8 TV Shows That Are Hard to Watch Again

Sometimes, even when a TV show is one of the greatest of all time, its themes and stories are so tough to witness that you can only watch it once. Art is a great way for creators and audiences to work through interrogative questions and painful experiences, and seeing this unfold onscreen can be cathartic. However, once is often enough when it comes to seeing the heartbreaking events of these shows.

The saddest episodes of sitcoms and other light-hearted TV series can be tough to revisit, but these shows are heartbreaking from beginning to end, making it difficult to justify returning to the show. There’s little question that sometimes we put on a series because we’re in the mood to cry, but these works take things to the next level, staying with the viewer for years to come.

These TV shows are too emotional to rewatch because of what the characters go through and what they put each other through. In most cases, it isn’t graphic violence or gore that makes these projects tough to witness multiple times, but the emotionally devastating events and heartbreaking endings that force the viewer to reflect on some of life’s hardest truths.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025)

Based on the book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid‘s Tale struck with audiences as soon as it premiered in 2017, renewing the interest in the original novel. Set in a dystopian future where women are subjugated and forced into childbearing slavery, The Handmaid’s Tale puts its characters, particularly its protagonist, June (Elisabeth Moss), through horrifying ordeals, and her struggle against the totalitarian government makes it no less upsetting to watch.

Though The Handmaid’s Tale lost some of its focus as the seasons progressed, and the series strayed from the original text, the impact and influence of the project can’t be overlooked. Though extreme, there are many parallels to be drawn between the events of The Handmaid’s Tale and gender-based discrimination in the real world, even if it’s emotionally taxing to watch more than once.

This Is Us (2016–2022)

The multi-generational story of This is Us isn’t as graphically violent or intense as some of the other series that can only be watched once, but that doesn’t make it any less of a tearjerker. This is Us quickly gained a reputation for breaking the viewers’ hearts many times over throughout the seasons, as sometimes the saddest parts of a story are the most mundane.

While there are some soapy elements in This is Us, the series works because it takes the everyday struggles of a family trying to recover from grief and make their way in the world so seriously. With landmark performances from Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, and Chrissy Metz, among many others, This is Us is worth watching, if only once, as it can help audiences better understand their own lives.

When They See Us (2019)

Created by Ava DuVernay, the miniseries When They See Us brings to life the true story of a group of young Black and Latino men falsely accused of assault in 1989 New York City. Touching upon the experiences of the five boys who were wrongly convicted and the deep roots of racism that run rampant in the U.S. Justice System, When They See Us doesn’t hold back when it comes to highlighting the injustice of these events.

When They See Us received universal acclaim, as DuVernay makes the young men the story focuses on more than the tragic circumstances that upended their lives. Each actor gives everything they have to playing Kevin Richardson​​​​​​, Antron McCray​​​​​​, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana, allowing their stories to be heard as individuals, and not just another statistic, which is what makes When They See Us one of the best miniseries in recent memory.

The Leftovers (2014–2017)

The Leftovers is a show about the aftermath of loss and the long road of grief, and the series’ seasons mimic the many phases and experiences that come with the territory. In some ways, the viewer is rewarded while watching The Leftovers, as the series does get a bit more hopeful as the seasons progress, but the journey to get there isn’t easy, and isn’t one you’ll want to do again.

In some ways, The Leftovers is a better mystery show than Lost, as The Leftovers doesn’t feel the need to answer all of its questions, leaving some of the series’ most compelling reveals a secret. This ultimately works in The Leftovers‘ favor and cements the uncertainty and desires to surrender to life’s unknowns that the series explores, forcing the audience to engage with complex philosophical questions.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Richard Gadd’s TV series Baby Reindeer instantly made waves after it premiered on Netflix, not just for its intense subject matter, but for the emotional vulnerability of Gadd in creating the show. Gadd has been open about the fact that the story’s circumstances are based on his life, making the events of the show even more difficult to watch, as Gadd’s character, Donny, goes through them.

Universally acclaimed, Baby Reindeer garnered a large audience base, but it isn’t easy to come back to the show, as watching it through just once will push the viewer to the brink. Touching upon assault, stalking, and many other forms of trauma, Baby Reindeer deals with each facet of its narrative with honesty and the nuance required to explore its themes, benefiting from the incredible performances and writing.

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, BoJack Horseman is quite possibly the best adult animated series ever made, but that doesn’t mean we want to revisit some of BoJack’s darkest moments throughout the show. Not only do we feel for the titular character as we learn more about his troubled upbringing, but we become deeply entrenched in the characters’ struggles to find meaning, which often end in disaster.

Additionally, the viewer is simultaneously confronted with BoJack’s unforgivable actions, making the audience question how it would be possible to root for such a character. There are many BoJack Horseman episodes I can’t watch without crying, and BoJack Horseman never shies away from pushing the audience and characters to their limits, making it tough to revisit after knowing what happens to BoJack.

I May Destroy You (2020)

Michaela Coel gives the performance of a lifetime in I May Destroy You as Arabella, and her creative vision as the writer and creator of the limited series comes through in every moment of her work onscreen. I May Destroy You was based on real events, with Coel using her voice and agency as a filmmaker to reckon with the lasting effects of her trauma (via Vanity Fair).

As difficult as it is to witness what Arabella goes through in I May Destroy You, there’s also a deep sense of feeling seen and understood for viewers who know what the character is going through and rarely witness themselves fairly and empathetically represented onscreen. Of course, there are moments of comedy and levity throughout the series, as there are in life, but I May Destroy You still hits hard whenever you watch it.

Chernobyl (2019)

Chernobyl is an HBO miniseries that’s a masterpiece from beginning to end, but like all TV shows based on real events, it can be difficult to stomach the events of the series. Examining the fallout of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster, and touching upon what led to the devastating event and how citizens and officials tried to put things back together, reckoning with the legacy of the historical catastrophe is harrowing.

Led by Jared Harris as Valery Legasov, the ensemble cast also features Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Jessie Buckley, who provide emotional and dramatic support to the shocking realism of the story. Chernobyl takes some narrative liberties, but it’s the faithfulness to the actual events that makes it so devastating to watch the first time around, and every time after that.