These sitcoms weren't afraid to delve into dark territory. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for memorable instances where popular sitcoms shift to a grimmer tone.
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00:00Well, I'm afraid it'll have to wait.
00:01Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan
00:04to get out of this by pretending to be mad.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:08and today we're counting down our picks for memorable instances
00:12where popular sitcoms shift to a grimmer tone.
00:15Lieutenant Crowell, Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan.
00:25Number 30, Jesse's Substance Abuse, Saved by the Bell.
00:31The episode, Jesse's Song in Saved by the Bell,
00:34delves into a darker territory than usual.
00:37There's nothing funny about the obsession with perfection
00:40that leads to Jesse Spano becoming addicted to caffeine pills.
00:44Jesse, those pills are dangerous.
00:45Yeah, well, so is geometry.
00:47You told me you were going to stop taking them.
00:49I need them to stay awake and study, okay?
00:51No, it's not okay.
00:53Jesse, I'm worried about you.
00:54Give me the pills.
00:55Mind your own business.
00:56This is the result of placing too much pressure on herself
00:59and trying to successfully balance her life
01:02as both a student and member of a singing group.
01:05What follows is a mental breakdown and the need for counseling for Jesse.
01:10This episode even resonates today,
01:12drawing parallels with issues for some young people,
01:15such as anxiety and academic pressure that can lead to substance abuse.
01:20I'm the one who didn't listen.
01:22I've got a real problem.
01:24My mom's taking me to the doctor tomorrow for counseling.
01:28I've got to learn that it's okay if I'm not the best at everything.
01:32Number 29, The Break-In, The Good Life.
01:35North American viewers might not immediately recognize the BBC sitcom The Good Life,
01:40but just about every viewer of this otherwise innocuous show
01:44was probably taken aback by what transpires in the season four finale.
01:48Tom!
01:51There's a lot of people who do this, call the police pigs.
01:54The episode, Anniversary, aired during a period where punk rock
01:58and juvenile delinquency were hot topics in UK papers and on the news.
02:02When Tom and Barbara returned to their home to find it vandalized with symbols of hate speech
02:08and the phrase fascist pig written on the walls,
02:11well, they're just as shocked as the audience.
02:14This isn't our failure.
02:16It's somebody else's.
02:17We can cope with our own failures.
02:18We have one every other day.
02:20Number 28, Unequal Opportunity Employment, That's So Raven.
02:25The premise of a main character who experiences psychic visions
02:28allows That's So Raven to tell some unique and interesting stories.
02:32The episode, True Colors, explores the subject of bigotry when Raven experiences
02:37a vision that reveals her recent job interview was a sham.
02:41There's got to be some reason why you didn't get that job.
02:43The truth is, I don't hire black people.
02:50Chloe Hunter, the owner of a mall clothing store called Sassy's,
02:54is revealed to be a racist who refuses to hire black people.
02:58The writers and cast of That's So Raven do a great job underlining the seriousness of the issue
03:04and leave moments open for reflection and discussion about why Chloe's behavior is wrong.
03:10You guys showed a lot of courage.
03:11As long as there's people like that out there, it's up to us to stand up to them.
03:15Yeah, I'm glad we did it together, you guys.
03:17Number 27, Silence Is Not Golden, Full House.
03:21This may be a sitcom that's better remembered for its heartwarming moments and goofy catchphrases,
03:27but the episode, Silence Is Not Golden, was tonally and totally different.
03:31I guess you're really in for it now, huh?
03:34Yeah.
03:35That's twice this week.
03:36My dad's gonna flip out on me.
03:38Well, you know what helps?
03:40Try thinking of a funny movie, like Home Alone or Roger Rabbit.
03:43That's what I always do when I'm getting it.
03:45There are some laughs to be found, sure, but the main plot revolves around one of
03:49Stephanie's classmates who is suffering abuse at home.
03:52The episode shows Stephanie's inner struggle of wanting to keep her promise to stay quiet,
03:57while understanding the worrisome reality that things could get worse.
04:01She eventually tells an adult, and gets her friend the help he needs.
04:05It's not my fault. It's not your fault. We weren't the ones hurting Charles.
04:09Then why'd they have to take him out of his house?
04:10They had to. He wasn't safe there.
04:12What's gonna happen to Charles?
04:14Charles and his father need help, and now they're gonna get it.
04:17The original TGIF run of the episode featured a special PSA.
04:22Number 26.
04:23Bill McNeil's Death.
04:25News Radio.
04:26It's never easy when a real-life death necessitates a beloved character's exit from a program.
04:31Was it just me, or did Dan's eulogy really suck?
04:35Totally sucked.
04:39I think maybe Dave wanted the eulogy to be so good,
04:41he just tried a little too hard and lost perspective.
04:44Sadly, such was the case with Bill McNeil from News Radio,
04:47as the actor who played him, Phil Hartman, was murdered by his wife.
04:52The writers of News Radio handled Bill's departure by explaining that he suffered a
04:56fatal heart attack. There are visible and audible signs of grief emanating from the cast,
05:02a sadness that's palpable for just about everyone watching the episode.
05:06That about wraps it up for me.
05:10Farewell, take care of each other, and I'll
05:17see you all when you get to wherever it is that I am now.
05:20Phil Hartman may be gone, but his talent and grace will never be forgotten.
05:25Number 25.
05:26Natalie is Assaulted.
05:28The Facts of Life.
05:29The setting of Eastland Academy within this different stroke spinoff provides a lot of
05:34opportunities for the four main cast members to socialize with other students.
05:38However, it's after a party at neighboring Bates Academy where
05:42reports of a recent assault become real for Natalie Green.
05:45Mrs. Garrett, those people hadn't passed by.
05:49It's all right, it's all right.
05:51Mrs. Garrett, I was almost home.
05:54After getting physically attacked on her way home,
05:56she's so shaken that she becomes reluctant to leave the safety of Eastland.
06:01As a result of this horrifying experience, and the negative impact it has on Natalie's psyche,
06:07her teacher urges her to enroll in a self-defense course.
06:10Mindy Cohn's performance as Natalie in this episode,
06:13titled, Fear Strikes Back, is both powerful and memorable.
06:17Okay, I've got options, but I'm still afraid.
06:22Natalie, everybody's afraid.
06:25These are crazy, crazy times.
06:28But life is still sweet.
06:30Don't let your fear paralyze you.
06:32Number 24.
06:34Jodie's Death.
06:35Mom.
06:36While Jodie Hubbard isn't introduced in the pilot episode of Mom,
06:39that doesn't make her eventual appearance any less notable.
06:42What'd you think your first AA meeting?
06:45Uh, I don't know.
06:46I'm not sure it's for me.
06:47Jodie's history of substance use and recovery ties into the show's central themes.
06:52After Chrissy and friends learn of Jodie's shocking death caused by a relapse,
06:57the series does a great job underlining the tragic situation.
07:00The gags are instead replaced with real stages of grief, shock, disbelief, and pain.
07:06Jodie may not be a character on Mom for a long time,
07:09but her connection to both the cast and audience feels genuine and meaningful.
07:14I know your heart was in the right place when you didn't tell me about Jodie.
07:18You wanted me to enjoy my honeymoon, and I did.
07:21I'm glad.
07:22That is all I wanted.
07:24Number 23.
07:26Killing All the Right People.
07:27Designing Women.
07:29It's difficult to come to terms with just how much damaging rhetoric and misinformation
07:33there was during the early years of the AIDS crisis in America.
07:37Why do you want us to design your funeral?
07:40Because I'm dying.
07:42And I like your taste.
07:44Kendall, what do you mean you're dying?
07:47You're just a kid.
07:48I know.
07:51But I have AIDS.
07:52This episode of Designing Women, titled Killing All the Right People,
07:56decided to tackle this social confusion and prejudice head-on.
08:00There's actually a double message at play,
08:02since the episode also offers a parallel to the debate over the distribution of condoms at schools.
08:07Kendall Dobbs, a character living with AIDS,
08:10is faced with hurtful comments by one of the side characters,
08:13who condemns his lifestyle as being sinful.
08:16And I don't care what you say, Julia Sugarbaker.
08:18I believe this is God's punishment for what they've done.
08:21Dixie Carter's Julia Sugarbaker and Annie Potts' Mary Jo Shively
08:25deliver startlingly effective monologues to counterpoint this position.
08:30Number 22.
08:31Urban Fear.
08:32Punky Brewster.
08:34It takes a certain amount of guts, or audacity, you could say,
08:37to introduce the plot point of a freaking serial killer into a youth-oriented sitcom.
08:43Yet, that's exactly what the Season 2 episode of Punky Brewster, titled Urban Fear, does.
08:48You know what's really scary?
08:52You can break into any house.
08:54Yeah, even in here.
08:56There are an astonishing seven victims attributed to the North Side Stalker,
09:01with another one being claimed before the episode is even halfway finished.
09:04Meanwhile, Punky's behavior at school seems to reflect her growing anxiety
09:09that something might happen to her guardian, Henry.
09:12This is some pretty heavy stuff for a sitcom.
09:15I keep drew this.
09:19It's so gruesome.
09:21I know.
09:22Usually a drawing like this means that a child is troubled.
09:25The episode ends with a message that basically reads,
09:28don't let fear overtake your life, but be careful out there in the big city.
09:33Number 21.
09:34Wrong Meeting.
09:35The Jeffersons.
09:36The character George Jefferson from All in the Family was spun off into his own series,
09:41The Jeffersons.
09:42The new show continues the bold cultural commentary of its predecessor.
09:48Don't bother.
09:49He's got less brains than Annie.
09:51Okay, you two.
09:52I think you should apologize to these ladies and then leave.
09:55Apologize?
09:57Oh man, you got a lot to learn.
09:59Klansmen don't apologize to their kind.
10:01The Jeffersons discusses racism right from its debut,
10:05while the Season 7 episode, titled Sorry, Wrong Meeting,
10:08even introduces the Ku Klux Klan into the mix.
10:11This episode blends comedic misunderstandings with serious themes of unrepentant prejudice.
10:17A KKK recruitment meetings leader still doesn't change his hateful views,
10:21even after an African-American man saves his life via CPR.
10:26He saved my life?
10:28Yeah.
10:36You should have let me die.
10:37The reaction is met with well-earned disgust by the others in attendance.
10:42Overall, the scene serves as a critique of stubborn prejudice.
10:46Number 20.
10:47Howard's Mom Dies.
10:49The Big Bang Theory.
10:51It's always sort of shocking when a sitcom so well-known for laughs
10:55decides to try something different and develop some real pathos.
10:58It's my mom's furniture.
11:00It belongs in the house I grew up in next to that pile of TV guides.
11:04And in plain view of what, for a 10-year-old, was a quality piece of string art.
11:08There's even more of an adjustment for such an irreverent show like The Big Bang Theory.
11:13But this episode, where Howard's mom passes away, possesses a deft emotional touch.
11:18The scene where the news is broken via a telephone call is played straight for the most part,
11:24allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in for the audience.
11:27My mom died.
11:29What?
11:31That was my aunt.
11:37Ma took a nap.
11:39She never woke up.
11:41Afterwards, the cast spends time talking about their own relationships with Howard's mom,
11:46and this allows for a well-earned but tastefully executed bit of levity to balance things out.
11:52To Mrs. Wolowitz, loving mother,
11:55to all of us, we'll miss you.
12:06Number 19.
12:07Quagmire's sister, Family Guy
12:10If a moment of seriousness on The Big Bang Theory came as a surprise,
12:14then count us gobsmacked when this episode of Family Guy hit the airwaves.
12:19Screams of Silence, the story of Brenda Q,
12:22plays the horrific domestic situation of Quagmire's sister completely straight,
12:27to the point where Glenn, Peter, and the rest of their crew plot to kill the boyfriend.
12:32Quagmire, you're talking about murdering a guy.
12:34It doesn't matter what he's done, it's still murder.
12:37No, Joe, it does matter what he's done.
12:39These kinds of guys don't change.
12:41What's even more shocking is that they actually go through with it,
12:44basically leaving no stone unturned with how far this episode
12:48was willing to go for its emotional payoff.
12:50And while reception to the episode was mixed, to say the least,
12:54we have to admire the chances Family Guy took releasing an episode this daring.
12:59We found this note he left you.
13:02Dear Brenda, I have decided to leave you.
13:05I realize that you are too good for me,
13:06and you and our unborn child would be better off without me in the picture.
13:10Love, Jeff.
13:11Number 18.
13:12James Evans Sr. Dies.
13:14Good times.
13:15We regret to inform you that your husband, James Evans, was...
13:24killed in an automobile accident.
13:26The patriarch of the Evans family, James, was a caring and hard-working man,
13:31and the rock that held his family together.
13:34While trying to secure work in his native state of Mississippi to help his family move there,
13:38James dies in a car accident, devastating the whole family and the audience.
13:44Especially hard to watch is when his death finally hits his wife, Florida.
13:49Although adopted daughter Penny's treatment by her biological mother was also quite brutal,
13:54the effect this moment had on the show at large gave this moment even greater impact.
14:04Number 17.
14:06Dr. Cox's Breakdown.
14:08Scrubs.
14:09Dr. Perry Cox acted as the cantankerous, reluctant mentor to Scrubs' protagonist, J.D.
14:16After a former patient of J.D.'s apparently overdoses in one episode,
14:20Cox tells him that he can't blame himself for patients dying if he wasn't responsible,
14:26as it's a slippery slope.
14:28Once you start blaming yourself for deaths that aren't your fault,
14:31my friend, that's a slippery slope that you can't come back from.
14:34And trust me, I've seen it ruin a hell of a lot of good doctors.
14:37However, Cox falls victim to a similar depression
14:40after lobbying to use the dead ex-patient's organs to save three of his own patients,
14:45and it's discovered she had rabies.
14:48This ultimately leads to all three dying,
14:50which hits Cox especially hard as he's bonded with one of them.
14:54Cox's ensuing, drunken depression is hard for viewers and the characters to watch.
15:01Number 16.
15:02Uncomfortable Uncle.
15:03Family Ties.
15:07Family Ties is probably best remembered for providing a breakout role for Michael J. Fox
15:14as a young conservative Alex P. Keaton,
15:17but the sitcom also featured its fair share of dark episodes.
15:21He hugged me real tight.
15:22He's a warm person.
15:24And then he patted me on the behind.
15:26It doesn't mean anything.
15:27Ballplayers do it all the time.
15:30I'd understand if I just hit a home run.
15:32Fans may remember Speed Trap,
15:34which dealt with Alex's dependence on chemicals to study for an important exam.
15:39I blew it!
15:41Speed is like that, Alex.
15:42It'll keep you up for a while, but when you crash, you crash hard.
15:46But this first-season moment is even more disturbing.
15:49Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss follows Mallory Keaton
15:53as a trusted family friend — they even call him Uncle Arthur —
15:56makes a pass at her when no one is looking.
15:59No hard feelings?
16:00No hard feelings.
16:03The episode tries to balance comedy with this ultra-dark material,
16:08and the combination makes it cringey viewing, especially by today's standards.
16:13Steve and Arthur trying to seduce our daughter!
16:27Number 15.
16:28Discrimination.
16:29Family Matters.
16:30There's just no other way to say it.
16:32A sitcom clip this old shouldn't still be this relevant.
16:36The way this episode of Family Matters dealt with the racial profiling of Eddie Winslow
16:41is as good as anything done today that references this horrible subject.
16:44Then I asked what the problem was, and one of them told me to shut up.
16:48Then he made me get out of the car and lie face down.
16:50Then he cuffed me.
16:51Much of the honor should be put on the shoulders of Reginald Val Johnson,
16:55who perhaps delivers the finest performance in the series,
16:58as he confronts the cops who pulled over his son the night before.
17:01His monologue is delivered with passion, elocution, and barely restrained anger,
17:06with the audience reaction being so quiet that one could probably literally hear a pin drop.
17:12So what are you saying?
17:14That you only harass black kids whose parents aren't cops?
17:17I didn't say that.
17:17You didn't have to say that.
17:20Because the point is that you two harassed my son because he's black.
17:26It proves that sitcoms can indeed deliver the drama when tasked to do so.
17:31Just a second, Evans.
17:33You know, I really don't know how that badge stays on, because it's pinned to slime.
17:38Number 14.
17:39Mateo is Taken
17:41Superstore
17:42This fourth season finale for Superstore hits on multiple levels.
17:46For starters, there's the underlying tension as the employees at Cloud Nine
17:50are discussing their options for unionizing.
17:53We've got a masseuse, and we've got Cloud Nine frisbees for the kids.
17:57And for those of you who want to join the union,
17:58we've got collective bargaining rights, higher wages, and job security.
18:02Then there's the corporate reaction,
18:04which includes calling ICE agents to take away undocumented immigrant workers such as Mateo.
18:10The scene where the crew is trying to help Mateo is fraught with real tension and stakes,
18:15the likes of which you just don't normally see in a sitcom.
18:18Finally, when the jig is up and Mateo is taken away, the last lingering shot of his co-workers
18:24and the emotional resonance of the soundtrack is enough to make your hair stand on end.
18:35Number 13.
18:36Goodbye, John.
18:378 Simple Rules
18:39Rory, will you please not keep your shoes on the stairs?
18:42Those are dad's.
18:46Okay.
18:46John Ritter's large comedic presence on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules
18:50was one of the reasons the show was so well-received during its initial run in 2002.
18:55However, when the iconic actor died from aortic dissection a year later,
19:00the show dealt with the grieving process head-on with a pair of episodes both titled Goodbye.
19:05They'd say, well, what do you know about mommies and daddies?
19:11And we would say, they always come back.
19:16Unless they collapse in aisle three of a stupid grocery store.
19:20There are barely any laughs to be had as Ritter's character is written out of the show,
19:25and his family is forced to confront life without him by their side.
19:28It's honestly difficult to watch even now, yet it's also a strong reminder of just how
19:34much Ritter affected those around him with his talent and presence.
19:37Whether it's a you're an idiot, what a geek, or an I hate you, and I love you isn't far behind.
19:46And it's the knowledge that my wife and kids love me
19:50that makes it safe for me to wear pajamas and black socks to the breakfast table.
19:55Number 12. The Decision. Maud.
19:58It should come as no surprise that this spinoff from Norman Lear's All in the Family
20:03reveled in the same sort of envelope-pushing social commentary as its predecessor.
20:08The decision as to whether or not Bea Arthur's character Maud should continue her pregnancy
20:14was important enough that a two-part episode, Maud's Dilemma,
20:17was aired during the show's first season.
20:30It debuted at a time when such discussions weren't exactly commonplace,
20:34and it also put into perspective Maud's age and social standing.
20:43Oh, so do I, Walter. Oh, Walter, so do I!
20:47This wasn't just a problem that came up with a certain demographic or age group,
20:51but rather a topic affecting everyone in different ways.
20:55For you, Maud. For me. In the privacy of our own lives, you're doing the right thing.
21:02Number 11. Hotel Incident. Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
21:06It isn't all that often that a cop show comedy can properly balance
21:10procedural storylines with sight gags and jokes.
21:13But Brooklyn Nine-Nine isn't your average cop show.
21:16If anything, it's a throwback to the classic 70s series Barney Miller
21:21with regards to the weight it allows certain subjects.
21:24It doesn't matter whether it's racial profiling,
21:27assault, or roses coming out to her parents.
21:30Brooklyn Nine-Nine always had it covered.
21:40Screw this, I'm out of here.
21:42The episode with the active shooter is another example of this,
21:45as it shifts between Jake and Charles joking around
21:48before the gravity of the situation sinks in.
21:51Moreover, Jake recognizes Rosa's badge number immediately,
21:55reminding us that, first and foremost, these characters' lives can be on the line.
22:00What are they saying?
22:01Show me going in their badge number.
22:03They're telling dispatch that they're close by and they're responding.
22:07DS-3118, show me going.
22:08Diaz, Rosa Diaz?
22:10That's her badge number.
22:12Rosa's there.
22:13Number 10.
22:14An impossible favor.
22:15The Golden Girls.
22:17I'd like to drink a toast to Sophia, whom I hope I can count on.
22:23The Golden Girls is known for its witty barbs, smart writing,
22:26and unique approach to discussing serious social issues,
22:30such as the episode addressing HIV.
22:32AIDS is not a bad person's disease, Rose.
22:36It is not God punishing people for their sins.
22:40You're right, Blanche.
22:40Well, you're damn straight I'm right.
22:42And then the episode, Not Another Monday,
22:45brings more emotional weight with the subplot of Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy babysitting,
22:49contrasting with the main story of Sophia's friends' agonizing decision making.
22:54The episode is full of important musings on friendship,
22:57family, and the quality of life as we age.
23:00The depression and loneliness that can sometimes occur as we get older is natural,
23:04as is the tone of the conversation between Sophia and her friend
23:08as Sophia tries to talk her out of it.
23:10You live with friends and family, holidays and warmth.
23:16I hear the silence.
23:19Although it all ends up okay in the end, Not Another Monday still resonates today.
23:24Number 9.
23:25Sean's dad dies.
23:27Boy Meets World.
23:28How's your dad?
23:30Well, the doctor says he might need bypass surgery.
23:32Sean Hunter had a rough childhood, in no small part due to his drunken, absentee father Chet.
23:38When Chet returns, Sean is resentful due to how much he feels like his dad has made his life worse,
23:44both through action and absence.
23:47After a heart attack hospitalizes Chet, he and Sean get a chance to work out their differences,
23:52and his father indicates he intends to stick around.
23:55Was I good enough for you?
23:58No, Sean.
23:59I wasn't good enough for you.
24:01However, heartbreakingly, just as they reconcile, Chet suffers a second heart attack and dies.
24:07While there have been quite a few parental deaths in sitcoms,
24:10this is one of the more tragic ones.
24:13Dad?
24:15Dad!
24:15Number 8.
24:16Camp Counselor Confrontation.
24:18Mr. Belvedere.
24:19Well, maybe you'll be with me tomorrow.
24:21I think I'm gonna be in Miss Pritchard's group from now on.
24:24The 80s sitcom Mr. Belvedere may not be as well remembered as some others on this list,
24:28but fans who did watch all seem to remember this troubling episode from the series' fourth season,
24:34The Counselor.
24:35He might try to do something.
24:37Put his hands on him or something.
24:39Here, young Wesley Owens wonders what to do and who to tell when a camp counselor turns
24:45criminal during a moment when the pair are alone after a swim.
24:48Episodes of Mr. Belvedere usually ended with the title character writing in his diary,
24:53but The Counselor instead featured a character-breaking moment addressing the audience
24:57about who to contact in the event of a real-life situation like this one.
25:01No one should ever touch you in a way that makes you feel bad.
25:04And if they do, tell someone you trust, like your mom or your dad.
25:07Number 7.
25:08The Bicycle Man.
25:09Different Strokes.
25:10What's the old saying?
25:11You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
25:13Different Strokes is known for the amount of taboo topics covered during its eight-year run.
25:18Die-hard fans may remember the creepy vibe of The Hitchhikers,
25:21but every sitcom aficionado is familiar with The Bicycle Man,
25:25a two-part episode dealing with the worst of all topics.
25:31Arnold Jackson and his friend Dudley are lured, step by step,
25:35into the twisted world of their local bike shop owner, Mr. Horton.
25:39The young boys are given ice cream and comics at first, but then are shown adult cartoons,
25:44and encouraged to take photos of themselves.
25:47It's profoundly creepy and horrible, yet delivered in a realistic and incredibly dark way.
25:52Don't say we didn't warn you.
25:55Number 6.
25:57Drunk Driving Tragedy.
25:59Growing Pains.
26:05This very special episode of Growing Pains is something of an ultra-tragic bait-and-switch.
26:10Second Chance dealt with the dangers of drunk driving when Carol's college-age boyfriend,
26:15Sandy, played by future Friends star Matthew Perry, is in a major car accident.
26:25I get HBO now.
26:26Sandy speaks to Carol at the hospital, and we're led to believe that he'll eventually pull through,
26:31only to be informed later that the young man dies from his injuries off-screen.
26:35What is it, Mike?
26:40Carol, Sandy just died.
26:42Sandy never received his titular second chance, and we're forced to directly
26:46view Carol's grief as she embraces her family after receiving the news.
26:50Number 5.
26:51Will's Father.
26:52The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
26:54All of the episodes on this list are emotionally affecting,
26:57but this moment from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may be one of the most well-acted.
27:02I'll call you next week and we'll iron out the details, okay?
27:05Yeah, yeah.
27:08It was great seeing you, son.
27:11You too, Lou.
27:13Will Smith was no stranger to strong performances on the show,
27:16such as the episodes dealing with guns or racial profiling.
27:20No map is going to save you, and neither is your glee club,
27:24or your fancy Bel-Air address, or who your daddy is.
27:27Because when you're driving in a nice car in a strange neighborhood,
27:30none of that matters.
27:31They only see one thing.
27:32This one particularly tugs on the heartstrings, however,
27:35when we find out Will's deadbeat father leaves him for the second time.
27:39Although Will was at first elated at the prospect of his dad coming back into his life,
27:44this happiness then turns to disappointment, anger, and profound grief,
27:49as he lets out all of his emotions during an epic monologue.
27:52I learned how to drive.
27:53I learned how to shave.
27:54I learned how to fight without him.
27:56I had 14 great birthdays without him.
27:59He never even sent me a damn car to hell with him!
28:02The final embrace with Uncle Phil makes this already tearful moment all the more poignant.
28:08Number four.
28:09Over the Top.
28:10Blackadder.
28:11There's just something quietly brilliant,
28:12yet tragically sad about the finale to this classic British comedy.
28:16Don't get your stick left in it.
28:17Well, no, sir.
28:18I wouldn't want to face a machine gun without this.
28:20It's World War I, and all attempts at stalling the inevitable have failed.
28:24It's time for the soldiers to go over the top,
28:27into the battlefield, and face what might be the end of their lives.
28:30We, the audience, realize that Rowan Atkinson and his comrades,
28:34in all likelihood, will not survive.
28:36And this is echoed by the slow-motion sequence and quiet, moody musical accompaniment.
28:48Although the jokes about a cunning plan are there right to the end,
28:52once the bullets are flying and bombs are bursting,
28:54the smiles on our faces are immediately replaced with the emotion of somber understanding.
29:10Number three.
29:11The Ice Age.
29:12Dinosaurs.
29:13If you've ever watched Jim Henson's Dinosaurs to the very end,
29:17then you know exactly which episode is at this spot.
29:20Changing Nature is infamous for being one of the bleakest ends to a sitcom ever,
29:24particularly one that deals with anthropomorphic dinosaurs.
29:38It's one thing to learn in school about how the Ice Age destroyed the dinosaurs,
29:42but it's another altogether seeing characters we've come to know and love
29:46being buried by falling snow.
29:48What's even more depressing, beyond Earl's involvement in the end of things,
29:51is the quiet acceptance of the dinosaurs' fate.
29:54They just hope beyond hope that everything will be okay, even though we know it won't.
30:08Number two.
30:08The Horrors of War.
30:10MASH.
30:17The final episode of MASH was a television landmark full of dark and memorable moments,
30:22but this one remains shocking to this day.
30:25Hawkeye Pierce is forced to recall a traumatic event while being held in a psychiatric hospital,
30:30one which occurred while Pierce and a group of wounded refugees were hiding in a bus from enemy
30:35fire.
30:35He tearfully processes a moment where he angrily yelled at a woman to quiet her crying baby,
30:41only to react in shocked horror when the woman actually smothers the child.
30:47Hawkeye's tears, anger and frustration are palpable as the audience is taken through
30:54his stages of grief, resulting in an utterly heart-wrenching scene.
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31:23Number one.
31:24Edith.
31:25All in the Family.
31:34Norman Lear's All in the Family and its spiritual sequel, Archie Bunker's Place,
31:39were pioneering dramedies, tackling difficult issues like miscarriage and death at a relatively
31:44early point in television history.
31:46The All in the Family episode, Edith's 50th Birthday, was one of the first sitcom episodes
31:51to deal with a subject as strong as assault, as Edith Bunker is confronted at gunpoint by
31:56a criminal who makes his way into the Bunker house, disguised as a policeman.
32:01The audience reacts with nervous laughter as Edith panics and attempts to talk her way out
32:06of the situation with some jokes.
32:10This makes the scene even more difficult to watch as it switches back and forth between
32:15awkward humor and brutal realism.
32:28Do you think that sitcoms should stay away from drama or do you welcome the change of
32:32pace?
32:33Let us know in the comments.
32:40Did you enjoy this video?
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