History Heartwarming / Firefly

* [[TrueCompanions "You're on my crew... why are we still taking about this?"]]

** And, "You're on my crew. Why're we still talking about this?" From the same episode.

* Simon. When he fights off an entire mob of torch-wielding witch-burning loonies to save River, and when he realized he couldn't win. He choose to ''die with her'' rather than leave her. It's more awesome because when you know how much he already gave up, you can easily believe he would do such a thing. He had nothing left but love and honor (which in his case were the same thing) and it would be simply impossible to wimp out now. It was a very believable HeroicSacrifice.

* Pretty much any scene in ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' between Wash and Zoe, or Simon and Kaylee, or Simon and River. Jayne even gets one in the pilot, where he's seen watching nervously through the infirmary window as Kaylee is operated on after getting shot.

* Jayne in the pilot. Standing outside of the infirmary while Simon's operating on Kaylee, as mentioned earlier, and the fact that he's willing to shoot Book so that he can exact revenge on Dobson for shooting [[WrenchWench Little Kaylee]]. Heck...Jayne is actually full of [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moments of Heartwarming]].

* During one of the comic stories, Jayne gives a monk a stack of money and walks away.
--> '''Jayne''': [[CrowningMomentofFunny Buy some shoes.]]
--> '''Monk''': [[CallBack The Hero of Canton...]] [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming He's real!]]
* From the climax to the BigDamnMovie, just before River [[spoiler:goes to kick Reaver ass]]:
-->'''River''': You've always looked after me. [[NowLetMeCarryYou My turn]].
* As mentioned in the main page, the tune playing in the accidental marriage in "Our Mrs Reynolds" is really taken from an actual wedding march. Once you know when to listen for it though, the whole scene becomes the sweetest thing you'll ever see. [[spoiler:And then she turns out to be a triple-crossing BITCH.]]
** Also from "Our Mrs Renolds", during the celebration, there's this one shot of Zoe and Wash cuddling as they watch the others. And it's ''adorable''.
** Another from "Our Mrs Reynolds". Mal and Inara may be holding back all their feelings for each other, they may be at each other's throats half the time, but [[spoiler: when Inara sees Mal unconscious after Saffron tells her he's dead, she is about to batshit with anguish before Mal stirs a little.]]
* In Jaynetown, Inara bonds with Fess, the timid son of the slaveowner who cannot speak up to his father's wrongdoing. Inara and Fess bond over sex, and Inara gently tells Fess that being a real man takes courage. [[spoiler: Eventually Fess aided Serenity's escape from the mudtown]]
* [[TrueCompanions "You're on my crew... why are we still taking about this?"]]
** Simon has his moments too, especially in "Safe," where he fights off an entire mob of torch-wielding witch-burning loonies to save River, and when he realized he couldn't win, choosing to ''die with her'' rather than leave her. It's more awesome because when you know how much he already gave up, you can easily believe he would do such a thing. He had nothing left but love and honor (which in his case were the same thing) and it would be simply impossible to wimp out now. It was a very believable HeroicSacrifice.
--> '''Simon''': Light it.
* An unorthodox one in "War Stories": Jayne's the last one on the crew to agree to join the mission to save Mal... yet he's able to cover himself in more firepower than the rest combined. "...What?"
** The real clincher here? He brought VERA.
** Hence the point of that scene. He was always coming with them. He was just getting his guns first.
* Meta-example: a hilarious outtake from "The Message" involves the slow rotating shot in Tracy's funeral, except Nathan Fillion is deliberately running counter to the camera rotation to re-appear beside every other cast member while acting like he's always been there, culminating in Mal ''sharing the coffin with Tracy''. How does this count? Because the scene was being filmed ''just after the cast had learned that the series had been cancelled'', and Nathan went above and beyond to keep spirits up.
* The whole ordeal Simon went through with River is one giant CMOH.
* At the end of "Ariel": 'No, mei-mei. Time to wake up.' It's the way he says it more than anything else.

* There's also the brief scene between Mal and River at the end of "Objects in Space," after they've teamed up to take down Early.
-->'''River''': Permission to come aboard?\\
'''Mal''': You know, you ain't quite right.\\
'''River''': That's the popular theory.\\
'''Mal''': Go on. Get in there. Give your brother a thrashing for messing up your plan. \\
'''River''': He takes so much looking after.
** What makes it especially heartwarming was River's pure ''lucidity''. She cracked a joke. An honest-to-gods ''joke'', not just some unintentional hilarity stemming from her weirdness. For the first time, it looks like she's going to be all right.
** And the second-to-last scene from "Objects In Space," showing the entire crew in one long, unbroken shot, signifying that River is now really considered part of the crew as a whole.
** The bit where Simon has been shot and is still desperately fighting to keep Early from getting to River, thinking that everyone else is locked in their rooms and that he'll probably die doing it is another good one.
* One of the more pointed moments is at the end of "Safe," where Simon and River come into the dining room to eat with the rest of the crew, showing that they've been really accepted as part of the family on the ship.
* "War Stories." One line: "If it were any one of us, Captain wouldn't hesitate."
** Also in "War Stories," River's breakdown, and Simon caring for her.
-->'''River''': ''(sobbing)'' What am I?!\\
'''Simon''': ''(hugs her tightly)'' You are my beautiful baby sister.\\
'''River''': ''(sniffles and stops crying)'' ...I threw up on your bed.\\
'''Simon''': Yep. Definitely my sister.
* Another scene from "Jaynestown", when River tries to "fix" Book's bible, editing the parts that she thought didn't make sense. Book gently tells her, "You don't fix this book. It fixes you."
** River returning to Book with honest intentions of repairing the bible, calling it "your symbol." It may not necessarily mean anything to her, but she knows it means something to him.
* Two lines from the best scene in the series:
-->'''Mal:''' Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?\\
'''Zoe:''' BigDamnHeroes, Sir!\\
'''Mal:''' Ain't we just?\\
----\\
'''Mal:''' Cut her down.\\
'''Preacher:''' The girl is a witch.\\
'''Mal:''' Yeah, but she's ''our'' witch. ['''[[DramaticGunCock KA-CHINK!]]'''] So cut her the hell down.
** And, "You're on my crew. Why're we still talking about this?" From the same episode.
** Also from that episode:
-->'''Simon''': Light it.\\
And
-->'''Simon''': Mei Mei, all I have is right here.
* The dancing scene in Safe was also good. For once we got to see her enjoying herself and see her brother see it.
** And after Simon gets kidnapped, there's River, still happy. "Found you!"
* The end of "Ariel", when Mal shoves Jayne into the airlock for betraying Simon and River. About to be killed, Jayne begs Mal not to tell them about his betrayal and instead to make something up, as if he died in an accident. Mal spares Jayne's life, convinced that he is truly sorry about his betrayal. This is the turning point in Jayne's character, and it is sad that we didn't get to see how that ended up.
* The DVD extra about the making of Firefly is equally made of this trope and {{Tear Jerker}}. It starts with the usual behind-the-cameras information, but after a while it turns into a chronicle of the loving relationship formed between the cast, creators, and crew, the extraordinary fan support, and the good experience it was to work in the series.

* The final scene of ''Serenity'':
-->'''Mal''': But it ain't all buttons and charts, little albatross. You know what the first rule of flyin' is? Well I suppose you do, since you already know what I'm about to say.
-->'''River''': I do. But I like to hear you say it.
-->'''Mal''': Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off, just as sure as the turnin' of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home.
* In "Ariel", when Jayne learns what the government [[PlayingWithSyringes did]] to River, the expression on his face, and what he did afterwards, namely trying to rescue the two of them from the mess he made.
** Also, as soon as Simon finishes talking, Jayne tells him the plan has changed and they have to hurry out, in order to get away from the guards. He hadn't even gotten double crossed yet.
** If you watch carefully you can see him get more and more uncomfortable as Simon keeps sincerely thanking and praising him.
* It's tossed off. It occurs in the background, and no one comments on it. Jayne's reading a letter from his mother and she mentions that the money he sent helped. Then he goes on to wear the hat she sent for the rest of the episode. How much of his cut do you think he sends home?
** There's a ''reason'' Jayne's a money-grubbing scoundrel.
* This is already kind of hinted at in previous examples, but any scene in which Simon utters the words "Mei-mei". The amount of unconditional love Sean Maher can put in to those two words is heartbreaking.

* The scene in "Out of Gas" where Mal makes Inara leave the ship with the rest of the crew. The most important bit is when he touches her shoulder--one small little touch that shows everything in their relationship. He knows he can't tell her how he feels and she knows she can't reciprocate it and so that one touch conveys his concerns better than any dialogue could have.

--->Mal: "You all gonna be here when I wake up?"
--->Book: "We'll be here."
--->Mal: "Good. That's good."
* Mal quipping to Wash about Zoe during the torture scene in "War Stories" comes across just really damn mean-spirited, up until the music kicks in, where it becomes apparent that ''Mal is just goading Wash so [[NonActionGuy he]]'ll weather through it''.
* As the argument in "War Stories" culminates, Wash insists Zoe always follows Mal's orders and Mal objects. Wash asks him to name one order of his she disobeyed. His answer? "She married you." Even the most stalwart number two had to make an exception for true love.
* My favorite Simon & River scene is in "War Stories" (before Niska captures Mal and Wash). He's started medicating River, and she throws up from the side effects. She starts saying that she hates it when she's lucid because she knows she'll relapse, and goes into a spiel ending with "What am I?" He hugs her and says, "You are my beautiful sister."

* Kaylee is basically one heart-warming person. So sweet, yet never sickeningly sweet, just genuinely sweet which is unique. You usually feel this way about children and it feels great that a grown-up woman can be like this. Makes you want to hug her, take her home and feed her with cookies.
** In the pilot, there's a moment when Mal visits Kaylee in the infirmary, and she pats his arm and cheerfully assures him that her being shot was "nobody's fault."
* Gotta love the scene when Kaylee and River are playing together like children, running about the ship, laughing and whooping, and playfully fighting over an apple. Crowned with Mal's funny and heart-warming comment:
--> '''Mal''': Ah, the pitter-patter of tiny feet in huge combat boots... SHUT UP!
** Once she retreives said apple.
--> '''Kaylee''': There's no power in the verse can stop me.
* In "Objects in Space," While Kaylee is recounting her actions in 'War Stories.'

* In "War Stories," Zoe tries to make a deal with Niska to save Mal and Wash. He tells her that she only has enough money for one, thinking that he's about to force her to make a SadisticChoice, but before he even finishes his sentence, Zoe immediately chooses Wash. She doesn't even stop to think about it, it's her first instinct to get her husband out of there.
* In "Bushwhacked", when Simon and River are hiding from the Alliance. Simon's tense, naturally, but River is just looking at the stars with a huge smile on her face. As soon as they get back on board, she's just saying "Let's go again!" in as cheerful a tone as she is able.

* This exchange from the end of ''The Train Job'':
-->'''Sheriff:''' You were truthful back in town; these are tough times. A man can get a job, he might not look too close at what that job is. But a man learns all the details of a situation like ours... well, then he has a choice.
-->'''Mal:''' [[ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules I don't believe he does.]]
* In "Heart of Gold," Simon looks a little nervous before delivering Petaline's baby (he admits to Inara that it's his first delivery as the primary.) Inara sweetly kisses his cheek and says, "You'll be great, Doctor."

* At the end of 'Ariel': 'No, mei-mei. Time to wake up.' It's the way he says it more than anything else.
* Pretty much any scene in ''{{Firefly}}'' between Wash and Zoe, or Simon and Kaylee, or Simon and River. Jayne even gets one in the pilot, where he's seen watching nervously through the infirmary window as Kaylee is operated on after getting shot.

** I found it especially heartwarming due to River's pure ''lucidity''. All I could think was "She just cracked a joke. An honest-to-gods ''joke'', not just some unintentional hilarity stemming from her weirdness. She...she's going to be all right."

---> '''Jayne''': [[CrowningMomentofFunny Buy some shoes.]]
---> '''Monk''': [[CallBack The Hero of Canton...]] [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming He's real!]]
* From the climax to the BigDamnMovie, just before [[spoiler:River goes to kick Reaver ass]]:
--->'''[[spoiler:River]]''': You've always looked after me. [[NowLetMeCarryYou My turn]].

---> '''Simon''': Light it.

--->'''River''': ''(sobbing)'' What am I?!\\

--->'''Simon''': Light it.\\

--->'''Simon''': Mei Mei, all I have is right here.

---> '''River:''' I threw up on your bed.\\

---> '''Monk''': The Hero of Canton... [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming He's real!]]

** This troper, too. *heart melts* The teasing note rings true, as exactly the way siblings talk to each other. But Simon's delivery makes clear how absolutely he loves his genius baby sister.

* In a crazy twisted way this editor found Mal's speech to Jayne at the end of "Jaynestown" rather heartwarming.
** As did this troper, for two reasons: It shows that despite his flaws, Mal cares about Jayne, since if he didn't, he wouldn't bother trying to make him feel better. And it shows Jayne as someone who deep down inside, isn't a pure JerkAss. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so upset about the mudder's sacrifice.
** It's probably just me but, watching Jayne's genuine (albeit ham-fisted) effort in trying pose as a 'good hero' for the people of Canton was rather adorable.
** As Stitch makes his way through the crowd to Jayne ready to reveal Jayne's secret to the Mudders. Mal tries to jump him but gets caught, now I could just be guessing but, if I didn't know any better I'd say Mal was trying to protect Jayne's reputation.

* No one going to mention the end of "Out of Gas"? Mal's drifting off to sleep while recovering from his wounds, and just plaintively asks: "Y'all going to be here when I wake up?" Book's gentle reassurance cut this troper up some.
** Equally or even better was the last flashback, where Mal first lays eyes on ''Serenity''.
*** Amen. This troper and his friends always make it a point, when we watch the series front-to-back, to watch "Out of Gas" ''last''; that whole scene is just a much more beautiful note to end things on.
** There was a really good scene where Mal spots Jayne and thinks he might be trying to steal some stuff before he and the others evacuate. Turns out he was just getting a spacesuit ready for Mal before he left so Mal would would be able to breath once the ship's air ran out.

** And let's not forget the celebrating in the engine room after they pull an Ivan on the Reavers. Jayne's hooting and hollering combined with Kaylee's whispered "That's my good girl" always makes this troper want to go hug someone.

* This troper would like to mention Wash, in Out of Gas. Zoe was hurt, and Mal made him leave her side to send a signal, but at the end, who is it who's giving Mal blood?
** Admittedly, it's clear as day that Mal enjoyed bossing Wash around about as much as having teeth pulled out without sedation and his first words to his pilot once the crisis was averted were "Go see your wife."

* In "Bushwhacked", when Simon and River are hiding from the Alliance. Simon's tense, naturally, but River is just looking at the stars with a huge smile on her face. As soon as they get back on board, she's just saying "Let's go again!" in as cheerful a tone as she is able.

* In "War Stories," Zoe tries to make a deal with Niska to save Mal and Wash. He tells her that she only has enough money for one, thinking that he's about to force her to make a cruel choice, but before he even finishes his sentence, Zoe immediately chooses Wash. She doesn't even stop to think about it, it's her first instinct to get her husband out of there.

* In "War Stories," Zoe tries to make a deal with Niska to save Mal and Wash. He tells her that she only has enough money for one, thinking that he's about to force her to make a cruel choice, but before he even finishes his sentence, Zoe immediately chooses Wash. She doesn't even stop to think about it, it's her first instinct to get her husband out of there.

* From the climax to the BigDamnMovie, just before [[spoiler:River goes to kick reaver ass]]:

* Meta-example: a hilarious outtake from "The Message" involves the slow rotating shot in Tracy's funeral, except Nathan Fillon is deliberately running counter to the camera rotation to re-appear beside every other cast member while acting like he's always been there, culminating in Mal ''sharing the coffin with Tracy''. How does this count? Because the scene was being filmed ''just after the cast had learned that the series had been cancelled'', and Nathan went above and beyond to keep spirits up.

** This troper, too. * heart melts* The teasing note rings true, as exactly the way siblings talk to each other. But Simon's delivery makes clear how absolutely he loves his genius baby sister.

** As Stitch makes his way through the crowd to Janye ready to reveal Jayne's secret to the Mudders. Mal tries to jump him but gets caught, now I could just be guessing but, if I didn't know any better I'd say Mal was trying to prtect Janye's reputation.

** It's probably just me but, watching Jayne's genuine (albeit ham-fisted) effort in trying pose as a ''good hero'' for the people of Canton was rather adorable.

** It's probably just me but, watching Jayne's genuine (albeit ham-fisted) effort in trying pose as a ''good hero'' for the people of Canton was rather adorable in my opinion.

--> '''Mal''': I got no problem with the notion you not killing nobody Kaylee.

--> '''Kaylee''': There's no power in the verse can stop me.

* '''Mal''': Yeah, but she's our witch. So cut her the hell down.

* It's kind of in the background, but in the cold open of "The Message", Jayne receives a package and letter from [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas his mother]]. In the letter, his mother thanks him for all the money he's sending home, as his little brother has been sick. There's a ''reason'' Jayne's a money-grubbing scoundrel.

* This scene from "Ariel:"
-->'''Simon''': Do you remember why we went to the hospital?\\
'''River''': Time to go to sleep again.\\
'''Simon''': No, ''mei-mei''. ''(takes hold of her hand)'' It's time to wake up.