I'm not going there to die. 
I'm going to find out if I'm really alive. 

Where do I start? Let's get this out of the way; Cowboy Bebop is a damn cool show. Everything about it, from the aesthetic and music, to Spike's demeanor and stylish montages, feels cool.

The show doesn't rely on a long, overarching storyline for the most part. Every episode features an adventure unrelated to the previous one. These episodes might come off as...inconsequential? Insignificant? For the most part, the show doesn't feel like it's going anywhere. Which is what Watanabe intended. He wanted every episode to feel like its own film, with a beginning, middle and end. 
I wasn't expecting this type of structure when I started watching Bebop, but I've come to really appreciate it after a while. I think it honestly adds to the show's rewatch value. 

The last three episodes (especially The Real Folk Blues 1&2) is when you realize how much you got attached to these characters along the way. The main strength of Cowboy Bebop are its characters. They feel like real people, and the episodes that explore each character's pasts are the true gems of the series. You really feel like you're with these characters. Like you're experiencing all of the space shenanigans with them. And when episodes such as Jupiter Jazz Part II or Hard Luck Woman hit, they hit hard. 

You know what's best about Cowboy Bebop? It's not the action sequences. It's not Spike lighting up his cigarettes and making it look like the coolest shit ever. It's the fact that you don't realize how special it was until it's over. All of the time you spent with these characters, is like a gradually growing balloon. The last episode sticks a needle into it and all of the air inside it disappears into space, leaving you with a feeling of emptiness. 
You just realized that you experienced something special, and now it's over. 
You're just gonna have to carry that weight. 

Bang.