Ranking Parenthood's Most Tear-Jerking Moments
Curse you and bless you, Parenthood.
As any Parenthood fan can tell you, tissues are a requirement when you sit down for your weekly Braverman fix because it is a scientifically proven fact that you will cry during each and every episode. And spoiler alert: Another moment will be added to this list TONIGHT, when Parenthood airs its stunning 100th episode. It is....Not. To. Be. Missed.
But for now, which moment ranks as the series' biggest tear-jerker of all time? Click to find out...And BRING A TISSUE!
18. Max for President, "I'll Be Right Here"
Come on, you know you teared up during his speech at the assembly about how his Asperger's will make him a better president. Don't lie.
17. Haddie Goes Off on Max, "Missing"
Frustrated after Max runs away from her, big sis Haddie finally hits her breaking point. "What am I supposed to do? Everything becomes so hard." It's a sentiment most families dealing with a disorder such as Aperger's can relate to, but feel they can hardly ever express. Oof.
16. Amber's Plea to Seth, "In Between"
No child should ever have to endure something like this: Begging your father to leave your mother alone because you know he has the power to wreck her world and she doesn't have the power to stop him. Mae Whitman is something else in this scene.
15. Adam Tells Haddie About Kristina's Cancer, "There's Something I Need to Tell You..."
"Can you treat me like an adult?" a frustrated and in-the-dark Haddie asks Adam when she calls home from college. Careful what you wish for.
14. Drew's Breakdowns, "Tough Love" and "Small Victories"
While Amber gets most of the heavy emotional lifting when it comes to Sarah's kids, Drew's full-on breakdown in front of Mark over his father was a punch straight to our feels in "Tough Love," while his next one, collapsing into Sarah's arms over his girlfriend's pregnancy and abortion. Sob sob sob.
13. Zoe Keeps the Baby, "Remember Me, I'm the One Who Loves Yo
We knew it was coming, but it still hurt us just as much as it hurt Joel and Julia. Zoe, still the worst.
12. Amber Tells Zeek She’s Pregnant, “Happy Birthday, Zeek”
"Are you disappointed in me?" a tearful Amber asks Zeek before showing him the sonogram of his first great-grandchild, which is the push he needs to agree to heart surgery. Fact: it's impossible not to cry when these two share a scene. And when you compare this scene with No. 2...but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
11. Gwen’s Death, “I’m Still Here”
Kristina's friend, whom she met while undergoing treatment, wasn't around a lot, but she made a huge impact on viewers and was one of the series' first major losses. RIP Gwen!
10. Joel and Julia’s Divorce Drama, “These Are the Times We Live In”
After a pep talk from Zeek, Joel is finally ready to fight to save his marriage, telling Julia, "I don't want to live another day without you. Another second. I want you back." If they end the series divorced , we may need therapy.
9. Ryan and Amber’s breakup, “What to My Wondering Eyes”
"I just know that's not how to love," a devastated Amber tells a troubled Ryan, citing her parents' disastrous relationship as an example she doesn't want to follow. Sigh, these two.
8. Kristina Dances With Max, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Before his first school dance, a recently diagnosed Kristina teaches Max how to dance and promptly does the quickstep all over our tear ducts.
7. Joel and Julia Can't Save Their Marriage, "Stay a Little Longer"
After kissing Ed, Julia is desperate to save their relationship, but Joel isn't sure they can be fixed, admitting he might only still be with her because of the kids. Parenthood, once again tackling the delicate issues no other show has the guts to.
6. Kristina Tells the Family She Has Cancer, "There's Something I Need to Tell You..."
While most shows would've went BIG with this moment, Parenthood chose to go silent, as we just saw the entire family react to Kristina's news while at a restaurant together. So good.
5. Kristina and Adam Deal With Max's Bullying, "The Offer"
Something a parent is never prepared for? Being unable to help your child, which is exactly how Adam and Kristina felt when they learned Max's classmates peed in his canteen and were bullying him: helpless.
4. Zeek Admits He's Scared, "The Waiting Room"
The entire episode took a Xanax to get through (from Adam's worst case scenario e-mails to the Braverman siblings' faces as they watched their father head off to surgery), but we hit our emotional rock bottom when Zeek admitted to Camille he was scared of dying. It's like watching a superhero cry, you know?
3. Amber's Baby Shower, "How Did We Get Here?"
After her baby shower was canceled when Zeek suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, the Braverman mothers took a moment to throw Amber a surprise one in the hopsital cafeteria, where they went around in a circle and offered her advice. It was such a beautiful moment in a time of chaos, made all the more poignant by everything happening with Zeek.
2. Zeek's Hospital Speech to Amber
After Amber almost dies in a car accident, Zeek takes her to the junkyard where the totaled car is, telling her he had one dream when he was in the war: to have great-grandkids. "You do not have permission to mess with my dreams." The scene is even more poignant now, given that Amber is expecting his first grandchild.
1. Kristina's Goodbye Video, "What to My Wondering Eyes"
It hurts to even write about this one, as it hits a little close to home for one of our writers, whose grandfather recorded a message for her and the rest of her family before going in for a surgery for his cancer. Kristina's video message to her three children remains the series' most poignant and devastating moment ever. Watch it and sob if you dare.