History TearJerker / WelcomeToNightVale

* Episode 87: The Trial of Hiram McDaniels - [[spoiler: As the title would imply, this is indeed the Trial that we've all been waiting for, to see justice served and to see Violet finally get some recompense for the years of having to put up with his other heads. And then we get the verdict; death for the other four heads, and since Violet is connected to them wholly, he will die as well. Goddammit, Joseph! We trusted you!]]

* Basimah Bashara's father left to fight in the Blood Space War when she was six years old. He can only communicate with her through letters sent from thousands of years in the future, meaning she's already long dead at the time he's writing them. While she does love her dad, she resents that he didn't stay to watch her grow up and that they're practically strangers to each other. All she really wants is for him to come home... [[spoiler: [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments and he does!]]]]

* In "Cooking Stuff: Thanksgiving Special", Earl discusses with Cecil the difficulties raising a son he didn't know he had until the previous fall. There's no record of Roger's existence, apparently no birth mother, he gets picked on at school, and doesn't remember anything from before showing up at his father's door. Even when Cecil tries to assure Earl that he's a good father, Earl hopeless admits [[AdultFear he has no idea how to connect with his son or help him deal with his many issues]].

* There's something strangely sad about the tarantula's entire situation in the novel, reacting instinctively to simple stimuli in a manner that suggests an understanding it lacks, occasionally interacting with Catharine and building up to an ultimate fate that, when it comes, borders on the [[NightmareFuel nightmarish]].

--> "I can't. [[ItMakesSenseInContext I'm still holding the trophy]]."

** Also, keep in mind the fact that [[spoiler: Cecil clearly identifies with her situation and the Strexcorp take over...it must almost feel like it's saying that he's doomed to fail, also.]]

* "Visitor", and [[spoiler: Cecil's grief over what happens to Khoshek.]]
* In "Condos", the Old Woman Without a Face tells a story about a woman who only observes and follows the behaviors of others in an attempt to become an ideal person. In the end, this women lives her entire life never having truly lived for herself. [[spoiler:The Faceless Old Women is quick to add that this is not a story about her, but she understands why you might think that it is.]]

* Episode 67: [Best Of?]: Poor, poor [[spoiler: Simonne Rigadoe. She used to be the earth sciences professor of Night Vale Community College, and then started receiving visions of a timeline where the world ended (specifically, the one where Nülgorsk got nuked). She quit her job and became a homeless transient because she is trying to piece together her fractured psyche, but still lives in her old building possibly out of a longing for the life she lost.]]

* And now as of episode 69 [[spoiler: Cecil has grown sick of Nightvale, of his life constantly being endangered and manipulated, and plans to move to the desert otherworld permanently.]]
* Depending on how you feel about Kevin, [[spoiler:the end of Episode 70A is this- Carlos' letter telling Kevin he's leaving him and the Otherworld to return to Night Vale leaves Kevin feeling not only sad, but terrified- it's likely this is the first he's felt sadness since he was corrupted by the Smiling God and he does NOT like it.]]

* Episode 73: Triptych - [[spoiler: We finally get to hear some more from Kevin, and all of it is really exceptionally heart-rending. Due to a TimeyWimeyBall affecting Cecil's setup, we get to hear Kevin from three different points in his life; the first is him Pre-Strex, when Desert Bluffs was so much like Night Vale and Kevin was a genuine person with pride in his town; ya know, like [[NotSoDifferent Cecil]]. The second time is during the events of the Strex takeover of Night Vale, and it is apparently this conversation that led to Daniel and Lauren being sent to Night Vale. The final time, Kevin is a broken shell of a man, possibly [[Really700YearsOld aged beyond his ability to tolerate it]], trapped in a wastescape with only his fractured psyche and the ebbing influence of the Smiling God for company. Poor bastard needs a hug.]]

* [[spoiler: Steve Carlsberg finally revealing why Cecil hates him with such a burning passion. On the day of Steve's wedding, he and Cecil actually got off to a great start; Cecil even complimented the scones Steve makes (from scratch!), the same ones he now publicly denounces. Then conversation turned to the vague-yet-menacing government agency, and Cecil instantly became enraged at Steve for trying to spread illegal information. He was about to call for the ceremony to be ''cancelled'' until his sister convinced him otherwise. And apparently, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the hummus and pita chips he brings to PTA meetings are store-bought and people only eat them to be polite.]] It really forces the listener to see some uncomfortable truths, that Night Vale through the eyes of one man may not tell the whole story...]]

* Episode 67: [Best Of?]: Poor, poor [[spoiler: Simonne Rigadoe. She used to be the earth sciences professor of Night Vale Community College, and then started receiving visions of a timeline where the world ended (specifically, the one where Nülgorsk got nuked). She quit her job and became homeless transient because she is trying to piece together her fractured psyche, but still lives in her old building possibly out of a longing for the life she lost.]]
** [[spoiler: Hearing Cecil describe Leonard Burton's brutal demise is really hard to listen to, and his death apparently affected the entire town to a similar degree. Slides into NightmareFuel when you realize that since he died during the Clinton Administration, leaving the question of ''who'' has been broadcasting the show this whole time?]]

* Episode 65 has [[Fae trying to call Cecil, but she keeps lapsing back into the numbers.]]

--> '''Cecil''': "Aquarius: [[spoiler: 'Your boyfriend is trapped in an alternate desert dimension. It is difficult to say when he will return. Perhaps take up drinking while crying in a quiet room.' Wow! That’s a very specific and... painful horoscope. Thanks for nothing, stars!"]]
--> "Taurus: [[spoiler: 'Someone misses you a lot, Taurus. And even though you have nothing but endless time trapped out in a nightmarish desert hellscape, you have a hard time making a phone call longer than ten minutes. Maybe call a bit more than you do, Taurus!' Yep, that’s just some astrological advice from the stars."]]