24 Heartbreaking TV Moments from 2018

Do we want our shows to cause us pain?

Well, not exactly.

Yet whether they’re the most powerful scenes in top dramas or the kind that come up in otherwise comedic sitcoms completely out of the blue, moments that make us feel the most are some of the very best out there. The acting and writing are top-notch, and we’re left with plenty of reasons to cry but also plenty of reasons to think about the bigger message and the often huge issues they bring up.

Note: this list mostly focuses on moments other than character deaths — a list dedicated entirely to those is coming soon! 

In no particular order, here are some of the most heartbreaking TV moments from 2018. (Expect spoilers below!)

1. Grace Talks About Her Assault (Will & Grace)

In its first run, Will & Grace was never afraid to tackle issues that others wouldn’t, especially in relation to LGBTQ+ rights. A lot has changed since then, but one thing hasn’t: The series still shows up to tackle the big issues. That means a major “Me Too” moment that plays straight and serious in the midst of comedy.

It’s hard enough to know what happened to Grace when she was young, but to know that she couldn’t speak of the events due to the fact that her father’s friend committed them is a real gut-punch for herself and her dad alike. The scene where she tells him is devastating for both of them — and for us viewers, watching and imagining how each must feel.

2. Lydia’s Near Death (One Day at a Time)

One Day at a Time has had its share of tear-jerker scenes, but that’s never been more evident than when Lydia falls into a coma following a stroke. There, she is visited by each member of her family as they (and we) wonder whether she will wake up.

The answer to that is, thankfully, yes, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t sobbing through every angry, grateful, singing, and pleading word said to her through the episode. Every performance is powerful, though Justina Machado’s is a true standout. If things ever take a turn for the worst, we at least have no doubt of Lydia’s immense impact. Still, we’re immensely grateful that her character stuck around.

3. Carl’s Death (The Walking Dead)

The Walking Dead is a show that’s about as filled with death as one can get. When you expect to lose major characters every season, and often in terrible ways, it can be hard for some to stand out in terms of being truly tragic. Yet they still pull it off on occasion, as they certainly did when killing off Carl Grimes.

Viewers who grew up with Carl hoped that he, at least, might be safe. On top of that, for the writers to kill off someone still innocent and still so young has been a hugely polarizing decision. But however you feel about it, the moment of his death is certainly heartbreaking, and nobody affected will ever be the same.

4. Everything About the Season Finale (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)

We may be pushing the definition of a “moment” a bit here, but let’s be real: the entire finale of the most recent season of this show is brutal. If we’re to narrow it down to a single moment, though, losing Fitz feels like the most painful thing of all, even when we do exist in the kind of universe where that doesn’t necessarily have to stick.

Fitz and Simmons, aka FitzSimmons, have been one of TV’s most popular ships since episode one. To see them truly get together and then grow as a couple has given so much heart to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. For that reason, watching Simmons’s reaction to the news that Fitz is dead feels like having that heart ripped out. Sure, we can “fix” this in a way many other shows can’t. But do we really have to go through it?

5. Jackson Praying at April’s Bedside (Grey’s Anatomy)

Until Jackson Avery marries April Kepner in Season 10 of Grey’s Anatomy, his feelings about religion are unclear to viewers. The catalyst to one of their first fights was that he doesn’t believe in God, but he’s proven time and time again that he’ll make exceptions to save the woman he loves.

They may not have been married at the time, but on Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 23, “Cold as Ice”, when April seems to be on her death bed, Jackson makes his most extreme plea to God to save her life. While holding her hand, getting more hysterical as he gets more desperate, he begs:

I will believe in you, all right? I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll do anything… Don’t! Don’t take her away, OK? Don’t take April, please?

The fact that April squeezes his hand and wakes up right after doesn’t make the moment any less heartbreaking. Jesse Williams does some of his best work when Sarah Drew is his acting partner. His emotions in one of his last scenes with Drew on the show are so real, it’s as if he’s actually saying goodbye to her. It’s enough to make any Japril fan cry over and over again.

Honorable Mention: Miranda and Ben Have “The” Talk with Tucker

“I am William George Bailey Jones. I’m 13 years old, and I have nothing to harm you.” Miranda’s son “Tucker” practices on his couch in front of his mom and stepdad when they come home from watching a black boy die as a result of a cop’s bullet on Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 10, “Personal Jesus.”

We decided to include this moment as an honorable mention because as heartbreaking as it is to watch Tuck’s parents instruct him on how to act in front of cops so he gets home to them, it’s all too real. It’s heartbreaking, but also enraging.

Yes, it’s important to write about. But our broken hearts don’t change the fact that every black child should watch this scene with their parents for their own safety. No list could do that impact justice. If it breaks your heart when you’re done reading this, Google the actions you can take right now to make the country a safer place for people of color.

6. The Fallout from Jack’s Death (This Is Us)

It’s almost “too easy” to put Jack’s death itself on this list. Is it not the first thing a huge number of us would think of when asked about the most painful moments of TV in 2018? So we’ll give a collective nomination to everything that comes with that loss—a family facing the worst moment of their lives, and then trying to move forward while remembering a patriarch and wonderful man.

The acting in these scenes and episodes shows why This Is Us has been beloved by critics and fans alike. You may need a pack of Kleenex to get through it all, but you can’t help tuning in all the same, rooting for Jack’s legacy to live on.

7. Regina and Rome Discuss His Suicide Note (A Million Little Things)

A Million Little Things is sparked by and centered around the story of a suicide. Because of that, and through his own choice, the fact that Rome was also on the verge of taking his own life winds up brushed under the rug for as long as we can manage. But secrets come out on this show, as we know too well, and Rome has to confront his reality with both his friends and his wife.

It’s a necessary step for him to even begin to heal, but that doesn’t make the situation any less terrible for all involved. Knowing firsthand how much it hurts when someone takes their own life just doubles the pain of what Rome nearly did. It also makes viewers all the more thankful he’s still here.

Honorable Mention: Eddie’s Sobriety Anniversary

From the outside looking in, acknowledging an anniversary of being clean, sober, etc. can seem completely celebratory. But addiction of any kind is a lifelong disease. For the person actually suffering, the struggle can leave as much pain as it does joy. It’s a reminder of a lot for Eddie, who, like everyone else, has already been through a lot. It all comes out after far too long trying to be tied down.

8. The Ship Goes Down (The Last Ship)

After five years, The Last Ship comes to a generally happy ending that leaves its crew safe and whole… well, mostly. While those on board — including Chandler, who is briefly on the verge of going down with his ship — eventually make it to safety, the Nathan James takes her final voyage on the series finale. A ship may be an inanimate object, but a ship like this one is home, and the front battleground for every character on the show.

Bringing a show to a close is always bittersweet, but the fate of what we might consider the “title character” adds an extra stamp of finality here. She sticks around until the very end and goes down fighting. It may all be part of some grand plan, but that doesn’t make the words “abandon ship” hurt any less.

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