Adrift

If you're like me, you crave to watch a movie, or series, that engages you and pulls you in.

Being on the cusp of my generation as a boomer 2 and Gen X, I was hesitant to take the next big leap into cord-cutting. What? Give up my channels? What will I find to watch when I don't want to read on these dark cold winter nights??

utting. What? Give up my channels? What will I find to watch when I don't want to read on these dark cold winter nights??

But, without getting too long-winded, the camel's back broke on the day my new kitchen TV blew a back-light trying to reset my spotty Comcast service for the gazillionth time. Now was the moment to take the leap, cut the cord, change the Monopoly board around, and go Wi-Fi only, but with a new and different provider. Comcast will no longer rape me every month of my hard earned $306.

The first purchase came when I had to replace said TV in my kitchen. Amazon had a great deal on a Roku premiere for just $24; I bought two, then two more and then lastly a Hisense Roku 32 inch TV at Costco for $119.

I was set and ready for this new adventure! Okay... Where to start?

The one main thing I realized early on— there are way too many choices. Hours can slip by just scrolling through the movies and shows on the endless free apps already installed (and more added from Reading articles online) that your brain says ‘NO MORE’ and you give up, turn off the boom-box, grab your rum-n-coke and then slink off, in embarrassment, to your favorite reading nook and pick up where you left off in your current book. This lasted a week. Usually it's around the time when another trip to the library is in order.

I also felt a sense of bereavement... What happened next on the Good Doctor or This Is Us? And I was just getting into the new series Big Sky when I decided to END MY LIFE AS I KNEW It!

No more coffee with Kelly and Ryan Live in the morning or The Kitchen when I relaxed in the afternoon, pondering what to make for dinner. And in the evenings... The 2-hour movie escape from 10 p.m. till midnight. My life has irrevocably changed forever... But, was it?

Having reduced my bill every month from $306 down to $74.99, I already felt a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The chains that bound me to that ever-increasing conglomerate had snapped from being pulled and stretch repeatedly through years of abuse. I've had enough! I CAN DO THIS!!

Being a complete newbie, and having already saved big bucks, I was loath to buy a subscription service and get stuck down that rabbit hole again. But, through the generosity of friends and family, I realized I already HAD access to Netflix and Prime. A good friend, who wanted to share her love of Schitt's Creek, sent me her login and then created a user tab for me the month previous. Also, my daughter had gifted us a fire stick 10 years back and added us to her prime. Both sites I hadn't fully explored— but I will now.

So to get on with my discoveries, I must tell you my likes, which I had just touched upon earlier. As with music and good reads, I look for the unexpected; just as a good song or book sucks you into their world, grabs you and does not let go until the end, so must a good series or movie.

My tastes run all over the place and I enjoy an eclectic range of music and authors. Dependent on my mood at the moment, is what directs me to the which genre I’m reading. My all-around faves to read can span from Douglas Preston/ Lincoln Child’s Pendergast series or Gregg Hurwitz to the Odd Singsaker series of Jordan Brekke, and if I need something upbeat, and just want to crack up, I go for the wit of Joan Hess’s Maggoty series or take a seat and read more of Ellie Haskell's missteps from the great Dorothy Cannell — and let's NOT leave out quirky Stephanie Plum’s Shenanigans from America's go-to Janet Evanovich.

So you see? My tastes run the gamut of mystery, thriller, comedy; all in a series that leave you wanting more. Is there anything as rewarding than finishing a great book in a series and knowing there's more to come? Well... It's the same with a TV series. The excitement in waiting for the following week to see what may transpire with your favorite characters, only now, with Netflix and Prime, there is no waiting. You can stop wherever in the season and pick it back up the next day, or hour, a week or 10 minutes from now. I know now what it's like to ‘binge-watch’. Plus, based on my experience, the quality of programs presented on Netflix and prime or above par.

Several years ago I watched, with my children, Stranger Things on Netflix when my daughter had a subscription and I also got together with friends to watch Grace and Frankie, a total girls-fest treat! Both were excellent, but with a pull of cable, I hadn't explored further. I was too engrossed with my many engaging shows and movies my cable provider aired. Some being, and are excellent by the way, on HBO; The undoing, Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects and on cable primetime, as stated before, This Is Us, The Good doctor and Big Sky, which I must note you can still watch All the following week on the NBC and ABC apps for free—no sign in.

So now it was time... Here I was, with a need to fill the void, searching for a new series and found, to my joy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel whom, with the lure of cable, I also forgot. One of the best series, along with Fleabag, on Prime video. So I finished off those two and searched for more of the same and then I discovered The Good Girls on Netflix, which I loved and highly recommend, along with Firefly Lane. If you find this caliber in writing on Netflix then it's a no-brainer to give others a go. I'm looking forward to The Girlfriends Guide to Divorce, The Good Place and In The Dark and I have added them to my list. I love the fact that I'm not limited to watching wonderful movies like Mr. Right, The Good Guys or The Hitman ‘s Bodyguard and wishing they were longer, plus, with the added struggle to find something equally entertaining. Now I have the option to binge a favorite show for a whole week if I wanted to.

Also, if you're like me and need variation, I would highly recommend going to the darker side for some heart-pounding chills and thrills. I absolutely crave a good scare weekly and although I love a horror tale for a couple of hours, there is nothing better than an engrossing thriller with the added bonus of a good scary yarn to make you jump. So, in the same vein of Stranger Things, I would recommend Lock and Key on Netflix, a fascinating and engaging story with a creepy old house and a fabulous cast of characters.

If you couldn't get enough of the series Sharp Objects, on HBO, like me, then please RUN, don't walk, to the TV and binge watch The Sinner. Holy cow! AMAZING! If you become depressed that you gobbled it up too quick— Never Fear! The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor are just a click away. Another OMG moment of Discovery... Just don't do what I did... Don't sit down with a whole bag of cheddar jalapeno Cheetos... You WILL regret it in the morning!

Well, that's it for now. Happy binge-watching newbie cord-cutters of like mind. May the force be with you too! Oh, and just in case you're wondering what I'm binging currently, I just started Two Sentence Horror Stories. So far, it's Excellent!