Awakening the Heart

Entertainment, my forever love and borderline unhealthy obsession. I will share with you the secrets of selecting the perfect media pursuit, but like with all good quests, allow me to provide some back story.

From a young age, I fell in love with story. My mother often read to me when I was young and I developed a love of books at a fairly early age. It wasn't long before I began to construct my own stories to share with my family; typically a few pages written, illustrated, and stapled together - a perfect little book. As I grew, I developed a passion for storytelling and swore I would one day be an author.

Life rarely plays out the way an 8-year-old thinks it will. My vision of my future morphed over time - lawyer, forensic psychologist for the FBI, child psychologist. Unfortunately, through a number of circumstances, I developed alcohol dependence in my early 20s which largely derailed any plans. I did continue and managed to complete an undergraduate psych degree. I then floundered for years aimlessly in restaurants; but eventually found a calling as a chemical dependency counselor. But I never lost my love of various entertainment media.

Throughout my 20s I had been a big movie buff, or liked to think of myself as such. My friends knew that if they wanted to know whether the latest movie was good, they need simply ask me because I had likely already seen it. One of the coolest things that I discovered during those years, though, was the special membership that Blockbuster was doing which allowed me to rent multiple things at no additional cost. I began to have more access to binge shows for the first time and discovered joys similar to reading a book series.

With a movie or standalone book, you're left whirling through the drama in short order and then parting ways far too quickly. I love nothing more than being able to stay with great characters for a prolonged time. Like many others, the characters of a great show or book series begin to feel like friends and are hard to part ways with. The first major Blockbuster binges I was afforded were 24 and Lost. They are two of my favorite shows to this day.

I loved Lost in part because I had always been a fan of weird sci-fi; but I had also stumbled upon the show midway through it's run. So thanks to Blockbuster, I was able to insert myself into the lives of these characters at a fevered pace. There was enough of character development, complex character builds, and relational drama to appeal to a broader audience than simply sci-fi lovers.

Now, my fellow entertainment journeymen and women, we have sufficiently described my path so far to embark onward in our quest for the perfect selection; the holy grail of shows! Be forewarned, however, that this grail does not remain static. It morphs to fit the state of the seeker’s heart. With that in mind, let us proceed.

The first thing to consider is your heart and the attitudes rippling from those deep wells. The heart is the source which will drive all your decisions and desires. Do you long for love? Adventure? To be inserted into a purely horrifying situation, but ultimately knowing you're safe? The primary thing we are seeking in our entertainment is often connected to a deep but unmet longing in our life. There is something fundamental to humanity that ripples out in whispered echoes from the core construction of a good story; something true of life that we may not have yet fully realized. So you have to tap into your heart to discover your desired destination.

Shows and movies provide a destination, an ultimate escape. Like many trips, we do find some are less than satisfying. But if you have the time and the means, you really ought to take the trip; for you will not know if it meets that need until you do. Once you have traveled to a destination and find you enjoy it, the next logical step is to travel to similar places in the future. Which is at it's core what we are addressing here. Wanting to take a new and unique trip? Ask a friend, who in turn asks what you like and where you have been to be able to tailor suggestions.

Let me begin with romance. While I do consider myself a romantic at heart, I do confess that I do not often seek romantic genres as my destination. There are often aspects built into most great stories which involve a heroic man or woman and someone who, at some point in the tale, is in need of help or saving. Those stories call to us because of the desire to know we have what it takes or that we are valuable enough to be sought after, saved. (Much of these concepts come from my study of the works of John Eldredge in such books as Waking the Dead and Wild at Heart. The ideas resonated as true and have shaped my view of entertainment to such a degree that I cannot help but intertwine them into my own perspective.)

https://wildatheart.org/

If you happen to be an individual who is placed in a situation where it is required that you compromise with a partner who prefers romance, but is open to danger and mystery, then I would recommend the show You on Netflix. The main character is a romantic at heart, deeply romantic, but is very misguided. His exploits throughout the show provide a warmth at one moment and a sense of dread the next. If two competing desires of the heart are clashing when seeking the right show, these are often the ideal selections; one which expertly blends genres. The longing for love and romance is met, though tragically in the case of You, and a sense of danger and intrigue are met as well; largely in equal parts, with perhaps a slight skew toward romance.

My wife enjoys true crime shows, such as Forensic Files. I believe that she enjoys the invitation to join the hunt, become an amateur sleuth. Much like that effort exerted when young to guess who the Scooby Doo villain was before the end of the episode. The itch being scratched in this case may be more connected to brain than heart; a desire to prove that you have what it takes mentally. To validate your intellect and insight. It’s a lot of fun, to be sure!

Any lover of Forensic Files and sleuthing it out can find several good docuseries on streamers to guess over until the end. One of my personal favorites that was just recently watched is titled Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. Very bizarre case that is difficult to guess at but fun to go along for the ride. My favorite part was the potential for supernatural sources of what happened to the poor young woman. I won’t spoil the end determination, so give it a look and see if you can reasonably determine what happened. As a bonus, it is only a 4-episode series so is easily binged if that is your thing.

When I find myself in the mood for action and adventure, I do often have to engage in some work to find just the right fit; as there are not often many good shows that meet that criteria alone. 24 was indeed one that met that need. In watching action movies or action shows, my longing is to feel as if I am part of the action. I believe it comes from a sense of finding myself in a rut and daily life feeling largely routine and dull. When that settles in, what better than to be swept up into a high-stakes, action-filled scenario? Fall into the narrative and the captured action; you are a bystander the whole way. Don’t hesitate to shout suggestions, though Jack may not heed your advise. He is the expert after all.

Another by now bordering-on-classic show that can meet your need for action would include Burn Notice. The main difference between the two would be camaraderie. Yes, there are moments of humanity and relationship captured in 24, but the stakes are a little too high to pause and engage. So if your heart is telling you at the time that you need adventure and laughs with good friends, look no further than Miami and your good friends Michael, Sam, and Fiona! The action elements are definitely present, but the show does a good job of drawing the viewer into the relational dynamics between these individuals. I quickly grew to love their banter and their own special approaches. As they pull scams and cons to help a down-on-their luck Joe, you can easily feel as if you are included in the planning and execution of the scheme. The feeling is helped along by Michael's side narratives that pop up each episode instructing you what you would do if facing such an unlikely scenario as he finds himself in. By the end of the show’s run, I was very sad to see these dear friends go.

Were you to find yourself desiring fantastical, science fictiony settings, what do you think your heart would be seeking? My guess is that you and I would be wanting to believe that a little bit of magic is still possible; that your childhood wonder may not need to be completely discarded. One of the best sci-fi shows I could recommend to anyone wanting to venture into the world of the weird and fantastical would include Fringe. The best part about Fringe is that it is always rooted in a modern-day, largely believable setting- originally. The bizarre and fantastic blooms forth from that starting point and one cannot help but gaze around in wonder; much like you might have when first at that science museum you visited on a school trip. The characters, much like Burn Notice, draw you into their familiar but quirky relational dynamics and quickly invite you to be a “fringe” part of the team. Again, I was saddened to see these beloved friends depart when their time came.

On a side note, any lover of sci-fi genre in general should at least give a look to all of JJ Abrams works. He is a genius in the sci-fi realm, in my honest opinion.

I could go on at length, given my love of the video medium, but I will wrap things here. My intent was largely to merely expose you to deeper introspection when considering what to watch. It need not be a major undertaking, but it may be valuable insight and worth your time. Because whatever you may discover about the current state of your heart may help to propel you toward greater adventures and loves than simply lived second-hand through viewing. Your heart is calling to you through these fables and tales. Pay attention!