The Cosby Show/Heartwarming

In General

• Any time Cliff and Clair share a romantic moment. Doubly true if it takes place after they'd been fighting or had an argument during the episode.

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Season 1

• In the pilot, Cliff still manages to give a heartwarming speech to Theo immediately after telling him that what Theo had just said was the DUMBEST thing he'd ever heard.
  • Cliff's initial response to Theo's speech subverted the CMOH that everyone was expecting Theo's speech to be.
    • But after he's done chewing him out, he hugs him and says he loves him. Of course, he plays with the audience again by adding, "And maybe your mother loves you, too."
• Clair convincing Rudy that being 5 years old doesn't mean "Being nothing."
• Theo giving Cliff's acceptance speech for the Physician of the Year award.
  • The uncut version of the episode has Dr. Wexler (Sheldon Leonard)'s speech about why Cliff won the award as well.
• Cliff and Denise having a dance together after an episode where they spent pretty much the entire time arguing with each other.
• Both this and a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Theo comes in the episode "Theo And the Joint." Clair finds a joint in Theo's bookbag and asks him if it's his. He denies it, and that's enough for her. But it's not enough for Theo, as he hunts down the intimidating kid who put the joint in his bag, brings him back home, and has him tell his parents the truth. In response, Cliff looks at the other boy, says, "he's a big guy," smiles proudly, and gently punches Theo on the shoulder. There's a kid who understands the value of integrity, and a parent who respects it.
• In the final episode, Denise writes a song that everyone else finds horribly depressing. She rewrites it at the end of the episode to be a tribute to her parents' love for her after receiving advice from Lena Horne. The lyrics themselves are a positive Tear Jerker.

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Season 2

• Clair reminds Rudy that, no matter what may happen, she'll always love her.
• Watching Rudy cuddle up to Clair the night after her Football team loses its championship game.
• After getting all of Clair's questions wrong about the night he proposed to her, Cliff reveals that he really does remember the important things by instantly naming the title, artist, year, and number copies of the song that was playing on the radio.
• When Clair breaks her toe, she takes out all of her frustrations over it on Cliff for the whole episode. The scene at the end where they make up and "table dance" together fulfills the trope.
• Mrs. Westlake's farewell to Cockroach after he explains his (off-screen) Crowning Moment of Awesome during her class at school to her.

"It wasn't your class. It--it just wasn't your class."

• The usage of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech in "Vanessa's Bad Grade"; the episode debuted four days before the first time MLK, Jr. Day was observed as a federal holiday.
• In "Denise's Friend," Denise asks Cliff to examine Michelle, who hasn't been feeling well lately. It turns out to be a bladder infection, but her unwillingness to go to her parents before finding out makes Cliff wonder if his own kids are also prone to keeping potentially big secrets. He and Clair sit down with Sondra, Denise, Theo and Vanessa to talk about this and about how they be fully honest with any problem/issue. After some funny moments, Cliff insists that while getting angry is always a possibility, he and Clair will love them no matter what and always help them with their problems.

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Season 3

• Clair's farewell speech to Denise right before she leaves for college.
• Cliff and Russell's interactions during the final moments of "Cliff in Charge," especially when Russell tells Cliff his favorite bedtime story from when he was a kid again.
• Elvin's proposing to Sondra.

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Season 4

• After Theo overcomes his anger for not getting onto Dance Mania and taking his frustration out on the family, he's able to make up with them with no words needed.

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Season 5

• The entirely improvised and ad-libbed scene between Sondra and Cliff after Sondra gives birth to her twins.
• Cliff carrying Rudy to bed after she falls asleep from having stayed up late too many nights in a row.
• Ray Palamino (played by Sammy Davis Jr.) thanking Cliff from the bottom of his heart for giving him the opportunity to meet his great-grandchild especially after remembering that he'd mentioned earlier that he hadn't seen anyone from his family in nearly 20 years.
  • Davis died not too long after this episode aired. Throughout the seventh season, Cliff would be seen wearing a black pin with Davis' initials as a tribute to him.

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Season 6

• Convinced that Denise is in no way ready to be a mother, Cliff and Clair head up to her room to confront her, but back down when they find Denise cradling Olivia and reading her a bedtime story.
• Martin takes the responsibility for not getting a reservation for quarters on his base when Denise was actually the one who didn't make the necessary phone call.
• During the Thanksgiving dinner, Russel in no way hesitates to recognize Martin's ex-wife and Olivia's mother, Paula, as part of the family.
• The entire King of Romance contest, especially after the wives were planning to intentionally make fun of the husbands, but their hearts are softened by the thoughtful gifts given to them.

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Season 7

• "It's All in the Game": Vanessa tries to cover up getting a minor car accident. Instead of having a big blow-up, the family discussion (which eventually involves the kids) turns into how much the parents do for them, and the kids countering with how they embarrass them, in a good-natured, hilarious, heartwarming 10-minute segment that reminded more than a few tropers about their own families.

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Season 8

• The very last shot of the final episode has Cliff and Clair dancing prior to him escorting her off stage, past the camera, crew and audience and out of the studio.
  • The brief series recap immediately after reminds everyone why they fell in love with the show in the first place.