25 of the most heartbreaking TV finales that make us cry every time

Friday Night Lights

You probably have yelled out “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” multiple times, and that may be the only thing you know about Friday Night Lights. But watching Coach Taylor reach out to his team week after week brought a new light to television that hadn’t previously been there.

Friday Night Lights was a show that was neither boundary-pushing nor boring. It was simply real. Depicting a small town football team in Texas, the show mastered the dynamic between family and sports and didn’t try to be anything extra — which is maybe why it is beloved but wasn’t insanely popular during its run.

The finale started like any other episode, Eric and Tami were trying to figure out their job offers while the football season was being questioned by the media of Dillon, Texas. Throughout the episode, we see the struggle Coach Taylor has of leaving Dillon and so, obviously, the emotional stakes bring the audience to tears knowing that this is the end for our favorite team.

Ending the episode with Coach Taylor trying to get his new players into the game, he begins with his “Clear eyes, full hearts” but they just look baffled. It clearly shows that he is willing and ready to teach this new team and he laughs before explaining that he’ll teach them later. And we know that this series, which just showed us a loving marriage and a man dedicated to his job, would continue on (in this fictitious world).