The recent sad death of Rene Auberjonois reminded me of a very disturbing episode of “Benson” he was involved in called “Scenario”. As this summary notes, it was an episode about a nuclear war drill and it’s one of the most depressing things I’ve ever seen. It also featured internet predecessor ARPANET, so it was arguably the first appearance of the internet on TV. What sitcom episodes were memorably depressing and sad than most dramas?
I believe that The Ranch is still supposed to be a comedy, but the episodes about Rooster being missing and then presumed dead were awfully bleak.
I know MAS*H is not pure sitcom and more of a drama-comedy mix, but I’d nominate the “Dreams” episode for that.
When Edith almost got raped on All in the Family was pretty grim.
Father Mulcahey’s dream has stayed with me for years.
If Futurama counts, Jurassic Bark.
Yeah. That’s the first one I thought of.
Final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth. Sad, moving, but also utterly brilliant.
The series finale of Dinosaurs ended with an ice age setting in and killing everyone.
This is the first one that I thought of. Although the other ones mentioned are right there as well. Hawkeye’s dream has stuck with me since it aired.
Nowhere as shocking as some of the others, but the episode of Cheers where Dianne goes off to write her novel, and Sam realizes that she will never come back.
Another vote for “Dreams” from MASH. For me, it was Winchester’s dream (followed by the most heartfelt “damn” ever uttered on TV). Another one was the Korean-American baby they tried to get sent to the US.
For another one, The fresh Prince of BelAir was light comedy most of the time, but the episode where Will’s father (played by Ben Vereen) came back into Will’s life and then almost immediately left it, left one depressed (IMHO).
There is an episode of Fraggle Rock called “Marooned” that is really quite amazing for a children’s puppet show.
Was that Dreams episode an hour long? There were, what, six dreams?
Arnold and Dudley in the bike shop comes close.
Or any “very special” episode
No, only a half-hour and each dream sequence was about 2.5-3 minutes, IIRC. Superbly timed and sequenced.
There was a Family Ties episode called " ‘A’ My Name Is Alex " which was “very special” and actually pretty bizarre as I recall. A friend of Alex Keaton (previously never seen or even mentioned, as far as I know) has died and Alex, in his mourning and introspection and existential angst, monologues as he moves from set to set on a darkened minimalist stage, making the whole thing look like a watered-down and somewhat mopey version of a Beckett play.
I only saw it the night it first aired back in 1987 and I didn’t know what the fuck was going on.
Marshall’s dad dying in How I Met Your Mother.
Typically I delete that episode if I my DVR picks it up, but a few weeks back, I wasn’t paying attention and watched it by accident. For those that haven’t watched it (or those that have), it’s a surprise at the end of an otherwise good/normal episode, so I really wasn’t expecting it, like, at all.
Then to make it worse, just a day or two ago, I watched the funeral episode. Again, wasn’t really paying attention or I would have deleted it.
At least, as a reward for watching those two, I go to watch Oh Honey, which is right after those. That’s one of my favorite episodes.
Doogie Howser M.D., “To Live and Die in Brentwood.” His girlfriend Wanda’s mother is killed unexpectedly in a car accident.
I remember the very solemn ‘All in the Family’ episode when Edith found out about Archie’s stepping out with the barmaid of his bar. Her reaction, and when Gloria called him asking where her mother was, Archie, humiliated and crushed, telling Gloria she ran away from home.
Crazy as it was ( in hindsight ) a younger woman with the hots for Archie, I remember as an early teen watching it with my family and the stunned reaction of everybody to that final scene.