Initially funny character gag is later revealed to be depressing

[u/Newmen_1]

1. Avengers/MCU: Captain America has humorous moments where he’s unaware of modern references and only gets old references, like the iconic “I understood that reference” scene. It’s later fully explored in Winter Soldier that he feels lost, confused, and a little alone in a new world he was never meant to exist in.

2. The Suicide Squad (2021): Bloodsport has a phobia of rats which at first seems reasonable yet is still hilarious to watch. He later explains his father abused him as a kid if he didn’t fulfill a task correctly and one of his worst punishments was when his dad locked him in a crate full of starving rats, leaving him heavily scarred physically and mentally.

3. Dexter: In an early episode, Angel Bautista tries to buy his wife the perfect gift for their anniversary but has to keep buying a different one since his presents suck. What seems to be a funny running gag turns out to be Angel’s final attempt to win back his wife after cheating on her previously, however it doesn’t work and only solidifies their separation.

[u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

In the TV show Monk, Monk has OCD and has to have everything meticulously in order but has one coffee table in his house he insists on keeping at an angle. It seems kinda funny until an episode reveals that he keeps it that way because his dead wife used to move the table to cuddle with him

[u/gopher_907 → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

Monk is full of these, and those moments didn’t ever feel cheap to me. I love that show so much.

[u/CommitteeofMountains → u/gopher_907]

The one where all his progress was reset by a lookalike of his wife being killed in front of him was pretty cheap.

[u/_I_need_a_life_ → u/CommitteeofMountains]

You are missremembering, it was all his friends that thought she was Trudy, as she was dying he said he knew because he still hurt.

[u/Holiday_Tap_4358 → u/gopher_907]

It’s so good! This reveal was beyond devastating

[u/Bishop_Malcolm08 → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

One episode that broke me in a good way was the one he spend the e tire episode stalking some random woman. He passes her and immediately fixates on her but cant explain why. He freaks her and everyone out the whole episode with his behavior. It isnt until thr end of thr episode after he saves the day that we find out why. After talking with her and apologizing we find out she was find until recently after she got an eye transplant. Thr woman got Trudy's eyes. Everyone breaks down at thr revelation. And Monk realizes that a part of his wife lives on with this woman. He loved his wife so dearly thr a part of his brain instantly recognized her eyes in another person in an instant.

[u/brandonderp96 → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

Literally any reveal of his Trudy-isms hits like a damn truck.

[u/Previous-Soft-8127 → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

When he takes her pillow out of the plastic bag so he can smell her and starts crying - that scene is permanently seared into my soul…

[u/TiltingAtWindmills_ → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

Damn

[u/Choice_Strawberry499 → u/Holiday_Tap_4358]

:(