Top 10 Most Unhinged Sitcom Moments

Top 10 Unhinged Sitcom Moments

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Unhinged Sitcom Moments.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the wildest shenanigans our favorite sitcom characters have ever gotten themselves into. If we missed any of your favorite bonkers moments, let us know in the comments below.

#10: Jack Goes to Heaven
“Will & Grace” (1998-2006; 2017-20)

Ah, the age-old question – is Cher really God? We’re inclined to say yes – and so was Jack in the “Will & Grace” season four finale. After being rejected from yet another audition, Jack starts to have a real crisis of faith when it comes to his acting career. He decides to quit altogether, but then suddenly suffers a head injury. Who should come to him while he’s knocked out cold? Why, Cher, of course. In this bizarre dream, Cher encourages Jack to not give up so quickly. When he awakens, he takes her advice. She is Cher after all.

#9: The Hockey Rink Entrance
“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15)

Leave it to Tom to drop the ball and cause a kerfuffle as wacky as this. During Leslie’s run for office in season four of “Parks and Recreation,” the team bands together to try and help her win. April books the venue, Tom brings the red carpet, and everyone gathers the makings for a perfect rally. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Turns out, April’s venue is a hockey rink, Leslie’s supplies are missing, and Tom’s red carpet doesn’t make it all the way across the ice to the podium which makes for a downright hysterical feat of physical comedy. Gloria Estefan’s “Get on Your Feet” might just be the best song choice for a scene, ever.

#8: Princess Leia
“30 Rock” (2006-13)

When it comes to sitcom characters, Liz Lemon is the definition of unhinged. But, what makes her antics so funny is just how relatable they are. So is the case with her Princess Leia bit. When Liz gets called for jury duty, she tries everything in her wheelhouse to get out of it, including trying to make herself seem bonkers so that she might be excused. Apparently, the court doesn’t mind having Princess Leia on the jury, however, and Liz still has to serve. That’s a court case we’d travel galaxies to see.

#7: Sabotaging Cece’s Wedding
“New Girl” (2011-18)

If you’re a fan of “New Girl,” you know that Winston loves a good prank. Combine that with Schmidt’s everlasting love for Cece, and you’ve got a wild sabotage plot afoot. On the day of Cece’s wedding to Shivrang, Schmidt believes Cece doesn’t actually want to get married and recruits Nick and Winston for help in his plan to derail the event. Nick initially refuses, but it doesn’t take much arm twisting for Winston to agree. These crazy kids do everything they can think of to ruin this wedding. They replace the music with “Cotton Eyed Joe,” they use an air horn to scare the horse, and then there’s the whole badger incident. Luckily for them, Cece didn’t want to go through with things anyway.

#6: Accidental Accomplice
“Schitt’s Creek” (2015-20)

Leave it to Moira to make another man’s death all about her. When Stevie discovers a man’s body in one of the motel’s rooms, the group has to figure out what to do. Instead of helping, Moira starts to panic. She tells David that the night before the man died, she saw him in the hall and he asked her for a painkiller. She had some, but didn’t want to share, so she told the man no. When she found out he was dead, she inexplicably came to the conclusion that it must be her fault. Not only is this a pretty wild jump to make, but bringing David into it only turns him into an unwitting accomplice. Things are sorted out pretty quickly but this is one hell of an exchange.

#5: The Great Herring War
“The Golden Girls” (1985-92)

We all know just how funny Betty White was. In an early episode of “The Golden Girls,” our favorite gal pal squad begin to question whether they should live together. Suddenly, Rose starts to tell one of her signature hilarious stories, causing Dorothy and Blanche to break out in giggles. What’s so undeniably bonkers about this scene is that so many people believe actresses Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan are really breaking character. White’s delivery is so natural, it also led many to theorize that she was improvising. Even though it was all written in the script, this scene is so unequivocally amazing to watch, and Arthur and McClanahan’s laughter is just the cherry on top. Here’s an easy lifehack if you need a pick-me-up!

#4: The Fire Drill
“The Office” (2005-13)

If there’s one thing “The Office” is known for, it’s giving us unparalleled moments of chaos. Usually, these involve one Dwight Schrute. His Hannibal Lecter performance during CPR training is certainly one of his finer moments, but nothing beats this crazy fire drill. In season two of the iconic sitcom, Dwight decides his colleagues don’t care enough about fire safety. Does he decide to educate them in a friendly manner? In what world?! Dwight stages a real fire, forcing the entire company to evacuate the building and nearly giving poor Stanley a heartattack. If the cat thrown through the ceiling didn’t solidify this under the category of “unhinged,” we don’t know what will.

#3: The Prank
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96)

Lesson learned – never cross Will. After Carlton drafts Lisa and her friends to play a couple of pranks on the Fresh Prince himself, he decides to get even. In a hilariously over-the-top monologue, Will tells Carlton that during an encounter with Lisa, he accidentally killed her. Believing his actions have inadvertently led to this outcome, Carlton begins to lose it. Actor Alfonso Ribeiro starts to scream like a maniac, and literally runs around the entire set – emphasis on “entire.” Carlton has always had a tendency for dramatics, but this full set sprint is definitely the height of his theatrics.

#2: Blue Tobias
“Arrested Development” (2003-06; 2013-19)

Leave it to “Arrested Development” to make Blue Man Group a running gag. Tobias is one of the more eccentric members of the Bluth family – which is saying something – and his obsession with this performance arts group pushes him over the top. In season two, Tobias attends a Blue Man Group performance, and immediately becomes intent on joining in on the fun. He doesn’t actually make it into the group, but when has failure ever stopped a Bluth? Tobias practices painting himself blue multiple times over the series, and even starts his own one-man show. It’s one of the show’s funnier, more off-the-wall bits, and it makes us laugh every time.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hold Up Parody, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (2015-19)
Beyoncé, Meet Titus

Literally Every Scene with Pimento, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-21)
The Physical Embodiment of Unhinged If We’ve Ever Seen It

Thanksgiving Food Fight, “Cheers” (1982-93)
Food Fights are For Friends

Charlie’s Dating Profile, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
Charlie Should Stay Off the Internet

Cats, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (2015-19)
Who Knew It Was That Easy to Get Into “Cats”?

#1: The Darkest Timeline
“Community” (2009-15)

If there’s one thing “Community” is known for, it’s committing to the bit. And no bit has ever been committed to harder than the darkest timeline. The concept first came to light in a season three episode where the gang orders pizza. Jeff rolls a die to figure out who has to go get it from the delivery man, and the audience gets to see each possible timeline unfold. In the titular darkest timeline, Troy goes to get the pizza, which sees Pierce shot in the thigh and Britta accidentally starting a fire. Dark indeed! Throughout the years, “Community” continued to show us events occurring in the darkest timeline – each more unhinged than the rest.