Sitcoms are often hilarious comfort shows that are guaranteed to lift the audience’s spirits and make them burst out laughing. However, thebest sitcomshave the ability to get serious with emotional and heartwrenching episodes. The moments of tragedy made the moments of levity and joy in the sitcoms feel more meaningful and added depth to the beloved characters.
Sitcoms that can make audiences laugh and cry are able to balance deeplysad and heartbreaking sitcom sceneswith joyous ones while maintaining the tone of the show. While the purpose of sitcoms is to amuse and entertain, the emotional episodes are the ones that are memorable and resonate with the audience. The saddest sitcom episodes address serious issues and have a profound emotional impact on the audiences.
10"Whenever You’re Ready" - The Good Place
Season 4, Episodes 13/14
The Good Placeis a well-crafted poignant comedy seriesthat follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a self-described “Arizona dirtbag”, after she’s accidentally sent to the titular Good Place in the afterlife and struggles to hide that she doesn’t belong. Over the course of the series, the sitcom examines the complexities of ethics, moral philosophy, and capitalism.
The Good Place,especially the fourth season, is filled with heavy and emotionally charged scenes that can bring tears to your eyes. However, the series finale ofThe Good Placetakes the cake as one of the most emotional episodes in sitcom history. In “Whenever You’re Ready,” audiences say goodbye to the beloved characters and witness the final arc of the characters' growth.
9"Crime And Punishment" - Roseanne
Season 5, Episode 13
Roseanneis a sitcom known for its realistic and groundedTV portrayal of a working-class family in America. The sitcom revolves around the antics of the Conner family, their relatives, and their loved ones. In “Crime and Punishment”, Roseanne discovers that her sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), is covered in bruises. When she pushes Jackie for an explanation, Roseanne learns that Jackie’s boyfriend, Fisher, assaulted her.
The heartwrenching episode diverges from the show’s typical hijinks to address the serious issue without losing the show’s comedic tone. Metcalf’s performance as Jackie is devastating to witness, as she attempts to justify the abuse inflicted upon her, blames herself for the domestic violence, and defends Fisher’s actions to her sister. The grounded depiction of the serious issue makes the episode one of the saddest inRoseanne.
8"Jurassic Bark" - Futurama
Season 4, Episode 7
Dog deaths are often the most tragic scenes in any movie or TV show, butFuturamaheightened the emotional devastation caused by the loss of a beloved pet in the episode “Jurassic Bark”.Futuramais ananimated science fiction sitcomthat follows Philip J. Fry (Billy West) after he’s cryogenically frozen for a thousand years and awakes on July 01, 2025. The episode “Jurassic Bark” follows Fry as he finds a fossilized version of his beloved dog Seymour and works to bring him back to life.
Fry decides against resurrecting the dog under the belief that Seymour moved on and had a joyful life after he disappeared, until the final scene of the episode reveals that Seymour never forgot Fry and waited for his beloved friend until he passed. The devastating episode is guaranteed to leave audiences in tears.
Season 6, Episode 13
How I Met Your Motherfollows Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his four closest friends as they navigate life New York. The episode “Bad News” follows the happily married couple Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) as they struggle to conceive and decide to consult a fertility expert. The entire episode builds up to the couple receiving bad news asHow I Met Your Mother’s “Bad News” counts downfrom 50 to 1 to the shocking end.
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How I Met Your Mother pulled off the sitcom’s most tragic twist by ensuring that no one, not even the show’s stars, knew what was coming next.
At the end of the episode, Marshall eagerly attempts to call his father and share the good news about the fertility test. However, Lily informs Marshall that his father Marvin Eriksen Sr. (Bill Fagerbakke) passed away after having a heart attack. Segel and Hannigan’s stellar acting as they depict the shock and grief being experienced is heartbreaking, and Marshall’s utterance, “I’m not ready for this” is guaranteed to make audiences weep.
6"Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse" - The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
Season 4, Episode 24
There is no shortage of emotionally heavyThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Airepisodes that deal with serious topics. The series stars Will Smith playing a fictionalized version of himself and follows him as a teenager after he moves from West Philadelphia to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle living in Bel-Air, Los Angeles.
In the episode “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse”, Will’s deadbeat father Lou Smith (Ben Vereen) returns after 14 years and attempts to reconnect with Will. Will’s tear-jerking emotional rant about how his father was never there for him ends with him weeping in Uncle Philip’s arms (James Avery). Will’s heartbreaking breakdown solidifies the episode’s status as one of the most memorable, iconic, andsaddest episodes ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
5"Goodbye" - 8 Simple Rules
Season 2, Episodes 4/5
8 Simple Rulesis a sitcom revolving around the Hennessy family. The episode “Goodbye” follows the family after the sudden and tragic death of their patriarch, Paul Hennessy (John Ritter). The sitcom decided to incorporate the death of the actor Ritter into the TV show, making the storyline and episode even more heartbreaking. Paul’s widowed wife and three children struggle to deal with the loss and say goodbye to the beloved family member.
Bridget’s (Kaley Cuoco) struggle with her guilt over her last words to her father being “I hate you” is heartwrenching to witness. The knowledge that the cast was also mourning the loss of Ritter and the depiction of the complexities of grief makes “Goodbye” one of the saddest sitcom episodes ever.
4“Bill Moves On” - NewsRadio
Season 5, Episode 1
NewsRadiois aworkplace comedy seriesrevolving around a news radio station staff working in New York City. TheNewsRadioepisode “Bill Moves On” is an authentic and mournful depiction of grief, as it marks the first episode following actor Phil Hartman’s tragic and sudden death. “Bill Moves On” follows the ensemble cast ofNewsRadioas they mourn the death of their friend and coworker Bill McNeal.
The episode follows the staff of WNYX as they process their grief following Bill’s funeral. Similarly to8 Simple Rules,the episode was made sadder with the knowledge that Hartman had passed away and that the actors were grieving the loss of their coworker. The sitcom’s genuine portrayal of grief and loss makes it a poignant and sad episode.
3"My Screw Up" - Scrubs
Season 3, Episode 14
The medical sitcomScrubsis filled with hilarity and tragedy, as the hospital setting makes death and grief impossible to avoid. The episode “My Screw Up” features a shocking and unforgivable plot twist that cements the show’s status as the perfect blend between slapstick comedy and emotionally heavy dramatic scenes. The episode follows Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) as he spends time with his best friend Ben Sullivan (Brendan Fraser) while preparing to throw a birthday party for his son.
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The heartbreaking and chilling revelation is that Dr. Cox has been imagining Ben. In reality, there was no birthday party, and Dr. Cox is heading towards Ben’s funeral. J.D. (Zach Braff) asking, “Where do you think we are?” is a haunting line that audiences can never forget. The tragic plot twist in “My Screw Up” makes it one of thesaddest episodes ofScrubs.
2"Ebbtide’s Revenge" - The Golden Girls
Season 6, Episode 12
The Golden Girlsis a sitcom that follows four older women living together in Florida as they navigate life. In the poignant episode “Ebbtide’s Revenge”, the mother-daughter duo of Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) and Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) deal with the grief after Phil, Sophia’s son and Dorothy’s brother, tragically passes away. Sophia struggles with her grief and her tumultuous relationship with her late son and his widow Angela (Brenda Vaccaro).
During a confrontation with Angela, Sophia reveals that she believed she failed her son and finally breaks down, expressing her heartbreak over the loss of her son. Getty’s moving performance is unforgettable, and her delivery of the line “My baby is gone” is guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes. The deeply sadThe Golden Girlsscene is guaranteed to break hearts.
1"Abyssinia, Henry" - MAS*H
Season 3, Episode 24
MAS*His a war comedy drama series that perfectly blends comedic moments with scenes that showcase the realities and tragedies of war. The episode revolves around Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) after he receives an honorable discharge and is set to return home.
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In a jaw-dropping plot twist, it is revealed in the final scene of the episode that the plane Blake was traveling on was shot down by enemy fire, and there were no survivors. Witnessing the team struggle with the news and proceed with their work is heartbreaking. While the sitcom is filled with tragic episodes and shocking deaths, the episode “Abyssinia, Henry” is still one of thesaddest episodes inMAS*Hand sitcoms as a whole.
