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6[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wattersons_selfie.png]]
7[[caption-width-right:350:[[IAmWhatIAm "Actually, you know what? I wouldn't change a thing."]]]]
8%%
9'''As per the rules, all spoilers will be unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!'''
10
11----
12
13[[foldercontrol]]
14
15[[folder:General]]
16* If you think about it, Alan and Carmen's relationship is this. Carmen is a cactus and Alan is a balloon, but that doesn't stop them from loving each other, and attempting to kiss each other.
17* The fact that even the {{jerkass}} couple characters like Margaret and Gaylord Robinson and Principal Brown and Miss Simian love each other (even if everyone else -- viewers included -- find it abhorrent, dysfunctional, gross, unprofessional (in the case of Principal Brown and Miss Simian), or weird and have softer sides.
18* A minor example: Larry and Karen's relationship. They're not seen together that often, but it's obvious that they love each other, most notably in the episodes, "The Laziest", "The Goons" and "The Shippening". And although Larry has yet to propose to Karen without anyone preventing him from doing so, their interactions are still really cute and sweet to see.
19* Gumball and Penny's relationship in general is really heartwarming, early on they questioned whether the other liked them too shy to hang out, to Gumball saving Penny from accidentally being run over by her own father (Extra points for being dressed as a knight), Gumball's speech on how when they're together it's like time/the universe stops just for them, the aforementioned Penny standing up for him when he was embarrassed, and when Gumball encouraged Penny to break from her shell and trying to calm her down when she freaks out over her new form and runs away into the woods (extra points for Gumball calling out her father for insulting her). Pretty much everything that has to do with their relationship is adorable and heartwarming.
20* Gumball and Darwin's relationship in general. If it wasn't for Darwin looking absolutely nothing like his parents you wouldn't be able to tell he was adopted; they act just like brothers. This is especially true once you've seen "The Origins" and you know how hard they (well, mostly Darwin) worked just to be together and hang out like this.
21* Another one of the show's sweetest aspects is none other than with the Watterson family itself. On the surface, [[DysfunctionalFamily they're quite a chaotic bunch]], but underneath that chaos is a close-knit family that look out for each other no matter what. Episodes such as "The Painting", "The Club", "The Meddler", "The Treasure", "The Finale", "The Pizza", "The Money", and "The Origins" (as mentioned above) are all the proof one needs of how strong their bond is.
22** Nicole and Richard suffered terrible abuse during their childhood, and the show doesn't shy away from the psychological scars both still carry as adults. Despite this, both are dedicated parents and unquestioningly love their own children. Richard has also taken great pains to reconcile with his father after the latter abandoned him.
23* Several episodes show that Ms. Simian is actually capable of being [[SoProudOfYou proud of Gumball]] when he actually tries at school instead of being lazy.
24[[/folder]]
25
26[[folder:Season 1]]
27* In "The Responsible", Gumball decides to take the rap for Anais flooding the house. She's so touched she hugged him and whispered "thank you". But when Gumball was about to say it, he sees his mom's eyes are on fire, so he blames it on Darwin.
28* During [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Mr. Robinson's stellar performance]], Gary leans over to the blue elephant and asks "Whoa, who is this guy?" and Rocky, Mr. Robinson's son tells him "That's my dad. Rock on dude!"
29* The ending of "The Quest", right up to where Tina's dad comes up from behind Anais, Gumball, and Darwin.
30* As absolutely ridiculous as the whole situations was, in "The End" when Gumball and Darwin genuinely believe that the world is ending, they're both willing to sacrifice themselves to save Nicole, Anais, and Richard.
31* After getting falsely arrested for robbing a convenience store in "The Spoon", Nicole still has her family celebrating her birthday with them besides her cell. The cops found her innocent after all, too.
32-->'''Gumball, Darwin and Anais:''' You're the best mom ever! We love you, mom!
33* The end of "The Painting", where Anais asserts that, even though the drawing she made showed her father as lazy, her mother as stressed-out, and her brothers as destructive, it says "I love my family" and she meant it.
34-->'''Anais:''' If you'd listened for a second, you'd have known that I never wanted anyone to change.\
35'''Nicole:''' But I thought you were unhappy, honey. That painting-\
36'''Anais:''' That painting says, "I love my family"... [[BeYourself exactly as they are]].
37* Larry and Karen's date in "The Laziest", up until Gumball and Darwin irritate the former. Larry even affectionately calls Karen "honey".
38* Darwin comforting Gumball after he suffers a panic attack in "The Prank"... at least until it gets a little too HoYay.
39* Penny sticking up for Gumball in "The Gi".
40** Heck, the whole ending is, when Nicole realizes she should never have tried to suppress her husband's spirit and returns his cape.
41** "The Cottontail Cavalier has returned!"
42** Penny defending Gumball at the near end made even more sense after watching The Shell.
43* The last few minutes of "The Party" are nothing but heartwarming:
44** Rachel thanking Darwin for cleaning up the house by giving him a kiss.
45** Penny and Gumball about to share a kiss (only to be interrupted by Richard)
46-->'''Gumball:''' (waving good-bye and dragging Darwin) Bye, thanks for the party! I love you, Penny! *slaps forehead* WHAT DID I SAY THAT FOR?!
47-->'''Rachel:''' (blushing) Is this really the best we can do?
48-->'''Penny:''' (softly) I think he's awesome...
49** Finally, Richard having a nice bonding moment with his sons.
50-->'''Richard:''' (whispering) I like the new one (Penny) better.
51-->'''Gumball turns beet red'''
52* "The Refund" has a quick moment when Richard dons his "tough guy" look: He draws a tattoo on his arm, that includes Nicole's name.
53* In "The Picnic", Darwin saves Gumball from the nasty creatures of the forest.
54-->''Nobody messes with my team!'' (Darwin then fish-slaps one of the creatures, forcing all of them to run away!)
55* In "The Mustache", Richard bought those male supplements that his kids ate by accident because he was intimidated by the internet ads. Nicole hugs him and says she loves him for who he his, and so do his kids. Given Richard's personality and the fact that he felt he was unattractive, it felt really sweet to hear his family say that about him.
56* The end of "The Meddler".
57-->'''Gumball''': Mom, you know how I said I wanted to be my own man and make my own decisions?
58-->'''Nicole''': Yes?
59-->'''Gumball''': Can it just wait for a few years?
60-->'''Nicole''': The longer the better honey. Even when you're 80 you'll still be my Gummy-puss.
61* At the end of "The Helmet", Darwin and Anais successfully persuading Gumball to get rid of his lucky hat made out of tinfoil to save him from falling into the garbage crusher when he tries to retrieve it. But it's what Anais says to him that really makes it a CMOH:
62-->'''Anais''': Gumball, we're nothing without you.
63* The end of "The Fight" when Tina and Gumball become friends after Nicole beats the crap out of Papa Rex.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Season 2]]
67* The end of Hector's rampage in "The Colossus". There's just something sweet about the way Gumball smiles at the sleeping giant, or the fact that for once everyone ends the episode happy and unscathed. Hector's mom isn't even mad.
68** Even if Darwin and Gumball getting to know Hector started out for selfish reasons, Gumball does seem to be genuinely concerned that Hector appears at a first glance to be a suffering under some form of controlling, emotional abuse. And when the crisis has been averted and Hector has calmed down, he makes sure to apologize for calling him "boring" in the first place.
69-->'''Gumball:''' You're not boring, dude. You're nuts.
70* During the fight against Tobias to win Penny as a study partner in "The Knight", instead of claiming Penny as his, Gumball let Penny decide who she wanted to study with and didn't want to fight Tobias. It shows a lot of maturity for someone like Gumball.
71** Gumball even pushed Penny out of the way of her father’s car as he almost crashed into her. Showing how much he cares about and loves her, even if the earlier episodes have Gumball so shy around Penny that he needed Darwin to tell Penny his true feelings for her (as seen in "The Voice").
72* Gumball and Darwin hurting themselves to make it look like Banana Joe won their fight in "The Banana", followed by them making up after he wakes up. Then, after the reveal that Gumball had Darwin's pen all along, meaning the entire conflict was pointless, Joe and Darwin [[TurnTheOtherCheek gently stroke his face instead of hitting him]].
73* The Wattersons enjoying the star that Richard accidentally purchased with all their savings 12 years ago at the end of "The Treasure". And Richard's heartwarming quote.
74--> '''Richard:''' In a way, the star is a symbol of our family's love.
75* Gumball and Darwin ''trying'' to get in trouble so Principal Brown wouldn't have to break up with Miss Simian in "The Apology". It is especially heartwarming, considering that Gumball and Darwin either make fun of or are grossed out by Principal Brown and Miss Simian being a couple (and, in season one's "The Sock", called out their relationship as being unprofessional).
76** And Miss Simian finding out they weren't trouble makers and apologizing at the end.
77* In "The Flakers", Gumball and Darwin are mad at each other throughout most of the first half of the episode. Despite saying she couldn't care less about their beef, Anais does a nice trick to bring them together again. Though, that doesn't stop her from getting a little revenge for them abandoning her at the store when they were fighting. While they are mad at first, they end up thanking her for bringing them together again and the three laugh while getting into a harmless pillow fight. It's a cute moment between the three, and anyone who grew up with their siblings would feel their heart warmed.
78* The ending of "The Pony", where Gumball and Darwin return home and fulfill their promise to spend time watching a movie with Anais, who was kept waiting so long that she thought they didn't want to hang out with her. And if that alone wasn't heartwarming enough, before they start watching the movie, they ask to see her smile.
79** And is probably the cutest and most heartwarming smile of the show so far.
80* "The Hero": While some will argue that Gumball and Darwin mocking Richard and Nicole's cruel punishment of not letting the two eat or use anything in the house are low points, this episode does have its moments of being heartwarming, such as:
81** Richard reminiscing about how Gumball used to look up to him as a child.
82** Gumball crying over Richard allegedly dying while rescuing him at the junkyard.
83* From "The World", there's a truly heartwarming montage of Anais playing with her Daisy the Donkey toy until the doll starts talking to her.
84* In "Halloween", after Gumball and Darwin were turned into ghosts at a ghost party, Carrie is understandably horrified. But Darwin's first instinct is taking advantage of his corporeal form to kiss Carrie on the lips...to which she blushes.
85** There were little to no implications that Carrie liked Darwin and vice versa so this came to a shock to many viewers, even Carrie herself.
86* In that same episode, if you look closely, while Gumball is leading his siblings to the HauntedHouse, Darwin and Anais can be seen holding hands and later in a full on SecurityCling. In the latter Anais actually looks somewhat protective over Darwin.
87* Gumball telling Darwin that he's totally his brother at the end of "The Words".
88* "The Dream": In an attempt to get Gumball over his jealousy of Darwin after having a dream in which dream!Darwin kissed dream!Penny, Darwin suggests that Gumball could kiss the person that he (Darwin) loves most in the world as retaliation for his "betrayal". Gumball asks who that is, and Darwin, after thinking for a second, replies, "Uh...probably you, I guess."
89[[/folder]]
90
91[[folder:Season 3]]
92* The opening credits for "The Kids" thanking Logan Grove and Kwesi Boakye (the original voice actors for Gumball and Darwin). It shows that the crew members really do appreciate those two guys for their work, despite that both of them had to be let go due to their voices breaking from puberty.
93* Richard giving a grumpy Gumball and Darwin a "Wonder Hug" in an attempt to make them feel better in "The Joy." Too bad things go horrifically downhill from there...
94** If viewed from a different perspective, this episode has the happiest plot ever. Richard's hug makes Gumball and Darwin so happy that their happiness spreads throughout the entire school, even to Miss Simian, [[SadistTeacher who spends the beginning of the episode making everybody miserable just for the sake of it]]. It's just presented in an [[ZombieApocalypse unconventional manner]].
95* In "The Extras" a colorful bird dances for a black bird but gets dejected and incredibly sad when he [[UnsettlingGenderReveal finds out the black bird is male]]. Then the black bird cheerfully tells him the dance was awesome, so he should continue anyway, and the colorful one perks up immediately.
96* At no point throughout "The Fraud" do Gumball and Darwin try to blackmail or take advantage of Principle Brown after finding out he's a fraud.
97* In "The Void," upon realizing that Molly is not only missing but has been erased from everyone's memories, Gumball and Darwin make it their mission to save her even though they can't actually remember her. Especially given that the joke of the premise is that [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome the universe got rid of her because she was such a boring extra]] (she and the main characters never even talked onscreen when she ''was'' on the show), that the two become so fixated on getting her simply because she was their friend and deserves their help is very sweet.
98* In "The Allergy", when Darwin tries to force Anais and Gumball to leave so they won't be hurt by his out of control sneezing, Gumball refuses to leave his brother, going as far as to grip onto a tree to prove a point to Darwin about how he can handle his sneezing. (Anais stands behind Darwin instead of with Gumball, but there's no evidence to suggest that she intended to leave either.)
99* The Shell. One-third SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome (for how fluid Penny's transformation animation is, demonstrating that the show's animation has improved greatly since its wonky, OffModel first season; Gumball calling Patrick out on insulting his own daughter, and Gumball finally kissing the love of his life), one-third of TearJerker (for Gumball being depressed over Patrick banning Penny from seeing him again and Penny freaking out over thinking her shell-less form is ugly and that Gumball doesn't like it), and the remaining is in this territory:
100** It says a lot of how much Penny means to Gumball that he manages to drop his usual idiocy, laziness, and cowardice--so much that he earns her dad's respect (even though later episodes like "The Spoiler" and "The Apprentice" show that Patrick is still wary about Gumball being around Penny[[note]]with Patrick even saying in "The Apprentice" that he's wary about Gumball because of how stupid his father is and how Gumball may have inherited Richard's idiocy[[/note]], but he's not hostile about it like he was in such early episodes as "The Knights" and "The Date").
101** Gumball reassuring Penny that, no matter how she looks, there is no way that he will not like her. He even makes an offhand joke about how she looked like a coconut with 2 holes, making clear that Gumball never liked Penny for her exterior appearance in the first place. Then he proves it by finally kissing her, changing her back to her first, and happiest normal form.
102--->'''Penny:''' (in wolf form) "But do you real think you could love...*growls threateningly* ''this?!''\
103'''Gumball:''' That's not what you ''are'', that's just how you ''feel''. And this is how ''I'' feel...*kisses her*
104** The fact that Gumball's family is there with him during his DarkestHour (i.e., everyone is worried for him because he looks obviously upset after Penny's father barred him from meeting his daughter again) up to the chase sequence (i.e., knowing that he's in danger by an emotionally vulnerable Penny and thus her powers going haywire, but they still try to help Gumball get into Penny) is sweet by itself. It's clear that Gumball will '''not''' shoulder the burden alone for his attempt to bring Penny back to her senses.
105* Gumball going on a date with Penny in her shell-less form in "The Burden".
106* Gumball and Darwin bonding with the school hamster after he helps them escape capture, and letting him go free.
107* The Mirror has Carrie reuniting with her cursed dad after he fell out the window and died, then came back as a ghost.
108* "The Man": The Wattersons throwing Granny [=JoJo=] a birthday party.
109** Granny [=JoJo=] actually being nice to Nicole by saying she looks average and giving Gumball, Darwin, and Anais real candy instead of [[CrossesTheLineTwice trying to pass off her expired fungal medication as candy]].
110** Granny [=JoJo=] and Louie's entire relationship is built on sweetness.
111** A flashback showing a young Richard serenading a young Nicole (until her dad catches them and Richard falls from the ladder and swallows the guitar he was playing), while the latter looks on lovingly at him.
112** Richard admits that he was so harsh to Louie because he was afraid that Granny [=JoJo=] would leave him like his father did. Granny [=JoJo=] gives this in reply:
113--->'''Granny Jojo:''' ''(kisses him on cheek)'' Don't be sillier than you already are. Your brain might stall once and for all.
114* "The Pizza": The Wattersons giving Larry $100 as a tip and apologizing for treating him like garbage. They realized how important Larry is to the town.
115** Although this is somewhat dampened by: (a) the economy has now fallen so far that the only thing $100 can buy him is a ratburger and a kick in the teeth, and (b) [[{{SnapBack}} they go back to treating him like dirt in later episodes]]. Though StatusQuoIsGod is an active narrative force within the show, so this was to be expected.
116** In fairness, while the $100 is worthless, it's the thought that counts and Larry recognizes it.
117** The episode also ends with the family giving him another tip after purchasing his pizza (not forgetting like last time), even if it was with [[ItMakesSenseInContext rats]].
118* Despite the rampant BlackComedy and Gumball [[JerkassBall being a jerk]] for most of the episode, "The Saint" does have some heartwarming moments, mostly from Alan, such as when he took the fall for Gumball breaking the library computer and when he gave the homeless hairy guy (the one who appeared in such past episodes as "The DVD," "The Castle," and "The Gripes") $20, the homeless hairy guy thanking him for helping him in his time of need, and Gumball finally admitting to Alan that he's a better man (balloon) than he is.
119** A minor one: Even though Tobias gets on Teri's (and other girls') nerves with his flirting, she still seems to care about him, as she panicked when he needed CPR in the flashback scene.
120** Plus, there's how the episode ends: Alan [[ThrowTheDogABone pretends to get pissed over Gumball making squeaking noises on the floor so that Gumball'd feel accomplished in his goal in making Alan break]].
121* The Friend: Anais bonding with the bizarre, shark-headed creature who has been looking for friends ever since his creator died.
122* "The Society": Gumball concluding that he doesn't need to belong to a secret society since he has Darwin as his friend.
123* "The Spoiler": Gumball and Penny's [[SplitScreenPhoneCall phone call]]. Penny ends up being one of the only characters in the episode who doesn't spoil anything about ''The Screamening'' for Gumball. She teases him a little but nothing more than that, assuring him afterwards that she won't give away anything. This is also the first episode to bring up their relationship since "The Mirror," when it was implied they broke up because the email curse drove Gumball to call her fat (it should be noted, however, that the episode was aired out of order since it is aired with and before "The Burden").
124** Patrick Fitzgerald's appearance in the same scene. He evidently still feels the need to eavesdrop on his daughter's phone conversation and he does spoil part of the movie for Gumball, but he was only trying to be funny - friendly even - and he clearly feels bad about it afterwards. [[CharacterDevelopment His animosity towards Gumball seems to have evaporated since "The Shell"]], though it did come back a bit in "The Apprentice".
125** Gumball didn't take Anais to the movie because she is too young and would get scared, showing Gumball being a caring older brother.
126* In the "The Triangle", Gumball thwarts Leslie's attempt to sabotage Darwin's solo at the game. Gumball eventually convinces Leslie to try to be happy for their friend's success. It turned out that Darwin botched his solo, yet the two still look at Darwin in respect as the crowd boos.
127* "The Money": Richard calms down Nicole's wrath by shaping his fat into a heart (even though Richard deserved Nicole's wrath because he was the one who lost the family's money in the first place).
128[[/folder]]
129
130[[folder:Season 4]]
131* Gumball and Darwin helping Rob become a better nemesis in "The Nemesis" just to make him feel better, even if someday it will come back to bite them (as seen at the end of "The Nemesis", TheReveal of who set up the hijacking plan on "The Bus", and what happened in the "The Disaster"/"The Re-Run" two-parter).
132* In "The Others", it is nice to hear Gumball being his optimistic self by praising the amazing world they live in and he and Darwin go to prove Clare wrong by fixing her life and give her a happy ending whether she wants it or not.
133* The ending of "The Signature", Frankie having a HeelRealization for leaving Richard and then coming back just to betray him and his family by taking their home. After Jojo and Louie got married, which makes the latter the oldest Watterson and reclaiming home ownership and somehow reversing all the incestuous adoption that happened earlier, Richard comes to him and has him sign a paper. Frankie questions if it is a restraining order against him, Richard responds it is an adoption paper so Frankie can be a father to him again and also fix the family tree. Both reconcile and rip off their shirts to celebrate becoming a family as everyone including Louie join in.
134** This is actually a very surprisingly mature moment for [[ManChild Richard Watterson]] and shows that perhaps, he IS capable of growing up. And he is capable of {{Forgiveness}}, in which normal people who have abandonment issues can't even do easily. Judging by Richard's memories of his father, his unwillingness to accept Louie to marry his mother, and his father's aforementioned HeelRealization, Frankie might at least have been a good father to him.
135--->'''Watterson Family:''' We are family! Nothing rhymes with family!
136** And during the first few minutes of this episode, Richard admires Louie's profound wisdom and hopes that he won't mind if he calls Louie 'Dad' ''[[note]]It helps since Louie and Frankie are mouse and a rat respectively (in which they hailed from the same family but different genus), so maybe Richard made that comment.]][[/note]]''. In which turned into a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} as TemptingFate kicks in the plot of the episode.
137** And later in "The Check", despite his shortcomings, Grandpa Louie is an accepted and valued member of the Watterson family. He even participated in the family's shenanigans such as the wacky (not to mention invisible) car chase scene!
138* In "The Pest", Gumball and Darwin start off trying to teach Anais that bullying others isn't cool, but when she explains that ''she'' is being bullied, Gumball instantly goes into BigBrotherInstinct mode.
139** It's a quick moment, but Gumball smiles when he sees Penny walk by.
140* It's surprising to see [[RichBitch Masami]] have some CharacterDevelopment in "The Gift", in which she reveals many hidden depths, such as being uncomfortable with her friends trying to please her when they could just appear at her birthday party to be with her at her happiest day and greet her, and even accept normal (for Masami's standards) things as gifts. She even accepted the striped socks that she received, in which alongside revealing that she has legs, she wears them all the time.
141* In "The Comic", Sarah witnessed Gumball got mugged and she ran away with her comic in hand causing Gumball to drop out of the hero business. That was until Sarah came back with a new issue and have Gumball and Darwin to read it. It was about Laserheart fighting against Onyx, who was based on the mugger, and the DarkestHour comes when Onyx destroys Laserheart's power source. It all seems lost until The Smoocher kisses Laserheart to restore his powers and defeat him. Gumball is more than relieved that not only did Sarah's comic cheer him up, but he also witnessed the thief getting his just desserts from Nicole. The lesson was that even after darkest moments, you never lose hope -- and "What goes around, comes around" (which the mugger learned when he tried to steal the hubcaps off Nicole's car and gets punched in the face).
142* After everything that happened in "The Romantic", Gumball and Penny remained together (originally, they were going to break up, but the writers scrapped that). Capped off in the ending when Gumball promises no more marriage proposals and big gestures, he tries to stop Darwin igniting the fireworks but it was too late. Penny had to witness a huge fireworks display by Gumball which tells his message that he loves her and claiming it was Gumball who sent it despite him denying it. When Gumball gives up and does a heart eye emoji face out of embarrassment, Penny just sighs and says "Oh Gumball..." with a smile on her face. Penny is well-aware that while Gumball may have been impulsive about his relationship with her, it was out of good intentions and Gumball is willing to concede for her if she doesn't like what he's doing. Gumball actually trying to make her angry to ward off the animals attacking is heartwarming. The insults he hurls at her mom and sister just make her laugh.
143-->'''Gumball:''' Your mother's so dense, that when you said your laptop was buggy, she preached it with insecticide!\
144'''Penny:''' (giggles) She is bad with computers.
145* Even though it was all an illusion from head trauma it was quite nice to see a noble side of Gumball in "The Apprentice". Gumball knew that if he revealed that the Chanax CEO was evil, it will cause Patrick, Penny's father, to lose respect for him since he was hoping to get a job from him. But Gumball did it anyway because he was worried that the Chanax CEO might destroy a hospital to build a new highway, showing that Gumball does care about what happens to his town.
146* Gumball's letter to Darwin in "The Signal", as well as them making up as they're trapped in the driverless car and at the mercy of the satellite interruptions messing with reality.
147* Gumball and Darwin trying to help Mr. Small feel like he's inspired someone and is doing a good job as a guidance counselor (despite the chain of disaster it caused) in "The Advice".
148* "The Origins" two-parter may as well be two whole episodes built out of this trope; seeing Richard and Nicole as young parents dealing with their hyperactive 4-year-old Gumball and still being as kind and loving as they can, the ''astonishing'' lengths the two go to to hide the fact that the original Darwin (a regular goldfish) died so as to preserve Gumball's innocence, Richard buying the current Darwin from a super-shady guy in a van for ''$100'' dollars just to keep the act up (though he'd talked the guy down to $10 before immediately raising it back up to $100), and the entire second episode consisting of Darwin's journey to get back home after accidentally being flushed. Even the explanation of how Darwin got his lungs and legs is heartwarming; turns out that he and Gumball are literally connected by their souls and can feel each other's emotional states, and Darwin feeling Gumball not give up on him coming back is what changed his anatomy and made him grow. The first time he had just crawled from the ocean and was about to suffocate when his lungs grew in, and the second was as he was about to die of dehydration in the desert outside Elmore when his legs popped out [[note]]which makes the part on "The Re-Run" where Darwin turns back into a limbless fish struggling to breathe all the more heartbreaking, because, with Nicole and Richard gone, Gumball doesn't exist and neither does their soul bond that gave Darwin life[[/note]].
149** Just the fact that the Wattersons immediately accept Darwin into their family is very sweet. They could have been more put off by the new legs but they're just happy that he's back and he's safe. Nicole even shows concern for his well being when she notices how bruised his feet are.
150* In a twisted way, the ending of "The Wicked". Sure Gumball and Darwin are arrested for a crime they didn't commit, and the episode has the HardTruthAesop that there [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk really are awful people with no good inside]] and [[FreudianExcuse no explanation to justify it]], but Mrs. Robinson's HumiliationConga proves that, in spite of all the bad in the world, justice and karma do exist.
151* In "The Parasite," Gumball's main goal is to save Anais from her new "friend," Jodie, whom he believes is taking advantage of his little sister. When Darwin points out that Gumball also regularly takes advantage of Anais, Gumball claims [[HypocriticalHeartwarming that that's different because he's her brother]].
152** When Gumball confronts Anais about Jodie, she hits him for trying to interfere [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther but gives him a kiss on the cheek afterwards for worrying about her]]. D'awwwww.
153** Later, when it seems like Gumball's schemes to break up Anais and Jodie have made the latter cry, he and Darwin immediately come clean about what they've been doing and ask if she's okay. Unfortunately, it's immediately ruined afterwards by {{Nightmare Fuel}}.
154* "The Love" is the definition of Heartwarming. Even gross/cringeworthy/comic moments like the vignette about how The Robinsons express their love through violence, the vignette of Sussie's parents having a romantic dinner out and gross out the other patrons, and Richard getting arrested for [[MistakenForPedophile hugging Billy Parham]], [[AccidentalPervert hugging Felicity]], [[EscalatingPunchline hugging the jolly hamburger arresting him, hugging the anus judge trying him, and trying to hug the green goblin, dolphin man, and butterknife in his cell who are ready to beat him up]] had heartwarming moments (especially the Richard story, which ends with his family visiting him in the hospital and hugging him after his cellmates MegatonPunch him into the hospital).
155** Gumball and Penny both blush singing about their own love in their part of the opening song.
156** When interviewed by an off-screen reporter on why she loves Richard, Nicole struggles to come up with an answer, so she gives up finding an explanation for their love and hugs him.
157** The Sun and the Moon even have a really cute and charming conversation (with the BackgroundMusic being used again for "Weird Like you and Me" from "The Compilation").
158** One skit has a scientific explanation for how love works, showing a male and female doll becoming infatuated. While it seems they are infatuated with each other, turns out that each of them has fell for another doll of the same sex, which prompts the narrator to say that there are no rules to love.
159** The episode ending happily, for once, by having Gumball not tell Bobert that he shouldn't fall in love with a vacuum cleaner.
160* For all its [[BlackComedy dark humor]] and NightmareFuel, "The Nest" had one with Gumball being the one to say goodbye to their former pet, the evil [[MonsterIsAMommy (and pregnant)]] turtle, even after noting that they didn't get enough time to know each other. The Evil Turtle looked like she was about to bite him as response like in "The Puppy"... only to nuzzle against him affectionately instead.
161* From "The Night": Hector's dream of being normal-sized and enjoying everything that he couldn't enjoy when he was a giant, and the implication that he has a crush on Sarah G. Lato.
162* "The Roots" showed how much the Watterson family truly love Darwin enough to not want him to be let go to the waters and they FreakOut at the thought of it. The episode ends with the Watterson family bonding with Darwin as they consider him a true Watterson after it turns out that he was trying to guilt-trip Nicole into buying a bigger fish tank for him.
163** Special note goes to Nicole shouting that no one's taking her baby. Not child, not her Darwin, her baby -- the only one of her kids she didn't birth, and she makes no distinction over that fact.
164** The sheer fact that when the Wattersons realize they have to [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy let Darwin go in order for him to be happy]], ''they do it'', regardless of the fact that they're clearly beyond heartbroken about it. Darwin may not fully understand it, as he clearly has abandonment issues, but when push came to shove, Nicole, Richard, Gumball, and Anais [[ActOfTrueLove ultimately chose to prioritize what was best for Darwin over what was best for themselves]]. ''That'' is real love.
165* The ending of "The Detective", with Anais getting Daisy back and managing to get some sleep.
166* Nicole and Yuki reconciling in "The Fury".
167** Earlier, Richard cheering Nicole up by putting groceries on his face when he noticed how sad she was and then Anais punching Yuki in the leg for sexually harassing him.
168** The second Nicole and Yuki hear their children scream due to getting trapped by some rubble during their fight, [[MamaBear they both run over to try and free them]].
169** Masami throughout the whole episode never antagonizes Nicole or the Watterson kids. She even attempted to stop the fight, but stayed out of it for good reasons.
170*** Another subtle moment is between Masami and Yuki -- throughout the entire episode, Yuki never ''once'' tries to get Masami to act hostile to either the Watterson kids or Nicole. In fact, when Yuki attempts to get Nicole angry in the market, Masami tentatively asks her mother if they can leave. And even though Yuki does one last petty thing to Nicole by throwing her shopping cart to the floor (which wasn't even her's), Yuki complies to her daughter's wish.
171* "The Scam" has Darwin still having feelings for Carrie and she happens to also feel the same for him.
172* The song "Weird Like you and Me" from "The Compilation." It's a song about how everyone has a place in this world (both on the show and in real life), no matter how odd they may be. It also shows that, much like the older episodes of ''The Simpsons'', the show does have a sweet side underneath the cartoonish, often dark humor.
173* In "The Disaster", Gumball was truly saddened about Darwin running away after thinking Gumball hated him thanks to Rob. The Watterson family, who not long ago blamed Gumball for their car destroyed when the cars were controlled by Rob's remote, understood his tears and dropped what they were doing to go find their beloved family member...which didn't last as Rob used the remote's "Parental Filter" to make Nicole and Richard say mean things about each other to the point that they break up.
174[[/folder]]
175
176[[folder:Season 5]]
177* The ending of "The Rerun". Gumball went into the Void to rescue Rob even after the deaths of Darwin and Anais, the de-aging of Nicole and Richard, and Penny falling to her likely death; just because it was the right thing to do. Just as Rob was ready to end Gumball, he was touched by Gumball's kindness and used the remote to undo all the damage even if it meant having Gumball forget about what happened. Before he rewound time, Gumball hugged him and said he was looking forward into being his enemy again.
178* Molly thanking Gumball and Darwin for helping her find an interesting story to tell in "The Stories".
179* In "The Choices", Nicole thinks back to events that took place on the day she met Richard, and ponders if her life would've been better off if she took alternate paths that kept them from meeting. At the end of it, she really couldn't imagine a happier life with her husband, and we're treated to a beautiful silent montage with nothing but uplifting music showing both Nicole and Richard growing up together and raising a family.
180** Despite throwing him out of the house and never really approving of his relationship, Richard's mother still comes to his wedding (and stays in the family's life). Unlike the TearJerker for Nicole.
181** This conversation:
182--> '''Nicole:''' What should I do with my life?\
183'''Richard:''' Um...maybe start living it?\
184''(They both smile and the GoodTimesMontage plays)''
185** The expressions they give when they see Gumball walk for the first time. Any parent can understand that feeling.
186** Despite Nicole storming out/Richard getting kicked out, they were able to make the best of it together. It shows how they truly feel for each other.
187** Despite two of the alternate paths showing that she would have gotten herself killed via his obsession with "prescription hugs", and blowing him off completely in the main timeline, Nicole still invited Mr. Small to her wedding.
188* "The Fuss" started with Nicole thinking Richard forgot their anniversary, but she realized she set the calendar upside down (their anniversary being 11/01 and not 10/11 which is the current date) while Richard is trying to make up forgetting the day by putting a tattoo of the date on his butt so he won't forget it permanently. It was too late to stop him and after Nicole admits she was wrong, Richard laughed about it and then forgives her... knowing how to fix this. He got it changed from "10.11" to "LOVE" for this reason.
189--> '''Richard:''' Now I'll never forget to think about you every day. What do you think?\
190'''Nicole:''' (smiles) I love it.
191** Hammering it home is that the music that plays during this scene is a reprise of Nicole and Richard's love theme from "The Choices."
192** At the beginning of the episode, Richard and the three kids are all vegging out on the couch, watching videos on the laptop and eating ice cream.
193** Richard decides to get the tattoo without the subject of their anniversary ever coming up. He doesn't know why Nicole's upset or what he supposedly forgot, only that it's important to her, and that's enough for him.
194* "The Outside" has Gumball with a "tattoo" of Penny.
195* "The Copycats": While the Wattersons trying to stop the ripoffs from copying them was epic to watch, there was one moment where they tried doing that in a kind way by singing: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhrTNEKgEuI Be Your Own You]]". It also gave us a great message as well.
196* "The Matchmaker":
197** When Gumball thought he saw a pic of Teri his brother was looking at but despite being a ShipperOnDeck for Darwin/Carrie, Gumball doesn't care who Darwin goes after as long as his brother's happiness is top priority.
198** Carrie who showed feelings for Darwin, doesn't want to intervene with Darwin's happiness by being with Teri out of jealousy. To the point that she helps out with the love potion and used her own tears as the ingredient due to her love for him.
199** Despite the love potion coming strong on Darwin and Teri, true love prevailed when Darwin snapped out of it due to seeing Carrie's tearful look and finally remembering who does he truly love.
200** Gumball is happy to see both Darwin and Carrie together sharing their kiss. Even when Carrie tries to hide his eyes so he wouldn't see, he still saw but doesn't mind at all.
201* Richard's "insults" to his kids in "The Cycle": Telling Gumball how lucky Richard is that his son doesn't have his BigEater tendencies, how Darwin is his "pride and joy", and that Anais is probably better than everyone. He then cries and pulls them all in a hug when he thinks that he "insulted" them too badly.
202* "The Grades" shows that the only people in Elmore that don't hate Gumball that are not his friends or family members are younger kids. They even look up to him. Awwwww.
203** Also, Gumball ''aceing'' the test to to be put back in his original grade again without having to cheat, like both he and Ms. Simian assumed he would have to. Showing he can be more capable than he thinks, if he actually applies himself.
204* Despite it being a prank, Gumball choosing to end his life in favor of saving Ocho in "The Uncle" shows that either he truly does consider Ocho to be his friend, or he's just that noble in general. Either option is heartwarming.
205* In "The Weirdo", after spending a big chunk of the episode trying to change Sussie into someone who will be more socially accepted, Gumball and Darwin (literally) see the world through her eyes when Sussie sings them a song about how she doesn't care what people think of her, and that being her own, weird self makes her feel free. It's an incredibly sweet message that tells the viewers they don't need to be accepted by everyone, and that it's more important to find happiness by being themselves.
206* In the scene where [[ItMakesSenseInContext Gumball and Darwin have to smash everyone's phones]], Gumball delivers a line that implies that Darwin and Carrie are still a thing.
207* The virtual around the world trip that Gumball and Darwin did for their mom in "The List" is pretty sweet.
208* At the end of Pluto's song in "The Singing" (and after Earth tells her to quiet down), some meteorites come and ask her to hang out with them.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:Season 6]]
212* "The Rival" averts InfantSiblingJealousy with Gumball and Darwin to the newborn Anais, as they are excited to meet her and immediately adore her after she was born. However, Anais herself takes it the wrong way by inverting it and tries to get rid of them to have their parents all to herself.
213** The fact that Nicole and Richard also defy ParentalFavoritism by reassuring Gumball and Darwin that they still love the two of them unconditionally.
214** Despite being terrified of [[EnfantTerrible her attempts to kill them]], Gumball and Darwin still try to save their little sister from the junkyard, shedding TearsOfJoy and embrace her when she is safe, which Anais [[HeelFaceTurn starts to grow out of killing her brothers and returns their love]].
215* In "The Lady," Richard has been crossdressing as a stylish older woman named Samantha so he can hang out with [[Series/TheGoldenGirls a group of sassy ladies named Angela, Violet, and Maria]]. Unfortunately, Gumball and Darwin misunderstand and think he's cheating on Nicole and get incredibly upset and outraged at their father's behavior. They then unintentionally convince him he has to stop being friends with the women, which leads to a few moments:
216** How angry Gumball and Darwin were on their mom's behalf shows how much they care about her.
217** After realizing Richard ''is'' Samantha, Gumball immediately changes his tune and tells Darwin they need to stop their dad from "Ruining his beautiful friendship with those sassy girls." Cheating on their mom? Disgusting. But crossdressing to be friends with some cool ladies? Wonderful and beautiful. That's an incredibly supportive kid right there.
218** Richard explaining he had trouble making friends with other men, and wanted to become friends with Angela, Violet, and Maria after seeing how happy and comfortable they were with each other. He then apologizes for deceiving them before saying "Thank you, for being a friend."
219** Angela and Violet then revealing they were also men dressing up as women because they felt the same way Richard did. Except Maria, she's not a drag queen. The guys then spin an elaborate story to justify continuing to dress up to spend time together, indicating they're doing it not just to be friends but because they enjoy it. Gumball keeps pointing out they don't ''have'' to dress up as women to be friends if they don't want to, but then figures if it makes them happy why not?
220** While the situation is funny, the fact that Richard never gets mocked for feeling more comfortable crossdressing.
221* In "The One", we learn the people whom Gumball considers his closest friends. That being Darwin (obviously), but more surprisingly, Leslie, Bobert, Banana Joe, Sarah, and Carrie.
222** Gumball and Tobias having a brief, but entirely sweet FriendshipMoment in the end. Considering that this was Tobias's last DayInTheLimelight and the two have been in frequent odds with one another, it's a fitting end to his character.
223** On a side note some of the characters Gumball "rejected" in The Third (Leslie, Banana Joe, Bobert) he now considers his closest friends
224* In "The Father", Frankie seems to have forgiven the Wattersons for the events of "The Outside", as he still visits them and warmly returns his grandchildren's welcoming embrace. The series implies that the Wattersons have seen Frankie more times than the audience has since "The Signature", enough that the kids are at the hugging stage of their tentative relationship, which is a nice thought in and of itself.
225** The kids trying to cheer up their father following his depression about Frankie's absence throughout his life and how seemingly nothing can change it.
226** Even when his old criminal habits make things awkward and frustrating for Richard, Frankie seems genuine in his attempts to bond with his son, showing how much he cares about him.
227** Richard and Frankie's reconciliation, accepting that while Frankie might never completely change, the only good thing he's ever done is that Richard is a much better parent thanks to him.
228---> '''Frankie:''' [[EvilParentsWantGoodKids Look, I didn't want you to turn out like me and I was right]]. Look at you, you turned out great and your kids love you.\
229'''Richard:''' ''(tearing up)'' [[BumblingDad I didn't start off as a good father]], but your kids! [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre They see you as better than you are, so every day you bust your chops and try to live up to that]].\
230'''Frankie:''' ''(solemn)'' [[TheCynic It's too late for me]]...\
231'''Richard:''' ''(serious)'' [[SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers No! Not true!]] [[ChildrenRaiseYou You know what my kids taught me today]]? "[[MeaningfulEcho The future starts]] ''[[MeaningfulEcho now]]''!"\
232''(Gumball, Darwin, and Anais, watching from behind Richard, start to tear up by the touching scene)''\
233'''Frankie:''' ''(smiles and hugs Richard)'' I'm sorry, son.\
234'''Richard:''' ''(returning the hug)'' I'm sorry, too.\
235'''Frankie:''' ''(shedding a tear)'' You have nothing to apologize for.\
236'''Richard:''' Yes, I do. [[AffectionatePickpocket I stole your wallet]].\
237'''Frankie:''' ''(surprised then smiles again)'' [[SoProudOfYou That's my boy]].
238* In "The Faith", Gumball and Darwin take it upon themselves to help Alan and restore his faith in the world when he becomes uncharacteristically depressed and pessimistic that the world will never be perfect. Despite Gumball disliking Alan, and Alan being aware at this point that Gumball dislikes him, the two brothers manage to succeed by singing Alan an inspirational song about believing in human potential and finding joy and value in the little things in life in the meantime. Afterwards, Gumball seems to have let up on his irrational grudge against Alan.
239-->'''Alan:''' Thank you, Gumball. I guess this makes us friends now?\
240'''Gumball:''' ''(snorts)'' What? No. ''(Alan pouts)''\
241'''Gumball:''' ''(smiles)'' Well, maybe a little. ''(Alan smiles)''
242** The song itself is actually quite heartwarming as well
243--->'''Gumball:''' ''If you stop halfway up the mountain you will never see the view!''\
244'''Darwin:''' ''When you look how far you've climbed you'll find the courage to pull through!''\
245'''Gumball:''' ''You'll wonder [[StealthPun how on Earth]] you can put up with all of this then you'll come across a memory of perfect bliss...''\
246'''Both:''' ''So keep following the light!''\
247''No matter how much your heart aches!''\
248''Cause this sad old world...''\
249''will need your hope...''\
250''to fix it when it breaks!''\
251''And at times when you can't take it...''\
252''And you want the day to end''\
253''Take my hand...''\
254''And you will find...''\
255''Life is beautiful... my FRIEND''
256** Alan's memory of "perfect bliss"? Kissing Carmen.
257* Larry attempting to propose to Karen once again in "The Shippening", something that hasn't happened since Season 1. Karen looks super excited... until Larry is suddenly shipped with Mr. Small.
258* At the end of "The Parents," Nicole finally reconciles with [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther her estranged mom and dad]].
259** Nicole's parents reveal that they actually ''did'' intend to go to their daughter's wedding; they just mistook "RSVP" as a city in a foreign country.
260* A FreezeFrameBonus in "The Transformation" shows that Alan is now Gumball's Elmore Plus friend. Seems that Gumball went through with his claim in "The Faith".
261* "The Spinoffs":
262** Ocho lying in the grass with Molly and Sarah. They're all social outcasts of some kind, so it's heartwarming to see them together.
263** The babies' segments are [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel pretty cute]] (except for when Tina appears, which is definitely not cute).
264* In "The Buddy", Jamie and Anais, who both have little to no friends, make a friendship in the end of the episode.
265* After fighting with each other the entire episode in "The Master", Richard reminds the family of how much they love each other after completing the RPG. The treasure chest reward contains a parchment that reads "the greatest treasure on Earth is the time you spend together". Moved by this, they tear up and reconcile with a hug.
266* The end of "The Wish". Principal Brown [[ItMakesSenseInContext thinks Miss Simian turned into a neck pillow]]. He says "I love you" to "Miss Simian" and the real Simian overhears it, which is the first time in a while she's heard him say that to her. They then reconcile.
267* The end of "The Heart". Mr. Robinson actually ''smiles'' after being hugged by Gumball and Darwin.
268* In a strange sort of way, the fact that Rob was just trying to save everyone in "The Inquisition". He even goes out of his way to try and capture and transform Gumball and Darwin. Even though they were nemeses he tried his best to save them too.
269** Also from "The Inquisition", Gumball trying to turn Penny back to normal with a kiss. Sure, [[MistakenIdentity it turns out to be Sarah,]] but it's the thought that counts.
270** Gumball calling Banana Joe "buddy" before singing the banana song to change him back. Then after that, he happily does a dance with the banana.
271[[/folder]]

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