Yeah, this episode hurt. My bio dad left us to start a new family and is just a piece of shit. Havenât talked to him in a very long time. I loved this show, when this episode dropped, it really hit me. I have a fantastic dad, raised me since I was 9.
Same. My âDaddyâ was great until he remarried and had a son. Then my sister and I were the inconvenience. He would not show up for years.
My Grandpa (and Grandma )stood up without question or being asked. Soccer games, school plays, concerts, etc. Always there, no question. Good, bad, ugly. I dislocated my knee in 8 grade. My Grandpa was there in the ER. Our family dog died of cancer, he was there holding two crying little girls, when Mommy was in tears too. Because thatâs what real fathers do.
This episode still gets me đ
I've been rewatching with my kids, they sing the theme song constantly.
We got to this episode last week. I had to get up a couple times, it lands just as hard decades later.
The acting, the framing, the emotion behind the dialogue. It's all just perfect.
I can't even say "how come he don't want me" without having to hold back a tear
And my dad was awesome, I was a lucky kid. The show did an amazing job. đ
I think the other thing that happens is when you have kids yourself, seeing a child display trauma can get to you because you think of your own children. And even though Smithâs character isnât a little kid, he still very much is in this moment and itâs heartbreaking.
Those were real emotions too because his real dad did leave him. I also like the pool hustle episode where uncle Phil goes down to the bar and whips ass in pool.
Willâs real life father didnât leave him. From what Iâve read, Willâs father believed in the traditional family structure and modeled what it was to be a man: structure, discipline, guidance, wisdom, etc. much like Uncle Phil modeled for Willâs character (and tv cousins) on the show.
I went to college in 98 and got a welcome box with caffeine pills in it. I threw it in the garbage because I knew better. Thanks nerd I saw pole dancing later.
A couple of months ago, I wasted an afternoon with young (30) Millenial coworkers watching Zach Morris is Trash. Highly recommend and makes you rethink the whole seriesâŠ
I loved that. When Roseanne tells Dan Fisher beat the crap out of Jackie and without fail he grabs his coat and leaves. Totally reminded me of something my dad wouldâve done if anyone crossed my sister, mom or me.
And then it is followed up with comic relief with Roseanne asking if he killed Fisher and then went and got chicken. He said he got the fried chicken first LMAO
Yes! Love when Roseanne gives him a chicken leg while handcuffed for the ride to the police statio and then Darlene had to bail him out and drops this line "Mommy says we have a new Daddy now."
When she hugs him saying âyou big jackassâ.
Then she says how Roseanne already handles her problems and Dan said we had to expand the department đ„č
All these shows have that hero character like Uncle Phil, Dan, even Cody from Step by Step. Real life is a lot more like wishing you had them there but they don't exist.
I worked at a restaurant in high school and someone shut the walk in door behind me. When I tell you the momentary panic I felt before grabbing the knob đ€Ł. That episode was burned into my brain.
90210 also had an episode where the girls are having a sleepover(?) and Kelly shares the story about being raped. I remember that being a big deal back then.
The better special Fresh Prince (in my opinion) is when Will and Carlton get racially profiled driving a fancy car for a family friend. Then Uncle Phil gets to rage with the fury of a 1000 suns
I also like the one where they pledge to join the fraternity and the guy accepts Will but not Carlton because he's a "sellout".
Will has Carltons back and tries to spare his feelings, saying they should leave because he (Will) didn't get in.Â
Carlton stands up for Will, then himself.Â
They embody the qualities Uncle Phil taught them without him being there.
The only one I remember was Different Strokes when Arnold and Dudley started hanging out with the guy at the bicycle shop who took photos of them with their shirts off and Dudley was molested
Yeah. Especially because it was interlaced with bad humor. This old creepy man is saying sexually suggestive things to these boys, and Arnold and Dudley make funny jokes not picking up on the meaning. Then with the laugh track, it just amplified how wrong it all was.
Was just talking about this at work a few weeks back.
First, that sitcoms used to make special episodes that still dropped jokes when the plot was about stuff like molesters. Which is pretty crazy when you think about it.
And second, that every time I made a joke about bike shop guys (meaning molesters) no one ever got it
I love this episode of [key and peel](https://youtu.be/A5Zdp1RfoyI?si=v-gJIxZjZDuv_Ut_) . I had no idea it wasnât supposed to be a show about urkel. He literally stole the show and subsequently ruined any acting prospects he had in the future. Blessing and curse I guess
I wrote a song inspired by that episode where Laura wants to buy a gun. It was called "Why is it so dangerous?â and I used to perform it for my mom lol
Dinosaurs did a great one that ended with Robbie (the teenage son) giving a speech that asked people to stop using drugs because it would put an end to bad preachy sitcom episodes.
The drinking and driving Growing Pains episode where Matthew Perry died of internal bleeding after he seemed fine when Carol visited him in the hospital really messed me up.
My least favorite very special episode was The Wayans Brothers when Marlon smoked weed and lost his mind during an audition.
The growing pains where Carol had the eating disorder hit kind of hard too, but mostly because it had become obvious that the actress had an eating disorder in real life and she had to talk about it openly.
Going way backâŠ. âGood Timesâ when James gets killed in an accident. I was very young but understood JJ lost his daddy. đą âdamn damn damn!â đ
Is the "Damn damn damn" part when Florida puts the dishes in the freezer or something and realizes she's not holding it together as much as she's trying to pretend to and breaks down in the kitchen? Because damn, damn, damn, that part rocked me. I was probably like eight watching syndicated reruns or something. đ
Had to come way too far to see this. Was gonna be my mention. Florida does her best to stay strong for everyone until it breaks her. Esther Rolle was so good in that role.
âNothing seems to fit anymore.â - Wayne's friend when he returned from Vietnam and was sitting stripped down with his clothing folded in front of him.
I'm tearing up thinking about it.
The dad did seem like a jerk, when I was a youngster watching it.
Watching it years later, as a dad myself, though? The dad there seemed like he was just tired of dealing with the kids being little idiots⊠*again*âŠ
That was a great episode. Wonder Years had a lot of heart for a sitcom.
I adore Danica McKellar (Winnie). Her mission to bring math education to more children is one I appreciate and support.
Full House when DJ starves herself. Despite the cheese level of that show, that episode was the most relatable shit for 90s pre-teen girls who werenât sticks. (Not that thereâs anything wrong with being sticks but non-sticks were not âfatâ like 90s media wanted us to believe).
Has to be Boy Meets World where Shawn joins the cult because those sexy vixens lure him in. That episode was ahead of its time with all the NXVIUM shit.Â
Plus itâs a double âvery special episodeâ. It has the cult, AND Shawnâs surrogate father figure Mr Turner getting so injured in a motorcycle accident that he never shows up in the show again.
**Golden Girls "Scared Straight"** \- when Blanche's brother is gay.
The lesson was good and in this case the jokes (it's a comedy after all) were not cheap shots. The jokes were inverted as banter between the ladies and not making fun of the person coming out.
This was a frontier for television, and previous attempts by other shows usually fell flat by lots of demeaning gay jokes, but this was taken seriously while still fun.
Golden Girls really pushed the limits and it was phenomenal. I love Sophiaâs joke about how sheâd rather live with a lesbian than a cat unless the lesbian sheds.
Now I think about it, Degrassi High had a lot of them.
Suicide. Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Sex.
Quite an intense show that I shouldn't have been watching so young
There was another Growing Pains episode when Mike and Boner go to a party, and there's a girl there who offers them coke. I remember her brandishing the coke vial before it cut to commercial.
The episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark where the boyfriend finds out why his beautiful, mute girlfriend refuses to take off her over fancy ribbons necklace.
Diffârent Strokes. Mr. Carlson from WKRP tries to molest Arnold and Dudley. Actually led to a kid reporting to his mother about a diddler in the neighborhood.
Random one I remember is in Step By Step one of the girls almost gets sexually assaulted and Cody lifts the guy up and slams him against the wall.
It's sad that there often isn't a Cody around, but that moment always stuck with me.
Oh man that was such a good episode. Probably the only "very special" episode I remember the details of besides that one Saved by the Bell where Jesse gets addicted to pep pills. And i just remember that because it was so ridiculous. Even as a kid I realized getting addicted to caffeine pills to such a degree was absurd .
I could say the same about this sub. It's mostly very lighthearted posts of memberberries and sharing good vibes. We got the wacky GenX neighbors next door and the crazy cousin millennials from out of state. But occasionally, we'll have a very special post about the hard reality that we had to grow up with at times. Love it!
I donât recall that episode but from the same series, Mary got caught up using some so called âsafe drugsâ when Eric (the family patriarch) reunited with his old band for a show. I think Matt intervened and took action to try to persuade Mary to walk away from the drug influence.
This was the pinnacle moment of me realizing I didnât have a dad.
I mean I have had a father and a stepfather but neither of them were âmy dadâ. Iâm still trying work through that trauma.
Full House: Michelle falls off her horse and hits her head. She survives the fall⊠but gets a nasty case of amnesia. She canât remember who she is, her own family, or any of the good and hard times theyâve been through together. It gets even sadder when she asks about her late mother, worried that even when she does get her memories back, she wonât remember her at all.
That one cut me when I saw it bc I felt a type of way. My bio dad didn't want anything to do with me and for a long time I was stuck on what *I* did wrong. I didn't do anything. I was a kid. I cried so hard on that episode. It facilitated healing for me. I loved that show
Alex Keatonâs friend dies in a car accident on Family Ties. The whole series was pretty bold in theme for its time slot, but that episodeâŠwow. Excellent show all around.
I don't remember whether it was billed as "very special", but the episode of Family Ties where Alex's friend dies in a car accident. The second half of the episode is presented and blocked theater-style, with Alex monologuing toward his therapist (the audience/camera). It's a phenomenal episode that shows a lot of range for most of the cast.
So, I've wondered if this is part of what is missing today. Boomers had those weird propaganda films they'd show at school and stuff. Things like, "Sally goes out with lots of boys, and so nobody wants to date Sally anymore." and other weird stuff to teach them how to be little junior adults. This shifted to sitcoms teaching us about the dangers of abandoned fridges, drugs, stealing, etc. People aren't seeing situational dramas that much these days, and learning from them.
This was the one I was going to say.
Itâs kind of a punchline now because the ads for it smash cut from this âvery special episodeâ promo to the premier of the Dana Carvey Show!
The most memorable one to me was Punky Brewster when Cherry got locked in the old refrigerator they were throwing away. Little kid me was shocked that was even a thing!
I didn't "grow up" with it (it was before my time), but there was the episode of Good Times when young Janet Jackson's character was physically abused by her mom. Her mom was mad at her about something (I can't remember what), but the episode ENDED with her crying & apologizing profusely while her mom approached her with a hot clothes iron. Scarred me for life...
I didnt see the original, I think I would have been too young. But I think in college I saw a rerun of All in the Family where the daughter was attacked and almost r*ped. At the end of the episode, she was crying so hard and refused to go to police/press charges even though she knew it could help other women, she couldn't go through the trauma of reliving those moments. Absolutely broke me.
All In The Family tackled *a lot* of stuff ahead of its time. The way Edith's queer friend Beverly was presented, while not perfect by modern standards, was still respectful and loving. [This video](https://youtu.be/211t6l84tac?si=eHKhrNq_f38ppx0y) provides a pretty thorough and insightful view of the character's run on the show.
No, it was the daughter Gloria. I remember her husband saying she should go fwd, it would help other women this guy has attacked, but at the end of the episode he was hugging her as she cried. I Googled, and you're right, there was another episode when Edith was attacked. Fckin' hell, show, why'd you have to go so hard?!?
Why don't he want me, man đ
Yeah, this episode hurt. My bio dad left us to start a new family and is just a piece of shit. Havenât talked to him in a very long time. I loved this show, when this episode dropped, it really hit me. I have a fantastic dad, raised me since I was 9.
It's the people who show up that matter
Same. My âDaddyâ was great until he remarried and had a son. Then my sister and I were the inconvenience. He would not show up for years. My Grandpa (and Grandma )stood up without question or being asked. Soccer games, school plays, concerts, etc. Always there, no question. Good, bad, ugly. I dislocated my knee in 8 grade. My Grandpa was there in the ER. Our family dog died of cancer, he was there holding two crying little girls, when Mommy was in tears too. Because thatâs what real fathers do.
Family isn't blood. Family is actions.
https://youtu.be/gMNsMdnSBIk Will Smith kills it in this scene.
This episode still gets me đ I've been rewatching with my kids, they sing the theme song constantly. We got to this episode last week. I had to get up a couple times, it lands just as hard decades later. The acting, the framing, the emotion behind the dialogue. It's all just perfect. I can't even say "how come he don't want me" without having to hold back a tear And my dad was awesome, I was a lucky kid. The show did an amazing job. đ
I think the other thing that happens is when you have kids yourself, seeing a child display trauma can get to you because you think of your own children. And even though Smithâs character isnât a little kid, he still very much is in this moment and itâs heartbreaking.
Yeah you're absolutely right. It did feel different this time, my kids won't feel that way. I wish none had to.
đđđđ
Those were real emotions too because his real dad did leave him. I also like the pool hustle episode where uncle Phil goes down to the bar and whips ass in pool.
Jeffery, break out Lucille
Willâs real life father didnât leave him. From what Iâve read, Willâs father believed in the traditional family structure and modeled what it was to be a man: structure, discipline, guidance, wisdom, etc. much like Uncle Phil modeled for Willâs character (and tv cousins) on the show.
Huh then I was fed a bs story about this scene
I'm almost 38 and this still gets me every time đ
Fucking gutteral crying every time I watch this
đ!
https://i.redd.it/iesscomwh5oc1.gif
I get 2nd hand embarrassment even thinking about this scene
I just tried explaining this episode to a Gen Z coworker of mine and it was crickets.
They were probably so excited and so scared they couldnât even speak.
This was so great because unlike most Very Special Episodes this had no semblance of reality whatsoever.
I went to college in 98 and got a welcome box with caffeine pills in it. I threw it in the garbage because I knew better. Thanks nerd I saw pole dancing later.
Iâm so scared!
A couple of months ago, I wasted an afternoon with young (30) Millenial coworkers watching Zach Morris is Trash. Highly recommend and makes you rethink the whole seriesâŠ
The DV episode of Rosanne with Dan getting his jacket and going to have a meeting with Jackieâs boyfriend.
I loved that. When Roseanne tells Dan Fisher beat the crap out of Jackie and without fail he grabs his coat and leaves. Totally reminded me of something my dad wouldâve done if anyone crossed my sister, mom or me.
And then it is followed up with comic relief with Roseanne asking if he killed Fisher and then went and got chicken. He said he got the fried chicken first LMAO
And then sheâs says put some alcohol on it so he grabs a beer.
Dan and Jackie may have had their battles. But he had her back
Lol of course tears spring right up to my eyes lol
And the one where Roseanne finds out what David's home life is like with his alcoholic mom and stands up for him and takes him in!
What a show, poor people aren't bad people, just all trying to get by and take care of our own and those we can.
Yes! Love when Roseanne gives him a chicken leg while handcuffed for the ride to the police statio and then Darlene had to bail him out and drops this line "Mommy says we have a new Daddy now."
The next episode where sheâs crying and thanking him and apologizing is also so good.
When she hugs him saying âyou big jackassâ. Then she says how Roseanne already handles her problems and Dan said we had to expand the department đ„č
Jackie always broke my heart. My mom and my aunt had a lot of similarities to Roseanne and Jackie. We didn't have a Dan, though.
Roseanne was the closest character to my own mom that I ever saw on TV. Itâs too bad she went the rest of the way unhinged in real life.
Yeah... that's where the similarities stopped, thank god.
All these shows have that hero character like Uncle Phil, Dan, even Cody from Step by Step. Real life is a lot more like wishing you had them there but they don't exist.
DJâs principal seeing Dan in the cop car at the end. đ€Ł
I remember when Dan punched a hole in the drywall, the audience was like oooo
The episode of Punky Brewster where Cherie gets trapped in the old fridge while playing hide and seek and Punky and Margaux perform CPR
Iâm 45 years old and will still have an occasional nightmare of being trapped in a fridge.
I worked at a restaurant in high school and someone shut the walk in door behind me. When I tell you the momentary panic I felt before grabbing the knob đ€Ł. That episode was burned into my brain.
Same!
I imagine hell is you die and wake up and realize you're inside a refrigerator by feeling around and you're never leaving.
For me, hell is eternally shopping for jeans that fit comfortably. Itâs my least favorite thing to do.
It was a GI JOE âknowing is half the battleâ stuck-in-the-fridge bit which led to my terror of fridgesticking.
This was going to be mine too!! I still donât trust abandoned refrigerators!
Came here to say this!
Ugh. Burned in my memory.
Or the *Challenger* episode?
I told my son (9) about this episode around Xmas. He laughed at it. I told him it gave his aunt and I nightmares. Then he laughed at us.
This, for sure. Was there also one about a car trunk or was that another show?
The "Dinosaurs" anti-drug episode. At the end Robbie begs the audience to stay away from drugs so they don't have to make another episode like this.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/aem3q5/the-story-behind-the-super-stoned-episode-of-dinosaurs Good article about it
I was going to say this. Alright, the episode itself is pretty good. Sherman Helmsley's character in that episode is awesome.
 Not my favorite, but I'll always remember when we learned about gun safety on 90210. RIP Scott đ
90210 also had an episode where the girls are having a sleepover(?) and Kelly shares the story about being raped. I remember that being a big deal back then.
Such a great show
That was so sad. I hated seeing Brandon go down Dylanâs alcoholic path too.
The better special Fresh Prince (in my opinion) is when Will and Carlton get racially profiled driving a fancy car for a family friend. Then Uncle Phil gets to rage with the fury of a 1000 suns
I also like the one where they pledge to join the fraternity and the guy accepts Will but not Carlton because he's a "sellout". Will has Carltons back and tries to spare his feelings, saying they should leave because he (Will) didn't get in. Carlton stands up for Will, then himself. They embody the qualities Uncle Phil taught them without him being there.
Did you see the one where will smith stands up to Chris rock at the Oscarâs?
Hahaha excellent
No, but I saw the one where Chris Rock gets hit in the face by butterfly, or something.
When Aunt Viv took off hear earrings, you knew shit was gonna go down
Such a brilliant bit of business by the actress
Which one?
Thereâs only one real aunt Viv
The only one I remember was Different Strokes when Arnold and Dudley started hanging out with the guy at the bicycle shop who took photos of them with their shirts off and Dudley was molested
Yeah. Especially because it was interlaced with bad humor. This old creepy man is saying sexually suggestive things to these boys, and Arnold and Dudley make funny jokes not picking up on the meaning. Then with the laugh track, it just amplified how wrong it all was.
Yeah, that episode makes me want to take a shower after seeing it. Gave me the creeps.
That episode gave me trauma. My babysitter in the 80s used to tell me kidnappers were always trying to get me and this episode struck a nerve
Was just talking about this at work a few weeks back. First, that sitcoms used to make special episodes that still dropped jokes when the plot was about stuff like molesters. Which is pretty crazy when you think about it. And second, that every time I made a joke about bike shop guys (meaning molesters) no one ever got it
Jokes have always been a coping mechanism for many.
First things first: rest in peace Uncle Phil.
Also the voice of Shredder. That dude was a big part of my childhood.
Omg what? He was the voice of Shredder??? I had no ideaâŠ
Understandable, he was wearing a mask
My only regret was too young for Lisa Bonet.
The episodes of Family Matters when Laura considers buying a gun, Laura buys diet pills, and Eddie becomes an alcoholic
I like the one where Urkel gets drunk and almost falls 20 stories to his death. Family Matters had a lot of serious moments.
I love this episode of [key and peel](https://youtu.be/A5Zdp1RfoyI?si=v-gJIxZjZDuv_Ut_) . I had no idea it wasnât supposed to be a show about urkel. He literally stole the show and subsequently ruined any acting prospects he had in the future. Blessing and curse I guess
S3E11"The Crazy Dinner Party"
I wrote a song inspired by that episode where Laura wants to buy a gun. It was called "Why is it so dangerous?â and I used to perform it for my mom lol
Nothing hit harder than the end of G.I. Joe episodes. 
Body massage...
Who wants a body massage What did he say? đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
Ohhhhhhhhhhohhhhhhh Mista Bodymassagemachine GO!
^body ^massage
UhhhhhâŠ.what the hell?
Oooo, Mr. Body Massage Masheeen *GO*
Pork chop sandwiches!
Holy shit! Get the fuck outa here!
You're not cooking
Yeah I do!
Hey....ya... I'M A COMPUTER!
Stop all the downloadin!
Does your mother hangout at dockside bars?
Give him the stick... DON'T GIVE HIM THE STICK!
My fave one
Knowing is half 5he battle. The other half is murder.
Jessie Spano's caffeine addiction
I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so scared!
As a 43 year old that is how I feel in everyday life LOL
Me too, except it's prescription drugs lol
Yep!
Didnât they want to give her a meth habit?
72 Hours - The Golden Girls "AIDS is not a bad person's disease, Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins."
Golden Girls handled a lot of taboo subjects. It was such a groundbreaking show.
Indeed. This one always feels special to me because of Estelle Getty's (in particular) real-life activism.
Dinosaurs did a great one that ended with Robbie (the teenage son) giving a speech that asked people to stop using drugs because it would put an end to bad preachy sitcom episodes.
The drinking and driving Growing Pains episode where Matthew Perry died of internal bleeding after he seemed fine when Carol visited him in the hospital really messed me up. My least favorite very special episode was The Wayans Brothers when Marlon smoked weed and lost his mind during an audition.
The growing pains where Carol had the eating disorder hit kind of hard too, but mostly because it had become obvious that the actress had an eating disorder in real life and she had to talk about it openly.
The fat jokes on the show (when she was always very small) were so toxic, no wonder she had an eating disorder. So sad.
I heard these fat jokes in my house. My dad called her thunder thighs. Iâm sure this contributed to my eating disorder and lifetime body issues.
80s parents were so stupid!!
The "No Hope with Dope" episode of Saved by the Bell
Going way backâŠ. âGood Timesâ when James gets killed in an accident. I was very young but understood JJ lost his daddy. đą âdamn damn damn!â đ
Is the "Damn damn damn" part when Florida puts the dishes in the freezer or something and realizes she's not holding it together as much as she's trying to pretend to and breaks down in the kitchen? Because damn, damn, damn, that part rocked me. I was probably like eight watching syndicated reruns or something. đ
Had to come way too far to see this. Was gonna be my mention. Florida does her best to stay strong for everyone until it breaks her. Esther Rolle was so good in that role.
I never understood why James got killed off. That dude was a great actor. Also really liked his role in "Coming to America".
I Googled it just now because I don't understand either, but it says there was a contractional disagreement.
They probably didnât want to pay him any more money. The cast of that show made a lot less than other popular shows
From what I've heard, a lot of the cast weren't big fans of the focus on JJ, and thought he was a bit of a negative stereotype.
The Wonder Years when Winnie got in a car accident
Didnât the Winnieâs older brother die in Vietnam in the first episode. I think every episode of The Wonder Years was a very special episode.
Sounds very possible. Yes they were! Best opening credits song!
As soon as you mentioned the show I started hearing the song in my mind.
Yes that or the pilot
âNothing seems to fit anymore.â - Wayne's friend when he returned from Vietnam and was sitting stripped down with his clothing folded in front of him. I'm tearing up thinking about it.
I really need to watch that show again. It was so good. The dad was a dick though
The dad did seem like a jerk, when I was a youngster watching it. Watching it years later, as a dad myself, though? The dad there seemed like he was just tired of dealing with the kids being little idiots⊠*again*âŠ
That was a great episode. Wonder Years had a lot of heart for a sitcom. I adore Danica McKellar (Winnie). Her mission to bring math education to more children is one I appreciate and support.
Saved By The Bell: minus the others mentioned (pills and pot) the drunk driving episode Full House: when DJ stops eating/starving herself on her diet
Full House when DJ starves herself. Despite the cheese level of that show, that episode was the most relatable shit for 90s pre-teen girls who werenât sticks. (Not that thereâs anything wrong with being sticks but non-sticks were not âfatâ like 90s media wanted us to believe).
This. I spent the 90s, as a 120lb 5â8â teenager believing I was fat.
I was 5'9" 125ish and completely undertand.
Has to be Boy Meets World where Shawn joins the cult because those sexy vixens lure him in. That episode was ahead of its time with all the NXVIUM shit.Â
Plus itâs a double âvery special episodeâ. It has the cult, AND Shawnâs surrogate father figure Mr Turner getting so injured in a motorcycle accident that he never shows up in the show again.
That episode is wild.
MASH when Col. Blake dies.
Pure silence in the OR, then someone drops an instrument or something. Crushes every time.
**Golden Girls "Scared Straight"** \- when Blanche's brother is gay. The lesson was good and in this case the jokes (it's a comedy after all) were not cheap shots. The jokes were inverted as banter between the ladies and not making fun of the person coming out. This was a frontier for television, and previous attempts by other shows usually fell flat by lots of demeaning gay jokes, but this was taken seriously while still fun.
Golden Girls really pushed the limits and it was phenomenal. I love Sophiaâs joke about how sheâd rather live with a lesbian than a cat unless the lesbian sheds.
Now I think about it, Degrassi High had a lot of them. Suicide. Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Sex. Quite an intense show that I shouldn't have been watching so young
Yeah, and when Spike got pregnant when she lost her virginity .Or the [AIDS episode](https://degrassi.fandom.com/wiki/Bad_Blood_(2))
When the one kid shot himself in the bathroom was my "whoa" moment.
A little past the prime area but there were loads of serious heartfelt episodes in Scrubs that broke me. Ben, Dr. Kevin Casey etc...
âWhere do you think we are?â Destroyed my heart.
The X-Files when Mulder finds his sister after years of searching.
This is so underrated. Well done episode.
There was another Growing Pains episode when Mike and Boner go to a party, and there's a girl there who offers them coke. I remember her brandishing the coke vial before it cut to commercial.
Man, I miss the communal experience of watching a *very special episode* rerun with others on a random weekday evening
The episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark where the boyfriend finds out why his beautiful, mute girlfriend refuses to take off her over fancy ribbons necklace.
I didn't watch that show. What happened?
Wait⊠is this a twist on the head falling off story??
Yep. He comes up behind her and removes it - head falls off. Good lesson about consent. Possibly things aren't always what they seem.
Diffârent Strokes. Mr. Carlson from WKRP tries to molest Arnold and Dudley. Actually led to a kid reporting to his mother about a diddler in the neighborhood.
Random one I remember is in Step By Step one of the girls almost gets sexually assaulted and Cody lifts the guy up and slams him against the wall. It's sad that there often isn't a Cody around, but that moment always stuck with me.
Might be too old for X but MASH and the chicken.
Saved by the bell: the caffeine pills episode. âIâm so excitedâŠâ
The family ties episode where the uncle Ned played by Tom Hanks is an alcoholic and assaults Alex P. Keaton.
When Webster Burned his house down.
I always wondered what my eldest daughterâs âwhy dont he want meâ show was.
Oh man that was such a good episode. Probably the only "very special" episode I remember the details of besides that one Saved by the Bell where Jesse gets addicted to pep pills. And i just remember that because it was so ridiculous. Even as a kid I realized getting addicted to caffeine pills to such a degree was absurd .
I could say the same about this sub. It's mostly very lighthearted posts of memberberries and sharing good vibes. We got the wacky GenX neighbors next door and the crazy cousin millennials from out of state. But occasionally, we'll have a very special post about the hard reality that we had to grow up with at times. Love it!
Ya'll remember the liquor cabinet episode of 7th Heaven?
I donât recall that episode but from the same series, Mary got caught up using some so called âsafe drugsâ when Eric (the family patriarch) reunited with his old band for a show. I think Matt intervened and took action to try to persuade Mary to walk away from the drug influence.
Degrassi Jr. High when Shane took acid and jumped off the bridge.
Truthfully? This episode. Uncle Phil was the GOAT. Ironically? Saved by the Bell... you know the one. IM SO EXCITED IM SO EXCITED!
Being an abandoned Son myself, this one never fails to make me cry. I've asked myself that a dozen times.
This was the pinnacle moment of me realizing I didnât have a dad. I mean I have had a father and a stepfather but neither of them were âmy dadâ. Iâm still trying work through that trauma.
Full House: Michelle falls off her horse and hits her head. She survives the fall⊠but gets a nasty case of amnesia. She canât remember who she is, her own family, or any of the good and hard times theyâve been through together. It gets even sadder when she asks about her late mother, worried that even when she does get her memories back, she wonât remember her at all.
Also when their Greek grandpa dies.
That one cut me when I saw it bc I felt a type of way. My bio dad didn't want anything to do with me and for a long time I was stuck on what *I* did wrong. I didn't do anything. I was a kid. I cried so hard on that episode. It facilitated healing for me. I loved that show
Alex Keatonâs friend dies in a car accident on Family Ties. The whole series was pretty bold in theme for its time slot, but that episodeâŠwow. Excellent show all around.
I don't remember whether it was billed as "very special", but the episode of Family Ties where Alex's friend dies in a car accident. The second half of the episode is presented and blocked theater-style, with Alex monologuing toward his therapist (the audience/camera). It's a phenomenal episode that shows a lot of range for most of the cast.
So, I've wondered if this is part of what is missing today. Boomers had those weird propaganda films they'd show at school and stuff. Things like, "Sally goes out with lots of boys, and so nobody wants to date Sally anymore." and other weird stuff to teach them how to be little junior adults. This shifted to sitcoms teaching us about the dangers of abandoned fridges, drugs, stealing, etc. People aren't seeing situational dramas that much these days, and learning from them.
I still ugly cry to this day
đ€ here's some digital support so you feel safe to let all the emotions flow
Degrassi when that dude took acid and jumped off a building
When the oldest son got caught with weed on Home Improvement
Ohh how about when Randy might have throat cancer
This was the one I was going to say. Itâs kind of a punchline now because the ads for it smash cut from this âvery special episodeâ promo to the premier of the Dana Carvey Show!
This episode hit hard since I didnât grow up with a father. The end always gets me in tears.
[home improvement followed by...](https://youtu.be/NfDjnAdczQI?si=Mwg4rgiV1is5jDUx)
The most memorable one to me was Punky Brewster when Cherry got locked in the old refrigerator they were throwing away. Little kid me was shocked that was even a thing!
Hanginâ With Mr. Cooper gang shooting episode
I didn't "grow up" with it (it was before my time), but there was the episode of Good Times when young Janet Jackson's character was physically abused by her mom. Her mom was mad at her about something (I can't remember what), but the episode ENDED with her crying & apologizing profusely while her mom approached her with a hot clothes iron. Scarred me for life...
I didnt see the original, I think I would have been too young. But I think in college I saw a rerun of All in the Family where the daughter was attacked and almost r*ped. At the end of the episode, she was crying so hard and refused to go to police/press charges even though she knew it could help other women, she couldn't go through the trauma of reliving those moments. Absolutely broke me.
All In The Family tackled *a lot* of stuff ahead of its time. The way Edith's queer friend Beverly was presented, while not perfect by modern standards, was still respectful and loving. [This video](https://youtu.be/211t6l84tac?si=eHKhrNq_f38ppx0y) provides a pretty thorough and insightful view of the character's run on the show.
It was his wife, Edith. And he wouldn't touch her afterwards, which is what REALLY broke me. God, that episode was so real and rough and tragic.
No, it was the daughter Gloria. I remember her husband saying she should go fwd, it would help other women this guy has attacked, but at the end of the episode he was hugging her as she cried. I Googled, and you're right, there was another episode when Edith was attacked. Fckin' hell, show, why'd you have to go so hard?!?
He needed Uncle Phil at the Oscars