History Tearjerker / HellOnWheels

* Season three premiere, we have [[spoiler: the death of Dick Barlow, new chief of police. Dick Barlow is introduced to us as the ''one'' genuinely entirely good human being in this railroad, and the only member of this entire cast to treat Fergurson as an equal, not even ''mentioning'' the race factor when he meets him, instead happily chatting about their daughters and their wives like true friends even though they just met. But then, Dick Barlow is fatally wounded in the gut, and in his final moments, asks to see Fergurson's baby daughter, delivering some tearjerking FamousLastWords:]]

* Similarly, when [[spoiler: Ruth herself is hanged]]. Literally ''everyone'' in Hell on Wheels loves and cherishes her existance, and nobody wants to see her hang, making her the only person in the entirety of Hell on Wheels with ''no'' enemies. Despite that, she refuses every attempt to be saved, even a pardon from the Governor himself. And thus she finally hangs, trying to contain her tears, the last good soul of Hell on Wheels just...gone.

* Reverend Cole's final dialogue with his daughter (and Joseph) is this. After two entire seasons of a broken relationship, he looks at her, breaking in tears, and says [[HeelRealization he's been a horrible father]], says she's better than he could ever be. and begs for her forgiveness. [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming She forgives him]]]]. Then he talks with Joseph, saying he accepts his [[spoiler: impending death. Then Joseph stabs him in the gut, and he dies with a big grin on his face: knowing he's been forgiven by his daughter makes him die in peace. [[AlasPoorVillain Damn]]]].

-->[[spoiler: Dick Barlow]]: She's ''beautiful'', Mr.Fergurson, just like you said...

* The entirety of Elam's return to Cheyanne. Damn, but there was some fine acting by the principles in the final half of that episode.

* Similarly, when [[spoiler: Ruth herself is hanged]]. Literally ''everyone'' in Hell on Wheels loves and cherishes her existance, and nobody wants to see her hang, making her the only person in the entirety of Hell on Wheels with ''no'' enemies. Despite that, she refuses every attempt to be saved, even a pardon from the Governor himself. And thus she finally hangs, trying to contain her tears, the last good soul of Hell on Wheels just...gone.

-->[[spoiler: Dick Barlow]]: She's ''beautiful'', Mr.Fergurson, just like you said...

** In the same episode [[spoiler: Mr.Toole has [[HeroicBSOD too much]] and is DrivenToSuicide. It's heartbreaking to watch the man try his best to be a good husband and redeem himself, only to see his beloved loves someone else. Swallowed in grief, he ends his own life.]]

* In the season two finale, [[spoiler: the death of Lily. The look on Cullen's face when he finds her body is heartbreaking, and you can see just how dejected he is as he carries her lifeless body to the church.]]

* In the same episode, Doc Whitehead faces his charges of robbery. [[spoiler: He asks Bohannon to finish him off, [[AGoodWayToDie so he can die with a friend by his side]] instead of common soldiers. For the first time in the entire series, Bohannon seems incapable of pulling the trigger on someone, but he eventually agrees. [[FaceDeathWithDignity Doc says he had a good life, and that this is a good death for him]]. Bohannon shoots him in the head, and the last shot we see is Bohannon, utterly alone in the middle of the woods, representing how alone he is spiritually after his last remaining friend has died.]]

* Reverend Cole's final dialogue with his daughter (and Joseph) is this. After two entire seasons of a broken relationship, he looks at her, breaking in tears, and says [[HeelRealization he's been a horrible father]], says she's better than he could ever be. and begs for her forgiveness. [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming She forgives him]]]]. Then he talks with Joseph, saying he accepts his [[spoiler: impending death. Then Joseph stabs him in the gut, and he dies with a big grin on his face: knowing he's been forgiven by his daughter makes him die in peace. [[AlasPoorVillain Damn]]]]
* In the same episode, Doc Whitehead faces his charges of robbery. [[spoiler: He asks Bohannon to finish him off, [[AGoodWayToDie so he can die with a friend by his side]] instead of common soldiers. For the first time in the entire series, Bohannon seems uncapable of pulling the trigger on someone, but he eventually agrees. [[FaceDeathWithDignity Doc says he had a good life, and that this is a good death for him]]. Bohannon shoots him in the head, and the last shot we see is Bohannon, uterlly alone in the middle of the woods, representing how alone he is spiritually after his last remaining friend died.]]

* Reverend Cole's final dialogue with his daughter (and Joseph) is this. After two entire seasons of a broken relationship, he looks at her, breaking in tears, and says [[HeelRealization he's been a horrible father]], says she's better than he could ever be. and begs for her forgiveness. [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming She forves him]]]]. Then he talks with Joseph, saying he accepts his [[spoiler: impending death. Then Joseph stabs him in the gut, and he dies with a big grin on his face: knowing he's been forgiven by his daughter makes him die in peace. [[AlasPoorVillain Damn]]]]

* Cullen Bohannen told Elam about finding his boy's body in the hayloft...and the body of the slave Cullen had freed before the war, embracing the boy and trying to protect him. He looks over and assumes Elam isn't listening...but we cut to Elam, still wide awake.

* For the more of an asshole he was (and sometimes slides back now), you gotta feel sorry for Mr. Toole [[spoiler: having such a big, dumb grin on his face when Eva tells him she's pregnant....but then seeing that smile vanish when she tells him it isn't his]]. You can see the sheer look of pain on his eyes as he stays in utter silence [[spoiler: he doesn't even lay a finger on her, which for the period he's in is something of a minor miracle.]]

* Bohannon's flashbacks to the day he found his wife dead. They are all very brief, but ever so painful.

* Cullen Bohannen told Elam about finding his boy's body in the hayloft...and the body of the slave Cullen had freed before the war, embracing the boy and trying to protect him. He looks over and assumes Elam isn't listening...but we cut to Elam, still wide awake.