The best art moves us in intangible ways. They speak to a part of us that resonates with our emotions. It’s hard to describe how moving images on a screen can so easily reach out and break your heart. It’s probably because these stories reflect how we feel or have felt in the past. We empathize with the characters on the screens, and we laugh and cry with their joys and sorrows.
Whether we are crying about the loss of our favorites inSix Feet UnderorGrey’s Anatomy, theseshowsmake us love these characters, and then we can’t help but feel heartbroken when they are gone. It’s a proverbial contract we all sign when we click play. Every decade has brought us these stories and characters, and despite being onlyhalfway through the 2020s, this decade has already given us many.
10’Firefly Lane' (2021–2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% | IMDb: 7.7/10
While many of our stories focus onromantic and familial love, few shows accurately depict the rollercoaster of emotions that true friendship can bring.Firefly Lanedoes this beautifully with the relationship between Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke). Based onKristin Hannah’s2008 book, the book and series chronicle the decades-long friendship between these two very different women.
Tully is bold, loud, and confident, while Kate is shy, introverted, and struggles to speak her mind. Both are incredible, but opposite. These differences are what make them complement one another, but also what sometimes causes them to clash. ThisNetflix drama doesn’t sugarcoat friendshipas a pure and wholesome ride; it shows all its good and bad sides. This includes all the sad and heartbreaking parts that come with life. With only one season under its belt, the Netflix series was renewed for a second and final season that was released in 2023. Despite its short life, the two seasons crafted a story complete with laughs and tears throughout.
Firefly Lane
9’Big Boys' (2022–2025)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.4/10
After losing his father,Jackbegins his first year at university. He has to deal with grief, figure out his sexuality, all while dealing with the normal aspects of finding friends and passions. ComedianJack Rookecreated and wrote this semi-fictionalized dramedy sitcom about himself,with Dylan Llewellyn fromDerry Girlsplaying the titular role. This sitcom is a great choice if you’re looking for a show that isn’t just sad. It’s hilariouswith undertones of griefandmental health threaded throughoutthe entire story. While the series will undoubtedly leave you heartbroken, it will also leave you with a smile.
Theensemble inBig Boysisdefinitely its greatest strength. Rooke’s family includes his grandmother, mother, and aunt, who are all unforgettably hilarious in their own ways. At the same time, his chosen family of friends includes Danny (Jon Pointing), Jack’s best friend, who is an incredibly complex and over-the-top straight guy who passionately supports the main character’s sexual exploration. All of these fantastic characters bring plenty of joy to a story that, at its core, is about how we deal with our own sadness.
8’This is Us' (2016–2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Image via NBC
WhileThis Is Usdidn’t begin in the 2020s, it did conclude its incredible six-season run in 2022. If you likedParenthood, there is a very similar energy to the show. Both shows depict a large family with many moving parts, but most of the stories revolve around family dynamics, grief, celebration, and much more.This Is Usis a bit more complicated because each episode typically features two storylines, one set in the present and another set in the past.
The series also features incredible acting performances from the entire cast, includingMandy Moore,Milo Ventimiglia, andSterling K. Brown. The creator of the series,Dan Fogelman,also wrote the series and is currently working with Brown on their new hit show,Paradise.This Is Usdoes a great job of creating parallels between past and present, establishing connections between how our childhoods and past experiences can impact our present. And of course, it also shows all the grief and loss that comes with time and growing up.
This Is Us
7’Normal People' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Basedon the 2018 Sally Rooney book,Normal Peopleisnotable for multiple reasons, including introducing the world to two talented actors,Daisy Edgar-JonesandPaul Mescal. Taking place in Dublin, the series follows Marianne and Connell from their last year in secondary school to their college years. The series received universal critical acclaim and was praised for presentingan unfiltered love storythat featured mature, vulnerable, and authentic content.
Their love story is far from perfect and far from simple. Yet, from the very first scenes of the two of them, you can’t help but fall in love with each of them as individuals and for them together. This is precisely why it’s so heartbreaking to watch whenever the relationship would falter. There’s a particularly emotional scene featuring Mescal that may be one of the most emotionally charged scenes on television. It was then thatmany people recognized Mescal’s talent, which likely led to hisEmmynomination.
Normal People
6’One Day' (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.1/10
One Dayhas us hoping that we will one day find a love as passionate and trueas Dexter’s (Leo Woodall)and Emma’s (Ambika Mod) is. Okay, not every aspect of their love story, but the peak moments of the relationship. Thelimited series spans 14 years, and each episode covers the same day in each year. The romantic drama drops us into Dex and Emma’s lives annually, and each time we get to observe how their lives have changed. Did they get a new place? A new job? A new girlfriend?
While you fall in love with them from their first conversation at the University of Edinburgh, youget pulled in and investedin each of their individual lives and character arcs throughout the 14-episode journey. By the time the series ends, you are clamoring to see more. The entire series makes sure you love these characters for all their quirks and flaws. When you aren’t proud of their growth, you’ll find yourself grieving for two people who are perpetually out of sync, never in the right place at the right time for each other.
5’I May Destroy You' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.1/10
The incredibleMichaela Coelcreated, wrote, executive produced, partially directed, andstarred inI May Destroy You. Coel created an extremely dark but quietly hilarious dramedy. The series follows Arabella, played by Coel, a famous Millennial writer who has published her debut book and is struggling to write her follow-up. One night, she decides she needs to distract herself, and she goes out with friends. She wakes up the next morning and doesn’t remember a thing.
I May Destroy Youdeals with the topic of sexual assault and plunges you into a world of paranoia and distrust of the people around you. While only 12 episodes long, the dramedy has you trying to catch your breath alongside Arabella. But beyond Arabella, the series also covers other sexual experiences and how the lines can be so easily blurred. Coel moves beyond the surface level and depicts how assault can come in all shapes and sizes.
I May Destroy You
4’Dopesick' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% | IMDb: 8.6/10
Based on true events,Dopesickretells the tragedy of the American opioid crisis. It jumps back and forth between the production of these drugs, the stories of the people affected, and the lawsuit against Purdue Pharma. Put simply,Dopesickcovers the story and ramifications of how Purdue Pharma fueled the American opioid epidemic by not being honest about how addictive opioids were. The realities of this story, paired with the incredible cast of this series, have helped spotlight this real issue while also establishingDopesickas one of the great TV shows.
Receiving 14 Emmy nominations, six of the cast members received acting nominations, including a win forMichael Keatonin the lead role category. The cast also includedKaitlyn Dever, who can now be seenin shows likeApple Cider VinegarandThe Last of Us. It can be difficult to watch and see how these opioids have affected so many people’s lives and still do, but the devastating story deserves to be told.
3’It’s A Sin' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 8.6/10
Whether it’s the opioid epidemicor the AIDs epidemic, these stories resonate with audiences not only who are affected by these issues, but also because this may be the first time they truly understand them.It’s A Sinboasts a diverse ensemblethat experiences the AIDS crisis and all of its horrors. What the drama expertly does is display the true joys of life and juxtapose them with the devastation the disease brings. Specifically, covering the experience of young Brits during the crisis, the series explores all the social stigmas and homophobia that were spread throughout these years.
Created and written byRussell T Davies,It’s a Sinwas lauded for its raw and emotional depiction of the80sexperience of theLGBTQ+ community. While the cast includes veteran actors likeNeil Patrick Harris, it is mainly composed of vibrant and young actors who bring an important energy of possibilities and a hope for the future to the show. Despite being a heartbreaking series, it also serves as a call to action to fight for change.
It’s a Sin
2’Maid' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.3/10
Maidwas likely one of Netflix’s biggest breakout drama limited series in 2021. Daughter ofAndie MacDowell,Margaret Qualleystars in the series as the titular Alex. The series follows Alex trying to leave her emotionally abusive boyfriend and keep their child, Maddy, safe and cared for. The drama isbased on a memoirand recounts how Alex has to deal with a system that can’t always help her. Her boyfriend is emotionally abusive, and it is difficult to prove in the state of Washington. Along with all the red tape, Alex has todeal with past traumawhile trying to find work and a home. She decides to become a maid.
From sleeping on the floor to family court toliving in a domestic violence shelter, there is nothing easy about Alex and Maddy’s journey. Watching her struggle and grow frustrated with a system and life that feels like it’s working against her. There is no magical fix; it’s a journey of hard work, and that’s what makes it so beautiful and heartbreaking to watch.
1’Baby Reindeer' (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Baby Reindeeris a show that leaves audiences changed. Created andwritten by Richard Gadd, this darkdramedy is inspired byGadd’s own experience with a stalker. Gadd stars in the show, and his stalker isplayed brilliantly by Jessica Gunning. Knowing that many of these events did actually happen to Gadd makes the series ten times harder to watch. Watching how his stalker, Martha, completely changes Gadd’s life and how he must change every aspect of himself to live in the new world she has created for him is heartwrenching.
The series also features sexual assault, and Gadd performs a monologue close to the end ofBaby Reindeerthat will go down as one of the most emotional monologues in recent television history. Most remarkably, Gadd creates a story rooted in empathy rather than judgment, avoiding the trap of painting Martha as purely evil or himself as blameless. This careful nuance in depicting each violation results in a narrative that both provokes deep thought and stirs emotions beyond words.
