invested vs. interested

I watch a lot of TV. Has that been made clear yet? Anyway, with all these season premieres and series pilots going on the air (which might be my favorite time of year), I've been thinking about the way in which I watch different shows.

Aren't you interested in this post already? Not only will I be rambling on about TV shows I watch BUT I'll also be talking about how I watch them. Man, this is some fascinating stuff. I wish I got to be you and experience my thoughts from the outside.

So yesterday I was watching the season six premiere of Sons of Anarchy. I'm going to keep this post spoiler free, by the way. As I'm watching it, I'm thinking to myself: I can't handle this. These people's lives are just too much. I should turn it off. Do I? Of course not. I'm too invested. They need to be okay, or as okay as it's believable for a motorcycle gang to be, and I need to see it. So, yes, I will watch as more people are killed and raped and robbed. I will watch the pain and destruction, those five seconds where someone smiles, and then back to the heartbreak and deceit. 

We’re in a relationship now; I’ve committed myself to seeing this through to the end and I can’t give up on them.  It’s similar to how sport’s fans watch every game because their team needs them.  Concept is the same, I feel compelled to follow through because they deserve the support.  And by they, I mean everyone from the characters to the crew.  The key word in this whole spiel is “invested.”  It’s more than just a generic curiosity, it’s deeper than that.  It’s as if I’m experiencing everything the show is experiencing without the buffer of being involved.  Does that make sense?  There’s a combination of frustration and amusement as you watch it all play out, knowing nothing can deter you from watching the next episode.  Best comparison I can give you: babysitting.  You only have so much control and things are going to go horribly wrong until they’re okay for a second and then chaotic all over again, but it doesn’t matter because you’re not going anywhere.

That literally all went through my head during SOA’s opening credits alone, and then I start thinking about what other shows are coming back that I'm excited to see. There are some I've been thinking about and reading spoilers for and scroll through Tumblr hoping for a sneak peek, but there are others where I'll tune in I guess, but I could take it or leave it. This is when most people would just stop watching all together, and I'll admit that's a smart decision. Where TV is concerned, I only make bad choices.  I'm like a sixteen-year-old girl in love with that bad boy. Don't try to stop me because it's happening.  I will watch Hart of Dixie and then complain about how ridiculous it is. You can be sure I'll sit there shaking my head at Nashville, while simultaneously having an opinion on every character.  And there’s no doubt I’ll see every absurd second of The League, regardless of its downward spiral.

Why?  That’s the real question.  Why would I waste hours on these shows that I’ll admit I rarely like and usually even avoid watching right away?  Because I’m interested enough.  That’s the hook… interested enough.  I have this stupid need to know what happens.  They might not grab my attention with every plot twist, but just reading recaps won’t cut it.  I don’t need new worlds or flawless dialogue or complex characters.  Give me some likable people with various problems, and I’m in.  This could be a personality defect, but I like to think it’s due to my patient nature.  Sometimes there’s just one character that keeps me coming back.  They’re often a secondary character too, but I’m curious about or humored by them enough that I’ll sigh, lay back, and spend 20-40 minutes watching a show that only showcases them for half or less of that time.

Even people who watch less TV than me, which is basically every other person, must understand this.  Sometimes it’s a dysfunctional relationship you can’t escape and other times it’s a casual acquaintanceship  that you go along with because hey, why not?