It’s 2023, and we’re thoroughly invested in revenge. Whether it’s edge-of-seat plots from the likes of Gone Girl and Killing Eve, or female leads with less-than-savoury attributes we can’t help but root for (Fleabag, there she blows), there’s been a zeitgeisty explosion in vengeance-fuelled TV shows over the last few years - and, for our sins, we’re officially obsessed.

As we enter autumn, the new season binge-appropriate TV has vengeance front-of-mind. Take Prime Video’s new revenge series, Wilderness: when antiheroine Liv (played by Jenna Coleman) finds out her ‘doting’ husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has been cheating, she plots to turn their holiday of a lifetime into a living nightmare - in the darkest, most sinister way possible. Hooked already? Us too.

But why do revenge storylines have us in such a grab-the-popcorn chokehold? And what does our morbid fascination with morally ambiguous characters say about us? 

To start, it’s worth delving into the psychology of revenge. That fiery, bubbling rage is a primordial predilection; an innate urge to get back at those who have wronged us.

“The desire for retribution is deeply rooted in human psychology, due to a combination of evolutionary and psychological factors,” Kamalyn Kaur, psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, tells Stylist.

“Such primal emotion is often associated with the fight or flight response - which is our survival mechanism in response to threats.”

Makes sense. But why are revenge storylines speaking to our souls in 2023?

Threats to our existence are now less about predators destroying our cave habitats, and more about the climate crisis, cost of living, post-pandemic recovery… and other high-key existential perils.

Powerlessness is increasingly the defining emotion of the decade - and Dr Becky Spelman, psychologist and founder of Private Therapy Clinic, says revenge storylines are a means to exercise the control we feel we’re missing.

“Revenge shows allow us to vicariously experience a sense of control and empowerment, which can be all too appealing when we feel powerless in real life,” she says.

“The pandemic was a period of time when we had very little or no control. The explosion in revenge storylines, and the opportunity for lead characters to see justice served, is something our psyche is craving as a result, as we move towards the mid-2020s,” Kaur tells Stylist.

Set against a backdrop of the ‘road trip of a lifetime’ through America’s national parks, Wilderness follows our ill-fated couple as they navigate coming to terms with the erosion of their relationship.

Tapping into our desire to exercise control, we see Liv take matters into her own hands to enact her ultimate revenge. Couple that with some dreamy filming locations to satisfy that burst of wanderlust we’ve all experienced post-pandemic, and it’s no surprise this series is tipped for binge-worthy status.

Feminism also has a place in explaining the popularity of revenge storylines in 2023. Seeing vengeful women exploding across our screens can loosen some of the perma-tension that exists in our bodies, and bring emotional catharsis.

“Seeing a strong woman embracing their rage and revenge makes for important TV viewing,” says Kaur. “It conveys messaging surrounding reclaiming power, and twists outdated stereotypes.

“This kind of powerful central character can help viewers unlock suppressed emotions, and it makes for one satisfying watch.”

For TV and celebrity writer Maisie Lillywhite, watching a strong woman actively participating in ‘losing it’ (rather than being labelled as ‘irrational’ by a third party) is the narrative trope we need more of in 2023.

“Women often adopt ‘peacemaker’ roles in conflict and I think it can be wildly empowering to see a woman push rationality aside and recklessly act upon her emotions, rather than weighing up the risks,” she tells Stylist.

“It’s highly cathartic to witness a woman just lose it and stick it to the system that wounded her soul.”

Revenge storylines, while high stakes and adrenaline-firing, also offer an intense form of catharsis, and it’s this dual purpose which makes for addictive, lose-a-weekend-to-the-binge viewing.

Marnie Dickens, writer, creator and executive producer of Prime Video’s Wilderness, identifies the sucker-punch plot line that kickstarts antiheroine Liv’s fiery determination to take her revenge.

“We meet our heroine, Liv, as she’s been lied to over and over by the man she loves,” Dickens tells Deadline.

“That gut-punch on discovery, the trail of paranoia and suspicion it leaves behind and the difficulty of trusting again [is] enough to tip anyone over the edge.”

Because, let’s be honest, we’ve all given in to our primal instincts and daydreamed about a highly specific multi-step plan for getting back at an ex at some point in our lives. 

“Revenge storylines start with a relatable narrative hook that allows us to play out our own vengeance fantasies without consequence,” says lecturer at the University of Westminster and sexologist, Chantal Gautier.

“These gripping storylines provide us with a guilt-free outlet to envision revenge scenarios and explore fantasies without real-world repercussions.

“The relatability provides us with a channel to blow off steam in a safe and secure way.”

For psychologist, psychotherapist and coach Nova Cobban, revenge storylines allow us to explore our shadow selves - the dramatisation of thoughts or emotions we have felt but not acted upon - and this results in emotional catharsis.

“We can watch from afar as a character has thoughts that we have had, too, even if we might not admit it,” she says.

“Being able to explore our shadow selves throughout a fictional character’s journey - and staying safe while we do so - makes for fascinating viewing that has us hooked.”

Because that’s just it. Revenge storylines serve the perfect mix of functions, offering pacy entertainment and pure escapism, along with buckets of emotional catharsis. 

Whether you’re looking for light entertainment or to release pent-up emotion, whatever the mood there’s a revenge series that’ll hit the spot.

And you know it’ll make for one satisfying watch, because chaos will inevitably ensue as soon as the scheming and plotting begins. Pass the popcorn already.

Wilderness is the new deliciously twisted revenge series to pop on your binge-list this season. Starring Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, it follows a ‘perfect’ couple as their lives unravel on a dream road trip which is soon to become a living nightmare - out now on Prime Video. 

Illustrations: Kika Klat