December is only hours away from its close and so is 2024. Before a new year springs upon us, we take a look back at the 10 most emotional moments of the year that we have still not recovered from. From horror masterpieces to comedies and dramas we have you covered.
Some of these shows are more popular than others, but all involved in this list are filled with great acting, wonderful stories, and tear-jerking moments that will give you chills if you haven’t seen it yet. All of these stories had the opportunity to reach out to people’s emotions in different ways.
Whether you’ve gone through family heartache, relationship trauma, the death of a hero, or the death of a loved one, 2024 brought it all. So take a look at our top 10. If you haven't seen these shows and you love emotional treasures, go check them out!
10. Sam and Tricia’s heart to heart—Somebody Somewhere
Somebody Somewhere is an HBO American comedy-drama set in Manhattan, Kansas. It follows the wildly interesting life of Sam (Bridget Everett) as she comes to terms with a lot of her inner battles after the loss of her sister.
Sam and her remaining sister Tricia finally had a heart-to-heart talk about Holly when Tricia decided it was time to enter Sam’s house again on Holly’s birthday. Sam and Tricia were not as thick as thieves, in fact, they barely got along, but as they have dealt with the hardships of life they’ve been there for each other in a sometimes extraordinary hilarious way.
Throughout the three seasons, they’ve bonded with each other inch by inch, and when Tricia opens up to the fact that she feels guilty because she’s starting to forget Holly, Sam lets her know she’s not the only one. She lives in a house with Holly’s belongings and still forgot her birthday. It’s not only a fun show to watch but this also provoked a major life lesson. We have all been through loss and haven’t been sure how to get over that type of devastation. Tricia is afraid to let go of the sadness because letting go of it means she might forget her. It’s Sam who assures her that there’s no reason to feel guilt for being happy. In the end, she gives Tricia the necklace around her neck of Holly’s, knowing that it is she who needs it more.
Sam has had so much growth and strength since season one and Bridget Everett and Mary Catherine Garrison had me in an emotional wreck in this scene. There’s such an openness between the two they make you feel like they are real sisters sharing a tender-hearted moment.
9. Lestat and Louis—Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is arguably AMC’s most successful show currently. It may not get huge linear viewership numbers, but its popularity has skyrocketed. IWTV has received more critical acclaim than any other show on AMC this past year. And it’s more than deserved.
The most heartbreaking moment for me came when Lestat broke down about watching the death of Claudia. She burned from the sun while she held her partner and stared at Lestat. "She looked at me at the end like a child, looking to her father, but I was never." He tells Louis before the two of them embrace. A severely emotional scene that lets you see past all the heartache spelled between them. For a moment you got to see the heart of both of them.
8. Lilia's death scene—Agatha All Along
Another big emotional roller coaster was Lilia saying goodbye to the coven after her trial in Agatha All Along. The legendary Patti LuPone did not disappoint in her performance as she took out the Salem Seven. It’s truly one of the best performances I’ve seen for the MCU and I think many nominations are coming her way. And if not, it’s criminal.
A hauntingly genius episode. Her sole goal was to save the lives of Jen, Billy, and Agatha. She accepted her sacrifice to save whom she deeply loved and what a powerhouse performance it was.
7. Donna’s pregnancy story—The Bear
Sugar and Donna have an overtly difficult relationship, but when Sugar goes into labor during an errand for the restaurant her mother is the only person she’s able to get through to.
They don't appear to see eye to eye on anything, especially the birth plan. Donna was the last person Sugar expected to connect with on the day of her child’s birth. Mainly because her mother didn't even know about the pregnancy. But in the end, they bonded when Donna told her daughter her own birth story with Michael. Sugar finally admits that her mother's alcohol abuse caused major damage. It scared her, and Donna finally realized what that caused and what that took from her daughter.
“Ice Chips” is a touching episode of somewhat of a stepping stone for these too. The further the contractions go, the more honest Sugar gets. Sugar is undoubtedly the one member of the family who has to be together. This episode as a whole was the best part of season 3.
6. Detective Leaphorn says his final goodbye—Dark Winds
Dark Winds is what I like to call AMC’s secret weapon. It’s not hugely known, but it’s a hidden gem. Through the beautiful backdrop of New Mexico to the heart-pounding mystery of murder investigations. Couple that with the bonds between co-workers and friends, this show checks all the boxes.
The most heartbreaking and yet uplifting moment from this last season came after Joe Leaphorn was finally able to put his child to rest after catching his murderer, BJ Vines. Even though the Wolf was the true killer, Vines was the one pulling all the strings. Joe doesn't technically kill Vines, but he takes him out to the desert to freeze to death. It's an act of karma. White justice would not win this time.
Now Joe and Emma Leaphorn were ready to move on and put their son to rest. So Joe melted down his son's belt and turned it into a metal feather to give Bernadette. Bernadette had just accepted an offer for assignment for the border patrol. Leaphorn has become a mentor and father figure to her. It was a way to show her he was proud of her for her promotion and that he saw her as the daughter he never had. So, in both ways, Leaphorn was moving on from the past and embarking on the present. Failures do not have to define your future.
5. Victor and Henry reuniting as father and son—From
From is one of the best horror series of 2024 and Scott McCord has had astonishing performances one after another. From is about a town where people become trapped and must fight for survival against the monsters who come out at night. The show may center around Sheriff Boyd Stevens, but it’s Victor who stole my heart from day one.
Victor’s reunion with his estranged father Henry was purely phenomenal. When they embraced each other, Victor couldn’t stop saying he couldn’t find his way home, it jerked at my heart. Inside, he is just a little boy trying to find himself, along with trying to save everybody. The man is so afraid to get close to people because he’s afraid they will all die, and he will be left alone again.
Mind you, this was Victor’s first hug with a family member in over 40 years. I love seeing Victor have human moments of vulnerability. I also loved his nervousness when his father walked over to him. His first instinct was to grab hold of Sara, one of the few people he’d allowed himself to become close with. While Sara supported Victor by telling him it was okay, Ethan urged Henry to do the same. Together, they gave us a tear-jerking moment we still can’t get over.
4. Penelope’s speech—Bridgerton
This season of Bridgerton was all about the beautiful love story between Colin and Penelope. However, it was Penelope’s speech after being outed as Lady Whistledown that spoke to me the most. Yes, it was a huge betrayal against the Bridgertons and she was possibly on the cusp of losing her marriage but she went ahead with the emotional apology.
The apology speech was more of a swan song for ladies out there who have never been heard or seen. Penelope admits that she wrote about all of them because she was captivated by them. The way they live their lives is so out in the open. Writing about them gave her power and purpose. It was an intoxicating sensation for her. She realized that there was some cowardness to sitting behind a pen and covering people's lives. That it took courage to live out in the open, and that is what she's doing now. Even if her hand was forced.
Penelope vowed to be more responsible with her pen. It's a lesson to remember to hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and to have compassion and understanding instead of judgment. You never know when you'll be put in the spotlight infamously.
3. Colby’s senseless death—Yellowstone
John Dutton’s death was both expected and heartbreaking. While there were many emotional moments in the final season of Yellowstone, none hit harder than the surprising death of Colby Mayfield. It seemed like overkill for Taylor Sheridan after killing off John Dutton in the most bizarre way.
Colby died after Carter got cornered by a dangerous horse that Rip and company were about to send to Mexico. After Beth and Rip's adopted child gets cornered in the barn, Colby is kicked in the chest. His death was meant to symbolize the dangers of being a ranch hand. The death shared mixed responses from fans cherishing the legacy of his last heroic act to severe anger from fans who found it unnecessary.
Nevertheless, it was shocking and tore out the hearts of millions of fans. Especially those fans who shipped Colby and Teeter hard. We were all looking forward to seeing them reunite after returning from Texas. For Teeter, she lost the love of her life and a future she had envisioned.
2. “I can’t remember her face.”—The Book Of Carol
The return of Carol Peletier back to The Walking Dead universe brought us two things this past year: the return of one of the most beloved and developed characters on television and the return of Melissa McBride, who brings phenomenal acting, poise, and effortless talent to the role. McBride is a paragon of excellence.
Melissa was very adamant about wanting her story to involve her heartache and to have a plot line that allowed Carol to heal from the pain of losing Sophia. It was something she buried a long time ago, and the more Daryl Dixon was away from her, the higher that trauma came bubbling back up. The loss of a soulmate and safe place can do that.
Those long-time fans of the flagship series will remember Sophia’s death being one of the most tragic moments of all time. The storyline made fans feel connected to the history of The Walking Dead, while tackling areas that should have been explored years ago.
“I can’t remember her face,” Carol admits to Daryl in a darkened gut-wrenching scene. It’s one thing I love about Melissa Mcbride as she conveys so much facial emotion topped off with a soft-spoken heartbreak. She can do so much with so little, and this short scene brought tears to my eyes. The Queen of the show admits that the Commonwealth never felt like home. Daryl does assure Carol that it will feel like home again because he will be there. Be still my heart. But Carol can only remember Sophia from when she came out after the barn. Not the little girl she raised and read stories to. And you can see just how important being a mother was for Carol. Sophia was her world, and since her death, she hasn’t been able to find anything resembling that happiness.
Further on into the finale, Carol finds herself hallucinating in the tunnel they are traveling through to reach England. The guano in the tunnel has created a hallucinogenic effect without masks, Carol has to battle her surroundings.
In her hallucination, she sees Sophia and follows her. At first, she asks to go with her, but it's not Carol's time yet. It's such a heart-rending scene showing she's not there to give up, but her dream to be with Sophia again was right in front of her eyes. It's the closest goodbye Carol has ever had. I expect her to develop even more from that healing.
1. The death of the Queen That Never Was—House of the Dragon
Nothing broke my heart more than losing the “Queen Who Never Was.” And so soon after learning her “loyal” husband fathered two bastard children. Rhaenys told Rhaenyra that it had to be her who goes to battle. Meleys was the largest and most experienced in battle. And I think Rhaenys needed the fight after losing her children and her shattered marriage.
Even though this was a death most knew was coming because of the books, I was still hoping for a miracle. Nonetheless, Rhaenys Targaryen will go down as one of the most bad@$$ characters in GOT/HOTD history. She went down as a hero for the Targaryen family and was always the Queen who should have been.
Rhaenys would often bump heads with Rhaenyra, but I think she gave her strict wisdom out of love. So she would be strong enough to be the Queen and stay the Queen. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the mind-blowing performance of Eve Best. I truly hope she's recognized this award season because she deserves the world.