The One Where Things Got… Weird
Sitcoms are beloved around the world for their fun and easy story premises, and lovable characters. However, delivering quality episodes week after week can be a difficult thing to do; sometimes sitcoms miss the mark. We’ve collected some of the weirdest episodes that our favorite sitcoms have to offer.
Roseanne: “Into That Good Night”
“It was all a dream” is a trope that, occasionally, works well. Unfortunately for Roseanne, it fell flat when they revealed in the final episode of the last season that everything that had happened the entire season (From Dan’s death to the sudden wealth from a lottery win) was all a dream.
Carsey-Werner Company, Roseanne (1988–2018)
Stranger Things: “The Lost Sister”
Every so often, a series loses the plot, quite literally. This is what happened in this episode of the popular series, Stranger Things. The entire episode focuses on Elle teaming up with an older sister figure, before ultimately bailing and returning “home”—leading to the entire thing feeling utterly pointless.
Netflix, Stranger Things (2016–2025)
Boy Meets World: “Psychotic Episode”
Possibly in an attempt to create a quirky Halloween episode, Boy Meets World’s “Psychotic Episode” follows protagonist Cory in a series of small dream sequences in which he offs all of his family. Explained away as “wedding jitters”, this episode has left many viewers confused, even decades later.
Touchstone, Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
Friends: “The One With The Sharks”
Friends is a beloved television show that is often known for its quirky plots. However, in “The One with the Sharks,” it drifts a little too far from quirky and into downright strange. When Monica catches Chandler in a compromising action, mistakenly assuming it was a shark documentary that caused it, things get… weird, and fast.
Warner Bros., Friends (1994–2004)
Ed, Edd N Eddy: “One+One=Ed”
Ed, Edd n Eddy was always a bit of a weird show, however in “One+One=Ed”, they take that weirdness a step further. When Ed starts asking Edd a bunch of questions, the Eds start taking things apart to see how they work, going so far as to take apart the very cartoon that they are in. This ultimately leads to a deformed and absurd existential crisis.
a.k.a. Cartoon, Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999–2008)
Saved By The Bell: “Jessie’s Song”
As with many shows in the 90s geared towards teens and young adults, Saved by the Bell often attempted to discuss serious topics that might relate to their audience. However, when they try to discuss addiction by giving Jessie an addiction to caffeine pills, things get out of hand, missing the mark entirely.
NBC, Saved by the Bell (1989–1992)
Breaking Bad: “Fly”
A good metaphor can really make a show. Unfortunately for Breaking Bad, attempting to use Walter’s fixation on a fly that has gotten into their lab as a metaphor for his life, his decisions, and his mental state perhaps was a step too far for viewers.
Gran Via Productions, Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Charmed: “She’s A Man, Baby, A Man”
When you have a show that deals with magic, it means that you can get away with a lot of things. Sometimes those things will work out, other times, they might not quite hit the mark. For Charmed, this happens fairly early on when Phoebe is plagued by spicy dreams and Prue transforms into a man to lure their man-loving monster.
Spelling Television, Charmed (1998–2006)
Casualty: “Holby Sin City”
Sometimes it pays off to take bold risks, and other times… Well, Casualty attempted to create a noir-style film in “Holby Sin City,” with full 1940s femme fatale and angsty angle shots. The fact that it hasn’t been tried again is telling of its success.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine: “Far Beyond The Stars”
Sometimes, “weird” does not have to mean “poor”. For Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, this “weird” episode which involves a main character waking up as a 1950s African American science-fiction writer trying to get his story (essentially the story of Deep Space Nine) published and facing challenges is well regarded. However, it is weird when viewed in the context of the other stories within the series.
Paramount, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
Boy Meets World: “Cult Fiction”
When you have a show that ran as long as Boy Meets World and was as popular, it’s inevitable that you may have more than one strange episode. Boy Meets World makes the cut again in “Cult Fiction”, having main character Shawn join a cult. It also ends with the popular teacher, Mr Turner, suffering a motorcycle accident, which he survives. However, strangely, he never appears again as a character.
Touchstone, Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
BoJack Horseman: “Fish Out Of Water”
BoJack Horseman could be considered a weird concept on its own, however in “Fish Out of Water,” they drift (pun intended) even further into the sea (pun still intended) of weird, by sending their horse protagonist to an underwater film festival, where he cannot hear anyone due to the helmet he must wear to breathe.
Netflix, Fish Out of Water (2016)
The X-Files: “First Person Shooter”
The X-Files has many great episodes, however, as with many shows, the longer that it ran, the harder it was to come up with ideas that actually sold. In “First Person Shooter”, Scully and Mulder have to enter a very dated virtual reality game where the spunky lead is killing anyone who plays the game. The idea does not quite land.
Twentieth Century, The X-Files (1993–2018)
Grey’s Anatomy: “Song Beneath The Song”
Look, everybody loves a good musical. However, that doesn’t mean that every single show can actually carry one. When it comes to medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, instead of being quirky and amusing, having all of the characters break into song for one episode simply feels… wrong.
Shondaland, Grey's Anatomy (2005-)
Cowboy Bebop: “Toys In The Attic”
Most episodes of this anime follow a group of bounty hunters as they do what bounty hunters do: collect bounties. In this episode, however, a lobster bisque that had been forgotten about in the fridge of the ship comes to life and begins running ramped on the ship, making members sick as it bites them.
Sunrise, Cowboy Bebop (1998–1999)
M*A*S*H: “Dreams”
We’ve seen it already—dreams make for some interesting choices in a television show. While M*A*S*H is an incredibly popular show that did transition successfully from comedic sitcom to a dramedy that handled more serious topics, this episode in which each character experiences traumatic dreams hits different.
Twentieth Century, M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: “Once More With Feeling”
A musical episode is always going to be considered weird in a television show that has never had a single character sing before that day. However, for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this musical episode is considered both weird and delightful. Sometimes weird things can work.
Mutant Enemy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Battlestar Galactica: “Black Market”
Sometimes it’s good to try something new with your show. However, you still need to ensure that you are keeping in line with what you’ve written before. In “Black Market,” Battlestar Galactica attempted to turn into a hardboiled detective show for one episode only. It did not land, nor did it happen again.
British Sky Broadcasting, Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)
Neighbours: “Episode 1254”
This Australian soap opera attempted to get into the mind of a dog—literally. After a brief introduction with the human leads, the rest of the episode follows the fantasy of a dog as he marries his doggy crush and lives out his life with her.
Grundy Television Australia, Neighbours (1985-)
Supernatural: “The French Mistake”
Supernatural is a show that has many weird episodes. In “The French Mistake,” they decided to go “meta” with mixed results. Lead characters Sam and Dean slip into a parallel universe where they are actors called Jared and Jensen on a show called Supernatural.
Warner Bros., Supernatural (2005–2020)
Dinosaurs: “Steroids To Heaven”
This episode which deals with the implications and consequences of both steroid use as well as simply comparing yourself to others is a well-intended message, however, it becomes quite jarring and out of place considering the otherwise playful concept of the rest of the show.
Jim Henson Productions, Dinosaurs (1991–1994)
The Sopranos: “The Test Dream”
There’s that word again, dream. Dreams are weird in real life so it’s no surprise that when we weave them into an episode, they turn a little weird too. In this take on the dream, we follow a series of broken and disjointed dreams from our leading mob boss, Tony, to mixed effects.
Community: “Remedial Chaos Theory”
Community often played with unique storytelling techniques. In this particular episode, we follow different timelines all affected by the roll of a die meant to select who leaves to get the group pizza. This hilarious but complex episode takes so long that it actually messes with the timeline of the entire season.
One Foot In The Grave: “Things Aren’t So Simple Anymore”
This strange finale flips between expected sitcom hijinks and dark drama as we see flashbacks that reveal Victor Meldrew has been killed in a hit-and-run, before ultimately ending (forever) on a close-up by Annette Crosbie declaring she will exact revenge on whoever killed her husband.
HBO, One Foot in the Grave (1990–2001)
King Of The Hill: “Pigmalion”
King of the Hill was a clever series that flipped between ridiculous hijinks and more serious issues often. However, “Pigmalion” is easily the darkest episode, ending with a grim act from Peggy and Luane and someone suffering from a psychotic episode.
Deedle-Dee Productions, King of the Hill (1997–2026)
Family Matters: “Stevil”
Whether it’s for Halloween or simply an attempt to do something a little different, many shows turn to odd tropes to add some creep to their otherwise sunny sitcom. In this episode of Family Matters, fan favorite Urkel has to battle a lookalike ventriloquist dummy that is out to get him, literally.
Miller/Boyett Productions, Family Matters (1989–1998)
Twin Peaks: “The Return, Part 8”
Sometimes, there are episodes of a show that are honestly too weird to properly explain. This episode of Twin Peaks: The Return is one of them. Objectively an origin story of the Twin Peaks’ antagonist, this episode proceeds to go so beyond that in all the weirdest ways.
Spelling Television, Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Star Trek The Original Series: “The Way To Eden”
In this episode of the well-known show, the Enterprise is taken over by hippies. Not only is this episode strange in and of itself, featuring musical sequences and strange dances, but it is also strange in that, given when it was released, it was likely mocking many of what its own viewers were interested in.
Paramount, Star Trek (1966–1969)
The Simpsons: “Lisa Goes Gaga”
The Simpsons is undeniably a great show. However, even great shows can have misses. In this episode, which seems much more about giving Lady Gaga as much screen time as possible, instead of an actual plot, the popular animated comedy did not quite hit the mark.
Gracie Films, The Simpsons (1989-)
Avatar The Last Airbender: “Nightmares And Daydreams”
This show is beloved by many and for good reason. However, even beloved shows can create scenes that do not quite work for the audience. In this episode, which features a fight between two popular companion characters, things do not quite add up.
Nickelodeon Animation, Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
Twin Peaks: “Beyond Life And Death”
Twin Peaks was undeniably a weird show all around. While the finale of season 2 (which remained the finale for 25 years) is well-regarded by fans, it is simply a weird conclusion to a weird show.
Spelling Entertainment, Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Lost: “Expose”
Lost took a few turns in its run that didn’t sit right with viewers. In season 3, this included introducing two brand new characters that had supposedly been there all along. These characters were not well received and were promptly removed in a weird and rather dark manner halfway through the season.
The X-Files: “Mulder And Scully Meet The Were-Monster”
The X-Files is another one of those shows that was simply weird by premise. However, some episodes stand out. In particular, this episode leaves a mark for its unique concept. A lizard man is bitten by a human, forcing him to turn human each day and suffer dull human things, such as a job at Kinkos.
Twentieth Century, The X-Files (1993–2018)
Seinfeld: “The Betrayal”
“The Betrayal” is often known as “the backwards episode” because it does just that—the entire episode is played backwards. It was an interesting concept; however, it certainly led to a very weird episode.
Castle Rock, Seinfeld (1989–1998)
Felicity: “Time Will Tell”
Sometimes a show runs out of ideas too soon. For Felicity, this was the case in its final season. They seemed to wrap all of their storylines by episode 17 of that season yet still had five episodes to air. Their solution? Give the title character Felicity the ability to time travel and make her use it to try to fix her and her friends' lives.
Touchstone, Felicity (1998–2002)
Powerpuff Girls: “Speed Demon”
In “Speed Demon,” our title characters accidentally fly at the speed of light, jumping ahead in time by 50 years and discovering that everything has gone entirely wrong because they weren’t there to save the day. It is a strange guilt trip of an episode.
Cartoon Network Studios, The Powerpuff Girls (1998–2004)
My Name Is Earl: “Robbed A Stoner Blind”
My Name is Earl is a quirky show at the best of times. However, in this episode, they decided to tell most of the story through Claymation, which becomes a very weird take on the characters of the show.
Twentieth Century, My Name Is Earl (2005–2009)
Doctor Who: “Love And Monsters”
If you are not a fan of Doctor Who, you will think that every episode of this show is weird. Even if you are a fan, you may agree that every episode is a little weird, you just know that’s part of the fun. However, “Love and Monsters” is one of the few episodes that even fans of the show feel got too weird, even for them.
The Fairly Odd Parents: “Fairly Odd Baby”
While viewers can respect the interesting premise of suggesting that fairies are like seahorses and it is the males of the species that become pregnant, deciding to present it on screen by having Cosmo be pregnant leads to a very odd episode for everyone.
Nickelodeon Animation, The Fairly OddParents (2001–2017)
Family Guy: “Stewie Is Enceinte”
Family Guy’s entire premise seemed to be to come up with weirder and weirder concepts and see what they can get away with. This episode, however, in which Stewie takes extreme and strange measures to save his friendship with Brian, leading to a host of half-human/half-dog babies, is one that perhaps suggested where the line of “too far” was.
