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Heartwarming / China, IL

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  • The original short that aired in 2008 has a pretty big one compared what the show would eventually become. After openly revealing to everyone at the funeral of a dead professor that Frank loved that she had always hated him, Baby Cakes finds him naked and curled up in a fetal position at her graveyard. He decides to comfort him.

  • "Prank Week" had one where, after Steve and most of the faculty are locked in cages by Babycakes (or in his case *welded into one*) he asks Prof. Cakes if he "has a safe word for when imagination time is over". Prof. Cakes' reaction? "Fuck you, Steve. He's special." He's a dubiously moral scientist, but he still loves his weird, weird son.
    • What really brings this one home is Prof. Cakes tone when he says it. It's devoid of Jeffrey Tambor's usual hamminess and replaced with the solemn range of someone who truly feels for their child.
    • In "Total Validation", Prof. Cakes and Babycakes hit a snag in their relationship and visit a company that decides who is right when a relatioship turns sour, and are shown their entire relationship history on a screen. While Prof. Cakes is sent to "relationship jail", the clips we get to see are incredibly heartwarming, regular pictures of a dad and son playing together. It's enough to drive both of them to tears.
  • Surprisingly in "Bi-Topping-Ality," the Mayor, a fundamental Christian who basically banned lots of things in UCI when he took over for a bit, has no problem with homosexuality. He even said how he thinks it's okay for a man or a woman to marry the same gender.
  • Steve's Big Brother Instinct in "Wild Hogs". He becomes utterly enraged at Flip Flop when he tricks Frank into becoming anorexic and decides to get him back. He also carries an emaciated Frank throughout most the episode once the hogs takover.
  • After spending all of "Parents Day" (correctly) worrying that her parents are going to turn the function into a stereotypical "Mexican Picnic," with BBQ, loud salsa music and a massive shoulder-to-shoulder crowd taking over, Pony comes to appreciate the fact that, unlike her white co-workers who just want to get their luncheon with their parents over with as quickly as possible, her family loves her enough that literally everyone and their cousin will come to tell her in person how proud they are of her (all delivered in the more irreverent way, of course).
    Pony's Mom: Pony, I know you're a little embarrassed, but look at your white friends' family. They're fucked.
    Pony's Dad: Listen, honey, white people hate their families! All your relatives came to your Parents Day to see you! (to crowd) Right?
    Misc. Relatives: We love you, Ponyta!
    Pony's Dad: (to Pony) See? That's big love! C'mere.
    Pony: (touched) Awww, dad!
    (Pony and her parents share a loving embrace)
  • "Magical Pet" has quite a few heartwarming moments.
    • Frank's "Friends are Magical" song.
    • Frank actually feeling sorry for Kei-Ko.
    • Kei-Ko is finally freed from her cage.
    • Steve and Pony dancing together.
    • Frank telling off his neighbor that there's nothing wrong with him; and maybe there's something wrong with her because she didn't like his baldness.
      • In that same speech, he also sounds proud of the fact that he saved Kei-Ko's and Baby Cakes's lives.

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