I’m not someone who cries when I watch a very emotional movie or TV series. Of course, I become tear -wedding, but in the vast majority of cases I never find myself reaching a box of tissue to dampen the flow of tears that cascade into my face after a particularly devastating scene or sequence.
So far in 2025, three different shows have somehow cracked my stone determination and made me a spacing wake. Is it because I get older and therefore more susceptible to emotionally stressed productions? Are their stories so well designed that they draw harder at the Ol ‘heart strings? Or is it simply a big coincidence that three of the most soul -ridden projects have all launched on the world’s best streaming services this year? Who should say.
Either way, I don’t want to be the only softie around here, so here’s the trio of TV originals that have revived my cold, died heart in the first six months of the year.
Adolescence (Netflix)
Release Date: 13 March
Episode Census: 4
Main herd: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, Amelie Pease and Owen Cooper
Director: Phil Barantini
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) Critics score: 99%
Netflix’s biggest TV hit of 2025 so far and at the time of publication, the second most watched English-language TV-original in the history of the streamer (take it, Stranger Things Season 4!) Is an unmistakable miniseries.
A story whose individual chapters are all shot as a continuous, long-roof-a very technical process known as a ‘oner’- Youth Tells the story 13 -year -old Jamie (Cooper), who is arrested on suspicion of murdering a female student at her school. Each episode also focuses on different grades during and after police investigation with the immediate and long -lasting effect of the alleged crime that felt much of all involved.
Hailed by fans and critics for its writing, instruction, kinematography, tone and individual and collective role crews, Youth is an emotional power center that deserves a permanent place on our best Netflix showlist. In fact, its influence has been so great that it has been caused by several nationwide discussions in the UK about youth knife crime, the alarming increase in misogynistic views among male teens and systemic failures and local and national government level. A heartbreaking program that will leave a lasting impression on you long after its final credibility sequence is rolled.
Andor season 2 (Disney+)
Release Date: April 22
Episode Census: 12
Main herd: Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Genevieve O’Reilly Stellan Skarsgard, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Forest Whitaker, Faye Marsay and Alan Tudyk
Directors: Ariel Kleinman, Janus Metz and Alonso Ruizpalacios
RT Critics Score: 97%
Star Wars is a family -friendly franchise. Of course, it is occasionally pushed the boundaries of what is appropriate for younger members of its worldwide fanbase, but largely it has not gone out of its way of alienating parts of its global society.
Andor is the one project that dared to be different. A live action, adult-oriented Disney+ series, it threw the traditional Star Wars-Playbook in favor of telling a political and spy-thriller-oriented story that not only plays a whole series of morally gray characters, but also tackles difficult conversations about fascism, sexual abuse, human costs of conflict and the moral complications that arise from revolution.
I really enjoyed Andor Season 1 But regardless of whether it is down to its hard -hit tales, the show is much more confident second and last season or a combination of both, season 2 is a completely different beast. You can read more about why it is such a paradoxically entertaining but still heavy clock in my Andor Season 2 review, or go and stream one of the best Disney+ show in its entirety right now. It will be worth it when you reach Andor Season 2 section 8, ie The intestinal tract in a chapter that made me cry my heart out.
The last of us season 2 (max)
Release Date: April 13
Episode Census: 7
Main herd: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley and Kaitlyn Dever
Directors: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Kate Herron, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams and Nina Lopez-Corrado
RT Critics Score: 92%
The last of us Season 2 was a small step down in quality compared to its more praised ancestors, but the popular HBO and Max TV -original still had the capacity to emotionally destroy viewers on several occasions.
I don’t think anyone has come over last season’s upset second or sixth episodes yet. I also include myself among that quota – and it’s like someone who has played The last of us part IIalias the second game in naughty dogs video game namesake that The last of us TV shows other excursion is based on.
With The last of us Season 3 In early development, there will be many more worrying moments that come in one of the best Max shows. It is perhaps best to store tissue now The last of us‘Third Rate makes its TV arch and potentially rips out our hearts, as its predecessors did.
What TV episodes and/or full shows have made you dry tears away from your eyes? Tell me that in the comments!
