Top 20 Teen Show Moments That Wouldn't Work Today

#20: Ryder Spills His Secret

“Glee” (2009-15)

In the fourth season of “Glee,” the series brings a sensitive topic to light but fails to handle it properly. After being encouraged to spill his deepest secret, Ryder admits he was sexually abused by his babysitter. Instead of treating it seriously, the other boys frame it as something that’s a “boy’s dream.” This was the show’s chance to deal with a real-world problem, especially given that it was celebrated for handling tough issues. Instead of challenging the myth, it played into it, minimizing Ryder’s trauma. By doing so, it reinforced some troubling ideas about creepy relationships between older women and minors. To make things worse, the boys never brought it up again or even apologized. Thankfully, Kitty understood Ryder’s pain.

#19: Lilly's Affair with Boyfriend's Father

“Veronica Mars” (2004-07; 2019)

This teen mystery begins with Veronica investigating the murder of her best friend, Lilly, who was found dead by the Kanes’ pool. As her investigation deepens, the truth proves far more disturbing—Aaron Echolls killed the young lady to keep their affair a secret. Back then, shows like “Veronica Mars” leaned into twist and shock value to make storylines as gripping as possible. What was framed as scandalous then reads as plain abuse and exploitation now. Lilly was a teenager, and Aaron wasn’t just any adult male. He was wealthy and powerful. The power imbalance there is so glaring. Their relationship isn’t intriguing—it’s disturbing. To make matters worse, Aaron is eventually released from prison.

#18: Zack Bugs Jessie’s Room

“Saved by the Bell” (1989-93)

No matter how much “Saved by the Bell” tried to make Zack look like a charming rebel, we can all agree he could be a red flag. One of his most disturbing actions was bugging a sleepover in Jessie’s room just to manipulate Kelly into going to the dance with him. Zack isn’t written as genuinely frightening, so it’s easy to make excuses for him. When you really think of it now, Zack violated boundaries, privacy, and consent more than once. Plus, when disturbing behavior like his becomes repeated, it signals something deeper than a joke. Bugging someone’s room to steal information about a girl you like isn’t quirky, it’s invasive. Today, Zack wouldn’t get a pass for these behaviors, let alone be admired.

#17: Blair's Miscarriage

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

Did we really expect any better from “Gossip Girl?” When Blair loses her child in Season 5, the show introduces a deeply traumatic event but refuses to sit with it. There’s barely any time for grief before Blair is worrying about Chuck and thinking of going back to Louis. Instead of exploring her loss and growth, the story treats the tragedy as a device to drive romantic tension. It could’ve been a chance to slow things down and let Blair mourn. But “Gossip Girl” isn’t built for that kind of depth. It thrives on momentum, scandal, and constant twists, favoring melodrama and a timeskip over meaningful emotional exploration. If such a sensitive issue were trivialized now, today’s audience would’ve been less forgiving.

#16: Cheryl's Attempt to Take Her Life

“Riverdale” (2017-23)

Within the world of “Riverdale”, Cheryl Blossom’s mind is tied to a pile of trauma. She’s dealing with grief over losing her brother, isolation within her family, and emotional abuse. To make things worse, her father decides to take his own life. Distraught, Cheryl tries to drown herself in the frozen Sweetwater River. The moment is treated with dramatic intensity as Archie and the rest come to her rescue. But what comes after feels hollow. There’s no serious support from friends and no real exploration of recovery. The show just moves on to the usual chaos as if nothing serious happened when Archie and the others needed to be there for Cheryl. Seriously, both writers and the gang should’ve done better.

#15: Jessie’s Caffeine Pills

“Saved by the Bell” (1989-93)

In Season 2, this light-hearted show takes a serious turn with Jessie’s breakdown. Juggling school and a local record audition, Jessie turns to caffeine pills. The issue is handled with genuine intensity as she nearly loses her mind, with Zack stepping in to help her. That part works. The problem lies in how it’s resolved within that same episode. Jessie essentially hits rock bottom and just bounces back almost immediately. The show treats substance use disorder like a short-term crisis rather than something complex and ongoing. If handled the same way today, it’d feel wildly out of touch. Had the writers used the original idea of a stronger substance and brushed it off this way, it would’ve created a few problems.

#14: Sue Sylvester’s Brutal Truths

“Glee” (2009-15)

Few characters defined “Glee” quite as Sue Sylvester—and few have aged quite as uncomfortably. She’s portrayed as this brutally sharp, no-filter antagonist, and we’re supposed to laugh at how outrageous her insults are. Her notorious one-liners include fat-shaming insults, racial jabs, and other forms of verbal abuse. Back then, most of her absurd lines were sold as edgy and humorous, but today the material would almost certainly meet serious pushback. Yes, characters can be mean, but Sue just went too far. In a realistic school, she would’ve been fired many times over. Even Jane Lynch herself admitted that her character’s brand of humor wouldn’t be welcome today.

#13: Ben Consoling Amy

“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (2008-13)

Remember that awkward moment when Ben was consoling Amy and called her his…? Yep, it’s exactly the kind of scene people point to when they talk about the show’s contradictions. On one hand, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” was genuinely ahead of its time with how it openly tackled teen pregnancy, consent, and sexuality. But the execution often missed the mark. Moments like this one feel awkward and even unsettling by today’s standards. Was Ben’s response supposed to be endearing? It sure wasn’t. Instead, it highlighted the show's inability to handle the sensitive issues it had taken on. To make things worse, it became internet meme fodder—cringeworthy and unforgettable.

#12: Nathan’s Car Crash

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

Someone intentionally crashing their car is more than enough indication of a cry for help. When Nathan does this in “One Tree Hill,” the show doesn’t treat it with the same level of gravity. Realistically, an incident like this would trigger intense intervention like therapy or supervision, and an intelligent show would’ve woven this in. Teen shows like “One Tree Hill" often heighten situations for emotional impact and quickly move away from them to keep the story going. In fact, this wasn’t even an isolated writing choice. “One Tree Hill” repeatedly used self-destructive behavior as a dramatic tool without follow-through. If handled the same way now, serious questions would’ve been asked.

#11: Glamorization of Hannah Baker’s Death

“13 Reasons Why” (2017-20)

This teen show was controversial when it came out, and that controversy hasn’t really faded. Much of it stems from how it portrayed Hannah Baker’s death, almost like a powerful act of revenge or communication. That was a bad call, especially given how high-profile portrayals like that can influence vulnerable viewers. Mental health professionals, educators, and worried families raised serious concerns about the message being sent. Some studies even showed a spike in teens taking their lives afterwards. Netflix responded with a 29-minute documentary featuring cast, crew, and mental health professionals. While done in good faith, it still felt too little, too late. Any show treading a similar path, especially today, better be ready for its fair share of backlash.

#10: Brooke Dates Mr. Chavez

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

When Brooke Davis tries her hand at online dating, she meets former model Nick Chavez, and tells him she’s a 23-year-old fashion designer. Following their date, Brooke runs into Nick again, this time as Mr. Chavez, her new English teacher. It was already bad that Brooke lied to Nick about her age, but the two agreed to continue the relationship even after her lie was uncovered. They keep their relationship a secret until Brooke discovers Nick cheating on her and breaks up with him. Teacher-student relationships in teen shows are always creepy, but it’s frustrating to watch Mr. Chavez get away with his behavior with just a suspension and a few slaps.

#9: Glee's “Shooting Star”

“Glee” (2009-15)

The fourth season episode “Shooting Star” attempted to address a sensitive topic, but it was handled about as tactfully as the pun in the episode title. When gunshots are heard at McKinley High, the terrified students hide while attempting to contact loved ones. It’s later revealed that Becky, a fan favorite character, brought her father’s gun to school because she was scared of life after graduation, and fired it accidentally. In the end, the episode said nothing substantial about the topic, and felt like it was exploiting tragic real life events for shock value.

#8: Solving an Eating Disorder in an Evening

“Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000)

Amanda Peyser appears in only one episode of this series, but nonetheless undergoes a miraculous life transformation throughout her time on the show. Amanda is dealing with a very serious eating disorder and takes diet pills, causing her to be constantly angry and irritable. She lashes out towards the other girls and treats them horribly until she tells them about her problem. Somehow Amanda is cured by the end of the episode through miraculous means, as her attitude changes completely, and she is happily asking for huge helpings of junk food. This is completely insensitive and unrealistic, and it’s not clear why this storyline was included at all, especially since Amanda was never seen again.

#7: Anna's Storyline

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

The writers of “One Tree Hill'' really fumbled this attempt at LBGTQ+ representation. After recurring character Anna misreads some signals from Peyton and kisses her, Anna’s brother Felix writes a slur on Peyton’s locker. This ultimately leads to Anna returning to her old school, cutting her time on the show short. The way her sexuality was discussed also confused viewers. Show creator Mark Schwahn had Anna come out to her brother as “gay”, because he felt the word was more “taboo” and therefore “stronger for her”. Instead, it obscured a distinct identity. Having a bisexual character like Anna on a major teen series could have been revolutionary at the time, but the series shied away from her character instead of delving deeper.

#6: Marley's Eating Disorder

“Glee” (2009-15)

Glee’s treatment of Marley’s eating disorder wasn’t just disappointing, it was downright shocking. Kitty gave Marley serious self-esteem issues by taunting her, secretly altering her costume, and encouraging her to throw up, but faced absolutely no consequences. If anything, Marley was the most punished when she passed out due to malnourishment during sectionals and was made to feel guilty for it by the rest of the glee club. The cherry on top though was Ryder’s attempt at helping her by saying that he doesn’t want to kiss someone with puke breath. Yikes. It’s insane this storyline ever made it to a final draft, and it certainly wouldn’t happen today.

#5: Spike’s Controversial Scene & Redemption

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

In likely the most controversial episode of this supernatural teen series, a disturbing and difficult-to-watch scene features Spike attempting to force himself onto Buffy. This event became the catalyst for Spike to reconsider his life choices and set out onto a path of becoming a better person. The scene was especially terrifying because it lacked most of the supernatural elements the series usually showcased. Spike demonstrated a real human evil, and Buffy seemed more vulnerable than she ever had before. This moment is controversial for good reason, and has only become more problematic since it first aired, especially since many viewers had a problem with how Spike was redeemed in the end, despite his truly evil actions.

#4: Chuck's Violent Tendencies

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

Although Chuck’s time as Gossip Girl’s first antagonist was short lived, in the age of streaming and binge watching it’s hard to separate his first impression from his later appearances - especially when some violent patterns continued to emerge. In season four, Chuck’s temper got the best of him when he jealously smashed a window above Blair’s head, causing the glass to break and cut her face. Even though he technically didn’t hit Blair, this is still obviously abusive behavior, and it’s appalling that they both reconcile just a few episodes after this shocking moment.

#3: Almost Everything Mr. Schuester Said & Did

“Glee” (2009-15)

There are very few teen show characters as controversial as Glee’s Mr. Schue, and it’s amazing the writers got away with some of this stuff. Straight off the bat, he blackmailed Finn into joining the Glee club by planting drugs in his locker, and was a completely incompetent Spanish teacher and promoted racial stereotypes. He also encouraged his students to perform songs like “Blurred Lines” and to put on a production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, both of which were completely inappropriate for high school students, no matter how old the actors playing them looked. We could go on forever, but there’s just way too many shocking Mr. Schue moments to list in this video.

#2: The Girls of Bayside Calendar

“Saved by the Bell” (1989-93)

Even though growing up, many of us idolized Zack Morris, looking back he was really a total creep. One of his most disturbing moments came when he convinced Screech to take photos of the girls swim team so he could make a “Girls of Bayside” calendar to sell in the student store. The outraged girls report Zack’s behavior to the principal, who reprimands Zack. Interestingly, streaming platforms with “Saved By the Bell” cut out an even more shocking moment from this scene, in which Principal Belding initially commends Zack for his clever business idea. This cut dialogue definitely indicates that the events of this episode would not and absolutely should not work today.

#1: Aria & Ezra's Relationship

“Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)

One of the most overly romanticized and truly disturbing examples of an inappropriate teacher-student relationship is between “Pretty Little Liars” characters Aria and Ezra. Much like Mr. Chavez and Brooke on “One Tree Hill”, Ezra meets Aria in a bar, only to discover the next day that she is one of his high school English students. The two begin a secretive relationship that lasts on-and-off for the duration of the series, eventually ending with the couple marrying. Their relationship was definitely not portrayed as the illegal and uncomfortable situation that it would be in reality. This is especially problematic considering the audience of this series was mostly teens and tweens who should not be seeing this kind of dangerous misrepresentation.

What other teen show moment wouldn’t work today? Let us know in the comments.