Top 10 Funniest Comebacks on Sitcoms
#10: Sheldon Gets Judgy
Top 20 Funniest Sheldon Cooper Moments
“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19) Dr. Sheldon Cooper couldn't exactly be called subtle. He may not always be able read social cues, but he can definitely be counted on to speak his mind. He often says what everyone else is thinking but is too afraid to say. When Sheldon is forced to go to court for a traffic ticket, he brings his attitude right along with him. A judge who gets snarky about his qualifications finds the genius theoretical physicist come right back with a zinger of his own. Whether Sheldon means to or not, he consistently delivers hilarious one liners.
#9: Eric Sets Himself Up
Top 20 Funniest Eric Andre Street Pranks
“That 70's Show” (1998-2006) Red Forman is a tough, American-loving, attitude-hating, no-nonsense father. And he takes a… tough love approach to his parenting style. He has been known to call Eric or his friends a dumbass for basically any reason at any time. So, we would think the youngest Forman would be the last person trying to earn his father’s wrath. But when Eric arrives home from a date with Donna and fails to pull the car all the way into the garage, his father notices. His attempt to downplay the situation leaves him wide open for insult. And of course, Red has a crass reply ready to go. We can’t help but love their odd dynamic.
#8: A Tight Sweater For Everyone
Top 10 Funniest Sitcoms of All Time
“Community” (2009-15) As a formerly super successful lawyer, Jeff Winger has made himself known as someone with a bit of a superiority complex. He thinks he is better than pretty much everyone around him and wants them all to know by insulting everyone at every opportunity. But he met his match when Annie returned his insult with…well, his insult mirrored back to him. The childhood phrase “I'm rubber you're glue” comes to mind with this one. While Annie was no newbie to Jeff’s insults at this point, she just couldn’t let this one slide. And we love her for it.
#7: Laura Is Reminded of Urkel
“Family Matters” (1989-98) Steve Urkel’s head-over-heels crush for Laura Winslow went beyond just liking. He was infatuated with her. We’re talking years long, full blown love. But she was always quick to stop his attempts at winning her over. One of the best examples came when Urkel asked her about a trip. In turn, she said it was mainly the bugs that reminded her of him. Steve naturally takes it in stride and makes the moment all the funnier. Though they don’t seem compatible at first, they make the sweetest duo later on. Luckily, their eventual relationship didn’t stop all of the snark.
#6: Leslie Doesn’t Surrender
Top 10 Hilarious Leslie Jones Moments on SNL
“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15) Mixing business with relationships can make things… messy. Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt learned this lesson the hard way. In the midst of a breakup, the duo try to take part in leading a Model UN club session. What should be a fun activity gets out of hand pretty quickly when Leslie ultimately declares war on Ben. When he tried to get her to wave the flag of surrender, she told him she would only be waving one thing. We think the awkward moment of silence from the crowd that followed pretty much spoke for all of us. We’re thankful this hilariously over-the-top insult also brought Leslie back to earth.
#5: Chandler Wins With Logic
Top 10 Most Hilarious Chandler Bing Quotes
“Friends” (1994-2004) Let’s be honest, when it comes to “Friends”, most bad things can be blamed squarely on Ross, right? We bet most people would agree that The One time he learned to play the bagpipes for the Gellar-Bing wedding was one of the worst things he ever attempted. Monica thought she could blame this musical nightmare on Chandler’s heritage. But the groom is quick to remind his bride of the only reason Ross is involved at all. While Monica is pretty good at winning most arguments, she truly could not compete with Chandler’s comedic timing here.
#4: Lucille is Never Bested
“Arrested Development” (2003-19) Since each member of the Bluth family has a distinct and often abrasive personality, they’re constantly sniping at each other. Standing at the top of the snark pyramid is their matriarch, Lucille. One of her best displays comes when she goes out to dinner with her daughter Lindsay. This meal encourages Lucille to make cutting comments about her child’s eating habits. Although Lindsay tries to make snide comments back, her mom just points out how much better she is at insults. That’s probably the most Lucille thing we have ever heard. While having a mom like that can’t be easy, it’s hard not to love her sharp comebacks.
#3: Holt Claps Back
Top 10 Holt Quotes on Brooklyn Nine Nine
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-21) It’s hard to believe that someone who takes everything so seriously can be so hilarious. But when it comes to Madeline Wuntch, Ray Holt might as well be a professional comedian. Since the pair of cops have history going all the way back to their detective days, every one of their standoffs is personal. One of the funniest verbal spats came when in an episode where Wuntch schemes to get Holt moved out of his captain position through a promotion. During one of their encounters, the frenemies turned full-on-enemies traded harsh barbs. Although Holt temporarily loses the battle for his job, the goat-themed jab he made ensures he was the definite winner of this interaction.
#2: George Goes to the Jerk Store
10 Times George Cooper Sr Was Nothing Like Sheldon Described on The Big Bang Theory
“Seinfeld” (1989-98) George Costanza's neurotic, underdog personality is a large part of what solidifies him as one of the most beloved characters in sitcom history. His weird habits and disdain for work make him so relatable. One of his best carefree moves saw him bring a whole bowl of cocktail shrimp to the conference table. In a meeting, his coworker calls out his odd behavior. George’s decision to call him a jerk gave us one of the show’s most memorable insults. But when that doesn’t have the intended impact, George takes things a little too far to give us another hilariously awkward moment. But would it really be a Costanza moment if he hadn’t taken it too far? We don’t think so.
#1: Michael Retaliates
Top 10 Worst Things Michael Scott Has Done
“The Office” (2005-13) In a bold move to try and let his office workers vent their frustrations, Michael Scott invites his coworkers to roast him in a public event. But the plan goes a little too well. After being absolutely obliterated by insults, he seemed too rattled to fire back. However, he eventually returned to work in blazing glory to roast each and every member of the office. His burns manage to target each and every one of his coworkers with pinpoint accuracy. Thanks to Steve Carrell’s expert delivery, each insult becomes funnier than the last. Michael Scott’s rapid fire retorts made for one of the best comeback scenes in sitcom history.
