TV Shows That Tap Into Everyday Fears

Stories, whether old fables offering wisdom or modern cautionary tales guiding us, have always resonated deeply within human hearts due to their ability to stir emotions. Among all these emotions, fear holds a unique power that has sparked many of the most memorable works of fiction throughout history. From time immemorial, our deepest fears have been the driving force behind some of humanity’s most captivating stories.

Today, our anxieties have taken a less tangible form than fretting over an unseen danger lurking close by. Modern day apprehensions range from social blunders, unrestrained impulses, or the classic monster in the shadows. Remarkably, several popular TV series harness these shared fears to create compelling narratives that are often enlightening. Delve into this collection of top television shows, as they skillfully expose our common anxieties through chilling, eerie – and at times, comical – portrayals of terror on the small screen.

Fleabag – the fear of dying alone

Many individuals aspire for a life that includes a satisfying career, an active social life, a caring family, and a loyal romantic companion. For numerous people, it appears to be finding that romantic partner which proves to be the most challenging. This could be due to past relationship disappointments or simply the difficulty in finding the right match. Almost everyone experiences at least one instance where they worry about not finding ‘the one’. No TV series portrays this fear more accurately than the British dark comedy “Fleabag.

Titled by and featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series “Fleabag” narrates the story of an anonymous Londoner as she navigates through her quest for love, intimacy, and friendship. The narrative commences with her grappling with the suicide of her dearest friend, Boo, who ended her life following a betrayal in her relationship. Overwhelmed by sorrow, “Fleabag” eventually acknowledges that beneath it all, she harbors a profound fear of solitude. To discover what truly matters to her, she must confront her past experiences and address her own shortcomings.

Fleabag,” a wittily humorous and heartwarming romantic comedy series, stands among the most exceptional dramas produced by British television in recent years. However, be prepared – this captivating narrative may lead you to spend an extended period pondering your own romantic missteps. Unfortunately, it might be another 16 years before we get a third season to continue the story.

The Good Place – The fear of being silently judged

The most frequent fear people often face is the fear of death. This fear might manifest at different stages of life, such as when we first understand that it will eventually happen to us during childhood, during a mid-life crisis, or later in life as we confront our own mortality. The afterlife setting of “The Good Place,” which draws from real-life inspiration, effectively explores this common fear. However, the series primarily delves into another concern that can leave us feeling uneasy and apprehensive: the fear of being unknowingly judged.

As a gamer, I’d say my favorite show is “The Good Place,” which revolves around me, Eleanor Shellstrop (portrayed by Kristen Bell), who meets an untimely end in an accident and winds up somewhere I thought was Heaven. However, as the series unfolds, it turns out this isn’t paradise at all—it’s actually the Bad Place!

Throughout the show, I find out that my life on Earth has been meticulously documented, and every action I took was assigned a score—either positive or negative. These scores accumulate to determine where I end up in the afterlife: either the Good Place or the Bad Place. So, if you’re watching this show, beware of those spoilers!

Pondering throughout life about unknown realms and sometimes being apprehensive about them is understandable. However, it’s the thought that somewhere out there, a judgemental entity might scrutinize our smallest errors, no matter how trivial, that can instill genuine anxiety within us.

Mad Men – The fear of others finding out who you really are

The TV series “Mad Men” follows the life of Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), a sharp-witted advertising executive in the 1960s who appears to be a typical working husband and father on the surface. However, beneath this facade lies a man from the swinging ’60s, frequently engaging romantically with attractive women outside his family circle. Yet, his biggest secret is not this infidelity; Don Draper isn’t actually his birth name. Throughout the series, we discover his troubled past and the lengths he has gone to conceal his true identity. Essentially, Don Draper represents a new persona that he has crafted to be more powerful, resilient, and charming than the man he truly is.

Many of us may not be leading secret double lives, but most likely, we’ve all experienced feelings of impostor syndrome where we worry that others will uncover the truth about our true selves. These moments can occur in various settings like with friends, at work, or while trying to impress a romantic partner. At times, we might present ourselves better than we truly are, questioning if we can conceal our deepest imperfections. The fear of being discovered – whether the truth is real or imagined – can be overwhelming, as we dread losing our jobs, friendships, and even our loved ones should they find out who we really are behind our everyday masks.

Better Things – The fear of being a bad parent

For individuals who haven’t experienced parenthood, particularly those without teenagers, it might seem challenging to relate to this point. However, it’s essential to recognize that many parents, including those with rebellious teens, often question their choices. Do their mistakes jeopardize their children’s future? Will they damage an already strained relationship? Essentially, Pamela Adlon’s “Better Things” portrays a single mother grappling with the stresses and doubts that come with parenting under pressure.

Adlon portrays Sam Fox, a mother of two lively daughters named Max (Mikey Madison) and Frankie (Hannah Alligood). Despite her constant efforts, Sam often struggles to find the right balance in parenting; she showers them with affection and concern, but occasionally responds too strongly to their playful mischief. These children, always finding ways to cause trouble, add an extra layer of stress to Sam’s life. Even when they behave well, her demanding job and household responsibilities leave little room for her to consistently embody the ideal mother she aspires to be. Ultimately, the series presents a relatable portrayal of a mom who strives for perfection but isn’t always successful, grappling with the fear that she could do better – much like most parents.

The Changeling – The fear that something will happen to our kids

Even if you’ve never been a parent, it’s likely that you can still empathize with the deepest fear that every new mother or father faces: the terror that someone, or something, might steal their child away from them. This dread could manifest in various ways such as death, kidnapping, or other unforeseen circumstances. The thought of losing a child is arguably one of the most terrifying nightmares anyone could ever face — even more so than fearing for one’s own life — because there’s nothing more helpless and defenseless than an infant. The Apple TV+ series “The Changeling” opens with exactly this chilling scenario, as Apollo Kagwa (LaKieth Stanfield) struggles to cope with the abduction of his newborn son.

In the play “The Changeling,” it’s Emma (Clark Backo), who seems distressed, that is discovered to have swapped their infant with someone else, but the reasons behind this action aren’t clear at first. As the plot unfolds, it reveals a tangled mystery that eventually points towards what appears to be a cult and some form of otherworldly evil. Although we might not be afraid of such supernatural threats, the specter of child abduction and other horrifying dangers lingers in the minds of new parents, given the rise in human trafficking and child kidnappings observed recently. This issue has gained significant attention in media and is often the focus of true crime documentaries.

Station Eleven – the fear of a global pandemic

Without a doubt, the fear of contagious diseases, which was not a common concern prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a significant aspect of our societal perspective. Although we have generally returned to our pre-pandemic safety measures, many individuals have undergone a lasting transformation in their approach to illness and cleanliness. Nowadays, the specter of another global pandemic lingers in the minds of most people, even if it’s only faintly and subtly: HBO’s “Station Eleven,” an excellent series that unfortunately faced review bombing for unjust reasons, powerfully portrays this fear, albeit perhaps unintentionally.

Unintentionally, we note that “Station Eleven” started filming right before COVID-19 broke out and had to be halted as Hollywood mostly ceased operations due to the pandemic. The series opens in 2020, coinciding with a lethal airborne virus outbreak that swiftly spreads, claiming many lives. At the core of the narrative is a young girl named Kirsten (Matilda Lawler), who eventually falls into the care of an unfamiliar man called Jeevan (Himesh Patel) when she’s unable to locate her parents during the chaos of the outbreak.

In the years that followed, a grown-up Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) resided within a post-apocalyptic troupe of performers who roamed from place to place, providing entertainment for the scant survivors with their traveling theater shows. This eerily plausible future that we once thought distant now seems uncomfortably close, as we had narrowly avoided witnessing it materialize not long ago.

Severance – the fear that work will consume our life

In today’s world, particularly post-pandemic with many people working from home, maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life remains a significant challenge. Historically, workers have had to struggle, even resorting to violence, to secure weekends free from work, highlighting the power of collective negotiation. Despite advancements in labor rights, there’s an ongoing apprehension, fueled by economic and societal strife, that we may be compelled to work excessively just to survive financially. This deep-seated fear of work encroaching upon our entire existence is the core theme of Apple TV+’s praised sci-fi series, “Severance.

In the enigmatic biotech firm known as Lumon Industries, we encounter Mark (played by Adam Scott), who is part of the Macrodata Refinement Division. However, in this peculiar future setting, workers undergo a process called Severance, which alters their memory architecture, causing them to forget about work once they log off. This also means they can’t remember their personal lives when at work, thus creating two separate personas within a single individual. It’s the workplace persona of Lumon employees that we all dread – an existence entirely committed to work with no personal life to speak of.

Westworld – the fear of AI run amok

The apprehension about technology malfunctioning or dominating our lives, stripping us of our humanity, is not a recent phenomenon. It can be traced back at least to the invention of the printing press, which raised fears that it would render scribes obsolete and devalue written words. However, these anxieties have never seemed more valid than they do today, with artificial intelligence appearing to spin out of control, causing job losses and draining creativity from the arts. The TV series “Westworld,” an adaptation of a 1973 film, vividly portrayed the ominous side of uncontrolled AI, earning itself a reputation as one of the finest modern Westerns on television in the process while also raising similar concerns.

In the series “Westworld,” technology has advanced to such an extent that incredibly realistic robots, referred to as hosts, are employed extensively to create a vast, realistic Wild West-themed amusement park. Within this setting, visitors can live out their most intense desires and even engage in violent acts like rape and murder without any legal consequences. This presents a bleak examination of human nature, and raises questions about whether AI could possess consciousness and, by extension, deserve the same rights as humans. Initially, the concept portrayed in “Westworld” might have seemed implausible when it debuted in 2016, but given current technological advancements, it appears more realistic than ever before.

The Curse – the fear that we might not be as nice as we think we are

Comedian, actor, and writer Nathan Fielder is known for confusing reality and make-believe, and his 2023 series, “The Curse,” could be his most peculiar production yet. This drama revolves around a young married couple, Asher and Whitney Siegel (played by Fielder and co-star Emma Stone), who host their own reality show. The series, titled “The Curse,” follows the Siegels as they attempt to uplift an immigrant community through affordable housing powered by clean energy. However, it’s unclear whether their true intention is to help people or if they are merely exploiting the less fortunate for personal gain.

The Curse” delves into the complexities of goodness and self-image, subtly questioning the true nature of the Siegels. As the narrative progresses, their authentic character is gradually unveiled, if only to the extent they choose to disclose – leading us to ponder whether they’re genuinely benevolent individuals or merely masking deeper flaws. At moments, this series becomes unsettlingly relatable, despite its extreme portrayal of the Siegels, as it taps into a shared fear that we may not be as virtuous as we perceive ourselves to be.

Shrinking – the fear of losing a loved one

The Apple TV+ original series “Shrinking” features Jason Segel and Harrison Ford as therapy colleagues, with Segel portraying Jimmy Laird, a man whose wife passed away just prior to the series commencement. Jimmy is yet to come to terms with his loss but returns to work in an attempt to restore normalcy while dealing with bitterness from his teenager daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell). As he grapples with his grief, his seasoned, world-weary supervisor, Dr. Rhoades (Ford), finds himself providing therapy to the therapist. This thought-provoking and comical show delves into the truth of a common fear – losing a loved one.

The movie “Shrinking” does not delve deeply into death itself, but rather focuses on the aftermath – how it impacts those who are left behind. This impact is what people truly dread – coping with loss and finding a way to move forward when someone significant has passed away. Few of us want to contemplate such an occurrence, and when we do, we’re often overwhelmed by thoughts of the emotions we might experience and whether we could ever return to our normal lives. “Shrinking” gives us a glimpse into all of this and more, as Laird struggles to get out of bed some days, while throwing himself excessively into work on others.

Squid Game – the fear of losing everything

Originating from South Korea, the original Netflix series “Squid Game” offers an extraordinary reality competition unlike any other. Contestants, chosen seemingly by chance, engage in a life-or-death game series that challenges their abilities and forces them to make unthinkable ethical dilemmas. The only one surviving at the end will claim a substantial amount of money that could dramatically change their lives. Throughout the show, we witness nerve-wracking competitions alternating with flashbacks that shed light on the contestants’ backgrounds – revealing their dire financial straits and the extreme actions they’ve taken due to their need for cash.

Squid Game” delves into the lives of several characters shaped by their struggles with poverty, striking a chord with viewers by exploring the universal fear: that in an instant, we could lose everything – our careers, loved ones, social circles – and find ourselves thrust into unbearable situations. In these moments of dread, we ponder what actions we might take when faced with such dire straits. Would we humble ourselves to accept a menial job we deem unworthy? Or would we contemplate doing things we’d rather not, even those that bring shame or cause harm, just to survive and ensure our family’s well-being?

Regrettably, while the games depicted in “Squid Game” are imaginary, there exists an alarming number of unpalatable choices in reality for those pushed to their limits by financial desperation. Could we honestly claim that we wouldn’t resort to extreme measures if our circumstances left us with no other viable options?

From – fear of what lurks in the dark

Universal fears often include a fear of the dark, which can be traced back to our ancestors when humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers. During that time, being afraid at night was an evolutionary advantage as it kept our ancestors vigilant against potential predators. Although we are safer now than ever before in history, our brains have been conditioned for millions of years to perceive threats in the darkness. Many shows exploit this fear, but “From” on Epix does so more effectively than most.

In a peculiar setting situated at the edge of goodness and wickedness, the series “From” is set in a town called the Township, a place where once you enter, you can never leave. This mysterious location teems with various otherworldly perils that lurk in the shadows, always poised to attack. One of its residents is Boyd Stevens, portrayed by Harold Perrineau, who not only heads the community but also serves as its sheriff. He tirelessly works to safeguard the Township’s people while concurrently seeking an escape route. The series “From” might make you question everyone who ever told you that strange noises and shadows were just trees rustling in the wind.

2025-03-30 21:31