'Dead to Me' Ending Explained: What Happens to Judy and Jen In Season 3?

Warning: Spoilers for Season Three of "Dead to Me" ahead.

“Dead to Me” has always been a show about grief — and its final season leaned into grappling with love and loss in an unexpected way.

After being separated from Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini) for over two years, fans were finally reunited with the chaotic and hilarious friends when the show returned for its third and final season on Nov. 17.

In the first season, Netflix viewers watched Jen cope with the death of her husband Ted, build a friendship with Judy, and later learn that Judy actually killed Ted in a car accident. Season Two followed the aftermath of Jen murdering Judy’s fiancé Steve (James Marsden) following an intense argument. Throughout all their scheming and crimes, Jen and Judy continued to support each other and their bond became unbreakable (despite, you know, killing each others' spouses).

Season Three confirmed the strength of their friendship as the pair struggled to outwit the police while dealing with a surprise pregnancy and a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis. Their laughter and funny banter from Seasons One and Two remained, but Season Three carried a more sentimental tone as the friends began to grieve the loss of each other.

The tonal shift in the last 10 episodes of the dark comedy led to some emotional reactions from fans who voiced their thoughts on social media.

One viewer tweeted, “Judy Hale you deserve so much better,” along with photos of Cardellini’s character smiling throughout the seasons.

Another joked that they planned to sue “Dead to Me” producers for the “emotional damage” the tragic ending caused.

Many fans applauded Applegate for finishing the show after learning during filming that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

One social media user praised Applegate and said, “she deserves everything every recognition that woman is amazing.”

Others shared that the finale made them cry, but they still appreciated the conclusion to Jen and Judy’s story.

“I cannot put into words how i feel about ‘dead to me’ season 3 except that was the most perfect piece of television i’ve ever seen and i’m an emotional wreck right now,” one Twitter user wrote.

So, what made “Dead to Me” fans sob uncontrollably as they learned Judy and Jen’s fate? Read TODAY.com’s recap of the Season Three finale to find out.

First, a run-down of happened in the first nine episodes of 'Dead to Me' Season 3

In case you missed it, Judy confessed to Nick (Brandon Scott) in Episode 9 that she murdered Steve in order to save Jen from going to prison, but he decided to let her go.

Jen and the viewers learned in the season premiere that Judy’s lab results revealed she had tumors in her body. Later in the season, Judy’s doctor confirmed that she had Stage 4 cervical cancer.

“Dead to Me” aired one of TV's most heart-wrenching montages when Judy went through her chemo treatment and Jen watched over her friend.

After three months, Judy’s doctor called to share that the treatment did not work. Jen attempted to get Judy into an experimental chemical trial, but Judy declined. However, the two tricked Nick into thinking Judy wanted to go to San Francisco for the trial. So, he placed an ankle monitor on Judy and allowed her to have three weeks of freedom before turning her in.

Instead of going to San Francisco, Jen and Judy traveled across the southern border to Mexico. Meanwhile, Judy told her mom Eleanor (Katey Sagal) about her cancer. Eleanor agreed to put on Judy’s monitor and drive her car to Northern California to prevent the police from getting suspicious.

Judy and Jen finally get to go on vacation and the Greeks make an appearance

Season Three began with Jen dreaming of going on vacation with Judy. The two lounged on beach chairs as they shared how much they mean to each other. In the finale, Jen’s dream becomes a reality.

Episode 10, appropriately titled “We’ve Reached the End,” shows Judy and Jen escaping to Mexico for their final girls trip.

The threat of the Greek mafia (or syndicate as Judy says) catching Jen and Judy was first introduced in Season One. Steve stole money from the Greeks and hid it in Judy’s paintings.

Throughout Season Three, Judy and Jen tried to convince authorities, including FBI agent Moranis (Garret Dillahunt), that the Greeks are responsible for Steve’s death and possibly their hit-and-run in the Season Two finale.

During Episode Nine, Jen unknowingly spotted two hitmen as she leaves Moranis’s apartment. The same two men find outlaws "Judy Five Fingers" and "B---- Cassidy" when they stop for a bathroom break on their way to Mexico.

The Greeks ask Judy to return Steve’s stolen money. Judy explains that she does not have the cash because she spent it on her chemo. She calls their bluff and asks them to shoot her since she is dying of cancer anyway. She then pretends to get her medicine for the car and instead pulls a gun on the hitmen. She shoots their vehicle and forces them to let her and Jen go.

Jen and Judy enjoy 3 weeks of bliss

The pair arrive at a Mexican vacation home that Steve owned. The close friends sit outside and watch the waves crash onto the beach. Jen experiences deja vu in a callback to her fantasy in the season premiere. Judy tells her, “That’s a good sign. Deja vu is just your brain reminding you to remember.”

They spend their days soaking up the sun, chatting by the fire pit at night and watching episodes of “The Facts of Life” in Spanish. Judy also tends to a stray cat that was shacking up in the vacation home.

Judy suggests they take Steve’s boat out on the water. Jen and Judy go to the garage to get lifejackets and discover the 1966 Mustang that Steve and Judy were driving the night they killed Ted.

Jen has repeatedly told Judy in the past that she fully forgave her for her role in Ted’s death. But, Jen truly absolves Judy of her guilt by telling her that she is grateful for the Mustang because it brought them together.

Jen tells Ben she is pregnant 

During Episode Six, Jen visited the doctor and learned she was pregnant with a “miracle” baby at 47. After Ben and Jen briefly rekindled their relationship, Ben was arrested for driving under the influence and crashing into Jen and Judy’s car. Jen was terrified and thought she had to raise her baby alone.

Jen attempted to get Ben out of jail, but Detective Perez (Diana Maria Riva) explained that she had to sacrifice Ben to prevent authorities from wrongly thinking that Charlie (Sam McCarthy) was responsible for the hit and run. Ben went to prison and Jen was not able to tell him about the baby.

In the finale, Jen starts bleeding and worries about the baby. Judy takes her to the hospital and they learn that the baby is a girl.

At a taqueria, Jen decides to stop ignoring Ben’s calls from prison. She tells him she is expecting, and Ben is ecstatic. He has some news, too — Moranis was killed.

Jen later tells Judy that the police are assuming the Greeks were responsible for Moranis’s death. The authorities believe the Greeks killed Steve as well because his case files were missing from Moranis’s apartment. Viewers saw in a previous episode that Perez removed the files from the crime scene, seemingly to help herself and Jen get off.

Judy dies and Jen returns to Laguna Beach

Jen wants to go back home, but Judy says she does not want to leave. She shares she has been silently struggling with the physical pain from her cancer for awhile and that she wants to stay in Mexico for a “permanent vacation.”

They make plans for Judy to visit and for Jen to possibly drive down on the weekends.

“I’ve had the best time with you,” Judy tearfully tells Jen.

Jen weeps and replies, “Me too.” They exchange “I love yous” and embrace as they watch “The Fact of Life” one final time.

Jen awakens and finds that Judy left her a note and her bracelet. She spots Steve’s boat on the water and sees Judy’s footprints in the sand. Jen stares off into the distance and it is implied that Judy died offscreen.

Jen drives back to Laguna Beach in the 1966 Mustang with the stray cat and imagines Judy sitting in the passenger seat next to her.

She arrives in time for Henry’s (Luke Roessler) church recital. As she walks into the parish, she notices the one thousand paper cranes Judy folded while going through chemo hanging above the pews.

The expecting mother joins mother-in-law Lorna (Valerie Mahaffey) and Charlie as they watch Henry’s performance. Ben then surprises the trio and says he was released on “good behavior.”

He also shares that Judy sent him the invite to the performance. Ben asks if Judy is in the church. Jen looks up and responds, “I think so.”

Jen gets her happy ending…or does she

Some time in the future, Jen returns to her grief group and introduces her daughter, Joey.

The baby is wrapped in a blanket with “Judy Ann” written on it. When one of the group members questions why Jen did not name her baby after her late friend, Jen says, “Because that would be weird.”

She adds, “This isn’t a Hallmark movie.”

The final scene shows Ben, Charlie and Henry playing in the pool while Jen sits in a chair beside them with Joey on her lap.

Ben gets out of the water and kisses Jen. He explains that he never thought he would be happy after Steve’s death, but now his life is more than he deserves.

They say they love each other and the moment resembles Jen’s earlier conversation with Judy on the beach.

Jen looks over at the guest house where Judy used to live before suddenly turning to face Ben.

“I have to tell you something,” she says, before the screen fades to black.

It’s up to the viewer to decide what would have been Jen’s final confession, though it might have something to do with her role in his brother's death.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com