Tear Jerker / Guardians of the Galaxy (2015)

• Rocket Raccoon is able to free the animals from the weapons lab on Half-World, but now his own mother now ignores her own son, now rendered humanoid. It is his first recognition of his isolation as a species, but at least he has Groot.
  • The end of "We Are Family" has his entire family devolved back into normal raccoons. Despite being a cartoon raccoon, the viewer can actually see the pain and resignation on his face as Rocket realizes he really is the only one of his kind in the universe. The only good thing to come out of it is, at least he knows his now-devolved family will be protected and kept safe.
• Poor Groot being the last of his kind as a result of Ronan's selfish excavation of Planet X. The burden of carrying the seedling will forever be in Groot's heart.
• Drax the Destroyer sleeping with a doll named Mr. Rhinopus? Funny. Drax the Destroyer sleeping with a doll named Mr. Rhinopus that belonged to his late daughter? Heart-wrenching.
  • "Bad Moon Rising" has mostly a bunch of over-the-top goofiness as the Guardians are somehow reverted to their past selves and personalities. However, at one point, Drax in his altered state goes up to Ronan and tells him "Take my advice stranger, revenge is a waste of time", giving a glimpse of just how different a person he was before his family was murdered (even though Drax was a ruthless gladiator).
• While it was inevitable due to the comics, and we already knew of J'son's true vile nature. Peter's falling out with his father in "We Are the World Tree" is still saddening.
  • "Unfortunate Son" makes it even clear Peter just wishes his father never made the choices that got him to being the jerkass he is now. Goes to show the absence of a father in Star-Lord's life made him feel empty.
• In "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", when Drax provides Tana with Mr. Rhinopus, the stuffed toy that is the only thing he has left of his daughter, she telekinetically rips its head off in spite. Needless to say, Drax is broken beyond belief.
  • In the same episode, we get to see how Drax would have been as a father. He is patient, listens (though also misses a few clues), makes sure Tana eats and sleeps, and unlike the rest of the crew he doesn't just want to get her home for the money. He wants to get her home safe, in one piece, reasonably satisfied and calm, and for her own sake. He was a good father, which makes him losing his family all the worse.
• Watching Groot cry after being forced to blow up his home world in "Symbiote War Part 1" is incredibly heartbreaking.
• Throughout the episode "I've Seen All Good People", Gamora constantly berates Adam Warlock from peaking into her mind. Adam's attempts were to help Gamora remember her parents' faces, before her childhood and memories were taken over by Thanos. By the end, she finally consents to Adam's gesture of good will and he helps her remember the faces of her family. The lost memories of the happier moments from her childhood were enough to bring her to tears...which is shortly met with complete shock from the other Guardians.
• "You Don't Own Me" ends with The Guardians realizing it is impossible to divert the course of the Collector's citadel, and decide they have to stay on board to make sure Hala is safe. The citadel blows up, and it looks like they perished. Phyla-Vell, the Kree Accuser who had attempted to murder them a few episodes ago had just warmed up to them is struck with great sadness and disbelief that they blew themselves up just like that.

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