Once my wife and I put our children to sleep we have very little alone time before we fall asleep, too. Like most people, our lives are such that we are extremely busy all day long and by the time the house is quiet and our boys have been fed, bathed and are finally in bed, we barely have enough energy to do much more than watch a few shows on TV before crashing out ourselves.
It’s a good thing there is such a plethora of television shows to watch- often times one of us wakes up in the middle of the night because the room is dark yet, in our exhausted state, the TV was left on.
We started binge watching The Walking Dead a few months ago and are almost caught up to present day. I think we’re in season 5, not sure. Truth be told- every episode is fairly the same yet we’re compelled to keep watching anyway. It’s like the comic book has sprung to life in 3D and we know that with each hour we watch we’ll probably scream in horror, have to shield our eyes from the blood and guts, there’ll be a zombie attack, beloved characters will be in peril and there’ll probably be an unexpected (is anything still really unexpected??) death of a character we’ve grown attached to. Producers of this show seem particularly relentless in this regard. The Walking Dead is one of those shows that is so hard to be behind the times with because every time you pass a newsstand or wait in line at the grocery store, those headlines from entertainment magazine covers shout spoilers that you’re desperately trying to shield yourself from.
Downton Abbey and The Good Wife are two other shows that we’ve spent many an evening with and we’ll be sad when both go off the air this year. The writing, acting and attention to detail in Downton are second to none. When you watch that show, you truly feel immersed in its world. There is never a note that is out of place and who (other than maybe the Queen of England) doesn’t dream of experiencing that level of grandeur with such impeccable service at least one time? It’s like flying first class every moment of the day. For us normal folk, it’s a fantasy come true.
The Good Wife, I must admit, started because my (very) good wife suggested we watch it based on a friend’s recommendation. I thought it would compromise every masculine bone in my body but now will confess that it’s actually a very engaging show. What began as a loose interpretation of witnessing so many government wives basically (and seemingly stoically) ‘standing by their man,’ has evolved more into a courtroom drama mixed with pretty compelling backroom political stories, most of which seen through the eyes of a complicated main character.
So, not the most intellectual way to spend my downtime, I’ll grant you that. Sure there are some books I could be reading, possibly some real estate journals, too. I could be pouring over the MLS to see all the intricate details in what sold and what’s new on the market. But, truth be told, by the time my day comes to a close, my mind needs a break and nothing lets an overworked brain mellow out more than watching a handful of zombies duke it out or rich English people being witty over a hot cup of tea.
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