25 TV Shows That Are So Heartbreaking, Depressing, And Just Plain Sad, It's Hard To Watch Them Again

I really don't think I could rewatch The Handmaid's Tale more than once.

A little while ago, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV shows are brilliant but so emotionally draining, it makes them hard to rewatch. Here are some of the best responses:

Note: There are some MASSIVE spoilers ahead. Also, #14 mentions sexual assault and #19 mentions suicide.

1. First, Parenthood

NBC

"It was such a heartwarming show, full of strong and meaningful family connections, but there were so many heartbreaking moments that I don’t think I’ll revisit it."

—maritereg

2. Maid

Netflix

"I loved Maid so much, I literally couldn't stop watching and binged the episodes in a couple of days. But once I finished, I realized I couldn't put myself through all that pain and heartache again."

—Lauren Garafano

3. When They See Us

Netflix

"An exceptional TV show and beautifully made, but it emotionally drained me."

—bailey_burg

4. BoJack Horseman

Netflix

"Some episodes, like 'Free Churro,' are rewatchable, sure, but there are so many points in the show where it feels like you're being punched in the stomach that I don't think I could ever watch it again."

—blacklegkat

5. This Is Us

NBC

"This show is emotionally draining; I don't think I'd be able to rewatch it all."

—yvonneo44fe06b26

6. Six Feet Under

HBO

"Six Feet Under, hands down. It had the best ending of any show I've ever seen, and I've never cried so much. The entire series was a journey you can only take once."

—sarahm440b79d54

7. Grey's Anatomy

ABC

"I used to rewatch Grey's about once a year. I tried not too long ago, made it to about Season 7, and just couldn’t go on knowing there is nothing except pain with little payoff coming."

—betht403b09245

8. The Handmaid's Tale

Hulu

"Every season after Season 1 has been so bleak and draining that I can only watch one episode at a time with at least a week in between. I can't imagine binge-watching it."

—NoTeaNoShade

9. Breaking Bad

AMC

"This show was incredibly well done, and I was totally hooked from the moment I watched the first episode. However, every single thing that happened was utterly depressing, and I just don't want to put myself through that again."

—samantham46531ff01

10. Money Heist/La Casa de Papel

Netflix

"I can’t watch La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) knowing Nairobi died in Part 4. She made the show as good as it was, and killing her broke me too much."

—abcdef

11. Merlin

BBC

"I feel like a lot of people, including me, thought that Merlin was going to change the prophecy about Arthur dying as they did with other prophecies in the past seasons. But it came true, and I guess that’s why it’s so sad, because nobody expected the good guys to lose. It's hard to rewatch because of the sad ending."

—saltycomments

12. Squid Game

Netflix

"I know this is a show where you'll catch more details/Easter eggs if you rewatch, but I don't think I can put myself through this show again. I'm still emotionally exhausted after watching the outcome of the marble game."

—Jen Abidor

13. Chernobyl

HBO

"The show was amazing, but it's too depressing to rewatch."

—laragarciac

14. Outlander

Starz

"Outlander, simply because I had a hard time making it past the end of Season 1. It's so good, but it's so hard to watch more than once."

—sabrinat1

15. The Wire

HBO

"The Wire is still considered a phenomenal TV series, but man, it's so heartbreaking and sad. I think it's the perfect example of a show everyone should watch at least once, but a rewatch is hard to do."

—Spencer Althouse

16. The Walking Dead

AMC

"Never has a show been more bleak, depressing, and torturous to their characters. There are literally NO HAPPY endings in sight for anyone. It's torture porn. It feels as though the reality is that everyone is actually dead already and we're watching them exist in hell/purgatory."

—jasonq1985

17. Pose

FX

"Every single episode is pure perfection, but every single episode also makes me sob. I don’t know when I’ll be emotionally stable enough to watch it again."

—Megan

18. Dopesick

Hulu

"This series just came out, but oh my god, I can't stop thinking about it. Kaitlyn Dever gives such a heart-wrenching performance, and I don't think I'll be able to rewatch the series because it's so sad. Period."

—Nora Dominick

19. 13 Reasons Why

Netflix

"I only watched the first season, and it was so well done but incredibly depressing. So although it was an important story, I won’t watch it again and won’t watch the other seasons, either."

—haleyw4ae66dcb9

20. Sons of Anarchy

FX

"Even just thinking about rewatching it gives me anxiety and makes me want to cry over certain characters' deaths. I loved this show, but I'm still not mentally or emotionally ready to go through it again."

—s4eb42b230

21. Broadchurch

BBC

"The show had superb acting, but the story was so intense, I sometimes had to go a few weeks between episodes, and I could never rewatch it. Olivia Colman and David Tennant are fantastic together, and it was one of the most beautifully devastating television shows I’ve ever seen."

—brynw451616e9b

22. Orange Is the New Black

Netflix

"This series was phenomenal, but every season was so heartbreaking, sad, and just wild. I don't know if I could do a full series rewatch because of it."

—leilanispence

23. Sharp Objects

HBO

"An amazing series that should have won more awards. I don't love watching children in peril, though, and the season was so depressing. I don't think I can revisit it."

—GreenZoe

24. Lost

ABC

"It was so different from everything else on TV, but it was also way too emotionally draining. I can't rewatch this show again. 'Not Penny's boat' will haunt me forever."

—jmcclelland

25. And Finally, Ozark

Netflix

"For reasons similar to Breaking Bad, Ozark just keeps getting more and more stressful and emotionally exhausting. It's an amazing show, but I don't think I could go back to the beginning and watch it again, especially knowing how certain storylines turn out."

—spaghettijones

We can't fit every show in one post, so what other great shows are heartbreaking, but you just can't bring yourself to rewatch them? Tell us in the comments below!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.