Content & Trigger Warnings for The Apothecary Diaries (2023)
15 content warnings identified across 2 seasons for this show.
Quick Summary
Yes, The Apothecary Diaries (2023) contains 15 content warnings : Death of a child, Death of a parent, Grief / bereavement (major focus), Miscarriage / pregnancy loss / stillbirth, Suicide (discussed or ideation), Gaslighting / emotional manipulation, Kidnapping / abduction, Needles / medical procedures, Sex trafficking, Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations, Drug use (depicted), Overdose scenes, Child abuse / harm to children, Sexual assault / rape, Torture.
Check the full breakdown below before you watch.
Set up your trigger profile to see which warnings affect you.
Does It Get Worse?
10 series-wide warnings apply across all seasons.
| Warning | Season | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Health & Emotional | ||||
| Death of a child | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Infant death occurs as a result of poisoning schemes within the court |
| Death of a child | S2 | 2/5 | Referenced | References to past child deaths as motivation for character actions |
| Death of a parent | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Parental loss and complicated parental relationships are significant emotional themes. |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Characters grapple with significant loss and emotional trauma from past events |
| Miscarriage / pregnancy loss / stillbirth | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Pregnancy loss caused by deliberate poisoning occurs in the storyline |
| Suicide (discussed or ideation) | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Suicidal ideation and attempted self-harm referenced in the context of court despair |
| Suicide (discussed or ideation) | All | 2/5 | Depicted | A concubine's death by apparent suicide is investigated; suicidal despair is touched upon. |
| Other | ||||
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Court intrigue involves extensive psychological manipulation and scheming |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Deepening court conspiracies with elaborate manipulation tactics |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Court intrigue involves extensive psychological manipulation and deception among concubines and officials. |
| Kidnapping / abduction | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | The protagonist was abducted and sold into the imperial court |
| Kidnapping / abduction | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Abduction attempts and captivity scenarios escalate |
| Kidnapping / abduction | All | 3/5 | Depicted | The protagonist is kidnapped into the imperial palace; other abductions occur throughout the story. |
| Phobias & Sensory | ||||
| Needles / medical procedures | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Medical treatments including acupuncture and herbal medicine preparation shown |
| Needles / medical procedures | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | Medical procedures and acupuncture shown as part of the apothecary work |
| Needles / medical procedures | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Medical procedures including acupuncture and treatment of poisoning are shown regularly. |
| Sexual Content | ||||
| Sex trafficking | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Human trafficking into the pleasure district and imperial court is a plot element |
| Sex trafficking | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Further exploration of the protagonist's past involving trafficking |
| Sex trafficking | All | 3/5 | Depicted | The protagonist was kidnapped and sold to a pleasure district; human trafficking of women is a plot element. |
| Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Concubines face coercive dynamics inherent to the imperial harem system |
| Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Coercive dynamics of the concubine system continue as a backdrop |
| Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Women in the court are subjected to coercive situations due to power dynamics and their positions as concubines. |
| Substance Use | ||||
| Drug use (depicted) | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Poisons and drugs are central to the plot, with detailed depiction of their preparation and effects |
| Drug use (depicted) | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Continued focus on poisons, drugs, and pharmacological intrigue as core plot elements |
| Drug use (depicted) | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Poisons, drugs, and medicinal substances are central to the plot; the protagonist experiments with substances on herself. |
| Overdose scenes | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Poisoning resulting in death or near-death depicted multiple times |
| Overdose scenes | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Poisoning incidents and their lethal effects continue as major plot points |
| Violence & Physical Harm | ||||
| Child abuse / harm to children | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | References to harm directed at children within the palace intrigue |
| Child abuse / harm to children | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | Threats and harm directed at young characters within palace intrigue |
| Child abuse / harm to children | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Backstories reveal children subjected to abuse and exploitation. |
| Sexual assault / rape | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Attempted sexual assault occurs, and the threat of sexual violence against women is a recurring theme in the imperial court setting. |
| Torture | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Characters face physical punishment and torture within the imperial court setting |
| Torture | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Physical and psychological torture within the palace power structure |
Mental Health & Emotional
Infant death occurs as a result of poisoning schemes within the court
References to past child deaths as motivation for character actions
Parental loss and complicated parental relationships are significant emotional themes.
Characters grapple with significant loss and emotional trauma from past events
Pregnancy loss caused by deliberate poisoning occurs in the storyline
Suicidal ideation and attempted self-harm referenced in the context of court despair
A concubine's death by apparent suicide is investigated; suicidal despair is touched upon.
Other
Court intrigue involves extensive psychological manipulation and scheming
Deepening court conspiracies with elaborate manipulation tactics
Court intrigue involves extensive psychological manipulation and deception among concubines and officials.
The protagonist was abducted and sold into the imperial court
The protagonist is kidnapped into the imperial palace; other abductions occur throughout the story.
Phobias & Sensory
Medical treatments including acupuncture and herbal medicine preparation shown
Medical procedures and acupuncture shown as part of the apothecary work
Medical procedures including acupuncture and treatment of poisoning are shown regularly.
Sexual Content
Human trafficking into the pleasure district and imperial court is a plot element
Further exploration of the protagonist's past involving trafficking
The protagonist was kidnapped and sold to a pleasure district; human trafficking of women is a plot element.
Concubines face coercive dynamics inherent to the imperial harem system
Coercive dynamics of the concubine system continue as a backdrop
Women in the court are subjected to coercive situations due to power dynamics and their positions as concubines.
Substance Use
Poisons and drugs are central to the plot, with detailed depiction of their preparation and effects
Continued focus on poisons, drugs, and pharmacological intrigue as core plot elements
Poisons, drugs, and medicinal substances are central to the plot; the protagonist experiments with substances on herself.
Poisoning resulting in death or near-death depicted multiple times
Poisoning incidents and their lethal effects continue as major plot points
Violence & Physical Harm
References to harm directed at children within the palace intrigue
Threats and harm directed at young characters within palace intrigue
Backstories reveal children subjected to abuse and exploitation.
Attempted sexual assault occurs, and the threat of sexual violence against women is a recurring theme in the imperial court setting.
Characters face physical punishment and torture within the imperial court setting
