Stream It Or Skip It: ‘A Million Little Things’ Final Season Premiere On ABC, Where We Say Goodbye To A Beloved Character And Hello To Our Tissue Boxes

A Million Little Things returns to ABC for an emotional farewell season that’s sure to make fans shed a million little tears. Creator DJ Nash always intended to follow the drama’s central friend group for five seasons, but before “Millionaires” say goodbye to the series they’ll meet several new characters, welcome back at least two familiar faces, and grieve multiple — yes, more than one! — deaths. (Protect Maggie and Gary at all costs.) The Season 5 premiere on Wednesday, February 8, gives a taste of the transformations, relationships, big leaps, challenges, and life lessons that await in the final episodes.

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS SEASON 5, THE FAREWELL SEASON: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Gary (James Roday Rodriguez) is sitting in a hospital chair receiving chemotherapy treatment next to his dad Javier (Paul Rodriguez), who’s admiring an ultrasound photo of his future grandson, Gary and Maggie’s (Allison Miller’s) baby.

The Gist: The Season 5 premiere, “The Last Dance,” picks up right where Season 4 left off. There were a million little things happening with Eddie (David Giuntoli), Sophie (Lizzy Greene), Danny (Chance Hurstfield), Tyrell (Adam Swain), Katherine (Grace Park), Theo (Tristan Byon), and the rest of the group. But three major storylines at the end of Season 4 centered on Anna (Erin Karpluk) getting arrested for her role in Peter’s (Andrew Leeds) death, Maggie getting pregnant, and Rome (Romany Malco) and Regina (Christina Moses) accidentally learning that Gary is battling cancer again.

The official episode description is as follows: “The family of friends gathers once again to celebrate the life of a loved one who dies unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Katherine shows Maggie the secret to registering for baby gifts, and Rome supports his father through a difficult transition.”

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? A Million Little Things is a tearjerker about the importance of human connection. It’s a hopeful celebration of found family and a reminder that life ebbs and flows, so other family-centric dramas that extract extraordinary meaning from everyday moments — like This Is Us, Parenthood, and Friday Night Lights — come to mind.

Our Take: Before A Million Little Things drops its title card in the Season 5 premiere, you’ll be wiping tears from your eyes and feeling as though you just reunited with a long-lost friend. Without spoiling the series’ highly-anticipated return, “The Last Dance” maximizes the storytelling potential of the show’s final 13 episodes by succinctly addressing Season 4 cliffhangers and swiftly laying groundwork for future plot points.

In true A Million Little Things fashion, the premiere finds characters overflowing with formative memories, sparked by anything from a stick of deodorant to a box of Good & Plenty. Several head-scratching moments pop up throughout the hour — including a major plot twist and an early line from Eddie that made me cringe so hard I questioned his entire personality. But as usual, the series’ lovable characters, aspirational connections, and relatable struggles help quell your doubts. Five seasons in, the cast’s chemistry has never been stronger, nor has character growth ever been so apparent. James Roday Rodriguez continues to effortlessly tap into the duality of Gary Mendez, and the premiere’s fluctuating tone and moving monologues tease marvelously multi-faceted performances to come.

Through life events as monumental as a funeral or as inconsequential as a trip to the store, the drama continues to convey the importance of showing up for one other, being open to humor in times of grief, and remembering that tomorrow is unpromised. From abortion and racism to mental health, LGBTQ+ stories, addiction, and more, the series has never shied away from addressing serious topics in a prime-time ABC slot, and the premiere offers touching reassurance that same candor will continue to the end.

As is often the case with shows that strike a balance between remarkably human and deliciously cheesy storytelling, the beginning of A Million Little Things‘ end will leave you feeling reinvigorated, raring to reclaim your time, and hungry for heart-to-hearts. Faithful viewers know that Gary and friends have — let’s not sugarcoat it — been through a lot of shit since 2018. The series has always captured the confusing reality that life is beautiful and relentless. The highs demand to be celebrated, in part, because the lows never let up. But the lows aren’t as bad if you have a solid support system behind you, and these tight-knit Bruins fans and their families are solid as they come. A mix of new beginnings and challenges are foreshadowed at the start of Season 5, but here’s hoping that this group can finally catch one single collective break when the end credits roll on the series finale.

Sex and Skin:  Aside from a few smooches, A Million Little Things keeps its farewell season premiere clean. The only stripping down these characters do at the start of Season 5 is internal, because in true A Million Little Things fashion, everyone is bravely baring their emotions.

Parting Shot: The episode highlights moments of pain and loss, but the parting shot captures the show’s fictional friend group-turned-family celebrating a rare moment of unbridled joy. It’s about time!

Sleeper Star: We got a taste of the full spectrum of emotions James Roday Rodriguez and Allison Miller will cycle through before saying goodbye to Gary and Maggie. But two unexpected season premiere standouts were Lou Beatty Jr. as Rome’s dad Walter Howard, and his girlfriend Florence, played by Karen Robinson.

Most Pilot-y Line: Towards the end of the episode a character says, “Sorry about bringing an entourage…it’s just that our friend group, we’re very invested in each other’s lives.” A real A Million Little Things evergreen statement.

Our Call: STREAM IT. If you’ve been following this friend group for four seasons, then you, too, are very invested in their lives. A Million Little Things stays true to itself in the Season 5 premiere, so if you enjoyed the ride so far and want to see where these characters’ stories end, streaming the season is a no-brainer.