There is this thing that a television show will sometimes make you feel. It's something of a cross between true anguish and deep embarrassment because you know that your real tears are being cried for fictional people.

Sometimes, it's awful. 


But, every once in a while, everyone likes to be a little masochistic.

In 2013, these were the ones that hit us the hardest.

Please beware, some of these are rough.

1. Glee, "The Quarterback" 



When Glee's leading man Cory Monteith tragically died this summer, fans of the show, as well as people who aren't loyal Glee fans, mourned this tragic loss. When the decision was made to have Monteith's character, Finn Hudson, pass away in the show, the memorial episode that resulted left us crying for the full hour. From start to finish, this beautiful tribute episode to Glee's fallen New Directions singer left our hearts aching for the loss of such a talented young man. Each character's song dedication, moment of grieving, or breakdown hit us especially hard, since we knew these actors, as well as their characters, were truly mourning the loss of their personal friend. We lost one of the greats this year, and though "The Quarterback" can in no way fill the hole he left behind, the episode certainly allowed us to work through the pain of his absence.


2. Scandal, "Everything's Coming Up Mellie"



Mellie is one of those characters who everyone loves to hate. Her ruthless ambition often makes her extremely unlikeable, but when we were given this flashback to Fitz's first political race, there was suddenly something tender, broken, and yet still fiercely strong behind Mellie that we hadn't seen before. While the scene where Mellie is raped by her father-in-law is clearly affecting, it is the second half of this scene that really makes our hearts bleed for her. This is a secret she's held inside her for a long time, without anyone to help her through it. And if that doesn't make you feel for Mellie, we don't know what will.


3. Masters of Sex, "Catherine" 


This tender scene at the end of Masters of Sex's "Catherine" was just the cherry on top of an extremely feely episode. When Libby loses the baby she's been so desperately wanting, Masters seems almost emotionless as he approaches the death of his unborn child in an entirely clinical manner. It is not until he is alone in his office with Virginia that he finally lets himself grieve his child. And we were all certainly crying along with him.


4. The Vampire Diaries, "Stand By Me"



When Nina Dobrev needs to bring it, she brings it. In this scene, Elena rips our hearts out after she finally realizes her brother Jeremy isn't coming back from the dead, and decides she wants to burn down her home filled with tragic memories. She experiences a full-on, well-deserved breakdown, with us right there with her to feel the full impact. Not to mention the incredible sub-plot between the Brothers Salvatore in which they acknowledge their rocky past and share a moment of subdued brotherly love, and what's that? No, no. Carry on. That's just a white oak stake in my eye.


5. Tie: Orphan Black, "Unconscious Selection" and "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"   

Fine, you got us. We couldn't pick just one, okay? Orphan Black just has too many tears to go around.

This scene after Cosima confronts Delphine about being her monitor is heart-wrenching on so many levels. First, we've got Cosima saying: "I'm such an idiot." If any other character had said this, we might have brushed it off, but coming from super-scientist Cosima, it lends a raw humanity meant to rip your soul. Then, we've got Cosima giving Delphine a final chance to explain. This one moment where Cosima is almost willing to forgive Delphine everything is certainly heartbreaking, and makes her inability to do so even more crushing for everyone involved. Cosima bites back with words, and when she does, she bites deep. And finally, we can't forget to mention Tatiana Maslany's expert lip quiver, which will make you want to curl up in hibernation until Season 2.



In this scene, we get a kick back to the voice note Sarah left on Beth's phone when she went to go meet Helena at Maggie Chen's apartment (a breadcrumb that, in any other show, would totally unravel the Mystery of Everything). When Art plays the recording, Sarah knows she's trapped herself, and with this bittersweet realization, finally breaks down under the weight of the secrets she's been keeping. It is in this moment that we see Sarah confront the betrayal that's inherent to who she is, and admit that the situation is out of her control. Art's plea for understanding also makes him an ally and antagonist at the same time, which makes our feels just explode everywhere. See ya later. We'll be crying in the corner. Bye.

 
6. Warehouse 13, "Lost and Found" 


The back end of Season 4 of Warehouse 13 was all about life and death. Introducing a family of immortals looking to reverse their fortune at the same time Myka finds out her time may be running out definitely underlines this theme. But, it's this soul-crushing slip up that really got us. Add to this Pete's totally silent motion to Artie that says he'll be the one to handle this and be there for his friend, and we're still crying over it six months after this episode aired.


7. Covert Affairs, "No. 13 Baby" 



This isn't the first time we've expressed our love for this scene. Despite its simplicity, it's loaded down with intense feeling and connection, and doesn't even need any words to accomplish its feat of turning us all into a puddle of emotions. It's here that we really see how strong a pull Annie feels toward Auggie, which makes the next scene where Auggie runs off with Helen even more distressing.

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Written by: Milena
Milena is one half of the awesome team that created Red Herry. When not deciding which fictional vampire is her favorite, she enjoys cats, corn on the cob, and forcing the Harry Potter books onto unsuspecting children.
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Written by: Jacqueline 
Jacqueline is one half of the team at the helm of Red Herry, and the whole brain behind almost every fish pun you can find on this website. She is a fierce advocate for helmets, ice cream, and the Oxford Comma.
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