Glee/Tear Jerker

• Any time Kurt cries, but his silent, heartbroken reaction to Finn calling him a fag and his father throwing Finn out is probably the worst.
  • The entirety of "Grilled Cheesus."
    • You truly cannot mention "Grilled Cheesus" without bringing up Kurt's HEARTBREAKING rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", complete with childhood home movie footage of a kid who looks exactly like Kurt. No matter how tough you are, you cannot watch that scene without feeling close to tears.
  • And at least half of "Never Been Kissed" and "Furt".
  • Special mention goes to NBK's famous Wham Moment where Karofsky grabs Kurt's face and kisses him. Normally it would lead to a comedic "What the hell just happened?!" or a Slap Slap Kiss storyline, but instead Kurt is as confused as an actual person would be in that situation.
• The montage at the end of Mattress. The look on Will's face alone is heartbreaking. Combine it with their cover of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile"? It's gut wrenching.
• Admit it, you cried during the scene in 1x19 where Artie uses arm braces to try and walk, crumples to the floor, and refuses to let Tina help him up. It's even more of a tearjerker when you know the things that got him excited were doomed from the start, then watching his disappointment as the inherent problems are spelled out. Arm braces only work when your legs can carry some of the weight, and the experiments Tina looked up will take years before they reach humans (if successful).
  • And his performance of "Dream a Little Dream of Me." His voice is upbeat and almost happy, his face looks like he's close to tears.
  • His dance sequence ends in the most depressing, soul-crushing way possible, with Artie sitting in the middle of the mall, in his chair, all alone.
    • Even worse is that when Tina comes back and they go somewhere else, he smiles to himself, completely believing that what he just daydreamed will come true soon enough. Also, when he goes to Miss Pilsbury and starts going on about how he'd need therapy to "help him adjust" after he starts to walk. It's his absolute faith in the idea that these treatments will work and that he'll be able to walk, and his silent heartbreak when Miss Pilsbury tells him that it won't work that gets to me.
  • In the second season, seeing his face as he watches Tina and Mike together is heartwrenching.
• Any time Tina cries, you know things are getting serious. Especially her reaction to Bryan Ryan's trashing everyone's dreams, and the scene in "Journey" where the Glee kids are gathered at Will's house, talking about their good memories of the club.
  • Although her crying in "Silly Love Songs" was just awkward instead.
• This one may seem kind of silly compared to others, but I found the fact that The New Directions will never know that Sue voted in their favor at Regionals a little heartbreaking.
• Brittany's almost child-like faith in Santa Claus being shattered in "A Very Glee Christmas" when Coach Beiste (dressed as Santa) explains to her that there are some miracles even Santa can't pull off when Brittany asked for Artie to be able to walk for Christmas. And she really believed that her wish would come true!
  • Later on in a scene with Artie she heart-wrenchingly confesses that she doesn't think it's fair that someone as nice as him can't walk. It's one of the best bets of acting Heather Morris has pulled off.
  • Then in "Sexy" as she struggles to come to terms with her feelings for Santana. Remember, this is the same girl who earlier in the episode though she was "definitely" pregnant after a stork built its nest on her roof.
• Shelby telling Jesse about her regret at never knowing her daughter, Rachel, and singing "I Dreamed a Dream" on a cassette tape to Rachel because she cannot legally contact her until she's 18.
  • *sobs*

"And still I dream she'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather."

• Part of the reason why seeing Shannon Beiste crying is so incredibly effective is because she puts up such a strong front, possibly even moreso than Sue.
• The Piano Scene. Just the way Quinn's clearly given up on her dreams and ambitions, plus Rachel's reactions, should have anyone break down in sympathy for them

Quinn: Do you want to know how this story plays out? I get Finn, you get heart-broken. And then Finn and I stay here and start a family. I'll become a successful real estate agent, and Finn will take over Kurt's dads tire shop. You don't belong here Rachel, and you can't hate me for helping to send you on your way.
Rachel: I am not giving up on Finn. It is not ov...

Quinn: Yes it is! You are so frustrating! And that is why you can't write a good song; because you live in this little school girl fantasy of life. Rachel, if you keep looking for that happy ending, then you are never going to get it right!

• • Especially when you consider her determination to get out of Lima and do something great with her life, even during the pregnancy plot. She went through absolute hell to get her life back, and just when things were looking up, an entire new wave of drama came up. And now, here she is, Quinn Fabray, finally battered and broken to the point where she has finally given up all her ambitions and is resigned to the fact that she's not going to amount to anything particularly great in life. I mean, Quinn has spent quite a bit of time being a bitch this season, but... just, damn.
• For this troper, the whole "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" sequence had shades of this, with Kurt and Rachel's conversation before hand (because those are happy tears) and the song contrasting with scenes of Brittany eating alone at Breadstix and watching Artie from a distance. I've always found the song itself sad as well, mostly because of the fact that it's two very energetic, happy songs being mashed together and done at an much lower tempo and an almost melancholy tone.
• From "Funk".

Rachel: "Break it. Break it like you broke my heart."

• Brittany pushing a meatball across the table in Breadstix with her nose, alone. Keep in mind the entire episode has led us to believe that she was only dating Artie to make Santana jealous, but now we realize she was actually trying to have a relationship with him too and he turned her down.
• From "Born This Way".

Brittany: "Obviously I love you more than you love yourself, or you'd put this shirt on and dance with me!" [Shows her the "Lebanese" t-shirt in her arms.]

• • It's also one of the few times when Brittany shows some real energy in her voice and actions compared to her normal ditzy monotone. She may not have the words right but she is absolute in what she means.
• Quinn and Rachel's beautiful mashup of "I Feel Pretty" and "Unpretty." Rachel's miserable expressions throughout and Quinn's vague discomfort (the latter of which becoming a case of Fridge Brilliance later in the episode) are heartbreaking enough, and let's face it; how many teenage girls (or, hell, how many people in general) haven't been in Rachel's position before?
• The Warblers' performance of "Somewhere Only We Know" was beautiful and heart-wrenching, in which an almost teary Blaine sings his goodbyes to Kurt.
  • "I'll never say goodbye to you."
• Karofsky and Santana's faces at the end of watching the ND perform Born This Way. They both clearly want to join in, especially with Santana wearing her "Lebanese" T-shirt.
• There's also Will's smaller one when talking to Emma, in regards to the New Directions' True Companions status:

Will: Of course they all accept each other--it's loving themselves that's the problem.

• In Rumours, when Artie says to Brittany "Why are you so stupid?" Seeing Brittany instantly tear up. "You're the only one in this school who never called me that!"
  • To say that it's a Tear Jerker is quite possible a massive understatement.
    • Beyond massive. Seems like anytime anyone hurts Brittany, her being so vulnerable and clueless, it's fold-her-up-in-a-huge-hug time.
• Sam in Rumors, which led to his quasi-official induction into the Glee club True Companions.
  • "Don't cry, Sammy." What's that sound? Oh, just the sound of my heart breaking, that's all.
• In Prom Queen Dave apologizing to Kurt (and meaning it) while tearing up.
  • And then him running out of the prom when he can't even dance with Kurt.
    • What makes it worse: Imagine having a secret crush. Imagine wanting that crush every minute of every day, but being afraid to show it because you're afraid to be bullied because of it. Now imagine getting the chance to dance with your crush, on Prom Night, after being crowned Prom King and Queen, but not going through with it because you're still afraid. This troper doesn't even like Karofsky, but damn that was a deep moment.
    • "Be here when I get back." It's less a demand, less of a request, and more of a plead. Remember for Dave, despite everything else, Kurt has been the one person that knows everything going on, who has forgiven him for everything, and accepts him nevertheless. On top of being the person that made Dave question his sexuality in the fist place. He's basically pleading for Kurt to stick by him so that he has some sort of support network.
  • Kurt was voted Prom Queen as a horrible, horrible joke. His expression is pure, undiluted humiliation.
  • Rachel and Finn's "corsage" scene in Prom Queen, complete with Rachel attempting to sweetly help Finn with getting the right corsage for Quinn, then smiling and walking away with the saddest puppy-dog eyes seen this century.
  • Another from Prom Queen: Rachel and Quinn's fight in the bathroom. Special mentions to Quinn's horrified "I am so, so sorry," and Rachel's, "You're a pretty girl, Quinn, the prettiest girl I've ever met-- but there's more to you than that."
  • Jar of Hearts. That is all.
  • A subtle one pointed out in this interview. When Santana runs off, Brittany goes after her. When Quinn runs off, Rachel goes after her. When Kurt runs off, Blaine goes after him. But when Karofsky runs off, nobody goes after him because nobody cares about him enough.
  • I didn't think it was a case of "nobody caring". Going to comfort an Armoured Closet Gay after he refused to dance with a Camp Gay character would have effectively outed him.
  • It's highly probable that no one realized Dave was in distress, just squeamish at the thought of dancing with another boy.
• What's the opposite of a Funny Background Event? Because when Blaine starts channeling a Disney prince and asks Kurt to dance, you can see people behind him looking freaked out, disgusted, or just glaring daggers at them.
• "Funeral": All of it.
  • Becky being kicked off the Cheerios.

Did I do something wrong?

• • Sue telling Will how Jean died, and asking Kurt and Finn why it was Jean who died and not her.
  • And the fact that Jean's funeral was a full house. And Sue not being able to finish her speech because she broke down in tears, and Will of all people standing up and continuing it for her.
  • "When you love someone like I loved her(Jean)... They're a part of you. It's like you're attached by this invisible tether, and no matter how far away you are, you can always feel them... And now, every time I reach for that tether, I know there's no one on the other end, and I feel like i'm falling into nothingness." Coming from Sue, of all people.
  • "PURE IMAGINATION." THE ENTIRE FREAKING THING.
  • Quinn having her heart broken then Finn having his broken.
  • I began to tear up at only the starting music of Try A Little Tenderness.
    • The same with My Man.
  • Jesse after Rachel says that she isn't singing My Man to anyone.
  • Emma's brave face when talking to Will at the end, and then watching her sweet smile fade, and turn to complete, utter heartbreak. It's like watching her heart shatter in slow motion.
    • Her face? Try Terri's. She tells Will that she's over him, and they part on good terms. But you can tell when she watches him talk to Emma that she's still in love with him, and doesn't want to go.
  • FINN. WITH A FLOWER.
• "I'm sorry, guys. We're not in the top ten."
• "For Good." Yes, it was a happy scene, but all of the emotion in it was just...amazing. Especially considering where they were this time last year. Doubles, of course, as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.
• Okay why the hell has nobody mentioned Santana's admitting her feelings to Britanny in Sexy and how she's afraid to go public because of the consquences? That single moment humanized Santana and launched her from stereotypical bitch to Woobie status. Naya Rivera was amazing in that scene
  • The aforementioned girls performing "Landslide" together also counts as a big Tear Jerker.
• In "New York", when Finn goes to all this trouble to take Rachel on the most amazing date she's ever had, then tries to kiss her only to be rejected because she's still dating Jesse. The look on his face is devastating enough, but you can tell from the look on Rachel's face that it caused her as much as distress as it caused him.
• Jesse's face after Finn and Rachel kiss in "New York". He came back to Ohio for her and went to New York specifically to see her perform, and she ignores his texts and kisses someone else.
• Season 3 -
  • In "The Purple Piano Project" Kurt and Rachel in the car after seeing the other kids trying out for NYADA are awesome and worrying if they even have a chance was absolutely depressing. It turns out sweet, but it starts out tear jerking.
• Puck seeing Beth for the first time in over a year becomes this the moment his face lights up.
• When Mike Changs Sr. and Jr. are in Figgins' office, Mike seems concerned, but he's not freaking out. As soon as his dad says that he should quit Glee club, the look on Mike's face becomes heartbreaking.
• The end of Asian F. Poor Emma...
  • This troper found Emma's scene, especially the shot of her compulsively rubbing her hands together, to be the most heartbreaking scene ever. She's made so much progress with her illness, and her disturbingly emotionally abusive parents just come in and tear her down in one swipe. Seeing her so completely broken and lost was awful, and the reflection of Emma praying as a little girl...
  • For that matter, Mike's story is Truth in Television for so many Asians.
    • Asians? Try everyone who has ever had over-achieving parents.
    • I'm really sorry for sounding ethno-centric--I just had a knee-jerk reaction. It's not called Asian F for nothing.
    • Mike's mom promising to support him and Mike teaching her to dance was such a tearjerker. Not what I was expecting at all.
    • "The only time I feel special"...How many young artists have tried to explain that to their parents?
• "Rachel, when you look back on high school in ten years, you won't be thinking about the clubs you were a part of or the parts you got. You'll be thinking about the friends you had and the ones you just tossed aside." Capped off by the look on Rachel's face, which seems to say "What have I done?"
• "No, mummy, America's wonderful-- I've made tons of new friends." Followed promptly by the phone being slapped from his ear by some passing jock.
  • It gets worse. He loses the connection after that.
• "The First Time": "Then I guess I don't have a dad anymore."
  • Then when Mike performs, he glances at an empty seat next to his mother. His mother smiles encouragingly and that is all Mike needs.
  • Finn's complete breakdown when he's told by the recruiter that his football career is over, and then freaking out about how he's not a good enough quarterback or a good enough singer to get out of Lima.
    • It gets even worse when Rachel suggests having Their First Time after he tells her- it sounds like he thinks it's going to be pity sex, and he doesn't want that for their first time.
  • When they're making up after their fight, Kurt tells Blaine that he's proud of him. Blaine's response, of "I want you to be," is so choked and teary that it's almost like Kurt's the first person to tell him that. And considering Blaine's parents aren't even in town for his big opening night...
  • This one's kinda subtle, but when Rachel's asking for advice on whether to sleep with Finn, Tina's there. Brittany's there. Santana's there. Quinn is there, for crying out loud. But no Mercedes. Rachel points out they're currently "a house divided," but even Quinn and Santana were willing to come to her aid, but Mercedes, who used to have slumber parties with Rachel and Kurt and go on three way dates with her and Sam to Prom, isn't there during her time of need. Ouch.
  • Seeing Karofsky starting to accept himself and apologizing to Kurt is this and a heartwarming moment as well.
• Almost anything Finn goes through in "Mash Off". Santana humiliates him so often. Seeing her getting some punishment was GREAT!
  • On the other hand, the last five minutes of the episode are absolutely heartbreaking for Santana. No one deserves what happened to her, and the Adele mashup just made the entire scene even more painful.
  • Santana's face after Finn outs her. Even though later its going to get so much worse, for that one moment, its the absolute worst thing Santana can imagine happening (because even the worst pessimist could not have imagined the ad coming) and its happening right then in a crowded, public hallway. All of her control over what is a very personal, very scary process was yanked out from under her and you can see every bit of that on her face. Its not even humiliation, like Finn is supposedly taking from her trash-talking. Its pure, animal fear, and its gut-wrenching.
  • Something about the raw emotion in Santana's voice during 'Rumour Has It/Someone Like You' always gets to em, where it sounds like she is trying to use the song as an outlet about her feelings for Brittney - the I Want My Beloved to Be Happy mixed with that longing for her to be happy with her.
  • Rachel pledging her support to Kurt for class president and telling him she's realized that he's part of her New York dream.
  • Puck's "I used to think Beth was an accident, but now..." speech. He may want to hook up with Shelby, but his joy that his little girl has found a loving mother in Shelby is genuine.
  • Rory's treatment after the dodgeball game.
• "I Kissed A Girl": Kurt looking close to tears when he discovers he might get suspended and he lost the election for class president.
  • Santana being kicked out of her grandmother's house after coming out.
  • Blaine telling Kurt to not give up hope.
  • Rachel getting suspended for one week for rigging the elections in the hopes that Kurt would win and getting banned from competing in Sectionals.
  • Coach Shannon Beiste singing a tear inducing rendition of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton. The emotion she imbues the song with is absolutely heart-wrenching and gorgeous.
• "Hold On To Sixteen": After New Directions runs offstage to celebrate, the Troubletones just stand there as all the lights go out on them, and they look absolutely heartbroken because of their loss. It's worse because at the end of "Survivor/I Will Survive", they all look so happy, and it's not impossible that they could actually win.
• Rory's song during "Extraordinary Merry Christmas". "Blue Christmas" is the only sad moment in the whole episode. Combined with Rory's speech of how his parents can't come over to America and that this will be his first Christmas without, you'll be in tears.
  • It was especially tearjerking for some tropers as it is they're also on the other side of the world from their family and it will their first time away from their family from Christmas.
• Finn learning in "Yes/No" that his father didn't die a war hero in Iraq, but came home a Shell-Shocked Veteran, left his family, and died from a drug overdose in Cincinnati. Between Carol bursting in tears as she tells him this, and Finn's own heartbroken reaction as he is forced to question everything he knew about his father, it was quite the soul-punch.
  • Will's heartfelt proposal to Emma and her getting chocked up as she said yes jerked quite a few Tears of Joy from at least one viewer.
  • "I didn't ask him if [the reason he broke up with me] was because I had Down's. I didn't ask because I knew the answer was yes."
    • Oh, gosh yes - this and the scene where Becky is having catharsis ice cream and watching Lifetime with Sue in her office to feel better because she really liked Artie and is horribly disappointed by the breakup.
    • The fact that she said it in the Queen of England voice she uses for her voiceovers made it that much worse, since it drove home the fact that she can be what she wants in her own mind, but cold hard reality will always prove otherwise.
  • Emma's teary speech to Will when he asks her if she would be able to handle the messes that inevitably come with getting married. Jayma Mays was brilliantly heartbreaking in that scene.
• "Michael": "Hi mommy!"
  • Blaine gets his first slushie in this episode. Perfectly normal right? Oh well now he's just a full member of the New Directions family - it is after all practically a rite of passage. Well, when it's thrown by Jerk Jocks it is. Instead, the Smug Snake new Warbler captain throws one at his boyfriend and, well, protective instincts go into gear. Well, you're saying, it's just a slushie, how bad could it be? Well when it's laced with rock salt to the point that it scratches his cornea bad enough he'll need surgery, it's pretty bad. Watching him on the ground moaning in the fetal position just made this troper cringe.
  • I couldn't tell if what was on the ground was slushie or blood.
  • Same for this troper, who thought Blaine had been pushed and his skull split open on the curb.
  • Rachel when she thinks that she didn't receive a NYADA letter. The poor girl was so looking forward to that, to the point that she's basically decided that without NYADA, the only thing she has that's worth living for is Finn.
• "The Spanish Teacher": Puck saying that in ten years he sees himself in jail or dead. He's so out of hope for himself, it breaks my heart.
• Heart: "I Will Always Love You". Even if it wasn't right after Whitney Houston's death, it'd still be a tearjerker.
  • The dedication to Whitney at the end.
  • Rory's singing "Home". Again for the tropers away from their families.
• The beginning of On My Way, when Dave Karofsky tries to kill himself. And when his dad finds him.
  • Before that, Karofsky going into the locker room to find the other boys had spraypainted the word "FAG" across his locker. Cut to numerous shots of Dave going on Facebook to find so many hate messages, trying to listen to music to get his mind off it, and sobbing like you never thought David Karofsky ever would.
  • Kurt going to the Christian meeting and quietly telling Quinn off for daring to compare what Karofsky went through to what she went through, and cursing himself for ignoring Karofsky's 9+ calls after Valentine's Day.
  • Dave tells Kurt that Azimio won't go near him and that his own mom thinks he's diseased.
  • Quinn texting while driving and getting hit by a truck.
  • Sebastian's Heel Face Turn. Turns out he had met Karofsky before at Scandals, and told him to stay in the closet, and he clearly feels horrible about it.

"It's all fun and games until it isn't."

• • Sue blaming herself for not helping Karofsky when she was the principal at the time.
  • The quick cut away during that scene in the office when Sue says she can't stop thinking about Daves dad finding him. Usually that type of really quick cut is comedic and silly, but it is utterly heart wrenching seeing this grown man shrieking in pain.
    • There's a bit of Fridge Horror here too- I could be wrong, but I think this is the only time Sue's commentary has led to a quick cut like that. You have to wonder if she imagines the worst all the time.
• Pretty much the entirety of Blaine's relationship with his brother during "Big Brother." Particularly during "Fighter" where he was trying so hard to stay strong but at one point looks like he's about to break down crying - not to mention all the times during "Someone that I Used to Know" where he looks like he's about to cry. Seriously, this troper wanted to hug the poor boxing woobie!
• From "Dance with Somebody," the scenes dealing with Kurt and Blaine's relationship. Particularly when Blaine finds the texts from Chandler to Kurt and the scene where he finally admits that he's not only upset that Kurt was getting cutesy texts from another guy, though that did make him upset; he's upset that Kurt's leaving and that it could be the end of their relationship.
  • "Who's Chandler?" Blaine's face during that conversation just makes my heart hurt.
  • Quinn's face when Brittany tries to get her to dance in "Dance with Somebody". Becomes retroactively tearjerking when you realize that Quinn was hardly in the previous episode, which had a large focus on dancing, probably because the subject was too depressing for her.
  • In Emma's office, as soon as blaine says and while we're being perfectly honest... until they make up and he hugs kurt like he's afraid to let go. Made even sadder when you remember that Blaine transferred schools for the sole purpose of getting to spend more time with Kurt every day. And though the new directions has come to accept him as someone other than just Kurt's boyfriend, every single member of ND would still take Kurt's side no matter what. He doesn't have a true bond with anyone at that school other than Kurt, and Kurt is going away for college within a few weeks. Poor baby.
  • And this. "You're right, I have been distant...And I'm sorry. But I'm trying to practice what life is going to be like without you."
  • AAAND this. "I love you so much." "I love you, too."
• Choke is full of them.
  • Puck is going to fail high school.
  • Rachel choked on her audition, and won't be getting into NYADA.
  • Beiste was beaten by Cooter. And even though everybody told her not to, she stayed with him because she's afraid nobody else will ever care for her.
• Prom-asaurus is, for the most part, a fairly funny, non-tearjerking episode. Except for one part - Becky talking to Puck about how badly she wanted to be Prom Queen. She just wanted it so badly your heart hurts for her - and then when he crowns her and himself king and queen of the anti-prom and escorts her to the dance himself, you start crying harder but this time it's because of how awesome that is! Becky's sheer joy of being at the Prom with a crown on her head and a hot date is all kinds of tear inducingly adorable.
• "Props," when Puck breaks down in Bieste's arms about how he feels worthless. She subtly reveals that she's in the same boat as he is because of Cooter's abuse:

"You and me, we're badasses. Nobody thinks anything hurts us. But it does. It does..."

• The sneak preview to "Goodbye" is sad in of itself because it features the cast talking about how they're going to have to close a chapter in their lives now. Everybody cried a lot during the filming of that episode.
  • From the actual episode, only Rachel made it into NYADA. Kurt was denied.
  • Brittany couldn't graduate.
  • Finn and Rachel broke up. Even if you hated their coupledom as much as I did, it was still a heartbreaking scene.
    • This troper cried during that episode's final song because of the breakup.