These 10 Must-Watch Graduation TV Episodes Are The Perfect Bittersweet Goodbye
Congratulations to the class of 2024! What better way to get the emotions going than with these graduation TV episodes? Through memorable speeches, tearful goodbyes, and comedic mishaps, these episodes encapsulate the universal experience of saying goodbye to one chapter of life and embarking on the next. Pop Culture Planet contributor Paola Cardenas breaks down the bittersweet graduation episodes to watch.
Family Matters | “Sink Or Swim” (Season 6, Episode 8)
Urkel (Jaleel White) has to face his fears if he wants to graduate in this episode of Family Matters.
With a straight A record, Urkel has high school graduation locked down. That is until he has to pass a swim test for physical education class. To make matters worse, Urkel has a deep phobia of water so he enlists Carl for help, but someone else might get him over his fear better. Meanwhile, Richie joins a roller skating hockey team and has to get his own equipment. However, Rachel has to return a dress in order for Richie to get his gear which turns out to be trickier than it seems.
See if Urkel can save his grades with Family Matters on Hulu and Max.
Gilmore Girls | “Those Are Strings, Pinocchio” (Season 3, Episode 22)
The seniors at Chilton are preparing to graduate, using their end of the year yearbook videos to say their final goodbyes in Gilmore Girls.
Rory (Alexis Bledel) is heading off to Yale, but her mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham) has to figure out tuition costs after Rory becomes ineligible for aid. She decides to take matters into her own hands by meeting with Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard (Edward Herrmann) who offer to finance Rory’s tuition for the four years as long as she comes to dinner on Friday nights. In the end, we also get Rory’s heartfelt valedictorian speech that makes us all weep at their mother-daughter bond.
Gilmore Girls is on Netflix.
Glee | “Goodbye” (Season 3, Episode 22)
The ups, the downs, the laughs, and the cries — the members of New Directions reflect on their time at McKinley as they prepare to graduate as the class of 2012.
In the season three finale of Glee, it’s time to say goodbye to McKinley for Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Rachel (Lea Michele), Quinn (Dianna Agron), and Mercedes (Amber Riley). As a final assignment, Will decides to title it “Goodbye” where the students will sing their parting songs as they bid farewell. While Finn, Kurt, and Rachel make a pact to open their college decision letters together, Santana (Naya Rivera) worries about her future and Finn rethinks wedding plans with Rachel.
Will they say goodbye to more than high school? Find out with Glee on Disney+ and Hulu.
Gossip Girl | “The Goodbye Gossip Girl” (Season 2, Episode 25)
It wouldn’t be graduation if Gossip Girl didn't try to stir the pot, right?
Blair (Leighton Meester), Serena (Blake Lively), Nate (Chace Crawford), and Dan (Penn Badgley) are graduating which finally means they’ll be free of Gossip Girl’s torment. Serena has to be cautious due to publicity after her arrest, while Blair wants to confess her feelings for Chuck (Ed Westwick). Dan just wants to get high school over with and start NYU, Lily and Rufus reconcile their relationship, and Nate has a plan to rebel against his family this summer. During the ceremony, GG sends out a blast labeling Blair as Class Weakling, Nate as Class Whore, Dan the Ultimate Insider, Chuck as Class Coward, and Serena as Irrelevant after Graduation. This makes Serena want to take GG down for good so the newer classes don’t have to suffer as they did. But GG has more plans up their sleeve with another shocking email blast.
Gossip Girl is available on Max.
Grown-ish | “Empire State Of Mind” (Season 4, Episode 18)
Big changes are happening for our Cal-U seniors in Grown-ish!
While the gang tried to cheer up Vivek (Jordan Buhat) with a rooftop celebration, Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and Luca (Luka Sabbat) butt heads when they disagree on their goals for their fashion company. Zoey is elated to make the designs accessible to everyone, while Luca doesn’t want to sell out. Meanwhile, Ana (Francia Raisa) rethinks her clerk career and Nomi (Emily Arlook) is off the Yale. However, things slowly become chaotic when Zoey misses her graduation ceremony as she and Lucas are stranded on the rooftop. Now Zoey is left with a big decision to make about the company.
Grown-ish is on Hulu.
Liv And Maddie | “SkyVolt-A-Rooney” (Season 3, Episode 19)
Although we don’t see the official ceremony, our favorite twins graduate from Stevens Point in Liv and Maddie!
While Liv (Dove Cameron) is wrapping up filming her hit show SkyVolt, Maddie is preparing for her attendance at Beloit and a bittersweet goodbye to her bestie Willow (Jessica Marie Garcia) who is off to training camp at SCSU. However, Liv gets news that SkyVolt is moving back to LA and must decide whether she’ll go back or give up her role to be with her family. To spice things up even more, Joey realizes he has feelings for Willow just as she’s leaving and Maddie also gets word from Willow that SCSU — her dream college — is offering her a basketball scholarship.
Will the twins figure this out? Find out with Liv and Maddie on Disney+.
Malcolm in the Middle | “Graduation” (Season 7, Episode 22)
Another valedictorian to celebrate is Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) in Malcolm In The Middle.
In this graduation episode, Malcolm has been accepted into Harvard which is 2000 miles away from home. Elated and struggling with his valedictorian speech, the rest of the family must figure out a plan to cover Malcolm’s education since it’s his dream school. Additionally, Reese (Justin Berfield) plans to look for a janitor job at North High School. Meanwhile, Malcolm, Reese, Stevie, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) reminisce about the good times in their childhood bedroom as they will no longer be together.
Malcolm In The Middle is available on Hulu.
Never Have I Ever | “…Said Goodbye“ (Season 4, Episode 10)
Over four years, we’ve watched Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) go through all the stages of heartbreak and grief in Never Have I Ever. Now, she’s the valedictorian and off to her dream school of Princeton.
Picking up from the previous episode on Devi’s Princeton essay, we finally have the bittersweet moment where Devi finds out she’s been accepted to her dream school. As Devi and her friends wear their caps and gowns, Paxton (Darren Barnet) congratulates Devi and informs her that he’ll be spending his summer in New York City for an internship. It speeds up to the end of the summer to Paati’s wedding weekend and Devi’s flight to New Jersey. Her suitcase is left unpacked as she struggles to leave her life behind, but finds the courage from her mother’s comfort. Of course, we also get a long-awaited romantic moment between Devi and Ben (Jaren Lewison).
Watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
That 70s Show | “Celebration Day (a.k.a. Graduation) (Season 5, Episode 25)
Our Point Place gang is about to graduate as the class of 1976 in That 70s Show.
Preparing for their group camping trip, Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) get the keys to their apartment in Madison, while Jackie (Mila Kunis) decides to let Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Hyde (Danny Masterson) fight over her. Meanwhile, Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) is a mess as he awaits deportation. When their van disappears the next morning, they frantically work to find a way home in hopes to make it to their graduation ceremony.
That 70s Show is on Peacock.
The Suite Life On Deck | “Graduation On Deck” (Season 3, Episode 22)
We grew up with Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody (Cole Sprouse) and now we get to see them graduate from Seven Seas High.
When Mr. Tipton decides to sell the ship, it’s up to Ms. Tutweiller (Erin Cardillo) and her students Bailey (Debby Ryan), Woody (Matthew Timmons), Addison (Rachael Kathryn Bell), Maya (Zoey Deutch), and London (Brenda Song) to organize a graduation ceremony. While London has to pass Spanish before she can get her diploma, Cody and Bailey anticipate their Yale letter decisions. Meanwhile, Zack and Maya’s relationship is on the rocks when Maya gets accepted into the Peace Corps.
Watch their heartfelt goodbyes with The Suite Life On Deck on Disney+.
