I am a binge-watcher. Yes. Wrong and strong. The evolution came in a logical, systematic manner. I am also not ashamed to pinpoint and share the roots of it either. I am quite vain about my condition. When I was pregnant with my fourth child, three significant events occurred. I developed an ear infection that rendered me in excruciating pain and basically couch bound for 6 weeks. I cancelled our cable TV in order to save money for the arrival of our latest addition. And we signed up for Netflix. Hallelujah.
In an effort to distract attention away from my illness (all while battling morning sickness), I decided to watch Mad Men online from my laptop on my sofa. Yes, same said IKEA sofa from my previous posts. I had heard from others that it was a must watch show that was sexy, dark, taboo and visually stunning. The perfect prescription? Oh Yes. As I lay on on couch and descended into the sexy advertising world of Don Draper and all his discrepancies I was not only transported away from my acute physical pain, I was re-introduced to the world of binge watching. At this point, three seasons had already aired so I was able to successfully watch 39 episodes (13 episodes times three seasons) in a matter of 2 weeks. The feeling of watching episode after episode was hypnotic. Addictive like a drug. Watching and knowing you could get your next fix by clicking a button was for sure a guilty pleasure. At times it was like I had lost control. Not the remote control. Who needed a Tv when you could watch it on your laptop? As a homemaker, I would tell myself that it was OK not to make the beds, do the laundry or spend long on dinner because I had to watch another episode. Just one more. I became a TV Junkie. Bonafide.
This was not a first for me. The summer of ’09 I had watched True Blood with my brother who recommended it and I quickly realized the appeal of watching a show continuously. Season 2 was still airing. When we caught up to the present, we realized we were in withdrawal for “blood” having to wait week to week for the next episode to air. Nurse Jackie was next on the list and very soon after watching I realized that Jackie was not the only junkie!
Then our Internet bill started to change with new charges appearing for “Internet Usage”. So we did what any responsible person would do, we upped our bandwidth. The kids started watching more movies and shows on Netflix and it became apparent that 60GB a month was not enough. So for an extra $5 we added another 40GB. Then when 90GB was not enough we upped our service and went to 150GB. That lasted a short while until we went over the edge and signed up for unlimited Internet with Bell.
Binge-watching is a buzz word so frivolously thrown around that next to the word, selfie, it seems to be the new verb of the decade. There is even an Urban Dictionary submission for it:
For the record, I have never watched Dexter. Nor have I finished Weeds. Sadly, some shows should not run for as long as they do. The evidence shows when you binge-watch. It becomes apparent quite quickly where the writing and the story takes a dive. Yet, my craving for watching a TV show consecutively went in all directions. As I would finish one show I would talk to my brothers or my cousins and ask them what would be a good follow-up show to watch. Since I had already been bitten by True Blood I knew that whatever I watched had to be biting (for lack of a better word). Then came The Walking Dead. I had never been a person to like scary movies or shows but my brother promised that once I got over the zombies in the first few episodes you would realize they move slow enough and make enough sound to give you advance warning. Hooked. I watched like a zombie.
What could top being immersed in an apocalyptic world with zombies? My brother guaranteed that Game of Thrones would do the trick. It worked. The Lannister’s and the Stark’s and the unforgettable Khaleesi. Those Targeryens! But now I was too immersed. I needed to slow things down and focus. Enter Downton Abbey. After watching the first season I walked around the house pretending to be the staff, cleaning my home so that it could be presentable to even the likes of Lady Crawley!
If I could just have stopped there I would have been happy. But no. I remembered that throughout my pregnancies with my first three kids I had never gotten around to watching Lost. Netflix had all six seasons! Brilliant. I spent last summer lost in Lost.
I recently finished watching on Netflix, Friday Night Lights. My newest favourite show of all time and next to Lost, the show I really did not want to end. Who knew that there could be a character like Coach Taylor? I am not a football fan, nor do I understand anything about the rules. But what I do understand is that every man on the planet could learn a thing or two from him. The marriage between Eric and Tami is the truest and most inspiring marriages portrayed on television.
What I have sadly come to realize is that shows begin to blur when you are an addict. You consume a show so intensely and voraciously that eventually you become traumatized when it is over. So much so that you go through a state of amnesia. I know I watched it and loved it, but where did it go? I tried to make a list of all I have watched. Let’s see. In no particular order… True Detective. Who could forget Woody Harrelson and Matthew Mcconaughey’s performances? Then there is Top of the Lake. Elizabeth Moss’s performance was even better in that than her role as Peggy on Mad Men. And who can deny Claire Danes in Homeland for being the best CIA agent ever known to TV? I could write about Breaking Bad but I think we all know that will lead into a deep dark world and discussion about the fact that Walter White is the best TV character ever created. Mind you, I have not watched The Sopranos yet (busy having kids then too) and am told that Tony Soprano set the precedent for the loveable and yet unmistakable anti-hero. Then there is the delicious Idris Elba in Luther. I loved the show so much and then it got so scarey that I was afraid to watch. But I was alone. So I did what any other god fearing binge-watcher would do… I watched with my finger on the pause button and one eye open. Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were perfect additions thanks to Netflix. While Orange frustrated me because I liked the main character less and less for being so self absorbed, I loved Clare Underwood more and more for being so evil. Then there is the subtle but emotional show, Derek. Could not resist watching Ricky Gervais as a sweet heart who could make his innocence make you cry. TV has a way of bouncing your emotions around so much that it’s like being in a wave and not being sure which way is up.
So what is it? What’s the appeal? Why binge-watch TV? It’s quite simple. 100% escape. But not just any escape. It is like an escape vacation. It consumes so much time that it is almost as if life gets put on hiatus, just for a little while. Unless it is Lost. Then you dedicate weeks and less sleep as you barrel through it. Do I love being a homemaker? Yes. Do I love my kids, husband and family, of course. Am I thankful that I have my health? Without a doubt. Should I get off the chair/sofa and go volunteer, do better? Of course. Yes I should read more books but listen, no one is perfect. I embrace my weakness and take full responsibility for my habit. If it had not been for binge-watching, I do not think I might have mentally survived this past winter.
I have learned a few things about being a homemaker for almost 16 years. When you are not around like minded peers or friends on a daily basis, you end up with a decision to make about guilty pleasures. I have always tried to stay current with what is going on in the world so that when I go out sans kids (yeah right), I am not the overbearing one at the party that people try to avoid. But over the years, being a news junkie has also had its downfalls. When you watch or read too much of it, the world starts to seem like a really sad place. Then there is the idea of staying connected with something as simple as Facebook. But that deserves an entirely separate blog post about the perils of it. So does Pinterest. But again, I digress.
Let’s get back again to the idea of escape. What if you could be swept away in that wave? Lost. Bitten. Charmed. Scared. Enchanted. Humbled. Inspired. Call it what it is. I still to this day have vivid memories of watching as a child, The Thorn Birds with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward and North and South with Patrick Swayze. Back then, these TV mini series were taped onto VHS and watched all in one fell swoop (in my little life, at least). Little did I know that it was just the beginning.
[Photo Credits: The collage of photos above I put together using befunky.com from screen shots of images that I do not take credit for in any way whatsoever. They belong to their rightful owners. It is not intended for commercial purposes. It is simply an artistic collage to share with you the shows I have been guilty of watching. All images courtesy of ABC, AMC, BBC, PBS, HBO, Netflix, NBC, Showcase, Showtime, Sundance Channel respectively.]
