Sitcoms are typically meant for lighthearted humor and a feel-good vibe. But every now and again, they inevitably come out with a dose of harsh reality. From heartbreak and loss to social issues galore, these unexpected moments remind us that life is not always laughter and punchlines.
Sitcoms tend to take breaks from all the jokes and struggle with real-life stuff, leaving fans in knots sometimes. Here are 10 times much-loved sitcoms sent viewers crashing down into brutal reality, proving that, even in comedy, life’s toughest moments can’t always be avoided.
1. ‘How I Met Your Mother’ On Moving On
Moving on from your first love could be difficult at times. These “first loves” make you feel a certain way, that you tend to believe cannot be felt again — which is exactly what makes moving on so difficult. The much-loved sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ was filled with humor, but it also tackled the concept of moving on.
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Ted meets his soulmate at a young age and loses her. And throughout his story to his kids, he mentions how amazing she was, and how he met her — only to make fans realize that she died. However, his children make him move on from her.
2. ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’ On Abandonment
Childhood trauma makes the best dark characters, doesn’t it? Well, not always. The sitcom ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air‘ deals with the issues of abandonment with a fresh breath of comedy. The lead character of the show grows up without parents and therefore grapples with feelings of being unwanted, and the fear of abandonment.
Will Smith’s character is shown to have never known anything about his father in the narrative. But later, his dad suddenly pops up in the story after decades of being absent. A relationship starts to grow between both of them, but Lou (Dad) decides to leave Will again. Will becomes vulnerable and feels unwanted yet again, but eventually manages to overcome it.
3. ‘Friends’ On Lack Of Communication
The key to a stable relationship is communication. Similarly, in the highly popular sitcom ‘Friends‘, Ross and Rachel’s distorted relationship is always in dire need of proper communication. It is always the miscommunication that causes problems in their relationship. Ross sleeps with another woman while “on a break“, but according to Rachel, they were still in a relationship when he did that.
While Ross assumes that they have broken up, so he is free to do whatever he wants, Rachel feels the other way. Even though the following incident was laughed off, it still gives an important lesson on communication.
4. ‘The Golden Girls’ On Confederate Flag
‘The Golden Girls’ was an iconic sitcom that became a fan favorite in no time. The show covered the banter of serious topics, which was impressive as many makers were afraid to approach these kinds of issues.
In one of the episodes, the Confederate flag became a hot topic. Roland (a black person) was offended that Blanche didn’t understand the real meaning behind it with its history, connection, and what it stands for. The debate over the issue gave an insight to the audiences as well as the show’s character into its significance.
5. ‘Seinfeld’ On Bullying
A valuable lesson in ‘Seinfeld’ was probably ignored by many. Sitcoms often teach us these lessons through minor incidents, but leave a major impact. In the final season of the show, the four friends are put on trial for their problematic behavior.
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Though ‘Seinfeld’ gained heavy popularity for its problematic jokes, at the end of the series, all four friends including Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer, face prison for being bullies.
6. ‘Diff’ Rent Strokes’ On Child Sexual Abuse
A scene from the episode ‘Bicycle Man‘ in ‘Diff’ rent Strokes‘ left everyone stunned. In thee episode, Arnold and Dudely face the owner of the bicycle shop, who has abused them in childhood. Even though it wasn’t shown on the screen for obvious reasons, they were groomed and abused on multiple occasions. It was later shown that the police got involved, though the man’s arrest was also left to be indicative.
The following episode did the level best how to identify an abuser and also report it to the concerned authorities. It’s Dudely who bravely raises his voice and declares, “The following man tried to touch me”.
7. ‘The Thick Of It’ On Reality Of Politics
‘The Thick Of It‘ is a British sitcom that tried to satirize the real-life workings and dynamics of the British government. It also reflects on the turmoil that happened in the 2000s and early 2010s.
Even though the show was centered on such topics, it also focused on how characters desired to keep their jobs. But in the final episode, the government collapses, due to which several characters lose their job and even face time in prison.
8. ‘Family Matters’ On Racism
‘Family Matters’ was another classic show with great humor. However, it focuses on racism, an issue quite rampant even today in most parts of the world. During an episode of the show, Eddie Winslow gets stopped by cops in a white neighborhood while driving. Despite no fault, he gets pulled over only because of his color.
Fortunately, Eddie’s father Carl is a cop, which helps him a bit in the situation. When Carl confronts the officers about the incident, they all laugh it off. ‘Fresh Prince OF Bel-Air’ also covers a similar issue.
9. ‘All In The Family’ On Rape
No one could have imagined that a simple birthday episode in ‘All In The Family’ could also turn into an attempt-to-rape incident. In the said episode, Edith is alone at her home, when a man arrives at her house disguised as a police officer and tries to rape her.
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The episode was heavy with the recollection of the aftermath, with Gloria’s reaction to the incident as she also faced a similar incident in the past. The show also highlights how women are treated badly by the officials when they approach with such complaints. But at the end of the sitcom, the bad guy gets arrested.
10. ‘A Different World’ On Physical And Emotional Abuse
‘A Different World‘ was a great source of laughter but Gina’s relationship with an abusive and violent man was an eye-opener for many. He was a loving, affectionate man in public, but violent privately. Moreover, he used to emotionally manipulate her. He used his childhood fears and issues as an excuse to abuse her.
Gina struggled to admit what was happening to her, but she later reported him. This plot in the storyline acted as an informative lesson for many teenagers.
