The original post: /r/television by /u/whatfinemarble on 2024-07-19 22:44:55.

I love it when a generally lighthearted show has one or two high-stakes episodes that take a total departure from the usual tone. Sometimes it’s just a thrill to get that rug-pulled-out-from-under-you feeling; other times, it’s fascinating to see what gets revealed about the characters when you’re forced to look at them from a new angle. (And sometimes it’s infuriating to see a show hint at a more serious problem and then totally ignore or pull back from it in the next episode to keep things clean/palatable instead, but I digress!)

This isn’t necessarily exclusive to sitcoms—I’m also interested in examples from other genres, but I wanted to make it clear that I’m not talking about particularly dark episodes of shows that are dark comedies to start with, and “sitcoms” was easiest to fit in the title.

A few examples (warning for slight spoilers for each show):

  • Ted Lasso, Season 2, Ep. 9, “Beard After Hours”: Primarily, this one is about the POV shift. It’s a pretty divisive, loosely Scorsese-inspired episode that departs from the usual upbeat, fast-moving comedy and instead almost exclusively follows the team’s assistant coach on one wild odyssey of a night out after a game. We learn that Beard, a man of few words, has been dealing with a slew of insecurities, an unhealthy relationship, and even suicidal ideation. This one is also fairly violent and lacks the feel-good moments that the show usually uses to space out serious ones. This highlights the tensions that drive the entire series: For a story that’s viewed through the lens of the protagonist’s optimism—and at a point in the plot where it’s becoming increasingly apparent that that very optimism, or at least the refusal to acknowledge/confront anything negative in his life, is holding Ted back—it feels very pointed to be bombarded with problems that have been brewing right beneath the surface the whole time.
  • Psych, Season 4, Ep. 9, “Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark”: Goofy screwball protagonist gets entangled in a crime he’s investigating, which isn’t unusual—then one of the suspects shoots and kidnaps him, which is. In almost every episode, Shawn faces what is ostensibly high-stakes danger with few real repercussions, so it’s a bit of a punch in the gut to see him suddenly face severe tangible consequences. It also reminds you how competent he is, despite the airs that he puts on to hide it. Plus, it’s a refreshing twist for the rest of the main cast, since they’re forced to solve the crime in Shawn’s absence. (Honorable mentions in a similar vein include 3.16 “An Evening With Mr. Yang” and 4.16 “Mr. Yin Presents…”; both are thrillingly high-stakes, but they’re also season finales, so the tone shift isn’t so abrupt or surprising.)
  • Community, multiple episodes: I hesitated to include these because they aren’t as gut-punchy as the others due to the show taking on serious storylines and playing with different formats so often to start with, but there are a few moments that take it to a different level. In particular, I think of 5.11 “G.I. Jeff” (absurd whiplash between the animated scenes and Jeff’s existential dread about turning 40, along with the final reveal that he’s been unconscious in a hospital bed for the entire episode following a supposedly accidental overdose) as well as 2.11 “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (claymation) or 2.6 “Epidemiology” (zombies???), both of which come early enough in the show that they stand out among the comparatively more grounded episodes of seasons 1-2.

I’m sure there are plenty more examples out there. What’s your favorite?