Summary
Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics including miscarriage.
Unfortunately, several sitcom storylines have been forgotten about immediately after the conclusion. Some ofthe best sitcoms of all timehave been guilty of ignoring or forgetting about a storyline, which confused or even angered many. However, someTV shows were better after abandoning a storylinebecause of the negative audience reception they received. Regardless of whether it worked or not, it was often frustrating when a sitcom decided to drop a previously prominent plot point.
The reasons for sitcoms doing so have varied. Some storylines were discarded because of a change in cast or production made a creative decision to steer the show in a different direction. Occasionally, sitcoms have introduced a storyline that received more attention than initially expected, so its writers didn’t plan for it to be expanded. Whether it was a massive and impactful storyline or a smaller, less important plot point, these sitcom storylines were unfairly and strangely forgotten about straight after finishing.
10 Groundbreaking Sitcom Episodes That Hugely Impacted The Genre
Sitcoms have always been known for their hilarious characters and wild storylines, but several episodes redefined the genre in groundbreaking ways.
The Big Bang Theory
Cast
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.
AfterMrs. Wolowitz passed away inThe Big Bang Theory,Howard was left to deal with the legal fallout related to his childhood home, which involved reaching out to his father,from whom he was estranged. The show left some questions unanswered about Howard’s father, but it wasn’t surprising, as he had no desire to reconcile with his father. After Howard and Bernadette moved in, they were unexpectedly greeted by Howard’s half-brother, Josh, who showed up on their doorstep. Despite the initial shock, this turned out to be a valuable opportunity for Howard’s personal growth.
Unfortunately, there was a missed opportunity to explore Howard’s character further when his half-brother Josh appeared in only one episode.Though the two initially had a rocky relationship, they connected over Howard’s journey into space. Howard had changed a lot since season 1, and Josh’s presence could have been a great chance for the show to delve into his character development through their interactions. After this episode, Josh wasn’t seen or mentioned by name again, so this storyline felt wasted.
Modern Family
Modern Family is a comedy series that follows the unconventional Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family as they redefine what makes a family in their modern age. Broken into sub-families, the three diverse groups shake up the nuclear formula with empty nesters, adopted children, gender neutrality, and more as they attempt to navigate the various pitfalls and comedic misadventures of their dysfunctional but warm-hearted family dynamic.
In later seasons ofModern Family,Alex Dunphy started to develop feelings for her professor, Arvin. Much to her dismay, Arvin began dating her older sister, Haley.Alex’s feelings for Arvin were a major storyline inModern Family, but she swallowed her pain and let Haley be happy, especially as Arvin seemed to be equally content with the relationship. However, Haley eventually broke up with Arvin to be with Dylan again, breaking his heart. While Alex was initially annoyed about Haley’s decision, she accepted thatHaley and Dylan’s relationship inModern Familycouldn’t be stopped.
After this storyline concluded, Alex never mentioned her blossoming love for Arvin again. Alex and Arvin became a couple at the end ofModern Family, but in the time between his breakup with Haley and this happening, Alex was very quiet about him. Although it can be argued that Alex didn’t talk about Arvin because of her relationship with Bill, it didn’t justify the sudden absence of this storyline. It wasn’t until Arvin reappeared toward the end ofModern Family’s last season that Alex’s feelings resurfaced, and even then, she didn’t acknowledge crushing on him when with Haley.
Scrubs
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
J.D. and Kim’s storyline inScrubswas completely wild as shortly after starting their relationship, Kim got pregnant with Sammy. Although the new couple were nervous about becoming parents,they had a lot of hope for the future, at least until Kim announced she’d miscarried.However, months later,J.D. discovered that Kim lied. After Sammy was born, Kim leftScrubsand took their son with her, but little more about this storyline was discussed. Kim faced no repercussions for her heartbreaking dishonesty, which weighed heavily on J.D.’s chest until he found out the truth.
After Kim’s departure, Sammy was seen a few times. J.D. mentioned his son several times after his birth, but within a matter of episodes, it was as if Sammy had never existed. InScrubs’final season, there was no reference to Sammy whatsoever. This storyline had the potential to be expanded upon massively, and J.D. becoming a father was brilliant for his character development, but little screen time was dedicated to his progression.Sadly, it appeared that Sammy was purely a plot device, but as more episodes aired without him, his existence became irrelevant.
That ’70s Show
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
Fez and Laurie’s marriage inThat ‘70s Showwas a perfect example of aTV show that abandoned a storyline and was criticizedfor it. At the end of the episode “Celebration Day,” Laurie announced to Red and Kitty that she’d married Fez so he could receive his green card and remain in the country, much to her father’s shock, who had a heart attack upon hearing the news. Season 6 then focused on the fallout of this, butwithin a few episodes, Fez and Laurie were divorced.After their split, any reference to their nuptials disappeared into thin air.
Red’s heart attack remained a major storyline for the show
It was bizarre thatThat ‘70s Shownever recalled this storyline. Red’s heart attack remained a major storyline for the show, mainly because Eric decided to stay home from college to support his parents financially while his father was off work. Therefore, it made sense that Fez and Laurie’s marriage would also be relevant, but it was forgotten about. Considering how the rest of the characters loved to mock Fez in general and Kelso for dating Laurie in the show’s earlier seasons, it was illogical that this storyline wasn’t repeatedly brought up at every given opportunity.
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is a television series that follows a father telling his children about his past. Released in 2005, it explores his experiences and adventures with four close friends, leading up to meeting their mother, as depicted through a series of flashbacks.
InHow I Met Your Motherseason 3, it was established that Lily had crippling card debt and a shopping addiction. When she and Marshall wanted to buy a house in the episode “Dowisetrepla,” Lily panicked and feared telling her husband about her obsession and why she had no money.When he did find out, Marshall was angry but supportive of Lily, and they found a way to buy their first apartment. However, after Lily refused to sell her clothes to fix the apartment’s flooring, her difficulties controlling her spending habits were never heard about again.
Lily had mountains of debt, and throughout the show, both she and Marshall jumped between jobs with wildly different salaries. Whether they were wealthy or not, it seemed odd that Lily’s shopping addiction wasn’t a bigger storyline or even mentioned again.In the later seasons of the show, Marshall and Lily started their family, which would have been a perfect opportunity to revisit this story. Another great time to return to this was when Lily became an art consultant for the Captain, and her huge compensation would be an ideal way forHow I Met Your Motherto recall this.
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle tells the story of an average dysfunctional American family. When Malcolm, one of four children, learns that he possesses a genius-level intellect, his whole young world is turned upside down. Still desperately trying to fit in with his friends and family despite his extraordinary gifts, Malcolm finds that though his life might have changed, it’s still just as chaotic as ever.
In the early seasons ofMalcolm in the Middle,Malcolm met Cynthia in the Krelboyne class. He was originally astonished by how confident and open-minded Cynthia was and found her a bit jarring, but over time, the two became good friends.Malcolm and Cynthia’s friendship had romantic undertones that the show never fully explored,but this element of their relationship did result in Cynthia’s departure fromMalcolm in the Middle.Cynthia lied about having sex with Malcolm to distract him from destroying Lois’ car in front of their entire school and was never seen again.
Malcolm later explained that Cynthia had made a fresh start at a new high school after the debacle, but he never brought her name up again after this.It was unclear what happened to Cynthia,but it was assumed that she cut him out of her life after her embarrassment. She was a big part of Malcolm’s life, and he was more sensitive and understanding to her than anyone else, like whenCynthia was missing inMalcolm in the Middleseason 3and returned from her semester abroad, feeling self-conscious about how her body had changed during her time away.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a television series that premiered in 2005, chronicling the chaotic lives of four self-involved friends running an Irish pub in Philadelphia. Their misguided decisions and skewed perspectives often result in amusing and uncomfortable situations, complicating their professional and personal relationships.
InIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaseason 12, the show introduced Mandy, a woman that Dennis had a one-night stand with during a flight layover in North Dakota. She brought their son, Brian Jr., with her, who she named after his father because she believed Dennis’ fake persona.After a ridiculous scheme in which Dennis tried to get Mandy to leave, he realized that he wanted to be a part of his son’s lifeand headed off to North Dakota with them. However, when he returned to Philadelphia, it was as if Brian Jr. had been retconned.
Dennis failed to talk about his son or even why he decided to come back to Paddy’s Pub after coming back. Dennis becoming a father was a huge moment for the character, who embraced his selfishness and wasn’t afraid to admit how little he cared about most things, but Brian Jr. changed him. It was strange that such an impactful life event wasn’t referenced in some small way, but it was even stranger that the show bothered to set up such a prominent storyline just to forget about it so soon after.
The Office
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
The Office’s most dramatic love trianglewas a huge storyline in the show and one that had ties to several other subplots. When Andy discovered that Angela was cheating on him with Dwight,the two men fought over Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s Head Accountant,but they eventually decided together to give up on their respective relationships with her. There a couple of mentions of this in the following episodes, like during Michael’s Valentines party or when Andy left to go on their many honeymoons, butThe Officeforgot about this storyline up until one brief mention in the finale.
The fallout of her engagement to Andy disappeared from the narrative
Angela and Dwight’s relationship inThe Officewas a significant plot in the show, so it made no sense that the fallout of her engagement to Andy disappeared from the narrative. Andy famously had anger issues, yet his problems controlling himself surprisingly didn’t return in the aftermath of this. Although there was the occassional passing comment about Andy and Angela’s relationship, it was weird that there wasn’t more of a focus on how the dynamics in the workplace changed after such a surprising moment, not just for them, but for the entirety ofThe Officecast.
