1. When Adam and Kristina find out that Max has Aspergers and they ask Dr. Pelikan what to do {"The Deep End of The Pool" Season 1 Episode 3}
In this episode Max gets kicked out of school, and that is when Adam and Kristina take him to Dr. Pelikan upon referral. Dr. Pelikan tells them that Max has Aspergers. Adam and Kristina ask what to do. This is what he says "The first step is not to wrench Max outside his comfort zone. You need to meet him where he is, and when he's ready, bring him into the world." This line is such a powerful line, and gives you insight on what it is like to a parent of a child dealing with Aspergers. It gives you more sympathy for Max, and as you watch him grow and develop throughout the series, this line rings true.
2. When Adam is sitting in the hospital next to Kristina and opens the laptop to play a video she has made {"What to my Wondering Eyes" Season 4 Episode 11}
This is such a raw moment where we truly see Kristina's love for her family. It is so heartbreaking, and we think that we're going to loose her, and so these little words said into the camera, become much more powerful.
3. When Crosby tells Julia what a good parent she is {"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" Season 4 Episode 14}
In this episode Julia and Joel are dealing with issue with Victor, their newly adopted son, and Julia has a breakdown moment when at a restaurant eating with her siblings. She runs out of the restaurant crying, and Crosby follows her. What happens next is one of the sweetest scenes on this show. "You know who I watched, who I studied, who I looked up to? You." "And that little guy needs you. He loves you and I know he loves you because it's impossible not to love you." They then embrace in a hug and it melts your heart.
4. When Camille tells Hattie she needs to go home {"Just go Home" Season 2 Episode 15}
I love this moment because Hattie is a young teenager who has dug her heels in and left her parents because they won't let her see her boyfriend. She tells her grandma why she doesn't want to go back home and she says this "Well you want to know what I think. It's okay if you don't. I think you should go home." Hattie assures her it won't fix anything. "That's not why you go home. You go because they love you. You know. You just go back. Not everything has to be solved. It's not math. It does't work that way. You just go home."
5. When Kristina tells the family she has breast cancer {"There's Something I need to tell you" Season 4 Episode 5}
Not having told the family about her diagnoses yet, Hattie surprises her parents by coming home from college and showing up at the restaurant they are eating at. Kristina then has to tell her family what is going on. And like many scenes in this show, you don't actually hear her say it to her family, but rather you see the expressions on her families faces, and that is enough.
6. When Amber finds out that she didn't get into college {"New Plan" Season 2 Episode 2}
This is such a gut wrenching moment when she realizes that she no longer has a plan for her future. It is a big turning point for Amber where she has to reevaluate her life and create a new plan. This is really hard for her, you see her begin to crumble where then as the show continues, she begins to pick herself back up.
7. Victor confronts Joel and Julia about getting back together {"We made it through the night." Season 6 Episode 15}
This is the first time where we realize Victor has grown up, and what he says to his parents "How can you be sure? What happens when the next problem comes along?" is so true. We just can't believe it is coming out of a child's mouth.
8. When Zeke talks to Amber after her car accident {"Hard Times Come Again No More." Season 2 Episode 22}
This is the moment when you find out Zeke's true love for his oldest granddaughter. He takes her to the junk yard where her car is, and says this to her "I dreamt you Amber. You do not have my permission to mess with my dreams."
9. When Kristina kicks everyone out of the car in the middle of the street and drives off without them {"Forced Family Fun" Season 3 Episode 7}
This scene allows you to see what it is like to try and get your family to go do something together. It makes us have more sympathy for Kristina as a mother.
10. When Seth leaves birthday cards for Amber at her apartment {"In Between" Season 3 Episode 8]
This is such a heart felt moment when we see that Seth express his love towards Amber and try to make up for being an absent father. Although we know that him giving her birthday cards for every birthday he missed doesn't make up for everything, we get this sense of regret from Seth, and that just maybe things will get better between him and Amber.
11. Amber tells Zeke she named her baby boy Zeke {"We made it through the night" Season 6 Episode 15}
This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire show, because we realize that Zeke's health is declining, and he isn't going to be around much longer. The fact that he gets to meet his great grandson is such a beautiful moment, and when Amber tells hims she named him Zeke, it just makes it even sweeter.
12. Ending scene when the family is looking out over California "Road Trip" Season 3 Episode 12
This is one of my favorite episodes of the entire show because it is all about family and what it means to be family. After a long road trip to go visit their grandma, that is filled with arguments and drama, they begin heading home down the coast of California, and stop and get out of their cars to look out over the coast, and it is such a great moment. It is just them, as family gathered together in a moment that seems to stop time. It reminds us what this show is about. Family.
13. Drew and Sara talk about him going to see Seth {"Just go Home" Season 2 Episode 15}
This moment when Drew gets a call from his dad and decides to go have dinner with him and then comes home to tell his mom about is such a raw intimate moment. We can see how much Drew is longing for his dad to be a part of his life, and how much Sara wants to protect him. We find ourselves trying to understand why Drew is feeling the way he is, and why Sara is doing what she is doing.
14. When Drew takes Zeke to go shooting {"These are the times we live in" Season 6 Episode 7}
It really shows you how much of a father figure Zeke has been to Drew and just how much he means to him.
15. When Sara tells Hank she wants to get married right away so that her dad can walk her down the aisle {"We made it though the night" Season 6 Episode 12}
I can easily say this episode was the most emotional episode of the series and this moment was so great. You have nothing but love for Sara and hearing her talk about the uncertainty of her dad is so heartbreaking.