Watched, Not Finished
Forgive me for completely forgetting what I'm viewing
I miss the days of renting a video. You'd watch it the night you rented it, then you'd give it back the next day. Done.
Or, if you didn't watch it, you'd still give it back, and swiftly forget you ever started it.
Now the things we start stay in our watched queues forever. Maybe at the end of life, a family member should read out the names of all the shows we never got around to finishing.
Here, with a profound journalistic eye, I delve into the shows I've not finished, and try to figure out why.
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story
This three part series was fascinating. And by fascinating, I mean, almost fascinating.
It grips you at first because you're seeing the inside scoop on two of the weirdest serial killers of all time. Intriguing!
But here's the problem with so many crime documentaries these days. They're not being made because of new information. There's nothing investigative going on. It's just a rehash. It's like watching football highlights, but instead of a game that finished two hours ago, it's a crime spree that happened three decades ago.
A few days ago a friend of mine made a really good point about crime documentaries. She said that if the crime seems really interesting, she'll just look up the killers and read an article. It takes five minutes. Why spend many hours watching heaps of unnecessary episodes when instead you could just glance at Wikipedia?
The White Lotus
I loved season 1 and I loved season 2 and I told myself I loved season 3. But the truth is, I didn't and I don't. It's boring.
Not unwatchable boring. But, entertaining boring. The type of thing you think you're enjoying but as soon as something comes up, like needing to make a phone call or popping to the kitchen for a snack; you completely forget you were ever watching it.
I want to love it, but I just don't care.
American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden
It was fascinating to begin with. An important time in recent history. And I feel smart watching docs like this.
But at some point I stopped watching and forgot I'd ever started.
I am certain I'll never finish it. But I wish I would.
Adoration
Italian show. Good first episode. I don't remember what it was about though. I think a girl went missing?
Zero Day
Robert De Niro is an ex-President and now he has Alzheimer's, or something like that. I'm pretty sure nobody anywhere has finished the first season.
This reminds me of another show I was watching on Apple TV, someone shot the President and they're blaming Sterling K Brown. Forgot about that one too. Is the problem me and my ever decreasing attention, or is it the shows?
The Penguin
I convinced myself it would be a masterpiece, therefore I can't bring myself to properly watch it. I am still on episode 1 but struggling to deal with the Farrell transformation and I know I need to get over myself.
Lockerbie
It's good. Intriguing. And Colin Firth is great.
But a few weeks before watching this drama, I saw a doc about the crash. And the doc is better!
But I was enjoying this.
But then I just stopped.
And pressing play on it again feels like the hardest thing in the world.
Based on a True Story
Season 1 was great. I started season 2 and then within a few episodes I completely forgot the show even existed.
In fact, I vehemently disliked something about the start of season 2. I just can't remember what I disliked.
Anyway it's sitting there as part of my great 'Unwatched'. Never to be viewed again.
What shows have you not finished/abandoned/forgotten?