20 TV moments that left viewers completely heartbroken

Many of the saddest scenes on TV come from deaths, but others come from important revelations. The first season of The Rings of Power, for example, has Sauron, who has been masquerading as the man Halbrand, reveal himself to Galadriel. This revelation hits the Elf like a bolt of lightning, particularly since she was clearly falling for him. For a woman as proud as she is, it’s nothing short of earth-shattering to realize that her worst enemy almost seduced her, and the fact that his blandishments still manage to wiggle into her mind makes the moment even more upsetting.

The Last of Us is arguably one of the best post-apocalyptic shows of the 2020s. Based on the video game of the same name, it follows Ellie and Joel as they attempt to survive in a world taken over by a zombifying fungus. The episode “Long, Long Time” is especially heartbreaking, particularly the final moments the audience spends with the couple Bill and Frank, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Though they at least get to leave the world on their own terms, it’s still deeply sad to see their love end in death, a reminder of how fragile life is in this terrifying world.

Based on Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed novel, the first and second seasons of the drama Wolf Hall follow the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII’s most capable ministers. Like so many who served Henry, however, Cromwell eventually faced his doom on the scaffold, and the series’ final moments show him bravely meeting his fate. Given just how heartfelt Mark Rylance’s performance has been from the first episode to the last, Cromwell’s fall is especially heartbreaking to watch.

Natalie Dormer gives one of her most acclaimed performances as Anne Boleyn in the first and second seasons of The Tudors. Even though anyone with a knowledge of Henry VIII and his married life knows where this is going to end, it’s still wrenching to watch her ascend the scaffold and face the swordsman sent to execute her. History often makes for cruel drama, and this is particularly the case with this series, which demonstrates just how beautiful and monstrous Henry VIII could be toward those he loved.

Downton Abbey is Julian Fellowes at his finest, and he manages to craft a melodrama that also has something important to say about the advent of modernity and its impact on British society. One of the most heartbreaking moments in a series known for its emotional poignancy is the one in which Sybil, the kindest of the Crawley siblings, dies from complications of giving birth. The grief of her husband, Tom, and the thought that her daughter will never know her mother, is utterly devastating.

Mr. Feeny may just be one of the most beloved teachers in the history of TV, which makes his final scene in the hit sitcom Boy Meets World all the more of a tear-jerker. In the end, like all good teachers, he has to send his students off into the world on their own. The scene of him in an empty classroom bidding them all farewell is both beautiful and sad, yet poignant, and a fitting farewell for such a devoted educator. 

Ozark is one of those series that, like Breaking Bad, follows a seemingly normal couple, Marty and Wendy Byrde, as they wander down the road to damnation. One of the most wrenching moments is when Wendy essentially gives up her mentally ill brother, Ben, to be murdered by the cartel for whom the Byrdes are working. It’s one of those moments that hits like a hammer, and it’s both heartbreaking and chilling, as it reveals just how ruthless Wendy has become and how far she will go to protect at least some members of her family.

BoJack Horseman might just be the most depressing animated series to have ever been produced. Throughout its run, it used its main character to explore heavy issues, including substance abuse and depression, but even for a show that was known for its heavy material, the death of BoJack’s former costar, Sarah Lynn, was still devastating. It’s one of those tragic moments that hits all the harder, given just how many child stars have struggled with addiction as Sarah Lynn has done throughout her young life.

The death of Cory Monteith was a devastating blow for both audiences and cast members of Glee, on which he was starring at the time of his untimely death. The show handled his death with remarkable tact and sensitivity, yet also managed to tug at the heartstrings, making the audience feel the pain of a beloved character’s death. The scene in which Mr. Schuester mourns his beloved student’s death is one of the most devastating in the entire series. 

Archie Bunker's Place might not have achieved quite the level of success and cultural ubiquity of All in the Family, but it has its fair share of devastating moments. Take, for example, the moment when Archie finds Edith’s slipper and breaks down crying. It’s a gut-punch of a scene, especially given the extent to which the perpetual curmudgeon Archie has so rarely shown such an outburst of feeling. It makes clear just how much he truly loved Edith, and it’s also a testament to Carroll O’Connor’s remarkable versatility as an actor.

The Good Place deserves its reputation as a truly visionary sitcom, as it successfully combines the usual sitcom laughs with a profound engagement in deep philosophical questions. It had no shortage of heartbreaking moments, but arguably the most devastating of these was when Chidi and Eleanor spent their last night together, knowing that the former was at last going to cease to exist. It’s an exquisite and beautiful moment that captures much of the show's wonder, and it’s a fitting final moment for this beloved couple.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s, and it’s easy to see why. It has more than its fair share of iconic TV moments, but arguably the most devastating of these is when Will, faced with his father’s abandonment yet again, turns to Uncle Phil for comfort. It’s a truly extraordinary and heartbreaking moment that features some tremendous acting from both James Avery and Will Smith, and it’s a reminder that sometimes the most important relationships aren’t necessarily those one shares with one’s birth parents.

Futurama isn’t a show that is normally associated with depths of human feeling, but it does have its moments. Who could forget, for example, the episode in which it’s revealed that Fry’s faithful dog waited for him after he was frozen, slowly aging and pining away from loneliness? This is the kind of scene that hits one right in the feels, and it’s arguably the most devastating moment in the history of Futurama, and it helps to elevate the show into the ranks of great animated comedies. 

MASH was one of those rare shows that managed to be both funny and deeply poignant, often in the same episode. It had many memorable, heartbreaking moments, but arguably the most wrenching of these was the moment in which Radar announces that Colonel Blake has died in a helicopter crash. In the annals of character deaths, this one cannot be forgotten, in part because even the cast hadn’t been informed that Blake was going to die until it was time for shooting the scene.

Given that House of the Dragon focuses on the civil war within House Targaryen, it made sense that there were going to be a few major deaths. None hit quite as hard, though, as when Rhaenys, the formidable warrior princess, died during the Battle of Rook’s Rest. Even those who’d read Martin’s Fire & Blood were still more than a little devastated by the demise of this remarkable woman, whose death will change the course of the war. As so often in Westeros, it’s often those who would make the best rulers who are fated to die early.

Princess Rhaenyra, arguably the protagonist of House of the Dragon, endures quite a lot of heartbreak during her time on the show. Arguably, the most wrenching moment occurs at the end of the first season, when her son Luke is killed while attempting to get away from Prince Aemon and his mighty dragon, Vhagar. It’s like something out of a horror movie, and it’s made all the more devastating by the fact that it’s this event, more than any other, that sets the Targaryens down the road to their ultimate destruction.

Some moments in TV history are etched into the minds of a generation, and one of the most notable such moments is the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. This was the instant when everything changed, for the show, for the characters, and for the audience. While other major characters had obviously died earlier in the show, including, most notably, Ned Stark, this slaughter was of a much greater magnitude. Hearts were broken, and there would follow a great deal of darkness until Westeros and the characters saw a glimmer of light.

Amazon’s The Rings of Power is epic in almost every sense of the word, and it contains many poignant and powerful moments. None is quite as heartbreaking, however, as Celebrimbor’s recognition that he’s been duped by Sauron all along and his subsequent death at his former friend and collaborator’s hands. This is one of those moments that, in its heightened emotional intensity, could have been lifted right out of Tolkien’s works, and it demonstrates the extent to which, at its best, the series really is true to the spirit of The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth.

The Wheel of Time may not have pleased diehard fans of Robert Jordan’s original novels, but it did nevertheless capture the emotional depth of the series. The ending of the third season, for example, gave viewers the moment in which the formidable Siuan Sanche was deposed and executed, leaving both her lover Moiraine and the audience devastated. Even though the show was canceled, this will certainly live on as one of the most emotionally resonant moments that it produced and a testament to the creative bravery of the show’s writing team.

The Golden Girls was one of those sitcoms that could skilfully move from tears to laughter and back again, often within a single episode. In the episode “Ebbtide’s Revenge,” for example, the girls have to contend with the death of Phil, Dorothy’s brother and Sophia’s son. Though the episode makes many jokes about his crossdressing, it also doesn’t shy away from more emotionally wrenching moments, particularly when Sophia has to grapple with the reality that her son is gone and that, thanks to her shame, she never got to love him as they both deserved. The episode’s last scene is one of the saddest in TV history.