11 Times Teen Shows Handled Serious Topics Really Irresponsibly, And 11 Times They Actually Did A Great Job

"They had all these little throwaway lines about how they starved themselves to look the way they did and it was never addressed."

—jennj479d3c130

"The series did a really good job at showing the impact that JJ's abusive father had on him. The violent and aggressive behavior was destructive toward JJ's personality, and it seriously impacted how he treated himself and other people. It illustrated how some people in abusive relationships deal with their trauma and also revealed how scarily easy it might be to hide that part of their lives from everyone else."

—brek4f62

"It was as if every character forgot that she was ever pregnant. It just affected her for a day and then everyone magically moved on."

—yunotadog

"The fact that they depicted a young teenager getting pregnant was honestly groundbreaking for that time period on its own, but they also handled Spike's whole parenthood arc very well. They presented multiple options — adoption, abortion, parenting — as valid, and ultimately didn't sugarcoat how difficult raising Emma really was for Spike."

—Kelly Martinez

"Nobody goes to an adult and Cheryl never gets therapy for her serious trauma."

—rmohanawilliamson

"I actually thought Riverdale did a really nice job with the memorial episode for Luke Perry. I fully acknowledge that the rest of the show is a complete and utter disaster, but I really thought Luke Perry/Fred's death was well handled."

—jadekoalas

"The fact that this was Craig's first episode really showcases just how amazing Jake Epstein was in this role. Joey taking Craig in as his son made me so emotional. The way they utilized his little sister, Angie (Cassie Steele's real-life sister, by the way), was also brilliant."

—Kelly Martinez

"Buffy did a really good job of portraying depression and numbness in Season 6, but one thing I’ve never agreed with is using Spike’s attempted rape as a way of advancing his own plot. There were a few instances of her flinching when he was around afterward, but it was ultimately discarded in favor of Spike getting a soul. She even left her younger sister in his care after the attack."

—ashley1246

"'The Body' is truly one of the most accurate depictions of the direct aftermath of someone's death. Buffy's immediate reactions, as well as the different ways that her friends and sister respond, are such a great exploration of grief and its effects in a way that truly makes anyone who has lost someone feel seen. Everyone talks about Anya's monologue, but one of the most impactful parts for us was when Buffy talked to Tara about how she doesn't even feel like she's there, and Tara talked about how death always feels sudden."

—hannahmarder

"Kelly's friend was explained as being so mean because she was taking diet pills and had an eating disorder. Both problems were immediately solved by the girls being her friend and bringing her some cookies. Her character was never seen on the show again."

—stephaniesezz

"It was so hard to watch. The way they showed how pregnancy is completely unpredictable was heartbreaking and real."

—booka2003

"I actually thought this was the best the show had handled a student-teacher relationship so far, but I still felt like they dropped the ball in the end. Tristan's initial anger and hurt was portrayed realistically, but I think the writers needed to make a clearer point of emphasizing that Maya ultimately did the right thing protecting him. Having her apologize to Tristan for reporting Mr. Yates just left a bad taste in my mouth and sent a weird message."

—kellymartinez

"This episode was initially banned in the US when it first aired in Canada, which is such a shame because it's an incredible episode. Cassie Steele's performance was great, and the way Manny explained her decision — she simply wasn't ready to be a mom, and she didn't want to go through carrying a pregnancy to term at such a young age — was perfect. We also loved that they had Manny confide in Spike and that, despite having chosen to keep Emma as a teen mom herself, Spike was totally supportive of Manny's decision."

—Kelly Martinez

"They were like 'he did this on purpose' and 'he didn’t brake when he crashed' and then Nathan tells Peyton he’s not sure if he aimed for the wall, but that 'he feels differently now' and it was never addressed again. He went through other bouts of depression too and never went to therapy except couple's therapy with Haley. Boy needed serious counseling."

—hannahmarder

"It's a heartbreaking episode that's unfortunately super relevant in today's world, even more so now than when it came out back in 2006."

—lavasurfing101

"It was a multi-episode arc that was resolved way before the finale of the season and then completely forgotten about from then on! Why did the writers put the characters and their audience through that for a few episodes if it just didn’t matter?!"

—unlikelyfloof

"The way he tried to hide everything was so well-executed. It wasn't one particular scene that stood out, but the acting over the course of multiple episodes."

—brookeyamada_

"It's so irresponsible for adult writers to romanticize student-teacher relationships on teen shows like this. You can’t suggest to teenagers that it’s romantic if a teacher makes advances toward them."

—rachelsg1210

"It was done sensitively, but still handled with the show's typical humor. I also loved how they didn’t make it something that destroyed her character — she knew what she wanted, dealt with it decisively and calmly, and then went on with her life."

—kirstyr435f741a2

"I don't think there's a serious topic they haven't tried working into the show and they've basically mishandled every single one."

—chickens

"Shawn definitely had the most difficult backstory of any character on Boy Meets World. He started drinking to deal with his personal frustrations, and that's when Jack said that alcoholism ran in their family, even revealing that his mom left their dad because he was an abusive drunk. This was later mirrored with the altercation Shawn had with Angela when he shoved her into the door. The show was able to highlight the seriousness of alcoholism by expressing how destructive the disease was to Shawn and his relationships."

—actoranon