21 TV Scenes That Were So Sad But Also So Darn Beautiful

    "There was no bad stuff. It was all good."

    Hannah Marder
    by Hannah Marder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Recently we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the saddest underrated TV scenes. But so many of them were smile-through-your-tears moments — here are some of the best bittersweet TV moments!

    WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Also, some submissions contain topics of suicide.

    1. On The Vampire Diaries, when Stefan died and was reunited with Lexi:

    Lexi, standing by Stefan's car, says "that was beautiful" and Stefan replies "I was feeling epic"
    The CW

    "The instant Stefan sees Lexi in the series finale after he sacrifices himself, I always bawl my eyes out. A lot of it is also due to the song ‘Never Say Never,’ which plays in the background of the scene and makes it so emotional. From that point of the episode on, I just cry the entire time. It definitely hits the emotional mark."

    —OliviaStyles1d13

    2. On The Good Place, when Jason decided to go through the door first:

    Janet tells Jason remembering moments with him is the same as living them for her, and he asks her to only remember the good stuff, and Janet replies it was all good
    NBC

    "I started crying when Jason finished Madden because I knew what was coming. I didn’t stop until the end of the episode."

    —bethw41d9ffb62

    "I started crying once Jason realized he was ready to go (like a few minutes in) and didn’t stop until two hours after it ended. I have never cried over a movie, book, or show in my entire life. It was perfect, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch it again."

    —quinndoline

    3. On The Simpsons, when Homer returned to the power plant to support his family and put up pictures of Maggie to remind himself why it was worth it:

    Mr. Burns puts up a sign that says "Don't forget: you're here forever" and Homer covers up letters with pictures of Maggie so that it says "do it for her"
    Fox

    "Homer quits his job and then has to beg for it back, and Burns gives him a plaque that says, 'Don’t forget: You’re here forever.' And then Homer covers it with photos of Maggie, and it says, 'Do it for her.' I’m getting choked up now just writing about it. Sweetest episode ever, and it gets me every single time."

    —AKatB720

    4. On This Is Us, when Beth got William's postcard in the mail after he died:

    Beth looks at the postcard smiling and sad. It says "Told you I'd send you a postcard. Goodbye, my dearest Beth, the daughter I never had"
    NBC

    "Of course everyone was sad for Randall because he lost his father, but his postcard to Beth saying, 'The daughter I never had' gutted me because it shows the importance of Beth's relationship to William also."

    —vasato

    5. On The Queen's Gambit, when Beth returned to the orphanage and found the newspaper clippings and photos Mr. Shaibel kept of her, then broke down:

    Beth sees the wall of newspaper clippings and looks at a photo of her and Mr. Shaibel then cries in the car
    Netflix

    "When Beth goes back to the orphanage after Shaibel dies and finds his board of her accomplishments and a photo of the two of them. She realizes he was so proud of her and just starts sobbing in the car."

    —cheesemonster

    6. On Lost, when Desmond finally talked to Penny after years apart:

    Both are shocked and happy to hear from each other, and Desmond asks if she still cares about him. Penny says she's been looking for him for 3 years, and they both say "I love you" and promise to find each other
    ABC

    —soukelef

    7. On The Magicians, when Quentin was able to watch his friends mourn him:

    Quentin's friends sing "Take On Me," and Quentin, watching, says "Wow"
    Syfy

    "He struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts all of his life. When Q entered the afterlife, Penny-40 showed him the impact he made on his friends and that his death wasn’t a suicide, but a sacrifice — which helped him move on. Watching the funeral where everybody throws a memento into the fire makes it even more emotional. I still can’t listen to 'Take On Me' without tearing up."

    —michala2

    8. On Doctor Who, when Vincent van Gogh saw how successful and beloved he became after his death:

    Vincent looks at the gallery as a curator explains that he was the greatest painter and man who ever lived
    BBC

    "When the Doctor and Amy bring Vincent van Gogh to the modern-day Louvre, and Vincent gets to see his legacy and listen to an art expert rave about Vincent's talent."

    —ladedah

    9. On Riverdale, when Archie returned to Riverdale with his father's body and the town had arranged a parade for Fred:

    The CW

    —trishateferw

    10. On Grey's Anatomy, when Meredith and the other doctors gave Garrett and Natasha a wedding under the stars:

    the doctors hold up ipads and phones with stars above Natasha and Garrett
    ABC

    "They were planning to marry, and she has a freak accident at the hotel and is in a medically induced coma. She wakes up and they decide to give them a wedding under the stars. Meredith reads the vows, and literally after they make it official, she passes away."

    —LilCaliK

    11. On The Mandalorian, when Mando had to say goodbye to Grogu:

    Grogu touched Mando's face, and Mando says, "Alright, pal, it's time to go"
    Disney+

    "Still can't make it through this without crying."

    —adriennec1

    12. On Once Upon a Time, when Regina gave Emma and Henry fake happy memories when they left town for good, which meant replacing Henry's memories of her:

    Regina tells Emma that it will be like she never gave Henry up and they were always together. Emma replies that it won't be real, but Regina says that even if the past isn't, the future will be
    ABC

    "Regina having to say goodbye to Henry during Season 3 of Once Upon a Time because of Peter Pan's curse. She knew she wouldn't see him again, and she put his and Emma's happiness before herself. The sheer emotion in that scene makes me cry every time."

    —Nirupam Dhakal

    13. On Six Feet Under, when we saw flashes of the rest of everyone's lives and their deaths:

    Claire Fisher at her mother's deathbed with her brother and as a young girl
    HBO

    "The final episode of Six Feet Under. The show ended in 2005, so it’s not discussed as much anymore, but that episode is the best series finale of any show. And you will cry. I still do and I’ve seen it about 100 times."

    —KarinT

    14. On Fleabag, when Fleabag and the Priest said they loved each other, then went their separate ways:

    Fleabag tells the priest she loves him, and he jokes that he'll see her on church sunday before saying she's never allowed in his church again, then saying he loves her too
    BBC

    "The final scene of Fleabag Season 2. I really don't think that needs explaining, but it does need to be talked about more! (I might need a support group.)"

    —ElineK

    15. On Gilmore Girls, when Lorelai sang "I Will Always Love You" at karaoke and Luke walked in:

    Lorelai sings while looking at Luke
    The CW

    "Gets me every time."

    —mellyjellybean

    16. On Never Have I Ever, when Devi thought she was too late to spread her father's ashes:

    Devi apologizes for saying she wished her mom died instead of her dad and her mom says that she sometimes wishes that too and tells Devi she loves her and she's her whole family, and they hug then spread the ashes
    Netflix

    "I have watched Never Have I Ever four times, and I cry my way through the last episode each and every one of them. It’s so hard to watch when you think Devi isn’t going to make it to Malibu to spread her dad’s ashes — and the U2 song somehow makes it sadder."

    —mollyweithman

    17. On Degrassi: The Next Generation, when Liberty, Emma, Manny, and Toby placed a graduation cap on J.T.'s memorial:

    Liberty, Emma, Manny and Toby place the cap there and hug each other, smiling
    CTV

    "Having 'Unwritten' playing in the background kills me every time."

    —nicolew4dad774d7

    18. On Bridgerton, when Violet talked about how much she missed her husband and encouraged Daphne to make things work with Simon:

    Violet explains how much she misses him, saying every morning she touches the pillow where he used to lay his head, but knowing they chose to love each other and commit and do all they could brings her peace
    Netflix

    "OMG, I’m nearly welling up thinking about it."

    —louisem4cd6fe38c

    19. On Bones, when Daisy named her and Sweets's son after Booth:

    Daisy says Lance insisted the baby's first name be Seeley, then asks Booth if he wants to hold him
    Fox

    "Always makes me sob."

    —a47f0715fa

    20. On Riverdale, when FP and Alice said goodbye:

    Alice asks if this is the end of their story, and FP says he hopes not. Alice says she knows what he has to do and she loves him for it, then they kiss
    The CW

    "I did not expect to cry, but lo and behold, I ugly-cried. Even worse."

    —suitelife08

    21. And finally, on Angels of S.H.I.E.L.D., when the crew gave Bobbi and Hunter the spy's goodbye:

    ABC

    "When they’re saying goodbye to Bobbi and Hunter. The whole spy’s goodbye. The fact that they couldn’t talk to each other. Makes me cry every single damn time. Especially Mack’s reaction at the end after everyone else is leaving."

    —charley

    Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments!

    Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.