Firefly (TV series)/Tear Jerker: Difference between revisions

* The ending to the episode "The Message," where Tracy finally realizes how much of a [[Jerkass]] he's been and tries to repent in his last moments, and then his family and the crew are shown gathered around his coffin while he speaks the titular message. The music in this scene is so absolutely ''powerful.''

** Also, Mal's choked up comment after shooting Tracy, echoing his words at the beginning of the episode.

''"You killed yourself, son. I was just carrying the bullet a while."'' }}

** And then...and then that Goddamn little soldier's poem. {{spoiler|"When you can't run...you crawl. And when you can't crawl, when you can't do that..." "You find somebody to carry you."}}

** Small thing but it grows profound in hindsight - Jayne taking off his "cunning hat" when seeing Tracy's body being handed over to his grieving family grows painful to watch when you factor in his closeness to his own family and his earlier talk to Book about how "[his] kind of life don't last long." It's easy to get "there, but for the grace of God..." vibes from his looks, all because Adam Baldwin is just this good an actor.

* Also, "Objects in Space". Specifically, this exchange:

'''River''': I'll be fine. I'll be your bounty, Jubal Early, and I'll just fade away. }}

** That's nothing! The looks of guilt on the rest of the crews faces really pulls on the heart-strings.

** Or, for that matter, when, after having the situation at the Heart of Gold explained, Mal says he'd take the job, for free.

* The scene in "Safe" where River tries talking to Simon, and breaks down. I can't watch it without breaking down myself.

'''Simon''': "''Mei-mei.'' Everything I have is ''right here.''" }}

** Made all the worse when River succumbs completely to delusion and tearfully assures Simon that their father (who it's implied was more concerned for his social standing than River) will come for them and that she'll get better.

** One really hard-hitting part is when River tries assure Simon that she will get better....but after seeing her breakdown in "War Stories" you realize that ''River doesn't believe she'll get better.'' And she's just trying to reassure Simon that she will heal, knowing that she can't, and that she ''blames herself'' for the way Simon's life was ruined. Its just so...''sad''....

** As well as the moment right before the [[Big Damn Heroes]]...

* Let's not forget Mal, Kaylee, Simon and the big sad violin in the pilot, at least the first time you watch it, and until it cuts to that shot of half the crew in fits of laughter... ("That man is ''psychotic''!")

** The thing that really gets me is when Simon is operating on Kaylee with the sombre music in the background. Not too bad until you get a shot of the teddybear on Kaylee's pantleg...

* And, of course, the end of "Objects In Space": Early's line, "Well... here I am." Not too moving... until you realize those are absolutely the final words of the show.

* While it's not part of the series, this troper always finds the majority of the R. Tam Sessions to be absolutely ''heartbreaking.'' The first two in particular-- seeing a fairly normal River chatting eagerly about how easy school is, and how she can tell which kids are jealous of her... and then we get to see her in the early stages of [[Mind Rape]], near tears and pleading for her brother.

** What gets this troper is the first of the R. Tam Sessions, since it's the only time we see River as she was before the Academy got her brain. Particularly the last line:

** Even worse is the session which ends with her slumped on the table and screaming "THEY CUT IT OUT!" over and over. If you remember "Ariel", you realise that the Academy literally cut something out of her, ''and she was aware of exactly what was being done to her!''

* "Bullet to the brainpan, squish!" "Don't ever say that."

* In the beginning of the pilot, when Mal realizes that the [[The Empire|spaceships]] he heared are not the [[The Cavalry|the ones he had hoped for]] the camera zooms in on his face while sad cello music plays. It's not a Tear Jerker the first time around, but after watching the whole series and the movie, you will feel the pain [[Break the Cutie|of him falling apart.]]

* One of my favorites was the end of the pilot when River is looking at Simon's bruised face(from protecting her)and gently touching it with a mixture of awe and guilt at her excuseable failure to trust him:

'''Simon''' (gently teasing): Well you're a dummy. }}

* "Jaynestown". There's just something about Jayne managing to convince himself he did something good and worthwhile then being bluntly reminded that [[Heel Realization|he's still a bad guy]] that leaves this editor feeling bad for him. Plus, everything after {{spoiler|the mudder's sacrifice}} is a legitimate [[Tear Jerker]] in its own right.

** "It don't make no sense." Dammit! Who would've thought Jayne would be the one to make me cry.

** During the scene, a sad instrumental version of 'The Hero of Canton' is playing, which on its own would induce tears. It helps if you're a sucker for sad versions of happy songs.

* That tiny little moment in Objects In Space, when Simon, upon hearing what the alliance was trying to do to River, a girl he still thinks of as his goofy, bratty know it all sister, just quietly brokenly says, "She's just a kid, she just wants to be a kid ". its so easy to forget that he still just sees her as a little girl.

* In "Objects in Space" Kaylee managed to take things to a whole new level of [[Tear Jerker|sad]] and [[Nightmare Fuel|scary]] with one line:

** What makes this even more sad is the fact that Mal said in the pilot episode, "I don't believe there is power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful." Yet there she was. ''Crying''. A superb [[Break the Cutie]] moment.

 

** Definitely moving on its own, but if you are willing to take a meta perspective, the monologue gains additional Tear Jerker quality as it seems to be Whedon talking about the show itself getting one final go for the movie.

* {{spoiler|Book's death}} scene hit ''hard.'' specially the final exchange:

{{spoiler|'''Mal''': Yes you ''are.''}} }}

** And

** What about right after that, when {{spoiler|Mal yells to the others to get "the doc" (Simon) over to where Book is. The way Nathan Fillion's voice cracks when he yells, "COME ON!"}} gets this troper every. single. time.

* River's disjointed breakdown on Miranda, like a ''lot'' of the scenes involving River in this movie, was jarring and emotionally hard-hitting, especially the bit at the end where she starts praying frantically in Chinese. In the midst of the chaotic, disjointed Chinese prayers, she suddenly breaks into English long enough to scream.

** River's ramblings while locked in the supply closet with Simon. It doesn't become apparent just what she's saying for a bit, but then you get her laughing/sobbing comment about "Bullet in the brainpan, squish." and you realize ''she wants to commit suicide rather than let the rest of the crew be in danger on her account.''

** Not only that, but when River breaks down before that after Simon hears her mention Miranda.

* Seeing {{spoiler|Serenity crash}} in the Big Damn Movie can be this. After all, ''she's'' the main character of Firefly, and watching her "die" like that is one of the only parts of the movie that can make this troper cringe every time. Sure, {{spoiler|she gets better}}, but that's heartbreaking. {{spoiler|Wash's death}} seconds later does ''not'' help.

* I really well up when River tells her seriously wounded brother Simon: "You take care of me, Simon. You've always taken care of me. My turn." This is both for the sentiment of thanks and appreciation for his dedication and care, and the symbolism. River now has control over herself and can look after herself in the 'verse. It's heightened for me by the fact that one my best friends is a River Tam lookalike, with [[wikipedia:Borderline personality disorder|BPD]], which has very similar symptoms to those River shows - and really gives me hope that one day my friend can lead a normal life too.