The Simpsons (animation)/Heartwarming

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"Oh, there are pictures [of Maggie]; I keep them where I need the most cheering up." Homer puts up with, and does, a lot of crap. Now you know why.

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• The last part of the season 14 episode "Brake my Wife, Please". At the beginning of act 3, a stressed-out Marge and Homer began to fight over the little things to the point where Homer thinks Marge is trying to intentionally harm him and they go to couples' therapy. What does Homer do to win her back? He invites most of Springfield - excluding the Flanders family - to a surprise "We Love You, Marge" dinner in the Simpsons' backyard for Marge. Homer even gets Jackson Browne to sing about how much he loves Marge and how far their relationship has come. Even the coldest of viewers will go "Aww".
• The end of The Simpsons episode "And Maggie Makes Three". A Whole-Episode Flashback is triggered by Homer being asked why there aren't any pictures of Maggie in the photo album. Homer explains how Maggie's birth forced him to quit his dream job working at Barney's Bowl-a-rama and return to his job at the Nuclear Plant, which he had quit months earlier (and hates). To add insult to injury, Mr. Burns installed a plaque in Homer's workstation reading "Don't forget: You're here forever". Bart asks what the point of Homer's story was, and it's revealed where the photos of Maggie are: Homer has posted them all over his workstation, strategically covering up the plaque so that it reads "Do it for her". Cue tears.
  • Appropriately enough, it's been chosen as the image for this very page. However, to picture in your mind how the scene works, imagine it zooming out while the well-known and often-heard Carillon version of the main theme (hell, we could even call it "Maggie's theme"!) plays. Now imagine all this happening as the episode ends!
  • It actually takes on an even deeper meaning when you realize that Maggie has single-handedly saved Homer's life THREE TIMES since that episode (four if you count The Movie), which suggests that she's aware of what Homer did for her and is very grateful. Of course, when you're talking about a show with Negative Continuity, it's much harder to make these type of connections as the show progresses.
  • During the actual birth, Homer is trying to be happy, but he's also clearly bitter over the setbacks he's had to endure up to this point. His eyes light up, however, when a little hand grabs his thumb.

Marge: Homie, I think someone's trying to say hello.

• "Lisa's Substitute" four words - You are Lisa Simpson.
  • In Mr. Bergstrom, not only does Lisa find appreciation for her intelligence, but inspiration to learn and a teacher who actually cares about his students. This would all prove hard to come by later. Lisa still holds Mr. Bergstrom in reverence.
  • The last scenes of the episode where Homer actually succeeds at parenting. "Not a word. I'm on the biggest roll of my life."
  • This gets even better with a bit of Fridge Brilliance from another episode. Marge tries to cheer her up with the same thing, a piece of paper with those same words on it. Lisa says she already has one and points to it, the flippancy meaning a viewer might completely miss the implications: Lisa didn't only keep that paper, she framed it. And it sits by her bed.
  • There's a great moment where Homer is telling Lisa that he knows she'll be doing great things in the future - Lisa realizes it's basically what her revered substitute had said, and that Homer wasn't the oblivious monkey she'd accused him of being.
• "Insane Clown Poppy" ends like this with after Krusty gambling his daughters fiddle to the mafia enlists Homer to help him get it back,and he plays it loud enough for Sophie to hear,ends with hug between the two.
• "Lisa's First Word", another Whole-Episode Flashback. Not only what Lisa's first word is but also...

Homer: You know Maggie, the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. *switches lights off* I hope you never say a word. *leaves room* Maggie: *removes pacifier* Dad-dy.

• • A bit narm-y but there's also some special significance to this, as the episode had shown that Maggie is the only of the three Simpson children to call him "Daddy" rather than "Homer" as a baby — made all the more sad by the fact that Homer missed his one chance at hearing his child call him "Daddy."
• Also, the climax of "Lisa on Ice" in which Bart is set to score the winning shot and Lisa is ready to block. While the crowd cheers for the two to defeat each other, they flash back to all the times that they were more than just brother and sister — they were each other's friends (Bart helping Lisa get a cookie from a cookie jar, Bart making shadow puppets for Lisa's entertainment, and, most heart-warming of all, Bart sharing his ice cream with Lisa after hers falls off her cone) and decide to throw the game in the name of their friendship (which naturally leads everyone in the audience to riot and burn the hockey arena to the ground — except for career criminal Snake, who tears up and comments that if pee-wee hockey was around when he was a child, maybe he wouldn't have turned out the way he did).
• The episode "'Round Springfield" actually has one from Bart, of all people. When Lisa is absolutely crushed that she can't get the last copy of Bleeding Gums' album for a tribute after his death, Bart spends all the remaining money from his recent legal settlement involving Krusty the Clown's cereal to get it for her, because she was the only one who believed him when he said his stomach hurt (somehow getting appendicitis from swallowing a jagged Krusty-O).
  • Followed by another one, when a random lightning strike increases the power of the local jazz station enough so that everyone in Springfield can hear the album being played.
  • Followed by another one, as Bleeding Gums appears in the clouds a la Mufasa from The Lion King, says good-bye, and disappears...only to return for one last jam session with Lisa.
• One from the end of The Simpsons Movie - Bart has left Homer to be with Flanders, as he wants to experience paternal love before he dies. Homer, as part of his Crowning Moment of Awesome, shows up and requests Bart's help getting rid of the bomb. Bart initially refuses, preferring to stay with Ned, when Homer makes an offer he can't refuse: "I'll let you hold the bomb..." Bart smiles apologetically at Ned, says "The man knows me.", and runs over to Homer.
  • Even better is that, before Bart runs to Homer, Ned simply smiles gently and waves Bart encouragingly on his way. A beautiful, understated CMoH for Flanders.
  • Also as Homer and Marge ride into the sunset: "Best kiss of my life!" "Best kiss of your life so far."
• The episode "Mother Simpson", where Homer meets his mother for the first time in a long time. She sadly has to leave again. He drives her to the pick up point and stays there, staring at the stars. Instead of the normal end credits, they keep this shot and play a charming song. The commentary points out how hard the crew fought to prevent commercials from playing during its premiere.
  • This is the CMOH for television in general for this troper.
    • Seconded
• In the episode "The Frying Game", despite the fact that the whole being framed for murder and being sentenced to execution became a total ruse for a 'FOX' reality TV show, it was so sweet to see Homer taking the rap for the whole murder to save Marge at the cost of his own life.
  • As well as at the execution, Marge pressing her hands against the glass and saying "I'll love you for the rest of my life."
• The end of "Homer Scissorhands" in the Lisa subplot in which after breaking Milhouses' heart once then unwittingly ruining Milhouses' newfound relationship with a fifth grader,Lisa comforts him and kisses him.
• In "Bart's Comet", Ned Flanders has been forced out of his own civil defense shelter by his selfish neighbors, and is left to face the comet that signals Springfield's impending doom alone. However, each of the neighbours begins to feel increasingly guilty about forcing him out, and - starting with Homer - one by one leave the shelter to join him. Ned, resigned to his fate, stands on a hill near Springfield quietly singing 'Que Sera Sera' to himself... only for the entire town to suddenly appear and join him in the chorus.
  • Not to mention also how dark that moment was. The townsfolk managed to overcome their Jerkass attitude to cheerfully wait for their doom ( yeah, riiiiiight) together. "Que sera sera", indeed.
    • If you can, sit through the credits for that episode. You won't regret it.
• In "Another Simpsons Clip Show", Marge was trying to encourage her family about romance. However, the stories either ended in heartbreak (Bart getting rejected by Laura in "New Kid on the Block" and Lisa yelling at Ralph in "I Love Lisa") or were revelations of near-infidelity (Homer falling for Mindy in "Last Temptation of Homer" [with Homer explaining that, after that incident, Mindy became an alcoholic and lost her job at the plant] and Marge almost sleeping with a French bowler in "Life in the Fast Lane"). Feeling dejected, Marge was about to give up, until Homer pointed out that not all romance stories end like that. And we cut to see Homer and Marge's prom night.

Homer: (to Marge) "I've got this problem. As soon as you stop this car, I'm gonna hug you and kiss you and then, I'll never be able to let you go."

• • Made even better with Lisa's following comment and Homer's reply.

Lisa: "Your first kiss." Homer: "But not the last." (shows montage of several kisses shared between Homer and Marge, finishing with them kissing in the present)

• • • For This Troper, the episode where we see how Homer and Marge met and fell in love (The Way We Was, way back in Season 2) has one of the most heartwarming moments not only in The Simpsons, not only in Western Animation, but in anything. Said moment can be summed up in three words:

Marge: "My prom date."

• During "Lisa's Wedding", Marge, Bart and Homer all go to see Lisa before the actual wedding and each one provided a touching family moment from each one. Marge gave Lisa a lock of her hair for "something blue" for the wedding and they wordlessly hugged. Even Bart said that his sister looked beautiful in his own words (before revealing that he was comparing Lisa's beauty to a dancer he saw at a strip club). But the one that got this Troper the most was Homer.

Homer: "Little Lisa. Lisa Simpson. You know, I always felt you were the best thing my name ever got attached to ... I just want you to know I've always been proud of you. You're my greatest accomplishment and and you did it all yourself. You helped me understand my own wife better and taught me to be a better person. But you're my daughter and I don't think anyone could have had a better daughter than you."

• • Then, Lisa would later return the favour back to Homer and her family. Her fiance Hugh had intentions of returning to England and separating Lisa from her family forever, even insulting them in front of Lisa. Angrily, Lisa gave him back his ring and walked out.

Hugh: "You complain about them more than anyone." Lisa: "That may be, but I still love them, and I don't think you understand that.

• • And then there's the ending where Lisa and Homer bond after Lisa visits the fortune teller. On its own it's nothing special, but in the context of the episode, Lisa's enthusiasm to hearing Homer's mundane tasks during his time at the Renaissance Fair is currently bringing this troper to tears. This is the only time in The Simpsons I ever cried. And I always, no matter how many times I watch it, cry at the ending.
• The end of "'Tis the Fifteenth Season", despite Homer's selfishness and foolishness throughout the rest of the episode, the entire town joins together singing 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' (even a crippled Moe).
• In "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder", after Homer loses his fame for bowling a perfect game and attempts suicide (only to be saved by a bungee-jumping Otto), Homer decides to dedicate his life to his children, but Bart has found male role models in everything else except Homer and Lisa is too smart for him, so Homer tries to bond with Maggie. The problem is, Maggie is afraid of Homer and every attempt at bonding ends in disaster. It's not until Homer drowns in the ocean and Maggie saves him that Homer realizes that Maggie does care for him. Also the ending where Homer and Maggie bond at the bowling alley and as Homer is tickling Maggie, Homer bats away the "300 Game" balloon that floats down near him, showing that Homer (despite being a Jerkass and a cartoonish idiot at times) is really just a sympathetic bumbler who wants to be loved and recognized, be it by thousands of fickle fans or just one member of the family.
  • I also saw that as hilarious, seeing as how Maggie had just bowled a perfect game as well, and he didn't want her to notice.
• A more humorous example comes when Bart sees how depressed Mrs. Krabappel is. He nominates her for a major teaching award, and in the video he submits to the judges claims that Mrs. Krabappel deserves to win because she's managed to survive teaching him. The judges are shocked to discover that Bart is real (his exploits being so legendary that many teachers think he's just an Urban Legend), and decide that if Mrs. Krabappel has "danced with the devil in the blue shorts and lived", she's a clear winner. Mrs. Krabappel is very touched by Bart's gesture.
• There's also the episode where Bart is in trouble (again) with Mrs. Krabappel because of yo-yos. He discovers the personals in a magazine, and initially, he gets revenge by setting her up with a fake beau named "Woodrow" with a picture of Gordie Howe as his profile, and for the clincher, setting her up on a fake date. When Bart sees that she's crying because she's been stood up, he enlists his family's help in writing one last, but very sweet letter (topped off with Homer's "with a love that will echo through the ages") to her, explaining why "Woodrow" had to leave town.
  • "Lisa the Beauty Queen" has a few of these, such as Bart boosting Lisa's spirits when she says the other girls are prettier than she is: "Lisa, as your brother this is the hardest thing I've ever had to say, but...you're not ugly". And this exchange earlier:

Homer: "There's no one prettier than my little girl!" Marge: "You're looking at her through a father's eyes." Homer: "Well, if I could gouge someone else's eyes out and shove them in my sockets I would, but to me she's beautiful!"

• The end of "Colonel Homer", where it becomes clear that Homer's inability to pick up on Lurleen's increasingly blatant romantic advances ("Oooohhh...there isn't a man alive who wouldn't be turned on by that...well, goodnight!") has less to do with Homer's typical cluelessness and more to do with his devotion to Marge, followed by Lurleen's final song to him hoping that Marge knows how lucky she is. Actually, no matter how many times Homer & Marge's marriage is threatened, their reunion makes for a CMOH.
  • A little earlier when Lurleen makes his intentions clear and actually kisses them, all of his previous romantic efforts flash before his eyes. They're all pretty pathetic and full of rejection, of course, but then we get to Marge saying "I'll love you for the rest of my life." Upon snapping back to reality, Homer pushes Lurleen away and leaves.
• The end of "Life on the Fast Lane" (or Jacques to be Wild), where, after accepting an invitation from a suave French bowler to his apartment, she finally goes to the Nuclear Power Plant, with music resembling "Up Where We Belong" playing in the back, where she tells Homer she loves him, and Homer joyously proclaims to tell the boss that "I'm going to the backseat of my car with the woman I love, AND I WON'T BE BACK FOR TEN MINUTES!"
• In the episode "Saturdays of Thunder", Homer had taken a father quiz and realized he knew nothing about Bart. So he decided to help Bart make his racing car for the Soap Box Derby. Only for Bart to ditch Homer for a much better, faster car made by Martin. He was initially upset by Homer's disappointment. But just before the race start, Bart saw Homer on the stands, as he proclaimed (with a full mouth) "Do it for your old man, boy!" In the end, after winning the race, Bart presented the trophy to Homer and they both embraced.
  • But right at the very end, in a quick blink-and-you-miss-it moment, we see that the whole race was monitored by the same people who made the father quiz. And two men, presumably a son and father, embraced as well upon seeing Bart and Homer do the same thing.
  • When Homer at first refused to go to the race, because he was so hurt. He goes into the kitchen, notices the quiz on the fridge, and starts miserably answering the questions. When he realizes he now passes the test, he rushes to support Bart.
• There was one episode where Maggie, Bart and Lisa were put in custody at the Flanders after Child Welfare officers accuse Homer and Marge of neglecting their kids and providing a squalid living environment for them. Both Bart and Lisa note that Maggie is much more happier with the Flanders than she is with her own family. Then came the choice whether she should go with the Flanders or the Simpsons. From Maggie's point of view, we see that the Flanders was a bright, cheerful family with bunnies and butterflies. When looking at Homer, Bart and Lisa, all she saw was a dark, gloomy place with frogs. So she began walking towards the Flanders. Only to see Marge coming down the hill. As soon as she saw Marge, she reached out and Marge delightfully held her up and spun her around, ending in a glorious, realistic portrait of a sunset behind them.
  • Earlier, Bart and Lisa leave a message for Homer and Marge: "Simpson Kids Miss Mom and Dad." Doubles as a Tear Jerker.
• When Homer eats a poisonous fish and only has twenty-four hours to live in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish", in his last day of living, he goes around to do everything that he could, including having a man-to-man talk with Bart, listening to Lisa play her saxophone, making a video for Maggie, being nice to Flanders for once and spending his last night with Marge. Each scene itself deserves to be a CMOH. But I thought the one that got this Troper the most was when Homer reconciled with his father. He went to Abe, who acted indifferently to him at first, until Homer told him that he loved him. Then, both started crying and ended in an embrace. And for the rest of the afternoon, despite wanting to do other things, Homer stayed with his dad to do some father-and-son things with him that they never got to do before.
  • You think THAT'S heartwarming? It's NOTHING compared to Marge's tears of joy when she finds out that Homer's still alive:

Marge: "Homer! Your drool is still warm! (crying) You're alive!"

• • Well, the only reason he accepted Flanders' offer to come to the barbeque was because he would be dead by then.
• The episode where Bart and Lisa convince Krusty's father to finally accept his son's career path, culminating in him guest starring in an episode of Krusty's show.

Krusty (tearfully): "WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS!"

• Four words: "Lisa, It's Your Birthday".
  • This troper's older brother plays this song on her birthday every year, even now when we're hours apart at different universities. Makes me cry every time.
  • Made all the more touching and heartbreaking by the fact that Michael Jackson, who, under the name of John Jay Smith, portrayed the guy who sang that in the episode, died. I now treasure this episode.
• There was this one episode where Homer, Bart and his boys community group goes up against Milhouse, his father Kirk and his group, until things get worse at the baseball game, erupting in a full-out riot with them and with everyone in the audience. Marge begins to cry and they show her crying face on the Jumbotron, where everyone saw it. And slowly, they began to stop and then, they all link hands in a giant maple leaf and join in singing "O Canada".
• After losing his wife in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", Flanders was determined not to go to church, briefly losing faith in God. But he ends up going anyways and arrives just in time to hear a song sung by Rachel Jordan, about how not to lose faith in God.
• When Lisa manages to make a group of new friends in Summer of 4 Ft.2 Bart's jealousy leads him to expose all the geeky things that made her so unpopular back home. Lisa is crushed and believes her newfound friends will quickly disown her. Instead it turns out that they genuinely found her a cool person because of her geeky knowledge, one character explaining that "You can't fake the sort of good person you are" and they decorate the Simpson family car with seashells in tribute to her (until Homer finds out — despite that Homer's car is the purple four-seater and Marge's is the station-wagon).
  • And Bart, actually feeling remorse over what he'd done, brought the empty unsigned yearbook he'd showed the kids to prove that she was unpopular back to them, and they filled the Yearbook with a load of heartwarming messages.
• In "HOMR", Homer increases his intelligence (after having a crayon removed from his brain), and starts to bond with Lisa, only to be ostracized for his newfound intelligence, so he has another crayon lodged up in his brain to decrease his intelligence. As Lisa is despairing about this, she finds a letter her father wrote for her before he lost his intelligence, saying that he now knows what it's like to be smart in a world where being average or below average is the norm. Overjoyed, she embraces her father, as he thinks, "Mmmm... hug."
• At the end of the episode "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind", Homer, believing that Marge was cheating on him with Duffman and that in his anger, he hit her, tries to jump off a bridge. Only to find out that that Marge was actually planning a surprise party for him and Duffman was helping her. And how Marge got her black eye was because Homer accidentally popped a wine cork at her eye. And what happens later is before Homer fell into river, he landed on a moon bounce, where the surprise party was waiting just for him on a boat. The look of wonder and surprise on Homer's face as he realizes that he wasn't dead and that tonight was going to be the best night of his life was just a CMOH on its own.
  • How could we forget this part that happened at the end of the episode?!

Marge: Homer? Aren't you going to have a beer? Homer: Nope. I want to remember this night.

• • This troper thinks that this sequence of events is an homage to the Michael Douglas movie The Game.
• In "The Devil Wears Nada", Homer and Marge's relationships gets a bit strained when Marge becomes popular for her erotic calendar and Homer is hired as Carl's new assistant. Earlier in the episode, Marge had some dice where it would indicate what and where the player would have to kiss on their partner. But Homer got a lot of lousy ones. But at the end of the episode, Homer asked Marge to kiss the dice, which she did, and he rolled it. He then remarks that this was something he could do, right before kissing Marge lovingly. It had said Love Wife.
• In "No Loan Again, Naturally", Flanders buys the Simpsons house after they lose it and rents it back to them. They start to move their stuff back inside, but Homer stops them and says he should go in first because he left a little "surprise" for the new owners. He quickly runs up the stairs to what we assume is a dump he took on the carpet. It turns out to be a vase of flowers and a card that says "Please love our home as much as we did." (May also double as a Tear Jerker).
  • Ned buying up their house and renting it back to the Simpson family is in and of itself a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.
• "Moaning Lisa", way back in season 1: Lisa is deeply, profoundly sad. Marge encourages her to fake smile and pretend to be happy--but then when she sees how Lisa is being patronized by her teacher and fellow pupils, she pulls her back in the car, and has one of the all-time great speeches: "If you want to be sad, honey, be sad. We'll ride it out with you. And when you get finished feeling sad, we'll still be there. From now on, let me do the smiling for both of us." Then, when she tells Lisa it's okay for her to not smile, Lisa gives the CMOH payoff line: "I feel like smiling!"
• The ending of the twentieth anniversary episode. Krusty leaving his bride at the altar precisely because he loves her too much to saddle her with a loser like him, only to come back to her. The icing on the cake is the line that then appears reading "Thanks for twenty years" on the screen.
• The Super Bowl XLIV commercial.
• I'm surprised it was not even mentioned yet... "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" has it lampshaded and followed by a CMOF when Rosie lampshades both CMOH and CMOF!!!!
  • Just to elaborate, Milhouse moves away to Capitol City causing a lonely Bart to start spending time with Lisa, and a s result, the two become best friends. At the end (and because Status Quo Is God), Milhouse moves back, and Bart goes back to being his best friend, leaving Lisa feeling betrayed. Later though, Bart invites Lisa to play Monopoly with him - but he's switched the cards to things like "Bart will make your bed for a week", and "Bart will defend you when someone calls you a nerd", showing that he still values their friendship.
  • Four words: "Good for One Hug".
• The end of the episode Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?, has Homer's half-brother Herb forgiving him for inadvertently destroying Herb's car company. When Herb regains his fortune with an invention that he designed with $2,000 he borrowed from Homer, Herb not only buys Homer the vibrating chair he initially wanted to purchase with the $2,000, but he also forgives Homer and recognizes him as his brother, coming full circle from the Downer Ending that ensued in the episode when Herb first appeared.
• The episode "I (Annoyed Grunt)-bot". Homer, realizing that Bart doesn't look up to him, pretends to be a robot that he built so that Bart would finally look up to him. This goes to the point where he fights in a robot dueling competition and sustains a great number of wounds, nearly dying, all the while saying to himself "Doing it for the boy. Pain is love. To bleed is to care".
• In "Regarding Margie", Marge gets amnesia after hitting her head. She quickly starts remembering people around her... except for Homer, who is understandably distraught. Despite many tries to get her to remember him, she ends up being disgusted at his behavior and tells him that forgetting about him is the best thing that's ever happened to her. Her sisters then suggests she tries speed-dating, and when she does, she quickly meets a nice guy whom she goes to have dinner with, Homer following them and starting to think to himself that if Marge is happy, then he'll be happy... before falling in the sea. The guy Marge had met immediately leaves when he hears she has three kids, but before he can get away, Homer, covered in seaweed, verbally smacks him for doing so.

Homer: "You idiot!" (the man screams) "Do you know what you just gave up?" Man: "Who the hell are you?" Homer: "The wisest, wettest man you'll ever meet." Man: "Go on." Homer: "You just walked away from the sweetest, most beautiful woman a guy could want. In ten years, she never had the last slice of pizza and she's never complained. Every election, she wishes she could vote for both guys because they both seem nice. And there's a light inside her that makes everyone else look better. And you blew her off." Man: "Dude, she's got three kids." Homer: "I...really? Well, she's still great."

• • Marge, having seen this, remarks that while she may know nothing about Homer, he certainly knows a lot about her... and even though she still doesn't remember him, says she wants to live with him again. She then humorously regain her memory when Homer mentions beer, as she remembers that he drinks a lot and she's his enabler. But it's still sweet.
• At the very end of "Bart Sells His Soul", when Bart, after resorting to various desperate measures to re-obtain a piece of paper that supposedly represents his actual soul, Bart turns to prayer, tearfully begging God to give him back his soul. This troper tears up every single time, because it's Bart at his most vulnerable and honest; truly afraid that without his soul, he will never be the same again.
  • Also at the end, we find out that it was Lisa who brought Bart's soul back for him.
  • Lisa occasionally kisses Bart out of gratitude or support, but this may be the only time Bart kissed Lisa.
• The climax of "Bart Gets An F", where Bart still gets an F on his test, even after frantically praying, denying himself fun and studying his ass off. It's so crushing when he fails, because he tried SO HARD to be better, and he still couldn't do it. We've all been in this position before, when we've given it all we've got, and it still wasn't enough. Seeing Bart break down in utter, soul-crushing defeat is still hard to watch. Turned into a Crowning Moment of Awesome when Bart compares his failure to a battle George Washington lost and Mrs. Krabappel realizes that Bart did learn something and gives him a D-, and a Crowning Moment of Funny with this line:

Bart: I did it! I passed the test! I passed the test! I... KISSED THE TEACHER!!!

• "Radio Bart" had Bart trapped in a well, but the people of Springfield were reluctant to help him out due to him having played a rather meanspirited prank not long ago. Near the end, Homer and Marge come to comfort him, and Bart expresses regret for what he did and starts crying. Homer's response?

Homer: I've stands all I could and I can't stands no more!

• • He then proceeds to dig a hole to the well all by himself, determined to save his son.
• The episode "Chief of Hearts", where Homer befriends Clancy Wiggum after making him a sandwich. Their friendship was nice and refreshing.
• "Lisa's Rival", after Lisa's spent the whole episode being jealous of Allison and trying to take her down a peg, she finally realizes what she's been doing is wrong, and apologizes to Allison afterwards:

Lisa: "I'm really sorry about what I did, Allison. It's no shame being second to you." Allison: "Thank you, Lisa. You know, I'm actually kind of glad I lost. Now I know that losing isn't the end of the world. Hey, you still think we can be friends?" Lisa: "Only if we're the best."

• • It's followed up by Ralph Wiggum coming by and scraping his knee and the two girls helping him up and walking home with him.
• The end of "Homer Loves Flanders". Flanders is shunned by those in the church who think he was arrested on a DUI, whilst Homer is praised for his charity work. Homer's breathing through his nose causes Flanders to lose his patience, and everyone turns on Flanders more so. However, Homer leaps to his defense:

Homer: "If everyone here were like Ned Flanders, there'd be no need for heaven... We'd already be there."

• • Flanders turns to Homer with tears of gratitude and thanks him for being a true friend.
• Mr. Burns of all people gets one in an episode where he starts dating a young woman called Gloria who turns out to be an ex-girlfriend of Snake's. Snake kidnaps her and Homer and ties them up in a cabin in the woods. Homer burns through his ropes but ends up starting a fire. He and Snake escape but Gloria's still trapped inside. The police refuse to do anything because it's too dangerous, prompting Mr. Burns to try and break her out himself. When he's unable to break down the door, Mr. Burns seems on the point of giving up, until he sees Gloria suffocating inside,leading him to break the door in with just one shoulder heave.
• The Whole-Episode Flashback "Lisa's Sax": Homer and Marge meet with Springfield Elementary psychiatrist Dr. J. Loren Pryor to talk about 5-year-old Bart's sadness, but it turns into a discussion about 3-year-old Lisa's potential. Even though Bart's misery never got resolved there, Homer's line "Lisa's the way of the future!", which little Lisa repeats makes me smile.
  • 5-year-old Bart is miserable for much of the episode, but then he starts acting like a class clown and makes people laugh. It's really heartwarming to see him happy and actually popular with the other students.
• "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe": Episode rundown: Moe meets Maya, a woman he's been talking to online and finds that she's only three feet tall. Moe falls for her, despite feeling that others will make fun of him for it, so he starts cracking jokes about Maya's height, which she likes at first, but hates after a while and breaks up with Moe because she feels that all he cares about is her height. Heartwarming moments — two:
  • A rather twisted one where Moe opts to become surgically shorter just to win Maya back (it fails when Mr. Largo [the Ambiguously Gay music teacher at Springfield Elementary School] ends up getting the shortening surgery instead of a sex change).
  • A more conventional one at the end where Homer points out that even though things didn't work out with Maya, Moe should be happy that a woman actually loved him and remain hopeful that he'll find love again.
    • That above example is one of the sweetest lines I have EVER heard on The Simpsons, and anyone who thinks New Homer is a Jerkass should be shown it.

Homer: Moe, this is a great thing for you. You went from sitting on the sidelines to getting in the game! Sometime, when you least expect it, you'll realize that someone loved you. And that means that someone can love you again! And that'll make you smile.

• • • The best part is it's delivered completely sincerely, without a hint of parody, joking or subversion whatsoever.
    • Also, in the subplot of the same episode: Homer takes Maggie to a playground where a group of baby bullies push her around. Marge becomes suspicious of Maggie acting scared and sets up a hidden camera to see what happens whenever Homer takes Maggie with her. Marge watches the video and discovers that Maggie is being bullied — and that Homer let himself get beaten up by the babies while defending her. Also a Crowning Moment of Awesome.
    • The very end of the episode, which showed how much Moe had taken Homer's words to heart. Moe is still looking down while cleaning the bar, but then slowly smiles:

Moe: Hey, Homer was right. Who would've thought such a little woman could make me feel so big.

• "Homer's Triple Bypass" from season 4. He's trying to give his kids some words of wisdom in case the surgery doesn't work, but admits he's not very good at it. First he gets Lisa to whisper things to say to Bart. Very sweet, but not extraordinary. Then it's Bart's turn. He manages to subvert this trope, AND play it straight, AND be hilarious all at once. "And Lisa...(whisper)...I guess this is the time to tell you...(whisper)...you're adopted and I don't like you. Bart! (whisper) But don't worry because you've got a big brother who loves you and will always look out for you." And THAT is why they are Our Favorite Family.
• In "The Homer They Fall", I find it absolutely adorable when Moe flies into the ring to save Homer. Even though he knows everyone will hate him for it.

Homer: But you stopped the fight, won't everyone be mad? Moe: Eh, let them be mad. The only thing that matters to me is you're safe.

• • He then flies away to think for a while (actually to escape the Fan Man who chases Moe down for his fan). The end credits show him flying around the world performing good deeds, including putting out a forest fire, lifting an explorer out of quicksand, and rescuing an Indian woman and her child from a flood. Aw...
  • From the same episode, the brief shots of Abe during the fight, showing genuine fear for Homer's safety and genuine relief at his rescue by Moe. It really stands out when you consider the terms Abe and Homer are usually on.
• The ending of "Home Sweet Diddly Ho Dum Doodly", where Maggie, who had been influenced the most by the Flanders family, goes to Marge instead.

Marge: Oh Maggie, you're a Simpson again...

• The ending of "Coming to Homerica", where the Springfielders and the Ogdenvillians unite to build the wall to keep the Odgenvillians out of Springfield. Why is so sweet? the Springfielders admit missing the Ogdenvillians in less than a minute after the wal is done, and welcome them back with a party
• No one's mentioned the shout-out CMoH at the end of "Deep Space Homer"? In an earlier scene, we witness Bart gleefully writing "IDIOT" on the back of Homer's head with a marker pen. He's at it again as the episode ends. Cue Homer, suspiciously: "Bart, what are you doing back there?" Bart, quickly: "Nothing..." And we cut to Bart's point of view, as he quietly but proudly finishes writing "HERO" on the back of Homer's head.
  • Which, in itself, can't help but trigger recall of the moment in another episode when Bart and a re-instated Skinner hug briefly but genuinely, go their separate ways, and, well...Four Written Words: "Kick Me"..."Teach Me". Each accompanied by a quietly-pleased chuckle from Bart and Skinner respectively.
• In "Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore", the audience is led to believe that Homer has been an oppressive cult leader to his new employees in India, only for it to turn out that, unlike so many others, he's been treating his employees as equals, with all the rights and privileges they deserve.
• The end of "Bart Vs. Thanksgiving" in which Bart finally apologizes to Lisa for burning her centerpiece and in return Lisa accepts, kisses him and they both hug while Homer notices in the bathroom complementing to Marge that they're great parents.

Lisa: Bart, why did you burn my centerpiece? Bart: Oh, come on. Lisa: Is it because you hate me or is it because you're bad? Bart: I don't know! I don't know why I did it; I don't know why I enjoyed it; and I don't know why I'll do it again! Lisa: Just tell me your sorry! Bart Why should I?! Lisa Bart, the only reason to apologize is if you look deep down inside yourself and you find a spot, something you wish wasn't there, because you feel bad you hurt your sisters feelings. Bart Leave me alone. Lisa Just look! Bart Ok, ok. Mmmhhuummmhmmmm. Lookin' for the spot. Nananana, still checking. This is so stupid, I'm not gonna find anything. Just cause I wrecked something she worked really hard on and I made her cr....uh oh. [puts hand on Lisa's shoulder] I'm sorry, Lisa. Lisa: Apology accepted. *kiss kiss kiss* [camera pans down at Homer who's in the bathroom listening] Homer You know Marge, we're great parents.

• In the end of "Jazzy and the Pussycats", instead of using the money from the benefit concert to repair his broken arm bitten by the tiger Lisa rescued, out of empathy, Bart uses the money to build a park for the animals Lisa rescued making her happy.
• After Lisa wasn't able to see the Egyptian exhibit in "Lost Our Lisa", Homer sneaked the two of them into the museum to see it. Cue Homer trying to get a closer look at the mysterious Orb of Isis and ended up knocking it to the ground. Only to realize that the Orb was in fact a music box and that Homer and Lisa are the first people to hear its song in over four thousand years. Just the thought that Homer and Lisa shared this incredible discovery was a CMOH on its own.

Lisa: It's kind of humbling, isn't it? The music we just heard might never be heard again. Homer: Yeah, but it'll always live on because we'll never forget it.

• • And the scene where Bart apologized to Lisa after ruining her plans to go to the museum. Despite the audience knowing that Lisa isn't in the room and Bart tattling to Marge right afterwards, it was a sweet gesture from Bart of all people.

Bart: Hey Lis, I'm sorry I ruined your Egyptian thing. We're still buds, right? (angrily) OK, be that way, you big stupid jerk! (pause, then softly) Oh, you're not the jerk. I am. Forgive me?

• This little quote from "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" regarding Santa's Little Helper:

Bart: Oh, Dad, can we keep him? Homer: But he's a loser! He's pathetic! He's... SLH: [licks Homer's face] Homer: ... a Simpson.

• This little exchange from "Lisa's Pony":

Lisa: There's a big dumb animal I love even more than that horse. Homer: Oh no, what is it, a hippopotamus? Lisa: [hugging him] I mean you, you dummy.

• If you can get past its horrifying couch gag, you'll have fond memories of Treehouse Of Horror VI's third segment (of all episodes), Homer^3, not because of what made it so famous, but because of the music that accompanies its Bittersweet Ending (or Gainax Ending, as the episode ends with Homer going into an erotic cake store — after whimpering over how weird the real world is — in the real world and it's not known whether he'll try to get out and go back to his reality). Crowning Music... of Heartwarming.
• It's kind of minor, so its status as "crowning" may be debatable, but in one of the newer episodes, Homer starts reading to Lisa when she goes to bed. The book is an obvious Harry Potter-expy, and soon enough Homer gets really engrossed in the story and ends up breaking a promise to Lisa that they'd read it togeter and reads the next chapter without her, realizing that the kindly wizard Graystash is killed in that chapter. As it's time to read it to Lisa, he decides that he wouldn't let the book make her sad, and makes up a fittingly absurd and hilarious happy ending instead. Lisa is skeptical, and we expect this to come back and bite Homer in the ass later, but as homer leaves, she picks the book back up and reads it herself. Her reaction?

Lisa: Meh. Dad's ending was better.

• In the episode "Moe Baby Blues", Moe ends up saving Maggie from falling off the bridge he was about to jump off. For saving Maggie, Moe is praised as a hero.

Moe: "Life don't seem so hard no more."

• The ending of the Season 21 Mother's Day episode "Moe Letter Blues" features a montage of characters with their mothers, set to "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders. The final image of Homer and his late mom clinched it.
• The ending of "Old Money", when Grampa decides to donate his late girlfriend's money to Springfield Retirement Castle, especially when the Bea Simmons Memorial dining room is unveiled: "Dignity's on me, friends." This really has an impact when you think about the... less than flattering way that old people are usually portrayed on this show.
• The beautiful song about the reunion of Lurleen Lumpkin with her father:

Thirty years you made me cry But now I see ya ain't such a bad guy I haven't felt this good since the Lord knows when And I'm sure you got a million reasons For being gone a hundred twenty seasons But Daddy's back and I'm feeling like a daughter again

• "The Blunder Years" has a massive Pet the Dog moment from freaking Burns of all people when its revealed that he effectively raised Smithers as an adoptive son after Waylon Sr. sacrificed himself to save the town from a nuclear meltdown. To see someone who is almost always portrayed as a cruel, cold hearted and manipulative Corrupt Corporate Executive actually genuinely do something so touching...yeah.
• At the end of "Duffless", after giving up beer for a month, Homer shuns going back to Moe's for a bike ride with Marge.
• At the end of the episode "Homer and Lisa Exchange Crosswords" the message Homer leaves for Lisa in the New York Times Crossword, ending with "...Simpson or Bouvier, I cherish you".
• It's a really small moment, but in Season 15's "I (Annoyed Grunt)" when Lisa is crying over the death of Snowball III, Maggie offers Lisa her pacifier to try and cheer her up. What made me really smile at the moment is that Maggie is a baby and yet she knows that her big sister is sad and wants to do something to cheer her up, so she offers Lisa her pacifier, which is really special to her since she's (almost) never seen without it.
  • She does the same thing in the episode where Bleeding Gums Murphy dies. Maggie always cares.
• The ending to the fourth episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home" - Homer pawns the TV set to pay for family therapy. It doesn't work at all, so they get double their money back. Homer tells the family they're getting a new TV (even though it looks exactly like the one they had before), and they say "Oh dad, we love you!", and they mean it. Oddly sweet.
• "Take My Wife, Sleaze" (from season 11): Homer wins a motorcycle and Bart asks him why he hasn't riden it yet. Homer replies, "I don't know how." Bart spends a good deal of time laughing at him, until he offers to teach Homer how to ride. Cut to a montage of Bart teaching Homer to ride accompanied by a Cat Stevens-style singer/songwriter type piece (with many hilarious moments of Epic Fail, including Homer's pants getting chewed up in the machine and Homer's motorcycle flying in the air and crashing through the roof of the house) and ending on Homer successfully riding the bike.
• Near the end of Season 1's "The Crepes of Wrath" when Bart finally understands enough French to tell a police officer that he's being abused by his exchange family and that they're selling wine tainted with anti-freeze and the officer taking him to the station with Bart telling him, "Mon savieur. Vous aurez toujours une place dans mon coeur" (Translation: "My savior, you will always have a place in my heart")
• So many parts in Holidays Of Future Passed.
  • Homer actually being a fun and loving grandfather to his grandsons, proving that he had learned from his and Grandpa's mistakes.
  • Lisa and Bart getting drunk in the treehouse, and reminiscing about their lives.
  • Zia hugging Lisa.
  • Bart's sons hugging Bart.
  • Homer hugging un-frozen Grandpa.
  • Maggie's identical daughter.
  • Homer and Marge growing old together.
• The 500th episode's ending involving Bart and Skinner.
  • Also, the part with Smithers.
• In the much-maligned recent episode Moe Goes From Rags to Riches, Bart's increasingly desperate attempts to regain Milhouse's friendship are all oddly heartwarming.
  • Even though the poem he reads to Milhouse was written by Lisa, the fact that Bart was actually willing to read it at all is a testament to how much he values Milhouse's friendship.
• "I Married Marge" provides probably the simplest explanation for why these two got married:

Marge: Homer, do you know why I married you? Homer: Because I knocked you up? Marge: No, because I love you.

• • Homer's proposal (which Marge reads because he misplaced the card) and his reaction to her acceptance.
• In "Duffless", Homer gets pulled over for drunk driving and is persuaded by Marge to give up alcohol for a month (and is even forced to ride a bicycle after getting his license suspended). Even though he gets tempted by boredom and advertising, Homer eventually starts to spend more time with his family. After visiting Moe's and seeing the other drunken, miserable people there, Homer leaves and instead chooses to go for a bike ride with Marge, ending with the two singing "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" as they ride off into the sunset.
• In "Beware My Cheating Bart", Homer is asked what his goal in life is and, without any hesitation, responds that he wants to grow old with Marge and live long enough to "be one of those couples who just sit in the park holding hands".
  • Followed by a Crowning Moment of Funny.
• In "The Wife Aquatic" Homer sees how nostalgic Marge is for the place that she went to as a little girl for the summer that he puts the home movies on different devices and takes her back there.
• In an episode where Homer and Marge have to get married (to each other) for the THIRD time (makes sense in context), someone seems to be sabotaging the thing. Turns out it's Patti and Selma. When Bart and Lisa find out, they demand something be done for them or else they will tell what's going on. Instead of wanting standard little kid things, they want a huge wedding party for their parents.