The song that plays while they're dancing also counts as not only heartwarming but also reflects on their relationship, particularly the lyric; I know I want what I can't have.
This scene between Zack and Maddie though.
Zack: Can't you wait for me? Maddie: I wish I could, because I know you're going to be a sweet and smart kid when you grow up.
While also a bit funny, Carey still thinks Zack is not bad at all after Zack found out that Maddie wanted to go to the prom with Jeff instead of him.
Zack: My English teacher is right. I'm completely unkempt at everything.
Carey: Think you mean inept, honey.
Zack: You see?!
Carey: Now Zack, you know it's not true.
And then, after Jeff made Maddie feel horrible for not being her date, Carey then reminds her that someone else is feeling the same way... Which is Zack.
Maddie: Great. Now everyone at the prom is having fun except me.
Carey: Well, actually there is one who's having an even worse time.
Maddie: Who?
Carey: A very sad little twelve year old boy in a tux, he thought he was your date.
That's right, Carey is the reason Zack and Maddie got their heartwarming prom moment.
London's sentiment on a forbidden boyfriend in "Cookin' with Romeo and Juliet".
London: So I guess you're gonna lock me up in my room now, huh?
Mr. Moseby: I'm sure that's what your father would want.
London: Good. If I can't see Todd, I might as well spend the rest of my life in my room.
Mr. Moseby: You really like this boy, don't you?
London: I'd love him even if he were poor.
Mr. Moseby:(Genuinely shocked) Really?
London:(Thinks for a second) Yeah.
And then Moseby tells her that he approves of her forbidden romance, even if doing so costs him his job, because "if you really love someone, then you have to think of them before yourself."
Then she goes on to repeat his advice in her I Want My Beloved to Be Happy moment - said moment being perhaps the most unselfish thing she has ever done.
Cody and Barbara Brownstein at the ending of "Orchestra".
"Not So Suite 16". Zack tries to pass Cody's birthday gift for Maddie as his own, but Cody came prepared and put a card in it telling the truth. Maddie doesn't mind, though, because Zack already gave a great gift by just being at the party.
In the episode "Books and Birdhouses," Cody is about to fail his woodshop final. Zack, who is for once top of the class, trades their projects while the teacher is out of the room because he fails all the time, and getting an A means everything to Cody. In the end, Cody won't let him go through with it and admits the whole thing to the teacher. Thankfully, Cody is able to get a C instead of an F by claiming he was building a wheelbarrow (it was supposed to be a birdhouse).
The twins’ parents, Carey and Kurt, are Amicable Exes for the most part, in a refreshingly positive take on divorced parents in a kids show. Kurt even ends up inadvertently meeting Carrie’s new boyfriend and they actually form a positive, friendly bond over dinner, to the point that Kurt even endorses Carrie marrying him. In a later episode when Kurt catches Zack and Cody both trying to be alone with their girlfriends at his apartment and properly disciplines them, Carey is impressed and sincerely thanks him for doing what he’s supposed to as a father.
In the same episode where Carey looks like she’s going to marry her new boyfriend, Kurt is also the one who gently consoles Cody over not wanting his mother to remarry. Cody is not made to feel wrong for his discomfort, even when literally everyone else in the show likes Carey’s new boyfriend, and it’s a perfectly valid response from a child who has had to live through his parents divorcing. Kurt tells Cody that as much as his mother sacrifices to care for her sons, he should be willing to accept his mother making a decision for her happiness. At the end of the episode, Carey turns down the proposal (citing she's not ready for marriage right now) but assures Cody she wouldn’t marry someone Cody was genuinely not okay with.
In another episode dealing with a falcon nesting on the Tipton Hotel, Carey gets to watch Cody experience and suffer the labor of being a parent when the mother falcon leaves her nest and abandons one egg. Ridiculous moments of caring for an avian aside, when Cody confronts his little bird developing into maturity to fulfill its duties. Carey takes Cody inside and gives him a stern but calming Aesop to Cody and to the audience about being a Good Parents and learning to let go and allow legacy to do its work. This episode also counts as a Tearjerker.
In "Twins at the Tipton". Cody's girlfriend dumps him, leaving him heartbroken. Zack meets beautiful English twins and sets up a double date with the three of them and Cody. After Cody reveals why he is upset, the girls immediately sympathize with him since they both know how it feels to be dumped. They both spend the rest of the date comforting him and even chew out Zack for completely ignoring his brother's pain before leaving with Cody to go to the theater. When they get back to the room later, Cody is in a much better mood than before.
Another great moment between Zack and Maddie is in "Lip Syncin in the Rain". Maddie didn't get the role of Sharpay but Zack continues to support and inspires her to not give up. It is he who urges everyone that Maddie take the role London has when nobody wanted to say it until eventually, they got fed up with the latter. Although it didn't work, Maddie smiles, appreciating it. He gets a flying kiss from her for sticking with her all the way throughout the play.
In “Health and Fitness”, Moseby sees London trying to starve herself into losing weight and Maddie gorging herself to gain weight, and tells them they’re beautiful and valid regardless of their physical appearance. It doesn’t stick since they go right back to exercising and stuffing their faces, but it’s still sweet.
Cody scolds the chef for going behind his back to stuff himself despite being implied to have had a poor check-up at the doctor, and it’s made clear Cody is doing this out of genuine concern for his friend and not wanting him to suffer the consequences of overeating.
Carey also realizes her cold turkey approach to Zack’s craving for sweets is not working and agrees to level with him, and help him monitor himself so he won’t overdo it all the time.
Carey also helps London and Maddie finally let Moseby’s earlier lesson sink in before the talent show.
Moseby and the twins. It never feels like he hates them, just trying to discipline them.
At the end of "Pilot Your Own Life" Maddie and London have a pretty bad fight where Both Sides Have a Point. Maddie feels like she's constantly is in her best friend's shadow, while Maddie was trying to steal the only thing London had that was hers and not her father's. In the end, they actually manage to find the whole fight hilarious when it's revealed the magazine actually used them both for their cover story finding it unbelievable they would use models with torn clothing.
In "What the Hey?", London gets a new stepmom in the form of Brandi, and is put off by her overbearing nature. Mr. Moseby tells her that, unlike all her other stepmoms, Brandi is trying to be a parent to her. London realizes she projected her resentment of all her stepmoms onto Brandi and apologizes, while Brandi acknowledges she was overbearing.
The Suite Life on Deck:
Maddie on Deck (Last appearance of Maddie in the series) finally gives the Zaddie (Zack and Maddie) shippers what they have been waiting for:
Maddie: New, new plan: Zack, win!
Zack: What am I gonna do? I mean, I'm not just gonna get mad jousting skills!
Maddie: *Grabs him by the arms* Zack! I believe in you! *kisses Zack, causing the audience to cheer with delight* Now go get him, tiger.
And of course, this exchange after Prince Jeffey runs away after losing to Zack:
Maddie: Zack, who knew you'd be my knight in shining armor?
Zack: Well I did. I always knew you'd be my princess. *They both hug, with the audience going "aww"* Now let's ride my trusty steed into the sunset.
Maddie: It would be my honor.
Family Thais, the episode when London visits her grandmother.
Mom and Dad on Deck has London giving her late birthday gifts to Mr. Moseby after spending the day following him around counts. They're exactly what he wanted, and it comes after Mr. Moseby's crappy birthday the day before. Also doubles as Narm Charm because of the jokes and sappiness throughtout.
From the same episode, there's Zack and Cody making up with their mom and dad for not being truthful with them, especially the part where the twins hug Carey. Might double as Narm or Narm Charm too.
"So You Think You Can Date" has a nice ending full of Narm Charm. The entire episode was about Bailey and Cody trying to make each other jealous with their new dates for an upcoming dance. In the end, both of their dates end up pairing up with each other, leaving both Cody and Bailey alone on the dance floor. At this point, a Genre Savvy viewer would expect it to just end with Cody and Bailey getting back together, and indeed they do start to dance with each other. But as Woody notes, it's very awkward, and it's obvious that they're not getting back together. Cut to a Ship Tease (no pun intended) with Moseby and Tutweiler, who throughout the episode have been trying to secretly recreate their broken high school years with this dance. They now both understand why this dance was so important to each other and, as they dance slowly together, see themselves as they were when they were teenagers.
"The Silent Treatment" has a sweet Zack and Cody moment. Cody has joined a monastery after breaking up with Bailey. Zack goes to get him and in the end gives him a surprisingly sweet speech to convince Cody to come back to the ship. Followed by a hug.
Zack: These aren't your brothers. I'm your brother. I care about you. I'm not leaving this island without you.
The same episode has this moment between London and Bailey:
London: Look, Bailey, I know you loved Cody, but... You don't need a boyfriend to be happy! You're young, you're smart, you're pretty, you're not some fifty-something cat lady who's been dumped time and time and time again and that's one ice-cream cup away from a heart attack! Bailey: London, you called me pretty... And didn't add "annoying" after it. Do you really think all those things about me? London: Of course I do! Why do you think we're friends? Bailey: London, thank you. Boyfriends come and go, but girlfriends are always there for ya.
"Goin' Bananas" has the brothers admit to their insecurities caused by the other's achievements. After admitting they didn't know the other felt that way, they hug. While Cody's wearing a banana costume.
In "The Play's The Thing" Moseby asks advice for wooing Miss Tuttweiler. Zack messes with Moseby and instead makes Moseby look foolish. He never catches on and thanks Zack for trying. Feeling bad, he puts on a serious attempt that actually works. He learned Miss Tuttweiler's current boyfriend wants to break up with her but doesn't want her to make a scene. So without telling Moseby, he gets the boyfriend to act like a jerk in front of her then throw in the towel when Moseby stands up to him.
"Snakes on a Boat" has Mr. Moseby saving Zack's life after he's bitten by a snake, in spite of all their differences. And considering what he had to do to save it, that's pretty impressive.
"Bon Voyage" has London taking the blame for flooding the new lounge area to save Moseby's job. While this can be attributed to wanting to get expelled, she takes her punishment, having her allowance reduced by $50,000, with total stride and no complaints showing how much she values having Moseby around.
"Party On" has Zack going to great lengths to make sure Maya has a great birthday, after finding out her favorite things he gets Sean Kingston to pay for the party by telling her that those are London's favorite things (as he has a crush on her) and gets Moseby to let him use the sky deck by saying it's a surprise party for him. Eventually Maya finds out the truth but instead of being upset at Zack, she's touched saying that nobody ever went to this much trouble for her birthday before.
Zack: You're a great girl Maya and you deserve the best.
Maya: Which is exactly what I have (kisses Zach)
In general, Maya and Zack's relationship. In contrast to the Slap-Slap-Kiss dynamic of Cody & Bailey during Season 2, this relationship is far more healthy with Zack genuinely trying to put aside his past for someone he really cares about. While he does need to push himself at sometimes, it's more of a matter of old habits dying hard and he genuinely put the effort in to move past that. Alongside Maya being an Understanding Girlfriend it helps alongside some of the occasional pitfalls like the classic double-booking sitcom plot. It came as a genuine heartbreak to most fans when they broke up for reasons beyond their control.
"Twister" has Cody and Bailey finally getting back together and admitting that despite all of the bad things they've said and done they never stopped loving one another.
When it looks like Bailey won't be able to afford to go back to school, her grandmother gives her a rainy-day fund that she's been putting money into for an occasion like this.
London blackmailing her dad into saving Bailey's family farm(after it was destroyed by a tornado), doubles as a CMOA.
"Graduation On Deck" has too many to list.
This scene:
London: I'll call you if I ever have a problem. (walks away and calls Moseby on her cell) Moseby: (picks up the phone) Hello? London: I have a problem. (tearing up) I'm going to miss you.
One that's a retroactive Heartwarming - Mr Moseby talks back to Mr Tipton and probably ends up fired. Come Jessie and he's still working for the Tipton — albeit a different branch — which means he was either not fired, or London defied her father to get him his job back.
The Suite Life Movie:
When the boys are about to jump to a lake from really up high:
Cody: Zack, I want you to know... if our bones get crushed like cheap test tubes, which is very likely... I want you to know that...
" had Moseby as the top result.