History TearJerker / WelcomeToNightVale

** There's also this bit about death

** "Oh, Fey... For you, freedom was never an option."
** Also, keep in mind the fact that [[spoiler: Cecil clearly identifies with her situation and the [=StrexCorp=] take over...it must almost feel like it's saying that he's doomed to fail, also.]]

* When Cecil [[spoiler: is bought by someone in "Auction"]]. We don't know who did it, or why it only took one bid...but Cecil is absolutely terrified at the end, and while he wishes he knew who did it, would just settle for somebody making him feel better at that point.

--> And yes, you will die – but probably not until everyone you know is already dead, too. Your parents, your friends, your pets...each death leaving a small but irreparable scar on your not-yet-still, still-beating heart. The living tell the dying not to leave, and the dying do not listen. The dying tell us not to be sad for them, and we do not listen. The dialogue between the living and the dead is full of misunderstanding and silence.

-->"...I...don't...remember having a brother...?"

** And then, after he tells Megan he loves her (or at least tries his hardest to), after he promises he'll make the world a better, safer place for Megan, after he promises end all war, he's unplugged. And Megan...

* Episode 73: Triptych - [[spoiler: We finally get to hear some more from Kevin, and all of it is really exceptionally heart-rending. Due to a TimeyWimeyBall affecting Cecil's setup, we get to hear Kevin from three different points in his life; the first is him Pre-Strex, when Desert Bluffs was so much like Night Vale and Kevin was a genuine person with pride in his town; ya know, like [[NotSoDifferent Cecil]]. The second time is during the events of the Strex takeover of Night Vale, and it is apparently this conversation that led to [[FridgeHorror Daniel and Lauren being sent to Night Vale.]] The final time, Kevin is a broken shell of a man, possibly [[Really700YearsOld aged beyond his ability to tolerate it]], trapped in a wastescape with only his fractured psyche and the ebbing influence of the Smiling God for company. Poor bastard needs a hug.]]

* Episode 156-157, Cecil is worried because now that time in Nightvale is working normally and everyone is aging His relationship with Carlos has an expiration date, and is happy when the sketchy cryonics company promising to extend peoples lives turns out to actually work, then the other shoe drops and it turns out the company is a ploy by the Smiling God to enslave the people of nightvale.

* Episode 147, "The Protester", oh dear god. Basimah's story of her father returning as a 19 year old who doesn't remember his wife and daughter is heartbreaking enough. But then there's Cecil's WhamLine [[spoiler:[[RetGone "I didn't know any scientists... not personally anyway."]]]]

** [[spoiler:Then their mother just reappeared out of the blue, ravaged by her mental illness and alcoholism, and close to death. Cecil and Abby's lives were once again upended by her, and even though she died a few short months after coming back, it affected them greatly, to the point where their relationship was apparently strained for almost a decade.]]

* Episode 33 has some cassette tapes with [[spoiler: recordings Cecil made when he was 15.]] While they are mostly in turn [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming adorable]] or [[NightmareFuel creepy]], they also give us some idea of what [[spoiler: Cecil's home life was like.]]

** The live shows are always considered dubiously canon, but what we learn about [[spoiler:Cecil and Abby's relationship through his ghost story is pretty sad too. Cecil's mother was apparently mentally ill, and one day just disappeared, leaving a fourteen year old Cecil alone, and forcing Abby to drop out of college to take care of him. The set-up was rocky to say the least, with both siblings resenting the other for their situation - Abby for having to leave school and raise her brother alone, Cecil because he was convinced his mother would be back any day and Abby just simply wasn't Mom. This strained their relationship a great deal, and led them to the estranged relationship they had before the show started.]]

* The ending of "Ghost Stories", where Cecil reveals his story was really about [[spoiler:him picking up his sister Abby after their mother's funeral service.]]

* The ending of "Ghost Stories", where Cecil reveals his story was really about [[spoiler:him picking up his sister Abby after their mother's funeral service.]]
* A Story of Love and Horror ends with [[spoiler: Nazr Al-Mujaheed destroying another universe to be with Frances, exactly as she wanted him to... and Frances leaving for the other universe, as Nazr wanted. Then [[ShootTheShaggyDog she was destroyed along with her entire universe by the Brownstone Spire.]] In the end, nobody got what they wanted.]]

* The ending of "Ghost Stories", where Cecil reveals his story was really about [[spoiler:him picking up his sister Abby after their mother's funeral service.]]

* Episode 123, "A Story of Love and Horror: Frances". [[spoiler: Nazzer and Frances are forced to make a choice between Frances returning to her own universe and never seeing Nazer again, or to destroy the universe in which Frances lives. Nazzer initiaully picks the former [[TheNeedsOfTheMany because what is their love next to the lives of an entire alternate universe.]] Frances however is opposed because of the intensity of her love. Nazzer changes his mind, realizing that he can't bear to make a choice to never see her again. [[GiftOfTheMagiPlot But Frances had already changed her mind, returning to a world doomed to oblivion]]. Barks offers him the chance [[TogetherInDeath to consign himself to the same oblivion]] but he lives on, torn with the guilt of his decision for the rest of his life.]]
* The ending of Ghost Stories, where Cecil reveals his story was really about [[spoiler:him picking up his sister Abby after their mother's funeral service.]]

* Episode 123, "A Story of Love and Horror". [[spoiler: Nazzer and Frances are forced to make a choice between Frances returning to her own universe and never seeing Nazer again, or to destroy the universe in which Frances lives. Nazzer initiaully picks the former [[TheNeedsOfTheMany because what is their love next to the lives of an entire alternate universe.]] Frances however is opposed because of the intensity of her love. Nazzer changes his mind, realizing that he can't bear to make a choice to never see her again. [[TheGiftOfTheMagiPlot But Frances had already changed her mind, returning to a world doomed to oblivion]]. Barks offers him the chance [[TogetherInDeath to consign himself to the same oblivion]] but he lives on, torn with the guilt of his decision for the rest of his life.]]

* The entire opening of Episode 104 is one of the saddest scenes in the series, as we receive the news many fans had been dreading for the last several episodes: [[spoiler:Old Woman Josie has passed away. In the cold open, Cecil recounts a story told by Larry Leroy about an encounter he and Josie had with Telly the barber, before going on to describe how much Josie meant both to him and the entire town]].

** Everything about Hiram McDaniels's recording could count as this, but of course [[TheWoobie Violet's]] part of the speech stands out:

* Episode 98 has [[spoiler: The death of the violet head of Hiram [=McDaniels=].]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [[spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy. We've seen Cecil depressed before, but never this bad!

--> Violet Head: I don’t trust recorded communication. You never know what the government will do with it! [[spoiler: [[DramaticIrony I’ll just say congratulations the next time I see everyone!]] ]]

** Made even worse by the fact that this happened after the US Presidential election, which left many people fearing for their safety and rights. Sure, Night Vale presents probably writes these scripts months in advance, but we were at least hoping for some laughs.

* Episode 98 has [[spoiler: The death of Hiram [=McDaniels=].]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [[spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy. We've seen Cecil depressed before, but never this bad!

* Episode 87 has [[spoiler: The death of Hiram [=McDaniels=].]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [[spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy.

* Episode 87 has [[spoiler: The death of Hiram [=McDaniels=].]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy.

* Episode 87 has [[spoiler: The death of Hiram [[=McDaniels=]].]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [[spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy.

* Episode 87 has [[spoiler: The death of Hiram McDaniels.]] Hearing how heartbroken Cecil sounds when he takes us to the weather, and the fact that [[spoiler: he didn't even close off like he usually does, simply saying "Goodnight"]], you just wanna hug the poor guy.

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