Sitcoms aren't just about laughs. Join us as we explore the most heart-wrenching moments that turned comedy into pure emotion. From unexpected deaths to deeply personal struggles, these scenes prove that TV comedies can hit harder than any drama.
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00:00I did text Pam, but...
00:02I know, it's okay.
00:04Just give her a hug, alright?
00:06I'll see you tomorrow at lunch.
00:09I am looking forward to lunch.
00:11Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:13and today we're counting down our picks for moments in comedy shows that totally broke us.
00:17Beware of spoilers.
00:19You have to forgive yourself for everything that went down the other day.
00:22You are so annoying.
00:26Number 20. Jodie's death. Mom.
00:29Hey, Jodie.
00:31Hey.
00:33This is my mom, Bonnie.
00:34Hi.
00:36We're gonna grab coffee with some girls from the meeting.
00:39Do you wanna come with us?
00:41I can't, I got plans.
00:42Amidst all the laughter,
00:44this comedy show tackled real issues of substance use disorder
00:47as Christy and her friends navigated life's ups and downs.
00:51In season three, Jodie joins the group and becomes a special part of it,
00:55only for tragedy to strike just as we started to care for her.
00:58A teenager trying to be clean,
01:00Jodie was like a daughter to Christy.
01:02So, when she reveals that she's dating a freshly sober guy,
01:05the girls are understandably worried.
01:07Their concern proves all too real
01:09when Jodie doesn't show up for Marjorie's wedding.
01:11Then, Christy receives a heart-shattering call
01:14about Jodie's death from an overdose.
01:16Yeah, it's typical for mom to deal with heavy issues,
01:19but this was too much to bear.
01:21Where's Jodie?
01:22She couldn't make it.
01:24Oh, that's a shame.
01:26When you talk to her, give her my love.
01:32They know about you.
01:33What?
01:34They saw your picture. They know what you look like.
01:35We have to go now.
01:36Okay, well, where do we go?
01:37I don't know.
01:38Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God.
01:39Like mom, this sitcom hilariously brought sensitive topics to the forefront
01:43as it revolves around the everyday life of odd employees at a mega store.
01:46In one poignant episode,
01:48the issue of deportation takes the spotlight
01:50when ICE raids the store.
01:52At risk of being deported due to his undocumented status,
01:55Mateo tries to stay hidden
01:56while his co-workers scramble to keep him from getting caught.
01:59However, all their efforts prove fruitless
02:01since ICE already knows what he looks like
02:03and eventually picks him up.
02:05The episode's ending,
02:06with Mateo gazing at his friends from the back of the van,
02:09left us devastated and worried we'd never see him again.
02:22Maybe the war's over.
02:24Maybe it's peace.
02:26Well, hurrah!
02:27The big knobs have got round the table
02:29and yanked the iron out of the fire.
02:31Thank God.
02:32We lived through it.
02:33When an overly optimistic character reveals their deepest fear,
02:36you know things are about to get real.
02:39Set during World War I,
02:40series four of this sitcom
02:42follows the scheming Captain Edmund Blackadder's efforts
02:45to escape the war.
02:46But in the heartbreaking finale,
02:48he realizes there's no way out,
02:50no matter what he tries.
02:52The episode,
02:53which begins lightheartedly,
02:54with Blackadder and his men comically trying to stay alive,
02:57becomes darker as the reality of war sets in.
03:00At one point,
03:01the soldiers believe they've made it,
03:03only for Blackadder's grim revelation to crush their hope.
03:06Their final charge into battle is a real tearjerker,
03:09leaving us to assume the worst.
03:11No doubt,
03:12this is by far comedy's most hauntingly powerful moment.
03:23Number 17,
03:25Chet Hunter's death,
03:26Boy Meets World.
03:28Ow!
03:29Dad?
03:30Ow!
03:31Dad!
03:32What's going on?
03:33Dad?
03:34Dad!
03:35Decades later,
03:36this death still hurts.
03:38Across its seven seasons,
03:39this 90s sitcom beautifully captured the trials of growing up,
03:43with Sean Hunter facing more than a share of heartbreak.
03:46From his parents splitting to abandoning him,
03:48Sean's story was full of loss.
03:50Nothing hit harder than the death of his father,
03:53especially because of how it played out.
03:55Chet had an on-and-off presence in Sean's life.
03:57After he suffers a heart attack in one episode,
03:59they reconnect and settle their differences.
04:02Things look rather hopeful as father and son pour out their hearts,
04:05only for Chet to suffer another heart attack and die.
04:08He may not have been the best dad,
04:10but Sean didn't deserve another heartbreak.
04:12We lost him.
04:17His heart wasn't strong enough.
04:19Number 16.
04:20Brian's Death.
04:21Family Guy.
04:22Brian, look out!
04:27No, Brian!
04:29Oh, my God!
04:31Brian Griffin has always been an essential part of Family Guy,
04:34delighting audiences with his sophisticated humor.
04:37So it was a major shocker
04:39when he was struck and killed by a car during a game of street hockey.
04:42The show's non-stop gags crash to a halt
04:45as the family gathers in the emergency room,
04:47grieving as Brian offers them a final heart-rending message of love.
04:51Filled with pure sorrow,
04:52the show's rare descent into tragedy was unforgettable.
04:56Luckily, Brian was resurrected two episodes later
04:58when Stewie Griffin travels back in time to save him.
05:08Number 15.
05:09Charles' Home Life.
05:10Full House.
05:12Look, thing is, my dad does hit me sometimes.
05:16But it's my own fault for ticking him off.
05:18Introduced in the sixth season of this fun-packed show,
05:21this one-time character came along
05:23and broke our hearts with his sad reality.
05:25At first, Charles was just Stephanie's annoying classmate.
05:28But when he revealed the harsh truth about living with an abusive father,
05:32our hearts shattered.
05:33Even worse, Charles blames himself for his father's outbursts
05:37and makes Stephanie vow to keep his secret.
05:39However, when he doesn't show up for school the next day,
05:42she breaks her promise and tells Jessie.
05:44As a result, Charles is placed in a foster home for his safety.
05:48No child should ever suffer at the hands of the one person meant to love and protect them.
06:02Number 14.
06:03Saying Goodbye to the Apartment.
06:05Friends.
06:15When the long-running sitcom classic Friends left the air,
06:18there was little doubt that the finale would be emotional,
06:21and it sure didn't let us down.
06:23Moving on in their lives with different relationships and commitments,
06:26the six friends meet for one last time in the apartment
06:29where they shared so many memories.
06:31They all solemnly leave their keys,
06:33accompanied by one final shot of the now deserted apartment.
06:36It was a poignant end of an era for everyone
06:39who had followed the characters for so long.
06:44Sure.
06:47Where?
06:50Number 13.
06:51Sophia Breaks Down.
06:53The Golden Girls.
06:54Are you alright, Sophia?
06:56Why does everyone keep asking me that?
06:58I'm okay.
06:59I'm fine.
07:00I don't want to talk about it.
07:02The poignant scene after Phil's death truly strikes an emotional chord
07:06due to the sensitive issues it lays out in the open.
07:08It begins with the ladies preparing to go to Phil's funeral,
07:11who had died while trying on a dress,
07:13while Sophia truly detests.
07:15Despite being her son,
07:16Sophia shows little emotion over his death,
07:18blaming Phil's wife Angela
07:20for both his cross-dressing and his death.
07:23As the episode unfolds,
07:24Sophia and Angela are forced to confront their long-time feud.
07:27When Sophia finally lets her guard down,
07:29we see the depth of her pain,
07:31hidden by her cold exterior.
07:33That raw moment she acknowledges her pain over losing Phil
07:36as Angela consoles her,
07:38hits us all pretty hard.
07:40I did love him.
07:42He was my son.
07:44My little boy.
07:46Number 12.
07:47Death of Bill.
07:48News Radio.
07:49You know that arrangement they had of roses
07:52that was shaped like a broken heart?
07:54Yeah.
07:55Was that supposed to be because Bill died of a heart attack?
07:58No.
07:59No, Matthew, that was me.
08:00I sat on it in a limo.
08:02Phil Hartman was a true gem in this beloved show,
08:05and his role as the pompous radio anchor Bill McNeil
08:08was a cornerstone of its charm.
08:10Tragically, after Season 4,
08:12Hartman was no longer part of the show
08:14following his gruesome death at the hands of his wife.
08:17So, when Season 5 arrived,
08:19it left a painful void for both fans and cast,
08:22who had a hard time shooting the first scene without him.
08:25Despite the heartbreak,
08:26they delivered a touching episode,
08:28Bill Moves On,
08:29which pays homage to this tragic figure.
08:31Now, Hartman's last moments in News Radio
08:34serves as a heartfelt reminder
08:36of not just the character,
08:37but the talented actor we lost too soon.
08:39But it's just a TV show.
08:40None of us really died.
08:42Right, gang?
08:43Right.
08:44Number 11.
08:45Ben Sullivan's death.
08:47Scrubs.
08:48My point is that if I'm not here, people die.
08:52If I'm not here, people die.
08:55Oh, come on.
08:56Thanks to Dr. Cox and others,
08:58Scrubs showed us the dark, vulnerable side
09:00of being a medical professional.
09:02Dr. Cox carried many burdens,
09:04but perhaps none as heavy as this one.
09:06Ben wasn't just a patient.
09:08He was a friend Cox believed he could have saved.
09:10Throughout the episode, My Screw-Up,
09:12Ben follows Cox around,
09:14trying to convince him that his patient's death
09:16wasn't J.D.'s fault,
09:17and urging him to attend the big event.
09:19The jolting reveal comes when we discover
09:21that Ben was the dead patient all along,
09:23and Cox's inability to let go
09:25was rooted in his own guilt.
09:27And the big event was Ben's funeral.
09:29For a comedy,
09:30Scrubs sure knows how to tug really hard
09:32at our heartstrings.
09:33Where do you think we are?
09:39Your name is the splinter inside me.
09:48Yeah, you okay?
09:50No.
09:51What's wrong?
09:54My mom died.
09:56Though Mrs. Wolowitz was never shown fully on screen,
09:59she was an essential part of the show.
10:01With her booming voice and over-the-top personality,
10:04she added plenty of humor and heart.
10:06When she died in Season 8,
10:07it wasn't just Howard who had hit like a ton of bricks,
10:10but everyone who had come to cherish her.
10:12The scene where Howard's friends,
10:14even Sheldon,
10:15rally around to offer support
10:17is both heartwarming and emotionally crushing.
10:19What makes it more painful
10:21is knowing that this death was written in
10:23because voice actor Carol Ann Susie had passed away.
10:26The series went on to honor her memory beautifully,
10:28but that didn't stop our hearts from feeling crushed again.
10:31Mrs. Wolowitz,
10:33loving mother,
10:36to all of us.
10:55This CW show that follows Rebecca Bunch's chaotic life
10:58is a refreshing mix of music, comedy,
11:01and a deep dive into mental health.
11:03Rebecca's life isn't without its ups and downs,
11:05but it gets really dark when she decides to end it all.
11:08Feeling utterly hopeless and unwilling to move back to West Covina,
11:12Rebecca overdoses on her mother's medication while on air.
11:15For a moment, it feels like the end is near,
11:17but in one powerful scene,
11:19a barely conscious Rebecca looks up at the help button
11:22and it turns to hope,
11:23reigniting her will to live.
11:25If this doesn't leave you shaken,
11:26then what will?
11:28It's a moving reminder
11:29that even goofy shows can tactfully handle serious issues.
11:32The Simpsons
11:50Homer Simpson is usually a whirlwind of emotions,
11:53but when he reunites with his mother only to lose her,
11:55we see a rare, tender side of him.
11:58Believing his mother was dead,
11:59Homer is stunned to find her alive.
12:01Their reunion is tragically brief
12:03as her troubled past with Mr. Burns catches up with her.
12:06Their time together ends abruptly
12:08when Mr. Burns arrives to arrest Mother Simpson again.
12:11Thanks to an anonymous tip,
12:13Homer helps her escape,
12:14but it's a bittersweet moment
12:15as he has to watch her vanish from his life once more.
12:18That quiet moment of him staring at the stars
12:20speaks volumes about the pain of losing someone you love.
12:23Who knew Homer could make us cry?
12:32Number 7
12:34Attempted Assault on Edith
12:36All in the Family
12:50The Bunkers suffered their fair share of heartbreak
12:52from losing a family friend in a mugging
12:54to Edith's heartbreaking death.
12:56Often unmentioned, however,
12:57is the attempted assault on Edith.
12:59On her 50th birthday,
13:00she's left alone at home
13:01while her family plans a surprise party next door.
13:04The perpetrator disguises himself as a police detective
13:07and secretly holds her captive,
13:09while her family calls and even visits briefly.
13:11Though Edith is eventually able to attack and escape the man,
13:14her emotional trauma afterward is highly powerful
13:17and remains haunting to this day.
13:19It was awful!
13:22It was awful!
13:24I thought he was gonna kill me!
13:29Number 6
13:30Michael Departs the Office
13:32The Office
13:33You know what I think we should do?
13:35I think we should just say the goodbyes for tomorrow.
13:37At lunch.
13:39Oh.
13:41Okay.
13:42The UK's original version of The Office
13:44featured a rather sad moment with David Brent's layoff.
13:47The American adaptation followed suit
13:49with a tear-jerker farewell
13:51when Scranton Branch boss Michael Scott
13:53left The Office for Colorado,
13:55although this was not the series finale
13:56to the dismay of many critics.
13:58Deciding to secretly depart a day earlier than expected,
14:01Michael spends his workday giving each employee
14:03a funny yet painful goodbye,
14:05particularly moving for his farewells to Jim,
14:08filled with barely restrained tears,
14:10and his airport party with Pam,
14:12complete with one last,
14:13that's what she said.
14:14It's gonna feel so good
14:16getting this thing off my chest.
14:23Number 5
14:24Paul's Death
14:25Eight Simple Rules
14:27You are so jealous.
14:28Oh, please.
14:29I debuted at number two on the hot list.
14:31Yeah, but she didn't have to do the things you did to get on it.
14:33Cory!
14:34Mom!
14:36Mom?
14:39My keys.
14:40Where are my keys?
14:41Mom!
14:42Oh, my God.
14:43Mom?
14:44It's tough when a show meant to make us laugh
14:46ends up breaking our hearts,
14:48but sometimes, it's inevitable.
14:50After John Ritter,
14:51who played Paul in Eight Simple Rules,
14:53passed away,
14:54the series leaned into grief
14:56to reflect the real-life loss.
14:58Ritter's sudden death occurred
14:59just as production for season two began,
15:01forcing the writers to kill his character off-screen.
15:03In the series,
15:04we're led to believe he collapsed
15:06and died in a grocery store,
15:07which is quite heartbreaking
15:08because it's an echo of Ritter's own death.
15:11The episode,
15:12Goodbye,
15:13where his family mourns him,
15:14is almost unbearable to watch.
15:16From that moment on,
15:17this feel-good series never felt the same again.
15:20I really don't feel right about sleeping in your bed.
15:23You really should sleep here.
15:26I can't, Mom.
15:28I can't even be in this room.
15:34Marshall...
15:37Something's happened.
15:38Um...
15:39Your father,
15:40he had a heart attack.
15:44He didn't make it.
15:46Marshall and his father
15:47shared one of the most heartwarming
15:49father-son bonds in sitcom history,
15:51which made his dad's death utterly shattering.
15:54Worried about his potential infertility,
15:56Marshall is overjoyed to learn
15:57he and Lily can have kids.
15:59Eager to share the news,
16:00he calls his dad
16:01but gets no response.
16:03Then,
16:04Lily arrives with the devastating news
16:05of his father's death.
16:07The pain cuts deep
16:08because Marshall had seen him earlier,
16:10never imagining it'd be their last time together.
16:13Then,
16:14Jason Segel's raw, unscripted reaction
16:16makes the scene even more heartbreaking.
16:19When Marshall listens to his father's voicemail
16:21during his funeral,
16:22it's impossible not to tear up.
16:24Truly,
16:25How I Met Your Mother isn't just comedy.
16:27It's life in all its beautiful, messy form.
16:30My father's last words to me are,
16:31I love you.
16:34Ooh, and let me know if you find my foot cream.
16:36The fungus thing's acting up again.
16:38Number 3.
16:39Death of Colonel Blake.
16:41Mash.
16:43It's all set.
16:44You're in charge of the store now.
16:45And, uh,
16:46stuff that whistle someplace.
16:47This commanding officer was a big reason
16:49many tuned into the show,
16:51so it's quite understandable
16:52the anguish many felt over his death.
16:54After receiving his discharge papers,
16:56Colonel Blake looks ready
16:57for the happy ending he clearly deserves.
16:59But the show's creators
17:00weren't about to let him go
17:01without another gut-wrenching reminder
17:03of the unpredictability of war.
17:05So,
17:06instead of a joyful reunion with his family,
17:08we learn that Blake's plane was shot down,
17:10leaving no survivors.
17:11This turn of events
17:12leaves the characters and the audience reeling.
17:15Though we understand this happened
17:16because McClane Stevenson was leaving the show,
17:18it didn't soften the blow.
17:20It's just as devastating
17:21as watching Hawkeye break down
17:23over a horrible past mistake.
17:25It was a baby!
17:28She smothered her own baby!
17:31Number 2.
17:32Seymour's Fate Revealed.
17:34Futurama.
17:35I'll never forget him.
17:37But he forgot me a long, long time ago.
17:40As a young man
17:41accidentally frozen until the 31st century,
17:44Philip J. Fry has dealt
17:45with many touching discoveries from his past,
17:48including his brother's emotional tribute to him.
17:50One discovery that's not so much touching
17:52as it is brutally depressing
17:54is the fate of Fry's beloved dog, Seymour.
17:56After Fry finds the dog fossilized,
17:58he's presented with technology
18:00that allow him to clone Seymour.
18:02However,
18:03he declines,
18:04reasoning that he surely lived a full life
18:06after his cryogenic freeze.
18:08The audience, however,
18:09sees a gut-wrenching flashback reveal
18:11that shows Seymour waited for Fry
18:13outside a pizzeria for the rest of his life,
18:1512 agonizingly long years.
18:34If you're on your phone,
18:35make sure you go into your settings
18:37and switch on notifications.
18:51While a box office superstar today,
18:53Will Smith first honed his dramatic acting chops
18:55in this soul-crushing episode
18:57of the sitcom that began his acting career.
18:59Trouble begins
19:00when Will's long-estranged father, Lou,
19:02played by Broadway veteran Ben Vereen,
19:04pays him a visit,
19:05giving Will hope for possible reconciliation.
19:08However,
19:09Lou just as quickly gets cold feet
19:11and hits the road.
19:12Will explodes in the resulting confrontation,
19:14perfectly mixing teenage anger,
19:16confusion,
19:17and sadness.
19:19After his angry outburst,
19:20Will reveals his true sadness
19:22before collapsing into his uncle's arms,
19:24tenderly capping off this haunting betrayal
19:27of the sacred bond between father and son.
19:32Wish these moments touched or shocked you the most?
19:35Let us know in the comment section.