The sketch opens in 1997 with Jordan Peele portraying an enraged Reginald VelJohnson (Carl Winslow) storming into the ABC studio executive’s office (played by Keegan-Michael Key). Carl seethes as he rails against the show’s creative death-wish, lamenting that it’s no longer the “blue-collar Cosby Show” the Winslows were intended to be Instead, Urkel has bulldozed every plot and replaced heartfelt family moments with bizarre sci-fi chaos.
The executive shrugs off Carl’s rant, saying Urkel is “the bread and butter”—money-making gold. As the tension boils over, Carl rails, “This was supposed to be a blue collar Cosby Show. Now you turn it into goddamn Quantum Leap!” The conversation spirals out of control, with Carl calling out every absurd storyline—teleportation pods, Urkel bot, transformation chambers, even an episode where Carl becomes a sandwich and is eaten by Urkel
Suddenly, Tyler James Williams (in a chilling turn) appears as the omnipotent Steve Urkel. With eerie calm, Urkel uses telekinetic powers to force the executive to shoot himself, declaring, “He is our bread and butter… you motherf**ker!” Carl instinctively tries to resist, grabbing the gun—only to have Urkel bend him to his will in a shocking mind-control moment
The sketch ends with Carl pushed to comply, lines awkwardly spat out as the show goes on under Urkel’s psychopathic dominance. The comedy is dark and unapologetic, blending nostalgia with horrifying exaggeration.
Community reactions underline its brilliance. Reddit’s r/sitcoms called it “amazing skit. Very funny yet dark,” while r/videos commented “This was how I first became aware that Good Times jumped the shark with Urkel…” Slate’s Aisha Harris praised how it captures the absurdity of Urkel’s outsized influence, noting it “reveals just how powerful and unsettling Steve Urkel really was”
Key & Peele’s uncensored twist is as hilarious as it is unsettling—turning a beloved ’90s sitcom into a jaw-dropping thriller that skewers how Urkel’s popularity hijacked Family Matters.
