Top 10 TV Moments That Gave Viewers Emotional Damage

Top 10 TV Moments That Gave Viewers Emotional Damage

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the most stressful scenes from TV shows that wrecked us. For this list, we wont be touching the trauma weve experienced from animated shows or anime, because we all know that deserves a Top 10 of its own. Beware, though, because if these moments arent burned into your retinas already, you will be attacked by rogue spoilers.

#10: Dereks Death

Greys Anatomy (2005-)

Nothing compares to the pain of getting emotionally attached to a character like youve known them forever, only for them to be offed for the plot. The impact of Derek Shepherd a.k.a. McDreamy was so magnanimous on Greys Anatomy that we all thought hed be immune to a tragic fate, thanks to plot armor. The show took that comforting misconception and shattered it into pieces when he died. Although he had a noble death, saving lives until he physically couldnt anymore, it left us broken. However, it was watching Meredith lose the love of her life that crushed our souls. Were never getting over this.

#9: The Loss of Marshalls Dad

How I Met Your Mother (2005-14)

The happier the character, the more it hurts to see them in pain. Marshall was undoubtedly one of the most wholesome characters on HIMYM. So, it was particularly heartbreaking to see him cope with his dads untimely passing, moments after finding out about his ability to become a father himself. Even though this episode is called Bad News and it counts down to the revelation, no one expected a loss so great in a sitcom. It was a shock for Jason Segel, too, who didnt know what the news would be until Lily shared it with his character. Segels genuine reaction, devastated but contained, added authenticity to the moment, making it unforgettable.

#8: The Doctor Bids Farewell to Rose

Doctor Who (1963-89; 2005-)

Get yourself a man wholl burn up a sun just to say goodbye. Actually, scratch that. Get one who wont have to save the world. As the war between the Daleks and the Cybermen rages on in Doomsday, the Doctor and Rose are thrown into parallel universes. They barely get the chance to say goodbye, but the Doctors a romantic. Giving Rose the closure she deserves, he meets her one last time through a projection. The moment is so emotionally charged that the most they can manage is small talk until Rose finally cracks. Her teary confession of love hangs in the air while the Doctors image disappears. He missed his last chance to say I love you, and that haunts us to this day.

#7: Jacks Death

This Is Us (2016-22)

Show creators have way too much power. When fans found out that Jack had died in This Is Us, the feeling of betrayal was unbelievable. In the highly acclaimed episode Super Bowl Sunday, we follow Jack as he rescues his family from a fire caused by a faulty crock-pot. The sequence is heroic, and the Pearsons make it out alive. However, the smoke Jack inhaled belatedly gives him a heart attack, taking his life. Unable to witness his final moments, Rebecca, played by Mandy Moore, is swallowed by grief but must put on a brave face, lest her children break down. Moore gives us the performance of a lifetime when Rebecca crumbles, leaving us gutted. Television history was made, but at what cost?

#6: Ji-yeongs Sacrifice

Squid Game (2021-)

Hwang Dong-hyuks magnum opus is gut-wrenching at every turn. However, it was a moment of quiet sacrifice that broke fans' hearts the most. Player 240, Ji-yeong, endeared herself to viewers within just a few scenes. So, when she paired up with Sae-byeok, everyone hoped for them to come out of the game together. Squid Game, being the sadistic nightmare it is, turned them against each other. Little did we know, Ji-yeong had already given up her will to live. So, instead of grasping at straws, she turned her time with Sae-byeok into a confessional, baring her soul before giving up her life. Sae-byeok moves forward on borrowed time, but a part of her dies with Ji-yeong. Director Hwang, were never forgiving you for this.

#5: The Break-up of the Century

Fleabag (2016-19)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge hit us right in the solar plexus with this one. The final episode of Fleabag season two ends on the most harrowing anti-climax. Our titular character professes her love for Andrew Scotts Hot Priest and lets him go in the same breath. Her need to confess is more for her own catharsis than out of any expectation from him. Still, when he tells her that her love, like everything else, shall pass, the truth of it all goes down like bitter medicine. Rather than a pang of hurt, the priest leaves behind a dull ache. Yet, when you sit with the words, like Fleabag does, they're also strangely comforting. Only Phoebe can break our hearts and mend them at the same time.

#4: Joels Death

The Last of Us (2023-)

We knew this was coming, and it still ripped us apart. In season two of The Last of Us, Abby nearly beats Joel to death with a golf club, breaks it in half, and stabs him in the neck. In the process, she avenges her Firefly father, a doctor Joel killed to save Ellie. The scene is unhinged, with Abby abandoning any semblance of humanity in the heat of revenge. However, the final blow to our emotional dam was the way Ellie helplessly watched her father figure take his last breath. She crawls to his lifeless body, snuggling up like a child in desperate need of warmth, and it brings on the waterworks. Needless to say, we had to touch some grass to recover.

#3: Eddie Breaks Down

Adolescence (2025)

Stephen Grahams appalling brilliance in this scene cements his place as one of the finest actors of our generation. Throughout the show, his character, Eddie, struggles to come to terms with the crime his son, Jamie, committed. His own flesh and blood taking such a monstrous form unnerves him, even more so because he feels responsible for Jamies situation, as a father. His little boy had slipped out of his reach and gone astray without him knowing. So, guilt consumes him, until hes left wailing in Jamies bedroom, his cries muffled by nothing but the pillow the youngster once laid his heavy head on. Without cuts or needless adornments, the scene is as raw as an open wound, and boy, does it hurt.

#2: Hodors Death

Game of Thrones (2011-19)

GoT is filled to the brim with the most mind-numbing tragedies, and viewers have no choice but to make peace with them. Despite knowing that, Hodors death hit us like a ton of bricks. On the one hand, he dies protecting Bran, staving off the wights. Then, as a double whammy, his gruesome death traumatizes his younger self, back when he was still a promising lad, Wylis, through Brans warging mishap. The vision of his end gives the boy a seizure, engraving the words Hold the door, as yelled by Meera, into his mind. This eventually got shortened to Hodor, the only word he could say, and his name. In a way, Hodor died twice, and it continues to pain us even now.

#1: Remembering Finn

Glee (2009-15)

Actor Cory Monteiths sudden demise, aged 31, was an unimaginable loss for fans worldwide. He had brought love and laughter into the lives of millions with his beloved character Finn in Glee, alongside several other works. So, to honor his legacy, Glee decided to pay homage to Finn, who was also revealed to have passed on. Through musical tributes and moments of personal grieving, shown via characters like Carole, Rachel, Puck, Santana, and Mr. Schue, the show helped fans process their sorrow. However, the void that Cory and Finn left behind could never be filled. The star continues to be dearly missed.

If you could delete any of these scenes from existence, which one would it be? Comment down below!