Gary Mendez is a lovable, loyal, and funny member of the main cast of A Million Little Things. What happens to him at the end of the series?
Collage of Gary Mendez smiling and Gary kissing Maggie in A Million Little Things.
SUMMARY
- Gary Mendez's character on A Million Little Things is beloved for his infectious spirit and sense of humor, even in the face of life's challenges.
- Gary initially survived breast cancer, but in the series finale, it is revealed that his lung cancer has spread and is no longer responding to treatment.
- In the emotional series finale, Gary chooses assisted suicide to spare his loved ones from watching his suffering, expressing his love and gratitude for his friends before passing away with dignity.
Gary Mendez (James Roday Rodriguez) is a popular character on A Million Little Things, so his fate at the end of the series was of major concern. A Million Little Things is an ABC family drama about a close-knit circle of friends in Boston who are shaken after a friend takes his own life.
Promising to start living life to the fullest, the ensemble cast of A Million Little Things deals with the deep issues in their lives, and the tiny daily struggles that come with experiencing adulthood. The series premiered in September 2018 and spanned five seasons before the series finale in May 2023.
Gary Mendez is one of the most likable characters in A Million Little Things, and his infectious spirit permeates every season of the series. Despite everything that life throws at Gary, he keeps his sense of humor.
Maggie Bloom (Allison Miller) is Gary's love interest throughout A Million Little Things, and their blossoming relationship is one of the high points of the series. The two even end up having a son together, Javier. A comedian, hopeless romantic, and honest friend, Gary embodies many of the best traits of the characters in A Million Little Things.
Gary Mendez is shown to be a fighter from the first moment he's introduced in A Million Little Things. In the series premiere, it's revealed that Gary survived breast cancer sometime in the past, and it's at subsequent cancer survivor meetings that he meets Maggie.
However, in the A Million Little Things season 4 finale "Just in Case", Gary learns that he has lung cancer. In season 5, episode 1 "The Last Dance", in a surprise twist, it seems that Gary's cancer has responded to treatment and while it's not curable, he should be able to live a long healthy life.
Though this is welcome news, it also adds an air of suspense to the final season of A Million Little Things. It's not brought up often after the premiere, but the idea that Gary's cancer is still lurking is a dark pall over the season.
This is why, in A Millin Little Things season 5, episode 11 "Ironic" when it's revealed that Gary's lung cancer has jumped from one lung to the other and is no longer responding to treatment, the news comes as a grim confirmation rather than a shock. Season 5, episode 12 "Tough Stuff" jumps forward a year and shows Gary coming to terms with his diagnosis.
Gary Mendez Dies In The A Million Little Things Series Finale
In the series finale, "One Big Thing", Gary is now bedridden and close to death. When Maggie leaves the room during one of her visits, Gary turns to his friends Eddie (David Giuntoli) and Rome (Romany Malco) and asks that they fulfill a promise they made to Gary, to allow him to die via assisted suicide.
Gary does not want Maggie to have to watch his drawn-out death. After Gary takes the pills acquired for him by Eddie and Rome, Maggie and his friends watch a pre-recorded goodbye video in a heart-wrenching scene.
Gary's death mirrors the pilot episode of A Million Little Things where the series begins with a suicide and now ends with an assisted suicide. This could be seen as a dark throughline in the story, but there is a hopeful side.
After Jon Dixon (Ron Livingston) takes his life in the premiere, it spurs his friends to make the most of life and become stronger friends. With Gary's decision to undergo assisted suicide, he takes his life into his own hands and passes with dignity, able to express his love for those who improved his life over the last few years.
Post a Comment