Better “Serious” Episodes Of Popular Television Shows
Most popular sit-coms and light-hearted television programs feature at least one episode that deviates from their chipper tone. TVTropes refers to these episodes, in which gravitas is injected in order to deal with some sort of real-life issue or expound a moralistic lesson, as Very Special Episodes. Whatever the reason for their existence, all of them are terrible and would have been better if I’d written them. For your edification I have included some examples.
Happy Days — “Smokin Ain’t Cool”
Joanie develops a taste for cigarettes, to the dismay of family and friends. Eventually, Fonzie gets through to her and she quits.
Happy Days — “Kuru Ain’t Cool”
Joanie develops a taste for human flesh, to the dismay of family, friends and the vagrants that Joanie kills and devours in secret. As Joanie reverts to a feral state, living in an abandoned malt shop and attacking hormonal teenagers parked at “Lover’s Leap”, Richie begins to lose hope of ending the bloodshed and returning his sister to normal. Fortunately, Fonzie is able to pierce the rabid blood-lust that has consumed Joanie through a jazzy musical number in which he warns her of the dangers of prion disease. As the refrain of Fonzie’s song states: “Kuru ain’t cool-ru”.
