History TearJerker / MASH

** Hell, Sidney gets one himself in "Dear Sigmund". Every other time that Sidney is onscreen, he's either working hard and helping someone piece their psyche back together, and constantly maintains dry, sardonic composure. But when he tells Hawkeye and BJ [[spoiler: about how amongst a torrent of GIs who had cracked under the pressure, one particular soldier that he thought he'd saved who was hearing voices pushing him towards suicide "listened to the voices,"]] it feels like a punch in the gut to find out that this man was just as vulnerable as the staff of the 4077th.

* One episode has a visiting doctor flown in to explain a new surgical technique. Pierce and Hunnicutt lay on the jokes, much to Houlihan's consternation, but to their surprise it's Potter who blows his top at them, but the end of his tirade lets on that there's more than bog-standard frustration at work:

* The Christmas episode where Hawkeye and BJ are desperately trying to save a mortally wounded soldier all day Christmas day, then trying to keep him alive long enough so that he won't die on Christmas, and not break down. When the man finally dies about an hour before midnight, and the doctors turn the clock forward so the time of death will be 12:01, December 26, so that for the man's children, Christmas won't have to be the day their daddy died. It's beyond heartbreaking, especially when one thinks of all the men and women who did die on Christmas, whether in Vietnam, Korea, or any other war, and how painful that loss would be for their families. The scene with the doctors and Margaret silently looking at the pictures of the soldier's children and the letter from his wife just rips your heart out and stomps on it.

* "Dear Sis", Father Mulcahy's "Letter Episode". From the CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming ending (and then the truck with the wounded comes in...) from when Winchester saw his childhood winter hat to when everyone is singing Dona Nobis Pacem, along with moments earlier in the episode of Margaret barely keeping it together in the scene at the Colonel's office and Mulcahy crying because he feels so guilty at punching the jackass soldier... one of the series' most emotional episodes.

** "GOODBYE". That is all.

-->'''Hawkeye:''' I don't care. I really don't. They'll keep coming whether I'm here or not. Trapper went home; they're still coming. Henry got killed and they're still coming. Wherever they come from they'll never run out.

* From "The Late Captain Pierce", after Hawkeye realizes that his dad has been informed of his death and there's a communications blackout so he can't contact him to say it was a paperwork error, he has a breakdown and gives up on everything, going so far as to find a morgue bus and try to desert as a corpse. BJ tracks him down to convince him to come back, and as they talk the sound of choppers suddenly comes up.

* From "The Late Captain Pierce", after Hawkeye realizes that his dad has been informed of his death and there's a communications blackout so he can't contact him to say it was a paperwork error, he has a breakdown and gives up on everything, going so far as to find a morgue bus and try to desert as a corpse. BJ tracks him down to convince him to come back.

* Oh God, who could forget the part in the finale when Hawkeye reveals that a Korean woman [[spoiler: ''killed her own baby'']] because he was hissing at her to keep it quiet so they wouldn't be caught by nearby enemy soldiers. It was such a wrenching TearJerker moment it caused Hawkeye to [[HeroicBSOD complely lose it]] and be sent to the crazy house.

*** Winchester gets quite a few of these, most likely put in to help differentiate his character from that of Frank Burns, the guy he replaced. Among the most memorable is the plot in "Morale Victory" in which he convinces the concert pianist that his piano skill is not gone just because one of his hands is immobile. One of his best lines ever comes in the coda: "Each of us must dance to his own tune."
---> '''Charles:''' I can play the notes, but I cannot ''make the music''.

* Winchester's reaction to the musicians being killed in the series finale. "Those men weren't soldiers...they were ''musicians!''" The heartbreak in that line, and his subsequent smashing of the record of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet...wow.
** Winchester gets quite a few of these, most likely put in to help differentiate his character from that of Frank Burns, the guy he replaced. Among the most memorable is the plot in "Morale Victory" in which he convinces the concert pianist that his piano skill is not gone just because one of his hands is immobile. One of his best lines ever comes in the coda: "Each of us must dance to his own tune."

** The episode where Winchester meets his soul mate, a woman he quickly, desperately loves, and at the end realizes that he can't bring himself to accept her because her values clash with his. And yet he ''still'' loves her...

-->''Hawkeye:'' Wounded.
-->''BJ:'' Klinger says a lot.
-->''Hawkeye:'' I don't care. I really don't. They'll keep coming whether I'm here or not. Trapper went home; they're still coming. Henry got killed and they're still coming. Wherever they come from they'll never run out.

-->'''Hawkeye''': You brought a little light to a dark and dismal place. And you’ll never know what you meant to a group of tired people stuck in a very strange time. Be happy.

--> '''Hawkeye''': [Hands over a teddy bear] This belonged to Radar; he left it for me. Let it stand for all the soldiers who came over as boys, and left as men.

* "I have a message... Lieutenant Colonel... Henry Blake's plane... was shot down... over the Sea of Japan. It spun in... therewerenosurvivors."

* "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler". Especially this little scene: "Tell me, does God answer all prayers?" "Yes. But sometimes the answer is no."

* Winchester has his share in the finale TearJerker moments, but there's also the episode where he [[spoiler:meets his soul mate, a woman he quickly, desperately loves, and at the end realizes that he can't bring himself to accept her because her values clash with his. And yet he ''still'' loves her....]]

** His reaction to the musicians being killed in the series finale. "Those men weren't soldiers...they were ''musicians!''" The heartbreak in that line, and his subsequent smashing of the record of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet...wow.

** While the finale was a heartbreaker, the moment where peace is declared is a moment of such pure joy. The look of relief on Winchester's face and the happiness afterwards makes this troper cry every. single. time.

** Winchester gets quite a few of these, most likely put in to help differentiate his character from that of Frank Burns, the guy he replaced. This troper's absolute favourite is his convincing the concert pianist that his piano skill is not gone just because one of his hands is immobile. One of his best lines ever comes in the coda: "Each of us must dance to his own tune."

** His reaction to the musicians being killed in the series finale. I cry whenever I hear the music. Bet you do too.
*** "Those men weren't soldiers...they were ''musicians!''" The heartbreak in that line, and his subsequent smashing of the record...wow. This troper used to love the Mozart ''Clarinet Quintet''. But ever since, just hearing those opening four notes...I can't listen to it anymore.
** His HeroicBSOD storyline in "The Life You Save", where he's desperate to know what it's like to die. All of it, damnit. * sniffles*

*** There's a double meaning behind the grief. Mclean Stevenson (Henry) was something of a father figure for the cast, as well as an advocate for their needs as actors with the studio (which did not always treat the cast as well as it should). In a documentary that aired several years ago, several actors and production staffers told the story of how after Stevenson left the cast, the order came down in the form of a "studio note" to kill the character, so the actor could never come back to the show. The implied message came through to the remaining cast loud and clear.

* This troper can't help shedding a few tears (or a lot) at "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler". Especially at this little scene: "Tell me, does God answer all prayers?" "Yes. But sometimes the answer is no."

-->'''This troper''': (bawling her eyes out)

* Similarly, try ''every other time a character is on the phone with a loved one back home.'' [[{{randomfanboy}} This troper's]] favourite moment in the entirety of the show was in "The Late Captain Pierce", when Hawkeye finally gets to tell his dad that yes, he is still alive. Most of the conversation comes across as a very real chat about nothing in particular, and it's still one of the most amazing bits of television ever.
** Relatedly, this troper always struggles to keep it together when they watch home movies sent to them by their families, especially that one scene where Blake's wife gets the little neighborhood kids to line up with a sign that says, "Miss you." (Hawkeye: "Henry, if you don't give the order to cry, I will.") Also when they're watching Radar's family and his mom mouths, "I love you," and Radar mouths back, "Mommy".

*** Especially heartbreaking now is his storyline in "Showtime". It was pretty sad anyway, coupled with a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when Radar gives him a Korean child to hold because he can't hold his own, but after "Abysinnia, Henry"? It's an effort just to keep it together.
*** Or how about his call to his family in "Henry In Love", where he tells his son that he has to the man of the house, just until he gets back from Korea. [[McLeaned Poor kid...]]
* This troper has to struggle not to lose it during "Heal Thyself", the episode in which a front-line doctor goes completely insane. Just the helpless look he gives Dr. Pierce and that soft, unassuming voice: "[[OutDamnedSpot The blood won't come off]]..."
* Henry's speech to Hawkeye in "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" always drives it home for me and my tear ducts. This Troper often wonders if it didn't inspire JossWhedon when writing "Lie to Me", cited above in the ''BTVS'' section. Both protagonists lose longtime friends in tragic ways; Both get speeches about harsh reality from their mentors; both attempt to save who they can, despite it not being what the characters in question (Ron Howard and the girl who would later be seen in 'Anne') wanted.

* From episode 17 of season 8, "Bless You, Hawkeye", watching Hawkeye as [[TheShrink Sidney Freedman]] (who can somehow cause more Tear Jerkers than any other character) digs into his childhood and brings out the realization that Hawkeye's best friend pushed him off a boat when he was seven. Hawkeye falls apart fairly regularly, but seeing him wail and cry in the bed was more than this troper could handle.

* The end of the penultimate episode does it for This Troper. Margaret is putting together a time capsule to commemorate the 4077's presence in Korea. After expressing resistance for the whole episode BJ and Hawkeye come through at the end.

* This troper recently watched "Dear Sis", thinking it was a filler ep to help send her to sleep. [[WhatAnIdiot Big mistake.]] The CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming ending (and then the truck with the wounded comes in...) from when Winchester saw his childhood winter hat to when everyone is singing Dona Nobis Pacem, along with moments earlier in the episode of Margaret barely keeping it together in the scene at the Colonel's office and Mulcahy crying because he feels so guilty at punching the jackass soldier, had her bawling like a baby.
* In Frank's last episode, where they're all getting drunk at the Bachelor Party: "Stop laughing without me!". He just sounds so pitiful and desperate that you can't help but feel bad for the poor, ferret-faced man.
* Hawkeye's phone call with his Dad at the end of "Sons and Bowlers". He's saying "I love you. I love you. I'll be home as soon as I can," with this really choked up, happy-tears voice and it breaks this troper every time.

* This troper nearly always gets misty at Margaret in her early scene with Hawkeye, where she's found out that Donald's run out on her and Hawkeye is pissed because they've changed the point system again. He asks her what she's going to do and she angrily says she'll get a divorce. But then it starts to sink in and she says it a second time while starting to cry. * sniff*

* This troper defies anyone to watch the Christmas episode where Hawkeye and BJ are desperately trying to save a mortally wounded soldier all day Christmas day, then trying to keep him alive long enough so that he won't die on Christmas, and not break down. When the man finally dies about an hour before midnight, and the doctors turn the clock forward so the time of death will be 12:01, December 26, so that for the man's children, Christmas won't have to be the day their daddy died-I'm tearing up just remembering the moment to type it on this page. It's beyond heartbreaking, especially when one thinks of all the men and women who did die on Christmas, whether in Vietnam, Korea, or any other war, and how painful that loss would be for their families. The scene with the doctors and Margaret silently looking at the pictures of the soldier's children and the letter from his wife just rips your heart out and stomps on it.

* Radar's departure, as he has to say his rushed and confused goodbyes to the others as a load of wounded comes pouring in. In particular, the scene where Hawkeye - who has to go to the O.R. before being able to say anything - glances up while operating, sees Radar peering through the window, shoots him an agonized look, and then fires him a salute.
** Not to mention the scene in TheTag of that episode, where Hawkeye, B.J. and Potter return to the Swamp and find Radar's beloved teddy bear lying on Hawkeye's cot -- indicating that Radar has left not only the 4077th, but his childhood behind forever.

* ''[[MASHTheSeries M* A* S* H]]'' has always been depressing but the finale? Forget a kleenex, you're going to need an IV for the dehydration from crying.

* The ending to the episode "Yessir, That's Our Baby". A Korean-American infant girl is abandoned at the camp. The unit quickly adorea her as well as learn that because she is of mixed race there is nothing but a grim future ahead of her in Korea. So they attempt to find a new safe placement for the child in the US but for all their effort everything falls through and they must leave the baby at a monastery, a place that will give her a safe but narrow future. Hawkeye's final message to the baby is a tear bringer.

* Trapper gets one of these in "Kim".