5 Times Matt Smith Made Us Cry on 'Doctor Who'

We've already looked back at the times that Matt Smith made us laugh as the Eleventh Doctor, now let's take a look at some of the saddest and most heartwarming moments that brought a tear to our eye over his last three seasons on 'Doctor Who.'

5. "The Name of the Doctor" - Goodbye, Sweetie

The relationship between The Doctor and River Song is certainly not a conventional one. Both of them time travelers, one of their favorite pastimes is comparing their journals, to find out where they each are in their confusing timelines. For the Doctor, their relationship started with her death, in “Silence in the Library.” He did his best to save her, as an echo version of herself in the library computer. But all of their interactions since have been tainted with that knowledge.

We learned in “The Name of the Doctor” that the Doctor has seemingly been ignoring River, when she has reached out to him in the form she is now, an echo of her former self. She thinks he can’t see or hear her. But as it turns out, he was avoiding her, because he was afraid it would be too painful for him to deal with. He reveals that she is always there to him, he always listens, and he can always see her. Their goodbye kiss was heartbreaking, as was their goodbye: spoken, at her request, as if they would see each other again. Goodbye, Sweetie.

4. "The Doctor’s Wife" - Hello, Doctor

Many companions have come and gone during the Doctor’s long life, but there is one soul who has stayed by his side through it all: his TARDIS. Not just a spaceship, but a sentient being: the Doctor has always spoken to and about his TARDIS as though it could hear what he was saying, but it wasn’t until “The Doctor’s Wife” that the TARDIS was able to talk back to him. The soul of the TARDIS is switched into the body of a woman named Idris, and after all their shared experiences, it is a delight for the Doctor to finally get to speak with his TARDIS. The human form cannot handle the soul of the TARDIS, and the soul is freed from Idris’s dying body, back into the TARDIS itself. But not before the Doctor and his wife, his life-long companion: the TARDIS, have a heartbreaking goodbye.

Idris finally gets the chance to say “hello” to the Doctor, after all these years, and the Doctor tearfully begs her not to go. But alas, she must, and the Doctor takes a moment to mourn her before shaking it off and moving on. But in the very end of the episode, when Amy and Rory have left him alone, he calls out to his TARDIS, asking if she can hear him. He brushes off his silliness, but then a lever moves of its own accord, and he knows his girl is right there with him. The look of absolute delight on Matt Smith’s face in that moment is priceless.

3. "The Name of the Doctor" - Trenzalore calls

Though the Doctor is over 1,000 years old, he knows he will die sometime, and he even knows the place where he’s buried: Trenzalore. It has been a name that has struck fear in the hearts Whovians far and wide, but is just as mysterious as it is worrisome. So when Clara delivered a message about from the Doctor’s dead love River Song, explaining that the Doctor would need to go to Trenzalore, the place he’s long (and understandably) avoided, the Doctor is overcome with emotion.

This scene in “The Name of The Doctor” was immediately preceded by a scene of the Doctor being silly and joking around. The contrast between that light mood, and his stone-cold expression when he listens to Clara’s story was a real sign that we were in for one hell of a loaded episode. Even Clara is totally taken aback by the Doctor’s tears, because even after the scary scene she’s just witnessed, she is used to the Doctor always being cool in a crisis, always knowing what to do, never being scared. This out-of-nowhere breakdown was heartbreaking to see, and just as upsetting for us viewers as it was for Clara.

2. "Vincent and the Doctor" - Vincent's pile of good things

“Vincent and the Doctor” is a fan-favorite ‘Doctor Who’ episode, and with good reason. The Doctor and Amy meet legendary artist Vincent van Gogh, and witnessed his struggles and insecurities. In the end, they bring Vincent in the TARDIS to see his own art in a museum, and to hear him praised as the greatest artist of all time. However, this still wasn’t enough to silence the demons in Vincent’s head, and they find out that he still killed himself shortly thereafter.

Amy is understandably upset at this news, but the speech the Doctor gives to comfort her is not only some of the most wonderful writing on ‘Doctor Who’ (from noted screenwriter Richard Curtis), but perfectly, perfectly delivered by Smith. One can only hope that in his post-‘Who’ free time, Smith will travel the globe, giving out hugs to people that are having bad days, and giving them the Doctor’s good things/bad things speech.

1. "The Angels Take Manhattan" - Goodbye to Amy Pond

Amy Pond was a very meaningful acquaintance of the Eleventh Doctor’s. He met her as a lonely little girl, and accidentally left her alone for another 12 years. He always felt a sense of guilt about this, but he also never stopped seeing her as that same little girl. He did his best to protect the obstinent and willful Amy, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to help her in “The Angels Take Manhattan.”

When Rory was sucked back in time by one of the Weeping Angels, Amy sacrificed herself in the hopes that she would be able to live out the rest of her life with Rory. The Doctor always hated the idea of Amy choosing a simple life with Rory over a life adventuring with the Doctor in the TARDIS. He tried so hard to make Amy understand that if she sacrificed herself to the Angels, he would never be able to see her again, he would never be able to find her, but it was no use. With three simple words, “Raggedy Man, goodbye.” Amy was gone, and the Doctor was shattered. Not that he hasn’t lost anyone in his 1,000ish years, but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier.

This list is truly incomplete, as we have not yet seen what is sure to be Matt Smith’s most heartbreaking moment: his goodbye. This week’s Christmas episode, “The Time of the Doctor,” will see Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor regenerate into Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth. Regenerations are always heartbreaking, (*cough* “I don’t want to go!" *cough*), and Steven Moffat has surely made every effort to rip our hearts out with this finale and squeeze them as much as he possibly can.

As excited as we are to meet a new Doctor, we will never forget everything that Matt Smith has brought to the role, and all of the wonderful adventures he has shared with us. In his three seasons on the show, Matt Smith has most definitely added to our pile of good things, and we are very thankful.