History TearJerker / Firefly

* In "The R. Tams Sessions," there's a moment where [[BrokenBird River]] says that she wants to see her brother. She is very near tears. Her interrogator simply says, "I'm sure he is very busy." And you can almost see this as the moment when River gives up hope as she quietly agrees," Yes. I'm sure."

For moments from ''TearJerker/Serenity2005'', see [[TearJerker/Serenity2005 here]]. And for the Comics books, see [[SerenityDarkHorseComics here]].

For moments from ''TearJerker/Serenity2005'', see [[TearJerker/{{Serenity}} here]]. And for the Comics books, see [[SerenityDarkHorseComics here]].

*** On that note, in the fan-made documentary ''Done the Impossible'', Creator/AdamBaldwin describes when he was told that the show was canceled. He is ''visibly trying not to cry''. This is during the interview, most of four years later, after ''Film/{{Serenity}}''. And he still misses the show that much.

For moments from ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', see [[TearJerker/{{Serenity}} here]].

* Inara in "[[Recap/FireflyE13HeartOfGold Heart Of Gold]]". When she discovers that Mal slept with Nandi, she says to his face that she hopes they both enjoyed themselves. Once she's alone, she breaks down weeping.

** Let's not forget Mal, Kaylee, Simon and the big sad violin in, at least the first time you watch it, and until it cuts to that shot of half the crew in fits of laughter... ("That man is ''psychotic''!")
** River's entire introduction in the Pilot. Just imagine watching that gut wrenching scene from the actual bay. Up until this point Simon has been cold and aloof, but you can see his heart breaking.
-->'''Simon:''' ''[about River's coded letter]'' It just said, "They're hurting us. Get me out."

** I always thought the real tearjerker was that he missed the opportunity for revolution. If Jayne had called on them to revolt, to overthrow the leadership, they would have done it - they would have followed him. The Serenity crew could have taken a share of the loot from the house, and the mudders could have set up a democracy and made life better for everyone, not just the company elite. Instead he screws the whole thing up and destroys any hope for revolt the mudders had.

** Followed by a bit of BlackComedy moments later - the brilliant whiplashing effect moments later when [[spoiler: Mal seals the airlock, sparing Jayne, and walks away. Jayne, after a few moments of silence, asks if Mal would open the doors to let him in.]]

** Small thing but it grows profound in hindsight - Jayne taking off his "cunning hat" when seeing Tracy's body being handed over to his grieving family grows painful to watch when you factor in his closeness to his own family and his earlier talk to Book about how "[his] kind of life don't last long." It's easy to get "there, but for the grace of God..." vibes from his looks, all because Adam Baldwin is just this good an actor.
*** Since you mentioned the hat, the look on Jayne's face when the Alliance agent tells him the hat- you know, the hat his mother back home made and sent him?- is stupid is gut-wrenching.

** Moreso if you take into account a DeletedScene. Mal was just a sergeant in charge of a few dozen soldiers. During the Battle of Serenity Valley, all the officers had been killed along with hundreds of soldiers; only Zoe was left from his original unit. Mal rose up to keep everyone going and had over two thousand following him. Until the fighting stopped while top leadership was negotiating the surrender of the Independents. Over the next week, only 150 survived the disease and starvation from lack of medical supplied and food. And that's when the ships came over the horizon.

** Moreso if you take into account a DeletedScene. Mal was just a sergeant in charge of a few dozen soldiers. During the Battle of Serenity Value, all the officers had been killed along with hundreds of soldiers; only Zoe was left from his original unit. Mal rose up to keep everyone going and had over two thousand following him. Until the fighting stopped while top leadership was negotiating the surrender of the Independents. Over the next week, only 150 survived the disease and starvation from lack of medical supplied and food. And that's when the ships came over the horizon.

----
!!''Film/{{Serenity}}'':
* The funeral scene. The fact that even ''Jayne'' looks like he's about to break down says something there.
* Or when Mal asks Zoe about the repairs near the end. With a look of heartbreaking stoicism, she replies "She's tore up plenty, but she'll fly true."
* Also, Mal's final monologue to River. "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta' fall down."
** Definitely moving on its own, but if you are willing to take a meta perspective, the monologue gains additional Tear Jerker quality as it seems to be Whedon talking about the show itself getting one final go for the movie.
* [[spoiler: Book's death]] scene hits ''hard.'' Especially the final exchange:
-->[[spoiler: '''Book:''' You can't order me around, boy. I'm not one of your crew.]]\\
[[spoiler: '''Mal:''' Yes you ''are.'']]
** And
---> '''Book:''' I don't care what you believe... just believe it.
* [[spoiler: Every friend, every accomplice, every man, woman and child who ever supported ''Serenity'''s crew--[[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs dead.]]]] The fact that [[TheStoic the Operative]], of all people, seems to regret this just hammers in the tragedy.
-->'''The Operative:''' [[ApologeticAttacker I'm sorry.]] When your quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to.
** Not to mention the nasty implication that some of the victims were characters we got to know during the series run, good people like [[GentleGiant Monty]], [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Sir Warwick Harrow]], [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold the girls at Nandi's brothel]]... and bad people like [[LoveableRogue Badger]].
* The Operative's speech to Mal after [[spoiler: he organizes the attacks on the crew's allies.]] The way he enunciates, "I'm a monster," is distressing, to say the least.
* River's disjointed breakdown on Miranda, like a ''lot'' of the scenes involving River in this movie, is jarring and emotionally hard-hitting, especially the bit at the end where she starts praying frantically in Chinese. In the midst of the chaotic, disjointed Chinese prayers, she suddenly breaks into English long enough to scream.
-->'''River:''' Please, God, make me stone.
** River's ramblings while locked in the supply closet with Simon. It doesn't become apparent just what she's saying for a bit, but then you get her laughing/sobbing comment about "Bullet in the brainpan, squish." and you realize ''she wants to commit suicide rather than let the rest of the crew be in danger on her account.''
--->'''[[BigBrotherInstinct Simon:]]''' Don't ever say that.
** Not only that, but when River breaks down before that after Simon hears her mention Miranda.
---> '''River:''' ''[crying]'' It isn't mine! The memory, it isn't mine, and I shouldn't have to carry it! Please don't make me sleep again...\\\
'''River:''' I don't know what I'm saying. I never know what I'm saying!
*** FridgeBrilliance when you remember that her conditioning at the Academy was while she was asleep and while she is sleeping she seems to dream often of the Academy and the Reavers. Who blames her for not wanting to be put to sleep.
* Mal's and Inara's exchange after the fight at the training house.
-->'''Inara:''' You came to the training house looking for a fight.
-->'''Mal:''' I came looking for ''YOU''.

-->'''Inara:''' I'm not trying to tear you down!
-->'''Mal:''' But you fog things up! You always have. You spin me about. I wish like ''hell'' you was elsewhere. [''storms off'']
-->'''Inara:''' I ''was''.
* When Simon gets shot. He's lying there thinking he's about to die and he turns to River and starts apologizing that he won't be able to look after her anymore.
-->"My bag." *THWACK*
* Mal stumbling back out to the rest of the crew after sending the message. The way his voice cracks when he asks about River... From the second Mal kicked open that box, he cared about her and what happened to her. No matter how much he whinged about her and her prissy brother.
* When watching the report from [[spoiler: the doomed doctor about what happened on Miranda, Wash is the first to realise the truth: "Reavers. ''They made them.''"]] The horror and disbelief on his face is heartbreaking.
** [[spoiler: The actual report itself, really shows how not all of the Alliance was evil and corrupt and makes the death of the woman and the implication that it was a slow gruesome death all the more horrifying.]]
* Somewhat fridge, but remember when Wash and Zoe joke about her getting a "slinky dress" in "[[Recap/FireflyE04Shindig Shindig]]"? [[spoiler:''It's what she wears to his funeral.'']]
** Unless you take on the interpretation that it was her ''wedding dress''-[[note]]because what other white dress would someone like Zoe have?[[/note]] which just makes it so much ''worse''.[[note]]Possibly mitigated by the strong Chinese influence on the series; in China, white dresses are more associated with funerals than with weddings.[[/note]]
* "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I--" Harpoon. Dead. Cue the shocked cries of the fan base.
* The final scene with Mal and River in Serenity's cockpit, doubly so because [[spoiler: it's probably the last time we'll get to see any of these wonderful characters onscreen.]]
* Even the Operative gets one. After he sees the video, he's just sitting there catatonically, his eyes full of tears. He then abandons his mission and lets the crew go.
* A bit of Fridge Tearjerker for the Reavers: They have the reputation in the 'Verse as being violently insane, and even those who don't believe they exist have heard the stories that gave them that reputation. So why, the question is asked, haven't they already wiped themselves out from infighting? Because [[spoiler: they're not always that violent; the movie shows that their specific brand of insanity is a result of anger taken Up to Eleven, and they're not angry at each other. Whatever remnant of humanity in their souls allowed them to hold onto enough brains to fly scavenged ships and set up traps and ambushes, also allows them to recognize each other for what they all really are: the last surviving victims of a planet-wide genocide.]]
** [[spoiler: This could also explain why they send out raiding parties, carving a bloody path across the rest of the 'Verse. They're trying to take vengeance on whoever was actually responsible for that terrible crime, but they're perpetually frustrated by not knowing who that is... and every living person they encounter along the way, reminds them of what they've lost.]]

'''Other'''
* In "The R. Tams Sessions," there's a moment where [[BrokenBird River]] says that she wants to see her brother. She is very near tears. Her interrogator simply says, "I'm sure he is very busy." And you can almost see this as the moment when River gives up hope as she quietly agrees," Yes. I'm sure."

* "Out of Gas" is an episode in which ''Serenity'' suffers a terminal breakdown that destroys her engines and life support. Everybody except Mal has to abandon ship, and he sits alone at the helm of the ship that was the only worthwhile thing left in his life. Waiting to freeze to death.
* Inara in "Heart Of Gold". When she discovers that Mal slept with Nandi, she says to his face that she hopes they both enjoyed themselves. Once she's alone, she breaks down weeping.
* The ending to the episode "The Message," where Tracy finally realizes how much of a {{Jerkass}} he's been and tries to repent in his last moments, and then his family and the crew are shown gathered around his coffin while he speaks the titular message. The music in this scene is so absolutely ''powerful.''
** Also, Mal's choked up comment after shooting Tracy, echoing his words at the beginning of the episode.
--->''"...You've killed me, Sarge."''\\
''"You killed yourself, son. I was just carrying the bullet a while."''
** And then that Goddamn little soldier's poem. [[spoiler:"When you can't run... you crawl. And when you can't crawl, when you can't do that..." "You find somebody to carry you."]]
** In the special features of the series box set, they actually say (paraphrased) "That music at Tracy's funeral? It wasn't for Tracy as much as it was for the show. We all knew it was going to be over by that point...
*** On that note, in the fan-made documentary ''Done the Impossible'', Adam Baldwin describes when he was told that the show was canceled. He is ''visibly trying not to cry''. This is during the interview, most of four years later, after the BigDamnMovie. And he still misses the show that much.
** Small thing but it grows profound in hindsight - Jayne taking off his "cunning hat" when seeing Tracy's body being handed over to his grieving family grows painful to watch when you factor in his closeness to his own family and his earlier talk to Book about how "[his] kind of life don't last long." It's easy to get "there, but for the grace of God..." vibes from his looks, all because Adam Baldwin is just this good an actor.
*** Since you mentioned the hat, the look on Jayne's face when the Alliance agent tells him the hat- you know, the hat his mother back home made and sent him?- is stupid is gut-wrenching.
* River is briefly cogent in "Objects and Space" and horrified by her own insanity:
-->'''River''': I don't belong....dangerous, like you. Can't be controlled, can't be trusted. Everyone can just go on without me and not have to worry. People could be what they wanted to be... could be with the people they wanted... could live simple. No secrets.\\
'''Simon''': [[LittleNo No.]]\\
'''River''': I'll be fine. I'll be your bounty, Jubal Early, and I'll just fade away.
** The looks of guilt on the faces of the rest of the crew really pull on the heart-strings.
* There's also River's scene in "War Stories" where she talks about how much she ''hates'' being able to think clearly because she knows it will go away, and then breaks down in Simon's arms.
** The real power behind that scene is that it establishes just how much of a [[TheWoobie woobie]] River is, by showing that she lives in a constant state of quiet despair. The fact that she ''hates'' thinking clearly because she ''knows'' she can't ever be truly healed just amplifies how painful that scene is to watch.
* In "Ariel," Mal deduces that Jayne betrayed members of his crew. And must die.
--> '''Jayne:''' What're you gonna tell the others?... 'Bout why I'm dead...\\
'''Mal''' ''(curtly):'' Hadn't given it much thought.\\
'''Jayne''' ''(no longer terrified, just ashamed):'' Make something up. Don't tell 'em what I did.

** Followed by a bit of BlackComedy moments later - the brilliant whiplashing effect moments later when [[spoiler: Mal seals the airlock, sparing Jayne, and walks away. Jayne, after a few moments of silence, asks if Mal would open the doors to let him in.]]
** Same episode, when Simon scans River and sees what the Feds have done to her. Simon then dumbs it down for Jayne [[MrExposition (and us)]], making it ''very, very'' clear how bad it was. It was really, really bad. And it's forever.
* On that note, any time River's time at the Academy comes up.

** Adding to that, the scene in "The Train Job" where River wakes up, panics, looks around the ship's infirmary in confusion, gets deeply saddened PuppyDogEyes, and whispers "This isn't home." in this broken little child's voice. It's a tiny thing, but the look of loss and pain on her face is so ''profound.''
* The scene in "Safe" where River tries talking to Simon, and breaks down.

* Let's not forget Mal, Kaylee, Simon and the big sad violin in the pilot, at least the first time you watch it, and until it cuts to that shot of half the crew in fits of laughter... ("That man is ''psychotic''!")
* And, of course, the end of "Objects In Space": Early's line, "Well... here I am." Not too moving... until you realize those are absolutely the final words of the show.
* ''Anything'' involving River and Simon is going to be either TearJerker or SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} or both. Especially "Objects In Space", where River is saying she'll go with Early so everyone can have a normal life, and you can see the look on Simon's face.
* In the beginning of the pilot, when Mal realizes that the [[TheEmpire spaceships]] he heard are not the [[TheCavalry the ones he had hoped for]] the camera zooms in on his face while sad cello music plays. It's not a Tear Jerker the first time around, but after watching the whole series and the movie, you will realize that [[BreakTheCutie the man's faith and optimism are being torn brutally from him.]]
** Shortly before that you see Mal kiss a cross he keeps around his neck, it really hammers in how much it crushed Mal to lose the war, considering his usual reaction to other peoples' faith.
** Moreso if you take into account a deleted scene. Mal was just a sergeant in charge of a few dozen soldiers. During the Battle of Serenity Value, all the officers had been killed along with hundreds of soldiers; only Zoe was left from his original unit. Mal rose up to keep everyone going and had over two thousand following him. Until the fighting stopped while top leadership was negotiating the surrender of the Independents. Over the next week, only 150 survived the disease and starvation from lack of medical supplied and food. And that's when the ships came over the horizon.
* "Jaynestown". There's just something about Jayne managing to convince himself he did something good and worthwhile, then being bluntly reminded that [[HeelRealization he's still kinda a bad guy]]. Plus, everything after [[spoiler: the mudder's sacrifice]] is a legitimate TearJerker in its own right.

* That tiny little moment in Objects In Space, when Simon, upon hearing what the Alliance was trying to do to River, a girl he still thinks of as his goofy, bratty know it all sister, just quietly brokenly says, "She's just a kid, she just wants to be a kid ". It's so easy to forget that he still just sees her as a little girl.
* In "Objects in Space" Kaylee managed to take things to a whole new level of [[TearJerker sad]] and scary with one line:

** What makes this even more sad is the fact that Mal said in the pilot episode, "I don't believe there is power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful." Yet there she was. ''Crying''. A superb BreakTheCutie moment.
* River's entire introduction in the Pilot. Just imagine watching that gut wrenching scene from the actual bay. Up until this point Simon has been cold and aloof, but you can see his heart breaking.
-->'''Simon:''' ''[about River's coded letter]'' It just said, "They're hurting us. Get me out."
** Simon readily admitting that his money was what saved River, before appending "...and luck". The look on his face and the tone of his voice suddenly remind you that trauma surgeon or not, he's not much older than his sister and has put himself in a position where he's nearly as lost and confused and helpless as she is.