BBC One's Broken came to a moving end tonight (July 4) as Sean Bean's Father Michael hit rock bottom before the series finished on an uplifting note.
He bravely faced his mother's death, but in the end decided not to tell her the entire truth of his abuse at the hands of a priest as a child, caring too much for her feelings to shatter her in her final hours.
Father Michael then presided over her funeral and stood alongside his brothers singing for her during the service, and eventually managed to make his way through the consecration without having flashbacks.
It was an hour of television that profoundly moved viewers, who immediately took to Twitter through tears at the show's final episode:
Sean Bean was singled out for particular praise, amid numerous calls for his outstanding work on the series to be recognised with awards:
Related: Sean Bean starts religious revolution on Broken as he demands a female pope
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And it wasn't just Bean's acting that was lauded:
Audiences were posting tweets commending writer Jimmy McGovern (also of Cracker and Accused) who once again seems to have touched viewers with his work:
Audiences spoke favourably on the portrayal of the sensitive subject matter and Catholicism:
There's just under ten months until the BAFTA TV Awards are held, but we're sure this powerful drama will stay with viewers for time to come.
Sean Bean had better be dusting off that tuxedo...
Broken aired on BBC One.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you've been affected by the issues raised in Broken, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland's helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
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