When a TV Show Speaks to You

Yesterday I was watching one of my new favorite shows on Netflix before my toddler woke up in the morning. The show is "One Day At a Time". It's about a Cuban-American family and their struggles. It's a comedy, but it also talks about serious issues seriously. Season two was recently added and I've been enjoying it just as much as season one. 

Then I watched Season 2 Episode 9 yesterday. 

It's been a long time since an episode of a TV show spoke to me and made me feel like it was talking about me. 

As I have talked about in the past, I have PTS from giving birth. I was put on medication to help. And it did help! Four months (or so) ago, my prescription ran out. And I chose not to renew it. The first month was the worse! I was irritated, felt sick, and emotional over everything all the time. Then my hormones seemed to balance out. 

But I'm still irritated all the time and a lot of days I just want to go back to bed. I don't want to do a lot of things that I used to do. I don't feel like a good mom because I feel like I'm always getting after them and not loving them as much as I should. I get mad at every small inconvenience or "stupid" or "wrong" thing my husband has done (or something he hasn't done that he "should have").  Basically, I feel like I'm more mad and frustrated with everything than happy and enjoying life. 

Season 2 Episode 9 is about PTS and going off medication (so she didn't have to keep it a secret anymore). The irritation, sickness, and lowness that Justina Machado portrayed is so true it hurts. Her character snapped and yelled at her best friend, stood up her boyfriend and his parents, and other things because she had gone off her medication and was reverting back to who she was before the meds and after her military service. 

It was an eye opener to me. Lately I've been wondering why I was so mad at my life and everyone in it. Yes there are those who have done or said something that is worthy of me being mad at, but my kids not getting along or not listening to me shouldn't make me see red every time. After thinking about it all day yesterday and sleeping on it, I think I need to talk to my doctor about going back on my meds. I don't want to be on them all the time, but one line that was said in the episode has stuck with me ever since I watched it: "[It's] something you don't want that you have to have for the rest of [your life]." I think I need help, even though I don't want it. 

It's Sad To See the End

WARNING: This may be is a ridiculous post, but hopefully funny too.

Call me crazy, but I occasionally (okay more like almost always) get attached to TV shows and the stories and characters, especially the ones that are relatable. For those of us who are Netflix binge watchers, you may relate (or at least I hope you do). 

What is it that makes me get so attached to these shows? Is it the characters? Is it the story? Is it the development? Is it the lessons/morals? Or is it the fact that you just binge watched the entire series in just a matter of days? Maybe it's a compilation of everything I just said and more. 

I love Netflix because I can watch an entire series without commercials, on my own time, and I can pause the show and go do something without missing a thing, unlike live TV. I love that I have many shows available to me, including shows I have wanted to see, want to watch again, and shows that look interesting but I'm hesitant. I hate Netflix because I am a stay at home mom and will binge watch. I will get through an entire series in a matter of days and then have to find something else to watch, which can be a drag. Another reason I hate Netflix is because some of the shows that are currently on don't update with new episodes as fast as I would like. Though that is one reason why I like Hulu. Hulu streams current shows for free, but you have to deal with commercials, not all TV shows are available, and some shows are available the next day after premiering and others are available a week later. 

Here are some shows I have binge watched on Netflix and/or Hulu:

Bones: This show is an awesome combination of science and crime solving. It's about a forensic anthropologist and her team who gets partnered up with an FBI agent and together they solve murder cases that pop up all over. The catch: all of the victims show up in only their bones and very little else. This show is mysterious, funny, educational, and romantic, sort of. There is always sexual tension between the main characters. This show is amazing! And it is still airing. So I binge watched this on Netflix and then thought about going to Hulu to get caught up, but FATMAN! loves this show too. So we watch this one together as the new seasons come out on Netflix. 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: For a little while, Hulu offered this whole series. This show is about a girl who finds out she is a witch and we follow her through high school and college as she discovers how her new found magic works. I grew up watching this show and was very happy to find it. And at a moment when I needed to feel nostalgic. When I found Sabrina on Hulu, I was feeling very homesick and needed something that reminded me of home and that everything was fine. A comedy that should be in everyone's home. 

Alias: If you are into action and amazing disguises, this is the show for you. This show follows Sydney who is recruited out of college and becomes a spy and then a double agent when the branch of the CIA she works for kills her boyfriend. My husband, FATMAN!, suggested this one to me. It was slow getting into the show, but once it picked up it was phenomenal! All of the action, disguises, gadgets were all beyond its time. The last season tried taking on a supernatural vibe and totally flopped, but the rest of the show was great. 

How I Met Your Mother: Shortened to HIMYM, this sitcom follows five friends as they go through life's twists and turns while Ted finds his wife. The show is a series of back flashes as Ted is telling his two children how he met their mother (hence the title). The comedy is often raunchy, but there are amazing catchphrases, one-liners, stories, and hilarious situations. My best friend recommended this one to me and, though it took a couple of years to actually watch, I am so glad that I did. The ending is a bit controversial but if you really think about it after watching the series, it fits and makes sense. If you are looking for something to relax with after a long, hard, busy day, this is the right show for you. Great laughs, no thinking required. 

Friends: Most most recent binge (as in I finished it last night). After watching this series, I feel like Friends is the original HIMYM. Friends follows six friends as they go through life in Manhattan. From love to mistakes to work situations, no matter what happens these friends stick together. I wasn't as teary-eyed when I watched the finale last night, but I had my moments of LOLs and teary-eyed moments throughout the entire series. There are touching moments, comedic moments, moments that make you wonder how they are going to fix the problem, moments of love, and moments that, at one point or another, you can relate to. I love my friends and would do anything for them if needed, as the six friends here do. This show proves that friendship can survive anything. 

And last, but certainly not least....

Supernatural: This is another show that is still currently airing. Another show that my best friend wanted me to watch that took a couple of years. Another show that I started watching on Netflix and then moved to Hulu to keep up. The title says it all. This show is about two brothers who hunt and kill the supernatural, like vampires, werewolves, pagan gods, angels, demons, etc. This show is scary but amazing and addictive. If I don't stop now, I could go on forever about this show. 

There are many other shows that I have binged on thanks to Netflix, Hulu, and the local library. And there will be many more shows to come. But why do we get so attached? Maybe it's because goodbyes are always hard, even to fictional characters. 

Images taken from other sites found through googling.