20 of the most heartbreaking TV episodes
We appreciate all forms of cinema, from the comedies that make us laugh out loud to the dramas that make us scream with laughter. To honor the latter, here are 20 television episodes that we consider to be the most heartbreaking.
1 of 20
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 1 Episode 13
Todd Williamson/Bravo
Every fan of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills knows the season one finale was heartbreaking television. It featured Kyle Richards’ argument with her sister Kim over past family dramas and her increasing alcohol addiction.
Kim stayed on the show for four more seasons before leaving at the end of season five. During her time on the show, she spoke openly about her erratic behavior, drinking, and her road to recovery. Since Kim’s exit in 2015, she has reconnected with her sisters Kyle and Kathy Hilton in recent seasons of. RHOBH And Paris in Love.
2 of 20
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Season 4, Episode 24
The Stuffed Dog Company, Quincy Jones Entertainment, NBC Productions, Warner Horizon
Watching Will’s strained relationship with his father, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was tough, especially seeing his heart broken in the final minutes. But Will Smith’s performance made the moment so real that it was one of the best episodes of the series ever.
3 of 20
Real Housewives of Orange County Season 10 Episode 5
Todd Williamson/Bravo
Vicki Gunvalson shared her life with Bravo viewers The Real Housewives of Orange County for nearly 14 years, so of course she’s had her fair share of ups and downs. One of the most difficult moments for the reality star has to be the call that her mother had died while filming a group scene with her co-stars in season 10.
4 of 20
“Glee”, Season 5, Episode 3
Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Productions, 20th Century Fox Television
The death of Cory Monteith hit the cast and fans of Fox’s hit series Joy incredibly difficult. However, Ryan Murphy and the writers of the show honored his legacy in a very thoughtful and moving way in the episode titled “The Quarterback.”
5 of 20
Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 7 Episode 14
NorthJersey.com file, North Jersey Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Although it was exciting to watch Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband Joe Giudice arrive at the prison, The Real Housewives of New JerseySeeing her children’s reaction was devastating.
6 of 20
“One Tree Hill”, Season 6, Episode 3
Tollin/Robbins Productions
When I met Haley and Nathan in OneTreeHill dealing with the death of her close friend Quentin is an episode of this beloved series that fans will never forget. And we totally agree.
7 of 20
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 2 Episode 1
KENNELL KRISTA/SIPA
Taylor Armstrong (pictured right) was a full-time actress in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills The first three seasons were filled with devastating scenes depicting her abusive marriage to her ex-husband Russell Armstrong. He later took his own life in August 2011 and the aftermath was caught on camera.
8 of 20
“This Is Us”, Season 2, Episode 14
Rhode Island Ave. Productions, Zahafte Films, 20th Television
The “Super Bowl Sunday” episode of this is us always evokes strong emotions when we watch it. The house fire, the heart attack and Rebecca’s grief drew us in and made us never want to let go.
9 of 20
“Real Housewives of Atlanta”, Season 8, Episode 16
Charles Sykes/Bravo
Many Real Housewives The cast members have served time in prison for federal crimes, and we have to admit, the storylines are fascinating. But when Phaedra Parks was asked to appear in a Season 8 episode of The Real Housewives of Atlantait brought tears to our eyes.
10 of 20
“Pose”, Season 2, Episode 4
Color Force, Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Television, 20th Television, FXP
POSE was an FX drama series about the ballroom and LGBTQ+ scene in New York City. It starred actors such as Evan Peters, Billy Porter, and Angelica Ross, and tackled very real issues, including the hate many in the community face on a daily basis. A season 2 episode showed them grappling with the news that one of their loved ones had died in a brutal attack.
11 of 20
“Big Brother”, Season 2, Episode 28
anetworklive via YouTube
September 11th was a terrible day for many people around the world. When Julie Chen had to break the news of the attack to a family, Big Brother player whose family member worked at the World Trade Center, we were sent shivers down our spines. It was such a painful and emotional moment. Nothing can prepare anyone for such a tragedy and our thoughts are still with those affected.
12 of 20
“Succession”, Season 4, Episode 3
HBO Entertainment/Gary Sanchez Productions
Even though Logan Roy was not a nice person, his death still shocked us. Consequence feast.
13 of 20
“Real Housewives of Atlanta”, Season 13, Episode 1
Bravo on YouTube
The premiere of the 13th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta showed the arrest of actress Porsha Williams during a protest rally in Kentucky at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Although the arrest was disappointing, it was moving to see her fight for what matters most. After all, she is the granddaughter of American civil rights leader and activist Hosea Williams – it’s in her blood.
14 of 20
“Life and Me”, Season 7, Episode 23
Michael Jacobs Productions/Touchstone Television
Leaving home, branching out and becoming an adult is a scary thought, so we can all identify with the cast of Life and I In the last episode, they said their final goodbyes. But it was Mr. Feeney’s line that devastated us. “I love you all. Class is over,” he said.
15 of 20
“Dance Moms”, Season 3, Episode 9
Collin/Image Press Agency/Sipa USA
It’s strange to see Abby Lee Miller in a vulnerable situation. However, when she lost her dog Broadway Baby on Lifetime’s hit series Dancing mothersit showed viewers a different side of her – one we didn’t see again until she went to prison for hiding assets during her bankruptcy proceedings.
16 of 20
“The Real World”, Season 20, Episode 4
YouTube
Joey’s struggle with addiction during The real world: Hollywood was painful to watch. But seeing his cast rallied around him by staging an intervention gave us a little hope for the season. Joey later appeared in Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2010 and died in August 2012.
17 of 20
“Desperate Housewives”, Season 8, Episode 16
ABC Studios/Cherry Productions
We could not have been prepared for Mike’s death in Desperate Housewives. The flashbacks deceived us at first, but when they brought us back to reality, we finally realized the gravity of the situation.
18 of 20
“Teen Mom OG”, Season 4, Special: “Amber Behind Bars”
Teen Mom on YouTube
All scenes from Amber Portwood in Teenage mother are heartbreaking – especially because they revolved around the charges against her ex Gary, who committed domestic violence. Even then, it was a whole different story to see her life behind bars after her numerous crimes.
19 of 20
“The Crown”, Season 6, Episodes 3 and 4
Left Bank Pictures/Sony Pictures Television
We knew about Diana’s death in The Crown Season 6 was coming up, but man, did it hit us hard. While it wasn’t drastic, fans got it when the limo sped off in the tunnel and heard it crash just moments later. Episode 4 shows how the family moves on after receiving the news and recovering the body.
20 of 20
Married To Medicine Season 6 Episode 4
Charles Sykes/Bravo
Quad Webb’s breakdown during an episode of Season 6 of Married to medicine was challenging for viewers because you could see the pain in her eyes and feel the hurt in her voice. Although not much was revealed in the moment, over time and eventually after her divorce, Quad spoke about the truth about her previous marriage, including devastating stories of abuse and hardship.
Jacquez Printup has been writing about all kinds of entertainment topics, including reality TV, pop culture, and celebrity news, since his time as a student at Ohio University. Since graduating, he has continued to watch seasons of “Vanderpump Rules” and “Big Brother” and discuss them online. His writing has appeared in publications such as ScreenRant, Yahoo, RealityTea, Yardbarker, and on the popular television series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”