WARNING! SPOILERS ARE UNMARKED
Surprisingly, the series has a slew of heartwarming moments, especially towards the end.
- The opening titles, showing the lead characters climbing up the Hollywood sign, pulling each other up and helping each other along. They then stand at the top of the sign, gazing out over the city in awe. The imagery and music are fully fitting of the overall story, and the symbolism is very touching.
- Camille and Raymond. During their scenes together you really get the sense that they’re up-and-coming filmmakers who want the best for and love each other.
- Claire accepts Camille getting cast over her with good grace, fully admitting she's the best actress for the part. She even tells her mother that she's very proud of her for taking a chance and casting a black woman in a romantic lead. Avis is so moved, she cries!
- Avis deciding to be the bigger person and give Jeane, the woman who her husband was sleeping with, a great role in a picture.
- After Rock bombs his screen test, Ms. Crandall (the woman who was reading with him) comforts him.
- Anna May Wong at the first table reading, admitting — with a noticeable tremble in her voice — that she didn't think she'd ever get to do this again, and how happy she is to be making a movie.
- After Camille is cast as Meg, the writers choose to change the story's ending, turning a tragedy about a young woman who killed herself into a story of hope; in spite of every obstacle the world throws at her, Meg is able to win.
- Ernie busting his ass, literally and figuratively, in order to accumulate $25k for production costs. He doesn’t even ask for a single thing in return, calling it his final message to Hollywood. You’ll smiling like a devil when he’s given a part in Meg.
- Ernie’s relationship with the four male leads can also qualify as he doesn’t discriminate based on race or sexuality, and supports their dream of becoming stars.
- Jack coming to visit Henrietta after she gives birth to her twins - even if they aren't his - just to make sure she's doing well. And then their last scene together where they part on warm terms, with Jack acknowledging that even if their marriage wasn't meant to be, Henrietta still means a lot to him and that he couldn't have gotten where he is without her support.
- Avis and Ace reconciling and vowing to try again. Tragically, Ace dies the next morning.
- The entire Oscar scene can qualify as one big Heartwarming moment.
- Most notably, Anna May Wong’s win for supporting actress. Previously she tried to get into the MGM film, The Good Earth, but was denied due to her heritage.note In real life, even though every character in The Good Earth is Chinese, a white actor (Paul Muni) had been cast as the leading man, and the Hays Code still counted having Wong play his wife as "miscegenation" and forbade it. She was offered another role, but she did not want to play the scheming temptress against two white people in yellowface, understandably. Here she not only stars in a major motion picture in a non-stereotypical role, but she wins an Academy Award for it! Her speech seals just the deal.
- While he still loses Best Actor, Jack takes it in stride and uses the moment to propose to Claire.
- An unnamed black man listening to the ceremony on the radio is so overwhelmed when Archie wins, he begins weeping. And when Camille wins, he literally starts screaming and jumping for joy.
- Similarly, an Asian family listening are overjoyed when Anna May Wong finally gets an Oscar, and also break into cheers when they hear Camille win Best Actress.
- Rock and Archie holding hands and kissing at the ceremony — which, as the Distant Epilogue shows, inspired countless other gay people to stop hiding.
- Arguably the whole show could be described as one big heartwarming chunk of wish fulfilment. It tells a story that is complete fantasy but stays real and grounded enough to be absolutely enthralling. It's a wonderful view of what could have been, and the better world we all could be living in.
