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Netflix Shows You Should Never Let Your Parents Catch You Watching

It's that time of the evening for a little relaxation. You get in your pajamas, grab your favorite snack, and get ready to indulge in your favorite Netflix obsession. There's this one show you've been trying to power through for the last week, and you're just one season away from finishing it. One scene comes on with the characters getting into a promiscuous situation. You don't mind, but almost like magic, your parents walk in at the exact moment someone gets naked. You're embarrassed. They're embarrassed. No one can look at each other in the eyes the next morning. 

You love your parents, but there are some shows you just don't want to watch with them. It's perfectly understandable. But if you live in the same house as your parents or if they're visiting, then you need to watch out. There are some Netflix shows filled with adult situations that you'd rather watch by yourself. The following shows are fantastic, but to avoid any awkward questions about your own private life, these series should be viewed without parental supervision.

Hollywood is a Netflix series that doesn't follow the Hays Code

Debuting in 2020, Hollywood is an ensemble miniseries from Ryan Murphy, and it follows a group of young actors and filmmakers trying to make it big in the golden era of Hollywood. While it sounds like a perfectly fine prestige series, you should be wary, especially if you've seen other series by Ryan Murphy. He's known for putting plenty of sexual material in his shows, and with the creative license offered by Netflix, this series really goes to town. 

Granted, your parents may want to watch it with you because it stars Jim Parsons (Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory). However, he plays a very different character on this show who's not above trading a chance in the limelight for some sexual gratification. A gas station that also functions as a prostitution ring also plays a prominent role in the show.

Hollywood features some awesome performances by its talented cast of actors. It's definitely worth a watch, especially if you're already a fan of American Horror Story or The Politician. There's just a lot of, ah, intimate moments and men running around naked, to the point where you wouldn't want your parents there saying, "Oh my."

Love might be a bit awkward with your parents around

Love is a comedy series on Netflix that ran from 2016 to 2018. Created by Judd Apatow, the show takes a down-to-earth look at what dating is like in modern Los Angeles. The first episode sees the main character, Gus (Paul Rust), trying to get a threesome before learning that the two women he's with are sisters. It pretty much sets the tone of the show. There are going to be plenty of funny moments, but it's also not going to be afraid to "go there."

Sex scenes and drug use abound in this show. But all this is grounded by the very realistic portrayal of two people who just aren't right for each other trying to make a relationship work. There are plenty of scenes of the two leads getting into it with each other, and if you're currently single, don't be surprised if your parents ask, "Is this why you couldn't make it work with Samantha?" So yeah, you may not want to watch this show with anyone as there are plenty of cringe-inducing moments of awkwardness. It's best to just watch this one by yourself and contemplate on your own failed relationships.

Too Hot to Handle is way too hot for your parents

In recent years, Netflix has gotten into reality television, and arguably, its biggest hit in that genre has been Too Hot to Handle. The premise of the show is fairly straightforward. A bunch of attractive young people are put together on a retreat for a chance to win $100,000. However, they can't engage in any sexual activity over the course of the show, and that includes kissing. But, as to be expected, not all of the contestants follow the rules. 

What makes this show awkward to watch with parents is the constant sexual tension. As couples start to form, you can feel the electricity in the air, and you know what those looks in their eyes mean. It's a pretty hot and heavy show, one that would be well-suited to a "Netflix and chill" night with bae. It's not the kind of show you want your mother to walk in on. Granted, the series has a message parents can agree with about how you should form a genuine connection with someone before deepening intimacy. But while it's parent-approved, you probably still don't want them in the same room.

GLOW is about way, way more than just wrestling

GLOW provides a fictionalized account of the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling of the 1980s. Stifled in their careers in various ways, these women find release through a new form of entertainment where they finally have a seat at the table — and yeah, that involves tossing each other around a ring. While it may take place decades ago, the show is incredibly relevant to gender and race issues of today. But while it's a great show, you're better off watching this without your parents around. 

In the pilot episode, Alison Brie's character, Ruth Wilder, has a pretty intense sex scene with her best friend's husband. The show doesn't slow down in later seasons, either. Season three has plenty of, er, passionate moments, but to the show's credit, it never feels exploitative or just there for the sake of being there. The sex drives the plot forward or reveals something about the characters involved in the love-making.

In other words, GLOW is an amazing show that deals with a lot of important issues. If you want, you can recommend this to your parents to watch on their own time, and then you can come back to discuss it later if you like. But you definitely don't want them there when the wrestlers leave the ring for the bedroom.

When it comes to Sex Education, it's right there in the name

Sex Education centers on an insecure teenage boy played by Asa Butterfield as he navigates the puberty-ridden trenches of high school. His mother (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist, and as you would expect, plenty of the show's subject matter is related to intercourse. 

Using his mother's know-how, Otis becomes somewhat of a sex expert at his high school. Or at least, that's what his classmates think as they take his advice, which often has a few gaps. Usually, there are consequences to Otis' advice, but overall, the show is very heartfelt and really drives home the message about how teens need better sex education in school. It's great for teens and adults to watch, but parents may not always be welcome. They may view the show as an opportunity to educate their kids about sex themselves, and there's no quicker way to want to hide yourself in a ditch than listen to your parents talk about sex. 

While the show has a sex therapist as a character, it's important to note that it's still a comedy at heart. If you want to educate your own kids about the birds and the bees, then it's probably better to sit down with them one-on-one to discuss it without having a TV show as an aid.

Never watch Paradise PD with your parents

Paradise PD is from the creators of Brickleberry, and believe it or not, this cartoon is even raunchier than its animated predecessor. The show follows the efforts of the bumbling police force of Paradise as they get into all kinds of R-rated shenanigans. From shooting off genitalia to cannibalistic cats, this show touches on pretty much every controversial subject under the sun. You better have the coolest parents ever if you feel comfortable watching this show with them. 

After all, there's an episode where police officers repeatedly kill themselves so that they can go to Hell to possess other beings on Earth. And there's an episode where the police dog tries to get the pastor's daughter to have, uh, a rather adult moment with him. Brickleberry was already pretty raunchy for Comedy Central, but with the restraints freed on Netflix, the creators really cranked up the absurdity and profanity to 11. 

Yeah, it's a great show if you just want something silly and stupid to watch for a while. It also helps if you're under the influence of something. But Paradise PD really isn't appropriate for anyone, let alone parents.

Insatiable is a pretty edgy Netflix show

Insatiable courted controversy pretty much from the moment the first trailer was released. Thousands of people signed a petition calling to cancel the series over the idea that it promotes fat-shaming. While that's up for interpretation, the show does get pretty scandalous. Sex, sabotage, and even murder come into play. 

The show even features a threesome between Dallas Roberts, Christopher Gorham, and Alyssa Milano that's promptly interrupted by a couple of kids walking into the room. If you've experienced a similar situation, then the scene may be a little too tough to watch, especially if your parents are there watching the show with you. 

The show may have been canceled after two seasons, but you can still view it in its entirety on the streaming platform. The last episode of season two actually wraps things up fairly nicely, so you don't feel like you're missing out on more stories. Just make sure you're watching it all by your lonesome.

The End of the F***ing World is a dark and twisted tale

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, The End of the F***ing World follows two teenagers as they run away together. James (Alex Lawther) is a 17-year-old who kills animals as a hobby and believes himself to be a psychopath. He wants to upgrade to killing humans when he meets Alyssa (Jessica Barden), and the two take off on twisty and twisted journey. But relax, they end up developing feelings for each other and forming a relationship. 

It's a sweet show underneath all of the darkness, but it still gets pretty edgy. For example, there's one arc where James and Alyssa come across a dog that's badly injured. James tries to put it out of its misery but can't, so it's up to Alyssa to do it. They bury the dog ... and then make out shortly thereafter. 

It's a good show for people who feel like outcasts, but the subject matter might get a little too dark and uncomfortable if your parents are sitting right there next to you. The teens in the show don't exactly have the best relationships with their parents, so watching it together may bring up uncomfortable memories of your family getting into arguments. Plus, there's the whole psychopath/murder thing. Proceed with caution on this one.

Bonding is a Netflix show that's too painful to watch with your parents

Bonding is a show about the BDSM community, and that should tell you everything about why your parents shouldn't be in the same room with you when you watch it. The series follows Tiff (Zoe Levin), a grad student who moonlights as a dominatrix. She gets her gay best friend from high school to become an assistant, and through their experiences, they learn to grow in their personal and professional lives. 

The only way you could possibly be comfortable watching sadomasochism with your parents is if you discovered leather chaps in your dad's closet and you're certain he doesn't have a second job as a cowboy. Even then, that would be a whole different awkward conversation. Don't get us wrong. It's funny and journeys into different territory that other shows would be afraid to venture into, but it's bound to raise all kinds of questions from your parents. And we're guessing you don't want to have to explain to your parents the differences between a sub and a dom ... or have them explain it to you.

Bojack Horseman may bring up some uncomfortable conversations with your mom

Bojack Horseman is arguably one of the greatest Netflix originals ever made. Not only is it dense with hilarious jokes, but the series is also incredibly profound. Bojack struggles with a realistic portrayal of addiction, and the show deals with everything from the curse of fame to wanting to be loved. 

The show has its share of sex scenes and drug use that may make you uncomfortable if your parents are around, but the show goes much deeper than that. Throughout the series run, Bojack struggles in his relationship with his mother. When her mind starts to go, he has to put her in a home. Eventually, his mother dies, and he gives a eulogy in the fantastic episode "Free Churro." 

Watching any of the mother-centric episodes of Bojack Horseman with your own parents may bring up some uncomfortable feelings of your own. But maybe the show can serve as a good thing. After all, you only have so long to spend with your family. You should make every moment count, and while you may watch the show by yourself, Bojack's actions may make you want to call your parents and get any feelings you have toward them out in the open before they're gone. It may be about an animated horse, but the show has a way of getting depressingly real like that.