# Surprisingly dark moments in comedies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639 "2023-02-11T23:27:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/41 "2023-02-12T19:32:04Z")
> [@glee](#): > > It was incredibly moving and I remember quietly leaving whilst the pupils sat in silence. The final episode of the previous season also got to me. Hugh Laurie was an over the top buffoonish Prince Regent, but I actually cried at the end of that episode. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/42 "2023-02-12T19:42:27Z")
Yeah. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yGXbToX_nuU/hqdefault.jpg "Edith vs The Intruder") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXbToX_nuU) ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/43 "2023-02-12T19:55:36Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I have to wonder the point of such an episode, since it leans hard into the trope that most rapists are nefarious strangers rather than people the victim knows, and it doesn’t seem to be giving women any useful advice, just sort of demonstrating how arbitrary and terrible reality can be. All In The Family was always meant to be provocative. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/44 "2023-02-12T19:56:00Z")
Agreed ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/45 "2023-02-12T20:22:04Z")
There was a British comedy called _One Foot in the Grave_. The main character, Victor, was a retired man who just seemed to live under a cloud. I’ve not seen all the episodes, but I gather that most of the humor came rrom various misfortunes that Victor goes through, and his reactions to them. The final episode takes place some time after Victor’s death; killed by a hit-and-run driver. Half of it is flashbacks, with Victor describing the latest indignities that he’s been suffering, like getting his head caught in a car’s sunroof, or being sprayed with grass by someone careless with a lawnmower. The other half is his long-suffering wife, Margaret, trying to cope with his death, and at one point confiding her desire to get revenge on Victor’s killer. The killer turns out to be a friend she made in a support group for recent widows, who was rushing to the hospital to see her own husband before he died. Margaret has the perfect opportunity to take her revenge; but we never see if she does. The episode ends with a montage of all the hilarious things Victor had described in the flashbacks, set to _End of the Line_ by The Travelling Wilburys. It was brilliant; one off the best series finales, ever. I’ve mentioned it a couple times here, but I don’t recall if anyone ever responded. I don’t know if anyone else here has ever seen it, but I gather the show was pretty well-known in the UK in its day. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/46 "2023-02-12T20:27:09Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The episode ends with a montage of all the hilarious things Victor had described in the flashbacks, set to _End of the Line_ by The Travelling Wilburys. It was brilliant; one off the best series finales, ever. Is this that montage? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jdS1vvduOOc/maxresdefault.jpg "One Foot in the Grave | Final Episode Credits | What If...?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdS1vvduOOc) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/47 "2023-02-12T20:32:00Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The other half is his long-suffering wife, Margaret, trying to cope with his death, and at one point confiding her desire to get revenge on Victor’s killer. The killer turns out to be a friend she made in a support group for recent widows, Sounds familiar. That’s basically the premise of the TV series Dead to Me. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/48 "2023-02-12T20:39:19Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Is this that montage? Actually, no. The whole episode is here, fast forward to about 36:20: > **[S06 - E06 - Things Aren't Simple Anymore (Final episode) | S06 - E06 - Things...](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1135284263189999&ref=sharing)** > > S06 - E06 - Things Aren't Simple Anymore (Final episode) > Please share.... ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/49 "2023-02-12T20:45:00Z")
IIRC that’s in the series finale. Hawkeye is in therapy with Dr. Freedman and tells the story that he was hiding out with a bunch of South Koreans trying to avoid being found by a NK patrol. One SK woman has a chicken that won’t stop clucking and Hawkeye is telling her to keep the chicken quiet or they will get caught. And then in the end we find out it wasn’t a chicken, it was her baby crying and she smothered it to avoid capture. But yeah by then MASH had had plenty of dark episodes already. Remember the one with everyone’s nightmares? Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/50 "2023-02-12T20:50:30Z")
I hadn’t seen the movie _Parenthood_ since it came out in the 80s but caught it on Hulu the other day. [This scene](https://youtu.be/Mn5ayQd7Y0Q) of a campus shooting played for laughs caught me off guard making me think how there is absolutely no way they could have that scene in a movie these days. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/51 "2023-02-12T21:06:09Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > I believe it’s the original National Lampoon’s Vacation movie where Clark Griswold drags a dog to death behind his car. Well, the fried cat scene earned my ire in NL’s Christmas Vacation. 🙀 😿 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EO5Ataai5Jg/maxresdefault.jpg "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Fried Pussy Cat") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO5Ataai5Jg) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/52 "2023-02-12T21:08:39Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I thought it worked because her resilience is central to the narrative more than the specifics of what she endured. I just didn’t find it all that funny, not because of the subject matter but because of the jokes. I didn’t think it was terribly unfunny either, just mediocre. But I admire the spirit of that show. The intro makes me happy as hell. > > [https://youtu.be/WYNbp0u8WjA](https://youtu.be/WYNbp0u8WjA) I thought it was one of the funniest comedies possibly in history. Kind of like Arrested Development there are a ton of hilarious throw away lines. How they dealt with the darker aspects with humor was impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/53 "2023-02-12T21:11:50Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I hadn’t seen the movie _Parenthood_ since it came out in the 80s but caught it on Hulu the other day. > [This scene](https://youtu.be/Mn5ayQd7Y0Q) of a campus shooting played for laughs caught me off guard making me think how there is absolutely no way they could have that scene in a movie these days. That… was relatable. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/54 "2023-02-12T21:21:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Garret Dillahunt Garret Dillahunt was on a ton of shows for a few years there: I kept running into him on Law and Order, Sarah Conner Chronicles, Raising Hope, E. R. etc. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/55 "2023-02-13T14:06:52Z")
There was an episode of _Laverne & Shirley_ where Laverne is dating a fireman (played by Ted Danson). In it he’s about to propose to her, but gets called away to a fire, where he dies. There was an episode of _The Jeffersons_ where George and Louise have to talk Florence out of committing suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/56 "2023-02-13T14:59:45Z")
Not so much “dark” as “poignant and depressing, in a touching way,” but I’ll share. In the late 70s, Redd Foxx had an hour-long comedy show, consisting of various skits and such (similar to the Carol Burnett Show). One Christmas-themed skit has stuck with me for more than 40 years. Foxx played a curmudgeon living alone, and as I recall he shooed off some kids who were caroling outside his rundown house. He went on a tirade about Christmas, and how much he hated the season. I seem to recall him monologuing about how his children have abandoned him, and how he doesn’t have anyone in his life. For the last third of the skit, though, he takes a coat tree, puts a sheet over it, fastens some clip-on bow-ties to it, and then sits down to admire his “Christmas tree.” I remember crying at that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/57 "2023-02-13T16:24:18Z")
There’s also the ending of Season 4 of British sketch show _That Mitchell and Webb Look_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Pp02ubGuTIU/maxresdefault.jpg "That Mitchell And Webb Look - Old Holmes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp02ubGuTIU) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/58 "2023-02-14T16:49:22Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > There’s also the ending of Season 4 of British sketch show _That Mitchell and Webb Look_: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp02ubGuTIU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp02ubGuTIU) That is very well done. Any show that has videos labeled as “funny Nazi sketch” on the internet is bound to have its dark moments. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/59 "2023-02-15T16:12:18Z")
in the infamous Seth Rogen / James Franco movie 'the Interview" one of the characters played by those two gets a finger cut off and it’s played for laughs. Even allowing that the movie can certainly be considered a dark comedy, it felt too grim to me to be considered funny, it was off-putting. In a similar vein, a character in Hangover 3 lost a finger from misadventure and I had the same wrong, not funny vibe. I guess I just don’t find lopped-off appendages amusing. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639/60 "2023-02-15T16:20:08Z")
Does this apply only to fingers or also to toes? If yes, better not watch The Big Lebowski. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprisingly-dark-moments-in-comedies/979639.md?page=4)