22 TV Monologues That Were So Well Delivered, They Literally Made People Cry

    "What was Josh Lyman, a warning shot? That was my son."

    Hannah Marder
    by Hannah Marder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A while back, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the saddest underrated TV scenes, and a bunch of people nominated some great monologues. Here are some of the best that were submitted!

    1. On BoJack Horseman, when BoJack gave his mother's eulogy:

    Bojack talks about how when someone toxic in your family dies, you realize you'll never have the relationship you wanted, and as long as they were alive, some stupid part of you still hoped for that, and you didn't realize it until they died
    Netflix

    "The entire 'Free Churro' episode is one long monologue, and it's amazing."

    —razmatini

    2. On Doctor Who, when Amy realizes that nothing they'd done would make a difference for Van Gogh:

    The doctor says every life is a pile of good and bad things, and the good things don't always soften the bad, but the bad don't spoil the good things either and make them unimportant
    BBC

    "In the Doctor Who episode with Vincent van Gogh, when the Doctor is trying to console Amy after she learns Vincent still kills himself. 'Life is just a pile of good things and bad things...'"

    —haleyw4ae66dcb9

    3. On The West Wing, when Mrs. Landingham was killed by a drunk driver and Bartlet spoke to God:

    Bartlet calls God a son of a bitch for killing Mrs. Landingham with a drunk driver, then quotes Graham Greene about God's mercy and says he was a kiss-ass, because God is vindictive — he asks what John was, a warning shot? Then says he was his son
    NBC

    "Bartlet’s rant at God in 'Two Cathredrals' was absolutely heartbreaking but oh so good. The mix of Latin and English, and especially when he asked, 'What was Josh Lyman, a warning shot? That was my son!’ is so, so immensely powerful."

    —thetruthisoutth3re

    4. On Fleabag, when Fleabag "confessed" to the priest:

    Fleabag talks about how she wants to be told what to do because she feels like she's been living her life wrong, and that she knows that that's what religion is about, even though she doesn't believe in it, but she's still scared
    BBC

    "Fleabag’s monologue in the church is the most real I feel like I have ever seen a character. I was breathless the entire time."

    —oldoctopus84

    5. On Breaking Bad, when Jesse told Walt he was done with him:

    Jesse says he's lost everything and everyone since working with Walt, and Walt doesn't care as long as he gets what he wants, and Walt thinks Jesse is nothing
    AMC

    "Jesse has so many heartbreaking speeches in Breaking Bad. ... His whole angry, tearful monologue to Walter in the hospital always gets me. Just the way he yells, 'I have never been more alone. I have nothing. No one!'"

    —lauramoon9060

    6. On Julie and the Phantoms, when Julie spoke to her mom in the alleyway:

    "I don't know if you can hear me mom but, I can't handle it....If I was supposed to help the guys, I didn't. They're gone and I'm so sorry. They were my friends. My band. My family...why can't you just come pick me up and hold me in your arms...?"
    Netflix

    —orchuk1105

    7. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Buffy finally broke down in front of Dawn after their mom died:

    Buffy asking who will take care of them if not her, and saying she couldn't let Dawn see her upset
    The WB

    "When Buffy says, 'Who’s going to be if I’m not? Have you even thought about that? Who’s going to make things better? Who’s going to take care of us?' it always makes me cry. The way her voice breaks. She and Alyson Hannigan as Willow never fail to make me sob with them."

    —sarcasticscorpio

    8. On Teen Wolf, when Stiles convinced Scott not to kill himself and called Scott his brother:

    Stiles calls Scott his best friend and brother, and says if he does this, he'll have to take Stiles with him
    MTV

    "It’s one of my favorite episodes. 'If you’re gonna do this ... you’re gonna have to take me with you.'"

    —cheese

    9. On This Is Us, when Kevin broke down on his old high school football field:

    Kevin says he keeps getting second chances when he expects to be punished, and that he tries to tell everyone about his painkiller addiction and how he's in pain, but they don't listen, they just cheer
    NBC

    "No one gives Justin Hartley the credit he deserves for the superb acting in that episode (and the whole series)."

    —ajwhite95

    10. On The Vampire Diaries, when Bonnie stopped Damon before he desiccated in a coffin for 60 years and told him how she felt about him not even saying goodbye:

    Bonnie telling Damon she knows he wrote her a letter so he could imagine whatever reaction he wanted, but her real reaction is that she's not okay with this, and he's hurt her, and that's what she wants him to remember
    The CW

    —Hannah Marder

    11. On Shameless, when Fiona told her mother how she's had to raise her siblings and how well they were doing without her:

    Fiona rattles off her siblings and says their accomplishments, saying they did it all without their mom because she wasn't there
    Showtime

    "Fiona’s speech to Monica crying and saying, 'You were my mother too' when Monica came back and tried to take Liam. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Emmy Rossum did a phenomenal job in that scene."

    —Chloeemily24

    12. On The Good Place, when Chidi told Eleanor a Buddhist belief about death as he said goodbye to her forever:

    Chidi tells Eleanor to picture a wave, saying you can see it and know what it is, then it crashes on the shore and is gone, but the water is still there. The wave has returned to the ocean, where it's supposed to be
    NBC

    —lah41c2286a0

    13. On WandaVision, when Vision comforted Wanda after Pietro's death:

    Vision tells Wanda he hasn't felt grief because he's never had anything to lose, but also says that grief is just love persevering
    Disney+

    —Hannah Marder

    14. On The 100, when Clarke and Bellamy watched the tape Monty had left behind for them:

    Monty asks if the planet is beautiful, and says he hopes humans do better there and that Clarke and Bellamy will be happy. He tells them to be the good guys and says they'll meet again
    The CW

    "I was crying so much. It was so sad."

    —theemeraldarrow

    "Oh god, I sobbed so hard through the last 10 minutes of that episode."

    —carolinelee7185

    15. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Anya had trouble conceiving of death after Joyce died:

    Anya talks about how she doesn't understand why Joyce can't just get back in her body and wake up, and how Joyce can't eat or drink or brush her hair anymore, and it's all mortal and stupid
    The WB

    "The little speech she has while standing in Willow’s dorm room is so heartbreaking. I can hold myself together before that, but once Anya breaks down, I’m sobbing."

    —Meg

    16. On Killing Eve, when Villanelle talked about not feeling anything:

    Villanelle says most days she feels nothing except boredom, and that she tries hurting herself or buying things or doing thinks she likes and nothing works
    BBC

    —Hannah Marder

    17. On Shameless, when Monica died and Fiona told Frank that she was never there:

    Fiona shouts that Monica was never there, and that Fiona at age 9 had to take care of all the kids and Frank, dragging him inside when he was passed out drunk so he wouldn't freeze to death
    Showtime

    "Fiona threw her entire life away, dropped out of high school, and had to have multiple jobs just to take care of her siblings. She had to be the mother she never had and was still treated like shit throughout the show. That scene breaks my heart and sends chills through my body no matter how many times I watch it."

    —Daniella

    18. On This Is Us, when Kate got upset about the police killings of Black men and Randall talked about how exhausted he was:

    Randall tells Kate he wants to comfort her, but where would that leave him? He doesn't want to do that pattern anymore because he's exhausted
    NBC

    —Hannah Marder

    19. On Sherlock, when John talked to Sherlock's headstone:

    John tells Sherlock he was the greatest person he ever knew and that he knows Sherlock never lied, then tells Sherlock to stop being dead
    Netflix

    —Hannah Marder

    20. On The Vampire Diaries, when Damon talked to Alaric's headstone:

    Damon says when you lose somebody there's just a hole where they used to be, and that he should be long gone since Elena didn't choose him, but he has to stay to take care of his brother and the others
    The CW

    "We never really saw an emotional side to Damon until this moment. It makes me cry every single time."

    —abcdefghijk2

    21. On Grey's Anatomy, when Bailey broke down to Derek after operating on her former high school crush:

    Bailey lists her accomplishments, but says that she saved his life and he still doesn't see them. She says she might as well still be that nerdy high schooler who didn't go to homecoming because he didn't ask her
    ABC

    —Hannah Marder

    22. And finally, on M*A*S*H, when Margaret confronted the nurses:

    Margaret asking if the nurses have ever showed her friendship or offered her coffee, and asks if they can imagine what it's like to walk by the tent and hear laughter and know she's not welcome
    CBS

    "There are so many sad scenes in M*A*S*H, but the one that sticks out for me that a lot of people overlook is in 'The Nurses' when Margaret breaks down and tells the other nurses how lonely she is. 'Can you imagine what it feels like to walk by this tent and hear you laughing and know I'm not welcome? Did you ever once ever offer me a lousy cup of coffee?' Maybe it’s because I was so lonely as a kid, but it makes me sob every time."

    —julial11

    "I always, always remember that scene. The way she drags in her breath, you can hear her throat is practically closed with emotion."

    —StipYit

    Got any other heartbreaking monologues that didn't make the list? Let us know in the comments below!

    Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.