1. "Nasty Patty" - SpongeBob SquarePants
United Plankton PicturesIt's a good thing that there are some genuine laughs early on in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode known as "Nasty Patty", because the events that eventually transpire are supremely disturbing and horrific. The episode features the accidental "death" of a health inspector coming to the Krabby Patty, perpetrated by SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs. Believing that he was a fake health inspector from a dubious and convenient news report, they attempt to get revenge by creating the most vile patty ever. This is followed by them laughing hysterically at his suffering - not the norm in a children's cartoon. Though his death is actually a misunderstanding, SpongeBob and Krabs begin going to great lengths in order to cover it up, including burying his body near the appropriately named Shallow Grave Road. It's a horror story in the truest sense, focusing on the paranoia of two friends caught in the middle of a murder that eventually begin attempting to lay the blame on the other when the cops come sniffing around. It's a deliciously dark tale, almost Hitchcockian in the way it presents a gripping story with very little fuss.
Let us know about your favourite time a kid's show took a hard right turn in the comments!