Top 10 Most Controversial TV Scenes of All Time

#10: Ellen Comes Out

“Ellen” (1994-98)

As recently as 1997, a character simply coming out as gay was considered a huge offense. This was certainly the case with “Ellen,” who did so in the famous “Puppy Episode.” This iconic moment mirrored real life, as Ellen DeGeneres herself had publicly come out just a few weeks earlier. This confession marked the first time that a lead character in a primetime network TV show openly identified as gay. Groundbreaking though it was, it also faced enormous backlash from conservatives, pundits, and religious and family organizations. ABC even preceded the episode with a parental advisory warning, which is something typically reserved for extreme violence or sexual content. Now that’s a true sign o’ the times.

#9: The Cut to Black

“The Sopranos” (1999-2007)

Controversy arises for all sorts of reasons - including an unconventional ending. “The Sopranos” defied nearly every expectation that audiences had for closure, ending at a mundane family dinner and infamously cutting to black mid scene. Many thought their TV or cable stopped working, and the ambiguity enraged many viewers who felt cheated after years of emotional investment. Creator David Chase has also never given a definitive answer as to what it means, which has kept the debate alive for nearly two decades. Many find the ending brilliant, a thoughtful thematic statement in a show that constantly subverted our expectations. Others continue to find it completely infuriating and narratively unsatisfying. No matter where you stand, it’s undeniable that this ending sparked an enduring conversation.

#8: The Missile Strobe

“Pokémon” (1997-)

We can see how a show causing children to collapse and be hospitalized could be considered controversial. In this basically-lost episode of “Pokémon”, the heroes face a flurry of incoming missiles, and the animators used a rapidly alternating red and blue strobe effect to illustrate the digital explosion. Hundreds of children reportedly experienced symptoms such as nausea and dizziness upon seeing this strobing effect, and almost 700 were hospitalized with seizure-like symptoms. It was one of the largest mass medical emergencies ever triggered by a TV broadcast - in the wild aftermath, the episode was banned from television and triggered enormous industry changes. Poor Porygon also took a large brunt of the blame, and it has never reappeared in the anime.

#7: Stomping on the Puerto Rican Flag

“Seinfeld” (1989-98)

Poor “Seinfeld” did not enjoy a good sendoff. The finale itself was enormously divisive, its penultimate episode was a disappointing clip show, and its third-last caused huge controversy and was even briefly banned from TV. So yeah, not great. The infamous scene sees Kramer accidentally setting the Puerto Rican flag on fire and then violently and repeatedly stomping on it. And while “Seinfeld” often thrived on its characters being selfish or oblivious, here it hit a nerve because the “joke” relied on a marginalized community’s national symbol being trampled and seemingly disrespected. Puerto Rican activists demanded an apology, the episode was called racist, and NBC was inundated with complaints, causing the network to pull “The Puerto Rican Day” from syndication for years.

#6: The Pig

“Black Mirror” (2011-14; 2016-)

Talk about opening with a bang. Or a…whatever this is. British Prime Minister Michael Callow is asked to copulate with a pig on live TV in order to save a kidnapped princess, so that’s exactly what he does. Bestiality is arguably one of the most deeply entrenched cultural taboos, and while the act itself is never graphically depicted, the mere suggestion was enough. Many people thought that the premise was extremely distasteful and exploitative, pushing shock value just for the sake of it. But despite (or maybe because of) the controversy, “The National Anthem” established “Black Mirror’s” reputation as a show that would test viewers’ comfort zones, and the pig scene is still one of the most referenced moments in the show’s long history.

#5: Burying the Baby

“The X-Files” (1993-2002; 2016-18)

The horror of “The X-Files” was always kept at a fun, supernatural distance. But that wasn’t the case with “Home,” which hit a little too close to it. The opening scene shows a family burying an infant in their yard, with the implication of infanticide by the family to cover up their incestuous breeding. Now the horror was disturbingly real. Infanticide was practically unheard of on primetime TV, and incest was itself taboo and almost never broached in scripted network shows. Unsurprisingly, Fox received a flood of complaints, and they ultimately chose never to rerun “Home” during the show’s original syndication cycle. It became the only “X-Files” episode effectively banned from TV for years, though it was later released uncut on home video.

#4: Sansa’s Assault

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

Sexual assault is by its nature a touchy subject, and it requires careful navigation. Despite some controversy, “All In the Family” tackled it well back in 1977, although this wasn’t an extended or graphic depiction. Unlike, say, “Game of Thrones”. In the show’s most controversial episode, one of the story’s most resilient female characters becomes a victim of brutal sexual violence merely for shock value. As this did not happen in the novel, it fueled criticism that the showrunners were exploiting gratuitous sexual assault as a lazy plot device. The scene sparked widespread outrage, and think pieces proliferated across media, arguing that HBO and “Game of Thrones” - both known for pushing boundaries - finally went too far.

#3: Negan’s Introduction

“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)

It’s amazing how just one scene can completely kill a television show. “The Walking Dead” was already that by season seven, with many viewers complaining of slow pacing, directionless storytelling, and stupid fake-out moments. But it seemed like everyone checked out all at once when both Abraham and Glenn were murdered by Negan. Not only were they fan favorite characters, but their deaths - especially Glenn’s - were criticized for being excessive and needlessly disgusting, even by the show’s gory standards. Collective interest in the show dropped off a cliff, and it never truly recovered the enormous mainstream clout that it once enjoyed.

#2: Maude’s Abortion

“Maude” (1972-78)

“Maude’s Dilemma” is one of those landmark moments in television history precisely because it tackled an explosive subject. In the show’s ninth episode, Maude decides to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. At the time, abortion was illegal in most American states (although it was legal in New York, where the show is set), and the concept was considered highly taboo, so to have the protagonist of a primetime sitcom decide to get one was considered insanely shocking. CBS was inundated with angry letters, and both religious and conservative groups launched organized boycotts against the network. Some local TV stations in more conservative areas also refused to air the episode. For critics, this was an outrageous violation of TV’s moral responsibility to entertain and educate the family.

#1: A Religious Debacle

“South Park” (1997-)

This show certainly knows how to push buttons. In the infamous episodes “200” and “201,” “South Park” depicted the Prophet Muhammad. Well, depicted is a strong word. Comedy Central got extremely nervous about the whole situation, as they had been warned by an extremist group against depicting their Prophet. As such, he was heavily censored, with his name being bleeped out and his body obscured by a giant black bar. A climactic speech that was intended as a commentary on censorship and fear was also completely bleeped out, rendering the moral of the story unintelligible. Fans were absolutely furious, the creators openly criticized Comedy Central for caving to threats, and the episodes remain censored, ironically playing into the very issue that they were satirizing.

What did you make of these moments? Let us know in the comments below!