Only Fools and Horses/Tear Jerker

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Only Fools and Horses, despite being a Sitcom, manages Tear Jerkers on a regular basis. There's probably too many to count, but damn it if we won't try...

  • Grandad's little speech in the episode "The Russians Are Coming" about the war after he is tired of how Del Boy glorifies it, which is conducted entirely with no cut-aways, the camera slowly panning towards his face. "They promised us homes fit for heroes; they give us heroes fit for homes."
  • In "The Long Legs of the Law"; after a vicious argument about Rodney's decision to date a police officer, Del Boy angrily snaps that he and Rodney are no longer brothers and he no longer cares what happens to him. Seconds after, as Rodney is slinking miserably to the door, Del Boy gruffly takes his words back in telling Rodney that "It's been raining. Those roads will be treacherous. Drive carefully."
  • "Strained Relations" where Grandad passes away, beginning with his funeral. The sadness is diffused somewhat when Del and Rodney toss what they think is their grandfather's hat into the grave, but it ends up being the vicar's, and Del Boy jollying it up afterwards, but Rodney's anger at Del's seemingly not mourning Grandad's death and Del's explanation soon fixes that.
  • The episode "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" where Del Boy decides against taking a business venture in Australia and possibly forfeits his dream of becoming rich to stay with Rodney.
  • "A Royal Flush" which was just scene after scene of cringing, watching Del essentially destroy any chance Rodney had of getting together with the daughter of a duke (being more of a Jerkass than usual).
  • The episode "Dates" where Del misses seeing off Raquel (and proving that he still had feelings for her) after he is arrested. This is softened in later seasons when Del and Raquel get together again, starting with "The Jolly Boys' Outing".
  • "Little Problems" where Rodney gets married to Cassandra. First Del takes a solid beating from gangsters the Driscoll Brothers instead of paying out the money they want so that he can still give the money to Rodney, left nursing his wounds in the bathroom. Then in the second-last scene, the party after the wedding with "Holding Back the Years" by Simply Red playing in the background, Del thinking about the fact Rodney has grown up. He takes the groom figurine off the remains of the wedding cake before the camera pans up, showing him all alone in the room.
  • "Three Men, a Woman and a Baby" where Raquel gives birth to her and Del's son.
  • "Modern Men" where Cassanda has a miscarriage. Diffused by Del bursting into comical tears after telling Rodney he had to be strong about it, but returns when Del leaves the two alone.
  • "Time On Our Hands", the original finale (until the three other Christmas specials made five years later) where Del confronts Rodney in a broken down lift about talking about his feelings following Cassandra's miscarriage, prompting him to break down. Things turn out right in the end where they eventually realise their dreams of becoming millionaires, but there is further tear jerking when all three of the main cast return to the flat and reminisce.
  • "Sleepless in Peckham". Cassandra finally gives birth to hers and Rodney's child and Rodney takes his new daughter to his Mum's grave, he looks up into the sky and talks to his mum, telling her to say thanks to Albert. Del then comes along and askes him what he decided to call his baby, and he points at the grave stone and says he named her Joan, after their mum. Then askes if he was anything like his dad Freddie the Frog, where Del then rounds off everything Freddie was and why Rodney is better than him. Then the last you see of them is them driving back home in the three-wheeled van. A truly touching and tear jerker moment (and it also doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming) to finish a classic comedy series.
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