Helluva Vision—The Top Five Most Emotional TV Episodes/TV Movie Scenes

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my emotional moments in TVs and Movies.  My husband and I were talking about it and he gave me the idea to do my top 5 in both tv episodes/tv movies and movies. We’ll start with TV.

#5 episode–  Medium:  Final episode (last 5 minutes of the episode)

At the beginning of the episode, Allison Dubois  (the Medium), receives a phone call from her husband as his plane crashes.  It turns out that he does not survive the crash.   When he comes to Allison as a ghost the night he dies, he explains to her that he will not stay around (where she can see him), he will in fact, move on.  As we come to the end of the episode, we see an aged Allison has lived her life watching her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.  While listening to a voicemail from her great-granddaughter, she suddenly slumps and passes away.  The camera turns and you see a young Allison looking at her dead body then she hears “Hi.”  She looks and sees her loving husband and she says “You waited.” Bahh!  Makes me cry every time! Love me some Patricia Arquette .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0AR58nXb1o&feature=related

#4 episode—Alias:  Final episode (scene where Sydney leaves a dying Jack)

If you want an awesome TV series to watch from start to finish, I highly recommend the Alias.  It centers on the life of a spy, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) and her father Jack Bristow (played by Victor Garber).  With all the lies of the spy business and through 5 seasons of figuring out what the end game is, Sydney and Jack have a, let’s say, a complicated relationship.  Did I mention that Sydney’s mom is a bad spy?  What a crazy family dynamic! Through it all, you come to find out that Jack has only done everything in his power to protect Sydney.  It’s a powerful moment when she finally says goodbye to her father before facing off in the final battle with her mother.  Thinking back on all the episodes, I don’t think she has ever said the words “I love you” to her father.  When Jack is shot and she must leave him to save the world, she finally says the words.  It’s a powerful moment and after being entangled in this series (which is STILL my favorite TV show of all time…) I cry EVERY time.  I want to be Jennifer Garner’s best friend.  I get her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1bdyC9CC8c

#3 episode—NCIS:  Episode Heartland (Gibbs meets Shannon)

Ah, the complicated, delicious character: Leeroy Jethro Gibbs.  My husband is a former grunt (Infantry Marine).  I can tell you that there is NOTHING like a man in uniform.  Gibbs is no different.  He is a former sniper Marine who was deployed, and lost his wife and daughter to drug cartel killers, gunning for him.  He lives by a set of rules which he passes down to his team:  DiNozzo, Ziva, and McGee.  In every episode, we hear about these rules.  For example: Rule No.1 =  Always have a knife.  The team every once in a while discuss possibilities as to where these rules come from—up until this episode, the viewer (me and you!) didn’t know. The rules are an important part of the show and are quoted all the time.  In this episode, Gibbs has a case that takes him back to his hometown of Stillwater, PA. At the end of the episode, Gibbs is reflecting on some memories.  You see a young girl sitting on a bench waiting for the bus.  A uniformed young Gibbs sits down opposite of her.  They began to talk, and through the course of the conversation, she reveals she has a list that she lives by. At this time, she introduces herself as Shannon (Gibbs’ first wife whom he lost along with his daughter).  So many times we have seen Gibbs suffer in silence missing his wife and daughter.  The moment where he meets his wife and we discover the beginning of “The List” is so profound! It tells us that she impacted him deeply as a man and as a professional, and he uses what she taught him for the rest of his life.  Brings tears to my eyes.  I am completely invested in NCIS—the characters are everything… did anyone see the season finale this season!?!? OMG!!!  DUCKY!!!! Talk about tears of fear!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Mm4URZ1kE

#2 episode – Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode “Inner Light”

I can hear all the haters moaning and groaning now.  Get over it people. If you think Star Trek is just about a great big boat wandering around in space, you don’t get it and never will.  My husband and I LOVE all things Star Trek.  Specifically, we have a fondness for the Original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation.  One of the most emotional and beautiful episodes ever was “Inner Light.”  In this episode, Captain Picard (who has chosen a life without family due to his sense of duty) is propelled by a beam of light from a probe into a different world. Here he has in fact a wife, a son, a daughter, a community, and a best friend.  We see him go through an entire lifetime with all of these people who become his own.  At the end of this lifetime, when he is very old, he actually has come to believe that all his “Picard” memories were an illusion or a dream.  That they never happened.  During the episode, he teaches his son how to play the flute. At the end of the episode we learn that the probe was meant to find someone (Picard) and share a story about an extinct race on a dead planet. They hoped this person would let their stories live on in him.  After Picard comes to, he is taken back to his quarters where Commander Riker informs him the probe has shut down and the only thing found on the probe was a box.  Riker leaves and Picard opens the box.  It’s a stunning moment when he reaches in and pulls out the flute which he used to teach his son.  It is the very one. He clutches the flute, hugging it to his chest and remembering the only family he’s ever had and the only one he knows he ever will have.  Ya’ll can’t tell me it doesn’t make you tear up.  Man, Patrick Stewart is incredible.  Such an amazing actor.  Take a look!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia1CISaKnzo

#1 episode – Lonesome Dove – Scene where Gus dies

There is a reason why this is #1.  Lonesome Dove is bar none THE BEST story of all time.  Lonesome Dove is a made for TV movie (from one of the best novels E-VAH!) with some of the greatest actors of all time:  Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston, Diane Lane, and Chris Cooper.  There are many more who are in this movie that bring this story together, but those are my favorite out of the bunch.  This story is primarily about a cattle drive from Lonesome Dove, TX to new territory in Montana after the Civil War.  It focuses on the friendship between Captain Augustus McCrae and Captain Woodrow F. Call, two of the saltiest ol’ veteran Texas Rangers you ever did see.  The saddest scene in the whole movie (and of all time) is when Gus is lying on his deathbed with his best friend by his side, after many a journey made and many a battle won (as my husband says).  When Call leans down and tenderly puts his hand on Gus’s chest and whispers “Auguuuustuuuus,” it brings the waterworks.  From there, Gus says one of the most popular quotes ever, “My God Woodrow, it’s been quite a party, ain’t it?”  Then, Gus passes away peacefully while snow falls outside his window.  BAHHHHHHHH!!!! Best. Scene. Ever. With. The. Best. Actors. Ever. Period.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deV68rbsNyQ

Another great scene is the ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLFDZxdvRSY&feature=related

 Have I mentioned this is also my favorite musical score?  Basil Poledouris composed the music and he is by far my FAVORITE film composer.  It’s really a shame he passed away at the young age of 60.  Imagine all of the other beautiful music he could have created!

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Well folks, that’s it.  If you need a good cry, just read this post and watch the videos.  Works for me every time!  What’s your top five?

Tags: alias, jennifer garner, lonesome dove, medium, NCIS, patricia arquette, patrick stewart, robert duvall, star trek tng, tommy lee jones