At the start of any great episode of television is a strong cold open. These cold opens set the tone for what is to come later in the episode, whether-or-not they are related to the central storyline. For a drama show, this can look like a major character death, a seemingly unrelated storyline that later connects back to the main plot, or an intense moment that lands the protagonist in a difficult situation for the rest of the episode.
For sitcoms, great cold opens are often entirely unrelated to the main plot of the episode, but they can still connect back to what will come later in the episode. There are a number of fantastic sitcom cold opens out there, but occasionally, one of these cold opens will stand out among the rest. This could either be because it changed the idea of what to expect from cold opens, either from that show or from sitcoms in general, or because it marked a fundamental change for that sitcom. These are 10 cold opens that forever changed sitcoms.
10Emily goes through with her wedding to Ross
‘Friends’ Season 5, Episode 1
NoFriendsfan will ever forget the moment that Ross (David Schwimmer) said Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) name at the altar in his wedding to Emily (Helen Baxendale). Season 4 ended on that incredibly shocking moment, and then Season 5 brilliantly picked up right where it left off.Friendscould have handledRoss’s major slip-upin a number of ways, with one being that Emily could have called off the wedding right then and there.
In the cold open of the Season 5 premiere ofFriends, Emily decides to marry Ross in spite of what just happened, and then she immediately flees right then. Having Emily go through with the wedding after that was a bold move onFriends' part, and it changed the series forever after that point.Ross' number of divorces became a key part of his character,and one of the series' running jokes in the later seasons.
9A pirate crew gives Galavant and Richard a reality check
‘Galavant’ Season 2, Episode 1
The first season ofGalavantis an absolute delight, but the second season is on another level entirely, with a very significant shift in tone, and new and unexpected pairings among the characters. This was a major change for the show, and it all started with the cold open of the Season 2 premiere. Galavant (Joshua Sasse) is stuck reluctantly accompanying King Richard (Timothy Omundson) on a quest, and Richard won’t stop complaining.
Richard asks Galavant to sing the show’s main Season 1 theme, “Galavant,” to soothe him. Galavant starts to sing, and the pirate crew that they’re traveling with all interrupt to demand that he doesn’t sing it again. They start singing a new song, quite literally called “A New Season,” that marks the change in the show from there on out. It even starts with a meta nod to the show’s lack of recognition, including a not-so-subtle, hilarious reference toGame of Thrones.
8The residents of Loft 4D argue over cupboard organization
‘New Girl’ Season 4, Episode 3
Seven years after its last episode aired,New Girlcontinues to be known and loved for a number of reasons, especially for the loft and the hilarious dynamics between those who live there. This was always at the center of the show, but one cold open really cemented this legacy for the series. When Jess (Zooey Deschanel) is getting ready for her father (Rob Reiner) and his girlfriend’s (Kaitlin Olson) visit, the loftmates start to argue, and hilarious antics ensue.
This cold open reflects how cramped things are with all five of them living in the loft together now, and with Nick (Jake Johnson) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) now sharing a room. Nick and Schmidt argue about Nick’s mess, Jess searches for the French press, Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) tries to go to the bathroom, and Winston (Lamorne Morris) refuses to let Nick into his room. This cold open marked a shift forNew Girlout of Jess and Nick’s breakupandinto its golden seasonwhere all five loftmates are living together and clashing with one another.
7Barbara mixes up celebrity names
‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 2, Episode 2
Only four seasons in,Abbott Elementarycontinues to be a delight and a force. The series follows the lives of the teachers at Abbott Elementary School, and it keeps bringing out all the stops with funnier jokes, more realistic and meaningful educational storylines, and new and exciting pairings among its main cast of teachers. The series already has a number of popular recurring jokes as well.
One ofAbbott Elementary’s funniest and most well-known jokes continues to be referenced often in relation to the show, and it came froma Season 2 cold open. In it, the teachers are sitting around in the teachers' lounge and chatting, when the topic of celebrities comes up. It’s then revealed that Barbara is always mixing up celebrities who have similar names. This is such a funny and clever bit that continues to appear on the show as a running gag.
Abbott Elementary
6When Doc met Beans
‘Mythic Quest’ Season 1, Episode 5
Four seasons in, the aspect ofMythic Questthat most stands out are its departure episodes. The workplace comedy aspect of the series is very funny in its own right, but these episodes are really incredible. Each season,Mythic Questdelivers one episode that can stand on its own, and that often functions as a piece of backstory. This all started with the Season 1 episode"A Dark Quiet Death,“which sets the tone with its cold open.
The cold open of “A Dark Quiet Death” takes viewers back to decades earlier, following two strangers who only go by Doc (Jake Johnson) and Beans (Cristin Milioti). In the cold open, while perusing video games at the store, the two meet and form an instant connection that becomes the main focus of this episode. This cold open takes a risk by following new characters and taking viewers somewhere else, andthese departure episodes have since become fundamental toMythic Quest.
Mythic Quest
5Kevin drops the chili
‘The Office’ Season 5, Episode 26
The Officeis so beloved for a number of reasons: its unique characters, how it brings magic and silliness to the mundane, and its number of hilarious running jokes. The series has many funny running gags that are still associated with the show, and that are regularly quoted and referenced by its most dedicated fans. One of thesecomes from a cold opentowards the end of Season 5.
In one of the series' most famous cold opens, Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) brings a massive pot of chili to work. He reveals that this is something that he regularly does; at least once a year, Kevin cooks a pot of his homemade chili for everyone at work, and he brings it in to share with them. That day, though, Kevin drops the pot and spills it all over the floor. It is a very funny (and kind of sad) scene that has become one ofThe Office’s most memorable moments.
The Office
4The title card contradicts Frank
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Season 3, Episode 8
Now 16 seasons in, with the next one set to air this coming summer,It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacontinues to be an extraordinarily funny and iconic series. One of the show’s best recurring bits is that in every episode, itsets up an idea in the cold open,then the title card either subverts it or enforces it. The funniest times arewhen the title card contradicts the cold open,and the best early example of this is in “Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire.”
In the cold open, Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Charlie (Charlie Day) decide to try to go big in order to make it onto the news. Frank (Danny DeVito) wants to get in on this, but Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) are naturally skeptical. Dee tells Frank that he’s going to take it too far and end up hurting someone, and he says he won’t, but then the title card reads, “Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire.” It’s a perfect cold open that really shows how muchIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacan push this bit, and it set the stage for many more.
Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Five friends with big egos and small brains are the proprietors of an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
3Eleanor faces the consequences of her confession
‘The Good Place’ Season 1, Episode 8
The Good Placealways kept its viewers on their toes, and, as such, it had a number of turning points throughout its run (most notably following the mind-blowing plot twist in the Season 1 finale). The first major twist occurs exactly halfway through Season 1, when, in order to help Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Eleanor (Kristen Bell) confesses to her entire Good Place neighborhood that she was sent there by mistake.
Although this confession was major,The Good Place could easilyhave retconned it in the next episode by having Eleanor take it back, or by having everyone not take her seriously when she said that. In the cold open of the following episode, though,The Good Placecommits to this major change in a bold and funny way. Eleanor sits in Michael’s (Ted Danson) office just like she did in the pilot, and Michael interrogates Eleanor about her life on Earth.
The Good Place
2The study group makes notches in the table
‘Community’ Season 2, Episode 17
Communityhas a number of clever and hilarious cold opens, but there is none more fundamental to the show than the opening to “Intro to Political Science.“After the Dean (Jim Rash) announcesthat Greendale will be having a school election for a student council representative, each member of the study group naturally feels the need to add their own input to the conversation at hand.
Jeff (Joel McHale) makes a snarky remark about how Greendale can’t be improved, and Abed (Danny Pudi) makes a notch in the side of the table under the label “Classic ‘Wingers.'” Annie (Alison Brie) says that Jeff cares more about his hair and abs than anything else, and he makes a notch under the label “Ab Mentions.” Britta (Gillian Jacobs) refuses to shut up when Jeff tells her to, and smugly ends it with “Case in point.” Troy (Donald Glover) laughs, and then he makes a notch,but his is just labeled “Notches.“It’s a hilarious subversion of expectations, and with it, this cold open cemented the wonderful weirdness that isCommunity.
1Jake leads an a cappella version of “I Want It That Way”
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Season 5, Episode 17
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s “I Want It That Way” not only changed the show from then on out, but it fundamentally changed the nature of sitcom cold opens. In this Season 5 cold open, Jake (Andy Samberg) does a line-up with a witness, Gwen (Devin Sidell), so that she determine which of the suspects is guilty. Gwen tells Jake that she was hiding in the bathroom stall of a bar when she heard the culprit singing a few lines of “I Want It That Way” by The Backstreet Boys, so Jake decides to have them each sing a few lines of the song.
This cold open is absolutely hilarious and extremely catchy, as Jake gets distracted from the case when he leads the five suspects in an a cappella rendition of the song – until Gwen reminds him of the real reason why they are there. This is the most iconicBrooklyn Nine-Ninecold open, and one of the first things that people associate with the show now. It is such a clever and fun cold open, and to this day, it has raised the bar for sitcom cold opens.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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