TV

I mentioned in my previous post that I use tv to get me through the day...  Specifically I find that a smart fantasy show is the best thing (although I've pretty much run through most of my first choice television shows).  Something that takes my focus off of myself, and often, something that doesn't lead to me thinking all about the real world I'm missing.  Reality tv seems to be the worst...  It always seems to be privileged or idiotic people on television which just pisses me off that they don't even know how good they have it, so I skip any and all reality television.  But with my computer, I have everything I need... HD, I can find pretty much anything I want to watch whenever I want to watch it, and it's portable for however I am comfortable.
*Disclaimer: I am positive I will forget some important shows when I list some examples.  Just assume I've seen them all but also feel free to suggest, just in case.

While I don't do a lot of repeats, I've found that shows that are based in any reality but ours (meaning different rules, alternate universes, superpowers, monsters, etc) are the best for me in terms of taking my focus off of pain and also just letting me feel pretty good for a short time through them.  I would list among these types: Chuck, Once Upon A Time, Fringe, Smallville, Pushing Daisies, Psych, Alias, Supernatural, Merlin, Dollhouse, Persons Unknown, Buffy, Angel, Dark Angel, pretty much anything from JJ Abrams or Joss Whedon, and many others, most of which I have watched.  For me, I guess I would think of these almost like comfort television.  The sad thing though is that most of those shows make me long for some real magic in my life.  

The other option is anything... as long as it's REALLY good, or REALLY well-made/well-acted.  My problem lately is that while I enjoy a show that is just very well done (I'm looking at you, Sherlock), I've noticed that a large amount of these shows are very violent.  I think Breaking Bad was incredibly well acted, and I was very impressed with Sons of Anarchy, although I have no idea what possessed me to watch it in the first place.  I like the storylines, I like the actors, but I just have no desire to watch the graphic violence.  For one, I can't help thinking over and over when things are supposed to be "realistic," people recover from beatings, broken bones, infections, explosions and all sorts of other things in a miraculous fashion.  Punch someone and they fall through a glass door?  No problem, apparently glass doesn't leave any marks when a person falls through it.  Almost dead?  A week in the hospital should clear that right up.  Inevitably I am left thinking "if only real life worked like this!"  The second thing is that I just don't find any entertainment in graphic depictions of violence.  It does nothing for me and I realized that I occasionally get tense while watching that, which is only harmful to my body.  So I've yet to watch The Sopranos or Game of Thrones or Boardwalk Empire, even though these are perennial award favorites.

Of the well-acted shows that I DID watch and thought very highly of, in no order: The Wire, Damages (season 1), Lost, Fringe, Homeland, Sherlock, The West Wing, Flashpoint.  Speaking of Fringe... I am amazed anytime I watch it (and I just recently finished the series) that John Noble (Walter on the show) has never won an award for that show.  He was like Bryan Cranston in BB... just awesome acting all the time. And most of you know, my love for Sherlock knows no bounds.

Then, I would say a third category are the procedurals.  When I'm not feeling well and I know I won't retain anything I watch at the moment or I need to have something on in the background but not really pay attention to... I go right to the procedurals.  CSI, Law & Order, etc.  It's great because they just never run out of shows!

These are nowhere near all the shows I've watched and enjoyed or even most of my favorites, but I'm just sharing how my tv watching has been altered a bit since dealing with the endometriosis.  I think a little differently when I choose what to watch.  And I so often wish that other people watched as much tv as I "get to" now because I can now talk about shows at great length!  And as my critical thinking skills get tested way too infrequently, I think about connections and options, and choices and actors.  It's quite sad, really.  So anyone who needs some tv recommendations or wants to discuss a show I either enjoy or dislike (I'm not picky, I'll talk about either), feel free to hit me up, I am definitely the person you are looking for!