So I finally got around to watching “A million little things” – The new TV drama where I’d hoped that depression and suicide are treated honestly. It took me a bit to watch it, because I thought it would hit a bit too close to home – the suicidal character is a business person that’s a huge hockey fan. After watchng it, I’m more than a bit torn. I appreciate so much that a show like this is able to bring discussions like this into the mainstream. I want so bad to support it.
The issue that I have is that it lacks too much reality about depressive situations. Yes, those of us that have experienced depression can be amazing at hiding it, but the show is pushing this toward a deep dark secret that everyone is going to devote every bit of energy to finding. Rather than explore the complexity, I deeply fear this will be treated like a silver bullet when depression is anything but a singular cause. I get that TV needs to simplify things, but in the first episode much was treated like one liners and cliches.
I still have hope for this, but I’d love to hear other takes on this opportunity for depression discussion to go main stream, and if it’s a huge miss or not.
Another critical take, far more eloquent than mine:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-million-little-things-has-one-big-problem_us_5ba25a22e4b0fc8f85c6ae90
I personally love this show. I feel like it really focuses on men’s emotional differences. My husband, also has clinical depression, watches it religiously. It allows us to view and see that men struggle with similar issues but deal with them differently. It does hit too close to home for me at times, i cry a lot while watching it – but do feel it is a step in the right direction to bringing suicide to the discussion. Awareness is a good first step.