Which sitcom moment shocked YOU the most? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Will They/Won't They TV Couples: ua-cam.com/video/fm9ZSCh3nDM/v-deo.html
Growing Pains, when Matthew Perry's character Sandy died after a drunk driving crash. Tracy Gold was spot-on, and i still tear up whenever i watch the clip on here.
Family Ties - Alex uses speed to get through his exams and finds that he can't function without them. His Dad finds out and helps him. I remember that they aired the episode (in Australia) in the evening rather than the usual 5pm slot due to the serious nature of the content. Michael J Fox's performance was terrific.
In HIMYM when Lily admitted to Ted she she loves Marvin but sometimes wishes she wasn't a mum because she was finding it so hard, was a shocking but great moment. I'm sure so many parents out there secretly thought that and were ashamed, but seeing this would have eased that a little. Worth an Honourable Mention, I thought
In the eight season she has another heartbreaking moment when the captain says "you're just a kindergarden teacher". When Marshall asked why she was so mad, she breaks and yells "because he was right. I'm Just a kindergarden teacher".
The moment when Will has to face his father and has to accept that he will leave him again on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has to be one of the most realistic, well written and well acted moments in sitcoms' history.
@Jermaine Anthony Just because child abandonment is a serious topic, and quality fatherhood in the African-American community is so rare, doesn't meake this episode of Fresh Prince a great episode. It was a good performance, not the best, though.
@Jermaine Anthony And you're defending Will Smith, a common thug who punched one of his best friends in front of a televised audience of 2 billion people.
Marshall's father's death in How I Met Your Mother shook me so bad when I was watching the show. I was building myself up all episode to hear that they weren't going to be able to have kids. Absolutely shocking. The death of Mrs Wolowitz in Big Bang theory deserved more than an honorable mention
That episode, and the one following, hit me harder than most episodes. My Dad died from cancer when I was 20, and I think this is too close to the same sensation. I lose it every time I see that scene and hear it in their voices. Just shows how well acted it is. I even cried when watching this video because of that. I really think Buffy TVS episode 'The Body' should have been in this video for how hard it hit. In fact, I remember after leaving the hospital and thinking all sorts of things, like that I was hungry and that I missed Buffy, etc. Then I felt bad for thinking those things. less than an hour after holding my Dad's hand and saying I love him and he can go now, I was thinking about things that really didn't matter. That was a dark time in my life. I won't go any further with that. Have yourselves a good day.
It was reminiscent of how I found out my dad had died of a heart attack. But in my case it was a phone call from my brother. The absolute worst part was having to tell my mother. He was only 59. We lost my mom in late 2019, just before Covid. At 55, I just feel like I am way too old to be an orphan.
"How come he don't want me, man?" If anyone claims that Will Smith can't act, or only knows him through Slapsgate, then I'll show them this scene as proof of his talent.
In Big Bang Theory the scene where Leonard finally confronts his mother about her abusive emotional upbringing of him and she still doesn't really get it. Very well acted emotionally by Johnny Galecki and Christine Baranski staying true to her characters icy personality was hard to watch.
That's actually incorrect. She gets it, but what she doesn't get is his choice to get rid of his anger and hurt and choose to love and forgive her despite what she has done. Its something that most people these days can't understand, so the acting there is very on point.
Sheldon vs Santa was so random that everyone there got scared and somehow it felt very personal. Leonard's reaction wasn't acting and I'm afraid Sheldon wasn't acting either.
I was really disappointed in that scene. He was way too quick to forgive, and just accepted everything. Forgiveness is great, but there were no consequences for her actions, nothing to indicate she may change her behaviour. Penny just shut up when Beverly refused to speak to her, treating her daughter in law like a child for being angry on Leonard's behalf. I was waiting for Penny to kick her out then. When Leonard finally realized the truth, I was wanting him to disown her. I really wish he had ended with 'I forgive you, but I can't have you in my life anymore.'
While Ben's death did hurt alot in scrubs, the episode that made me burst heavy into tears was when Dr. Cox lost all the patients due to infected organs that were donated to them, after hoping he will continue the long streak of saving lives, which ultimately failed after that day and how it sent him into a deep depression
for me the most shocking one was Laverne's death... it really came outta nowhere... for Ben there was some buildup, so that if you really payed attention, you'd see it coming, but yeah... Also, the episode you just mentioned? I'm at it now, cause I'm rewatching the show.
Dr Cox was by far the best character on that show. He actually cared about his patients even tho he pretended he didn't. JD was right to look up to him despite being hated his entire career
The thing that made that last episode of MASH so powerful wasn't just the death of a beloved character on a hit show. It was that nobody in the cast knew it was coming. Gary Burghoff was handed the paper and told to go in and announce it to the cast cold. The looks of shock in that scene were genuine.
@@munkustrap2 You are correct. I meant the episode from the video. Mclean Stevenson left after 3 seasons. MASH managed to continue without him for a meager 8 seasons.
That was the original plan, but according to the director of that episode, Larry Gilbert, the scene ended up being reshot due to technical glitches. From an interview "Due to technical glitches, the final scene had to be shot again. I thought Gary would never be able to do a second take as beautifully as he did the first. I still knew nothing about directing. He was better! And on the second go, a totally unexpected thing happened: After Gary finished reading his message, there was a hushed silence on the set as BJ's (Cinematographer William Jurgensen) camera panned the stricken faces of the cast, and then someone off-camera accidentally let a surgical instrument drop to the floor. It was perfect, that clattering, hollow sound, filling a palpable void in a way that no words could. I could not have planned it better; I wish I had - whenever I happen to hear it again, I marvel at how perfectly it fit."
Probably right but it did not hit the fans as hard because they never knew the baby, they spent years with Blake. Of course, it may be callous but most people thought less about the actual baby and more about how it affected Hawkeye. Just human nature to feel more for those we know(or think we know).
@@bamachine also, the death of the baby saved everyone from being discovered by the North Koreans, where they would have been imprisoned, at best, or outright killed, at worst. Henry’s death served no purpose, other than to, once again, demonstrate the horrors and pointlessness of war… From what we know of the character, apart from being a surgeon, he was a good, kind-hearted man, who was there to save the lives of men he did not even know. He saved lives on both sides, and, as far as we know, never intentionally took a life. He was going home to his life, his wife, and family, and is killed for it.
Great list. I watched most of these on first run. Glad you put MASH at #1, as it is something that has stuck with me my entire life. I was young when this first aired (maybe fifteen), and was lucky to never have lost anyone in my life up to that point. I had grown up with MASH, and they were like family to me, as were the cast of shows like Happy Days, etc. When Radar comes into the surgery, and makes the announcement, it was a gut punch I had never experienced before. Worse, they cut to an ad break, and came back to a scene with Henry standing up, like he was badly hung over. “Oh”, I thought, “He is OK! He must have missed the flight”. Only to then realise it was a series of flashbacks of Henry, so I got gut punched again, realising he was really gone. It messed me up inside, and, while I wanted to cry, nothing came out. I talked to my parents about it, after a little while, and learned some valuable lessons on how to deal with grief. This was the first time I had ever lost a “loved-one”. I lost my first real loved-one not long after, when my grandmother passed away. I believe I was able to handle it so well, because I already had experienced the death of a “loved-one”, not to long before, and had the tools I needed to cope. Who says TV has nothing to teach us?
Hawkeye admitting that his depression caused him to break down and saying why are you going to put me back there . shows more emotion in this season final show
I know Will gets all the credit for this scene and rightfully so, but James Avery was fantastic throughout the entire series! Was so sad when he passed away.
20 seconds of the HIMWM clip and I was in tears. All these years later and it still hits hard. The fact it was improvised and done in 1 take is a testament to the actors abilities.
The moment between Will and Uncle Phil will always make me tear up no matter how many times I watch it. The pain in Wills voice along with the feeling of being unwanted breaks my heart.
Exactly this, the feelings of paternal protection radiating off Uncle Phil this whole episode are just🤌🤌. The tirade he gives Will's dad is perfect form from a good father to a man who simply fathered a child.
@@TaftisBack I also think it's important to note when Will says "how come he don't want me" Phil grabs him in a big hug immediately as if to say "maybe he doesn't want you but I do. I will always be here for you."
I felt Will's pain. It was so damn visceral. My bio mom was just like Wills dad. Always had a reason not to show up and even when she did, she never really stayed long.
I think Buffy losing her mom was a great episode to be apart of this category. Shocked me and left me in my emotions till the very end of the episode. Everyone’s sorrow was felt.
That was a very hard episode to watch, very heart wrenching.. However, Buffy was not a sitcom, so would not fit in the video. Though I am not sure MASH was a sitcom either.
What I appreciate about that episode is that it was ahead of its time by separating pedophilia from homosexuality. We disparage all of those "very special episodes" of 80s-90s sitcoms today, but they were stepping stones to conversations that no one had at the time. Millions of us kids thought we were the only ones, that there was something bad about us. This kind of representation also matters. Todd Bridges is one hell of a survivor, too.
Jodie’s overdose death on Mom. Christie and Bonnie help young addict Jodie. They sponsor her, help her get away from her abusive boyfriend and help her get a job. She breaks the 13th step and starts dating a fellow addict with less than a year in recovery. The friend group’s matriarch, Marjorie, gets married and Jodie never shows up. After the ceremony, Christie gets a call from Jodie’s phone. It’s the paramedics who had tried to save her, but couldn’t.
Mom doesn't get talked about a lot but man there are moments that show is just dark as hell. I honestly respected the show for touching on its subject matter and didn't really let it's main characters get off easy for a cbs sitcom.
The Big Bang Theory probably hits the hardest, because it is real emotions by the actors. With the loss of Carol Ann Susi, the voice of Howards mom, it hit the cast and crew hard. Those where real tears.
At the end of that episode, when all of the characters, except Howard and Bernadette, who’ve gone to Florida, have a toast to Howard‘s mom… the emotions were so real because they were really saying good bye to Carol Ann Susi. I still tear up when I see it.
Fresh Prince had a quite a few good scenes that shocked me. Aside from the episode about Will’s dad, the one about Carlton taking drugs in Will’s locker and almost dying, the episode about the shooter holding Will n Carlton up at the ATM, the one about the inter-racial wedding, the racial profiling one where Will n Carlton get arrested, and the one about the hatred Carlton getting when he and will pledge at a fraternity. Those all got me feeling when I saw em.
The episode of Fresh Prince where Will's dad leaves him again is always hard to watch, especially when it comes to him breaking down afterward. Thankfully, he had Uncle Phil in his corner.
I’m glad Golden Girls got at least an honorable mention. It broke my heart seeing that and seeing a usually very sasmouthed Sophia break down and cry like that.
Different episode but the one where her son Phil dies definitely deserved an honorable mention. “My baby’s gone.” That line never fails to have tears roll down my face
As much as I love Mash, I think Hawkeye's nervous breakdown, when he's talking about how a mother smothered her own baby and he was in denial about the incident is a bigger shocker and sucker punch than Blake's death
I watch a lot of videos on here reviewing horror movies (although I haven't seen the movies themselves). No jump scare has terrified me more than Hawkeye screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God! It was a BABY! She smothered her own BABY!"
The episode where everyone thinks Col Potter is dying but he actually the last of his WW I buddies to survive is a good one as well. Saving the bottle of scotch for the last of them and sharing it with his new friends was excellent.
in the television series Roseanne when Jackie was abused by her boyfriend, a serious moment and was super emotional and a strong message against being in an abusive relationship.
Thank you, joshykel -- I started to write a comment about this one, then saw you'd gotten to it first. It's probably the most emotionally harrowing moment I've ever experienced in a sitcom, with Laurie Metcalf absolutely nailing it.
I would have said the episode "bullets over Bel-air" was more "shocking" than Will's father leaving. While it is an emotionally powerful scene, its not shocking. Carlton revealing he bought a gun and Will's reaction however... that's shocking. I this were a top 10 most emotional... then i would agree with you.its a spectacularly acted scene and makes me cry every time...
I will never forget the Different Strokes episode as a kid. It broke my childhood and made me aware of so many important things. It was perfectly done.
The episode of Scrubs where Dr. Cox had 3 organ recipients die in one day because he didn't know the donor had rabies, and he has a breakdown in front of Carla trying to save the last one, that part always got me. As big as a douche Dr. Cox was, you knew he cared, he was a great doctor.
He deserved an award for that too.. It was incredible his falling out for several days after even to the emotional visit from JD that finally helped him out of his rut. Goddamn that show was amazing.
Yes! It was so shocking and upsetting when I watched it! They made the man manipulative and sinister, when she begged him, “But I’m married!” And he just shrugged and said “Me too.” A sense of awful dread just overtook me. I’m glad she escaped the assault by shoving a hot casserole into him, and then when she ran over to the party and was saying a man came into their house and the father asked, “What did he want?” And she meekly says, “…me.” I remember those lines so well even though its been 20 years since I saw the episode at least.
@@bamachine The second season premiere. It took place shortly after her offscreen death and funeral. Archie refused to deal and Stephanie was skipping school.
It was a brilliant episode, and the show was absolutely worthy of being a spin-off to the incomparable All In The Family. In fact, it would be nice if some sitcom retackled that very topic, given Roe-v-Wade's demise.
I have seen every episode of the Fresh Prince maybe a thousand times including the episode with that scene, and it still brings tears to my eyes every time. Definitely the most powerful moment of the show.
@@thehonestchristian492 I was thinking about this scene too! That scene in the hospital where Will is demanding that Carlton give him the gun back, and then he breaks down crying while taking the bullets out is heart wrenching! Fresh Prince is full of really powerful moments. The scene after his dad left is still the one that will never fail to bring tear to my eyes though. That’s why it’s my favorite.
Just seeing that Scrub's "Ben's Death" clip of Dr. Cox breaking down at the funeral... it still brings tears to my eyes. Maybe the single best episodes of any show ever. Absolutely brilliantly done, written, acted, directed, everthing.
General Hospital deserves at least an honorable mention for having one of their most popular characters at the time, Robin Scorpio, diagnosed HIV positive in the early 90s. It was a very tasteful and educational storyline, and they didn't kill the character off. She is living with the diagnosis to this day.
I love the hug between Uncle Phil and Will! Uncle Phil pulling Will in with force then knocking the hat off his head so he could console Will. That moment feels so real.
Sadly this gets played out in real life far too often. My wife and I thought we were done with kids, our daughter is an RN and has a son of her own so we've been blessed with a grandchild! My wife is a youth chaplain dealing with teens at a church. From time to time she's had to deal with the occasional suicidal teen and counsel them and their family. What she hadn't counted on was a teen coming out to parents as gay and the parental response being to throw the kid out into the streets. After 2 days of the teen having to be in a shelter with no place to go my wife intervened and tried to patch things up between parents and child but the parents, well, especially the dad, wouldn't budge. What they did finally agree to was to give us temporary custody so for the last 2 years my wife and I have had this teen living with us. I won't say there hasn't been any teen drama during this time, but, for the most part this is a good kid, they're creative and intelligent and kind. I've grown very fond of this teen and I have no idea why this is yet another kid left wondering why their parents don't want them. Maybe mom and dad don't want them but my wife and I do.
There is a M.A.S.H. Episode that is far more shocking, there is one where a character describes why he has PSTD; it has scene where he and some people are hiding from some enemy soldiers. He asks a woman to silence her baby, or they find them. The woman smothers it to death and the flashback ends with him standing their crying as he said "I I I I didn't want her to kill it...I k know why s s sh sh she had to b but still."
That was in the series finale, I believe. Hawkeye was the one who told the mother to silence the baby. Throughout the episode he referred to a woman quieting a chicken (including flashbacks), but it was really a baby, revealed in the final flashback. Korea finally broke him. Thought this would be on the list but I guess they chose Henry's death instead.
The Fresh Prince episode should be shown in every acting class when they talk about improv and realism in acting. James Avery (RIP) stayed silent during that monologue and let Will cook and it was one of the most BEAUTIFUL moments I’ve ever seen on television. As a now 43 year old man who’s father left me and my mom when I was about 4 and popped up here and there throughout my childhood till I was in high school, I would see him a few days through aunts and uncles on his side of the family then he’s gone again, I balled my eyes out the first time I saw that scene!!!!! It was literally EVERYTHING I felt growing up… especially the very last sentence. I saw him at my graduation and that was the last time I physically interacted with him. 25 years and counting since we’ve been in each other’s presence. Apparently he has a whole new family. I have 3 sisters and a bunch of nieces and nephews I found out about through social media. I grew up an only child and I have no kids so it hurts. I’m crying now as I write this and every time I see that monologue I just break, reminding me of my own life. The scene in HIMYM gets me EVERY TIME!!!! And finding out later that the show was giving numerical clues the entire episode (including the cab at the end with the number 0001, signifying 1 minute left) then rewatching it knowing what will happen made it even worse hearing Marshall say “I’m not ready for this”.
I think The Golden Girls episode that deserved at least a honorable mention was Ebbtide's Revenge. The final scene when Sophia says, "My baby's gone" is so heartbreaking.
Ben's death in scrubs really broke my heart. I had to get up and take a walk after that episode. Dr.Cox crying just shows that even the toughest person can break and that the good ones always get taken away too soon 😭
Came here for the How I Met Your Mother moment, was happily surprised to see Superstore. The tornado in Superstore was a pretty significant shift in tone too.
I agree. I still remember the time when Archie told Mike about the abusive upbringing he had at the hands of his father. That was the moment Mike developed empathy for his father-in-law.
The Death of Henry Blake on MASH was hard for me. It was running reruns when I was a kid and found it when I got a tv for my 8th birthday. I watched it on my own.
it always throws me off when sitcoms have a really serious moment. it's all fun and sunshine and then BAM A PSA episode. but it's also nice to get important messages out
Golden Girls should have been more than an honorable mention. They tackled all kinds of topics that were shocking for the time. Anti-S*mitism, homelessness, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, among others.
I'm surprised you didn't include Jaime (Helen Hunt) cheating on Paul (Paul Riser) in Mad About You. The writers having a couple whose whole show is about their love have a big breakup when Jaine kisses a co-worker was shocking. The anger, Paul's confrontation of the man she kissed, the blowup in the park, and then marriage counseling, it was very real and true to life. They stayed together but the show took on a whole different dynamic.
When Lilly told Marshall his dad passed away I completely lost it. THAT was how it happens in real life, you get the call out of nowhere. Marshall and Lilly were my favorite tv couple of all time. Marshall was the epitome of every man, tries to be a good husband, employee and friend.
Man Ben’s death absolutely broke me to pieces. Watching someone as strong as Cox cry showed me at a young age that even the strongest man has a breaking point
It was but in real life, it happens far too often and these kids do not have a wealthy Uncle that actually cares about them, to comfort them, when it happens.
Archie bunker holding Edith’s slipper saying it should’ve been him that died first hit me hard now that I’m older. Carol O Connor won an Emmy for this particular episode
One of the most shocking sitcom moments that should have a least had an honorable mention was on 8 Simple Rules when Paul Hennessy passed away because of the actor who played him John Ritter passed away on set.
Another shocking episode for me was in the last season of Moesha, Dorian finds out that Frank (Moesha’s dad) is not his uncle but he is his biological father.
Wills dad leaving him only reminded me of how my father was there for a short period of my life and then just left. Watching Will try to stay strong in front of his father and then breaking down after he left was too real for me. And for sure one of the most memorable moments of the show
"where do you think we are?" that moment from Scrubs hit me like a ton of bricks the first time. Best moment from Scrubs by far, and one of the best moments from a comedy show period. The episode where Laverne dies is also so good, Carlas goodbye gets me everytime
I think that an episode from Full house should get at least an honorable mention. The one where Stephanie has to face the loss of a class friend due to child abuse. It's heart wrenching.
How I met your mother had a lot of heartbreaking moments, including Robin finding out she could not have children after doing a flashback with her children, not to mention the whole show is about a mother that in the last season you found out had passed away.
I absolutely hate that episode. We found out in the first episode Robin wasn't "the mother". Why did they have to make sure she was nobody's mother? It was complete overkill.
God damn I forgot how sad that episode was. One of several times I cried watching the show: Marshall’s dads death Marshall’s speech to the friends at his dads funeral (“he’s never gonna get to meet our kids Lilly” always absolutely destroys me) Barney “if you were going to be some lame suburban dad, why couldn’t you have been that for me” Ted decorating the house for Robin after she finds out she can’t have kids Ted 45 days speech The mom saying “what mother misses her daughters wedding” upon rewatch knowing that she’s dead I’m sure there’s more that I can’t even remember.
The other scrubs episode where Dr Cox was trying to save many patients but because of a spread of rabies it killed many of them especially one who was waiting for a transplant. The look on Carla's face when Dr. Cox breaks down still grips me till this day.
That one was hard to watch, then the one following everyone going round taking turns to talk to him though, then JD finally getting through to him. There's also the episode where Cox is going for a day without anyone dying on him until his very last patient dies literally a few minutes before midnight, Elliot refusing to call it.
@@Blitze9792 JD being the one to reach him and help him come back from it definitely makes sense. Consider that just before they found out it was rabies, JD had blamed himself for his patient's death, thinking it was suicide, and that he should have paid more attention. Dr. Cox helped him by telling him never to take the blame onto himself if a patient died because of the spiral he'd fall into. And that's exactly what happened to Dr. Cox by the end. He blamed himself for a snap decision (the patients needed the organs ASAP, he had them given out of necessity) that caused several people to die and he fell into the blame spiral. He pulled JD out of his, JD pulled him out too.
I remember the most " controversial episode" supposedly being the one where Natalie has sex with snake 🐍. I remember because Lisa Welchel ( Blair) was asked to do an episode where her character sleeps with her boyfriend but because of her faith she declined because she felt it was " sending the wrong message" to young women. My grandparents and I used to watch the facts of life together when I was a teenager ❤
It also was hard to watch Chandler breaking the news to Monica that she couldn't get pregnant.Her dream always has been to be a mum and it seemed to be impossible at this moment (though they adopted later)
I always would ask my friends kids if they could keep a secret and when they promised me they could, thinking it would be something really important, I would just rip a big fart.
I don't know. That MASH episode where Hawkeye is held in a hospital for psychiatric issues still gets me. The revelation as to what he actually witnessed sticks with me.
It also takes on a darker meaning qhen you find out it was supposed to be speed instead of caffeine pills. They changed it due to the network wanting it changed
The deaths of Marshall's dad and Howard's mom respectively shook me deep when I watched them. To this day they make me tear up. It was nice too easy Boy meets World as an honorable mention, that scene with the teacher was really unexpected for me, but it made Cory hitting him feel so much better
#1... YES!!! I was hoping that this would be included. Gary Burghoff's expression before delivering those lines was genuine as he had been told about them just before filming that scene.
Marshall’s losing his dad was shocking. I lost my dad 7 months ago and you really are not ever ready for it. It was pointed out that there are numbers in every scene that count down to that moment.
I was actually a teenager when the Maude pregnancy episode was first telecast. I was blown away by how forthright and honest the episode was, especially at that time. A time when "feminine hygiene products" were not allowed to be seen for real but only in animated form, and no sign of any "fluid" could be shown.
Interesting fact about Marshall finding out his dad died on HIMYM, there’s a countdown going on throughout the episode. I rewatched it paying close attention to the numbers casually put in and even though I knew the bad news was coming, it still somehow made it even more shocking.
M.A.S.H. had a much better shocking moment than the one listed. In the final episode you have Hawkeye in a mental institution and you find out it's because he witnessed a woman smother her own baby to avoid detection by VCA soldiers because the baby was crying. That moment when Hawkeye remembers what caused him to have a psychotic break is the most shocking in the series I think.
I think the only rival scene is the one where they announce Blake's death. The cast didn't know. The actor's responses were the real reaction of the cast and crew. Supposedly one of the cameramen gasped. But I remember the chicken scene from my early childhood.
@@benjie128The chicken scene hit me much harder than Blake's death. It was clear that they had to do something big for the first major character's departure. The chicken episode may be the show's best. I remember the first time I saw the episode. From the beginning, something felt off. But, the revelation still breaks my heart.
@@kyihsin2917 yeah, I for some reason was mixing up which war M.A.S.H. took place during. I know it was the Korean War and for some reason still thought of the Vietcong.
I agree with MASH at # 1. Only Hawkeye knew what the writers were up to and was mad. Henry didn't get along with some of them and at the last minute, they changed it by handing Radar a note. To see Frank cry really showed his human side. Still heartbreaking.
The golden girls episode with martha holds up....each of these moments where important when they aired. Interesting forgotten fact, All My Childrens Erica Kane was the first tv character to have an abortion before Maude!!
Lt. Col. Henry Blake's death still brings tears to my eyes. I've seen a lot of movies and TV shows with characters I've loved that end up dying, and they're all heartbreaking in their own right. But Henry Blake was different. I felt like I'd lost a family member. So did everyone at the 4077th, especially Radar. Absolutely devastating.
The producers left the script unfinished. None of the actors knew about this until at the last minute they handed Gary Burghoff (Radar) the last announcement. They weren't just acting, that was their real reaction to the news.
#3 resonates with me as someone whose father was rarely around but did have a grandfather and an uncle who stepped up and acted as that paternal figure in my life.
I remember most of those episodes, especially mash. I remember being so shocked and then hearing later that the producers received death threats. But it was such a truthful moment. My dad, who would in Vietnam and loved mash, explained to me that that sometimes happened. He helped me understand what the episode was all about
The fresh prince, scene always gets to me!. Some dads are actually like this. MOJO, I love your contents!. The mash one always gets to me as well. Keep ya head up.
The one that really stuck with me was the Family Ties episode where Alex's close friend dies in a car accident and he completely breaks down. That was a powerful episode.
Will get emotional about his dad leaving ripped my heart right out of my chest! Will Smith, your acting is superb And the Diff'rent Strokes situation is disgusting because things like that happen in real life
The end of that episode where Perry snaps back into reality was so harsh. It's the only time dr Cox actually shows real vulnerability and you realise Ben is gone. It was painful to watch that last scene him asking why he's not taking pictures.
I absolutely love that How I Met Your Mother episode. The entire episode is shot to show a countdown in the background. All Jason Segel knew about that final scene was that Lily's last word would be "it".
Which sitcom moment shocked YOU the most? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Will They/Won't They TV Couples: ua-cam.com/video/fm9ZSCh3nDM/v-deo.html
You should have picked the episode where will is shot during a robbery
Edith Bunker's sexual assault. Jean Stapleton's performance in that episode was raw and brilliant.
Growing Pains, when Matthew Perry's character Sandy died after a drunk driving crash. Tracy Gold was spot-on, and i still tear up whenever i watch the clip on here.
what about Ted Lasso? made me crying like a baby
Family Ties - Alex uses speed to get through his exams and finds that he can't function without them. His Dad finds out and helps him. I remember that they aired the episode (in Australia) in the evening rather than the usual 5pm slot due to the serious nature of the content. Michael J Fox's performance was terrific.
In HIMYM when Lily admitted to Ted she she loves Marvin but sometimes wishes she wasn't a mum because she was finding it so hard, was a shocking but great moment. I'm sure so many parents out there secretly thought that and were ashamed, but seeing this would have eased that a little. Worth an Honourable Mention, I thought
Not exactly a shocking moment. Would probably fit better in a video about shows touching on serious issues
In the eight season she has another heartbreaking moment when the captain says "you're just a kindergarden teacher". When Marshall asked why she was so mad, she breaks and yells "because he was right. I'm Just a kindergarden teacher".
As a father, I related to that scene all too well.
I remember Scrubs tackling that same issue
That was such a moment...i loved that scene
The moment when Will has to face his father and has to accept that he will leave him again on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has to be one of the most realistic, well written and well acted moments in sitcoms' history.
Agreed, Karin Parsons, who played Hilary, can even be heard crying off camera.
@@ashleybellofsydney it was really good written and played.
That part always gets me 😭😭😭
@Jermaine Anthony Just because child abandonment is a serious topic, and quality fatherhood in the African-American community is so rare, doesn't meake this episode of Fresh Prince a great episode. It was a good performance, not the best, though.
@Jermaine Anthony And you're defending Will Smith, a common thug who punched one of his best friends in front of a televised audience of 2 billion people.
Marshall's father's death in How I Met Your Mother shook me so bad when I was watching the show. I was building myself up all episode to hear that they weren't going to be able to have kids. Absolutely shocking.
The death of Mrs Wolowitz in Big Bang theory deserved more than an honorable mention
With the How I met your Mother one, throughout the episode it does a countdown until the reveal, with the cab having the number 1 on the top.
you mean Marshall's father's death I don't recall Marshall dying .
@@letitiamarshall8661 yeah Marshall's father. My mistake
That episode, and the one following, hit me harder than most episodes. My Dad died from cancer when I was 20, and I think this is too close to the same sensation. I lose it every time I see that scene and hear it in their voices. Just shows how well acted it is. I even cried when watching this video because of that. I really think Buffy TVS episode 'The Body' should have been in this video for how hard it hit. In fact, I remember after leaving the hospital and thinking all sorts of things, like that I was hungry and that I missed Buffy, etc. Then I felt bad for thinking those things. less than an hour after holding my Dad's hand and saying I love him and he can go now, I was thinking about things that really didn't matter. That was a dark time in my life. I won't go any further with that. Have yourselves a good day.
It was reminiscent of how I found out my dad had died of a heart attack. But in my case it was a phone call from my brother. The absolute worst part was having to tell my mother. He was only 59. We lost my mom in late 2019, just before Covid. At 55, I just feel like I am way too old to be an orphan.
"How come he don't want me, man?" If anyone claims that Will Smith can't act, or only knows him through Slapsgate, then I'll show them this scene as proof of his talent.
Six seasons of on the job training.
As Uncle Phil/James Avery said quietly during their hug, "That's fuckin' acting right there."
I cried myself with that seen Will did
His acting ability and his assaulting someone are two different things.
He wasn't really acting with that scene. He was using personal experience for that scene. Granted him and his dad later made up but that was real.
In Big Bang Theory the scene where Leonard finally confronts his mother about her abusive emotional upbringing of him and she still doesn't really get it. Very well acted emotionally by Johnny Galecki and Christine Baranski staying true to her characters icy personality was hard to watch.
That's actually incorrect. She gets it, but what she doesn't get is his choice to get rid of his anger and hurt and choose to love and forgive her despite what she has done. Its something that most people these days can't understand, so the acting there is very on point.
Sheldon vs Santa was so random that everyone there got scared and somehow it felt very personal. Leonard's reaction wasn't acting and I'm afraid Sheldon wasn't acting either.
🙄 ugh, you need to get out the house
Not even remotely close lmao
I was really disappointed in that scene. He was way too quick to forgive, and just accepted everything. Forgiveness is great, but there were no consequences for her actions, nothing to indicate she may change her behaviour.
Penny just shut up when Beverly refused to speak to her, treating her daughter in law like a child for being angry on Leonard's behalf. I was waiting for Penny to kick her out then. When Leonard finally realized the truth, I was wanting him to disown her. I really wish he had ended with 'I forgive you, but I can't have you in my life anymore.'
While Ben's death did hurt alot in scrubs, the episode that made me burst heavy into tears was when Dr. Cox lost all the patients due to infected organs that were donated to them, after hoping he will continue the long streak of saving lives, which ultimately failed after that day and how it sent him into a deep depression
Strangely, this is 1 or 3 only moments I remember from scrabs. I've carried it all these years.
for me the most shocking one was Laverne's death... it really came outta nowhere... for Ben there was some buildup, so that if you really payed attention, you'd see it coming, but yeah... Also, the episode you just mentioned? I'm at it now, cause I'm rewatching the show.
Dr Cox was by far the best character on that show. He actually cared about his patients even tho he pretended he didn't. JD was right to look up to him despite being hated his entire career
@@voodoocustompickups2547 oh yeah, Perry and Jordan, Dr Jan Itor and Ted are the reasons why I keep re-watching the show.
@m0t0b33 a great character can keep someone hooked. He's why I continue to watch Scrubs and Marshall is why I keep recycling through HIMYM.
I’ve never seen How I Met Your Mother, but that “Im not ready for this” line hit me TOO hard.
It’s really good, I recommend it
It’s worth the watch. Mostly fun and a bit silly, but a very solid and entertaining show.
One of the best sitcoms. I've seen it beginning to end 8 times
"How come he don't want me man?" That DESTROYED me the first time I saw it. Still teared up just now and I've seen it dozens of times.
The thing that made that last episode of MASH so powerful wasn't just the death of a beloved character on a hit show. It was that nobody in the cast knew it was coming. Gary Burghoff was handed the paper and told to go in and announce it to the cast cold. The looks of shock in that scene were genuine.
That wasn't the last episode of MASH.
@@munkustrap2 You are correct. I meant the episode from the video. Mclean Stevenson left after 3 seasons. MASH managed to continue without him for a meager 8 seasons.
Actually, Alan Alda was the only one that knew ahead of time, which is why his reaction was quiet and made it easier for him to continue operating.
That was the original plan, but according to the director of that episode, Larry Gilbert, the scene ended up being reshot due to technical glitches. From an interview "Due to technical glitches, the final scene had to be shot again. I thought Gary would never be able to do a second take as beautifully as he did the first. I still knew nothing about directing. He was better! And on the second go, a totally unexpected thing happened: After Gary finished reading his message, there was a hushed silence on the set as BJ's (Cinematographer William Jurgensen) camera panned the stricken faces of the cast, and then someone off-camera accidentally let a surgical instrument drop to the floor. It was perfect, that clattering, hollow sound, filling a palpable void in a way that no words could. I could not have planned it better; I wish I had - whenever I happen to hear it again, I marvel at how perfectly it fit."
@@Kiernan5 That's incredible. It never ceases to amaze me when actors not only understand the assignment but little subtleties enhance the moment.
I would argue that "It wasn’t a chicken, it was a baby." was M*A*S*H's most shocking moment.
Probably right but it did not hit the fans as hard because they never knew the baby, they spent years with Blake. Of course, it may be callous but most people thought less about the actual baby and more about how it affected Hawkeye. Just human nature to feel more for those we know(or think we know).
@@bamachine also, the death of the baby saved everyone from being discovered by the North Koreans, where they would have been imprisoned, at best, or outright killed, at worst. Henry’s death served no purpose, other than to, once again, demonstrate the horrors and pointlessness of war… From what we know of the character, apart from being a surgeon, he was a good, kind-hearted man, who was there to save the lives of men he did not even know. He saved lives on both sides, and, as far as we know, never intentionally took a life. He was going home to his life, his wife, and family, and is killed for it.
Great list. I watched most of these on first run. Glad you put MASH at #1, as it is something that has stuck with me my entire life. I was young when this first aired (maybe fifteen), and was lucky to never have lost anyone in my life up to that point. I had grown up with MASH, and they were like family to me, as were the cast of shows like Happy Days, etc.
When Radar comes into the surgery, and makes the announcement, it was a gut punch I had never experienced before. Worse, they cut to an ad break, and came back to a scene with Henry standing up, like he was badly hung over. “Oh”, I thought, “He is OK! He must have missed the flight”. Only to then realise it was a series of flashbacks of Henry, so I got gut punched again, realising he was really gone. It messed me up inside, and, while I wanted to cry, nothing came out. I talked to my parents about it, after a little while, and learned some valuable lessons on how to deal with grief. This was the first time I had ever lost a “loved-one”.
I lost my first real loved-one not long after, when my grandmother passed away. I believe I was able to handle it so well, because I already had experienced the death of a “loved-one”, not to long before, and had the tools I needed to cope.
Who says TV has nothing to teach us?
I agree with you. That episode still haunts me.
Hawkeye admitting that his depression caused him to break down and saying why are you going to put me back there . shows more emotion in this season final show
I know Will gets all the credit for this scene and rightfully so, but James Avery was fantastic throughout the entire series! Was so sad when he passed away.
James Avery deserves even more credit because he pushed Will Smith so hard to nail this scene. and it worked
Absolutely
Yesss!
Avery was also awesome as Shredder in the TMNT OG GOAT cartoon so he gets even more love from me
20 seconds of the HIMWM clip and I was in tears. All these years later and it still hits hard. The fact it was improvised and done in 1 take is a testament to the actors abilities.
Absolutely. Hits me hard. Lost my mom last year while I was at work. Got the news from my wife.
Me and my wife have seen the entire series 8 times and she still cries
Proof that Lily was the strongest character on the show.
Seeing the countdown makes it so much worse as the episode goes on knowing what happens
The "I'm not ready for this" absolutely destroyed me
Will's dad leaving again always gets me, especially Will's line on asking why he doesn't want him
Same
The little boy inside still didn't understand the rejection. Heartbreaking cause is so real.
Same. My dad didn't want me, and that is one episode I can't rewatch.
There is a silver lining about that part that uncle Phil hugging him basically says you don’t need him cuse you got me
ALWAYS!!!
just reading about from you teared me up again
The moment between Will and Uncle Phil will always make me tear up no matter how many times I watch it. The pain in Wills voice along with the feeling of being unwanted breaks my heart.
Exactly this, the feelings of paternal protection radiating off Uncle Phil this whole episode are just🤌🤌. The tirade he gives Will's dad is perfect form from a good father to a man who simply fathered a child.
@@TaftisBack I also think it's important to note when Will says "how come he don't want me" Phil grabs him in a big hug immediately as if to say "maybe he doesn't want you but I do. I will always be here for you."
I felt Will's pain. It was so damn visceral. My bio mom was just like Wills dad. Always had a reason not to show up and even when she did, she never really stayed long.
"Look around you Ted, you're all alone."
Those words still haunts me to this day. Probably the darkest, most unexpected moment in TV sitcom history.
Definitely. I am surprised how that isn't a part of this list.
I specifically opened this video to watch that episode. Gets me everytime
That episode is my favorite. It really gets me everytime cause I have felt that way many times
I think Buffy losing her mom was a great episode to be apart of this category. Shocked me and left me in my emotions till the very end of the episode. Everyone’s sorrow was felt.
@Christopher Bingham True true. I just realized that lol Then they should to make a drama version of this and add this episode of Buffy into it.
That was a very hard episode to watch, very heart wrenching.. However, Buffy was not a sitcom, so would not fit in the video. Though I am not sure MASH was a sitcom either.
that should've been number ten
I think Tarah's death scene is the most shocking and heart wrenching.
@@ravinloon58 I agree with that one too. Both deaths were just low blows to fans. Willows pain was insane
What makes "The Bicycle Man" episode even more disturbing is the fact that Todd Bridges mentioned going through something similar in real life
What I appreciate about that episode is that it was ahead of its time by separating pedophilia from homosexuality. We disparage all of those "very special episodes" of 80s-90s sitcoms today, but they were stepping stones to conversations that no one had at the time. Millions of us kids thought we were the only ones, that there was something bad about us. This kind of representation also matters.
Todd Bridges is one hell of a survivor, too.
And even more disturbing than that, is that they chose to keep a laugh track in that episode.
The hug between Will and Uncle Phil is one of the greatest moments in TV history
In an interview, James Avery stated that during that hug, he whispered into Will's ear "Now THAT is acting!"
I think it's important because no words were needed at that point. It was Phil's way of saying "maybe he doesn't want you...but I do."
Jodie’s overdose death on Mom. Christie and Bonnie help young addict Jodie. They sponsor her, help her get away from her abusive boyfriend and help her get a job. She breaks the 13th step and starts dating a fellow addict with less than a year in recovery. The friend group’s matriarch, Marjorie, gets married and Jodie never shows up. After the ceremony, Christie gets a call from Jodie’s phone. It’s the paramedics who had tried to save her, but couldn’t.
Yeah! That was a gut-punch episode, too. Should've been mentioned.
Mom had many gut punches. Jodie’s death was hard along with that was Elvin’s death, Jill’s miscarriage and even Mary’s death..
Mom doesn't get talked about a lot but man there are moments that show is just dark as hell. I honestly respected the show for touching on its subject matter and didn't really let it's main characters get off easy for a cbs sitcom.
The Big Bang Theory probably hits the hardest, because it is real emotions by the actors. With the loss of Carol Ann Susi, the voice of Howards mom, it hit the cast and crew hard. Those where real tears.
The hardest for you, i guess. not more sad than Marshall losing his dad imo.
At the end of that episode, when all of the characters, except Howard and Bernadette, who’ve gone to Florida, have a toast to Howard‘s mom… the emotions were so real because they were really saying good bye to Carol Ann Susi. I still tear up when I see it.
Fresh Prince had a quite a few good scenes that shocked me. Aside from the episode about Will’s dad, the one about Carlton taking drugs in Will’s locker and almost dying, the episode about the shooter holding Will n Carlton up at the ATM, the one about the inter-racial wedding, the racial profiling one where Will n Carlton get arrested, and the one about the hatred Carlton getting when he and will pledge at a fraternity. Those all got me feeling when I saw em.
agreed. the fresh prince of bel-air was no regular sitcom, it had a lot of powerful and impactful moments.
The episode of Fresh Prince where Will's dad leaves him again is always hard to watch, especially when it comes to him breaking down afterward. Thankfully, he had Uncle Phil in his corner.
I’m glad Golden Girls got at least an honorable mention. It broke my heart seeing that and seeing a usually very sasmouthed Sophia break down and cry like that.
Different episode but the one where her son Phil dies definitely deserved an honorable mention. “My baby’s gone.” That line never fails to have tears roll down my face
I think the episode where Sophia realizes her friend has Alzheimer’s is also an amazing episode with a twist. It made me cry.
As much as I love Mash, I think Hawkeye's nervous breakdown, when he's talking about how a mother smothered her own baby and he was in denial about the incident is a bigger shocker and sucker punch than Blake's death
I watch a lot of videos on here reviewing horror movies (although I haven't seen the movies themselves). No jump scare has terrified me more than Hawkeye screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God! It was a BABY! She smothered her own BABY!"
Maybe, but MASH had gotten used to such seriousness by then. Henry's death earlier in the run was more of a shock.
The episode where everyone thinks Col Potter is dying but he actually the last of his WW I buddies to survive is a good one as well. Saving the bottle of scotch for the last of them and sharing it with his new friends was excellent.
You think it was about her killing a chicken, but then the ending comes... yeeeesh. Great mention.
@@robertlevine2827 I was coming into the comments to say the same thing. "The Dead Baby" on M*A*S*H should have been top 10 also.
in the television series Roseanne when Jackie was abused by her boyfriend, a serious moment and was super emotional and a strong message against being in an abusive relationship.
Roseanne had several moments that sitcoms still shy away to this day.
Dan's reaction to that was everything
@vickie chandler yes! Delivers the a$$ whooping of a lifetime if I remember right
Thank you, joshykel -- I started to write a comment about this one, then saw you'd gotten to it first. It's probably the most emotionally harrowing moment I've ever experienced in a sitcom, with Laurie Metcalf absolutely nailing it.
Dan hearing about it and going after Fisher...I still get goosebumps
I would have said the episode "bullets over Bel-air" was more "shocking" than Will's father leaving. While it is an emotionally powerful scene, its not shocking. Carlton revealing he bought a gun and Will's reaction however... that's shocking. I this were a top 10 most emotional... then i would agree with you.its a spectacularly acted scene and makes me cry every time...
I will never forget the Different Strokes episode as a kid. It broke my childhood and made me aware of so many important things. It was perfectly done.
Honorable mention: when Monica and Chandler found out they couldn’t have kids 💔
This! I'm surprised it's not here and it was so sad😭
❤❤❤
The episode of Scrubs where Dr. Cox had 3 organ recipients die in one day because he didn't know the donor had rabies, and he has a breakdown in front of Carla trying to save the last one, that part always got me. As big as a douche Dr. Cox was, you knew he cared, he was a great doctor.
That was rough.
Even more heartbreaking was the moment when JD remind him of his own words whats about to happen if he leaves now and Cox simply just gives up.
@@svenmerscheid1509 dude yes🥲😭😭
He deserved an award for that too.. It was incredible his falling out for several days after even to the emotional visit from JD that finally helped him out of his rut. Goddamn that show was amazing.
He was honestly the only reason I watched the show.
I thought All in the Family would be when Edith was assaulted.
That was clearly the more shocking moment
the only one I think that was left off unfairly was Edith's Rape episode of ALL IN THE FAMILY....incredibly acted and heartbreaking
Yes! It was so shocking and upsetting when I watched it! They made the man manipulative and sinister, when she begged him, “But I’m married!” And he just shrugged and said “Me too.” A sense of awful dread just overtook me. I’m glad she escaped the assault by shoving a hot casserole into him, and then when she ran over to the party and was saying a man came into their house and the father asked, “What did he want?” And she meekly says, “…me.”
I remember those lines so well even though its been 20 years since I saw the episode at least.
Edith's death too.
@@kentondickerson which episode was that?
@@margaret91 It wasn't on All In The Family, it was in the spin off series "Archie Bunker's Place".
@@bamachine The second season premiere. It took place shortly after her offscreen death and funeral. Archie refused to deal and Stephanie was skipping school.
I can't believe nobody's given the praise to Maude that it deserves. It took incredible guts to run that episode, and most of all, it was HONEST.
It was a brilliant episode, and the show was absolutely worthy of being a spin-off to the incomparable All In The Family. In fact, it would be nice if some sitcom retackled that very topic, given Roe-v-Wade's demise.
I have seen every episode of the Fresh Prince maybe a thousand times including the episode with that scene, and it still brings tears to my eyes every time. Definitely the most powerful moment of the show.
I think carlton trying to obtain a gun aftee will took that bullet for him was also pretty heartwrenching.
@@thehonestchristian492 I was thinking about this scene too! That scene in the hospital where Will is demanding that Carlton give him the gun back, and then he breaks down crying while taking the bullets out is heart wrenching! Fresh Prince is full of really powerful moments. The scene after his dad left is still the one that will never fail to bring tear to my eyes though. That’s why it’s my favorite.
Wasn't that Ben Vereen playing Will's father?
@@mervyngreene6687 Yes
Large number one llllllllllllll
Just seeing that Scrub's "Ben's Death" clip of Dr. Cox breaking down at the funeral... it still brings tears to my eyes. Maybe the single best episodes of any show ever. Absolutely brilliantly done, written, acted, directed, everthing.
"where do you think you are?"
General Hospital deserves at least an honorable mention for having one of their most popular characters at the time, Robin Scorpio, diagnosed HIV positive in the early 90s. It was a very tasteful and educational storyline, and they didn't kill the character off. She is living with the diagnosis to this day.
Not a sitcom though...
Nogaf about Robin
@@georgina1317 that's true it's not a sitcom
@@georgina1317 Damned true, I forgot that prerequisite by the end 😁
Soap Opera's are different from sitcoms.
Laurie Metcalf’s acting, when it’s uncovered that Jackie’s being abused by her boyfriend, is heartbreaking.
John Goodman's, too.
I love the hug between Uncle Phil and Will! Uncle Phil pulling Will in with force then knocking the hat off his head so he could console Will. That moment feels so real.
Hey, it's Phil's way of saying "maybe he doesn't want you...but I do. I will always be here for you."
“How come he don’t want me man?”
That’s something no one should ever have to ask about their father (or mother) 😥
Yet many do 😞 one episode that is very hard to watch since it hits home.
@@brittanyreho2754 Same. 10 years after my father's passing and I'm still dealing with remnants of the emotional trauma.
Sadly this gets played out in real life far too often.
My wife and I thought we were done with kids, our daughter is an RN and has a son of her own so we've been blessed with a grandchild!
My wife is a youth chaplain dealing with teens at a church. From time to time she's had to deal with the occasional suicidal teen and counsel them and their family. What she hadn't counted on was a teen coming out to parents as gay and the parental response being to throw the kid out into the streets. After 2 days of the teen having to be in a shelter with no place to go my wife intervened and tried to patch things up between parents and child but the parents, well, especially the dad, wouldn't budge. What they did finally agree to was to give us temporary custody so for the last 2 years my wife and I have had this teen living with us. I won't say there hasn't been any teen drama during this time, but, for the most part this is a good kid, they're creative and intelligent and kind. I've grown very fond of this teen and I have no idea why this is yet another kid left wondering why their parents don't want them. Maybe mom and dad don't want them but my wife and I do.
It is definitely trauma inducing!
There is a M.A.S.H. Episode that is far more shocking, there is one where a character describes why he has PSTD; it has scene where he and some people are hiding from some enemy soldiers. He asks a woman to silence her baby, or they find them. The woman smothers it to death and the flashback ends with him standing their crying as he said "I I I I didn't want her to kill it...I k know why s s sh sh she had to b but still."
That was in the series finale, I believe. Hawkeye was the one who told the mother to silence the baby. Throughout the episode he referred to a woman quieting a chicken (including flashbacks), but it was really a baby, revealed in the final flashback. Korea finally broke him. Thought this would be on the list but I guess they chose Henry's death instead.
@@williamvia119 Yes this is the episode I was referring to I could remember the character's name of top of my head
That was a beautifully done episode. Alan Alda has always amazed me, especially in the later seasons when they got to delve into deeper subjects.
I came here to say this. Absolutely heart-breaking
It's in their list of "20 Darkest Sitcom Moments." But I agree it's more shocking than Henry's death.
Toughest MASH one for me was the breakdown on Hawkeye in Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.
The Fresh Prince episode should be shown in every acting class when they talk about improv and realism in acting. James Avery (RIP) stayed silent during that monologue and let Will cook and it was one of the most BEAUTIFUL moments I’ve ever seen on television. As a now 43 year old man who’s father left me and my mom when I was about 4 and popped up here and there throughout my childhood till I was in high school, I would see him a few days through aunts and uncles on his side of the family then he’s gone again, I balled my eyes out the first time I saw that scene!!!!! It was literally EVERYTHING I felt growing up… especially the very last sentence. I saw him at my graduation and that was the last time I physically interacted with him. 25 years and counting since we’ve been in each other’s presence. Apparently he has a whole new family. I have 3 sisters and a bunch of nieces and nephews I found out about through social media. I grew up an only child and I have no kids so it hurts. I’m crying now as I write this and every time I see that monologue I just break, reminding me of my own life.
The scene in HIMYM gets me EVERY TIME!!!! And finding out later that the show was giving numerical clues the entire episode (including the cab at the end with the number 0001, signifying 1 minute left) then rewatching it knowing what will happen made it even worse hearing Marshall say “I’m not ready for this”.
The Henry Blake death was a last-minute addition. So all those reactions from the cast are natural reactions.
Scrubs was one of the most underrated shows from the 90's. So well put together combining, humility, comedy, and so many touching moments.
YES. I still enjoy the occasional rewatch.
One of the rare 90's shows that aired beginning in the 2000's as well
Facts
Lol 90's? You sure?
it was at 2000er and in my opinion, the best "sitcom" (as is wasn't really one) ever. I cried an loughed in every singe episode 😀
I think The Golden Girls episode that deserved at least a honorable mention was Ebbtide's Revenge. The final scene when Sophia says, "My baby's gone" is so heartbreaking.
They're not shocking, they are just proof that a good sitcom with hilarious plotlines can go deep, too!
They were shocking for their time. You had to have been there when these episodes aired. Well, the ones in the 70s anyway.
Ben's death in scrubs really broke my heart. I had to get up and take a walk after that episode. Dr.Cox crying just shows that even the toughest person can break and that the good ones always get taken away too soon 😭
Came here for the How I Met Your Mother moment, was happily surprised to see Superstore. The tornado in Superstore was a pretty significant shift in tone too.
All in the Family has so many shocking moments, it needs a list all it's own.
MASH also. The ending of the show with Hawkeye and the chicken. That was so hard to watch. You have to have seen it to understand.
@@carlpeterson8182 Thank you, I have. That was brutal. 🥺
I agree. I still remember the time when Archie told Mike about the abusive upbringing he had at the hands of his father. That was the moment Mike developed empathy for his father-in-law.
The Death of Henry Blake on MASH was hard for me. It was running reruns when I was a kid and found it when I got a tv for my 8th birthday. I watched it on my own.
Hopefully you talked about it with an adult? That must've been hard to handle as an 8 y/o.
it always throws me off when sitcoms have a really serious moment. it's all fun and sunshine and then BAM A PSA episode. but it's also nice to get important messages out
Golden Girls should have been more than an honorable mention. They tackled all kinds of topics that were shocking for the time. Anti-S*mitism, homelessness, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, among others.
Totally ❤
I'm surprised you didn't include Jaime (Helen Hunt) cheating on Paul (Paul Riser) in Mad About You. The writers having a couple whose whole show is about their love have a big breakup when Jaine kisses a co-worker was shocking. The anger, Paul's confrontation of the man she kissed, the blowup in the park, and then marriage counseling, it was very real and true to life. They stayed together but the show took on a whole different dynamic.
When Lilly told Marshall his dad passed away I completely lost it. THAT was how it happens in real life, you get the call out of nowhere. Marshall and Lilly were my favorite tv couple of all time. Marshall was the epitome of every man, tries to be a good husband, employee and friend.
My favorite tv couple too. It crushed me when they separated for a stint.
Man Ben’s death absolutely broke me to pieces. Watching someone as strong as Cox cry showed me at a young age that even the strongest man has a breaking point
Will's father leaving him was seriously messed up.
It was but in real life, it happens far too often and these kids do not have a wealthy Uncle that actually cares about them, to comfort them, when it happens.
I found the M*A*S*H episode where they are hiding on the bus FAR more shocking and heart breaking.
Archie bunker holding Edith’s slipper saying it should’ve been him that died first hit me hard now that I’m older. Carol O Connor won an Emmy for this particular episode
Ooooh, yeah. The death of Edith should've definitely been on this list. So good.
One of the most shocking sitcom moments that should have a least had an honorable mention was on 8 Simple Rules when Paul Hennessy passed away because of the actor who played him John Ritter passed away on set.
that episode broke me, & my mum had to leave the room. That episode aired on the 8th anniversary of my grandpa's (her dad's) death.
It wasn't shocking though that the character died on the show. What was shocking was that the actor died.
@@nicoletrudell2065 same could be said for the BBT one.
Maybe not shocking, but the saddest moment in sitcom history for me is Seymour's fate in Futurama.
Oh my god... NOW I'M REALLY CRYING 😭😭😭😭 I was able to watch that episode only twice in my life...And I'm still regreating the 2nd one 😢😢🥺
@@duneb.l.6429 right? I can't watch that episode without spiraling into depression
@@gregap8282 yeah man...The pain is real 😭 Poor Seymour, it totally breaks my heart 💔
@@duneb.l.6429watching Seymour wait and wait breaks my heart.
@@saesnaughtyprincess Yes. I think it's one of the saddest things on a tv show I've seen in my whole life 😢
Another shocking episode for me was in the last season of Moesha, Dorian finds out that Frank (Moesha’s dad) is not his uncle but he is his biological father.
Wills dad leaving him only reminded me of how my father was there for a short period of my life and then just left. Watching Will try to stay strong in front of his father and then breaking down after he left was too real for me. And for sure one of the most memorable moments of the show
"where do you think we are?" that moment from Scrubs hit me like a ton of bricks the first time. Best moment from Scrubs by far, and one of the best moments from a comedy show period.
The episode where Laverne dies is also so good, Carlas goodbye gets me everytime
I think that an episode from Full house should get at least an honorable mention. The one where Stephanie has to face the loss of a class friend due to child abuse. It's heart wrenching.
@Good Time Editing not that this is important to say, but it wasn’t the next day… it was some weeks later. Things don’t happen over night ya know
How I met your mother had a lot of heartbreaking moments, including Robin finding out she could not have children after doing a flashback with her children, not to mention the whole show is about a mother that in the last season you found out had passed away.
I absolutely hate that episode. We found out in the first episode Robin wasn't "the mother". Why did they have to make sure she was nobody's mother? It was complete overkill.
God damn I forgot how sad that episode was. One of several times I cried watching the show:
Marshall’s dads death
Marshall’s speech to the friends at his dads funeral (“he’s never gonna get to meet our kids Lilly” always absolutely destroys me)
Barney “if you were going to be some lame suburban dad, why couldn’t you have been that for me”
Ted decorating the house for Robin after she finds out she can’t have kids
Ted 45 days speech
The mom saying “what mother misses her daughters wedding” upon rewatch knowing that she’s dead
I’m sure there’s more that I can’t even remember.
The other scrubs episode where Dr Cox was trying to save many patients but because of a spread of rabies it killed many of them especially one who was waiting for a transplant. The look on Carla's face when Dr. Cox breaks down still grips me till this day.
That one was hard to watch, then the one following everyone going round taking turns to talk to him though, then JD finally getting through to him.
There's also the episode where Cox is going for a day without anyone dying on him until his very last patient dies literally a few minutes before midnight, Elliot refusing to call it.
@@Blitze9792 JD being the one to reach him and help him come back from it definitely makes sense. Consider that just before they found out it was rabies, JD had blamed himself for his patient's death, thinking it was suicide, and that he should have paid more attention. Dr. Cox helped him by telling him never to take the blame onto himself if a patient died because of the spiral he'd fall into. And that's exactly what happened to Dr. Cox by the end. He blamed himself for a snap decision (the patients needed the organs ASAP, he had them given out of necessity) that caused several people to die and he fell into the blame spiral.
He pulled JD out of his, JD pulled him out too.
I remember there was an episode on “Facts of Life” when this girl actually committed suicide. That episode is banned, it’s never in syndication.
It was called "Breaking Point." S2Ep10, I think. Would be nice if it was released somewhere, but a quick search on the internet revealed nothing.
Interesting I love the facts of life and I never even knew that episode existed. May I ask which character?
I remember the most " controversial episode" supposedly being the one where Natalie has sex with snake 🐍. I remember because Lisa Welchel ( Blair) was asked to do an episode where her character sleeps with her boyfriend but because of her faith she declined because she felt it was " sending the wrong message" to young women. My grandparents and I used to watch the facts of life together when I was a teenager ❤
@@UnashamedCaliforniagirl season 2 episode 10 “Breaking Point”
It also was hard to watch Chandler breaking the news to Monica that she couldn't get pregnant.Her dream always has been to be a mum and it seemed to be impossible at this moment (though they adopted later)
That Will Smith scene in Fresh Prince gets me every time.
Me too ❤
Alyson Hannigan going through two devastating deaths, first in BTVS, then in HIMYM. ❤️
Alyson Hannigan is one of the best onscreen criers! She always sets me off when she cries.
@@R989D amen to that! 🙏
I used the different strokes episode to teach my son about the type of behavior not to accept from adults
I always would ask my friends kids if they could keep a secret and when they promised me they could, thinking it would be something really important, I would just rip a big fart.
I don't know. That MASH episode where Hawkeye is held in a hospital for psychiatric issues still gets me. The revelation as to what he actually witnessed sticks with me.
Jessie’s Song (Saved by the Bell 1989-1993) the darkest moment was when Jessie suffers an addiction to caffeine pills.
It also takes on a darker meaning qhen you find out it was supposed to be speed instead of caffeine pills. They changed it due to the network wanting it changed
That episode is iconic
Zack Morris is Trash! 😋
@@InsertCreativeusername_ I agree.
The episode of Will losing the opportunity to bond with his father made me cry. I felt the lump in my throat watching that powerful scene.
The deaths of Marshall's dad and Howard's mom respectively shook me deep when I watched them. To this day they make me tear up.
It was nice too easy Boy meets World as an honorable mention, that scene with the teacher was really unexpected for me, but it made Cory hitting him feel so much better
Carlton tryring to get a gun after will took a bullet was pretty gut wrenching too.
Also saved by the bell and jessies pill addiction.
#1... YES!!! I was hoping that this would be included. Gary Burghoff's expression before delivering those lines was genuine as he had been told about them just before filming that scene.
Marshall’s losing his dad was shocking. I lost my dad 7 months ago and you really are not ever ready for it. It was pointed out that there are numbers in every scene that count down to that moment.
I was actually a teenager when the Maude pregnancy episode was first telecast. I was blown away by how forthright and honest the episode was, especially at that time. A time when "feminine hygiene products" were not allowed to be seen for real but only in animated form, and no sign of any "fluid" could be shown.
Interesting fact about Marshall finding out his dad died on HIMYM, there’s a countdown going on throughout the episode. I rewatched it paying close attention to the numbers casually put in and even though I knew the bad news was coming, it still somehow made it even more shocking.
M.A.S.H. had a much better shocking moment than the one listed. In the final episode you have Hawkeye in a mental institution and you find out it's because he witnessed a woman smother her own baby to avoid detection by VCA soldiers because the baby was crying. That moment when Hawkeye remembers what caused him to have a psychotic break is the most shocking in the series I think.
I think the only rival scene is the one where they announce Blake's death. The cast didn't know. The actor's responses were the real reaction of the cast and crew. Supposedly one of the cameramen gasped.
But I remember the chicken scene from my early childhood.
@@benjie128The chicken scene hit me much harder than Blake's death. It was clear that they had to do something big for the first major character's departure.
The chicken episode may be the show's best. I remember the first time I saw the episode. From the beginning, something felt off.
But, the revelation still breaks my heart.
"VCA"? Do you mean KPA?
Yep, that was gut wrenching.
@@kyihsin2917 yeah, I for some reason was mixing up which war M.A.S.H. took place during. I know it was the Korean War and for some reason still thought of the Vietcong.
I agree with MASH at # 1. Only Hawkeye knew what the writers were up to and was mad. Henry didn't get along with some of them and at the last minute, they changed it by handing Radar a note. To see Frank cry really showed his human side. Still heartbreaking.
The golden girls episode with martha holds up....each of these moments where important when they aired. Interesting forgotten fact, All My Childrens Erica Kane was the first tv character to have an abortion before Maude!!
*diff’rent strokes imo always tackled real issues which no one talks about. But it’s such a good show like fresh prince of belair.*
M.A.S.H's episode where the lady smothered her baby had to be one of the most nerve wrecking for me and deserves a spot on the list
Lt. Col. Henry Blake's death still brings tears to my eyes. I've seen a lot of movies and TV shows with characters I've loved that end up dying, and they're all heartbreaking in their own right. But Henry Blake was different. I felt like I'd lost a family member. So did everyone at the 4077th, especially Radar. Absolutely devastating.
The producers left the script unfinished. None of the actors knew about this until at the last minute they handed Gary Burghoff (Radar) the last announcement. They weren't just acting, that was their real reaction to the news.
#3 resonates with me as someone whose father was rarely around but did have a grandfather and an uncle who stepped up and acted as that paternal figure in my life.
I had my grandpa and uncle also wgen my dad left
Mash, baby on the bus and the breakdown of Hawkeye, probably the most shocking sitcom moment ever.
I remember most of those episodes, especially mash. I remember being so shocked and then hearing later that the producers received death threats. But it was such a truthful moment. My dad, who would in Vietnam and loved mash, explained to me that that sometimes happened. He helped me understand what the episode was all about
"I'm not ready for this" Marshal's dad dying makes me cry every time, such a good episode.
I loved Ben so very much in Scrubs! Wish we'd got to see more of him.
I agree. Couldn't believe they killed him off. I legit cried at that episode.
The fresh prince, scene always gets to me!. Some dads are actually like this. MOJO, I love your contents!. The mash one always gets to me as well. Keep ya head up.
The scene about Howard’s mom’s death hit me particularly hard because it aired shortly after my own mother’s death.
The one that really stuck with me was the Family Ties episode where Alex's close friend dies in a car accident and he completely breaks down. That was a powerful episode.
I thought the chicken scene in MASH was way more heartbreaking then the plane crash
Henry's death in a plane crash still hits so hard. It still causes tears to fall.
Will get emotional about his dad leaving ripped my heart right out of my chest! Will Smith, your acting is superb
And the Diff'rent Strokes situation is disgusting because things like that happen in real life
Will letting out his frustration and uncle Phil listening and letting him vent... that will always be the most powerful scene in sitcom to me.
The end of that episode where Perry snaps back into reality was so harsh. It's the only time dr Cox actually shows real vulnerability and you realise Ben is gone. It was painful to watch that last scene him asking why he's not taking pictures.
I absolutely love that How I Met Your Mother episode. The entire episode is shot to show a countdown in the background. All Jason Segel knew about that final scene was that Lily's last word would be "it".