Sometimes my sister Rebecca will mention a hugely popular movie or a television show and I’ll say, “What’s that?” and she will smack her forehead and roll her eyes and say, “You are unbelievable.”
A good example of this was La La Land. We were walking along a few months ago and La La Land was apparently what every last person on the planet was talking about but I had literally never heard of it. When Rebecca discovered this, she groaned. “How is that possible?” she said, shaking her head. “Are you like in the world?”
Yes, but I just don’t see many movies and I don’t have a television. And though I definitely consume visual media, it’s not super mainstream media most of the time. I love to watch documentaries. I very much enjoy watching lectures and educational content on YouTube while I sew. Oh, and I’ve seen every episode of The Great British Bakeoff at least twice. But the big shows like Game of Thrones, Scandal, or [insert show here], I just sort of don’t get sucked into that stuff.
Except. Except for this one dark, gripping, tension-filled, beautifully rendered, twisty-turny, Shakespearean blinkin’ show called… House of Cards.
Mercy, that show is good.
It was all Claus’s fault. A couple years ago, he started watching it and wouldn’t stop talking about how incredible it was. From the opening credits to the storyline(s) to the cliffhangers, he just went on and on about it. I finally decided to give it a chance, even though Mom said she and Mark tried to watch it but couldn’t get past a couple episodes because “the characters were just such awful people, honey.”
Yeah, no kidding. Murder, treachery, mutiny, little lies, big lies, enormous lies — the characters in House of Cards are more dastardly and dirty than the meanest Blackbeard-ian pirates that ever sailed the high seas. But they’re fascinating. I don’t know when I’ve ever been more into a television program than House of Cards. Kevin Spacey is irresistibly wicked. Robin Wright is terrifying and beautiful. I’m in love with the character of Doug Stamper, which, if you know the show, is super weird. But what can I do? He’s so wrong, he’s right.
The reason I’m bringing this up now is that Washington, we have a problem: Season 5 is starting at the end of this month.
This means I am about to be obsessed with watching a television show again and I was enjoying not having to deal with that, honestly. It’s kind of stressful. You see, I started watching the House of Cards when there were nearly four seasons already made and available to stream on Netflix, so I started at the beginning and watched episode after episode after episode until there were no episodes left to watch. I watched that show like it was my job. I’d start in the evening and I would watch it until 2:00 a.m., then dream about the show when I fell asleep! It was crazy.
Now, since I’m caught up, I have to see the show and then wait?? For an entire week??
Rebecca, this is why I don’t do this kind of thing. But if you want to get caught up on House of Cards, I would love to come over to your place and watch it together. We can eat popcorn and watch the pirates run amok!
Karen Stuhlfeier
We’re living in a real as House of Cards now. Truth IS stranger than fiction.
Sharon
I think you’re good, because they post all the episodes at once. Binge away.
Mary
Really???? NOOOOOOOO!!!!
Emily
Yep. The whole season in one go. Clear your schedule for three days, order takeout and binge watch until you feel empty (I mean until there are no more episodes to consume). Take Facebook breaks to check the score of which friend has finished first.
Shannan
Oh yeah… God Bless Netflix!
Cathy
I would invite you to watch but I live in upstate NY
Janet Moore
I hear you, Mary. Last summer I discovered Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and was DONE. I killed of 3 seasons in 2 weeks. Then there is Murdoch Mysteries which is a Canadian production I found on Acorn thru Amazon Prime. If you love history and murder mysteries this is amazing. Well, for whatever reason I managed to miss a few episodes so had to catch up….now have come to the Mother of All Cliffhangers and will have to wait until next year to see what happens.
I finally stopped banging my head on the wall, but jeez!
Good Luck!
Laura Tawney
Yep love House of Cards! I’ll be sucked in:-)
Nancy
Mary,
Saw you speak today at the Northern Star Quilt Guild. I attended both of your talks. Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed seeing you. You were so friendly and personable. Those dimples are absolutely adorable.
Eileen Yu
It’s binge time!! You can watch ALL of them in 24 hours
Juline
The original BBC version (on Netflix) is good too.
Suzanne
Especially the first “episode.” The Brits are so good at that stuff that I suspect Spacey might have been one in a former life and is returning to his roots.
Marj (and Jim says Hi)
I’m with your mother on this one.
There was a show recently on PBS about the “ghost army” the US created in WW2. That was filled with cleverness and cunning, and drama, but to the good. So fascinating to learn about that you can’t take your eyes off of it.
Mary Lynn
Marj (and Jim) – what was the name of the PBS show? Sounds fascinating!!
Marj (and Jim says Hi)
It was called “The Ghost Army”. The unit was comprised of artists, designers and engineers. Bill Blass was actually one of the members of the unit.
DrJulieAnn - The Modern Retro Woman
I “accidentally” started rewatching the series recently. I thought, “Oh, I know how this turns out so I’ll be able to just stop after one episode.” Ah, the stories (lies) we tell ourselves to justify not doing what we should be doing.
And, no, the problem isn’t that you have to wait a week. You binge watch all the episodes and then have to wait over a YEAR for the next ones to show up! Is there no mercy in the world anymore???
Elizabeth Brown
“Mach·i·a·vel·li·an
ˌmäkēəˈvelēən,ˌmakēəˈvelēən/
cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics or in advancing one’s career.
synonyms: devious, cunning, crafty, artful, wily, sly, scheming, treacherous, two-faced, Janus-faced, tricky, double-dealing, unscrupulous, deceitful, dishonest; More”
That’s the word all right. We only watch ours pre-recorded. I sit there with waking nightmares that we might actually have such people in the world. Who needs horror movies? I any case, if you find you need your dose of drama when visiting Kansas City.., we watch too. The invitation is open here too! 🙂
Mary Lynn
I haven’t watched House of Cards, but for me Breaking Bad was the biggest case of binge watching I’ve ever experienced. Yes, the characters were terribly flawed but wow, was it the best show ever, ever, ever.
Rita Smith
I love Grace and Frankie in Netflix. I binged watch all of the episodes and then had to wait for the new season. When it finally aired on Netflix I binged watched it all and now I have to wait again! lol.
Mary Lynn
so do I! Yesterday I watched the last five episodes of Season 3 – now I’m going back to Season 1 and starting all over again (again) but the 4th season can’t get here fast enough 🙂
Jeannie
When new shows start I set them up on the DVR for recording. I wait until I have a minimum if 3 shows recorded then binge. I feel like I can really get into the whole story line that way.
When I first started watching shows on Netflix I did not realize that they release a whole series at once. My favorite show is “Longmire” When they stopped showing new episodes I was bummed thinking that the show had been canceled. So when they released a season I sat and watched the whole season. Then realized they release the whole season at once. So now I am anxiously waiting for the next season. I have also going to try to watch only 3 at a time and try to hold that to once a week. I think this will be more difficult than quitting a 2 pack a day smoking habit!!!!!! That was over 20 years ago. LOLOLOLOL
I think I will try to get into “House of Cards”
Margaret S
Love House of Cards! Can’t wait for next season.
Shannan
Game of Thrones… I really really didn’t want to succumb but while I was staying at my brother’s house taking care of his kids while he and his wife went to Ireland, I started watching it. One episode and it was all over. I stayed up until like 3am on the first night. I came home and got HBO so my husband could join. We watched all 6 seasons in like a month or two. Season 7 starts in 2 months and I’m freaking out. We might just watch them all again before it starts. It’s bloody as he!! and brutal, but it’s just addictive and fantastic.
Kathryn Darnell
Everybody has at least one guilty pleasure. I am crazy about Masterpiece Theater on PBS. My husband Bob has to sit through each episode because I must see the costumes and dream of history in days gone by. Now that we are full time RVers, he has no other place to go but outside or to the bedroom while I watch ‘my program’.. So Mary, grab the popcorn and call a friend, deal that House of Cards. Savor the pleasure.
Trena
OMG> You need to watch Black Sails then. Pirates, scandal, sub-plots. hunky men. You would love it.
Betty
My son set us up with Netflix last weekend. Thanks to you all, my list is now filling up! I also love The Great British Baking Show. My son had already added that to my list before he even told me about setting us up!
Sarah
For something a lot funnier on Netflix, try “Death in Paradise”. Five seasons that are both mysterious and charming.
Diane
I honestly don’t know whether I can stomach another season of House of Cards. But I think that I will…
Super duper favorites of ours have been:
River (Wonderful main characters and a great “gimmick” throughout)
The Detectorists (Delightful characters, place, and pace)
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