20 Most Heartbreaking Moments in TV History
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VOICE OVER: Kirsten Ria Squibb
WRITTEN BY: Joe Shetina
Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster as we dive into the most heart-wrenching moments in television history. From unexpected deaths to gut-wrenching goodbyes, these scenes will have you reaching for the tissues and remembering why these shows touched our hearts so deeply. Our countdown includes unforgettable moments from shows like "Futurama", "Sesame Street", "The Last of Us", "How I Met Your Mother", and many more that will make even the toughest viewers shed a tear!
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most devastating TV scenes we still haven’t gotten over. Fair warning, this list is riddled with spoilers.
A character’s death can be a really hard plot development to get right. The makers of “8 Simple Rules” didn’t really have a choice. When original star John Ritter passed away in the middle of the sitcom’s second season, his character, columnist Paul Hennessy, followed suit. His wife, played by Katey Sagal, receives the news that changes their lives forever. The show’s subsequent handling of Paul’s death became a tragic mirror for what his on-screen family and fans were feeling in the aftermath of Ritter’s passing. The family’s usual laugh-a-minute jokes are replaced by a somber tone and constant reminders of Paul’s absence.
In an alternate version of Hollywood filled with humans and anthropomorphized animals, washed-up former TV star BoJack Horseman is constantly screwing up. One of his lowest points is when he goes on a bender with former child star Sarah Lynn. The two end up at Griffith Observatory, where Sarah passes away tragically as a result of their hard partying. The screen goes black, with BoJack helplessly repeating her name to no avail. It’s yet another reminder that this show, animated though it may be, does not play around when it comes to sensitive subjects and real-life tragedy.
Wait, did we just get broken up with? Bittersweet is the word here. Yes, Fleabag will probably get over her agonizing, all-encompassing crush on the Priest. But more importantly, she’s gotten over us. Fleabag has spent two seasons using the camera as her personal confessional, where she spills some vulnerable secrets but is also always stepping out of her own life. The moment the series ends, there’s a sense that she’s finally learned to stay present in her own life. To do it, she has to say goodbye to us. It’s a pitch perfect ending to a show that always surprised us.
“The Quarterback” will go down in history as one of the single saddest episodes of television ever produced. “Glee” star Cory Monteith’s premature death was truly shocking. This season 5 episode dedicated to his character, football player Finn Hudson, is a wall-to-wall tearjerker. Most shockingly painful is the moment when cheerleader Santana Lopez sings the Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” to pay tribute to Monteith’s character. Actress Naya Rivera’s chill-inducing cover ends with the performer in tears. Many fans find it even more heartbreaking in retrospect, as Rivera would pass away just a few years later.
Near the end of season four, a group of guards disrupt a peaceful protest in the cafeteria, and things take a turn for the deadly. Poussey Washington, a beloved inmate, is subdued and ultimately suffocated to death in a show of excessive force. Her death is a chilling reflection of real world brutality. Watching her friends’ reaction to losing her, and the inevitable havoc it brings to the prison, closes out the fourth season in an uncharacteristically bleak way. The denizens of Litchfield Penitentiary could sometimes fool us into thinking things aren’t so bad inside. Unfortunately, Poussey’s fate is an example of just how desperate their circumstances can get.
Every single storyline of the barnburning second season of the Shonda Rhimes medical drama comes to a head in its harrowing season finale. Love is alive at Seattle Grace Hospital while it hosts an impromptu senior prom for Dr. Webber’s ill niece. Amid all the tinsel and magic, the love story between Dr. Izzie Stevens and heart transplant recipient Denny Duquette comes to an abrupt end. The scene where her fellow doctors find Izzie lying in the deceased patient’s arms is overwhelming to say the least. Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” fades in on the soundtrack, and Alex Karev carries the weeping Izzie away in his arms. It became a defining moment of the show.
He was a man of few words. However, the reason for his one word becomes so painfully clear in the season 6 episode, aptly named “The Door.” This whole time, Hodor was actually saying “hold the door.” We learn that Bran Stark’s disruption of time and space traumatized the young Hodor, giving him an image of his death. The consequences of this come to pass in “The Door.” Hodor’s name takes on a deeply disturbing meaning as he holds the door to the hideout closed while White Walkers invade. The Red Wedding gets an honorable mention for the shock factor, but Hodor’s loyalty earns “Game of Thrones” a spot on this list.
For years, teacher George Feeny has watched with equal parts irritation and amusement as Cory and Eric Matthews and their friends have gotten into one adolescent mess after another. In the series finale, his students enter adulthood and their time together finally comes to an end. He gives the kids one last speech about doing good. The moment brings out a lot of uncharacteristic sentiment from the veteran teacher. He manages to withstand their hugs and tears. Of course, he waits until they’re out of the room to tell them he loves them. He is a professional to the end.
Don’t let the comedy fool you. When “Scrubs” really dug into its hospital setting, it could be as sad as any medical drama. When Dr. Cox loses it, it’s kind of like watching your dad cry. One fan-favorite episode that sees him lose three transplant patients was rough. But in this legendary season 3 episode, the usually stoic Dr. Cox is concerned with his beloved brother-in-law Ben’s chronic illness. However, in the last scene, we realize Cox’s conversations with Ben have been imaginary, and he’s actually at his funeral. Ben passed away during the events of the episode.
The most heartbreaking moments are usually the ones when characters we think of as strong are overcome with emotion. Sophia Petrillo doesn’t show her emotions very often, but she adores her children. One of the wisecracking Sicilian mother’s running jokes involved comments on her unseen son Phil’s love of dressing in traditionally feminine clothing. But when Phil dies off-screen in season 6, she’s forced to confront her confusion about his love of cross-dressing. She directs her pain toward Phil’s widow before ultimately breaking down, and finally allowing herself to grieve. For a character who wasn’t seen, Phil’s death was a true tearjerker.
This afterlife sitcom managed to find new ways to reinvent itself as its characters achieved new levels of higher consciousness. But they’re still human after all. The characters must prove themselves ready to end their time in the universe one by one. But the hardest transition occurs when Chidi and Eleanor spend their last night together. He’s struggled for so long with indecision. To see him make the ultimate choice with confidence and certainty is a beautiful thing. The complete serenity of the moment makes it all the more affecting. Eleanor makes her peace with Chidi’s leaving, but we are not okay.
According to a lot of fans, Dunder Mifflin should have shuttered for good when its longstanding, lovably awkward regional manager left in season 7. Michael Scott started out as the kind of boss you love to hate. By the time he leaves for Colorado with his new wife, he’s endeared himself to everyone in the office, including receptionist Pam Halpert. Missing his goodbye at work, Pam chases him down at the airport. The two share a very personal goodbye. In fact, it’s one of the show’s few truly private conversations. Many viewers and critics wondered why the episode wasn’t the series finale. Considering how appropriate a sendoff it is, it’s a valid question.
Watching Buffy Summers come home to find her mother’s body is a scene that would be horrifying in any context. Buffy’s discovery of the death and her attempts to save her play out in real time. In seconds, the mighty slayer is reduced to a scared child. Her conversation with the 9-1-1 operator is chilling. Buffy realizes there’s nothing anyone can do to make this better. The entire episode is designed to throw us off kilter. With all the undead creatures, portal openings, and freak accidents that populate the Buffyverse, a death by natural causes almost feels supernatural in itself.
Although M*A*S*H had serious moments in its early days, it tackled more and more dramatic subject matter as it progressed. One example is when co-lead McLean Stevenson left the show in season three. His character, Lt. Col. Henry Blake has been discharged and is on his way home when the surgeons receive the news that his helicopter was shot down by the enemy. They take a moment to digest the information before going back to the surgery they’re performing. It’s a sobering moment that left millions of viewers shocked. Yes, it’s a war show, but this moment really brought home just how much was at stake for the characters.
HBO’s celebrated drama about the Fishers, a family who owns and operates a funeral home, is a show that’s predictably preoccupied with death. But even after five seasons of characters dying, the final moments of the series is an awe-inspiring montage of the major characters’ future demise. As Claire Fisher drives off to her new life in New York, we are shown each member of the family at the moment of their death. Like the series, their deaths are not as tragic as they are contemplative and inevitable. But that doesn’t make them any less painful. These final glimpses into the future are breathtaking in their scope and power, cementing the show as an all-time classic.
Will Smith’s leading character was a generally goofy, fun-loving teenager. When his absent father came back into his life, Will’s aunt and uncle were skeptical about his commitment and they had every right to be. Will’s dad once again breezes out of his life, it’s the final straw. Left alone with Uncle Phil, Will tries to hide his hurt with humor and rage. In the end, all he can do is weep over the father who doesn’t want him. The scene is so powerful that it renders the studio audience pindrop silent. The episode doesn’t give us the chance to breathe, forgoing the standard blooper reel at the end of many episodes.
A TV death that comes out of nowhere can turn fans against a show. But when it’s done properly, a character’s sudden death can mirror real life. Marshall and Lily are struggling to conceive a child. Later in the same episode, Marshall receives good news from the fertility specialist, only for Lily to arrive and tell him his father suffered a fatal heart attack. The episode ends as the two sob in each other’s arms. To ensure a genuinely shocked reaction, this twist ending was kept from actor Jason Segel until the cameras were rolling.
In a largely stand-alone episode of the post-apocalyptic HBO series, a survivalist named Bill is found by a traveler, Frank. Over time, the two fall in love and live out their days in relative happiness despite all the zombies. Frank experiences a deteriorating quality of life due to a degenerative disease, and Bill, unwilling to go on without the man he loves, arranges for their deaths. They spend a last day together, one final meal, and go to bed together one final time. Their final moments are the climax to an unbearably moving hour of TV.
Since 1969, the citizens of Sesame Street have been teaching kids how to be citizens of the world. Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch existed alongside human characters like Mr. Hooper, the generous owner of the general store. But when performer Will Lee passed away in 1982, “Sesame Street” decided to use the moment as a very real lesson on the death of a loved one. As informative as it is heartbreaking, the scene where the human characters explain Mr. Hooper’s death to Big Bird may have been the first time many children learned about death. Big Bird’s childlike naiveté is just as hard to watch decades later.
This animated sitcom follows Fry, a 20th Century pizza delivery boy who is frozen in time and awakens a thousand years in the future. He finds the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour, in a museum and plots to revive him using DNA cloning. Fry abandons the plan, thinking Seymour probably forgot about him. But in the most cursed, traumatizing, and tear-inducing flashback in the history of TV, we learn this isn’t the case. Seymour obeyed Fry’s last command to stay and wait for him to come back until the end of his life. Now imagine how happy he would have been to wake up and see Fry after all that time. Weeping over Seymour is the one thing that can unify a broken world.
Did our list give you all the feels? Tell us in the comments.
#20: Paul’s Death
“8 Simple Rules” (2002-05)A character’s death can be a really hard plot development to get right. The makers of “8 Simple Rules” didn’t really have a choice. When original star John Ritter passed away in the middle of the sitcom’s second season, his character, columnist Paul Hennessy, followed suit. His wife, played by Katey Sagal, receives the news that changes their lives forever. The show’s subsequent handling of Paul’s death became a tragic mirror for what his on-screen family and fans were feeling in the aftermath of Ritter’s passing. The family’s usual laugh-a-minute jokes are replaced by a somber tone and constant reminders of Paul’s absence.
#19: Sarah Lynn’s Death
“BoJack Horseman” (2014-20)In an alternate version of Hollywood filled with humans and anthropomorphized animals, washed-up former TV star BoJack Horseman is constantly screwing up. One of his lowest points is when he goes on a bender with former child star Sarah Lynn. The two end up at Griffith Observatory, where Sarah passes away tragically as a result of their hard partying. The screen goes black, with BoJack helplessly repeating her name to no avail. It’s yet another reminder that this show, animated though it may be, does not play around when it comes to sensitive subjects and real-life tragedy.
#18: Fleabag Leaves
“Fleabag” (2016-19)Wait, did we just get broken up with? Bittersweet is the word here. Yes, Fleabag will probably get over her agonizing, all-encompassing crush on the Priest. But more importantly, she’s gotten over us. Fleabag has spent two seasons using the camera as her personal confessional, where she spills some vulnerable secrets but is also always stepping out of her own life. The moment the series ends, there’s a sense that she’s finally learned to stay present in her own life. To do it, she has to say goodbye to us. It’s a pitch perfect ending to a show that always surprised us.
#17: “If I Die Young”
“Glee” (2009-15)“The Quarterback” will go down in history as one of the single saddest episodes of television ever produced. “Glee” star Cory Monteith’s premature death was truly shocking. This season 5 episode dedicated to his character, football player Finn Hudson, is a wall-to-wall tearjerker. Most shockingly painful is the moment when cheerleader Santana Lopez sings the Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” to pay tribute to Monteith’s character. Actress Naya Rivera’s chill-inducing cover ends with the performer in tears. Many fans find it even more heartbreaking in retrospect, as Rivera would pass away just a few years later.
#16: Poussey’s Death
“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)Near the end of season four, a group of guards disrupt a peaceful protest in the cafeteria, and things take a turn for the deadly. Poussey Washington, a beloved inmate, is subdued and ultimately suffocated to death in a show of excessive force. Her death is a chilling reflection of real world brutality. Watching her friends’ reaction to losing her, and the inevitable havoc it brings to the prison, closes out the fourth season in an uncharacteristically bleak way. The denizens of Litchfield Penitentiary could sometimes fool us into thinking things aren’t so bad inside. Unfortunately, Poussey’s fate is an example of just how desperate their circumstances can get.
#15: Denny’s Death
“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)Every single storyline of the barnburning second season of the Shonda Rhimes medical drama comes to a head in its harrowing season finale. Love is alive at Seattle Grace Hospital while it hosts an impromptu senior prom for Dr. Webber’s ill niece. Amid all the tinsel and magic, the love story between Dr. Izzie Stevens and heart transplant recipient Denny Duquette comes to an abrupt end. The scene where her fellow doctors find Izzie lying in the deceased patient’s arms is overwhelming to say the least. Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” fades in on the soundtrack, and Alex Karev carries the weeping Izzie away in his arms. It became a defining moment of the show.
#14: Hodor’s Fate
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)He was a man of few words. However, the reason for his one word becomes so painfully clear in the season 6 episode, aptly named “The Door.” This whole time, Hodor was actually saying “hold the door.” We learn that Bran Stark’s disruption of time and space traumatized the young Hodor, giving him an image of his death. The consequences of this come to pass in “The Door.” Hodor’s name takes on a deeply disturbing meaning as he holds the door to the hideout closed while White Walkers invade. The Red Wedding gets an honorable mention for the shock factor, but Hodor’s loyalty earns “Game of Thrones” a spot on this list.
#13: Mr. Feeny’s Goodbye
“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)For years, teacher George Feeny has watched with equal parts irritation and amusement as Cory and Eric Matthews and their friends have gotten into one adolescent mess after another. In the series finale, his students enter adulthood and their time together finally comes to an end. He gives the kids one last speech about doing good. The moment brings out a lot of uncharacteristic sentiment from the veteran teacher. He manages to withstand their hugs and tears. Of course, he waits until they’re out of the room to tell them he loves them. He is a professional to the end.
#12: Ben’s Funeral
“Scrubs” (2001-10)Don’t let the comedy fool you. When “Scrubs” really dug into its hospital setting, it could be as sad as any medical drama. When Dr. Cox loses it, it’s kind of like watching your dad cry. One fan-favorite episode that sees him lose three transplant patients was rough. But in this legendary season 3 episode, the usually stoic Dr. Cox is concerned with his beloved brother-in-law Ben’s chronic illness. However, in the last scene, we realize Cox’s conversations with Ben have been imaginary, and he’s actually at his funeral. Ben passed away during the events of the episode.
#11: “My Baby’s Gone”
“The Golden Girls” (1985-92)The most heartbreaking moments are usually the ones when characters we think of as strong are overcome with emotion. Sophia Petrillo doesn’t show her emotions very often, but she adores her children. One of the wisecracking Sicilian mother’s running jokes involved comments on her unseen son Phil’s love of dressing in traditionally feminine clothing. But when Phil dies off-screen in season 6, she’s forced to confront her confusion about his love of cross-dressing. She directs her pain toward Phil’s widow before ultimately breaking down, and finally allowing herself to grieve. For a character who wasn’t seen, Phil’s death was a true tearjerker.
#10: Chidi Exits
“The Good Place” (2016-20)This afterlife sitcom managed to find new ways to reinvent itself as its characters achieved new levels of higher consciousness. But they’re still human after all. The characters must prove themselves ready to end their time in the universe one by one. But the hardest transition occurs when Chidi and Eleanor spend their last night together. He’s struggled for so long with indecision. To see him make the ultimate choice with confidence and certainty is a beautiful thing. The complete serenity of the moment makes it all the more affecting. Eleanor makes her peace with Chidi’s leaving, but we are not okay.
#9: Michael Scott’s Last Day
“The Office” (2005-13)According to a lot of fans, Dunder Mifflin should have shuttered for good when its longstanding, lovably awkward regional manager left in season 7. Michael Scott started out as the kind of boss you love to hate. By the time he leaves for Colorado with his new wife, he’s endeared himself to everyone in the office, including receptionist Pam Halpert. Missing his goodbye at work, Pam chases him down at the airport. The two share a very personal goodbye. In fact, it’s one of the show’s few truly private conversations. Many viewers and critics wondered why the episode wasn’t the series finale. Considering how appropriate a sendoff it is, it’s a valid question.
#8: Buffy’s Mom Dies
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)Watching Buffy Summers come home to find her mother’s body is a scene that would be horrifying in any context. Buffy’s discovery of the death and her attempts to save her play out in real time. In seconds, the mighty slayer is reduced to a scared child. Her conversation with the 9-1-1 operator is chilling. Buffy realizes there’s nothing anyone can do to make this better. The entire episode is designed to throw us off kilter. With all the undead creatures, portal openings, and freak accidents that populate the Buffyverse, a death by natural causes almost feels supernatural in itself.
#7: Henry Blake’s Death
“M*A*S*H” (1972-83)Although M*A*S*H had serious moments in its early days, it tackled more and more dramatic subject matter as it progressed. One example is when co-lead McLean Stevenson left the show in season three. His character, Lt. Col. Henry Blake has been discharged and is on his way home when the surgeons receive the news that his helicopter was shot down by the enemy. They take a moment to digest the information before going back to the surgery they’re performing. It’s a sobering moment that left millions of viewers shocked. Yes, it’s a war show, but this moment really brought home just how much was at stake for the characters.
#6: Final Montage
“Six Feet Under” (2001-05)HBO’s celebrated drama about the Fishers, a family who owns and operates a funeral home, is a show that’s predictably preoccupied with death. But even after five seasons of characters dying, the final moments of the series is an awe-inspiring montage of the major characters’ future demise. As Claire Fisher drives off to her new life in New York, we are shown each member of the family at the moment of their death. Like the series, their deaths are not as tragic as they are contemplative and inevitable. But that doesn’t make them any less painful. These final glimpses into the future are breathtaking in their scope and power, cementing the show as an all-time classic.
#5: Will’s Dad Leaves Again
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96)Will Smith’s leading character was a generally goofy, fun-loving teenager. When his absent father came back into his life, Will’s aunt and uncle were skeptical about his commitment and they had every right to be. Will’s dad once again breezes out of his life, it’s the final straw. Left alone with Uncle Phil, Will tries to hide his hurt with humor and rage. In the end, all he can do is weep over the father who doesn’t want him. The scene is so powerful that it renders the studio audience pindrop silent. The episode doesn’t give us the chance to breathe, forgoing the standard blooper reel at the end of many episodes.
#4: Marshall’s Dad Dies
“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)A TV death that comes out of nowhere can turn fans against a show. But when it’s done properly, a character’s sudden death can mirror real life. Marshall and Lily are struggling to conceive a child. Later in the same episode, Marshall receives good news from the fertility specialist, only for Lily to arrive and tell him his father suffered a fatal heart attack. The episode ends as the two sob in each other’s arms. To ensure a genuinely shocked reaction, this twist ending was kept from actor Jason Segel until the cameras were rolling.
#3: Bill & Frank’s Last Days
“The Last of Us” (2023-)In a largely stand-alone episode of the post-apocalyptic HBO series, a survivalist named Bill is found by a traveler, Frank. Over time, the two fall in love and live out their days in relative happiness despite all the zombies. Frank experiences a deteriorating quality of life due to a degenerative disease, and Bill, unwilling to go on without the man he loves, arranges for their deaths. They spend a last day together, one final meal, and go to bed together one final time. Their final moments are the climax to an unbearably moving hour of TV.
#2: Mr. Hooper’s Death
“Sesame Street” (1969-)Since 1969, the citizens of Sesame Street have been teaching kids how to be citizens of the world. Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch existed alongside human characters like Mr. Hooper, the generous owner of the general store. But when performer Will Lee passed away in 1982, “Sesame Street” decided to use the moment as a very real lesson on the death of a loved one. As informative as it is heartbreaking, the scene where the human characters explain Mr. Hooper’s death to Big Bird may have been the first time many children learned about death. Big Bird’s childlike naiveté is just as hard to watch decades later.
#1: The Fate of Seymour
“Futurama” (1999-2013; 2023-)This animated sitcom follows Fry, a 20th Century pizza delivery boy who is frozen in time and awakens a thousand years in the future. He finds the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour, in a museum and plots to revive him using DNA cloning. Fry abandons the plan, thinking Seymour probably forgot about him. But in the most cursed, traumatizing, and tear-inducing flashback in the history of TV, we learn this isn’t the case. Seymour obeyed Fry’s last command to stay and wait for him to come back until the end of his life. Now imagine how happy he would have been to wake up and see Fry after all that time. Weeping over Seymour is the one thing that can unify a broken world.
Did our list give you all the feels? Tell us in the comments.
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