Movie Monday | Boob Tube Binges

Slowly – and hesitantly – Mike and I have realized we’re super lazy. Yes, we love playing outside, we are both active members of re-league sports teams and we’re not out of shape, really. But, it’s come to light that our favorite thing to do is watch TV. We love it. We can’t get enough. Seriously. Even when we think we couldn’t possibly squeeze a new show into our DVR lineup because we still haven’t gotten around to watching the first 4 episodes of American Crime yet, we find something new to jump in on.

Sure, this comes with heartbreak. We were left hanging halfway through the love story Manhattan’s cutest boy and the America’s Next Top Model winner. We may never know if Sonia will find love, or if Marco will be promoted. We can’t figure out the love story timeline of CSI: Miami, because they always end the marathon before the climax. And, we have absolutely no idea if Franklin and Bash will, in fact, remain Franklin and Bash. It hurts.

But what it does come with is never-a-dull-moment on a rainy day.

We’re still loving the usuals that give us just enough to love it again after we waited a year to find out what happens next (Game of Thrones, House of Cards…). We’re still indulging in the guilty pleasures (Bring on Bachelor in Paradise!). I still watch all of the Housewives, Mindy and Zooey. Mike still can’t get enough of Shark Tank, Pawn Stars and Jaws, every time it’s on. But this season, we’ve picked up a few new ones that we’re excited about. They make us hate when we watch them live, because we then have to wait a week to continue the story.

The Knick | We don’t actually have a to wait a week on this one, since we just started it. It’s a Cinemax series, starring Clive Owen, and we’re starting from the beginning on Demand. The premise is that of a teaching hospital circa 1900. Pretty much nothing surgical has been invented and these doctors are breaking boundaries to improve the healthcare system, and avoid killing so many patients. Things like cocaine are used as a epidural, pig hearts are the guinea pigs, contagious, infectious diseases are out in the open and no one wears gloves. Meanwhile, the board is trying to force integration with what may actually be the smartest doctor. It’s got everything – a stellar soundtrack reminiscent of Oscar-winning Atonement, beautiful, monochromatic cinematography, drama, secrets and suspense and small, subtle hints at love stories of all kinds. At times, it’s hard to stomach (especially if you’ve had surgery before), but it’s worth how excited about the episode you feel by the end.

Secrets and Lies | We’re about 5 episodes in and I have to be honest – the show is super cheesy. It’s predictable, cliche and delivered with lines so over-rehearsed that you almost can’t take them seriously. Ryan Phillippe stars, who may be the most over-rehearsed actor there is. I’m disappointed. Juliette Lewis costars and she’s even worse. I get that she’s playing a hard ass, but it’s coming off single note and tiring. KaDee Strickland (that bitchy doctor from Private Practice) and Dan Fogler offer little other than an inconvenient side story and comic relief, but overall it’s just a little flat. Now, that to say, we’re kind of obsessed with who killed Tom. That’s the problem with starting a series from the Pilot. You’re invested, no matter how unbelievable the characters become. It’s a good one for mindless, suspenseful entertainment, but don’t expect How To Get Away with Murder-level plot lines.

American Crime | We have actually watched the first few episodes. And, although The Bridge was canceled, this show totally brings that dark drama back into our lives. Unfortunately, neither Mike nor I can decide if we really like this show (no belt buckles or worn leather jackets). I mean, it’s dark… and not because it’s unveiling the delinquent ways of border people, but like, this is what the world is coming to kind of dark. Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton play divorced mom and dad mourning the loss of their son. They couldn’t handle it more differently, which starts the discourse for the entire motif. The guilty party is up in the air, but a blend of ethnicities and morals combine for what is the beginning on a seemingly long investigation. It’s a little too preachy for me, in a way that tries to showcase current criminal politics in America, but I can’t deny that it makes me think. We’ll keep watching (again with the Pilot curse), and I think that although we’re not obsessed yet, we both can feel it building.

Shockingly, those are the only three shows we’ve added to our repertoire. I mean, I added The Real Housewives of Melbourne to my daytime regime, but Mike may not ever know what it means to Gamble on a shrinking violet.

Anything we’re missing out on? And do not say Blacklist. We know.