History TearJerker / StarTrekEnterprise

* "Fight or Flight":
** Hoshi's pet slug is lethargic, and there is doubt about whether it will survive. This hits close to home for everyone who's ever worried about the safety of their pet. And while the slug does get better, it gets set free on another planet, meaning that Hoshi will probably never see it again.
** Hoshi beating herself up for having screamed upon seeing the dead bodies, because she's worried it makes her too much of a loose cannon and "like a twelve-year-old", especially since no one else screamed. Then, when she's trying to talk to the alien captain, she's still doubting herself.

* "Shuttlepod One" is overall this for Trip and Malcolm, who are lost on the titular shuttle while thinking that ''Enterprise'' has been destroyed. (The ship is, of course, mostly fine, but they have no way of knowing.) Malcolm tries to deal with the situation by recording a series of VideoWills to his parents, old girlfriends, and others until Trip snaps at him, calling him the "Grim Reaper" for dwelling on his own mortality. This prompts Malcolm to unload his feelings in a way that he's never done before, and probably never does again.

* The alternate version of the 31st century seen in the "Shockwave" two-parter.

* Animal lovers can cry at Porthos getting sick in "A Night In Sickbay."
* "Horizon" has a remarkably sad scene coming from [[AdvertisedExtra Travis Mayweather]] of all people. Archer finds Travis in his favorite spot, just after they get the news of his father's passing. Poor Travis is just inconsolable, especially since the two never reconciled after Travis left the ''Horizon'' to join Starfleet. Archer reassures Travis that Travis' father DID respect him and care for him, by telling him that his father was the one to recommend Travis to Archer's crew, saying "he had never met a more natural stick-and-rudder man, and [Archer] would be a fool to not pick him." Travis' response is devastating.

* "The Breach" reveals how Phlox grew up among and tried to overcome the anti-Antaran prejudice of his homeworld. He revealed to his prejudiced Antaran patient Hudak that he had taught his children to reject the anti-Antaran prejudice but failed to do the same with his youngest son Mettus which has strained their relationship.
* The final scene of Season 2's "Cogenitor." The episode itself is arguably one of the most powerful ''Star Trek'' fans had seen in a ''long'' time, and the shockingly tragic TwistEnding ensures that status. And it was written by the often-derided Berman and Braga, to boot!
** The events of this episode leave both Trip and Archer badly shaken -- Trip because his well-intentioned actions lead to such tragic consequences, and Archer because Trip claimed to be [[WhatWouldXDo doing exactly what he would've done]], making him question his own ability to set a good example for his crew.
* Trip and Malcolm standing where Trip's hometown used to be in "The Expanse", staring in shock at what the Xindi weapon did.

* Older!Archer in "Twilight" learning that ''Enterprise's'' mission failed and Earth was destroyed. [[spoiler: Good thing it gets [[ResetButton reversed]] by the end of the episode.]]
* Sim's brief existence in "Similitude." Basically, Trip is seriously injured, so they make a clone to save him, known as "Sim", but Sim has Trip's memories, and when he starts asking questions, they tell him the truth. He has an existential crisis over being a copy, and eventually sacrifices himself to save Trip.
* ''Enterprise'' getting hammered badly by the Xindi in "Azati Prime."
* Trip's StoryArc in Season 3 as he attempts to ignore the death of his little sister in the Xindi attack, culminating in "The Forgotten" when he finally breaks down and admits to himself that Elizabeth is gone.

* Major Hayes [[spoiler:dying in "Countdown"]] and Reed trying to comfort him, then having to go and tell the rest of the [=MACOs=] what happened.

* The last several minutes of "Zero Hour" when everyone thinks Archer is dead.

* In "Storm Front, Part II". In an odd way, [[spoiler:Silik's]] death was surprisingly tear-jerking, having been a WorthyOpponent for Archer and fighting alongside him until the end.
* In "Home", Trip has to watch T'Pol go through with an ArrangedMarriage. He refuses to tell T'Pol he loves her as it will only makes things worse, only for T'Pol to quickly kiss him before leaving for the marriage ceremony.
** In the same episode, Archer is being crushed under the guilt of all the morally-questionable actions he took during the previous year. When he's alone with his former girlfriend Erika Hernandez, he admits to her that when he looks at her, he sees the idealistic captain he was when ''Enterprise'' first launched and now feels like he's lost himself.
* Malik's cold-blooded murder of his "siblings" Udar and Persis in the Augments arc.
* The death of [[spoiler:Admiral Forrest]] near the beginning of "The Forge" really came as a shock to many. It helps that he died [[HeroicSacrifice saving Soval's life]].
* The ending to "Daedalus". Poor old Emory Erickson. A legend in Starfleet who created the transporter, he's spent years mourning the loss-via-TeleporterAccident of his son Quinn, and tricks the ''Enterprise'' crew into a mission to pull Quinn out of a semi-transported hell. It resulted in a dead RedShirt, betrayed trust, and a BrokenPedestal for Trip. And the worst part? [[spoiler: When he finally makes Quinn whole again, Quinn's suffered too much cellular degeneration to survive for more than a few seconds anyway, and he dies in his father's arms. All Erickson can do in his grief is resign himself to the fact that he saved his boy from a FateWorseThanDeath.]]
* Trip and Hoshi dying in "Observer Effect". Even though they did get better.

* [[spoiler:Trip's]] death in the finale.

* In "Storm Front, Part II". In an odd way, [[spoiler:Silik's]] death was surprisingly tear-jerking.

* In an odd way, [[spoiler:Silik's]] death was surprisingly tear-jerking.
* In "Home," Trip has to watch T'Pol go through with an ArrangedMarriage. He refuses to tell T'Pol he loves her as it will only makes things worse, only for T'Pol to quickly kiss him before leaving for the marriage ceremony.

* The death of [[spoiler:Admiral Forrest]] really came as a shock to many. It helps that he died [[HeroicSacrifice saving Soval's life]].
* The ending to "Daedalus." Poor old Emory Erickson. A legend in Starfleet who created the transporter, he's spent years mourning the loss-via-TeleporterAccident of his son Quinn, and tricks the ''Enterprise'' crew into a mission to pull Quinn out of a semi-transported hell. It resulted in a dead RedShirt, betrayed trust, and a BrokenPedestal for Trip. And the worst part? [[spoiler: When he finally makes Quinn whole again, Quinn's suffered too much cellular degeneration to survive for more than a few seconds anyway, and he dies in his father's arms. All Erickson can do in his grief is resign himself to the fact that he saved his boy from a FateWorseThanDeath.]]
* Trip and Hoshi dying in "Observer Effect." Even though they did get better.
* The death of poor little baby [[DeadGuyJunior Elizabeth]] makes the harsh comments that T'Les made about a human and Vulcan having a baby seem all the more HarsherInHindsight.

[[quoteright:350:[[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS02E020Horizon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ent_horizon_121.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"My mother sent a message to Starfleet six weeks ago. But I never got it."'']]