The show
The entire musical revolves around the overwhelming kindness shown by the entire town of Gander towards the complete strangers who arrived in the planes, including their utter bewilderment at just how far their guests went to pay them back, as all of the Ganderites keep insisting that it's no big deal and anyone would've done the same.
- Bob deciding to start a donation as a thank you for everyone in Gander. He ends up raising over 1 million dollars.
- Ali keeps begging Beulah to let him cook. She then explains that he's a guest at Gander, and per Sacred Hospitality, they have to take care of him. Ali confesses that he's a professional chef and cooking would help him deal with the stress of the forced landing, as well as not seeing his family for a long time. After a Beat, she concedes and orders him to get in the kitchen. He complies with a big grin.
- Ali's postcard thanking Beulah, who let him cook and pray with privacy. Despite all the prejudice he faced and the worries his daughter has about going to school after all that's happened, Beulah was a bright spot who made his stay welcoming.
- Nick and Diane's entire relationship.
- The Columbus Zoo naming Unga's baby Gander.
- The fact that Beulah and Hannah still keep in touch through phone calls and visits to one another.
- Fridge Heartwarming: It's stated in "Welcome to the Rock" that if you come from away you'd probably understand only about a half of what the Newfies say. However, the Newfies are perfectly understandable for the rest of the show. This can be chalked down to Translation Convention, but also to the possibility that the Ganderites are actively making an effort to be understandable for the plane people/come-from-aways. For example, the ritual of Screech-In in real life can involve nigh-incomprehensible questions and answers: "Is we Newfies?" "Deed we is, me old cock, an' long may yer big jib draw." This joke also backs it up:
Ladies and Gentlemen, we need some help translating. If anyone speaks Mandarin, can you come to the library? And if anyone speaks Hindi, could you please come to the cafeteria? And if anyone speaks Newfoundlander, well lard tunder’n jaysus god bless ya, b’y.
- During 28 Hours/Wherever We Are, there's a brief shot of Kevin T asleep on Kevin J's shoulder (while Beverley is phoning Tom in the foreground).
- During 'Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere', while the hat is being passed down the plane for the passengers to put money in for the Newfoundlanders, a man can't find his wallet when the hat reaches him so he ends up not putting in any cash, causing everyone around him to clearly think that he's just being cheap and ungrateful. But then he pulls out his chequebook and puts a cheque in the hat as it's passed back to Bob. From Bob's reaction when he sees the cheque, we can assume it was for quite a lot of money and the man is promptly thanked by everyone around him.
- The entirety of 'Prayer', from Beulah praying alongside Hannah with the two of them holding hands, the old Jewish Newfoundlander who was told by his parents to hide his identity from everyone (having originally been from Poland at the outset of World War II) feeling able to go to a rabbi who then gives him a yarmulke and encourages him to keep it, Annette telling the Muslim Ali that they've set aside the library as a place to pray when he feels unsafe doing so in public, and all the prayers of the different religions eventually coming together in a message that it ultimately doesn't matter what anyone's faith or religion is; they were all going through the tragedy together and drawing their strength from wherever they could.
- And related: the Ganderites designating a kitchen that can be kashered (and clearly also the equipment and the new pots, pans, and utensils—and possibly also dishes, cutlery, and glassware—to do so—and appropriate food, realistically all vegetarian—and that the kitchen ends up serving not only observant Jews but Muslims (for whom all kosher food is permitted), if I recall correctly Seventh-Day Adventists, Hindus—and two vegans.
- At the end of 38 Planes (Reprise), Captain Bass' husband Tom is waiting in line at the airport. Bass, overwhelmed with joy at seeing her husband again begins to cry.
- Hannah's unwavering faith that her son isn't just not calling her back, he's helping or hurt from helping. She's proven right, as Kevin O'Rourke died saving people from the North Tower.
