. Because the good thing about the TV universe is that the series trigger each other.

Before you know it, you are immersed in a new series that will undoubtedly end on a beautiful day.