This is the end...

It's that time of the year again...season finale time. And, this concept is the one thing that regular television viewing has as a benefit over streaming an entire season of a show on Netflix or Hulu Plus. The reason: Emotion. When burning through an entire season (or multiple seasons) of a show on-line, you don't have that same emotional connection to the characters as you do when tuning into these characters lives on a weekly basis year after year.

The series finale of Fringe early in the year had a emotional impact on me, but the series finale of the Office was an absolute tear-jerker. These characters have been a part of my life for the last 8 years. Sure, during some of their 9 seasons I grew tiresome of watching their antics, but I have that same feeling about some of my friends in reality.

I'm not psychotic, and I know that I shouldn't have an emotional connection to Jim, Dwight, Pam, Toby, Meredith, Stanley, Kevin, Angela, Oscar, Creed, and any of the others because they are fictional characters that do not exist in reality. But I did make a connection by sitting in my living room week after week listening to their stories.  Perhaps one time or another, I may have even farted in the room, and they didn't even comment about that. If I could fart constantly while listening to my wife tell a compelling and humorous anecdote for 22 minutes, I would be in heaven. It's strange that my version of heaven is a hellish torment for my wife. Sorry about that dear.


The point of my rambling is that I don't have the emotional connection while streaming an entire series.  I was addicted to streaming Breaking Bad, Eureka, Jericho, Firefly, and the Walking Dead on Netflix. I watched one or two episodes daily until getting caught up to their current seasons or wrapping up the series.  None of the season finales during my stream-fest impacted me like the shows that I watch on a weekly basis year after year. Supernatural is a perfect example of a show that has mastered the cliffhanger season finale that leaves you yearning for more throughout the summer. Grimm and Arrow both created some anxious feelings this year with their finales, and these are fairly new shows.

I've given Netflix plenty of praise since the wife and I cut the cord to cable a year and half ago. So, I thought perhaps I should point out one advantage for watching weekly network programs. Now, for more praise for streaming...earlier in the year, I reported that ABC cancelled Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23. Hulu Plus came through and released the final 8 unaired episodes which were hilarious. The same thing happened last year when ABC cancelled Man Up! and shortly after, I watched the final few hilarious episodes on Hulu Plus.

Last point, the title of the article is tribute to Ray Manzarek of the Doors who recently passed away. He will be missed. I'll be back soon (within 6 months) with my opinion of Season 4 of Arrested Development and some summer movie reactions. Nerd on.