In spite of being a parody show, DUGPDCV is still capable of moments like these.
- Flavien discovering why he has an Irrational Hatred toward an alien prince: the prince is his father, who abandoned Flavien's mom after she got pregnant since he can not inherit the throne if he has children outside his kingdom (Flavien's mom was the only woman who was able to love him despite his odor and his callousness in his search for a queen). When he learns the Awful Truth from Valence, a deep well of rage, pain and sorrow erupts in him.Flavien: So this is why I hate you. When my mom got pregnant, I became an obstacle for you. It's you who abandoned her when you learned she was expecting a child. My mom died heartbroken... BECAUSE OF YOU!
- Season 3's episode, Spit-Barishny-fire, manages this out of a situation involving an unlikely character where you'd expect laughter and humiliation instead. The crew wishes to gain access to a galaxy to explore its planets, but first must pass through a customs checkpoint. When it's revealed they're Earthlings, they're forced to go through a check-up to see if they have any "bitterness" on their heart, their "pent-up emotions"; something they heavily bear on themselves that they must overcome to better control their universally ill-perceived emotions. Brad really, really wants nothing to do with that, but after being forced through with it, he crushingly reveals in front of the rest of the crew that he secretly wanted to be a ballerina dancer rather than a scientist, but was forced into the latter by his father... and thus, into four years of travel in deep space. Oh, he does get laughed at... at first, before even Flavien and Bob visibly feel sad about the situation as the Captain goes for a Cooldown Hug.Brad(crying): I just want to go home and curl on the carpet, I want to die.
- The Captain's vision is an article saying the Earth exploded before he could find a new planet, calling him a disgrace for humanity. One of the few things the show took seriously was how much the fate of humanity relies on the crew and how the Captain is being stressed by it, even breaking down in the second season over not being able to find a planet.
- Flavien's vision is of a grave stone for his father, with the epitaph saying that he left his son in mourning. Flavien desperately looking for his father is also one of the show's few serious elements. He falls down on his knees, and, well...
Flavien(crying): You died, and you didn't even tell me!!! - The first movie is a perfect example of the First Law of Tragicomedies. It starts out relatively lighthearted and funny like the series, even during more suspenseful developments like the crew fighting clones of themselves. But then, they learn from a soothsayer about a prophecy where, after finally finding an habitable planet for the Earthlings, one of the crewmember will die fighting a dangerous beast. From then on, the tone gets progressively more somber, with the crew being understandably troubled by the prophecy, the captain being blackmailed by Brad into demoting Flavien (Brad was abusing a loophole that would have allowed him to not put his life in danger.) and the captain deciding to go on the planet alone to take on the sacrifice out of guilt (all of which is played with minimal laughs), until we reach the Prophecy Twist: the dangerous beast is actually another human crew with more sociopathic methods to achieve their goals, the fight takes place on the ship and the one who sacrifices himself is Flavien, who takes a poisoned shot from the captain of the other crew before they get destroyed. Flavien's death and funeral, with the entire crew (even Brad) mourning him, is played entirely straight, with no jokes whatsoever, and it is heartbreaking, especially when the Captain starts second-guessing the righteousness of their mission and breaks down completely at the thought that Flavien died thinking he hated him. Thank God Flavien turned out to be Only Mostly Dead.
- Made even worse by how Flavien is agonizing in his final moment, muttering to Valence how much he is in pain and dying before he can finish his last words about how glad he was to have finished the mission.
- Season 2's episode, Misery of the Rich, has Brad teaching Bob how to be an asshole in order to impress Petrolia. Near the end, after Petrolia gave him "The Reason You Suck" Speech, Bob became so depressed that he doesn't want to leave his bed. And while Captain Patenaude at first reprimands him for his attitude, he becomes concerned for his well-being.Charles: You know Bob, the suit, the attitude, the cash. That's not you.Bob(crying): So, who am I then? Who am I? I'M NOTHING!
- Season 2's episode, Cain and Abel, sees Bob and Flavien's friendship slowly crumble to dust due to Bob being jealous that Petrolia loves Flavien and not him (along with Brad's manipulation), until it hits rock bottom as Bob officially breaks off their friendship. He immediately regrets his actions, but before he can apologize, the planet they are currently standing on erupts into an earthquake, Flavien gets crushed under massive boulders and seemingly dies after reaffirming his friendship to Bob, who can do nothing but grieve for his friend. Of course, it turns into a Moment of Awesome when Bob's grief turns into Unstoppable Rage, where he frees Flavien from the boulders and from death.
- Season 3's episode, Earth Sickness: Throughout the episode, Bob suffers from the titular sickness, which is a form of depression caused by a longing for his home planet and the family he left behind. Bob, who is usually the Big Fun, spends the entire episode either despondent and sad, or openly hostile towards the crew. Near the end, he even tries to throw himself out of the airlock in a delirious last-ditch-attempt to return back to Earth. It's really heartrending to see such a loveable character in such a state and, even though the episode is not without jokes, the tragedy of Bob's predicament could overshadow it all, especially for those who have suffered (or are suffering) from depression.
- Special mention should go to the scene where Bob's Sitcom Archnemesis Brad pushes him over the edge. Now, Brad has always been an unpleasant character, but watching him gleefully torment Bob and push all of his melancholy buttons, uncaring of his fragile grasp on reality, is horrifyingly cruel and heartless (even when he turns it into a stand-up comedy routine with a laugh track) and could represent a crossing of the Moral Event Horizon for some people. By the end of the scene, Bob snaps and he is left grimacing and squealing in pure anguish, and you may find yourself wanting to give him a bear hug.
- What makes the episode so heartbreaking is that it treats Bob's depression realistically, and Didier Lucien's performance perfectly conveys that onscreen.
- During his mental breakdown where he holds everyone at gunpoint, Flavien tries to talk him down only to get a warning shot. What is even worse is not that Bob will shoot his best friend but it's played as though Bob is so far gone he doesn't even recognize Flavien anymore.
Flavien: Bob, my friend, we grew up together Bob, I saw you get fatter.
Bob: Don't come near me!
