These moments left even the laugh track speechless. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 most jaw-dropping scenes in TV comedies since the year 2000.
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00:00 Holy mother forking shirt balls.
00:06 What?
00:07 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 most jaw-dropping scenes in TV comedy since the year 2000.
00:15 So, heads up, there are a lot of spoilers up ahead.
00:19 My keys, where are my keys? Mom! Oh my god. Mom?
00:26 Number 10 - Mateo is arrested by Ice, Superstore
00:30 Most of the time, the employees of Cloud 9 handle hardship with well-timed quips and deep belly laughs.
00:35 But when Ice shows up asking for their undocumented colleague Mateo, it's no laughing matter.
00:40 Oh my god, I gotta go.
00:44 For what it's worth, Cloud 9 gets the whole payroll and even some customers on board for a convoluted getaway scheme.
00:51 Act natural.
00:52 I'm trying to, but I forgot how to walk.
00:54 Oh, and now I forget. I think we're doing it right.
00:58 It's an uplifting gesture and all, but in the end, that's all it is.
01:01 If anything, the staff's efforts just make Mateo's inevitable fate even more heartbreaking.
01:06 Superstore is supposed to be a comedy, so it's really saying something that this episode doesn't close with a punchline.
01:13 It ends with cold, bitter defeat.
01:15 What do we do now?
01:17 I mean, we have to fight this.
01:20 How?
01:23 I have no idea.
01:25 Number 9. Jodie's overdose. Mom.
01:28 In one soul-crushing phone call, Mom went from a dark comedy to just plain dark.
01:34 I don't understand. Where's Jodie?
01:37 Even though it's centered on an AA group, the show always portrayed its characters with wit, heart, and most importantly, hope.
01:44 But then, Christy got the call.
01:46 One of their colleagues, Jodie, had died of an overdose.
01:50 She's gone.
01:52 There's no warning, no fanfare, and no goodbye.
01:56 In fact, the moment hits so abruptly, you'll want to break down right alongside Christy and the others.
02:01 In retrospect, Jodie's death is necessary for Mom to showcase the very real stakes behind substance use disorder.
02:08 But that doesn't make it any easier to stomach at the moment.
02:11 Where's Jodie?
02:13 She couldn't make it.
02:15 Oh, that's a shame.
02:17 When you talk to her, give her my love.
02:19 8. The Johnson Family Confronts Police Brutality – Black-ish
02:24 From the visceral news report that opens the episode, it's clear this isn't your average installment of Black-ish.
02:30 After all, it's one thing to be political and another to deconstruct the generational ramifications of police brutality.
02:37 Police beating up on an unarmed black man? That's a story I've been hearing all my life.
02:42 Yeah. Coates says that the violence and police brutality isn't new. It's just that the cameras are.
02:47 But rest assured, it's handled with all the deftness and class you'd expect from Black-ish.
02:52 I don't understand. Yeah, how did this happen?
02:55 While each of the Johnsons gets time to offer their unique perspective, the sharp writing never leans into PSA territory.
03:01 On the contrary, Black-ish delivers a frank examination of the issue that's both entertaining and insightful to the very end.
03:08 Don't you get it, Bo? The system is rigged against us.
03:12 Maybe it is, Dre. But I don't want to feel like my kids are living in a world that is so flawed that they can't have any hope.
03:20 This episode isn't an easy watch by any means, but that is precisely why it should be mandatory viewing.
03:26 As a parent, it's hope that we pray we can pass to our children. But sometimes, it's your children that give you hope.
03:35 Number 7. Howard's Mom Dies – The Big Bang Theory
03:39 Never seen, but often heard, Debbie Wolowitz's signature New Jersey accent earned her a place in the Hall of Fame for sitcom moms.
03:46 Howard, it's the phone!
03:49 [Phone ringing]
03:51 I know it's the phone, Ma. I hear the phone!
03:55 Well, who's calling at this ungodly hour?
03:58 So, when the voice behind the character, Carol Ann Suse, passed away in 2014, the show gave Mrs. Wolowitz an unforgettable farewell.
04:06 That was my aunt. Ma took a nap. She never woke up.
04:13 Coming at the tail end of an otherwise innocuous episode, the news of her passing shakes the characters to their core.
04:20 The fact that even Sheldon Cooper offers his condolences should tell you everything you need to know.
04:25 When I lost my own father, I didn't have any friends to help me through it. You do.
04:35 Since The Big Bang Theory isn't traditionally known for its dramatic heft, this moment feels appropriately moving,
04:41 especially considering the real-world loss behind the scenes.
04:45 To Mrs. Wolowitz, loving mother, to all of us, we'll miss you.
04:58 Number 6. Rosa Responds to an Active Shooter – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
05:02 As a feel-good workplace comedy, The 99th Precinct doesn't usually deal with the grittier side of police work.
05:09 Emphasis on "usually."
05:10 What's going on?
05:11 There's an active shooter in a hotel in Brooklyn Heights.
05:14 Requesting additional units, prod dispatcher.
05:16 That all changes when Rosa Diaz responds to an active shooter situation.
05:20 It's a stark reminder that despite their penchant for hijinks, these lovable characters are still cops.
05:26 Diaz, 311H, show me going.
05:28 Diaz? Rosa Diaz?
05:29 That's her badge number.
05:31 Then, as if the life-or-death situation isn't stressful enough, the rest of the 99 can't do anything to help their friend.
05:38 Much like the audience, they are stuck following the reports and hoping for good news.
05:43 Shot's fired. Shot's fired!
05:44 Wait, what?
05:45 Is anybody hurt?
05:46 No.
05:47 Oh, man.
05:48 Thankfully, Rosa makes it back to the precinct without so much as a scratch on her.
05:51 But our blood pressure is a different story.
05:54 It's been a really tough day. I just want to get a beer. I don't feel like getting into it.
05:57 Are you sure? Because the journey I went on today taught me that sometimes it's best to talk about things.
06:00 Jake.
06:01 Right. It was a stupid idea and Hulk pulled me to do it, so let's just go get a drink and sit in total silence.
06:05 Perfect.
06:06 Number 5. Ben's dead. Scrubs.
06:08 Physician or not, Dr. Cox doesn't handle loss particularly well.
06:13 This time, though, he has a personal grief counselor in the form of his friend Ben.
06:18 You have to forgive yourself for everything that went down the other day.
06:21 The catch? Ben is actually the person Cox is mourning.
06:25 The cancer patient dies earlier in the episode, and in a serious bout of denial, Dr. Cox unconsciously keeps him alive in his head.
06:33 While Scrubs' take on the sixth sense is certainly worth a few shocked reactions,
06:38 what really stands out is its tender exploration of grief, both in and out of the operating room.
06:44 Where do you think we are?
06:46 Just like Cox remembers Ben, that scene in the cemetery is bound to stay with you long after the credits roll.
06:53 In the end, the most important thing to accept is that no matter how alone you feel, how painful it may be,
07:00 with the help of those around you, you'll get through this too.
07:08 Number 4. Michael leaves Scranton. The office.
07:11 Say what you will about Michael Scott, but he lives and breathes Dunder Mifflin.
07:16 I bought this for myself.
07:20 And yesterday, they gave me this.
07:24 Still, when actor Steve Carell wanted to pursue other opportunities, the series had no choice but to do the unthinkable.
07:31 Let Michael leave the office. Both the show and the actual building.
07:36 While the sitcom always thrived upon its fantastic ensemble,
07:39 there's no denying everything that Michael's dimwitted leadership brought to the table.
07:43 Wow, so that's it, huh? Just four o'clock and you are gone for good.
07:48 Why am I so sad? Am I doing the wrong thing?
07:52 As a result, his unprecedented goodbye left many fans wondering whether there would even be a show without him.
07:58 See you tomorrow, boss.
08:02 The answer was yes. Two more seasons, actually.
08:06 But honestly, most of that was spent letting the shock of Michael's exit wear off.
08:11 Well, I guess this is it.
08:14 Hey, will you guys let me know if this ever airs?
08:18 Dealing with a high-profile cast departure is never easy,
08:25 let alone when that cast member is John Ritter, who had recently passed away.
08:29 Uh, yeah, this is Mrs. Hennessey.
08:32 The task was so daunting that 8 Simple Rules dedicated an entire hour-long episode to burying the Hennessey patriarch.
08:39 Fittingly titled "Goodbye," the brazen special broadcast almost feels like an affectionate memorial service.
08:45 It's tragic, slow-moving, and astonishingly honest.
08:49 Last words I said to Dad was "I hate you."
08:52 You wouldn't let me borrow his stupid car and I said I hate you.
08:56 But that's also the whole point.
08:58 By refusing to sugarcoat the realities of losing a family member,
09:01 8 Simple Rules let its cast, crew, and viewers all mourn Ritter together.
09:06 - Are you okay? - Yeah.
09:09 - No, not really.
09:11 As a whole, this two-parter is a bold piece of television that did right by its leading man.
09:17 Wow!
09:23 Okay, okay.
09:26 You'd be forgiven for assuming that "The Good Place" takes place in, well, "The Good Place."
09:30 The characters refer to it as such throughout the whole first season.
09:34 And, you know, it's literally in the name.
09:36 But as it turns out, that was all a charade to set up the plot twist to end all plot twists.
09:42 Eleanor says it best herself.
09:44 "This isn't The Good Place at all. This is The Bad Place."
09:48 They're never gonna call a train to take us to the bad place.
09:52 They can't.
09:54 Because we're already here.
09:56 Cue the gasps, the jaw drops, the social media frenzy.
10:00 Everything.
10:01 Yeah, you could say it took people by surprise.
10:03 "No, this doesn't make any sense. This is paradise."
10:08 Oh, it looks like paradise.
10:10 But it's actually a filthy dumpster full of our worst anxieties.
10:15 This bombshell of a revelation took 13 episodes to set up.
10:19 But trust us, it was worth every single minute.
10:22 You know what, bro? Do your worst.
10:25 We figured it out once, we can do it again.
10:27 Because you know what, Michael?
10:30 You're basic.
10:33 Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
10:37 Maude Flanders Dies, The Simpsons
10:40 Even though the episode aired in 2000, we're still not over the death of Ned Flanders' wife.
10:45 "Just keep replaying the whole thing in my head.
10:48 I can't believe my last words to Maude were 'no footlongs.'"
10:53 Monica's Infertility, Friends
10:56 Monica and Chandler's dream of having kids takes a heart-wrenching detour.
11:00 "I'm sorry."
11:02 "I'm sorry too."
11:05 Terry is Racially Profiled, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
11:10 Despite being a sergeant, Terry is nearly arrested because of the color of his skin.
11:15 "So this is all my fault?"
11:16 "I'm not apologizing for doing my job."
11:18 "That's not the job, man."
11:20 That's So Racist, That's So Raven
11:23 We did not expect a show about a teen psychic to tackle racism.
11:26 "There's gotta be some reason why you didn't get that job."
11:30 "The truth is, I don't hire black people."
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11:52 #1 The Mother Is Dead - How I Met Your Mother
11:56 For nine years, How I Met Your Mother assured audiences it would deliver on the promise of its title.
12:02 And technically it did, just with a massive asterisk attached.
12:06 "You see kids, right from the moment I met your mom, I knew I have to love this woman as much as I can, for as long as I can, and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second."
12:18 See, in the finale, we learn Ted isn't just recounting his relationship with Tracy for old time's sake.
12:23 He's doing it because his wife isn't around anymore to say it herself.
12:27 "Hi." "Hi."
12:30 After over 200 episodes, this 11th hour twist completely recontextualized the entire series.
12:38 Though, to be fair, this is the same show that wowed viewers with the surprise death of Marshall's dad back in season 6.
12:44 "Something's happened, um, your father, he had a heart attack."
12:50 Clearly, gasp-worthy twists are just How I Met Your Mother's thing.
12:55 "And that, kids, is How I Met Your Mother."
12:58 What sitcom moment left you reeling? Let us know in the comments.
13:02 "Kinda feel like I'm lurking. Tina, get in here."
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13:15 [outro music]