Heartwarming / Fresh Off the Boat

Book

• Eddie describing his mother as a Mama Bear.
• The Huangs drinking every bottle of champagne in the house when Eddie's restaurant makes the World Journal.
• The dedication: To Emery, who lived it, and Evan, who built it.

Season 1

Pilot

• After Eddie attacks a boy for calling him a racial slur, his parents are called in for disciplinary action. His parents are very disappointed...at the school for not punishing the other boy as well for his bigoted remark. Doubles as a Moment of Awesome. And this happened in Real Life as well!

Home Sweet Home-School

• After the three teenagers do a dine-and-dash much to Louis' dismay, his employees voluntarily cover the unpaid bill.
• Why Eddie's mother rams two of the aforementioned dine-and-dashers with her car and beans one with an onion before putting the fear of angry Asian women into them. Not because they stole from her family but because she wants to protect her husband's innocent trust and faith in human beings.
• Eddie's invites his next-door neighbor (whose father walked out) to join him, his father, and brothers in a game of pick up basketball. Making it even more heartwarming is the fact that Eddie was previously envious of how his neighbor got to play while he was stuck at home doing extra homework.

The Shunning

• Jessica deciding that it's not worth losing her genuine friendship with Honey over saving face with the neighborhood wives by singing a solo karaoke performance in dedication to her friend.

Success Perm

• Both grandmothers bonding with each other over the OJ Simpson trial.
• Connie finally coming clean with Jessica that being the "favorite child" isn't easy and that playing keep-up with Jessica and Louis isn't worth it.

Shaq Fu

• Eddie showing up to Cattleman's Ranch for his shift, despite his father having given him the money for the video game. It's Played for Laughs - he's already bought the game - but he asks Louis to hold onto the game for him and puts on the fajita costume.

Showdown at the Golden Saddle

• Considering how Nicole gave Eddie the cold shoulder treatment in the beginning, it's nice of her to be at least concerned about his upset stomach.
  • A second Heartwarming Moment comes when Nicole likes the music Eddie recommends to the point where she greeted him on the bus in the end.
• Jessica is proud of Louis for admitting he copied the Golden Saddle franchise manual and praises him as a "smart business man".

Phillip Goldstein

• Jessica going with Eddie to the Beastie Boys concert despite her previous ranting about how he doesn't act like a "nice Asian boy".
  • After Philip had screwed Eddie over despite their deal, it was cathartic to see Jessica saying Eddie was the better person for sticking to the deal despite not wanting to go along with it in the first place.
• The ending quote from Eddie:

  An Asian kid and a black kid bonding over music by white Jewish rappers. America's crazy.

License to Sell

• Eddie manages to spend some quality time with Nicole, even though it means getting his ears pierced and having makeup all over his hands.
• Louis encourages Jessica not to give up since he believes that being persistent is a great role model to their sons.

Blind Spot

• Jessica is reassured by Louis that he doesn't have to feel jealous of anyone; instead, it should be the other way around because Louis is married to the hottest girl: Jessica.

Season 2

The Big 1-2

• Eddie coming home from his sleep-over, having realised that he likes his family in spite of how strict his parents are.
  • Jessica immediately offers to cook birthday noodles:
  Louis: Doesn't that take like 6 hours?
  Jessica: It is for my son.
• In a rather odd way, Evan and Emery getting grounded, as they'd been desperately acting out to get noticed by their parents.

Year of the Rat

• Louis surprising the family with an authentic Chinese New Year celebration at Cattleman's Ranch after he mixes up the date to the Huangs' plane tickets to celebrate the holiday with their extended family. It's a twofer, as nearly every secondary character comes together to help, including:
  • Honey getting her hairdresser, who worked on Janet Jackson's "If" music video, to obtain the Asian decorations from said video
  • Marvin, who provide red envelopes for the kids (albeit they emulate Louis and Jessica's red packets, that is, encouraging words instead of cash, but it's the thought that counts)
  • Two of the neighborhood women, who provide oranges and fireworks
  • Hector (the Cattleman's Ranch cook), who learns how to make dumplings and fish for the occasion
  • Mitch, who used to work at Epcot and got a lion dance costume because he still has the keys to the supply closet
  • The local high school students, who do the drums and symbols for the lion dance, as well as Mitch and Nancy who actually perform

Michael Chang Fever

• When Louis is trying to explain why tennis is 'the greatest game known to mankind', he says it's 'just like your mother- both aggressive and elegant'. The delighted smile that Jessica gives when she hears that is incredibly sweet to see.

Season 4

• Nicole coming out to Eddie who at first is silent, but then returns to the car and starts asking her questions in the premiere
• Honey and Jessica making up in the same episode
• Eddie’s friends rejoining him at lunch after they find out Alison broke up with him. This was after they spent the summer mad at him.
• Nicole coming out to Honey at the lesbian bar, in front of all the other patrons. Honey is accepting and she hugs Nicole, and the other ladies cheer.
  • When the bartender realizes what's going on, she tells another patron to get a bottle of champagne and make sure a cot is ready in the back room, because, "This could go either way." It's really sweet that a complete and total stranger would've been willing to give Nicole a place to stay, had the worst happened.
    • Fridge Heartwarming comes in when you realize their preparedness means one thing this has happened before. They don’t seemed phased by what happened, meaning that it is very likely that the scenario has happened before.
  • This also establishes how far Nicole and Honey’s relationship has come. When Nicole was first introduced, it was clear she didn’t think highly of Honey, refusing to acknowledge her as her stepmom and calling her a “slut” in front of a company of strangers. Four seasons later Nicole is comfortable enough with Honey that she’s the second person Nicole chooses to come out to.