No one wants to watch their favourite character flounce about on screen for ten straight seasons, or it gets boring. But to what extent should we enjoy such severe trauma infliction on fictional characters, and what does that say about us as viewers?
Watching intense or traumatic situations can provide a sense of emotional release for viewers. Have you ever had a bad day and just wanted to switch off and watch someone who’s had a worse day than you? Exactly. Not to mention that we can also use fictional characters going through similar circumstances to us.
Tension-filled plots create suspense and keep you interested in the storyline. As odd as it might be morally, finding out that your favourite character’s life is in danger is much more compelling than watching them do laundry or use Chat GPT for university coursework.
But it’s not all psychopathic. Watching a character struggle can actually inspire empathy and connection, whether you can relate to it personally or not. By feeling solidarity with characters, television has the power to foster political and social change within our society. What was once your comfort character struggling with a particularly dark storyline is now related to real life, inviting us to engage with topics that would usually be taboo or uncomfortable to speak about.
So by using these fictional characters to trigger change, maybe it’s actually ethically valid for us to be watching and enjoying darker themes in TV programmes. Or perhaps it’s secretly a perverse interest in watching fictional characters suffer in a way that we can’t condone in real life. Either way, I will be tuned in to the next dark thriller or crime series as much as everyone else. After all, who doesn’t have a fascination with the dark?
