20 depressing TV shows that are hard to make it all the way through

Breaking Bad might be one of the most acclaimed series of the 21st century, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always a joy to watch. Indeed, it can be quite depressing at times to watch Walter White as he descends further into darkness and megalomania. This is particularly true of the later seasons, when we see just how far he is willing to go to protect himself and his interests. It is definitely a rewarding viewing experience, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always, or even often, a very pleasant one.

Set several centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon depicts the events of the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal civil war between rival branches of the Targaryens. The show is unflinching in its depiction of the brutality that each side is willing to inflict on the other, and, like Game of Thrones, it’s not afraid to kill off major characters. While it manages to show the extent to which people will commit horrifying acts in the pursuit of power — and the way that wars can spiral out of control, whatever the principals may want — it can still be a bit of a slog, particularly in its second season.

Game of Thrones is rightfully credited for allowing fantasy to break into the mainstream. This is largely because the series adeptly utilizes the vernacular of fantasy to explore issues of power and politics. It has to be said, though, that it can be a bit depressing to watch, particularly as the various factions of Westeros prove themselves willing to oppress and destroy the common folk in the pursuit of more power and influence. There are very few heroes and many villains in the show, and this is both its great strength and its greatest weakness.

Chernobyl is one of those series that draws its horrifying power from the fact that it is based on real events, arguably the most famous nuclear disaster of the 20th century. It gained new power and relevance during the pandemic, and in its depiction of a government more concerned with maintaining appearances than in addressing a crisis, it can’t help but send chills down the spine. It also makes for very grim and often heavy viewing, especially considering just how terrifying the real events were and the significant shadow they cast over the 1980s.

Severance is one of those shows that aptly captures and conveys the mind-numbing nature of corporate labor. Much of the first season takes place within the confines of Lumon Industries, where employees spend their days working on tasks that seem to have no purpose. Adding to the misery is the fact that the employees have been split, so that their outside and inside selves have no memory of the other. It’s all very dystopian, and it can make for heavy watching, particularly for anyone who has ever had to work in the crushing environment of an office.

Few medical dramas have been as hard-hitting as The Pitt, which became a true hit for HBO Max in 2025. Set in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, it focuses on the various members of the staff as they contend with both the daily pressures of working in an ER and events like mass shootings. It deserves all of the praise that it has received, but there’s also no question that, in its attention to the stresses and traumas that doctors endure daily, it can be a very draining and depressing watch.

The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series focuses on Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were sentenced to life in prison for murdering their parents. The series aims to give important context to the brothers’ actions, and in that regard, it succeeds. However, it’s an undeniably depressing series, particularly since it doesn’t shy away from the gruesome details of Lyle and Erik’s father and his abuse of them. Even so, it’s still worth watching, if one can endure just how dispiriting it is from beginning to end.

With American Sports Story  TV, maestro Ryan Murphy turned his attention to the world of sports, beginning with the tragic story of Aaron Hernandez. As the series makes clear, Hernandez was very much a creation of both the homophobia and the physical damage inherent in professional football. While it features a dynamite performance from Josh Andrés Rivera, it also makes for difficult watching, particularly since the audience can’t help but be aware of where the story is leading. In the end, no one can save Hernandez from his dreadful fate.

Mare of Easttown  is absolutely compelling but can make for a bit of a slog in terms of viewing experience, not least because it focuses on a woman struggling with grief while uncovering horrifying facts about a murder in her small town. Kate Winslet gives one of her usual terrific performances as the title character, whose investigation uncovers the dark and sinister underbelly of the community she thought she knew. It also features a somber aesthetic that is very much in keeping with the somber tone of the show as a whole.

There’s no question that Ozark  features some terrific performances from both Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, who star as a married couple who find themselves led down the road to damnation once they become involved in money laundering and drug dealing. However, it must be noted that Ozark is a depressing viewing experience, both due to the nature of its story and its aesthetic. It’s one of those shows that demonstrates just how terrible people can be, and this is what makes it so hard to watch and to finish.

Few shows have as expertly demonstrated the stifling and crushing influence of intergenerational trauma and poverty quite as well as Shameless. Every character in the show, particularly the members of the Gallagher family, experiences trauma of one sort or another, much of it attributable to their disreputable reprobate of a father, Frank (played by William H. Macy). Though it’s often bleakly funny, it can also be painful to watch the various members of the family set their lives on fire, usually at just the moment when they seem to be doing well.

While The Bear has often been referred to as a comedy, it leans far more into the drama of its storytelling. What seems at first blush like a show about one young man’s attempt to save his family’s restaurant soon turns into an exploration of weighty matters, including suıcide, family trauma, and everything in between. Though it deserves all of the critical praise it’s received, there’s no question that The Bear can sometimes make for a bit of a depressing watch, particularly in its later seasons, which means that it’s not for the faint of heart.

Given that The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth where most people have been infected by a mutated version of the Cordyceps fungus. The series has a bleak aesthetic and outlook, and it’s not afraid to have even beloved characters die in the middle of a season. This often makes for challenging watching, particularly for those who watch TV to escape from the horrors of the real world. For those who can stick with it despite its 

Dopesick, based on the book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, follows various characters from several walks of life as they contend with the ugly realities of the opioid epidemic. It is a hard-hitting docuseries that skillfully blends fact and fiction, and it is certainly a difficult and emotionally wrenching watch, particularly for anyone who has had a family member or friend struggle with addiction. For those who aren’t overwhelmed by its depressing narrative, however, it still makes for necessary and poignant watching. 

Few animated series have been as bleak as BoJack Horseman. Its title character, as one might guess from his name, is a horse who also happened to be a huge TV star before his career cratered. The series’ several seasons explored BoJack’s various tortured relationships with both himself and others, and it has to be said that it goes to some pretty dark places, particularly in the later seasons. This is a series that is definitely not for the faint of heart, and it’s easy to see why it would be too depressing for many viewers to finish.

Based on Margaret Atwood’s hauntingly prescient novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, focuses on June/Offred, a young woman serving as a Handmaid — a glorified concubine — in the dystopian country of Gilead. It’s the kind of show that’s haunting to watch precisely because it seems to draw so much on the present moment. It’s also unflinching in its depiction of how much women suffer in this theocratic regime that sees them as little more than brood mares, and, while there are moments of resistance, it’s a very bleak viewing experience. 

Evan Peters gives a chilling and often downright terrifying performance in Dahmer–Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. He literally seems to inhabit the mind and body of one of the most infamous and terrifying serial killers of the 20th century. The show repeatedly draws attention to how law enforcement failed to protect its victims. It also doesn’t shy away from showing the horrors of his actions, and, as a result, it can be difficult for even the most devout of true crime enthusiasts to really finish.

Part black comedy and part family melodrama, Succession focuses on the various members of the Roy family as they attempt to take over from their patriarch, Logan. While it is a bleakly funny show at times, it’s also quite depressing, particularly since the Roy siblings constantly betray one another. In the end, the family has essentially torn itself apart, and while there are victors, one gets the sense that they will never be truly happy, regardless of how wealthy and powerful they may be.

From the beginning, the series Black Mirror has imagined the impact that technology can have on society, for better and for worse (more often the latter). Its numerous seasons have explored everything from human consciousness to surveillance culture, and it has shown just how much technology can bring out humanity’s worst and most destructive tendencies. It might make for very depressing viewing, but as a whole, Black Mirror is also a timely and valuable warning of the dangers of relying too much on technology without restraint.

The Leftovers is one of those series that is truly an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast. It includes such heavy hitters as Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, and Ann Dowd, and it definitely doesn’t let up when it comes to the depression. Then again, this is to be expected, given that the show takes place in a world reeling from the sudden disappearance of millions of people. It only lasted three seasons, but given just how weighty and depressing it can be to watch, perhaps this is a good thing.