Top 12 Tear-Jerking Moments of the Revival (12-7)

Guest contributor Garrett Castello begins the countdown.

Doctor Who is full to the brim with awesome, hilarious, and crazy moments. But every now and then, the epic craziness of this show is put on the backburner in order to give us some powerful dramatic moments. And I think it’s fair to say that more than a few of these will bring a tear to the average fan’s eye at one point or another. With our next dosage of Doctor Who not set to grace us until Christmas, there’s no better time to look back over the show. So, I’ve decided to count down my personal top twelve tear-jerking moments of the revival. I’m sure there are plenty in Classic Who, but I want to stick with the era I’m most familiar with and the era that has actually made me cry. And why top twelve? Because obvious answer is obvious. So let’s pull out our tissue boxes and begin!

12. Cassandra’s Death (New Earth)

This may seem like a strange choice to some of you, but the scene of a quickly dying Cassandra, while in the failing body of her assistant Chip, telling her younger self how beautiful she is (you know, before she became a tarp of skin) never fails to bring a tear to my eye. The Doctor and Rose silently departing while Cassandra unknowingly comforts her dying future self is a really powerful moment and the music adds to the scene perfectly. Cassandra certainly isn’t one of my favorite Doctor Who villains but this was a surprisingly genuine and heartfelt conclusion for the character.

11. Elderly Tim (The Family of Blood)

I very much liked the character of Tim Latimer in this Series 3 two-parter; and the ending scene with him as an elderly war veteran silently acknowledging the presence of the Doctor and Martha at a World War I Remembrance Day ceremony always gets to me. The combination of Tim breaking down whilst clutching the infamous pocket watch and the Doctor and Martha silently respecting a man who they had just seen as a young schoolboy mere moments before comes together to form a moving conclusion to a dark, emotional story.

10. Everybody Lives (The Doctor Dances)

Easily one of my favorite Series 1 moments. Seeing Nancy tell Jamie that she’s his mother before embracing him always gets to me; and the Ninth Doctor’s joy at being able to save everyone only adds to the multitude of emotions present in this scene. This is a moment that makes me tear up due to how victorious and joyful it is.

9. Clara and the Doctor Part Ways (Hell Bent)

Clara’s departure is easily my favorite companion departure of the revival thus far. But it’s more my favorite due to how satisfying it is for me rather than how sad it made me. Still, the final scene between Clara and the Doctor in the TARDIS diner always gets me. Clara’s near-tearful reaction to the Doctor being unable to recognize her. The Doctor’s struggle to remember anything further about Clara. Clara’s final words to the Doctor and the Doctor playing “Clara” on his guitar. It all comes together for a very poignant and moving final scene between two great characters.

8. The SS Madame de Pompadour (The Girl in the Fireplace)

The Girl in the Fireplace is easily one of my favorite episodes of Series 2. I loved the chemistry between the Doctor and Reinette and her unfortunate fate was a fittingly depressing end for the story. Everything about the end of this episode tugs at my heartstrings from the Doctor learning of Reinette’s fate to the final shot of the SS Madame de Pompadour (thus revealing why the Clockwork Droids had been stalking her). What really makes this scene for me, aside from the events transpiring, is the absolutely beautiful musical piece made for this episode: “Madame de Pompadour” by Murray Gold, which is easily one of my favorite pieces of Doctor Who music.

7. Amelia’s Last Farewell (The Angels Take Manhattan)

Another companion departure and (spoilers) it won’t be the last one I talk about. I personally love The Angels Take Manhattan in spite of its flaws and found it to be a beautiful and tragic final story for the Ponds. Both Amy and Rory had developed greatly as characters throughout their time on the show and, by the time of their departure, they had become the perfect pair of companions for the Eleventh Doctor. These three characters were magical together and the realization that they would never be able to see each other again was truly heartbreaking. And while Rory may have received a criminally quick exit, Amy’s final moments with the Doctor and River always bring tears to my eyes.

Join us next time for the top 6…