Caitlin Glenn | Staff Writer

As April and May roll around and students fight the pain of still being in school, another struggle emerges and threatens to overtake students: TV finales. Whether it’s crime, comedy, or some category in between, television provides a break from the stressful reality of school and something to look forward to during the week other than the weekend.

There is freedom and a sense of security in emerging yourself in a television show, and so when the season- or worse, series- finale finally airs, it feels like a loss more than a gift. We have to suffer through these hard times, and so it makes sense for us to all do it together. Here are some ways to prepare for the end of your favorite shows.

1) Binge- It’s been a long season, and the job of the finale is to wrap everything up. Take a weekend to spend some quality time with your TV or computer and relive the magic. Whether it’s all 24 episodes of Modern Family or just 13 of Hannibal, you never know what little details might be important, and it will give you an excuse to remember why you fell in love with the show in the first place.

2) Analyze, Analyze, Analyze- We all have our own dreams of things that should happen in a show, and since writers often write to the interests of the fans, is it really so unrealistic to expect things to work out the way you want them to? Rewatch the promos for the finale and speculate like your life depends on it. What is the big shocker in the season finale of Scandal? Who’s going to die in Game of Thrones this time? Things may not end up your way, but the anticipation and sense of involvement is guaranteed to get you ready for what might happen.

3) Cry- There’s no shame in curling up with a tub of Haagen Dazs and having a cryfest. All TV episodes are an emotional event, and none more than finales. Is your favorite character going to be killed off? What if your favorite couple doesn’t last? What if the network doesn’t renew and we never find out what happens? Finales bring a lot of excitement, and it’s always good to have an outlet for all that nervous energy.

Remember, everyone grieves in their own way, but the pain of a beloved TV show ending is universal. Do whatever you need to prepare for the inevitable, and remember that whatever happens, your fellow telephiles are right here waiting here to wait out the dreaded hiatus season.