Top 10 'Deep-Dive' TV Shows to try at home for Sparking Conversations That Go Beyond 'How Was Your Day?'
The evening settles in. You and your partner, or maybe your roommate or a close friend, finally sink into the couch after a long day. The TV flickers on, and between bites of dinner or sips of tea, the familiar question hangs in the air: "So, how was your day?" The answer is almost always a variation of "Fine," "Busy," or "The usual." And just like that, the conversation flatlines, and you both retreat into the comfortable silence of scrolling on your phones while something plays in the background.
It’s a common scene, but it doesn't have to be the norm. We crave connection, a deeper understanding of the people we share our lives with. The problem isn't a lack of things to talk about; it's the lack of a catalyst. That's where the right kind of television comes in. I'm not talking about background noise TV. I'm talking about active-watching, pause-the-show-to-debate, think-about-it-for-days television. These are the shows that serve as a launchpad for meaningful conversations, allowing you to explore big ideas, moral dilemmas, and complex emotions together.
Here at Goh Ling Yong's blog, we believe that shared experiences are the bedrock of strong relationships. Choosing a show that challenges you both can be an incredible tool for discovery—about the world, and about each other. So, let’s transform your screen time from a passive pastime into an active ritual of connection. Here are 10 ‘deep-dive’ TV shows guaranteed to spark conversations that go far beyond the mundane.
1. Black Mirror
This is the quintessential conversation-starter. Charlie Brooker's sci-fi anthology series is a modern-day Twilight Zone, with each standalone episode presenting a chilling, thought-provoking, and often uncomfortably plausible vision of the near future. The show’s genius lies in taking a piece of current technology—social media, AI, virtual reality—and pushing it to its logical, and often terrifying, conclusion.
Because each episode is its own self-contained story, it’s a low-commitment way to dive into heavy topics. One night you can be debating the ethics of digital consciousness, and the next you're exploring the dark side of social ratings. It's not just a show about technology; it’s about humanity’s relationship with it, and how our innovations reflect our greatest fears and deepest desires. It will leave you looking at your own smartphone with a healthy dose of suspicion.
How to Talk About It: The questions are almost built into the premise. After watching an episode like "Nosedive," ask: "How much of our self-worth is tied to online validation already?" or "Where do we draw the line between sharing our lives and performing them?" For "The Entire History of You," discuss: "Would you want a device that recorded everything? Is perfect memory a gift or a curse for a relationship?"
2. The Good Place
Don't let the bright colours and quirky comedy fool you. The Good Place is a stealth-bomber of a philosophy lesson wrapped in a hilarious sitcom package. The series follows Eleanor Shellstrop, who dies and mistakenly ends up in a secular, utopian afterlife. To avoid being found out and sent to "The Bad Place," she enlists the help of an ethics professor to learn how to be a good person.
What starts as a simple premise blossoms into a profound exploration of what it means to live a moral life. The show masterfully breaks down complex philosophical concepts—from Kant's categorical imperative to utilitarianism—into digestible, entertaining scenarios. It tackles questions of free will, the nature of good and evil, and whether people can truly change, all while delivering some of the best comedic writing of the last decade.
How to Talk About It: The show is a goldmine for ethical debates. You can pause and discuss the "Trolley Problem" along with the characters. Ask each other: "What's your personal definition of a 'good person'?" or "Do you think motivations matter more than actions?" The finale, in particular, opens up a beautiful and poignant conversation about life, death, and what makes a finite existence meaningful.
3. Severance
If you've ever wished you could just switch off your brain at the end of the workday, this show is for you. Severance is a brilliant, unsettling sci-fi thriller about employees at a mysterious company who undergo a surgical procedure that separates their work memories from their personal lives. Their work self (or "innie") knows nothing of the outside world, and their personal self (or "outie") has no idea what they do for eight hours a day.
This chillingly clever premise is a powerful allegory for modern work culture, corporate control, and the elusive concept of work-life balance. The show's sterile, retro-futuristic aesthetic and slow-burn mystery will pull you in, but it’s the profound questions about identity and consciousness that will stick with you. Who are you if you strip away half of your memories? Is a person truly free if they are, in essence, enslaved for a third of their day?
How to Talk About It: This show hits close to home for many. Discuss the central theme: "What are the pros and cons of a true work-life separation?" "How much of our identity is tied to our job?" You can also explore the power dynamics: "What ethical responsibilities does an employer have to its employees' well-being, especially their mental state?"
4. Succession
On the surface, Succession is a show about obscenely wealthy, terrible people vying for control of a media empire. But peel back the layers of corporate jargon and vicious insults, and you'll find a searingly brilliant drama about family, trauma, power, and the corrosive nature of generational wealth. It's a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy filled with some of the sharpest, most quotable dialogue ever written for television.
The show is a masterclass in character study. There are no heroes here, only deeply flawed, broken people trying (and mostly failing) to win the love and approval of their monstrous patriarch. Watching the Roy family self-destruct is both horrifying and endlessly fascinating. It forces you to examine the complex web of loyalty, resentment, and ambition that defines many family relationships, albeit on a much grander scale.
How to Talk About It: The dynamics are ripe for analysis. "Which of the Roy siblings do you sympathize with the most, and why?" "Do you think any of them could be happy without the company?" It's also a great way to talk about values: "At what point does ambition become a destructive force?" or "How do you think wealth and power change a person's moral compass?"
5. Ted Lasso
After the moral murkiness of Succession, you might need an emotional palate cleanser. Enter Ted Lasso. This show about an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team is a Trojan horse of kindness. It masquerades as a simple fish-out-of-water comedy but is secretly one of the most insightful shows about leadership, vulnerability, mental health, and the power of optimism.
Ted's relentless positivity isn't naive; it's a conscious choice. The series beautifully explores themes of divorce, anxiety, panic attacks, and forgiving our parents, all with a gentle and compassionate touch. It’s a show that champions curiosity over judgment and demonstrates that true strength lies in admitting you need help. I know Goh Ling Yong often speaks about the importance of authentic leadership, and this show is a masterclass on the topic.
How to Talk About It: Ted Lasso sparks conversations about personal growth and emotional intelligence. "What do you think of Ted's 'be curious, not judgmental' philosophy?" "Have you ever underestimated someone based on a first impression, like Rebecca did with Ted?" It’s also a perfect entry point for talking about mental health: "Why do you think it's so hard for strong characters like Ted to ask for help?"
6. Westworld
"Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?" This central question from Westworld is just the beginning. The show is set in a futuristic, Wild West-themed amusement park populated by hyper-realistic android "hosts." High-paying guests can live out their fantasies without consequence. But what happens when the hosts begin to develop consciousness?
Westworld is a dense, philosophical puzzle box that demands your full attention. It dives headfirst into complex debates about artificial intelligence, free will, memory, and what it truly means to be human. Is consciousness something that can be programmed? If you can't tell the difference between a human and an android, does it matter? The show's narrative is intricate and non-linear, making it a fantastic shared project to piece together.
How to Talk About It: This is for the truly deep-dive conversations. "Do you think a true, sentient AI would be possible? And if so, what rights should it have?" "The show suggests that true freedom comes from suffering and self-discovery. Do you agree?" Debating fan theories about the show's many twists is also half the fun.
7. Fleabag
This show might be marketed as a comedy, but it will break your heart and put it back together again in the span of six short episodes per season. Written by and starring the brilliant Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag is a raw, witty, and unflinchingly honest look at a young woman navigating grief, guilt, and dysfunctional family relationships in modern London.
Its unique fourth-wall-breaking device, where Fleabag speaks directly to the audience, creates an incredible sense of intimacy. We are her confidante, the only ones who see her unfiltered thoughts and pain. The show is a masterwork on the messiness of being human, exploring loneliness, faith, love, and forgiveness with breathtaking vulnerability and razor-sharp humour.
How to Talk About It: Fleabag's intimacy invites personal reflection. "Why do you think she talks to the camera (to us)?" "What does the 'Priest' represent to her, and why is he the first person who seems to 'see' us?" It's a great vehicle for discussing family dynamics, grief, and the different ways people cope with trauma.
8. Attack on Titan
Don't be quick to dismiss this one just because it's an anime. Attack on Titan is one of the most complex and thematically rich stories of the last decade. It begins with a simple, brutal premise: humanity is on the brink of extinction, hiding behind massive walls from giant, man-eating Titans. But as the story unfolds, it evolves into a staggering political and philosophical epic.
This is not a simple good-vs-evil story. It's a devastating exploration of the cycles of violence, the nature of freedom, the dangers of nationalism, and the dehumanization of the "other." The show constantly challenges your perspective, forcing you to question who the real monsters are. Its world-building is immense, and its moral questions are as profound as any on this list.
How to Talk About It: The conversations here are heavy but essential. "The show argues that violence and hatred are cyclical. How can that cycle be broken?" "What does 'freedom' mean to different characters in the show, and is any of them right?" You can also discuss the difficult choices characters are forced to make: "Is it justifiable to commit a terrible act for the 'greater good'?"
9. The Handmaid's Tale
This is not an easy watch, but it is an important one. Based on Margaret Atwood's classic dystopian novel, The Handmaid's Tale imagines a near-future totalitarian society in America where fertile women are forced into ritualized sexual servitude to repopulate the country. It is a harrowing, visceral, and unflinching examination of power, misogyny, and religious extremism.
The show is a powerful lens through which to discuss contemporary issues of bodily autonomy, political oppression, and human rights. While the subject matter is dark, the story is ultimately one of resilience, resistance, and the indomitable nature of the human spirit. Elisabeth Moss's performance as June/Offred is a force of nature that will anchor you through the bleakness.
How to Talk About It: This show requires care and sensitivity, but it sparks vital conversations. "The rise of Gilead happened slowly at first. What small signs of political or social change in our own world worry you?" "The show explores different forms of resistance—from quiet defiance to overt rebellion. What do you think is most effective?"
10. Beef
What happens when a moment of road rage between two strangers escalates into an all-consuming feud? Beef is a darkly comedic and surprisingly profound series that explores this very question. Danny, a struggling contractor, and Amy, a successful but unfulfilled entrepreneur, let one bad interaction spiral into a campaign of mutual destruction that threatens to unravel their entire lives.
Beneath the wild, revenge-fueled plot is a deeply empathetic look at anger, class anxiety, loneliness, and the pressure to live a "perfect" life. Both characters are trapped in cages of their own making, and their rage is a symptom of a deeper existential despair. The show brilliantly captures the feeling of being one minor inconvenience away from snapping, making its characters both frustrating and deeply relatable.
How to Talk About It: The show's relatability is its greatest strength. "Have you ever had a moment of intense, irrational anger like that? What was really behind it?" "Both Amy and Danny feel like they have to 'perform' happiness and success. Why do you think society puts that pressure on us?" It's a fantastic way to talk about mental health and the masks we wear every day.
Watching television doesn't have to be a passive escape. By choosing a show that challenges, provokes, and inspires, you can transform your couch time into a powerful opportunity for connection. It’s a chance to see the world through a new lens, to debate complex ideas, and, most importantly, to understand the person sitting next to you a little bit better.
So, pick a show from this list, press play, and don't be afraid to press pause. You might be surprised by where the conversation takes you.
What are your go-to TV shows for sparking deep and meaningful conversations? Share your recommendations in the comments below—we’d love to add them to our watchlist
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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