What I've Been Watching | October 2014


This month began with my binging on some pretty random shows on Netflix. I stumbled across The Dead Files while looking for a distraction and it definitely served the purpose. The Dead Files is a paranormal investigative show where a retired New York detective and a medium both explore the same haunted places on their own and then comes together at the end of the episode to discuss their findings. It's interesting to see what she feels during her walk-through compared to what his research and discussions with the inhabitants and historians turns up. At times it definitely feels staged and overly produced but it was a great way to get in some spooky-time pre-Halloween.

The Netflix binging continued throughout the month with Flea Market Flip, in which two teams scour a flea market for finds that they can update and breath new life into and resell for the greatest profit. It's incredibly interesting (and addictive) to see how the couples transform the pieces they find, sometimes giving them a completely new purpose. I don't always agree with the design choices or the prices they pay but it is definitely always entertaining.

In terms of watching TV shows on an actual television, Chicago Fire is back and I'm loving it as much as ever. It definitely packs a one-two punch of action and emotion, with a refreshing palette cleanser of light comedy. If you haven't watched it yet you should definitely start with season one.

Of all the new shows this season, none have kept me watching the way that Stalker has. Every week when it airs I'm glued to my TV, smart phone in hand, getting my live-tweet on. From episode to episode the stories are always different and intriguing. They, like the stalkers themselves, play on the audience's fears and the effect leaves you craving more. The show isn't overly gory or violent. Nor, as some have said, does it encourage violence against women. There are both female and male stalkers and female and male victims. Although shows like this often have story-lines that change from week to week, there are definitely over-arching plots which are being carried out throughout the season and I think they are handled in a very nuanced and anticipation-inducing way. Plus, they have one of my favorite uses of music on network TV. Definitely check it out!

Lastly, a fairly new favorite which I'm still getting my bearings on: The Affair. I pretty much knew nothing about this show until it aired and I had to watch it for my TV podcast, Antenna Heads. The show recounts the story of an affair told from two different perspectives. What I enjoy most about this show is the storytelling devices used to distinguish her perspective from his. There are definitely some glaring differences in the facts as they recount them, but the subtle differences, like the way her hair is worn or the length of her uniform, are what keep me coming back for more. Just a couple of episodes in, you definitely start to form opinions about who is telling the truth and who isn't but even that seems to sway and shift the more you learn. I'm really interested to see how the affair progresses and continue to chronicle the differences between the accounts.

What have you all been watching this month? Any new additions to Netflix I should check out? Let me know!

2 comments

  1. Obsessed with Sleepy Hollow right now! Tom Mison is so dreamy...

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  2. He really is! I only watched the first episode last season because I had so many other things to watch but I love me some good supernatural TV shows!

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