TV’s Best, Most Passionate (Fictional) On-Screen Breakdowns
TV’s best and most passionate breakdowns are occasionally subtle and often legendary.
They’re the culmination of the negative, the positive, or simply the need for upheaval in an otherwise flat character arc — a self-destruction so piteous as to seem irredeemable.
Sometimes, this act affects others as well.
Naturally, the on-screen breakdown is the culmination of psychological stressors, whether self-induced or brought on by binge-watching The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
It’s often difficult to watch without empathy, especially in characters we’ve grown to love and even in some we love to hate.
After all, the most intense breakdowns are all too often close to home and personal to the viewers.
It’s easier to empathize with Walter White’s failure to find the money to pay Saul in Breaking Bad if you’ve ever misplaced a hundred-dollar bill in the couch cushions.
The closer a TV series parallels real life, the more we can empathize with the characters. That’s what makes shows like The Bear so damnably stressful.
With that being said, some actresses and actors are highly adept at turning on the aura of a psychological meltdown through their visceral, physical efforts. The horror, sadness, and spectacle are nearly unrivaled when done right.
Saved By The Bell – Jessie’s Song – Jessie Spano
Who would have thought Saved By The Bell would be at the top of such a list?
Most Gen Xers who think back on Saved By The Bell imagine some variation of lighthearted comedy, probably with Screech involved, and little else.
However, returning to some of the most popular episodes years later, it’s easy to notice things that a child’s mind or teenage perceptions failed to catch the first time around.
Sure, it lacks the gravitas of some of the more recent melodramatic moments in many modern TV series, but it tickled many viewer’s emotions at the time. Perhaps ‘tickle” is too weak a word.
Related: How the Saved by the Bell Revival Honored Dustin Diamond
Addiction is a brutal takeover of the human body and mind. A religious person might call it ‘possession.’
Whether you’re religious or not, ‘possession’ is the most adequate descriptor.
Fortunately for Jessie, caffeine pills were the extent of it.
But anyone watching Jessie having a meltdown to a tune from The Pointer Sisters approaches comprehension of the power a pill can have on the human body and psyche.
Those who have suffered from addiction know and understand all too well.
Regardless of background, the scene resonated with many, growing into a legendary moment in an otherwise moderately popular TV show.
Game of Thrones – The Laws of Gods and Men – Tyrion Lannister
Nothing facilitates a crescendo quite like an extensive narrative build-up.
Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode 6 is quite a ways into Game of Thrones’ 8-season run.
That build-up rewarded audiences with an epic, rage-filled repudiation of the recently deceased King Joffrey (and all the purple-faced delight that came with it) and the entire Lannister family.
Tyrion Lannister and Game of Thrones fans were the source of all that rage and animosity.
Related: House of the Dragon Season 2 Fan Theories: Who Is Cregan Stark, and Why Does He Matter?
For years, Tyrion withstood the taunting, general disgust, selfish machinations, and unrivaled hatred of his family, most of which was directed at him.
The Laws of Gods and Men served as the proverbial soda can release, with Tyrion raging at a packed chamber of Lannisters and sycophants with silver spoons jammed up their posteriors.
While the speech’s end result didn’t change any minds within the story (except perhaps the only one that mattered), it certainly resulted in some fist-pumping of the binge-watching couch variety.
Euphoria – Stand Like the Hummingbird – Rue
Euphoria doesn’t come close to describing this TV show.
A combination of chaos, betrayal, maniacal, senselessness, and roller coaster may be more apt.
Is there a word in any language that encapsulates them all?
Zendaya, as a fairly young actress, has taken Hollywood by storm, starring in a large slice of the movies and shows the entertainment industry is pumping out.
Her role in Euphoria has since been eclipsed by major roles in Spiderman, Dune, and Challengers.
Related: It’s Time to Give Up on Euphoria Season 3, and That’s OK
However, Euphoria brings out her full range in spectacular fashion.
This is especially true in Euphoria Season 2 Episode 5.
The scene begins with Rue (Zendaya) bursting into her sister’s bedroom and accusing her of ratting Rue out over smoking weed.
What happens next can only be defined as spiraling chaos — an epic meltdown in front of an increasingly terrified mother and sister.
The scene also manages to convey how deeply Rue has fallen into the grasp of drug use.
Again, addiction rears its monstrous head.
It’s a far more violent and sadistic act of self-destruction than Jessie Spano’s turn over caffeine pills.
However, Euphoria is aimed at a far more mature demographic, and it shows, wrapped in four straight minutes of absolute anarchy.
Outer Range – The West – Cecilia Abbott
Despite the many things going on in the surreal world of Outer Range, Cecilia Abbott remains grounded in her faith.
This is emphasized several times throughout the first season, especially in her interactions with her family, specifically her husband.
In the first season finale, however, she falters, falling victim to stress and the fact that her granddaughter just went missing right under her nose.
The scene itself is stressful and strange, interspersed with Ceclilia’s desperate search, her son’s injury after being thrown by the bull he was riding, and the sudden reappearance of a character once thought to be dead.
Related: Some of TV’s Heaviest Moments Came From Lighthearted Shows
The camera, in a traditional technique of spinning around and around a distressed character, infuses the scene with the chaotic moments that anyone would feel at the sudden disappearance of a loved one.
Cecilia’s desperation becomes more poignant as she is ignored and rebuffed, ultimately resulting in her complete devastation and renouncement of her faith.
Servant – Awake – Dorothy
Servant was a slow burn — four seasons of creeping dread and confusion that culminated in Dorothy’s (Lauren Ambrose) cataclysmic breakdown on a rain-soaked sidewalk, her brother and husband simultaneously restraining and desperately attempting to comfort her.
In typical M. Night Shyamalan fashion, Servant saved its best twists for last, even though most of the viewers probably had a good idea as to who was responsible for the death of Dorothy and Sean’s baby.
It’s one thing to witness the death of your child, and quite another to realize the perpetrator was none other than yours truly.
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In fact, the entire 4-season run of Apple’s Servant was a long-winded description of Dorothy’s breakdown.
The trauma of the event resulted in her refusal to accept reality. The paranormal happenings, along with the actions of those around her, were subordinate to that moment.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse – Will Smith
In a similar fashion to Saved By The Bell, it’s hard to imagine The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air becoming a study of devastation, despair, and despondency.
It’s a good thing it did since it resulted in one of the most touching and heartbreaking moments in TV history.
With the renewed hope and optimism of having his father back in his life, Will is rewarded with watching his dad (if you can call him that) walk right back out.
Several things happen immediately after. Will breaks down.
There’s hope in his resurgence spurred by his Uncle. His uncle proves that you don’t have to be the actual parent to be a good and honorable father.
Though the scene is devastating for Will and the viewers, who absorb Will’s despondence and confusion, it’s also touching that we know his Uncle will fill that void willingly, lovingly, and responsibly.
Found – Missing While A Pawn – Gabrielle
The strange dynamic between Gabi and Sir is one of the driving forces in Found.
On a surface level, it makes little sense for the kidnapping victim of a kidnapper to kidnap her kidnapper.
The knee-jerk reaction is to assume a kidnap victim would want the worst for her kidnapper. A lifetime in a maximum security prison, picking up bars of soap for a living perhaps?
Gabi and her kidnapped kidnapper, Sir, are not on that page, however.
The nature of their relationship recalls echoes of Silence of the Lambs. Regardless, Gabi still has to face a good deal of internal trauma, and Found Season 1 Episode 4 brings that trauma to a head.
Related: 13 Deeply Flawed Characters We Can’t Get Out of Our Heads
Gabi has transformed trauma into purpose at this point in the season, though the ride is not without its bumps and bruises. Her breakdown in the kitchen is revelatory, both for her and for Sir.
However, though Gabi loses control in episode 4, it’s only the beginning of her unraveling. Later episodes reveal more about her complex character and inner thoughts.
Arcane – The Monster You Created – Jinx
Arcane is a rare, highly popular animated show, mostly for its excellent story and character-driven arcs.
Alone, Jinx is a fascinating character, torn between two devotions.
Unfortunately, this makes her a chaotic piece on the chess board, as the first season finale attests.
Jinx believes she has the upper hand with her kidnapped sister Vi and her boss, Silco, in her hands.
Related: Arcane Season 2: Everything We Know Before the Premiere
That is until Vi begins talking, conjuring up memories of their childhood and strong sisterly connection.
The chaotic, inner workings of Jinx’s psychological civil war ensue in spectacular, animated fashion.
It’s a neat scene that both reveals Jinx’s mental disorder and gives birth to a new Jinx that is probably more devastating and destructive than the one before.
There’s nothing quite like a well-known or well-loved character’s moment of shattering.
In movies, this generally takes place in the third act, before the final resolution.
In an ongoing TV series, it’s a magnificent mark of character growth or degradation, becoming integral to the overall story, plot, and character arcs as the seasons roll on.
The above examples are bolstered by the terrific performances of the actors and actresses that fill these roles, ultimately becoming them in our view of their fictional world.
Moments like these bring us frightening close to our own inner demons.
The fragility of the human psyche isn’t limited to the small or the big screen, after all.
It helps us to alternately identify with these characters, and fear how easily a few random life events could bring out the worst in us as well.
There are far more than just eight passionate, on-screen breakdowns out there, so feel free to add your own by commenting below!
Who knows? Your addition may inspire one of our writers to focus on that character in a later article.
It’s always fun to be the catalyst for inspiration!
Thomas Godwin is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X
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