17 Sitcom Moments That Were So Dark, They Caught People Completely Off Guard

    Boy Meets World tackled a lot.

    Kelly Martinez
    by Kelly Martinez

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community which unexpectedly dark sitcom moments took them by surprise. Here are some of their responses:

    Warning: Spoilers ahead!

    Note: Some of the following contain mentions of suicide, sexual assault, pedophilia, racism, and other sensitive topics.

    1. On The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Will's dad left him again.

    Will says he'll be a better father than his dad ever was, breaks down
    ABC

    "It was gut-wrenching when Will asked, 'how come he don't want me?' Just heartbreaking."

    —visionaryghost74

    2. On Superstore, when Mateo was deported.

    Mateo says, "it's okay, it's over" and leaves with ICE while everyone watches
    NBC

    "Not only was that whole episode hard to watch, but it was so well written — from Dina realizing she failed him, to Cheyenne and Amy doing anything to help him, to the ICE truck driving away from the store. It was crushing."

    —g_bernie

    3. On Smart Guy, when T.J. and Melissa met a guy on the internet who turned out to be a pedophile.

    guy tells T.J. and Melissa they can come back to his basement any time they want, just not to tell their parents
    The WB

    —samanthanc821

    4. On The Golden Girls, when Sophia's friend Martha revealed that she was planning on killing herself.

    Martha: "I guess it's time to go, you'll hold my hand?"
    NBC

    "The episode really makes you wonder how many older people, who feel helpless and not in control of their own bodies, feel this way."

    —goldengirlsfan

    5. On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, when Terry was a victim of racial profiling in his own neighborhood.

    Terry says he wasn't a cop when he was stopped the other day, he was a Black man a "dangerous" Black man
    NBC

    "The cop in question refused to apologize, and Capt. Holt told Terry not to file a formal complaint."

    —murrays3

    6. On Diff'rent Strokes, when a bike store owner kidnapped Arnold and his friends (literal children), gave them wine, and tried to take advantage of them.

    bike store owner offers them wine and has them undress
    ABC

    —corahippiecraft

    7. On Boy Meets World, when Cory's mom gave birth prematurely and it was unknown if the baby would survive.

    Cory's dad says they don't know if the baby will survive
    ABC

    —colleend9

    8. On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, when Rosa had to respond to an active shooter situation.

    Captain Holt hears Rosa on dispatch
    NBC

    "I was on the verge of tears and practically held my breath for the entire episode."

    —sophie_molly

    9. On The Facts of Life, when one of Blair's classmates killed herself.

    the girls hear the news of Cynthia's death
    NBC

    "The speech Mrs. Garret gave at the end was heartbreaking."

    —stephanih4345b5dfd

    10. On All in the Family, when Gloria had a miscarriage.

    Gloria says she "didn't do a very good job"
    CBS

    "It’s still somewhat taboo to talk about that on a sitcom even now, but it was unprecedented in the '70s. It didn’t shy away from exploring all the feelings of grief and guilt that the Bunkers were feeling."

    —hailcthulhu

    11. On Boy Meets World, when Topanga's professor made inappropriate sexual advances toward her.

    Stuart tells Topanaga he finds her attractive and they're "going to get to know each other better"
    ABC

    —jennieyfriends

    12. On Full House, when D.J. tried to starve herself to lose weight for a pool party.

    D.J. says she wants to look like models
    ABC

    "That episode aired in 1990 and is still relevant today."

    —egc26

    13. On Growing Pains, when Carol's boyfriend drove drunk and died.

    Carol finds out Sandy died, she says that's "impossible"
    ABC

    —shawnnag2

    14. On Friends, when Monica and Chandler found out that they were unable to have kids.

    Chandler says Monica is "a mother without a baby"
    NBC

    —msjsa

    15. On That's So Raven, when Raven had a vision that the store owner wouldn't hire her because she's Black.

    "The truth is, I don't hire Black people"
    Disney

    "It was the most powerful TV episode I ever saw as a child."

    —cherylzimberg

    16. On Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, when Rebecca attempted suicide on the plane.

    Rebecca sees the "help" sign flashing on the plane as she overdoses, "I need help"
    The CW

    "The show dealt with a lot of mental health issues, that episode was so heavy compared to the show's usually upbeat tone."

    —p46bf3ddf0

    17. And finally, the ending of M*A*S*H, when it was revealed that the "chicken" was actually a baby.

    CBS

    —ashcsaw

    Got a dark sitcom moment that didn't make this list? Tell us in the comments.

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.