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Tear Jerker / Pinky and the Brain

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  • Near the end of the Christmas Episode, Pinky and the Brain crash-land back in the lab, and are about to broadcast a brainwashing message to the people of the world through the toys they've tricked Santa into distributing (like most stuff in this show, it makes more sense in context). Just as the Brain is starting to make some emergency repairs to his broadcasting device... thingy, Pinky realizes he didn't get to deliver his letter to Santa, which he'd been trying to do for half of the episode. Aggravated, the Brain yanks away Pinky's letter, while Pinky bursts into tears. Just as they've almost got the device running, and they're mere seconds away from brainwashing the entire world, Brain decides to take a look at the letter. After reading it, he aborts the entire scheme in remorseful tears, ordering the people of the world not to bow before him, but to "have a Merry Christmas".
    "Dear Santa, hello, hah hah, narf! (Glares at Pinky) This year Santa, I ask for nothing, but I wish to tell you about my dear friend, the Brain. He is honest and very hard working, and only wants what's best for the world, but he gets no reward. He is only greeted with defeat. He never gives up, but I know it must be very hard, so please, take anything that you have for me and give it to my best friend in the whole world, the Brain. Love Pinky. (PS. By any chance do you have in that big old bag of yours... the world?)"
    • And then there's the very end, when Pinky does give Brain the world for Christmas (it's a keychain of a globe, but good enough). No wonder this special won an Emmy.
    • It was so heartbreaking that Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen have stated that they were genuinely crying recording the episode.
  • The Halloween episode where Pinky sells his soul to Satan so that Brain can gain world domination. Pinky is on the verge of tears when he says goodbye to Brain, who is truly miserable without Pinky.
    • Brain's deal with Mr. Itch. If he wins Pinky back, he will be forbidden from taking over the world again. Brain is reluctant because not only is world domination his goal, but he doesn’t have any other skills or ambitions outside of it.
  • Snowball's introductory episode:
    • Just the fact that Brain’s dear friend turned into his worst enemy should say it all.
    • To get back at Brain for the chain letter scheme, Snowball lies to Pinky that the Brain doesn’t care about him. Pinky initially doesn’t believe it, but when Brain sarcastically repeats everything that Snowball said to him earlier, he tearfully turns his back on his friend and joins Snowball. Brain tries to apologize, but Pinky won’t have it.
    • Brain's Heroic BSoD after Snowball takes over the world. He’s stuck wandering the streets with nowhere to call home. It’s so bad that he even wants a cat to eat him. That’s right, folks! Brain actually contemplated suicide!
    • Snowball revealing to Pinky that he is just using him and telling him to get out.
  • A more minor example, the ending to "The Brain's Apprentice". Brain's robot uprising was very close to succeeding but due to not listening to Pinky and not paying close enough attention, the plan stalled and backfired. When Brain finds out what happened, he stares at the screen sadly as the score gets mellow. Slightly averted in that it's also played for laughs.
  • "This Old Mouse"
    • Brain's downward spiral into depression after viewing a possible future where none of his plans ever succeed. He practically gives up on himself, getting rid of all of his belongings and moping around the lab.
    • Brain temporarily moving out of the lab, leaving Pinky alone.
    • And of course, Brain's death in an avalanche. Even though it's avoided by the end of the episode, seeing it unfold (especially from Pinky's perspective) can be a little devastating.
  • Really, a lot of of Brain's abuse towards Pinky in earlier episodes can come across as a little cringe-worthy, like in the first episode when Brain grabs Pinky's ear and yanks on it forcefully, all while Pinky is clearly in pain. Their relationship became slightly less antagonistic as the show progressed, however.
  • Billie and Brain's backstory in "Brain Noir". Brain became too absorbed in world domination to carry out a relationship with Billie.
    • Something similar happens with Brain and another female mouse, Trudy, in "The Third Mouse".
    Trudy: You're in love with her aren't you?
    Brain: With who?
    Trudy: THE WORLD!
    Brain: Yes....
  • In "The Family That Poits Together, Narfs Together," we see Pinky watching a soap opera featuring a family reunion. He becomes increasingly emotional about it, and breaks down in tears, having not seen his family in several years, obviously missing them dearly. (Which makes it all the more sweet when he does eventually reunite with his parents later in the episode.)
  • The ending of "Brain Acres", where Pinky and Brain have to bury Maurice, an anthropomorphic carrot Pinky becomes attached to. Pinky sings a sad song as they bury him and he finally starts crying.
    • The song in question is a spoof of "Born Free", and surprisingly enough, it works.
  • The ending to "Two Mice and a Baby". "Bye bye....Dada."
  • Brain's flashback and Freudian Excuse from "Leggo My Ego". He was a young field mouse when he was captured and experimented on. But the real clincher is that the home he was taken away from was a can with a picture of planet earth on it. Brain's attempts at world conquest are just him trying to get back home.
  • Mr. Sultana's life and backstory in "My Feldmans, My Friends".
  • The ending to "Pinky's Plan", which also doubles as heartwarming.
    Brain: I don't deserve a friend like you Pinky.
  • In "The World Can Wait", Brain finally finds love with a neighbor lab mouse, however just as he's finally won her over, she gets experimented on, leaving her traumatized and with a bigger IQ than his own, pressuring him to call off the romance until he has taken over the world before she does.
  • In the comic story "It's a Wonderful Narf", Brain's harsh comments not only cause Pinky to run away crying, but if Brain hadn't pretended to be a guardian angel, Pinky would have actually committed suicide.

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