Earlier, binge-watching used to refer to an audience just wishing to plow through episodes and losing itself in a favorite show. But in recent years, television has been breaking ground by expanding its creativity and horizon and shining light upon a darker kind of bingeing. Through raw, unflinching, and captivating portrayals of addiction, TV shows walk the delicate line between telling a story and making a point. The hearts of these shows are the characters, who may be trapped in an agonizing cycle of being dependent on a substance, but that’s not what defines them.
Through raw, unflinching, and captivating portrayals of addiction, these TV shows walk the delicate line between telling a story and making a point.