No shame (okay, a little shame), I watched a ton of TV while on maternity leave. THANK HEAVEN FOR STREAMING TV. There's a lot of time in those first few months I literally couldn't move. Or when I could move, I didn't want to. And as cute as my little cloud of sunshine is, there are more interesting this to watch. Like:
1. Revenge
Total soap opera drama. Halfway through I took to recounting episodes to a friend as I watched them just because it sounded so ridiculous. "Emily secretly has feelings for Daniel and is engaged to him but she has all this history with this mysterious guy Aiden, who is jealous of Nolan. And Nolan is apparently straight again for a minute. All the while, Victoria, Daniel's mom is in a full panic about her daughter who should be in rehab but she's more mad that she's with Jack's brother who is a good guy but totally poor. And she's playing nice with Emily but is planning to fake her own death in order to break she and Daniel up and to save her husband, who is actually the total evil of the show and I actually feel really bad for Victoria because she was totally messed with as a kid..."
I watched until (spoiler alert!) dreamy Aiden is out of the picture at the end of season 2, read the summaries of season 3 episodes, and got re-hooked on season 4.
VERDICT: I totally recommend it. Totally over the top and ridiculous and amazingly fun to get into.
FAVORITE CHARACTER: Aiden. Seriously, I haven't had a TV crush so bad in a long time. DREAM-BOAT CENTRAL.
2. Friends
From season 4 til the end (10 seasons!!). There is something really wonderful about 22 minute episodes that you don't really have to pay attention in order to enjoy it. There were a surprising number of episodes I had never seen even with a million years of re-runs.
VERDICT: They are all a lot more annoying as individuals than I remember
FAVORITE CHARACTER: Monica. Totally nuts, but owns it.
3. Big Love
Not nearly as sexy or exploitative as I'd once that it would be. As a Mormon who has lived in Utah there were probably things I appreciated more than the average viewer. Plus, I was always fascinated by the idea that were really polygamists in the suburbs. And curious how it worked, like, in real life. I knew there were women out there who weren't the oppressed prairie wives depicted in the raids and Big Love gives an idea of what that might look like in real life. The first season was a fascinating look of how the logistics of a plural marriage would actually work. The second season got all sorts of weird with some shenanigans at the polygamist compound. The third season got a little more into the dynamic of the kids. And the fourth season it lost me. There was a casino... a campaign.. preeettty unrealistic, and by then the family dynamic came second do whatever Bill was doing (ain't that the story!)
VERDICT: Addictive, well-made, more appropriate than not.
FAVORITE CHARACTER: Margie. The only one who chose polygamy. Because it's fascinating to see why someone would do it and enjoy it (belonging, family, people to care about). Plus she is so nice and would be a great neighbor.
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