To Binge Watch or Not To Binge Watch; That is the Question – Day 50

American Horror Story: Coven — I’ve seen my Facebook friends comment and comment about this show.  It’s right up there with Downton Abbey in popularity, it seems.  (That show’s on my list, too.) Tonight, I decided I would see what all the fuss is about.

I set aside an hour to have a date with my pajamas, my blanket, and my remote.  I watched the first episode on demand for the show.  It has won numerous awards and boasts some big name actors and actresses including the amazing Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, and Angela Bassett.  How could this NOT be an awesome show?

Thankfully, I read up on the show (thank you, Wikipedia) to give me some background.  Otherwise, I would have been lost.  I’ve never watched any of the previous seasons of the show.  I am sure the intention is to leave enough suspense that you desire to watch the next episode, but I just felt lost and kept referring back to Wikipedia to keep the back stories straight.

It feels like a really intense drama.  The characters seem interesting, eccentric, varied, and multifaceted.  I definitely liked that.  I think the television show has a great way of capturing an ominous tone in every scene as if new dangers await around every turn.

However, it seemed like the violence was so gratuitous.  Additionally, it is a show that is difficult to get hooked on in one episode because of the complexity of interlocking back stories.  Perhaps it’s not that the back stories are overly complex, perhaps it’s just the plot moves too slowly.  With so much of the show devoted to outbursts of violence, it does not allow the story to be told as rapidly as I needed to capture my attention and allow me to become invested in the story and characters.

And speaking of the characters, I need a character to identify with and like.  Yes, these are witches and voodoo queens and that isn’t really how I identify myself, but there seemed to be little humanity in any character other than Zoe and Myrtle.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time devoted to these characters to really connect.

There must be something to be said about this show with all its accolades, fanatical followers, and big name actresses, but I don’t feel the need to binge watch the season.  Netflix, I’m gonna pass on this one.