Some of the greatest TV shows aren’t always exactly the easiest to watch. They touch upon uncomfortable topics, play with emotions, and create a sense of tension and dread that is deeply palpable. But that’s what makes the experience so special, right? To be transported into feeling a million and one things while deep in the middle of an intoxicating story — even if it is a stressful one, ha.
In that vein, in this Reddit thread, Redditor squishyg asked, “What’s the most stressful TV show you’ve ever watched?” Folks wrote in about the shows that had them feeling topsy-turvy, and as a TV-streaming enthusiast myself, I’m curious to know your thoughts:
1. “The Bear. I had to pause the show three times during the ‘Fishes’ episode. Whew.”
“I grew up with a parent a lot like his mom, and when I tell you, my eyes were anxiously glued to Jamie Lee Curtis in the background of the scenes in that episode, just waiting for her to go off. I immediately called my sister and told her not to watch it.”
2. “Particular episodes of Bojack Horseman have upset me more than any other show.”
“I’ve told people, do not watch this show if you’re going through mental health issues.”
3. “Shameless. It’s a great show, but man, everyone in that show kind of sucks.”
“Not one redeemable character, but I feel like that was the point. For comedies, I believe Veep and Seinfeld are similar. No one is likable, but it’s still good.”
4. “It’s so interesting to see everyone’s stress response to The Pitt after watching the hour-long episode. As a healthcare worker, I actually experience that level of stress casually during my workweek, working 12- to 14-hour back-to-back shifts. It’s quite validating to hear your experience while watching the show.”
5. “Mine is Kevin Can F**k Himself.”
“Great show. The first time the sitcom routine ‘breaks’ was such a mind-f—ck. Really good example of how some people have very warped perspectives that are almost incompatible with reality, but are constantly enabled at every turn.”
6. “Dexter Season 4, ‘Hungry Man’ (the Thanksgiving episode). Arthur Mitchell was scary as hell. Also, the last few minutes of the season finale, when you had this horrible sense of dread that something really horrible was going to happen. Hearing Rita’s phone ring when Dexter called, my heart was pounding.”
“I had to stop watching it after that season. Never had a show affect me so badly before, but man, was John Lithgow terrifying. That sense of dread was intense.”
7. “I think Curb Your Enthusiasm is the epitome of cringe. I usually hate cringe, but it just does it so well. I ended up curled up into a ball, screaming ‘NO!’ at the TV so many times, hating it and loving it.”
8. “Sounds ridiculous, but 24 with Kiefer Sutherland. Over the top, but loved every hour!”
9. “Severance. Season 1 finale was the most stressed I have ever been watching TV.”
10. “Chernobyl.”
“It’s partly so scary because there isn’t a monster or ‘boogeyman’ in the whole show. The antagonist is invisible radiation and the ‘Soviet system.'”
11. “Breaking Bad. Tuco alone gave me heart palpitations.”
“I remember there being a point where I had to take a beat to just get my nervous system a bit more regulated before continuing on another day.”
12. “Ozark‘s episode focusing on the brother with bipolar disorder was both devastating and stressful for me. As a psychiatrist myself, with a family member with the same disorder, I felt like they did an incredible job portraying some of the complex emotions around it all.
13. “I had to nope the F—CK out of Baby Reindeer.“
“Holy shit, yes, that’s absolutely one I will NEVER watch again, and one of the few shows/pieces of media that did a great job dealing with themes of sexual assault, which is very difficult to do.”
14. “Black Mirror. I watched one episode, and my anxiety went through the roof. No, thank you; can’t do it. Too close to reality.”
15. “The Handmaid’s Tale. I was stunned into silence after most episodes.
“Margaret Atwood specifically wrote about things that were actually done to women throughout history. The scale at which the book and show portrayed it is exaggerated, but the ways society and organizations have tried to control women are unfortunately accurate.”
16. “I got a lot of secondhand embarrassment and anxiety watching the first couple of episodes of The Office (US). I stopped watching, circled back a year later, still felt the cringe, pushed through, and now I concur that it is a masterpiece.”
17. “Homeland. Super stressful and anxiety-inducing. The show’s season finales need to be watched with some chamomile and xanax.”
18. “Prison Break. It was the first, and maybe only, show that had me sitting on the edge of my seat for every episode.”
19. “Dark. So confusing; I had to scour the internet for answers.”
“I tried watching it a second time with a pad of paper, taking notes on characters because my facial recognition is bad, and I STILL had a hard time keeping track of everything.
It’s such a good show, though.”
20. “The first thing that comes to mind is the first season of Beef. At first, I was like, ‘These people are nuts!’ Then, as the episodes went on, I started to identify with them more and more and see myself in some of their behaviors.”
21. And lastly, “When it was good, The Walking Dead. ‘Just look at the flowers, Lizzie.'”
Some of the most brilliant shows make for some of the toughest watches 😮💨 Do you agree? What are the shows that had you stressing? Let us know in the comments! Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.
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