SoapLand - The Battle Of The Crying Scenes - The Result

[Willie Oleson]

Welcome to SoapLand Battle #87, I hope the fatigue hasn't kicked in yet!
We've already done the best laughters so now we want to find the crying scenes that surprised or impressed you or, ideally, made you cry too.
As always, impostored, dreamed up and Return To Edened tears are very much eligible for your top 5.

But which soap will receive The Golden Tissue and consequently improve its performance on the scoreboard?​

 

[Daniel Avery]

I would advise none of you to touch that 'golden tissue'. You don't know where it has been.

 

[Angela Channing]

1. Angela Cries When Julia Dies - Angela's oldest daughter perishes in the spring house fire while all the main cast are gathered outside. Many of them are crying but it's Angela tears that really tug your heart strings. - FALCON CREST

2. Pam's Tears When Kane Tells Her JR Was Behind Sending Her To The Caribbean To Look For Mark - This scene isn't a tearjerker but ends with Pam crying with anger when she realises she's been duped by JR. One of my favourite Dallas scenes ever. - DALLAS

3. Mrs Fisher and Val Cry As Mrs Fisher Says Her Final Goodbyes To Val Babies - The second half of this scene has no dialogue but the performances and the music convey all the necessary emotion. - KNOTS LANDING

​

4. Pam Cries After Bobby Says He Wants A Divorce - Such a beautifully written and performed scene. As Bobby tells Pam he's letter her go she gets up and walks away stoically but it's not long until she breaks down in tears. - DALLAS

5. Melissa and Angela Cry When Chase and Cole Take Joseph - Melissa gives up Joseph in return for being made heir to Falcon Crest. After Chase and Cole leave with the child she realises her son has dropped his teddy bear and she cradles it and cries. Angela, is moved by Melissa's emotion and starts crying too.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

1. Valene cries when the doctor tells her that her babies are stillborn. Joan Van Ark played this scene so realistically. The change in her expression when she presumed her babies were alive to when she hears the news is...perfect acting. Knots Landing

2. Gary breaks down on the phone to Miss Ellie about Val's possible cancer diagnosis
Ted Shackleford is such an underrated actor. It was so real. Knots Landing

3. Pam crying after Bobby is murdered by Katherine. It was hysterical and raw, which makes total sense after what she just witnessed. Dallas

4. Paige cries at home alone after Anne, her mother, tells her she is marrying Greg, the man Paige loves. The ice queen has melted. I thought Nicolette Sheridan did an excellent acting job here. Knots Landing.

5. Olivia sheds some tears after Paige cruelly tells her that Olivia's mother is sleeping with Peter, to whom Olivia has lost her heart. The juxtaposition of Paige's regal callousness and Olivia's innocence, well as Tonya Crowe's bitter tears were heartbreaking. Knots Landing

 

[Willie Oleson]

1. Lance cries in FALCON CREST

Since they're the #1 most backstabbing family in SoapLand, it's very possible that he did some dastardly things before and after this scene, and this is one of those unexpected moments when a soap character has to face some serious consquences.
Just like @Angela Channing's favourite scene, it showed an underlying family bond that Falcon Crest rarely dealt with, but it was all the more effective when it did happen.

2. Sable cries in THE COLBYS

There's quite a bit of heavy melodrama going on here, and that's why The Colbys often looks like an old Barbara Stanwyck movie.
It's also not a full-on-sobbing scene, but no matter how many times I watch it, it just looks so freakishly real.

3. Anne Matheson cries in KNOTS LANDING

Probably not because the mirrored image makes her look like April Stevens, and I'm pretty sure Knots has many better crying scenes than this.
But somehow it sticks out like a sore thumb, especially at the end of the season in which I found most of Anne's scenes rather unwatchable. To me, it feels like a moment of repentance - from more than one angle.

4. Fallon cries in DYNASTY

No matter how unsympathetic Fallon could be - and indeed, this happened after she had criticized Krystle in the most vicious way possible - the choice between her father and brother was Fallon's ultimate dilemma. Nevertheless, she made her choice and now she thinks she's lost her brother.
That this moment should happen in front of the man she'd treated so badly makes it more interesting.
Speaking of Jeff, something I hadn't noticed before: he seemed a bit too eager to confirm that she "had lost her brother". The circumstances are far from romantic, but she ends up in his arms anyway, albeit sobbing. Hmm…

5. Sue Ellen cries in DALLAS

At this point she doesn't know that she'll become a long-term soap diva, and she's ready to walk away from it all.
Pam's misty eyes, caused by this sudden outrage and personal attack, feels even stronger because they really didn't have to show it to make this scene work.
So, this time it's the bonus that trumps the other actress' tour de force.

 

[James from London]

Ted Shackleford is such an underrated actor.

Word.

Nicolette Sheridan did an excellent acting job here.

Preach.

Pam's misty eyes, caused by this sudden outrage and personal attack, feels even stronger because they really didn't have to show it to make this scene work.
So, this time it's the bonus that trumps the other actress' tour de force.

Ooh yeah, I like that!

 

[Richard Channing]

The Colbys often looks like an old Barbara Stanwyck movie.

And often like a movie with an old Barbara Stanwyck too.

 

[Toni]

My choices:

1- Pam and Bobby decide to divorce ("Dallas: The Letter")
2- Miss Ellie denies that Jock is deeeaaad ("Dallas: Denial")
3- Sue Ellen leaves crippled Dusty ("Dallas: Lover Come Back")
4- Gary mourns for "dead" Bobby ("Knots Landing: While the Cat´s Away")
5- Pam cries over Bobby´s "death" ("Dallas: Swan Song")

Honorable mention:

Here are a few crying scenes from "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" if you wanna check them out before voting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLhqyDOq01w

 

[Sarah]

Did you know @Willie Oleson - that this picture is REALLLY unlucky and that there is a rumour that if you have it in your house, that it will go on fire???


https://exemplore.com/paranormal/The-Crying-Boy

View attachment 19952

Welcome to SoapLand Battle #87, I hope the fatigue hasn't kicked in yet!
We've already done the best laughters so now we want to find the crying scenes that surprised or impressed you or, ideally, made you cry too.
As always, impostored, dreamed up and Return To Edened tears are very much eligible for your top 5.

But which soap will receive The Golden Tissue and consequently improve its performance on the scoreboard?​

 

[Richard Channing]

I hope this thread isn't cursed!!!

 

[Daniel Avery]

#1 Greg's "You left me in a bad spot, Red" breakdown while watching her video, Knots Landing.

#2 Valene being told her babies died, Knots Landing.

#3 Gary breaking down over Bobby's quasi-death in Dallas, KL.

#4 Karen bursting into tears while holding newborn Erin Molly, KL

#5 Laura tearfully tells Val what really happened when she was raped, KL

 

[Jimmy Todd]

#1 Greg's "You left me in a bad spot, Red" breakdown while watching her video, Knots Landing.

#2 Valene being told her babies died, Knots Landing.

#3 Gary breaking down over Bobby's quasi-death in Dallas, KL.

#4 Karen bursting into tears while holding newborn Erin Molly, KL

#5 Laura tearfully tells Val what really happened when she was raped, KL

Knots did crying so well for both men and women. There are so many to choose. I forgot about Geg's scene. KL didn't get the Emmy awards it deserved, but now I just consider the show at it's best beyond mere Emmys.

 

[Richard Channing]

1. Miss Ellie refuses to accept Jock's death

Both Barbara Bel Geddes and Patrick Duffy turn in a great performance in this scene but Barbara really knocks it out of the park. There's so much going on here. Ellie is in denial and also in tremendous pain and Barbara walks the line between both of these beautifully. Ellie is reeling and vulnerable yet determined to hold onto hope and it makes for a pretty heartbreaking scene.

2. Krystle's miscarriage

This is a standout performance from Linda Evans and it's rare that we see this kind of raw emotion from Krystle, which makes it all the more impactful. No make-up, her hair a mess, she looks fittingly dreadful, which lends the scene a certain gravitas, as I don't think we'll ever see her looking this disheveled again. Powerful stuff.


3. Lilimae grieves for Chip (from 6.15)

Lilimae's world comes crashing down as she tries to grapple with Chip's death. It just so happens that the day he dies is the day she is given a suspended sentence for trying to run him over, and this synchronicity brings some hard truths to the surface. Wonderfully acted as you would expect from Julie Harris.


4. Cliff hears of Rebecca's death

Cliff not only has to deal with the news of Rebecca's death but shock turns to guilt as he realizes it should have been him on that plane. In a typically nuanced performance Ken Kercheval takes us from one to the other seamlessly.


5. Sable's scheming through the tears

Sable and Connie's feud reaches a climax when Sable accidentally knocks her over in her car. Shunned by Jason and desperately remorseful, it's all too much for Sable and she breaks down. But wait....what's that letter in the fireplace? Maybe things aren't so bad after all as she stumbles on what appears to be a golden ticket. Fabulous stuff from the master (mistress?) of melodrama, Stephanie Beacham.

 

[Victoriafan3]

1. Pam crying after Bobby gets murdered
2. Donna crying when she and Ray finds out about their baby being born Down’s syndrome
3. Pam crying in thanksgiving square when Bobby tells her he wants a divorce
4. Ray crying after Bobby flatlines in Hospital
5. Tara Welles crying after Dan asks her if she loves him and she denies her feelings to him and he leaves, RTE

 

[Jock Og]

1) Ellie in tears, tells Bobby she believes Jock is alive: Bobby wants Ellie's agreement to have Jock declared legally dead; after the Ewing patriarch has been missing for several months, in the jungles of South America. Mama is having none of it because as long as she believes her husband is alive then he is alive. The hankies are nearby - DALLAS.

2) Pam's despair in her dream, after Bobby is rundown by Katherine: Cliff and Jamie were on hand to comfort Pam, at the start of the dream season. The Bobster is dead and the love of his life is distraught, beyond words - DALLAS.

3) Greg can't hold back the tears, while watching Laura's video: The end for a great Sea View Circle duo in this very well structured goodbye, from a show stalwart. Greg (Bill Devane) made it a real tearjerker - KNOTS LANDING.

4) Angela turns on the waterworks over Julia's letter: No wonder Jane Wyman won a Golden Globe for her acting, in 1983 - '84 as there was a great combination of emotional family goings on and the usual wine business. While sitting in her study Angela can't help thinking in a sad way about the reason she didn't attend Julia's college weekend - FALCON CREST.

5) Lindsay bawls about being born, before her parent's marriage: After a bit of eavesdropping Lindsay confronts Matthew and Claudia about being born prior to their marriage. Matthew convinced her that their marriage was out of love not because she arrived before the wedding. Lindsay was always the show's best character at crying - DYNASTY.


Lance goes into the study, to see his grandmother. Julia has gone on the run and Angela is concerned. She has been looking at a letter Julia sent her, while in college years ago. A parent's weekend was on and Lance asks Angela did she attend, (a scene from season 3, 1983 - '84):

Angela: "I was a business woman before it came fashionable and I didn't have the time to do the things I wanted to do."

Lance: "A weekend doesn't seem like much."

Angela: "Julia understood. She had such promise. Only........"

Lance: "Everything went wrong!"

Angela fills up with tears: "And now it's too late to make it right."

 

[Richard Channing]

"Finally someone voted for me!!!"



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[Richard Channing]

I came across this clip when I was looking for the Sable clip I posted. When Jason tells her he wants a divorce her facial reactions are so over the top and melodramatic, it's fabulous and pretty funny! Gotta love her.

 

[Willie Oleson]

"Finally someone voted for me!!!"

I ought to hang my head in shame for not thinking of Lindsay, the queen of tears.

Good call, @Jock Og!

 

[Willie Oleson]

Gotta love her.

I also love this scene with sister dearest, Francesca.

It also clearly shows that Frankie doesn't think as conniving as her sister, so when Sable finally reveals her real intentions she's completely flabbergasted, which is often misunderstood as indiffferent and selfish by the you-know-who fans.

 

[Gioberti84]

1 - Pam crying when Bobby flatlines - Dallas
2 - Angela tears up outside the springhouse because Julia is assumed to be dead - Falcon Crest
3 - While watching Laura's video it becomes too much for Greg - Knots Landing
4 - Ellie breaking down to Bobby, over Jock in the Southfork kitchen - Dallas
5 - After Sable accidentally knocks Constance down with her car, she sobs - The Colbys