How many Netflix series can you watch concurrently without losing your mind? Right now, I’m watching a bunch of them, and it’s impossible to keep the story-lines straight.
It doesn’t help when an actor from one series pops up in another. It’s like the shows are leaking into each other, and not in a good way.
I’m trying to follow Imposters, Seven Seconds, and Shut Eye, as well as Homeland and The Chi, on Showtime. I’m not intentionally looking for violence, but I spend a certain amount of time every night whining, “I’M COVERING MY EYES! TELL ME WHEN IT’S OVER!” People are always getting stabbed, shot, bludgeoned, or poisoned. If they overdose on drugs, the camera lingers on their vomit. I’ve seen several fingers chopped off.
Sometimes, I wish the writers would pay more attention to details. Or at least they could make more of an effort at rudimentary logic. I have trouble keeping quiet about these lapses, and it’s taking a toll on my husband, who exclaims, “It doesn’t matter, it’s TV!”
I also find that I have to google the actresses to see how old they are. I need to know if they’re incredibly well-preserved or aging horribly. This also annoys my husband, who thinks I should be able to put this off until the end of the episode.
I have come to l realize that a trope you can’t avoid is the death of a son. Never daughters. The writers must know it’s the worst thing that can happen, so they dish it out with total, almost malicious abandon, focusing on the lifeless bodies and the facial expression of the horrified parents. If you can’t take triggers, don’t watch TV, is my advice. Toughen up.
Lately, there are too many troubled professional women, paired up with an insufferable man who will eventually become a love interest. There are too many alcoholics, too. Just like in real life.
The actress Mel Harris, who was once famous, is in everything, and I’m happy to report that she’s younger than me but looks much older. Inbar Lavi is in everything, too.
In between the death and violence, I’m watching a show called Crashing about a dorky stand-up comic who isn’t funny, starring a dorky stand-up comic who isn’t funny. In the show, we watch him watching other comics, who aren’t funny either. I almost want someone to stab or bludgeon him. But no finger chopping.
I’m still not watching Game of Thrones or The Crown, and no one can make me.
What shows are you watching, and how do you keep them straight??
“What shows are you watching, and how do you keep them straight??”
Ordinarily I’d replied Andy Griffith to what I watch and again ordinarily I’d typed Don Knotts but then I’ve noticed (what Sister Wolf I’m forever keen on you doing purposefully) the doubled interrogatory punctuation at which point I can only respond,
Fuck if I know.
You, of all people, must, must, must watch (catch up) on “Claws”!
Let me know when you do.
xo
Californication. For the third time, the whole series. You would love it!
I checked out the nflx movie Mute by David Bowie’s kid the other night (he also did Moon which I thought was quite good). Mute wasn’t good but it was interesting in a trainwreckish way. Especially if you
SPOILER (I mean, I feel dumb giving a spoiler alert but one of Mute’s themes was lack of empathy so here I am being empathetic with the spoiler sensitive)
want to see Paul Rudd die horrifically. And also it has child endangerment and loss of a child.
I seem to have developed a fondness for UK procedurals but they tend to have greenish brown palettes and slow pacing that make them somewhat difficult to determine which one you’re watching and if you’ve seen this episode before and then whether you don’t-remember it enough so that letting it pass before your eyes again won’t send you into deep/deeper existential despair.
JK – Thank you for your candor.
Stephanie – Okay, let me check it out!
Pocketsound – Oh my god, I hate Californification so much! More than I can even express. Can you explain why you like it? I really want to know.
Romeo – I would like to see Paul Rudd die, but Seth Rogan would be 1000 times better. I may not be ready for Mute though. I also love those dark, melancholy UK series, like Happy Valley and Broadchurch. They often have cliffs, besides the greenish brown.
My favorite topic!
Just finished Babylon Berlin. Exceptional!
Rectify
Peaky Blinders. Season three is now on
Black Mirror
Better call Saul
Yes. Can’t wait for Claws and Animal Kingdom. Ellen Barkin is fab and very bad….
Juggling shows so much can’t remember all!
Hi Sisterwolf,
Its my first time to comment despite following your blog for years.
If you love dark & melancholic series, check out Olive Kitteridge. Its devastating and beautiful at the same time, its stirs up serious emotions. Plus Francis McDormand is simply amazing.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012698/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Do not, Big Sis, under any circs, miss watching the “Line of Duty” series. Superb writing, serpentine plot lines and the very best acting you will see anywhere. I have just watched the entire box-set and thus missed three days of the outside world – bliss!
Yeah, I like Broadchurch but it seems trashier than the others like Hinterland which is about a Welsh detective who has a tortured past and also has surgically altered his face to get an approximation of Sir Paul McCartney’s droop eyes. And you’ve never seen the letter “Y” displayed so frequently anywhere ever. Those Welsh are cyckoo cryzy bynnynnaws.
Oh, there was one show with Billy Zane and it was about a group of men with incipient male menopause doing dumb shit in the Caribbean or somewhere. That one will probably infuriate you.
I second Line of Duty, its a fantastic series. The British do great detective series. Marcella and Luther are worth a watch too.
Sister I am in love with Shetland, beautifully filmed/acted detective series set on Shetland. Series 3 is one of the best things I’ve seen in a while.
Sister Wolf, I can understand why you wouldn’t watch Game of Thrones, but why not The Crown? Prince Philip is so wonderfully sleazy and unlikeable, and Elizabeth reminds me of my mother when she was young. It keeps me googling British history in the 40s-60’s.
Rosanna, you are obviously a lady of taste and discernment!
The over-saturation of TV. Remember when likeminded people’s Venn diagrams of watched TV had significant overlap? Not anymore. I don’t watch a single show that you do. And I thought we were likeminded.
I very much enjoyed “Search Party” on TBS. I watched two seasons in a week. “American Vandal” was genius.
SW, I ALSO annoy my husband while watching TV by Googling/reporting real-time trivia on four subjects:
•Who even is that actor I don’t recognize? Has he/she been in anything I’ve seen?
•Who is that actor I DO recognize, but can’t place? What have I seen him/her in?
•If the actor is related to anyone famous, do I know them? (Are there any pictures of them?) What have they done that I know about/should know about?
And of course:
•How-old-is-that-actress-HOLY-SHIT-HOW-CAN-SHE-BE- OLDER-THAN-ME?
*Bonus points for getting distracted by my “research”, then snapping-to and asking my husband to explain what I missed. (“Previously, on the show we’ve been watching together for the last 23 minutes…”)
Needless to say, he does a lot of his binge-viewing while I’m out.
Rosanna – Thannk you for taking the time to comment! I did see Olive Kitteridge and loved it.
Dj – Yes, I’ve heard that Babylon Berlin is good, I will watch it! Better Call Saul = Love. Black Mirror is too upsetting for me. I saw the one with the pig and will never ever get over it.
Mary – Love Shetland.
Mary Liz – I only watched the first 2 episodes of the Crown. Husband was bored. I’ll try it again.
David Duff – Okay, let me look for it!
Mark E – American Vandal was great!!!! I watch alot of crime dramas because I like the gloominess, not because I expect much artistry. Have you seen the Australian one where an office never gets anything done? I think it’s called Dreamland.
Jlynn – Hahahaha, I wish we could watch together!
Yes — British shows are refreshing — Definitely Luther, as well as The Five and The Fall — all on Netflix.
On Californication…I guess it’s the theme of the written word along with the soundtrack, witty dark storylines and simple humor. The dog named Cat Stevens , the fellatio nun….I mean come on.
So glad to laugh and get recommendations at the same time. I was late to cable, so started with The Wire (my favorite so far), then Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones (I think you’d love it, honestly), and that first season of True Detective. Stuck on my HBO plan with no Netflix, but maybe that will change. Need to start Better Call Saul. Hope all is well with you.
lisa jasak – YES, I loved all of those.
Pocketsound – One man’s witty is another man’s excruciatingly pretentious, I guess. And they think that saying clitoris is still shocking or daring. Plus the characters!!!!! I’m sorry.
Suzanne Myers – I was just thinking about you! I love The Wire and that first True Detective. Please get Netflix!!!! It’s a whole world of TV, and worth it if you’re home every night.
Just started “shameless”
It’s a bloody car crash of a family mixed with raunch and raucous. Makes me feel like my life is so pulled together and successful, yet I can now accept the occasional sink full of dirty dishes. And thank you that you check these actresses that may or may not be older/younger. I do it obsessively (with everyone) and no one escapes my silent assessments. Good to know I’m not alone.
Pingback: I’ve Sat Down and I Can’t Get Up! |