History YMMV / JohnAdams

** [[spoiler: John Adams disowning his own son, Charles, for drinking his life away. What makes it worse is that up to this point, during their final confrontation, John was speaking as a furiously disappointed father. Charles merely replied that [[NeverMyFault his father had been a curse on his life.]] Upon hearing this, John disowns Charles, and the latter is ''terrified'' at the thought, begging his father to show him mercy.[[note]] To be fair, the series has received criticism from historians for portraying their relationship in this manner, suggesting that it is highly inaccurate.[[/note]]]]

** Although American audiences may be somewhat prejudiced, the inaguration of President UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington feels this way. It's also [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Declaration of Independence when it shows the delegates sitting silently in a room during a thunderstorm pondering the immensity of what they just accomplished.

** While in France, Adams and Franklin take in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB32OLW7suA one of the first balloon flights by the Montgolfier brothers]].

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Although American audiences may be somewhat prejudiced, the inaguration of President UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington feels this way. It's also [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Declaration of Independence when it shows the delegates sitting silently in a room during a thunderstorm pondering the immensity of what they just accomplished.
** ''Liberty will reign in America!''
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: John's confession to Abigail upon their reunion in France that "My pen was silent not because you were absent from my thoughts, but because you were too much in them." Imagine - Abigail lived alone, raising her children, with her husband overseas, knowing next to nothing of what was happening there, with only occasional word from him - this must have eased a worry that has haunted her for months, if not years. And Laura Linney makes viewers feel every bit of it.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klcVN-HhBL4&list=FL7SRdItMtaDWf4PBBR5UPoA&index=4&feature=plpp_video The opening]] is pure patriotic goodness, and sets the tone perfectly.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1jhv6yG6_E "Rejoice! Rejoice, evermore!"]] After a lifetime of fighting and struggling and butting heads and fretting over what legacy he would leave behind, an aging John Adams finds himself at peace in his gardens and with his family. The revelation is such that it gets Adams, who at this point in his life is near-blind and frail, to once more call upon the fiery passion of his youth.

* {{Squick}}: Do you hate needles? Heh, who doesn't? DEAL WITH IT. Be thankful you weren't born in the 1700's! Where instead of a ''little poke'', you get a ''crushed up infected BOIL shoved into an open wound''. And then probably die anyway.
** Not to mention the horrific implications of an early 19th century mastectomy!
* NightmareFuel: Nabby's mastectomy. TruthInTelevision and ShownTheirWork, though they did tone down the horror a bit.

* TearJerker. After knowing Abigail Adams the entire series her death and, especially, John's reaction to it makes us feel the loss that he felt after decades of her as his best friend and wife. Likewise the death of UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson, even though the two of them had split apart for many years, the fact that he and Adams were two of the last great Founding Fathers and died on the same day reminds the viewers of the passing of an age.
** This is even sadder when you consider the day they both died: July 4, 1826. Fifty years to the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document that Jefferson and Adams had a major role in writing.
** [[spoiler: John Adams disowning his own son, Charles, for drinking his life away. What makes it worse is that up to this point, during their final confrontation, John was speaking as a furiously disappointed father. Charles merely replied that [[NeverMyFault his father had been a curse on his life.]] Upon hearing this, John disowns Charles, and the latter is ''terrified'' at the thought, begging his father to show him mercy.[[note]] To be fair, the series has received criticism from historians for portraying their relationship in this manner, suggesting that it is highly inaccurate. [[/note]]]]

** [[spoiler: John Adams disowning his own son, Charles, for drinking his life away. What makes it worse is that up to this point, during their final confrontation, John was speaking as a furiously disappointed father. Charles merely replied that [[NeverMyFault his father had been a curse on his life.]] Upon hearing this, John disowns Charles, and the latter is ''terrified'' at the thought, begging his father to show him mercy.[[note]] To be fair, the series has received criticism from historians for portraying their relationship in this manner, suggesting that it is highly inaccurate. [[/note]]]]

Note: these are for the the MiniSeries ''Series/JohnAdams''. YMMNV about [[UsefulNotes/JohnAdams the president]].

* OneSceneWonder: Tom Hollander as King George III. His total onscreen time is less than ten minutes and limited to a handful of lines, but manages to hold his own against Paul Giamatti.

** [[spoiler: John Adams disowning his own son, Charles, for drinking his life away. What makes it worse is that up to this point, during their final confrontation, John was speaking as a furiously disappointed father. Charles merely replied that [[NeverMyFault his father had been a curse on his life.]] Upon hearing this, John disowns Charles, and the latter is ''terrified'' at the thought, begging his father to show him mercy.[[note]] To be fair, the series has received criticism from historians for portraying their relationship in this manner, suggesting that it is highly inaccurate. [[/note]]

* [[spoiler: John Adams disowning his own son, Charles, for drinking his life away. What makes it worse is that up to this point, during their final confrontation, John was speaking as a furiously disappointed father. Charles merely replied that [[NeverMyFault his father had been a curse on his life.]] Upon hearing this, John disowns Charles, and the latter is ''terrified'' at the thought, begging his father to show him mercy.]]

** This is even sadder when you consider the day they both died: July 4, 1826. Fifty years to the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document that Jefferson and Adams had a major role in writing.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Although American audiences may be somewhat prejudiced, the inaguration of President GeorgeWashington feels this way. It's also [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Declaration of Independence when it shows the delegates sitting silently in a room during a thunderstorm pondering the immensity of what they just accomplished.

* TearJerker. After knowing Abigail Adams the entire series her death and, especially, John's reaction to it makes us feel the loss that he felt after decades of her as his best friend and wife. Likewise the death of ThomasJefferson, even though the two of them had split apart for many years, the fact that he and Adams were two of the last great Founding Fathers and died on the same day reminds the viewers of the passing of an age.

Note: these are for the the MiniSeries ''Series/JohnAdams''. YMMNV about [[JohnAdams the president]].

* FanDisservice: Creator/SarahPolley naked? Thank you. Covered in scratches? Jesus Christ...

* FanDisservice: SarahPolley naked? Thank you. Covered in scratches? Jesus Christ...
* {{Squick}} Do you hate needles? Heh, who doesn't? DEAL WITH IT. Be thankful you weren't born in the 1700's! Where instead of a ''little poke'', you get a ''crushed up infected BOIL shoved into an open wound''. And then probably die anyway.

* NightmareFuel: Nabby's mastectomy. TruthInTelevision and ShownTheirWork, though they did [[BeyondTheImpossible tone down the horror a bit.]]

* TearJerker. After knowing Abigail Adams the entire series her death and, especially, John's reaction to it makes us feel the loss that he felt after decades of her as his best friend and wife. Likewise the death of ThomasJefferson, even though the two of them had split apart for many years, the fact that he and Adams were two of the last great Founding Fathers and died on the same day reminds the viewers of the passing of an age.

Note: these are for the the MiniSeries ''Series/JohnAdams''. YMMNV about the president.

Note: these are for the ''series'' ''Series/JohnAdams''. YMMNV about the president.