I loveTVsitcoms, but there are some details about certain characters that I’m still very confused about. Many ofthe best sitcoms of all timefeature a contradiction or two, and this is usually because the writers are so invested in the story that previously established facts are forgotten about.
While manyTV show character arcschange for the sake of pushing the story forward,there are things about particular sitcom characters that still don’t make any senseafter the fact. Whether it’s a big storyline alteration or simply a small and seemingly inconsequential change, I’m still baffled by these sitcom character details.
10Chandler’s Hatred Of Dogs
Friends (1994-2004)
Monica and Chandler’s relationship inFriendsis put to the test when Phoebe sneaks a dog into the apartment. I think season 7’s “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs" is a great filler episode ofFriends, butI’m still confused why Chandler makes such a big deal about Clunkers, the pet of Phoebe’s other friends she is keeping an eye on. This is because when Phoebe asks Chandler and Monica to help her babysit three puppies in “The One with Joey’s Porsche,” who actually turn out to be Frank and Alice’s triplets, Chandler accepts.
Friends
Cast
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
Granted, his response isn’t as overly enthusiastic as Monica’s, but his nonchalance doesn’t suggest it’s one ofChandler’s biggest fears inFriends. Plus, up until this instance in season 7, everyone believes Chandler is allergic to dogs. Therefore, the fact Phoebe asks, as well as Chandler’s supposed dislike of the animal, means that this moment doesn’t make sense twice over.
9Holt Doesn’t Have A TV In His Bedroom
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)
One thing I love aboutBrooklyn Nine-Nineis how solid the character development is. While the characters change as the show progresses, their developments are generally logical. However, I always pick up on the factHolt states he doesn’t have a TV in his bedroom. This makes total sense for him and Kevin, as that’s the type of people they are.
Except, when the squad attends their boss’ birthday celebrations in season 1’s “The Party,” a brilliantCaptain Holt-focused episode ofBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Amy starts going through the DVR in his bedroom. However, this isn’t even an example of Holt changing. It’d be great if the squad’s influence on Holt, especially Jake’s, convinces him to buy a TV, but this isn’t the case.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD’s fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
Holt states he doesn’t own a television set in the season 2 episode “Beach House,” a good amount of time after “The Party.” Clearly,this is simply a story error, but I like to think that Holt lies about this to appear more cultured, something that causes a strain in his relationship with Kevin and is referenced several times throughout the show.
8Donna Not Going To College To Stay With Eric
That ’70s Show (1998-2006)
There are several things aboutEric and Donna’s relationship inThat ’70s Showthat infuriate me to a ridiculous level, but the moment I most take issue with is when Donna decides to stay in Point Place rather than go to college. There’s a part of me that understands why she sticks by Eric’s side: she’s young and in love, with hopes for a future together.
Donna always talks about going to college and working in journalism, so why does she suddenly decide to stay with Eric at the last moment?
However,this choice completely contradicts Donna’s character altogether. The reason why the pair split initially is because of Donna’s independence and her want for a better and well-educated life. Her small yet promising job at the radio station threatens Eric, and she voices during this time that she has no desire to be a housewife and live her life for the sake of him.
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.
Donna always talks about going to college and working in journalism, so why does she suddenly decide to stay with Eric at the last moment? Although I get that she wants to support Eric after Red’s heart attack, I never fail to be disappointed when rewatching season 6’s “Magic Bus.”
7Penny’s Season 12 Pregnancy Storyline
The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)
The entire attitude towards Penny and Leonard having kids is easilyThe Big Bang Theoryseason 12’s most uncomfortable storyline, from the sperm donation subplot up to the pregnancy reveal in the finale. I continue to be baffled about this arc to this day, andI can’t understand why the writers spend all season covering the topic, only for Penny to accept that she and Leonard are having a child at the very end with little more than a shrug.
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Of course, I’m sure she has more of a response than this, but it isn’t really delved into on-screen. There’s nothing wrong with Penny changing her mind, but consideringhow vocal she is about not wanting to be a mother, and the memories of her journey from struggling waitress to successful pharmaceutical sales rep that crops up inevery season ofThe Big Bang Theory, it feels out of place. I find it hard to believe, really, and I wish that the show dedicated more time to her outlook changing.
6Troy’s Injury
Community (2009-2015)
Troy’s backstory inCommunityestablishes from the pilot that the reason why the former high school football star attends Greendale is because he loses out on a football scholarship at an esteemed university. Annie mentions Troy dislocates both shoulders while doing a keg-stand, which causes an injury that results in him losing the chance to go to a better college.
Troy admits to intentionally hurting himself in “Football, Feminism and You” because of the fear of failing, but that isn’t the only problem with this. A flashback in season 4’s “Heroic Origins” shows that Troy doesn’t cause his injury on purpose,he simply fakes it, and instead of hurting his shoulders, it’s his knee instead.
Community
Community is a comedic television series that chronicles the lives of diverse students at Greendale Community College, a fictional and notoriously underperforming educational institution in Colorado. Released in 2009, the show explores the quirky interactions and relationships among the eclectic group navigating their academic and personal challenges.
Technically, it can be argued that the shoulders narrative comes from Annie, and because she is still in active addiction when witnessing Troy in “Heroic Origins,” she is misremembering the party. However, Troy never corrects anyone in “Football, Feminism and You,” either, nor does he admit to faking it.
5Marshall’s Fear Of Fighting
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
An integral part of Marshall’s characterization inHow I Met Your Motheris his upbringing in Minnesota, specifically his relationship with his family.Marshall frequently talks about roughhousing with his brothers, and this is demonstrated multiple times throughout the show. For example, the made-up game Baskiceball proves how violent the Erikson clan is, as is the flashback of a newborn Marshall being thrown around the room. However, in the season 1 episode “Sweet Taste of Liberty,” Marshall claims he’s never been in a fight.
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.
After confronting a man talking to Lily in MacLaren’s, Marshall is relieved to learn the stranger is gay and isn’t hitting on his wife-to-be. While this is only the third episode ofHow I Met Your Mother, later installments prove thatdespite Marshall’s generally pacifistic attitude, he knows how to hold himself in a fight. This isn’t only with his brothers, as he also ends up punching Doug in the back alley in “The Fight,” albeit begrudgingly, and he happily slaps Barney in the “Slap Bet” stories, which are some ofthe best episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother.
4Gooch Is Supposedly Ted’s First Girlfriend
Scrubs (2001-2010)
Sam Lloyd’s Ted Buckland inScrubscontradicts himself several times when discussing his past relationships. He finally seems to have some hope with his love life when he meets Stephanie Gooch, and in season 8’s “My Absence,” Ted tells Turk that Gooch is his first girlfriend. However, this is incorrect, andthe quirky ukulele player isn’t even his second romantic partner.
While annoying, I think it’s hilarious Ted fails to remember this properly, and if anything, it makes sense for his character because of how he interacts with women in general.
The first four seasons ofScrubsinclude many mentions of Ted’s wife and his exhaustive marriage to her, which ended when she left him for his brother. In “My Best Laid Plans,” he tells the Janitor about his Junior High girlfriend, too, and shares a story about impressing her by posing as her father and renting a car.
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.
Ted also has a brief fling with an inexperienced cancer patient in “My Rule of Thumb,” and even though they only have sex once, presumably, it still counts for something. While annoying, I think it’s hilarious Ted fails to remember this properly, and if anything, it makes sense for his character because of how he interacts with women in general.
3Michael’s Ability To Ride A Bike
The Office (2005-2013)
For me, one ofThe Office’s biggest headscratchersis Michael’s bike-riding ability. In season 3’s “A Benihana Christmas,” Michael famously rides a bicycle into the office and shows it off to everyone, wanting to get attention from his employees for donating such a significant gift to the toy drive.
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He has zero issue doing this, and considering the limited space in Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s entryway, his skills are pretty impressive (minus the occasional stumble). However,by season 7, Michael has seemingly forgotten how to ride a bike. In “The Sting,” Jim and Pam help teach Michael in the parking lot, using Oscar’s brand-new bike.
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.
There are several inconsistencies to Michael’s character, but I cannot get my head around this one. His departure storyline is still a while away at this point, so the stress of moving to Colorado can’t be blamed for it. Althoughit’s an irritating detail, it’s one that makes Steve Carell’s iconic character that much more ridiculous.
2Nobody Spots Marcus' Ridiculous Salary While Trying To Save Myrtle’s Job
Superstore (2015-2021)
I think Marcus is one of the most underrated andfunniest characters inSuperstore, and it’s hilarious when he casually shares his wages with Cloud 9’s staff in season 4’s “Salary.”Marcus announces he earns $134,000 a year, naively assuming everyone gets the same amount, and he believes that the minimum wage is $86 per hour. While this is a brilliantly comical moment, it always makes me wonder why this isn’t spotted beforehand, especially when Cloud 9 tries to find a way to get rid of Myrtle in season 3’s “District Manager.”
Superstore
Superstore is a workplace sitcom following the employees of the St. Louis branch of a fictional big-box store. Cloud 9 sells everything anyone could ever possibly need, but its workers often leave much to be desired. Trying to organize their lives around the demanding world of retail work, Cloud 9’s staff more often end up having fun than they do working.
There is roughly only a season between these two episodes, andsurely Amy and Jonah would see Marcus’ salarywhile combing through the store’s finances to find room in the budget and save Myrtle’s job? Amy hires Myrtle as her assistant in “Salary” after she is ultimately fired in “District Manager,” too, and the older woman’s presence should be enough to remind them of this fact.
1Claire and Phil’s First Meeting
Modern Family (2009-2020)
When Phil and Claire Dunphy are introduced inModern Family’s pilot, they have been married for 16 years. There are a fewquestions about Claire and Phil’s relationship inModern Familythat crop up throughout the show, butone that audiences continue to ask is: how did the pair actually meet?It’s known that they originally meet during their college years, but the details of their first interaction are rather blurry and change at points.
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 season 5, Phil states that he and Claire met at a concert. However, in season 8’s “Do You Believe in Magic,” one ofModern Family’s funniest episodes, Phil tells Alex that their first meeting involved Claire hitting him with her car while breakdancing in a KFC parking lot. While there’s a chance there’s an overlap with these two events, initially crossing paths in the parking lot and later reuniting at the concert,Modern Familydoesn’t explain this very well.
