Every Gervais sitcom has a beautifully poignant ending, and Derek's first series is no different. For those that think comedies don't have any kind of character arcs, Derek is a breath of fresh air; everyone who meets him walks away from the series a better person, no matter who they are, and it seems like the only character who doesn't change throughout is the man himself, who latches onto his elderly friends as if they're parent figures. Derek never had a father to look up to, it was established, so when he turns up at the end, it's an emotional moment. At first he can't forgive him, but soon after, he greets him with a warm embrace. In the end, it only takes a few small words to evoke the tears from us. "I've got a dad now," Derek says, beaming to the cameras. A wonderful piece of television.
