Thursday, November 16, 2006

Too Much TV?

I'm so ashamed to admit this, but my favorite part of the day is when I've put my kids to bed and I can finally sit down and relax and watch my favorite shows! Why is it that fictional people's over-dramatic, totally unrealistic, totally un-relatable lives are so fascinating to me? I don't know. I don't dislike my life, it's not like I'm looking for an escape, trying to live vicariously through these fake people. I guess I just love drama. And besides, it's fun to look at all the pretty people.

However, being the long-time watcher of dramatic series that I am, there are things that are standard about these shows that make me crazy. They are purely for the sake of keeping the story going, not having the viewers get bored, but sometimes I think it does the opposite because it makes me so mad I don't want to watch.

So what the heck am I talking about? Well I'll tell you. For example. Will Meredith and McDreamy get together any time soon? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Why? Because, then we wouldn't be on the edge of our seats any more wondering when they'll hook up. But in their attempt to be totally unpredictable, they have become completely PREdictable. It's so typical. Every time something happens to allow them to get together (McDreamy finally divorces McWife) something happens that keeps it from happening (oh, look at that, Meredith is with Finn.)

You will find this in every dramatic series. For all you O.C. watchers, (you know who you are, come out of the closet) didn't it start to get a little old that every time Ryan and Marissa got together, they were broken up within two episodes? So predictable, so annoying.

This is exactly why the secondary characters and their sub-plots become my favorites, the ones I am most connected to. (Izzy and Karev, anyone? Seth and Summer?) I think these t.v. producers just need to realize we're not a bunch of dim-witted idiots. We are intelligent, analytical people who dissect the plots and themes of each show and develop theories and feelings about each one. (Okay, maybe idiot was right.)

And yet, despite my anger and frustration, there I am, night after night, on my couch, eyes wide open, on the edge of my seat, lost in a world full of fake doctors helping fake people in a fake hospital, wondering if maybe this episode McDreamy and Meredith will hook up.

Speaking of Lost.....

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