What Can You Really Expect From TV?
KTB on what you can expect from TV
A few weeks ago, Grey’s Anatomy fans all over were crushed by the unexpected death of a beloved main character. It was tragic, depressing, and took the show in a direction no one anticipated. To be honest, it made little to no sense in the series at all, and the follow up episode did nothing to redeem the death or show the significance of the death.
As many fans raved about the unfavorable fate of the loveable doctor, Ellen Pompeo went to Twitter to offer her thoughts on the topic. Pompeo basically said that she was ready to show the fans how her character moved on from the loss in honor of those around the world that suffer this same tragedy every day.
So with the help of my mom and her opinion on the matter, this got me thinking: what exactly are we looking for when we turn to a TV Drama, a TV Comedy, or what ever type of show we’re watching? Do we really want to watch something that we can fully relate to, or do we want to watch something that seems so impossibly unreal?
Seeking Fantasy Reality to Escape “Real Reality”
We’re all guilty of thinking “that never happens” at the end of romantic comedies, secretly hoping something realistic will happen in an action movie, and getting frustrated at the main characters of horror movies for making the absolute worst calls. If it’s a movie, or a TV show, and unless we’re watching the History Channel or Discovery Channel, it’s 100% fiction. And in a way, this can be comforting.
Who wouldn’t want to actually watch the obviously perfect couple finally get together, or see someone possess super-human abilities? It’s sometimes refreshing to watch something work out so we can escape our lives that happen to have a bit more struggle and letdown than the average sappy love story. My mom made a good point, saying that “the world has enough negative things going on, I’d like to watch something that makes me feel good.” Maybe we look to these shows for hope, for escape, for reigniting our imagination.
Looking For Something to Relate To
Or maybe, just like Pompeo implied, it can be helpful to watch something that unfolds as realistically as possible. Disasters happen every day, people die, and life goes on. Sometimes, perhaps, watching something that is relatable to your own life may be a good way for you to cope with your own struggles, or to be more accepting to the reality of life.
No one should believe everything will always be perfect, because that’s just how life works. Maybe shows like Grey’s Anatomy are a good outlet for those that want to be slapped in the face with the random, torturous events that life throws at us, as it’s definitely not short of 30-second surprises.
Maybe It Depends on the Show
We turn to different genres of movies, TV shows, and books to satisfy our own personal interests, moods, or what have you. We may look to one show for harsh, depressing storylines that make us sob, and we may turn to a lovey-dovey show that sparks our inner romantic right after. In my honest opinion, I find it impossible for one to want 100% realistic entertainment all the time or 100% fiction all the time.
What we look for is consistency, and satisfaction. It takes balance, just like all things in life. No matter how much of an impact a plot twist may take, we generally go into a viewing kind of knowing what to expect. In regards to Grey’s Anatomy and it’s heartbreaking fate, it broke the consistency of the show.
Yes, we saw many loveable characters die on the show, and it made people shed buckets of tears on the regular. But, there was one constant element that both began the show and remained throughout the show: Meredith and Derek. It was something that remained lit, happy, and unrealistically cherished despite all the events surrounding it.
By breaking that, the consistency broke. A show that revolved around a couple that represented the epitome of unrealistic unconditional love, one that people cherished, was broken and shook the show to it’s core.
Some may want a quick vacation from life, and some may want something that represents reality to the best of it’s ability. But, we can all agree, that maintaining the basis of a show is key.
