Have you seen Terriers, a new series on FX this season? It’s about two private detectives in Ocean Beach, California, down near San Diego. They’re…unconventional. One’s a recovering alcoholic, ex-cop, and one’s a cheeky ex-thief. It’s witty, funny, and absolutely unpredictable.
Hank, the ex-cop character, has a sister, Steph. Steph has schizophrenia. And she’s the most realistic, honest portrayal of a person with schizophrenia I’ve ever seen on TV.
Shonda Rhimes, take note.
If you’d like to see a few episodes, here’s a link. Be advised, it is rated TV-MA for violence and some adult content.
I'm so glad to have seen your tweet on Twitter. I also have 3 children, one of whom had been diagnosed as bipolar as a teen, and recently re-diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He is now 25. I also love the reality of the way Terriers portrays mental health issues.
I thought it was really touching when Steph decided to go back into a placement that she told Hank, "I want to take care of YOU…but I'm not ready yet" and then HE was the one that really wanted to try and make it work.
Oh man, I bawled like an infant when she decided to put herself into a care facility. My son, all of 15 years old, told us that – that he needed to learn to be independent from us, and that we needed a break. I've never loved a show so much – I loved it before the Steph character, now, I'm just so impressed.