Good TV can entertain you, but great TV moves you. Overt the years, there have been some incredibly touching scenes in the world of television. It’s not hard to understand why we become emotionally invested in a show. You end up spending a lot of time with the characters from your favorite shows. So, naturally, you come to care about what happens to them. We’ve put together a list of some of the most touching scenes in TV of all time. How many have you seen, and what do you think should have made the list?
Regardless of how you feel about that last polarizing season of GOT, you have to admit, it gave us some great TV. As for that very last episode, a few of us are still scratching our heads and wondering WTF we just watched. But opinions aside as to which characters deserved better, and which definitely didn’t, everyone can agree that seeing the Stark clan finally reunite was one of the most touching scenes ever. Even Bran “I Don’t Have Emotions Anymore” Stark manages something like a smile when he sees Jon Snow. But, it may be the hug Jon shares with Arya that gets us most in the feels. Out of all the Stark children, Arya was the only one who never questioned Jon’s place in the Stark family. The bond between the two is sweet, fierce, and definitely touching.
With a show that has been around as long as Doctor Who, there are a ton of touching scenes to choose from. The show centers around a time traveling being who lives multiple lives and goes gallivanting off through time and space. So, it only stands to reason that through all those lifetimes, and all those encounters, there’s going to be some pretty emotionally heavy stuff. But, in a show that’s full of touching moments, this one still manages to shine. The Doctor breaks some of his own rules and brings Van Gogh to the future. The real life artist struggled with depression through his life, and never did actually get to see his art meet with any kind of success. So, the Doctor brings Van Gogh to a modern day art museum. And well…we’re not crying! You’re crying!
The American version of The Office sure served up a lot of touching scenes, especially for a comedy. Whether you thought Michael Scott was the world’s best, or worst boss, his final episode was full of moments that hit hard. Michael spends his final day in Scranton saying goodbye to his coworkers. His final moments with Jim, and the letter he leaves Dwight, are both beautiful scenes. But it’s Michael’s goodbye to Pam that takes the cake. Watching Pam run through the airport with bare feet, the hug, and then the exchange between the two that we never get to hear, is everything.
Another beloved show with an ending that had people gnashing their teeth was Lost. Now, we can be as cynical as we want about how the finale didn’t live up to our expectations. But, that doesn’t negate the fact that this show was overall incredibly solid. It gripped the world, and had people everywhere on the edge of their seats. It was Game of Thrones level global obsession. Along with mystifying viewers, and keeping them guessing, the show was also great at providing some really touching scenes. But it’s the short phone call between Desmond and Penny that still pulls at our heart strings. If only we all could have a love like that.
