[Loved Trope] The Comedy Suddenly Stops Joking Around

[u/MostInteraction3184]

There's nothing I love more than being in a comedy, and you get that one moment, usually a single look from a character, and all of the sudden we stop joking around. Whatever's going on from this point forward is played completely straight in stark contrast to everything that came before.

1). A moment from the comedy show Scrubs. Our man Dr. Cox is exchanging jokes with his best friend when he is asked "Where do you think we are?" Suddenly it is revealed Cox's best friend isn't actually there, and they are at his funeral.

2). An dark comedy called Haunted Hotel. The whole show specializes in dark humor with ghosts, demons, and plenty of death. But when near the end of season 1, it is revealed that always happy go lucky ghost Nathan died from suicide, everything slows way down. Suddenly the whole show gains this tiny bit of underlying seriousness they never joke about.

3). From an anime called Gintama. One two episode story arc involves an old alien dog that wants to conquer the earth now that his old owner is hospitalized. Near the end, suddenly all jokes are off as the two old timers struggle to avoid dying of old age as neither wants the other to feel lonely.

[u/DarkAlchamist]

How I Met Your Mother has a decent amount of these, by my pick is when Barney meets his dad

For context, he never knew his dad growing up, but after his friends dad dies (in another moment like this), he finally decides to ask his mom about him, and learns his "Uncle Jerry" was his dad the whole time

When the two meet again (with both knowing the truth now), his dad invites him to his house to get to know each other better. While Barney expects him to be the same fun, party going man he knew as a kid, his dad reveals he gave that life up, and after a tense dinner with his family, Barney storms out. When his dad goes to talk to him about it, the two have the following exchange

"I thought you'd still be cool, but you're not. You're just some lame suburban dad"

"But why does that make you so upset?"

"Because, if you were going to be some lame suburban dad, WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE BEEN THAT FOR ME!?"

[u/dblade20 → u/DarkAlchamist]

Man Barney is such an interesting character. A summation of trauma and regrets that turn him into what we see in his first appearance. And from then on the show unravels him, showing layers and layers of what he is.

Obligatory fuck the ending for ruining his character progression