Death on the Small Screen: The Psychology of Viewing Violent Television

Mortality remains a taboo topic in much of Western society, but death and violence continue to be staples of popular television. We can better understand the appeal of violence by investigating psychological theories surrounding anxiety about death and the defenses we use to manage that anxiety. This book examines five recent television series—Game of Thrones,The Punisher, Jessica Jones, Sons of Anarchy and Hannibal—and shows how fictional characters' motivations teach viewers about both th...