Netflixing

Thanks to my youngest son, I have discovered another series I'm catching up on in my spare time. It's called The Killing, and while it is sometimes a little overly-dramatic for my taste, it's pretty good. I like that the plot takes many twists, which are all well-done and conceivable. I also like that it reminds me of Twin Peaks, without all the weirdness. (Twin Peaks remains one of my all-time favorite shows, so when I say "weirdness", I mean it fondly.) The newest -- and last -- season of The Killing just came out; I am at the end of Season 2, far past my son's viewing. I think he said he is on Season 1, Episode 8. His social life is busier than mine.

In the past he has recommended Breaking Bad (when he was probably too young to be watching it) and Game of Thrones, two shows that, when I heard the descriptions, I didn't think would interest me at all but became fast favorites. Usually, television doesn't hold much interest for me. It's a way to entertain myself when my eyes are too tired for reading. (I really enjoy Drugs, Inc. I'm not sure why that particular show has captured my attention. Oh, and Cold Justice. But as far as dramatic series or sitcoms, they don't usually do it for me.)

This kind of viewing is what makes Netflix terrific. Unlike On Demand, Netflix will hold my place if I stop watching, so I can pick up where I left off. It also remembers which episode I watched last, and on the rare occasion when I might want to watch a movie, I can browse through recommendations and see what might be good, or even look at my viewing history and see what I've already watched so I don't get a half-hour into a movie before it starts to look familiar. Hey, it's happened. But the best part is that my whole family can use my account, no matter where anyone is. Even at my house, if my son is watching something, he can sign into his profile and get to his shows, then when I want to watch I can sign him out and go into mine. If it weren't for the shows I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I'd probably never watch cable at all.