This year brought us a lot of great TV moments. Leslie Knope had twins! Ginsberg did what to his nipple?! But it also had audiences running for the tissues. And the ice cream. And the reassuring texts of a friend who has been through fandom angst before. Here are the ten most sob-inducing television moments of 2014.
1. The Good Wife “Dramatics, Your Honor”
Obviously no one clued in The Good Wife writers on the rules of the OTP-one half can die tragically, but only after a properly romantic reconciliation (you can fit it in! Buffy and Angel made up literally two minutes before he was sucked into a demon vortex!) But Will was shot, and Alecia will ultimately be pared with someone who is not Will. Fans can only hope around the 10th season it’ll jump the shark and bring him back as her ghost boyfriend (with or without the help of a brain tumor). In the mean time, enjoy everyone looking completely crushed!
2. Reign “The Lamb and the Slaughter”
Mary’s pregnancy lasts all of one half of an episode, and because things must go from bad to worse for the poor queen, directly after the miscarriage she has to act as the godmother for her husband’s illegitimate child. And then they completely ruin “At Last I Saw the Light” from Tangled. Bye, crying forever.
3. Parks and Rec “Ann and Chris”
If we eat enough pancakes, maybe we can block out the memory of the great Leslie-Ann split. Because they can skype and text and Leslie will probably try to bring back the carrier pigeon, but it just won’t be the same. And Chris and Ben! Always the second fiddle bromance, they got their moment too.
4. Mad Men “The Strategy”
Honestly the whole series could have ended with that dance and I would have been fine with it. Their father-daughter relationship (along with Don’s literal father daughter relationship) is just about the only thing saving him from being the worst. And it’s always nice to see both Peggy and Don sober and happy.
5. Shameless “There’s the Rub”
Little Liam unconscious piled on top of a broken Fiona, a deadened Lip, a missing Ian and a completely mixed up Carl and Debbie. Shameless really outdid itself with the sadness in this one.
6. Sherlock “His Last Vow”
He sacrificed himself for them! He could have been put out about being replaced, but instead he was a true friend! And he went on that plane sure he was going to die. Almost as sad as “The Reichenbach Fall.” Also, adorable Holmes brothers moment.
7. Orange is the New Black “Basically Every Scene With Poussey”
Seriously this was not a happy season for Poussey. Between her unrequited love for Taystee, her savage beating at the hands of her former friends, and her flashback which revealed one of her high school relationships was broken up by a homophobe, everything was a bit blurry (you know, the tears).
8. How I Met Your Mother “Last Forever, Part II”
Oh my god, killing the mother was a joke, writers, from the more cynical corners of the internet. You weren’t suppose to do it. Though you almost succeeded in distracting us from the equally tragic Barney-Robin divorce. Almost.
