In the past few years I've had - as many others can no doubt empathise with - my fair share of emotional setbacks. Deaths, relationship break-ups, and just plain old misfortune to categorise under 'other'. Yet, one thing that makes each of these negative times that much more bearable is the wonder that is the TV show 'binge-watch'.
Back in the olden days when DVDs were some futuristic and unimaginable concept, the only way we youngsters had of rewatching anything was through the humble VHS tape. Ah, those halcyon days of yore, when you had to fast forward rather than skip to a particular scene....Anyway, I digress. The point that I'm trying to make is that the term didn't exist back then because the very notion of watching a whole series was almost unthinkable. VHS tapes weren't cheap by any means, and actually being able to acquire an entire series of anything was enough to require a vast loan or second mortgage in order to do so. A slight exaggeration perhaps, but it illustrates the point that in that respect, right now we really have never had it so good.
DVDs, BluRays, streaming. Anything you want at the touch of a button. And not just at home, oh no. I'm typing this on my phone, but I could just as easily be watching a movie or TV show.
Which brings me back to my initial point - binge-watching. Technology is now at that point whereby whatever you want is available with a figurative click of the fingers (and how long before even that becomes a real possibility?).
And by God, it's an incredibly effective therapy for melancholy!
Thanks to these wonders of technology, I've negotiated the emotional minefield of my latest break up by immersing myself in The X Files (all nine seasons), Quantum Leap, Daredevil and Hannibal. All of these are grounded in reality, but different enough to take me away from all my troubles (to slightly mis-quote another TV show's theme song). With DVD box sets and streaming sites, the power lies with the individual and their own willpower. More often than not I would have days where there was little I wanted to do, save for sit and watch something, to pull myself out of my funk and into an escapist realm to reinvigorate senses in danger of being dulled by unhappiness.
And it worked. As it had done before. I lost two family members last year, and comedy was my escape then, throwing myself into The Office US and Parks and Recreation. It didn't make me mourn any less, but it made me appreciate life and what it still offered in spite of my loss. It sounds a very airy thing to say, but the fact that I could still laugh made me realise that everything would be ok.
Before that, previous break-ups had led me to immerse myself in the fantastical worlds of Fringe and Game of Thrones, and each time the result was the same: I knew that things would be ok, and by giving all my energies to those shows, I wasn't sitting and wallowing in my own misery, which could easily have been the case.
Escapism isn't the complete solution, by no means, and I wouldn't suggest that it is. Mourning is important, but staying in the phase too long is unhealthy and destructive. Binge-watching (or marathoning should you prefer) has web and will continue to be an effective tool for me to excise my demons and move on from my grief. It gives me focus and purpose, investing my feelings in the life of those characters playing out their stories, rather than trying to do so with people in my life who have moved on.
So take heart, and binge-watch! Even if you're not going through any times of mourning, it's still a fantastically immersive experience, and I'd highly recommend giving it a try.
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