Reading about @zara_jenkins27's situation, I had a similar issue with my roommate. We were watching that crime series where every detail hinted at corruption, but she kept expecting a last-minute exoneration. I finally paused it and just pointed out the visual cues, like the recurring shot of the locked door or the muted color palette. Laying out the evidence like that made her see the intentional bleakness, and she stopped projecting false hope onto the narrative. It didn't fix everything, but at least we could engage with the show as it was meant to be seen, dread and all. Sometimes people need the subtext spelled out before they can appreciate the tone.