Thursday, August 20, 2009

Buffyfest's Two Cents on the SFX 26 Greatest Tearjerkers

My sweaters are fuzzy and I feel so guilty!!

Dawn: "Get out, get out, get out!!" Buffy: "Fine, I will then!" ::plunge::

Yoooooou bastard.

So, SFX published the "26 Greatest Tearjerkers" this week which can be found here. Among Star Trek and Lord of the Rings were a few of our Whedonverse favorites. We here at Buffyfest decided we'd make our own Top Ten list (in no particular order) of the "Greatest Whedonverse Tearjerkers" just for fun.

"The Gift"
Buffy's speech at the end is breathtaking and it's kinda unanimous thinking around here that this would have made the perfect series finale.

"The Body"
There's about a gazillion scenes in this episode that'll make you cry. Buffy's puke on the floor, Buffy's revelation to Dawn and, of course, Anya's monologue.

"I Will Remember You"
At the end of the episode with Buffy and Angel's faces all tear-stained and scrunched up in agony. Oh man.

Serenity
Wash's death. Really, Joss? Really?

"Hell's Bells"
Anya sits in her white dress with make-up running down her face, all against a black background. Damn you, Xander Harris for being such a douche and making Anya cry and us cry right along with her.

"Hero"
Doyle's death. Really, Joss? really?

"Becoming Part II"
Buffy. Angel. Sword in heart. Cue the sadness.

"You're Welcome"
Cordelia's shining moment. She's snarky and strong with a perfect amount of empathy. And when we find out she's died...well, enough said.

Dr. Horrible
Penny on the floor with shrapnel in her chest and Dr. Horrible with tears in his eyes. It gets you every time.

"A Hole in the World"
Fred's line, "Please, Wesley. Why can't I stay?" is so simple, yet so powerful.

And Honorable Mention goes to...

"Forgiving"
It's just the opening scene, maybe 10 seconds long, but Angel on the floor next to Connor's charred empty crib makes his choke hold on Wesley at the end of that episode not so bad.


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great list. I would add Wesley's death in the Angel series finale, when Illyria changes into Fred to say goodbye. I cry every time. Also, Angel and Buffy's last dance in "The Prom." Sorry, I'm a sap.

I find the bedroom scene in "Innocence," after Angel lost his soul more of a tearjerker than the one in "I Will Remember You." I think I had already mourned & accepted that Buffy and Angel wouldn't be together anymore by that point, so it just didn't affect me in the same way.

Tara said...

Oh, "The Prom". TOTALLY!! The Prom kills me...it's so, so sad. Angel's a bastard, really.

"Innocence" is more of a shockfest for me than anything else. For the record, "Innocence" is my personal favorite episode (while I consider "The Gift" to be the best ep). So when I watch "Innocence" I get this feeling of shock and anger and I feel bad for Buffy, but there's a sort of lack of belief of what's going on there. That, for me, keeps it off the tearjerker list...although I can see other people getting misty over the whole thing.

Michelle said...

Yes, "The Prom" is so sad! Wesley's death, too. Good picks. This could have easily been a "Top 50" list with all the heartbreak and death in the Whedonverse.

she fell down said...

Oh man, just reading that list made me get all choked up...

Anonymous said...

Women....

Alex B.

Anonymous said...

Good list.

I hope you're happy now that I'm sitting here all weepy.

elainecleo said...

I cry just thinking of Angel Not Fade Away when Illyria lies to Wes as he is dying, that is heartbreaking to me and of course Anya in The Body. I cried in several eps of both series, but sobbed in those two, so bad I had my parrot crying with me.lol

Dalton said...

Geez, just thinking about these episodes makes me tear up. Cordelia, Wes, Fred, Tara, Joyce, Jenny, and Anya's deaths all hit me hard. The end of You're Welcome absolutely killed me. The Gift was so awesome. When Giles went to get some payback for Jenny's murder and Buffy had to pop him one. That made me cry. There are so many heart-wrenchers in Buffy and Angel. Damn it. Thanks a lot, Michelle. :::sniff, sniff:::

Tara said...

You know what else is really cry-worthy even though it's not sad? At the end of Suprise/Innocence when Giles and Buffy are in the car and Giles gives her the "No guilt here...the only thing you'll get from me is my respect." speech. What a great father.

Sound bite:
http://dogwood.phpwebhosting.com/~tvshrine/buffy/b-gresect.wav

Anonymous said...

One more: in "Selfless" when Buffy stabbed Anya and we cut to the singing flashback, with Anya in her wedding dress. First time I watched, I thought Anya was dead. Subsequent viewings: still sad, but for other reasons.

I agree, Tara, regarding "Innocence." While I consider it one of the saddest episodes of Buffy, it is not so weepy, because of everything else going on. Plus, the pleasure of watching evil Angelus softens the blow of Buffy's crying (or is that just me?).

oldblackmagic said...

I made it through "The Body" all the way until Anya's speech. And then I was done for. Think I went through a box of kleenex. That speech really did me in. It was so beautifully written and acted. I gained a whole new level of respect for Emma Caulfield after that scene.

How about the end of Chosen when all the potentials turn into slayers and we see the girl at bat. Followed by Spiike's death. Can't watch all of that without crying.

And another scene that's impossible for me to get through without crying is Xander's speech to Willow in Grave.

Dcubedandtothethoidpowa said...

Yes, The Body. When Buffy visualizes that she arrived in time to save Joyce, only to awaken from her internal vision to find that the paramedics were unable to revive her mother. For those of us who have lost a parent, or someone we love, how many times have we wished reality was different than it is. One of the saddest Buffy moments ever.
obm, you're right. Emma Caulfield rocks. A total talent.
heroinetv, I was in shock when Buffy plugged Anya. But it was so cool when Anya pulled the sword out and told Buffy she didn't die that easy.
Thanks for the sound bite, Tara.

Kaaren said...

I CANNOT watch "The Body" without a box of tissue by my side. Emma Caufield Rocks!! I've seen it a bazillion times, and I still cry.

Fred's death comes in a close second.

This Year's Girl said...

The Fred scene had me WEEPING!!! I also get a little choked up when Spike is draped over the cross and is talking nonsense. It was weird seeing him like that, and I got a little misty.

Erin said...

Just reading this list made me start crying all over again. Every one of them is so painful! Nice job putting it together though!

Unknown said...

I cry when Illyria lies to Wes, but even more so when she meets them in the alley and says he's dead and she wishes to do more violence, just how she's affected by his death gets me.

Doyle's death kills me. Too bad we'll never know... I think he was really Cordy's soul mate. She belonged with him and I feel as if that relationship was the most robbed.

I also want to throw in when Buffy pretends to be the robot "What you did for me and Dawn, that was real. I won't forget it." Something about that just touches me.

But my all time favorite episode and one of televisions finest moments is The Body. I think Joss, and his entire crew captured the reality and emotion of death perfectly in that episode. I find something new every time I see it.

Scar said...

I think the saddest bit in Hells Bells is when Anya walks down the isle and everyone stands and the band plays the music even though everyone can see that's she's being torn apart... It's like she's looked forward to 'being with her best friend forever' for so long that she goes ahead with it without him...