There’s nothing quite like a dystopian thriller TV show to prove that humans are often their own biggest villains. Several of the greatest TV villains of the last 25 years are human, even those from titles in the sci-fi genre, whose antagonists are typically extraterrestrial or otherworldly in some form or another. However, a truly dystopian story is the best way to highlight the flaws and overall cynicism of the human race, and there are several TV shows that do this brilliantly.
There is a common misconception that dystopian titles are just dark sci-fi TV shows. There is definitely a lot of overlap here, but a show doesn’t necessarily need to be a sci-fi in order to be considered dystopian. From the sudden arrival of a hind-mind collective to Earth’s reliance on android assistance, the villains in these incredible dystopian thriller TV shows aren’t aliens, robots, or supernatural beings; it’s humanity themselves.
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Humans (2015-2018)
Humans is a show that centers on a world that has invented “synths,” which are anthropomorphic robots who serve all kinds of roles in order to help humanity. However, the synths aren’t as robotic as they initially seem. Humans delve into themes that debate the ethics of artificial intelligence, the consciousness of the synths, and where to draw the line between a living thing and an inanimate object.
There are loads of moral questions that pop up throughout. Some of the synths display signs of being self-conscious, but the most powerful of humanity tries to keep this under wraps. Most average members of the public have little respect for the synths, treating them like any other old standard piece of tech, and this is what makes them the villains. Thankfully, there are a few who spot the synths trying to break free from their programming, but this doesn’t stop humanity from being the antagonists in Humans.
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Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon focuses on themes similar to those in Humans, but in a different way. Altered Carbon‘s cast is led by Takeshi Kovacs, who is tasked with solving a murder in a world that uses “sleeves.” Sleeves are synthetic bodies that can allow a person to transfer their consciousness after death. Memories and consciousness are also recorded on devices known as “cortical stacks,” which are implanted in the back of the neck, and this makes the transfer process a lot simpler.
The utmost wealthy, better known as “Meths,” dominate and essentially hoard this technology, and so Altered Carbon raises a lot of questions about class and social divide. While normal people are at risk of death if their stack is destroyed before they can move into a new sleeve, the Meths’ consciousnesses can be accessed remotely, and they almost never die of old age because they can switch bodies so easily. Ultimately, Altered Carbon is another story about how the villainous rich have the power to help the rest of humanity, but instead use it as a form of control over the public.
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The Leftovers (2014-2017)
The Leftovers is a powerful show that follows the remainder of humanity after the “Sudden Departure,” a shocking worldwide event that sees two percent of the population vanish simultaneously. While this initially seems like something aliens would be behind, the show never actually confirms what causes it. However, the strange global event isn’t the villain in The Leftovers. The show centers on those left in society after the Sudden Departure, who witness the world crumble into something unrecognizable.
There are a lot of cults that suddenly pop up, especially ones with a religious focus. The main villains in The Leftovers are really Holy Wayne and the rest of the Guilty Remnant cult, but they represent the downfall of society in this new, messed-up world. As the survivors try to find their purpose post-Departure throughout every season of The Leftovers, humanity continues to turn on one another, and nobody can be fully trusted.
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Pluribus (2025-)
Pluribus is an absolute hit right now, and it undoubtedly highlights that humanity is often its own biggest threat right from the get-go. After the world is consumed by an unusual virus that is sent via a signal from space, everyone on Earth becomes a part of one big hive mind, with the exception of 13 individuals, including Carol Sturka. While it isn’t every single person’s fault that this happens, humanity’s greed and need to jump into scientific research without being more careful are the reasons why this happens.
After scientists discover the signal, they’re quick to start tests to figure out what the underlying message might be. It only takes something as simple as a lab rat bite to infect one person, and because they have access to all kinds of scientific equipment, they’re able to spread the virus to everyone else pretty quickly. Pluribus comes from the creator of Breaking Bad, and while the shows differ in terms of context, it’s clear that Vince Gilligan knows how to frame humans as their own worst enemy.
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Utopia (UK Original) (2013-2014)
While the US version of Utopia didn’t get the greatest reception upon release, the UK original is still fondly remembered by audiences. Utopia follows a group of complete strangers who come together after realizing that a graphic novel they are all reading is strangely predicting real-world disasters. As they delve further into this enigma, they become the target of a vicious, secret organization known as “The Network,” that is hell-bent on keeping them quiet.
Utopia is a great example of a dystopian thriller, and it’s one that leaves audiences feeling unsettled by the end because of its weird sense of realism. The terrifying control that the Network tries to have over the general population, and the fear the main characters face as they run for their lives, are both things that, unfortunately, a lot of viewers can relate to.
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The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2025)
The Handmaid’s Tale is a TV show most people have heard of by now, especially because it is an amazing metaphor for both reproductive and female rights across the globe. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a world with extremely low fertility rates, which results in it being ruled by a totalitarian government that enslaves fertile women to provide children for their masters. While the higher-ups of this society believe they are doing this for the greater good, the treatment of the Handmaids proves that humans are their own biggest evil.
While this is a fictional story, several real-world events inspired The Handmaid’s Tale, which only highlights this point even more. This show demonstrates that, as a society, we are never that far away from finding ourselves in a bleak, dystopian situation, especially when decisions are being made by those who don’t really have our interests at heart.
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