9 Subtle TV Moments That Are Heartbreaking
Small moments that broke audiences hearts
There are many moments that break audiences hearts in their favorite TV shows. Most of those moments are deaths of their favorite characters. However, sometimes little moments or others reactions to a death can be what tugs on your heart. An amazing acting moment can bring you to tears. Here are some small moments in 9 TV shows that brought tears.
Elijah Gets His Memory Back - The Originals
In the show The Originals, Elijah Mikaelson erases his memory in hopes of saving his family. However, without being able to remember them, he finds himself going against them including the women he loves. A devastating moment kills his love, Hayley, when he could've stopped it. So, the moment his memories rush back to him and realizes what happened to her, he breaks down in a heart breaking cry. Not only is his reaction heartbreaking but his siblings who watch him, react to his pain as well.
Dean is told he is already dead - Supernatural
In Supernatural, Famine infects the world and makes everyone hungry for food, money and etc. However, Famine notices that it doesn't infect Dean. At the moment, Dean has been struggling, so, when Famine tells him "That's one deep, dark nothing you got there, Dean. You can smirk and joke and lie to your brother, lie to yourself, but not to me. I can see inside you, Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated...You're not hungry, Dean, because inside you're already dead." The look on Dean's face shows that he is in agreement with him which adds to the sadness of the scene.
Rue's "open the door" moment - Euphoria
Rue is an addict in the show Euphoria. The moment that broke everyone's heart is when she goes to get drugs from her dealer but he won't give her any. The moment between Fez and Rue is heart wrenching as Rue is screaming at Fez and he is standing by the door. On one side, it is showing the effects of addiction and on the other, Fez is realizing the effects of being a dealer and what it does to people he cares about.
Octavia's face change after Lincoln's death - The 100
Lincoln's death broke people's hearts in The 100 because he was a very beloved character. What was also heartbreaking was Octavia's reaction to seeing him killed. She starts with crying and barely being able to hold herself up, to strengthening her face and looking numb. It was the perfect foreshadowing of Octavia's character as this was the moment that changed her. After this scene, she became colder and merciless.
Effy explains her mental health to Freddie - Skins(UK)
Effy's mental health is at it's worst and she tries to explain to Freddie why it suddenly declined. Saying "I didn't know what to do with that feeling. Happiness... but they know now and they're hungry. Because, for as long as I know they've been chasing me. And now they're ready, now they're strong enough to break through and I can't fight them. I used to be able to when I was strong but you made me weak." Throughout the show Effy had walls built up and always seemed cold, in this moment, she explains why she refused to let people in. Afraid that breaking down her walls would make it so she couldn't fight her depression.
Fiona's speech to her mother - Shameless
Fiona is the oldest sibling in Shameless and has spent her life raising her siblings. Her mother comes back and tries to take one of the children and Fiona refuses to let them split. Her speech to her mother is heartbreaking when she explains that it was her that raised them not the mother. "They did it all no thanks to you because you weren't here" is something she screams to her. It was powerful acting and the words can be relatable to those who have an absent parent.
The girls join Aimee on the bus - Sex Education
Aimee on Sex Education was sexually assaulted on the bus and it caused her to be afraid to ride the bus and instead walked the distance to school. For a while she kept it to herself until she finally told her friends. The girls later surprise her and all join her bus stop. They ride the bus together hand in hand. It is a bittersweet moment of girls banding together to protect and be there for each other.
Nicky's relapse - Orange Is The New Black
Nicky is a recovering addict who has a couple of sponsors in the prison. There is a moment when she relapses and is being walked out to max in handcuffs. Those who care about her have a heartbreaking reaction, all while the song Coming Down by The Dum Dum Girls plays adding to sadness of the scene.
Bonnie's scream creates a world - The Vampire Diaries
In the Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is the witch who is always there for her friends but she loses a lot along the way. Finally, she was happy with Enzo but that happiness went away when Enzo is killed. Her scream is heartbreaking as she holds Enzo in her arms. Being a witch, the despair is so powerful that she creates a separate purgatory world that Enzo's soul ends up stuck in.
These moments are heartbreaking because of how the acting portrays the emotions and also how they may contribute to the characters story. These moments, whether they are traumatic events or subtle sad moments, have molded the characters we love. They are also what makes them relatable.
